Song for a Guilty Sadist // joining

[W. Graham]

How long has it been since he wandered the world in search of an actual group, much less something involving something similar of the ones he had since left behind what seemed like eons ago. He remembered in a reminiscent thought, how nice it had been, how he balanced everything out for his little group back then, finally gaining their peace and comfort after dictator, after dictator, after dictator came, rose to power, and fell to the next. It made him sad a bit, thinking back on it now, how many faces he had left since then, and especially in regards to his husbands.

Even if both were no longer with him, he sensed them in spirit, urging him onwards in search of a new start to what he had remembered. That's what had pushed him after almost 2 years of drifting, did he begin his search for somewhere that he would fit in comfortably.

There had been a multitude of little foresting groups he had partaken in staying with for a while, but something pushed him onwards even further, and that, while the miniature groups were welcoming and always kind and hospitable, he found himself longing to continue his journey to some unknown, foreign land.

The moment that he spotted the mountains, he was drawn to them, and made a mental marker before he began his trotting towards them. Mountains. The dark furred male thought, icey colored eyes locked onto the top of them. It's been ages since I've ever visited any. The older male would continue his travelling towards them, only stopping when he absolutely needed to, whether to sleep, eat, rehydrate himself, or to use the bathroom. Otherwise, he continued at a rather decent pace towards the rocks terrain.

Luckily for him, the cold wouldn't bother him, or at least he hoped. He was as large as a Serval, but had the coloration and thick, long furred coat of that of a maine coon. Dark, chocolate-y colored fur, and a thicker, darker furred neck and paws. Antlers rose from the top of his head, each having eight points and each raven colored horn splaying out nicely against the lighter toned area around him. Two necklaces dangled from around his neck; one a large, darker stained tooth with an "F" etched into the side, and the other the part of a darker colored antler with "H" etched at the bottom.

It wasn't long after he had set that mental marker and began to really pick up the pace that he began to smell a myriad of different scents. He brought his head upwards, lifting his nose up and inhaling deeply. More than four different scents. He hummed inwardly, ears perking up. Clan nearby. Or a rogue group. He trotted forward a few more paces before his suspicions were confirmed by the scent markers. He hesitates, before stepping over them. He begins his long trek up the mountains once again, and about a day and a half later, did he reach the official Elysium border.

However, the moment that Graham began to assess and sniff out the markers again, did he hesitate once more. There was fear and anxiety mingled with the slightest hint of iron, and he began to look around carefully, unsure of if this is what he needed to do. Of course, Unbeknownst to him, was the Elysium currently under COTC rule.

"Uh...Hello?" Graham called out, sitting down and laying his ears back against his head, eyes slightly narrowed. Though he sat down, his guard was still up, just in case of an attack. The antlered serval and savannah mix would turn his head just slightly every now and then, watching the area cautiously.

[HISOKA]

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BLOOD AND BONE !

the soft uncurling of sunlight, cotton candy smiles bleeding red, dripping blood. all grainy images that you never want to reveal to yourself:  reflection. Sakasu is the catastrophe hidden in the stillness, the mourning of a single-note song and the death of all the purity. Battle lust wrapped in a guise of sweet allure

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The condemned held a firm grip over the land because simply put the leader is indisposed, even then the chimera had a weak hold of the lands. The few that tred it's lands were that of free spirits. Who walked the earth and fled it on wings: shown or otherwise. It was a barren land, the mountaintops, and currently the old ardent sat and called himself king. Who was the Kitsune to deny him? Sakasu didn't care, the thought of any control, any cages put to them left without even meager amusement. The thought was not troubling, it was simply not something to even think about. Such thoughts were, ah, unplesant.

No Sakasu busies himself in watching the border for news now, he learned not to sleep unaware amungst the tree's even as his painted fur flickers like sunlight through the sparse tree's, at the base of their home- the stench of blood, fresh turned earth and sulfur is still present. A reek that the Kitsune would rather drown. He walks free, no matter what the army within their midst would like to say, and he goes as he pleases, to the sight of the stranger, cold eyes simply blink down towards them.

What a time to welcome a stranger. "What danger do you court, to come across subjugated land?" Soft timbre voice devoid of any true feeling besotted thought in the perplexity. A void where once the creature of pleasure in battle would croon lasciviously, taunting and jeering with hitched golden eyes. Interesting, where the note would once drawl out the tingle of fire testing such limits: morality strung out and put aside for the thrill of something new something exciteing- the unseen leash along the kitsune's throat halts him. An awareness, a sudden realization that makes him grit his teeth beyond the neutral expression.

