then leave - [COTC VISIT]

[Stryker]

Stryker's paws settled on the Twisted Forest's edge in no time. Slitted hues narrowed out towards the horizon, observing Palmclan's territory with ease. The underbrush was swaying in the breeze, but no one faces had appeared in his vision to his disappointment. He never expected this visit to be easy, nor quick. The lion was here on an important visit, after all. Tanglewood was now within the Coalition of the Condemned's grip and their time had come. The Typhoon was on the verge of falling. All they needed was one last raid to tip them over. With no strong allies left, the archipelago island was bound to crumble. Ideally, with the help of allies, Stryker would like to achieve that soon. Palmclan was the first on his agenda.

Seeing that the group didn't like his cocky attitude last time, the Kingpin tried to keep his approach this time astonishingly boring. What a shame. "Stryker, leader of the Coalition of the Condemned, here with a request for Rhinestonestar," he spoke out. His tone was rather dull, yet mocking. They wanted 'formal,' then so be it. "Tanglewood has fallen and we need assistance in raiding The Typhoon. Palmclan will, of course, get their share." The Pitt hadn't accepted Haven Island, so perhaps another group would. The small island was full of valuable resources and would make a nice addition to any group.

[RHINESTONE.]

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

Stryker. In a way, the other's presence on their territory was both a boon and a curse. On one hand, the other represented a strong ally, hopefully with plenty of resources that they could call upon. On the other hand, most of Palmclan's members were uneasy about him at best, and want him to choke to death at worst. Even Rhine found himself wincing as he approached the other leader this time, mainly because of the request that the other was making. A raid? Now? Palmclan was struggling and vulnerable from the recent winter storm, and Stryker wanted them to fight? However, he couldn't deny that the sound of a payment sounded intriguing. If Palmclan got some land, or even just enough prey to get them through this horribly cold winter... well, it would be worth it in the end. The tom kept this in mind as he padded up to where Stryker stood, a slightly nervous smile of welcome on his face. Taking a deep breath inward, he questioned, "A raid...? I suppose we'd be interesting in assisting, but... we're having issues right now. We had a huge storm, and our prey is scarce at the moment. What exactly would this share involve? Something that could help us, hopefully...?" Stryker seemed like a reasonable man – or at least, a shrewd business man, so surely he'd see how beneficial offering something good would be for the both of them.

NEVER OPENED MYSELF THIS WAY
LIFE IS OURS, WE LIVE IT OUR WAY

— Reggan

[Stryker]

As the tom approached, Stryker's confident smile grew. How prompt of him to show up. Last time, they were rather late and he had to deal with Quasar's babbling. Nonetheless, the deal was done. They were allies now and with that came the push and pull between them. 'You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours' type of deal. The lion knew the formalities of business well, after all. A triple-time leader had to.

With a firm nod, he paused momentarily to think. Palmclan was their strongest ally. Offering the Coalition of the Condemned's assistance was wise. "I see," the Kingpin reminisced. "I am sorry for your trouble and we would be willing to help in exchange for yours." The lion craned his head. His paw raised to rub at his chin in thought. Neither group was 'thriving' in terms of resources, but with Tanglewood acquired, that could change. As his paw fell to the floor, the lion continued his spiel. "You can have free reign of Tanglewood's hunting grounds and territory during this time. They have an assortment of prey-" That was really an understatement. For a shit-riddled swamp, who knew that non-sentient creatures would gather there. "-and rare herbs. My wanderers will escort you as need be." Stryker thought they could handle themselves, but some select pansies might need assistance.

To sweeten the deal, Stryker would offer one last special treat. A smirk met his lips. "If you don't have enough resources or a suitable place to say by the time the raid is over, Palmclan is welcome to take Haven Island as their new home." The island was about the size of the Coalition of the Condemned's current dump. Needless to say, Stryker wasn't necessarily interested.

