Seeking Adventure| Joiner

[liraz]

Liraz had walked and walked for miles, stepping paw after paw along the railroad tracks. She had begun to tire miles ago, yet she kept pushing through. The same thoughts kept running through her mind, pushing her forward, every time she began to think of turning back.

I can’t turn back, not now, not as a failure.

I’ve come so far, yet have made it nowhere at all, I must keep going.

What would mom think, would she even take me back, having run away, leaving her alone in the dead of night.

I have to live my life, I can't just survive day after day with no other goals than having a family.

The long repetitive walk had become second nature to the young stoat, so much so that she had become lost in her thoughts after she had made it past the first mile of the railroad strip. Such thoughts included fantasies of what it would be like joining The Typhoon, of the adventures yet to come.

She had heard of the different clans through the stories of travelers. The tight-knit lifestyle of The Typhoon was appealing to her, this and Elysium loyalty was why she had trouble deciding between the two. However, the value of freedom held by The Typhoon, out-weighed that of justice within the Elysium. This was the deciding factor, the ability to choose her own path and have her own adventure is what she had always wanted.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn’t notice when she reached the gate. She found the enormous size daunting. She never quite realized how unsure of herself she was until she stood in front of the gate, barely a year old and already on her own. That had been her choice, after all, she had to be ready to some degree. She had found her resolve again and was determined to become part of The Typhoon, by whatever it took, even though she had no idea what that meant.

She decided to sit there to the left of the gate, not wanting to draw attention to herself quite yet. waiting for someone to approach her and make the first move. Finding it better not to reveal too much about herself, preferring to be underestimated than well known. Being underestimated would always be an advantage, being taken for granted. Being able to slip by under the radar, undetected, and unnoticed, avoiding danger by being overlooked

[Keona.]

[align=center]blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly

She holds onto a vague memory; hearing the sound of waves against a shore for the first time, the feeling of sand, the earth, beneath her tiny paws.  Her father, warmly explaining they had a new home.  She still wondered sometimes, why he gave up being a captain of his own crew just to raise her on land, but she appreciates it in the end.  The Typhoon was her home, just like he planned on.

Though Keona first touched down on the shores of Barracuda Bay, most arrived by the gate.  They trekked across the railroad tracks.  They lingered then, at the wooden gate, waiting.  A new life suspended in a moment.  The beginning.  Did they hold their breath?  Count the seconds? Or did they spend that time wondering?  A crew meant a family, a team, friends, but it also meant, suddenly, you became a part of others’ lives.  Not just one other, but many others.  Did they stop to wonder whether or not that’s what they want, to ponder what their cremates might see, looking at them?

As time past, Keona grew more confident.  She felt the prickle of her fur less, when others stared at her.  The thoughts invaded her head sometimes, spiraling down, one real question; am I weak? Being tiny as she was, and born without sight, the fae fought against the idea others misjudged her.  Expected less of her.

She found her petite form possessed advantages of slipping about, but she desired the mutual respect of others, to be seen as an equal.  Obviously, Goldie saw in her some strength and character, to promote her to Privateer.  To trust her with matters unknown to the entire crew save the two of them (and one other).  The Captain believed in her.  Ideally, the crew did too.

So while she appreciated being small in stature, she burned with a spirit much brighter and bigger than her tiny body.

When her little paws halted on one side of the gate, she sensed, rather than heard, a newcomer.  Unfamiliar smell.  The tingling sensation of someone near.  They simply sat, rather than ring the bells.  Fine.  Keona imagined she’d do the same; silent, inconspicuous.  Her pale, sea-green hues danced, attempting to lock on somewhere near, if not at, the quiet stranger.  Someone barely larger than her.

"Aloha," her voice rings out softly, yet confident.  She’d met many here, at this gate.  "Can I help you?"

✯ — keona sibéal ó faoláin. female. privateer of the typhoon. blind. rusty spotted cat.  ref. bio.

[dovedeparture]

[align=center][div style=" background-color: transparent; border: 0px solid black; width: 70%; min-height: 9px; font-family:; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; padding: 20px"]❥ Failure. A longing to return home. Dove was no stranger to those feelings. In fact, they infested her thoughts quite often. Trying to deem herself worthy was difficult - more difficult due to the nagging voices in her head. She wanted to be perfect; the way she was meant to be. But alas, it was impossible. So she would bide her time, work hard, and try to become accustomed to the homesickness.

An unfamiliar scent caused her paws to bring her to the border. Making out the visages of Keona and someone new, she guessed it was a joiner. Dovedeparture herself had only joined a few days ago. She was as new as spring, but she still felt an inkling of belonging. The members were kind, welcoming despite her guarded disposition. It was not a bad place to land. She could only hope that this newcomer would feel the same.

The angel came to a halt beside Keona, lacing a small smile across her lips. "Have you got a name, doll?" she asked, sinking into a sitting position. "I'm Dovedeparture."

[liraz]

Liraz had sat there lost in her thoughts, for how long she had no clue. She didn't come back to reality until she heard the voices of others.  Once she had refocused she saw two unfamiliar faces, she assumed they must have been members of the typhoon. One was smaller than her, giving Liraz hope that she might find a home here.

She was surprised at her self for letting not one but two strangers sneak up on her. Her senses where nothing special, but she usually stayed alert enough to notice when someone came up to her. She chalked it up to the weariness of the walk. She heard a name from the larger of the two, and nothing else. She decided to respond with hers.

"I'm Liraz" she said hesitantly, not used to encountering others quite yet. She had lived with her mother for the majority of her life. The journey here had been uneventful, not having encountered anyone else along the way. "I've come to join" she continued intending not to reveal too much about herself and her intentions until she got to know and trust these strangers more.

[celestialrobbery]

[table]
[tr][td]

crash and burn

[/td][/tr][/table]
[table][tr][td]

didn't mother warn you?

"Sweet, sounds good to me." Celeste said upon her approach, her signature bright smile gracing her features as it so often did. "Nice to meet 'ya, Liraz. I'm Celestialrobbery, but that's a whole mouthful, so just Celeste is fine." She hadn't tried to be subtle in her approach, and seeing the way she just dived into the conversation despite only hearing the tail end of it, it seemed that she was probably the most easygoing out of everyone who had gathered.

"Welcome to the Typhoon. You'll get your honorary pirate hat soon. In the meantime, we'll get you set up with some Jungle Juice and your charm bracelet. Nothing terrible, just some entrance stuff." Celeste had just been through this routine herself, so she definitely wasn't foreign to it. She knew the dangers of the Jungle Juice, too, but decided it was probably best to detail those in a bit. Her initiation was actually pretty nice -- the better half of the coin flip risk, it seemed -- so the least she could do was hope that the same happened to this newcomer.

now she's gonna mourn you!

[/td][/tr][/table]

[dovedeparture]

[align=center][div style=" background-color: transparent; border: 0px solid black; width: 70%; min-height: 9px; font-family:; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; padding: 20px"]❥ Dovedeparture gave a nod of her head as the tiny creature introduced herself as stated her intentions. She parted her lips to speak, but Celestialrobbery beat her to the punch. The wildcat turned, then, to watch her best friend approach and listen to her words. The mention of a pirate hat caused a chuckle to pass through her teeth.

"Pleasure to meet you, Liraz. And like sunshine over here said," she motioned to Celeste with an ivory wing, "welcome to the Typhoon. We're happy to have a new face." The smile that adorned her lips did falter slightly as memories of Jungle Juice swam to the surface of her mind, but as quickly as the crack appeared, it vanished. "Yes, the entrance ritual! It's an... interesting way to kick off life here. We'd be happy to show you the way."