HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON'T | OPEN, JOINING/PIERCE NEEDED

[RIDDLERSGAME]

[align=center]★★★
[div style="width: 360px; margin-left: 6px; letter-spacing: -0.5px; text-align: justify; font-family: timesnewroman; font-size: 12px; color: black;"]I’ve left to forge a new path.

These words, written in beautiful scroll on browning paper, invoked a variety of reactions from the reader. First, surprise, for he never would have expected that the author would write such a thing, let alone follow through and truly vanish. Following the surprise was hurt, or, betrayal more like. This is what Riddlersgame got for trusting someone again - he never would have suspected Pierce leave him like this. Even more unexpected, however, was that he would leave without Clementine. Pierce’s own daughter, so small and sickly, and the Vice-Leader had just left her.

As he read on, Rid still struggled to understand. He claimed their own Clan was unsafe, and that he was on his way to find a new one. Yet, he had lived here his entire life, and Riddler was here. Did he not think he could keep them safe? And, if it was so dangerous, why was this the way that Pierce chose to inform him - with a hasty letter? At first, he had explored the idea of foul play - perhaps someone had forced him to write this and taken him away, but Riddler knew better. He knew Pierce, right? Or, at least, he thought he did.

However, he had left him instructions despite his abrupt departure. Riddler had taken time to decide if he really wanted to follow them - did he really want to follow Pierce after this? Did he really even trust him? And, if he did decide the risk was acceptable for himself, was it worth it for Clementine too? Riddler didn’t tend to care much for children - even his own, if his fractured memory served him well - but this one had found a special place in his heart. She reminded him of someone, someone from so long ago, sweet and thoughtful and in need of someone to protect her, but like so many characters in his past, he failed to remember quite who. Begrudgingly, he also felt he owed it to Pierce to take care of her, like he had done for him. Would it be beneficial for her to leave the only home she had ever known, and furthermore, could she even make the journey? He wasn’t going to leave her, that was for certain.

He had taken time to come to his decision. His first days had been bitter, soured by the feeling of abandonment lingering deep in his chest, but as this faded, he tackled the decision as he always did - logically, mathematically, weighing pros and cons and convincing himself that his own emotions had no effect on the outcome. He had finally made the decision when he realized that that place could never truly be a home for him and Clem, at least, not without Pierce Parker.

The journey hadn’t been an easy one. He carried nothing aside from the knife , leaving behind all his books and keepsakes. He could barely remember what most of them meant to him anyway, plus, he had a much more precious delivery to make - Clementine. She was a liability, and he didn’t need to be lugging books while worrying about her passing out. He could only imagine what Pierce would do if he let something happen to her, and he didn’t really intend to find out. So he had led her, carried her, kept her fed - whatever she needed as they made their way away from the familiar and into the unknown, following Pierce’s trail. The further they went, the stranger things became, to the point where Rid felt they were no longer in the same world in which they began. It wasn’t really the terrain that made him assume so, but the sky.

He might have forgotten a lot of things, but he knew what his sky was supposed to look like, and this wasn’t it.

He couldn’t really tell how much time had passed by the time they arrived - it felt like no more than a few days, but things seemed different here - but he knew they were almost there before Pierce’s trail came to an abrupt end. The name he left behind, Snowbound, had given him enough clues, and by the time he ran out of clues to follow, he was stepping through a thick layer of snow, and after that it was only a matter of time before he froze in his tracks, faced by a scent line.

“We’re here,” he meowed simply, looking over his shoulder at his much smaller traveling companion, who had been doing alright on her own today. He had had to carry her at some points during the trip, and the breaks were frequent, but he had done his best to remain patient. After glancing her over quickly, he turned his attention forward once more, sweeping the terrain before him. If his instincts were correct, someone would come along soon - that’s how these places always were. He wondered if it would be Pierce to find them first. If he’s even here, rang a voice, tone near singsong, through his mind. That was a possibility, but he banished it. They hadn’t come all this way for nothing, and at the very least, he intended to deliver Clem back to her father and figure out exactly what the hell he had been thinking when he left. Oddly, he hadn’t planned out what he would say to the serval when he saw him - he wasn’t usually one to wing it, but he had a feelin it would come to him when the moment arrived.