[W. Graham]

The moment he caught the scent, Graham stared in that direction. Once, however, that an entity appeared, he straightened up, eyes immediately darting to the ground . He hesitates a moment, ears flattening more, and claws shuffling the dart. He had done this so many times, and yet he struggled to respond in a moderately normal way. He wants to assume that probably, it was because he knew he was far, far away from where he had come from, where he was born, raised, and where he once developed into a leader.

Perhaps his anxiety came from that, or just the general knowledge that he was just bad at any social interaction...Right.

"I- uh... Sorry, I'm-" Embarrassing. Graham stutters his first initial words, ears and face growing hot in embarrassment. He shakes his head slightly, necklaces swinging as he brings a paw up and into his eyes, rubbing them; a nervous tick.

"I'm not here to, uh. Be. Dangerous...?" He starts hesitantly. "I'd like to, ask about the group here. The Elysium I guess in general, but-" The savannah pauses, thinking his words over carefully, before starting his next few sentences. "Something smells a bit adrift."

Being a leader in the past, he was fully aware of what takeovers smelled like, how the energy felt and how that stench of humility and hurt drenched the air and lingered in a thick, almost suffocating way. He had seen it one too many times with the clans, groups, and guilds that he had joined and departed with.

[HISOKA]

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BLOOD AND BONE !

the soft uncurling of sunlight, cotton candy smiles bleeding red, dripping blood. all grainy images that you never want to reveal to yourself:  reflection. Sakasu is the catastrophe hidden in the stillness, the mourning of a single-note song and the death of all the purity. Battle lust wrapped in a guise of sweet allure

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An unspoken question in the kitaune shuddered and ultimately crumbled: nature won out, even amung the fear and dread that one should feel given the circumstances. Gold dipped eyes looked upon the stranger's stuttering phrases and grinned something coy, the underlying hint of sorrow-pitty-sonder in the wave of his tails. It wasn't a kind smile, but not an unwelcome on either. "but of course." he crooned out, voice a juxtapose of what once was.

"No one here is truly wants to be dangerous, wants that kind of violence in them, the elisyium was peaceful" there was a reason why he had picked this place amung the rubble, the isle. Where the islands mist shrowded the true home if the kitsune from sight, he could find refuge in the simulacra that defending this place would entail. Tied to peace he could wrench true havoc without care, spread fear amung what should have been his own. Mold them in his image, not if battle, but of peace complacency of it's own selfish desires.

Little knew how it would turn, few thought it would turn this way. "what do you think made us such an easy target?"

/Mobile

[Alastor]

A stranger? As he sat atop of a cool rock on the mountainside, the thinning doberman offered his gaze over towards the serval, looking them up and down in interest. In his silence, he made his assumptions. His darting eyes, subtle movements, and stuttering voice. A weakling. Someone easy to control and take advantage of, perhaps? With pointed ears turned backwards and pinned against his head, Alastor followed Sakasu over towards them and settled by their side watching in interest. His pointed nose straightened out to focus on William as he continued his stammering.

The topic of the takeover was a hushed one in Elysium. Many acknowledged it in the night, traversing through the shadows and letting the rumors go through the grapevine. Nevertheless, the truth was upon them. There was nothing they could do. Their end was imminent. Alastor's violet hues traveled to the horizon as he delved into his own thoughts, noting that he preferred this new reign in comparison to the last. After all, what was Elysium currently? The pacifism and hidden secrets within their land needed to be unearthed. Change hurt, but it was what they needed. A new beginning would bring Elysium new interest or rather more trouble. Nevertheless, the intelligent canine held his tongue. His opinion was different than most.

His thoughts shattered as Sakasu's curious tone fluttered outwards. 'What do you think made us such an easy target?' A smirk curled upon his maw. He knew the answer, but it was a truly devastating statement and something the cowards of Elysium didn't want to admit. Breaking the tension, the canine spoke. "While you presumably ponder that intriguing concept, let me proceed with the formalities, shall I?" came his elegant timbre. Sharp ears were summoned upwards and he dipped his angular head in greeting. "My name is Alastor, a long-time member of Elysium." Hell, he was born within The Ascendants and watched as Sun Haven and his home merged to form Elysium.

Nonetheless, for as much as he despised it, this was not his time to shine. "Who may you be, dearest?" His head craned as he awaited an answer.