"If you have anything else in mind, do not hesitate offer," the Kingpin finalized. "The Coalition of the Condemned is at your service, Rhinestonestar." Whiney Rhiney was going to need some help getting out of their current situation. Disregarding Stryker's deal would be idiotic.

[number nine.]

A raid. The thought of it disturbed Number Nine slightly, although not because he was opposed to battles as a whole. In fact, he loved battles. He enjoyed the thrill of the fight, and loved the thrum of energy that was ever-constant whenever he was in the middle of a good duel. However, it wasn't as if Palmclan didn't have enough to worry about already. Not only did they have their own issues concerning the whole unseasonably cold winter season, but they had already agreed to help Alithis Evgenis with their bandit problem. That was already one battle, with a potentially weakened fighting force as a whole. The jaguar was far from writing the whole thing off entirely, though. If what Stryker was offering was a true reward, then they could have plenty of prey to last them through the winter, and perhaps even longer than that. The male was sure that was already going through Rhine's head, but he found himself needing to speak up as he approached, "Interesting offer, Mr... Stryker, right? An entirely new home for us if we help out? That's not something you give away lightly, which must mean that this is something big. I know you said Tanglewood has fallen, but you wouldn't be coming to us if you knew this was a shoe-in. Are you absolutely sure that now is the time for fighting?" Nine doubted that Stryker would even entertain the thought of standing by until they had more power to back them up, since he seemed like the type to have utmost confidence in his people.

Tilting his head to one side then, Nine questioned curiously, his tail twitching and flicking in thought, "Also... what are you going to do with Tanglewood's land after all of this? Not that we necessarily want it - I'm not leader here, after all - but I'm mostly just curious. Is the Coalition's empire going to span both Tanglewood and The Typhoon's territory?" Frankly, the bounty hunter didn't entirely trust Stryker. While he had initially tried to cool things down when the other had first visited, that didn't mean he had to like the guy, he just hadn't wanted a fight to break out. As far as Nine was concerned, it really seemed as though Stryker was growing a bit too big for his britches, and he was trying to drag them into it. If he was so willing to take over both Tanglewood and The Typhoon, how long until he turned his little reptilian gaze on them? Many a worry swirled around in Number Nine's head, but he had a feeling that Rhinestone was already too far gone to reconsider. They had just been offered up land and prey on a silver platter, in a time where they desperately needed both. Of course he would end up taking the deal.

HELLBENT ON MAKING YOU LOVE ME TOO

[RHINESTONE.]

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

When Rhine considered Palmclan's close allies, Alithis Evgenis was always the first group to come to mind. After all, both groups had been allies for longer, and Stryker had only shown up very recently looking for Palmclan's attention. Despite this, Rhinestone certainly didn't mind the Coalition and Palmclan growing stronger together, especially if it meant that they could recoup the resources that had been lost as a result of the storm. Sure enough, when Stryker ended up offering Tanglewood's territory, as well as Haven Island, the ruddy tom's eyes lit up. Both scenarios would be perfect for the clan as a whole, since it would mean they'd be able to grow and thrive, without worrying about the weather. Haven Island was sure to have a better environment right now, over what their own territory was currently like. Rhinestone was about to speak, but he was then interrupted by the approach of Number Nine, causing him to half glance and half glare in the jaguar's direction. He had a decent point about this perhaps not being the time to fight, but Rhine still found himself hissing despite this, "Number Nine... I'm sure that Stryker wouldn't come here unless he was sure that we would come out on top. Besides, it's a good offer..." For now, he didn't completely outright ignore Nine's words, however. He was sure that Stryker would have a rebuttal for them, anyways. He didn't seem like the type of man to come without some kind of plan - or several.