//please wait for clem to post !!! c:
[member=124]pierce[/member] [member=126]CLEMENTINE P.[/member]

[CLEMENTINE P.]

————- The trip indeed had been long, and hard, for one so small. Though Clementine was five months old, the tall, lanky serval that she should have been- much like her father- was not. She was a small, little, more like a baby than an older child. Yet, even as she trekked the long trails with her Uncle Rid, things just.. didn't feel right. It was hard to explain the sensation. Perhaps part of it was her own childish mind making the many miles feel so dreadfully long, especially when her lungs struggled to keep up with the pace. She had not truly voiced a thank you to Rid for his consistent stops, too embarrassed to admit that she needed it more than he knew, but perhaps the sentiment was still there. At the very least, she had grown comfortable with the man in the time that had passed since Pierce had left, and now that they drew closer... She felt sick. She tried to tell herself it was the hours and hours on her feet; but even now she made the last few miles of the trek on her own paws. No, no, she knew the reason.

Her father had abandoned her.

It was temporary, surely, maybe he meant to come back, but the note? A note that she could barely read for the tears in her eyes?  Riddlersgame had told her, as gently as he could have, but she screamed, she fought- she didn't believe it. At least until she saw it for her own eyes. Then, her world had crumbled. Anger, fear, agony, and sorrow all nestled so tightly in her chest she nearly blacked out.

Her days of agony then turned into weeks. Then longer. Then longer. Then she stopped paying attention. Then she tried to stop caring about her own father. Wondering if he was safe, wishing he was there to reassure her, to help her. But he had not been. Only when Riddler had told her that they were going after him again, that things were now 'settled' enough for them to take the trip too did she let him return into her thoughts. Most of the trip she had gone through without a thought of him in her head, trying not to think of his voice and the comfort of his hugs, but now that they were here? Now that Riddler had truly confirmed their location, she felt her knees shake, and she leaned against Riddler's leg.

How long had she spent longing to see her father again? How many nights had she spent crying without him there? Relying on her Uncle- a man she trusted, surely, but it was no true replacement for her father, in a land far away from her. And now, that she was to see him again, she felt more angry and scared than overjoyed? Was something wrong with her? Why had he done it? Why would he?

"I-is... Is... Is he here?" she would whisper out softly, her voice almost lost in its own quaver as her bright green eyes lifted up to meet Riddler's, as if he would have the answer she sought.

❀

[color=#B0CC8C][b]

[PIERCE]

​

[div style="margin-top: 30px; text-align: center; font-family: timesnewroman; font-size: 35px; color: white;"]pierce parker

☀ — and till the end you're my very best friend

space

Three months. Three months, Pierce had waited, separated from the girl and man he loved oh so much, blindly promising himself it would all be okay. But there was no way to really know that, was there? All this time, and he hadn't seen even one sign that his family was coming, or that they were even okay. He'd been holding desperately onto the fact that he hadn't seen them at that one event where the spirits had visited Snowbound- onto the fact that they, hopefully, were not dead. Control was never something Pierce really wanted, but it wasn't until he lost it that he realized how helpless he felt without it. No matter where they were or what was happening them, there was nothing he could do to help them, and he hated it. Hated that they weren't together, that they were taking so long, that he had even done this in the first place. But what else could he have done? After what had happened to Hana, there was no way they could stay in that place anymore, and he'd done the only thing he could. Should he have brought them with him? God, how he'd wanted to, but he'd done what he'd had to, and then he'd had to wait.

Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and throughout all of it, Pierce was surrounded by strangers, and while they had been nice, for the most part, it just wasn't the same. He'd had friends, a family, a clan to take care of, back home. There was nothing like that for him here, and some days, he only stuck around with the knowledge that if he left, he may never see his family again. As time passed, however, he'd warmed up to Snowbound. The people were kind here, and staying in the Typhoon, he'd even made some friends. He couldn't help but hope that he would get to see his little friend, Cronas, again even though he had already pretty much moved back to Snowbound full-time.