[W. Graham]

As the kitsune moved closer, Will would suddenly lift up his back, standing now instead of sitting. He rose his antlered head slightly, tilting it upwards and then began to dig the wrist of his paws into his eyes again. He inhaled gently, dropping the paw back down and then brought his head a little lower than before.

“Multiple different reasons. Being peaceful is both a weakness and curse, something Grey rather than black or white.” He utters, rolling his shoulder blades and looking over his shoulder. ”It seems I’ve come at an awkward time, then, hm?” He raises his blue irises upwards, only staring ahead but still not making any eye contact.

As the newer face appeared, Will turned his head in the slight opposite direction, feeling that wave of unease once again as his heart began to race between his ribs. He clears his throat just slightly, and he begins to sway just a bit before he begins a full fledged pacing. He couldn’t necessarily help it, he knows this, his anxiety getting the best of him and thus makes his movements way less controlled. He can hear a mental ticking in his head, quiet, but prominent, and it only seems to make his pacing quicker.

”My apologies, my name is-“ He hesitates once again, movements stilling before he sits down once again. Should he use his real name? Every time he came across a new group, he would give an alias. Made him harder to track. But then again, he’d been traveling for two years, he was sure he was far away from where he once came from.

His ears droop again as he thinks of home; a brief, glittering thought and all the kids, loved ones, partners even, that he had left behind for some journey he wasn’t even sure he wanted to have any longer. All for that seemingly unreachable need and longing to finally fit in somewhere.

Shaking his head slightly, he tries to refocus his thoughts. A name. What is a name to him? He always had identity issues anyways, what happened if he want back to his origin name? What happens if it grows to be tasteless on his tongue?

”Will.” He says finally, heart thumping harshly in his chest. ”My name is Will Graham. I uh...” He stammers again, huffing softly in annoyance at such. ”I just need somewhere to stay for a night or two. I’ve been traveling for days to get here.”

[Alastor]

Their hesitance is almost amusing. Alastor watched as they paced, scrambling for such a simple answer. After all, didn't they know their own identity? Purple hues traced Will's path, only to see the serval hybrid pause. His gaze locked onto them as they spoke, offering nothing but a dull smile. "Will... William?" Alastor reiterated. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."  He wasn't quite sure if the other enjoyed the longer version of their name or even had it. Nonetheless, he preferred it. Mister Graham's opinions didn't necessarily effect him anyways.

The doberman craned his head. "I'm sure we can offer some place for you to stay." For a moment, his eyes strayed over to Sakasu for confirmation. Not like there was a leader to confirm. Stryker was too busy jacking his ego off in The Typhoon while his figureheads led in place of Hani and Alani anyways. With a short yawn, he continued on. Alastor wasn't one for border politics unless he gained an advantage out of it in private. "I would show you around, but unfortunately for us, I think we're getting a bit of a makeover-" Not like they knew any of the details though. The Elysites were excluded from the Coalition of the Condemned's talks unless they bent the knee, something many hadn't done. "- and your stay is presumably short if you're traveling."

[HISOKA]

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BLOOD AND BONE !

the soft uncurling of sunlight, cotton candy smiles bleeding red, dripping blood. all grainy images that you never want to reveal to yourself:  reflection. Sakasu is the catastrophe hidden in the stillness, the mourning of a single-note song and the death of all the purity. Battle lust wrapped in a guise of sweet allure

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The presence of another body in the vicinity was a double edged sword. It was a consideration that Sakasu's own scent suddenly wavered as Alastor's drew closer until the sight of the doberman eased the very presence of the air. It was harder now to hide it, the careful blood lust that danced in the kitsune's eyes: Battle was always a breath away no matter the ruddy peace the chimera had pushed forward- yet there was no need for any illusions now. Chittering croon of the Kitsune's voice at Alastor's arrival was his only greeting. A painted paw streaked with almost blood-red rose towards the fox's maw as he nodded along, the only consideration he could give, given the consideration.

"oh, yes this one is interesting" The kitsune called out to his own companion. "Beyond the first contact with our lovely new leadership, they seem to stick closer towards the coast. We should be unhindered in the mountains." Sakasu offered his own words of advice, golden eyes fever bright, glancing towards Alastor before returning that riveting gold back to their new interest.

"of course, we could offer you protection, but only that of which the scent markers allow," There was no protection against the enemey within, none that the kitsune could give freely. There was still no telling the moves that the Condemned would make within their borders.