Turning his gaze back to the other leader himself, Rhine took a deep breath before he said, questioning, "Those offers are... very generous, Stryker. I'd be happy to accept them, as I'm sure the whole of the clan would be grateful for the prey and the assistance. When exactly would you need Palmclan's help for this raid? I can make sure that we're there." Maybe he was folding a bit too early - and he was sure others would soon be arriving to tell him about it if he was - but he couldn't miss this chance. Not when all of their prey was hiding underneath the ground, and their tropical paradise was thoroughly covered in ice cold snow. The battle could be dangerous, that went without saying, but Palmclan was hardly weak. There was a reason why Stryker had allied with them in the first place, and they had only grown stronger since then, with several members discovering new powers they hadn't even realized that they had.

NEVER OPENED MYSELF THIS WAY
LIFE IS OURS, WE LIVE IT OUR WAY

— Reggan

[Stryker]

At Number Nine's questioning tone, he nodded. That was him name for sure. His acknowledgement was more towards their question, wondering if they'd be able to acquire a new home during that time. The lion wasn't always loyal, but when he was, he raffled off big surprises and prizes to his followers. Any ally would be glad to have him. "A home, indeed," the Kingpin reminisced back. "Or, at least, somewhere to evade the winter snow if you prefer to stay here." Stryker wasn't a fan of snow, so he was glad all of his homes in his older stages have resided in the desert or within a tropical island. "I'm afraid I don't know your name, flower child, but I assure you that this is genuinely the right time to attack." If they didn't, both of their groups would suffer through the winter. Palmclan and the Coalition of the Condemned were both damned due to their recent territory destruction. Needless to say, they needed one another.

A hum left Stryker. He had considered what to do with Tanglewood, but wasn't positive just yet. While expanding their empire into the mainland was ideal, there was plenty of land to share with their allies. "I'm not quite sure," came his contemplative grumble. "I suppose it's merely a back up for now, but if things change, I will let all of you know." If Plamclan assisted too, they'd be able to achieve that goal easier. Perhaps they would be able to take Tanglewood instead...

Neon hues moved over towards Rhinestonestar. A confident smile graced his maw as his offer was accepted. "I'm glad to hear it." If Whiney Rhiney would have denied his offer, both groups would be in a world of hurt. "We're going to need you by the end of the month, but if that's too soon, I am willing to prepare more." Stryker didn't want to push it and have The Typhoon find out, but if they needed more time, then so be it.

[RHINESTONE.]

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

The end of the month. It would be tight, especially considering Palmclan already needed to assist Alithís Evgenis, but Rhine wasn't willing to turn the offer down. It was a good one, and hopefully one that would allow them to live through the winter without losing anyone. The leader honestly wasn't sure how much help he would be, considering his own fighting prowess was currently being dampened by sickness, but he wasn't one to back down. Hopefully, by the time Stryker called upon them all, he would be feeling in tip top shape, and there would be no reason for concern. With this in mind, the ill leader simply shook out his pelt, offering Stryker a small smile before he spoke, "We should be able to assist before the end of the month. Some of my members may be... less than enthusiastic about the idea, but I know they'll come around when they hear about the land, and the hunting." He knew that he wasn't the only one desperate for some good hunting, as well as some dry land. Haven Island was a part of the Typhoon, which meant that it would hopefully be nice and warm, a perfect escape from the chilled hellscape they were currently occupying, at least until summer returned again.

Sparing a brief glance in Nine's direction – and seeing no further resistance in the warrior's face – Rhine then added on, "We'll be ready whenever we're called upon, but I'll make sure to round up all those able to fight once we know exactly when we're heading out. I'm glad you decided to come and make a deal with us." Part of Rhinestone felt bad about attacking the Typhoon, especially considering Rosemary's recent help, but what choice did they have? They were suffering, and he didn't think that Goldie was particularly interested in offering them assistance. Hopefully the raid would end quickly and without too many injuries. Then Stryker would get what he wanted, and they wouldn't have to hurt too many others. After all, Palmclan was technically an anti group, but they weren't heartless.

NEVER OPENED MYSELF THIS WAY
LIFE IS OURS, WE LIVE IT OUR WAY

— Reggan