Despite working around the clan and doing his little fun activities, never a day went by that he didn't think of Clem and Rid, that he didn't walk down the Snowbound border in desperate hope that he'd spot their lovely, familiar faces, but he always walked home alone.

Until today.

Numb paws carried him down the icy border that belonged to this clan, this clan that still wasn't really his, his tired, honey optics scanning the area until they rested upon two figures in the distance. At first, he denied that it was even them, maintaining his steady pace on his way over and trying to ignore the pounding of his heart in his chest, the feeling of the yellow daisies that sprouted with each step brushing his legs. There were plenty of cats of their coloring that may be traveling to Snowbound together- there was no reason to get excited about something that he wasn't getting. As he neared and they came into view a bit better, he felt his breath hitch in his throat. A pair of rectangular glasses were perched upon the older feline's nose, long legs supporting a lithe frame, and behind him was a very little girl, a girl with what looked to be a green bow clipped into her fur.

Any rational thought was out the window when it registered as them. Clementine and Riddler, his family- it had been so long. The fact that they barely looked to have aged a day didn't even cross his mind as he stepped forth, a slight hesitance in his step even still, fearful that this may not be real, or that somehow, they would be taken away again. His stomach was tied in knots, but the closer he got, the faster his paws moved. Them being upset with him was not a possibility that even crossed his mind - he had done all he could, and all of it had been for them. The freckled tom didn't realize that he could have explained things far better, that a letter may not have been satisfactory enough for them - though he knew they never would have let him leave if he'd tried explaining it to them in person.

Pierce looked past Riddlersgame when he finally reached them, his gaze fixed solely on his daughter. So small, so good, far too pure for this ugly world. All the drawings and paintings in the world couldn't compare to the true beauty of his little girl, no matter how hard he tried to replicate it. How much his heart had ached to see her again, how much he had planned this all out, though finally setting eyes on her, he didn't know what to do. Where did he even begin?

"Clementine," the name slipped by his lips for the first time since he'd left, leaving an odd, bittersweet taste in his mouth. More wildflowers had sprouted at his paws, his nerves and excitement clearly the cause of the sudden growth. Large eyes welled with tears, but he still had no idea what he was doing. Was he to hug her? Thank Riddler? The father choked on words, paws shaking violently as he glanced over to Riddlersgame, the one who'd been there since the beginning. They'd been through so much, even if neither of them could remember it all very clearly, but he was at a loss for words. He didn't know what was appropriate to say and what was not, and after all this time, he didn't even know what he was supposed to do. "I'm sorry." For what? Everything. He hadn't done anything wrong not this time around, but he had before, and he knew he'd probably mess things up again. They had come so far, they looked so worn out- if he had stayed, and they had left together, would things be different? Would Hana have still helped him? Pierce raised a shaky paw to his face, wiping tears from his cheeks. Riddlersgame had seen him cry countless times, but he was pretty sure this was a first for Clem. He was a pretty pathetic excuse for a father, wasn't he?

"speech"

space

[Character Graveyard.]

COLD NOSTALGIA ✧ Natasha — Snowbound — Warrior

Natasha did not know anyone in this world that well. All of her friends had died or perhaps they were in different groups. The second option was nice, but it was unlikely. Then she had come to Snowbound. It was a nice group. They had nice, welcoming members. On top of that, there was two she considered to be her friends: Izuku and Stark. The rest of the group were mere acquaintances.

Then she had disappeared off a short period of time, before she had come back to Snowbound with injuries, only to find out that humans had destroyed most of the territory. She would have been angry, but being a former human, she hadn't been able to hold onto that anger. And a few hours ago, Natasha had been bitten by a few infected rabbits on one of her fore paws. She had ignored the symptoms of being infected herself and despite being sick, she had decided to keep an eye out for any joiners or people that were returning.

Sure enough, the female's attention was quickly focused on the trio on the border. They were unfamiliar, so maybe the two that had strolled up were joiners, maybe even people returning. As for the other, it seemed he lived in Snowbound. The black she-wolf had decided to approach, taking a seat a few feet away from the felines.

"Pardon me, for interrupting this. But, are you joining or returning?" Natasha asked, before adding. "Natasha."

