a lack thereof ☆☆ joining

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[color=#137E7A]FINNLOCH
" i dont dare let darkness have it's way with me "

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looking down the mountain to the beautiful beach, a petite russian blue femme stood on the path, claws dug into the grit and dust, breathing in deeply. tears rolled freely down her angled face, gaunt with hunger and the exhaustion of healing from a terrible sickness that had plagued her. now that she stood here, she could feel her heart aching and slamming in her chest. she was safe now, safe from her old home and the pain that lived there like a dark beast waiting to bite into her.

swaying slightly she took in deep gulps of the salty, brine-filled air of the sunhaven, her grey tail whisking through the air, a pained joy spread on her small pretty muzzle, yes yes, i am here now, but he is not. my poor, poor moth ... oh how i miss him and our kits ... she thought in her anguish, the tears dripping onto her paws. the only thing that she could do now was to live, to live for her deceased mate and children. she was still relatively young and pretty, sure to catch an eye or two despite the scars that marred the beauty of her face.

closing her eyes she shook off the remnants of her emotions, adjusting the small silver bangle on her paw, a reminder of her previous home and group, survivors she had been separated from as her half brother and his mates led them from the wreckage of their old aeroplane home in the swamps.

her name was finnloch, previously a mother to a litter of five, three surviving only to die of illness save for one son, her brave blind little ram. he traveled with his uncle, maybe set to come to his mother later. she was the previous medic of her group, having taken the reins at an even younger age. she was here to begin again and carry the memory of her ancestors.

[| ICHIGO KUROSAKI |]

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ICHIGO KUROSAKI

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i don't fight because i want to win, i fight to win!

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Death of family members wasn't something easy to deal with. Ichigo could speak from experience. It seemed as if fate made it its job to make sure that he didn't have any sort of family to be a part of anymore. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find a place where he could consider himself to be happy. The wildcat tried and tried again but to no avail to bring back those that he cared about, only for them to disappear completely. Ichigo once had a mate before, and he once had six children at some point. One was an adopted child, but Ichigo didn't consider her to be adopted considering that family was family and that was all there was to it. The Shinigami wasn't the one to have bad luck due to the many enemies that he had sprouting around. He was a magnet for trouble, and thanks to the spiritual energy that he leaked off constantly, it was almost like a calling card for corrupted spirits to come and try to kill him. But, because of the leaking energy it also meant those that simply stood around him for too long could potentially be targeted as well. Ichigo knew that everyone had their own stories to tell, and Ichigo would have to go through hell and back for anyone to try and get him to talk about his family. As far as anyone knew in Sunhaven, he was just a guy with a sword and nothing else. Unlike those that he had grown up with, they never managed to see the side of him that could potentially be deadly if he didn't keep constant control of it. Ichigo was never going to let the thing inside of him out, as it would only mean disaster for those around him. Either way, Ichigo had a dead mate by the name of Lucy.

She was extremely strong and they connected somewhat well. At some point, they were even leaders of their own respective groups and those two groups had strong ties with one another. Evidently, they had children together, all of them being slightly different versions of cougars. Fate had plans for his own family though, and when Lucy died, Ichigo was emotionally destraught. He was there for his kids when they waited for him after their mothers funeral. Immediately after, he was attacked by the corrupted spirits that were a lot larger and stronger than he was. Thanks to his powers, he was able to see the beasts but his children couldn't. The wildcat was held down against his own will and power as he watched the corrupted spirits take out his children one by one. Decapitation. Skinning. Crushed. Ichigo was raked with nothing but dispare once he was able to kill the creatures for what they did. All he could do was cry and weep in front of their bodies and hope that it wasn't real. After that had happened, Ichigo didn't want anything to do with when it came to children. He had no need to look for any more romantic relations with anyone else, the memory far too scarring for him to deal with. That was until the Shinigami meant Littlekit. A child that fled from her group because she saw how horrible of a place it was and Ichigo opened her with open arms into the group he was leading. He was able to watch as she grew into a powerful young lady, although getting slightly over her head sometimes. The Shinigami was then forced to go on a mission that he couldn't talk about, leaving the clan that he was leading in her care, which was a lot for an older apprentice to take care of he had to admit.