© madi

[JERSEYBOY]

/intense eyes emoji/

[RIDDLERSGAME]

[align=center]★★★
[div style="width: 360px; margin-left: 6px; letter-spacing: -0.5px; text-align: justify; font-family: timesnewroman; font-size: 12px; color: black;"]Riddler glanced back down at Clem as he felt her small body press against his leg. He had memories of a general dislike for children, a toleration of his own, but she was different. He had grown fond of the tiny serval - making sure she was well taken care of was one of the main reasons he had decided to come here in the first place. "He better be," he meowed, surprised by the calm in his voice despite the implications of his words. He wasn't quite sure what he would do if Pierce failed to make an appearance. Keep looking? Not with Clementine in this state, but staying here didn't seem like an option to him either.

The delicate crunch of soft paws on fallen snow caused Riddler to glance back up, recognition flickering behind his bright eyes before they even found the tall figure approaching them. Pierce. Quickly, Riddler evaluated the state of the other man, both very relieved and slightly bothered to find that he looked... perfectly fine. Healthy. Normal. Exactly as he had been when Rid last saw him. There was nothing there to excuse such unpredictable behaviour - no scars from a fight, no sickness behind his eyes. Jesus, he had been worried out of his mind that something had happened to him or that something was wrong with him. Yet, here he was, with all signs indicating that Pierce Parker had been thinking perfectly clearly when he decided to leave them. The hurt and concern that had been consuming him was fading fast now as his bitterness at what Pierce had done grew rapidly. Was it wrong of him to be so angry? If it was, he didn't care - it was simply in his nature.

As he drew to a stop before them, Riddler shuffled Clementine to the foreground, standing tall behind her and placing a paw softly on her shoulder in what he felt was a supportive way. Somewhere, he was ecstatic to see Pierce again, and he knew it, knew that this upset would fade, but for the moment, the gaze that watched Pierce was cold and sharp. Perhaps he even felt somewhat jealous at Pierce's complete lack of at least some kind of acknowledgement his way - what, was he just his delivery boy now? Clem was his daughter, yeah, but she wouldn't be here without him, and besides, Riddler had thought... he had thought...

As he watched the taller man sniffle and apologize, as flowers sprouted innocently from the cold around his feet, he felt his resolve softening, and for a moment, it showed on his face, as though he were tempted to say something comforting, but the appearance of a fourth creature - Natasha - quickly hardened his features once more. Pointedly, he turned to look at her, speaking a simple response to her question as though she hadn't interrupted anything at all. "We're here to join, if that's alright." Despite his current mood, he knew at least Clementine was here to stay with Pierce. Himself, however... he'd sort out later, after speaking with Pierce in private.

//sorry for the late reply y'all sdjfhsgdhjf

[CLEMENTINE P.]

————- If Clementine made had any notion of Riddler's otherwise indifference to children, she had said nothing to the strange man that she called an 'Uncle'. Of course, she knew he wasn't actually her uncle, but after the leave of Pierce, her only living relative, it was her way of managing the gap that he had left behind, the place in her heart that had been torn wide and left and left to bleed under the care of a man she only barely knew. Riddler had not failed her in that regard. Though he might not have been the most accomadating to children and their antics, his calm voice made her forcibly take a deep breath in and nod. That's right. He had to be. Her father owed her this. Her father owed her.

But still nothing prepared her to see him again face to face. She saw him in the distance, his coat; and yet another spike of anxiety flushed through her chest, making her shrink closer to Riddler as her cheek curled against his leg, as if he were a sheild against no more than a man who had sought to leave to find them a better place. But no such understanding truly anchored itself into Clementine's mind. Her father had left her. Tears threatened her eyes for no more particular reason that she could muster than anyone else likely would. For a moment her lips parted, her breath shaking as if she might turn to Riddler and insist they be here no longer the longer she watched that man come closer to them, his paws lightly trekking against the snow.

It was him. It was him and nothing she did could deny that. They had found him.

But he had never tried to do the same.

Her own little name falling from his lips as he stopped in front of them made a noise choke in her throat as the tears welled in her eyes, nearly trembling from head to toe. What did she say? What did she do? Had she been truly clinging to Riddler the man might now have suffered for how tense she was. Her gaze travelled from him, to the little flowers popping up at his feet. Her sheild behind Riddler, however, was soon compromised as the man gently pushed her out from behind him, though she was still all the most reluctant, her paws digging into the snow as if she could try and prevent herself from being moved, to stop the paw on her shoulder that presented her to her father. The tears in her eyes were now falling freely down her face as her breath shook with every draw of air into her lungs, struggling to keep herself composed. The other woman, though kindly as she was to introduce herself and ask their business, was ignored as she stared up at her father.

He was crying.

It struck something into her heart to see it, the odd glimmer of tears in his eyes, usually so bright and cheerful whenever they spent time together. His soft apology put a knot in her chest, for despite her anger, it was all she ever wanted to hear. She hadn't been abandoned. He still loved her. He still cared. One by one her little shaking paws carried her forward, slow and uncertain, until she was nearly nose to nose with him. Her lips parted slightly, her breathing still shaky for a few moments as she tried to find the words to speak. "Hi, daddy..." she finally mustered, giving him a tearful smile before she took another step forward to bury her face against the soft fur of his chest, the slight sobs still hitching her shoulders as she still sat oh-so tensely in front of him, as if she dared not to truly hug him and find that the second she touched him he would disappear into thin air once more.

"We're... We're going to stay now," she whispered softly, her ears flickering a little at Riddler's words to the other woman. "You're... You're not allowed to leave me again."

//Yikes, same here, been busy xD

❀

[color=#B0CC8C][b]

[PIERCE]

[div style="margin-top: 30px; text-align: center; font-family: timesnewroman; font-size: 35px; color: white;"]pierce parker

☀️ — and till the end you're my very best friend

space

Pierce knew Riddler was upset- he could feel it, even when he wasn't looking at him, feel the tense air around the handsome tom as he fixed large eyes upon his precious child, whose lovely features were blurred by his tears that he tried to blink away. The fact that she was here, standing right in front of him, was almost incomprehensible, and he was still struggling to process it. He’d known this day was coming since he’d forced himself to leave, but he hadn’t truly prepared himself for all of this- an angry Riddler, the bundle of nerves that was his daughter, the presence of another soon arriving behind him, one that was not his family, one whose presence usually would not have bothered him, though he couldn’t help the irritation he felt at her arrival. She was only doing as he would if he were in her shoes, but when he was this overwhelmed with this emotion, Natasha being there, speaking as if this were just any other joining, definitely didn’t please him.

Pierce could feel his throat constrict when he noticed Clementine’s hesitance, that she was resisting Riddler’s soft push in his direction. Did she not want to see him? He couldn’t really blame her - if he were in her position, he wouldn’t like himself much, either -, but the sight hurt, god how it hurt to see his little girl like this, and all because of him. He couldn’t stop his tears from falling, but he futilely attempted to dry his cheeks anyway as she stepped toward him, feeling his muscles tense. How could he do this to them- his family? It had all been in their best interest, but now that they were both here, it felt almost as if he had made the biggest mistake he could have. Surely, there was something else to have been done, but it was far too late for all that now.

”Hi, Daddy.”

It had been so, so long since he’d heard her sweet voice, the sound almost musical after all this time. All these months had past, and yet, she looked the same, she sounded the same- how? It was almost an alarming question, but one for later, he decided,  once her small head had been tucked against his chest. Gently, Pierce wrapped his paws around her petite form, placing a gentle kiss atop the young girl’s head. "Don’t cry, my love," he murmured into her fur, his ears swiveling in Riddlersgame and Natasha’s direction as he heard the tabby address her- before he even said one word to Pierce. The serval couldn’t decide how that made him feel; relieved, angry, jealous, even? Biting his lip, he turned his attention away from the older tabby, focusing back on the little girl before him, the only one, he decided, that really mattered at the moment. "Never, Clem," Pierce told her. "I promise." Was it a promise he could keep? Unless history miraculously repeated itself exactly as it had before, he’d make sure of it.

"speech"

space