When he returned, he was greeted with a fully grown leader, one that had been tortured since he had moved away. He could barely stand the sight of what he returned to and was overwhelmed with guilt. In the end, he had asked the other if she would be willing to let him adopt her, which she happily agreed despite her age. A week later, she was murdered and he distinctly remembered holding her bloodied corpse in his arms. That happened only a year ago. Thanks to how stubborn he was, Ichigo was always at work doing at least something. The Shinigami had to keep himself busy if he didn't want to go completely insane. The one place that he tried to avoid though was the mountains, having horrible memories of growing up in the mountains with his family. However, when one sensed a presence that wasn't recognizable up on the mountain, he knew that he probably should check it out. As soon as he started climbing the wrongs, the cougar nerves were on end, as he just wanted to get off the damn mountain.

The bandages that covered his shoulder and his left leg shifted as he climbed before it turned into him walking up the slope. Thanks to his Clairvoyance he was able to tell a presence not too far away from where he was, and one he didn't recognize. His pelt was slightly drenched thanks to the constant rains, and it wasn't hard to hear the jaguar sized animal making his way over thanks to the black metal and leather armor he wore. The armor rattling slightly with each step that he made. His bi-colored eyes finally landed on a domestic cat that he had yet to see, which wasn't saying much as he didn't know most animals in this place. He couldn't tell that she was crying thanks to the rain, but it was obvious by her face that there was something wrong. The larger animal stopped a slight distance away in hopes of not intimidating her, which he often came across as such. "Hey, everything okay?" Ichigo questioned the other in a calm voice. Concern was slightly obvious in his yellow and brown eyes, as he never liked to see anyone in distress, especially when he was younger. The black tip of the Shinigami's tail twitched as he didn't bother with the common questions that were asked on the borders.

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[color=#137E7A]FINNLOCH
" i dont dare let darkness have it's way with me "

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finnloch lifted her head, mind caught up in the torrent of her thoughts. her gaze quickly found the cougar, her fur laying flat, unable to lift even if she was dry, "yeah. yes, everything's okay ... just memories." she responded, coming closer.

her experience as a mother allowed her to see the pain in the male before her, scars that she knew could not be healed. her own moth, her beloved from a distance, had been the same.

tightening her lips in a friendly smile she inched closer, gaze sweeping over him and all of his armor, her mind instinctively shifting into a caring mode, "is there a dry place nearby? it's been quite the downpour, haha." the thought of and you look even more soaked than me, poor thing. went unsaid, her eyes holding a glimmer of concern. she didn't mind her out situation, more concerned about those around her.

shaking herself out she studied ichigo with an air of openness. she didn't say much more, her gaze sweeping back out to the sunhaven, "did i really make it to the sunhaven?" there was a slight quiver in her voice, her outlandish accent standing out more. all that time in the swamp and her highlands accent wasn't diminished. sweeping her gaze back to the cougar she smiled hopefully, burying the pain of her own memories, for this wasn't the proper time for them. she would remember her father and her adopted father and the children she had raised herself with the aid of long lost classmates and loved ones. there was a time for that, and a place, but the joy she felt could not be sullied by the pain of those who could not reach their freedom here.

[MirrorEdge]

[align=center][div style="width: 45%; text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: times new roman;"]♡ — Here, it seemed nobody could venture outside without getting soaked within minutes. Sunhaven had seemed like a strange name for this place, even though Nora had been told it really wasn't like this all the time, she found it a bit difficult to believe. The rain had been relentless, a mixture of wet sand and mud coating her paws almost all the time, to the point that the tiny tortie had found herself up to her legs in mud.

Nora didn't know much about mothers, or loss, for that matter. Her own was beginning to fade from her memories, just little things, such as what her laugh sounded like, or her smile. She could remember how she had often struggled with providing for four young and hungry children, until she had made what was likely a heartbreaking decision to send them off on their own. Nora hadn't seen her siblings since.

For now, the young feline stuffed her mouth with the remains of her soft pretzel, chewing quickly as she approached the two unfamiliar figures, the Sunhaven scent on the larger one barely detectable with all the rain. "Yeah, you did, miss. And I think there is." Nora paused for a few moments. "I'm not sure where, though. I'm new here."

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[color=#137E7A]FINNLOCH
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her gaze swept to the other small molly, her eyes lighting up, "well, im happy to be here, no matter how soaked we may be!" she laughed, humor and lightheartedness in her tone. she smiled endearingly in nora's direction, happy to see another domestic feline besides herself.

"oh that's amazing! did you come far, dear?" she asked her, head tilted to the side. she didnt mind the rain, even if it threatened where they stood. she was much too happy to be bothered by it, her joy simply from the fact that she had made it to somewhere safe, somewhere she knew she would fit in.

the memories of her loss would always remain a significant reoccurrence in her heart, replaying itself by the year until she grew white and passed back to the dead. she was a curious woman, wanting to know more, to know everything about her. she quietly wondered how she would do this, embracing it in her mind.

"well, why dont we head into the town? i mean, if that's not self-imposing! i wish to join the sunhaven, i have varied skills in the medicinal paths, and just as many in the warrior paths. may I ask, but is there a place with knowledge written down?" a library or some archive is what she was after, aching to be around books again.

[| ICHIGO KUROSAKI |]

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ICHIGO KUROSAKI

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i don't fight because i want to win, i fight to win!

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Ichigo had once said that what happens in the past stays in the past and doesn't make someone who they are in the present. Ichigo had believed what he said for a long time and tried to forget about all the awful things that had happened in the past with him and those around him. Eventually, after having nothing but five years of torture the majority of his life with very small moments of happiness scattered around, it became even more difficult for him to forget the memories that plagued his mind. Half the time, it wasn't even him that was bringing up the memories but the creature that was resting inside of him just to mess with him a little bit. Thanks to the recent fight over power between him and the creature, the other had been somewhat quiet and hadn't insisted on torturing him day and night. If anything, the other had some interesting conversations to hold, even if they just did annoy each other day in and day out. They were part of one another, and if one of them was to be removed from the equation it would mean that both of them would die. So, it was better for them to eventually get along so that they didn't get themselves killed every minute. Ichigo couldn't remember the last time that he was mentally stable after all the death and carnage he had watched over the years. The wildcat had tried to not let it shape him as a person, but there was only so much his own mind could take. Ichigo was used to harboring everything by himself and keeping everything on his shoulders. The wildcat had no reason to put his own burdens that most creatures wouldn't even understand onto theirs. if anything it would just put those that did know in danger, and Ichigo spoke from experience. Everyone he knew that he was close to was dead or missing.

There were a couple faces that were scattered around the world that were indeed alive, but it was a feeble attempt to try and cross the globe looking for them. He did that when he lost his sisters, although it was mostly his fault that they were killed. It seemed as if there was a curse on the Kurosaki family just to have misfortune, and as far as Ichigo knew he was the last of his family line. He knew that his mother was dead, as he was there when she died, but he wasn't sure about his father. He knew the other was a Shinigami, but there was no telling where the other settled down or if he just upped and died like everyone else. The former leader looked at the domestic cat as she spoke. Memories. Ichigo seemed to stay there with clouded eyes for a couple seconds after she spoke those words. Trying to fight back all the horrible memories that were stuck inside the soul of his. The wildcat's body was tense, and it was obvious that he was uncomfortable about something. He hated being on the mountains. When the russian blue took a step forward though, Ichigo took a hesitating step backward. It wasn't that he was afraid of her, it was the fact that he didn't trust anyone that seemed to arrive at a group like this. Despite his calm demeanor, he wasn't going to give his trust to just anyone. At the mention of finding shelter from the rain, his yellow and brown eyes looked up at the pouring sky. The rain wasn't as bad as today as it usually was, so that was somewhat of a relief. Ichigo would give his body a quick shake to let some of the water drains out from underneath portions of his armor. She was looking for shelter. Everyone was welcome to shelter in his mind, whether others disagreed with him or not. He technically had a rank in the group, although he completely forgot the name of it already.

"Oh uh yeah. We'll have to climb down the mountains unless there's a cave nearby but I don't know the mountain well." Ichigo said calmly, the black tip of his tail twitching behind him. The rain didn't bother him, but thanks to how much scar tissue covered his body, he wasn't that sensitive to most elements. The Shinigami began to turn himself around when the female spoke again. She was asking about Sunhaven, and he looked over his shoulder to tell her that she had indeed arrived until someone he didn't recognize made her way over. Another domestic cat, a somewhat smaller one. The Death God hardly knew everyone in the group, so he didn't doubt that this was another member. His assumptions became somewhat true when the female said that they were new to the group. He watched as the two began to have conversations with each other, and as much as the fur on the back of his neck wanted to stand up from just the mountain general, he just ended up shuffling his paws on the rocky portion of the mountain that he was standing on. At the mention of heading into town, Ichigo shook his head slightly. "With the rain that this place is getting, it's flooding the town and destroying most of it. There are closer shelters set up near the beach, but more toward the mountains." Ichigo explained as he pointed with his tawny and black paw toward the ocean that was just below them. It seemed like Ichigo was getting between a rock in the hard place. Afraid of the ocean and afraid of the mountains, and yet the only place to really seek shelter was near the mountains. Ichigo became slightly confused about the last portion of what she said. Where knowledge was written down? What did that mean? A confused look seemed to spread across the older male's facial features for a moment before he spoke again. "I don't really know what ya mean by that exactly. But you're welcome to stay as long as you like if you can tolerate the rains." Ichigo said as calmly as he could, but his voice was slightly tense when he did speak. He flicked a couple raindrops off of his left ear as he turned his head to look away again. "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo by the way. We should probably get off the mountain." Ichigo introduced himself, his Japanese accent thickening slightly, without looking at the female as he began walking away first. It was obvious that the cougar seemed to be jumpy about something, and he was going to have to change his already soaked bandages when it found a nearby cave.

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[color=#137E7A]FINNLOCH
" i dont dare let darkness have it's way with me "

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a shimmer of amusement flashed in her eyes, gaze following ichigo. she chuckled slightly, "the rain bothers me little. where i grew up it was almost always rainy and dreary. oh dear, flooding?" she murmured before briefly pausing to shake herself out. "has anybody been hurt?" she questioned softly, gaze cutting to the cougar, concern evident for all of his scars and bandages.

flicking her tail and spraying smaller droplets into the heavy air she sighed softly, relaxing as the water soaked down to her bones, "where are my manners? i am finnloch of the highlands. i have no other name but feel free to call me whatever you can think of." she remembered to say, giving a slight curtsey through an extension of her left foreleg and inclining her head.

[Aelios S.]

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Late as ever, standing in the rain too none the less. This weather was miserable and bleary. Fin hated each second of it, they would rather be indoors were it was safe and warm. But now that the threat of indoors hung at balance of vanishing all together, they decided otherwise.

"I can agree more but wouldn't you agree standing here in the wet and muck is a recipe for a dreadful cold marm?" fin asked sauntered over looking half drowned, they were soaked through and through.

Always somewhat forgetting their own manners. A flick of their own waterlogged tail, "my name is Infirmaryward but I mostly go by Fin."

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[color=#137E7A]FINNLOCH
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finnloch swung her head to fin, tipping her head with curious excitement. she smiled, catching the slightest highlands accent in his voice, "ah! we share a nickname then! i also go by finn, or finny if it's easier. ah yes, yes! let's all get out of the water into shelter?" she responded with a twitch of her ears, paws aching to get moving again after having been so long on the move.

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Naturally in this situation fin should have smiled, but the vampire sort of lost that facial movement ages ago and laughing too.  Nodding their head, "Finny it is then marm. Sorry old habits die hard." they coursed glancing at Ichigo, the vampire was still very nervous around the shinigami.

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