FINE. + TANGLERS

[toboggan]

Abduction isn't a misdeed unknown to the Pitt. The desert/rainforest-bound group held a history composed of blood belonging to torture victims, sufferers of murder, and those duped into being kidnapped. A lineage of leaders, all of whom possessed a pervasive predilection for barbarity and sadism, had ordained their underlings time and time again to commit vile atrocities, and these atrocities were perpetrated so frequently that they became rooted in the Pitt's very traditions. Senseless carnage and crimes of horrible nature would become the norm, to the point where the inhabitants within in the blood hungry tribe became completely unfazed by the dreadful occurrences that transpired around them on a daily basis.

Other groups did not go about the Pittian's felonies in an unfazed manner, though. Speaking for everyone never garnered accurate results, but it was thoroughly safe to say that all creatures living on the island held some contempt for those bastards. Everybody knew someone who'd been harmed by the faction's treacherous grasp. In a hypothetical scenario in which the Pittians hated themselves as well, Leroy wouldn't exhibit the slightest shred of surprise if he learnt became aware of it. Those unlucky fucks lived in a literal shithole, one that, if not the outsiders wanting them all strung by their necks, would soon prove to be the end of them all. The only hope they truly had was Kydobi, the jaguar who Goldenluxury Roux saw as most fitting for the title of Ardent. Though, unbeknownst to them or not, Kydobi failed them, for he failed to keep his group well behaved - in spite of its dwindling population.

Moth, one of Tanglewood's medics, pregnant with Selby Roux's children, fell victim to yet another incident of seizure wreaked by a Pittian. The knowledge of the culprit's origins wouldn't have been uncovered if it were not for Moth's rescuer. The fact that the she-cat had been saved by one of Kydobi's own ushered waves of realization into the general's brain. Perhaps, not everyone living there bore evil thoughts, in lieu of their violent atmosphere. Perhaps, not everyone deserved to be slaughtered in the way in which he had originally envisioned for them. Perhaps, they deserved a chance today.

Within the first hour of Moth's return, Leroy ordered his high positions and semi-high positions to wrangle every Tangler in sight so that they could mobilize at the lake within Tanglewood's territory. There, once all had arrived, he informed them of the plan. Everyone was to traverse to the Pitt in one vast amalgam, with Beck and Kiira stopping halfway so that they could establish a medical post if anything went wrong; Moth was given the luxury of a choice, as she had been permitted to either stay in the territory, tag along with Beck and Kiira, or join her comrades promenading in the Pitt's direction. Everyone else, however, was expected to accompany the assemblage of Tanglers - regardless of fighting experience. To be candid, the wolfhound did not expect to clash tonight. He knew that his tribe had a population that triumphed their enemies by an enormous threshold, and if necessary, could easily crush any resistance should it arise. But for now, everyone's role was to act menacing. No fighting would be necessary if their enemies were intimidated into listening. In the case of push coming to shove, though, Leroy would give the order to eradicate their enemies.

The territory was all too familiar too him. He'd been here on numerous an occasion, and knew where all the action could be found. "KYDOBI!" he bellows, his voice brimmed with confidence born from his comrades' presence. "I'VE GOT SOME DEMANDS FOR YA! AND IF YOU'RE THE LEAST BIT SMART, YOU'LL LISTEN TO 'EM!"

[Blazic]

[trojan g.]

[div style="font-family: impact; font-size: 38pt; color: white; text-shadow: 1px 1px black, 1px -1px black, -1px 1px black, -1px -1px black; position: absolute; margin-top: -36px; max-width: 625px; text-align: center;"]SWEENEY CALLAHAN FALLOUT

[div style="margin: auto; background-color: #fff; max-width: 600px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: #000; overflow: auto; padding: 6%; margin-top: 10px; line-height: 17px; border: #000 solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 1px; "]Had she known what this was about, Sweeney probably would have chosen to stay behind until someone else had showed up, someone older and someone more in gear to be able to deal with something like this. But for all she knew, this was a band of joiners that she could try and boss around, joiners that smelled a lot like swamp and knew Kydobi's name, but joiners nonetheless. "Mr. Kydoobi isn't around any longer, and I'm in charge." The child would lie, something obvious by her demeanor and the way she stumbled over the words - not to mention her age alone would deter anyone form believing that - "A-and if you're here to join, there's too many of you! Go away and come back maybe three at a time at most... it'll be too hard to talk to you this way." She would look over to Leroy, tail fluffed up and ears pricked, trying to look her most threatening, but, instead, looking more like a q-tip with legs.

[gael]

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♛ GAEL Ó BROIN

Tanglewood.  Singularly alone, without their pirate allies -- in full number nonetheless.  War hardened the heart, mind and soul; the intimidation the swamp dwellers intended simply hit an indifferent wall as the vulpine padded forward.  Numbers always failed to move him.

His hazel eyes glinted, apathetically towards leader -- a canine different from the cat he recalled setting their jungle aflame, endangering, frightening, his only living child. 

A child, who was not Sweeny Callahan who he offered a hard, blank stare to.  "Go to camp, Sweeny or be quiet.  These Tanglers are not here to join."

Regardless of obedience or insolence, Gael's attention swiftly returned proper.  Legitimate curiosity brought his head to a bare incline.  The Tanglers failed to frighten him, but the faerie saw them as a threat to his daughter nonetheless. Injury could be inflected without physical attack -- she associated the swamp dwellers with her greatest fear; fire.

For that, he despised them.

"I suspect there is reason for this," he inquired absently, ear flicking.  Anger must have been incited from something -- he failed to see an obvious causation for such a show of force.  The origin must have occurred behind his back.

"ISN'T IT LOVELY?" —-- gael ó broin / faerie / pittian / lamby

[wormwood.]

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AURUM

DO NO HARM BUT TAKE NO SHIT !

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In the past, The Pitt had wronged Tanglewood, as well as Aurum in particular, in a great many ways. They had injured his body, forced his poor ex boyfriend into their cruel ways, and had taken more people that he cared about than he could even list. So many faces had disappeared from his life at some point because of them, and he was always full of wild, untamed fury when it happened. He was not one to be wronged. He was an angel, and an angel of vengeance at that. He wasn't exactly the one that you wanted vowing to hunt you down forever. Yet still, things had only become worse and worse for them, and for a brief moment he had even thought that perhaps they had changed. He hadn't thought for a moment that Kydobi would be a good ardent – he had killed the other once for a reason, after all – but he tried to trust Goldie's judgement, and at least give them a chance. However, that chance had been wasted on them, and once again they had taken someone he loved. Not just anybody he loved, but his sister. One of the people in his life whom he cared about the most, and whom he would set the entire world on fire for. They had thought it was bad when they had taken Roy, when he had come charging in, aflame and ready to dole put sweet, sweet justice? They had only seem the beginning then. Hell, the only reason they weren't already all on fire and screeching in agony was because Leroy had said they were just going to talk. For now.

Aurum's body was practically trembling as he came up beside Leroy, the proxy's one blue eye gleaming with rage and focus. His wings were outstretched wide, the golden and red colors of the sunset clashing against the background of the Pitt's territory. His body was screaming at him to charge forward. To leap into the fray and leave questions for later, but he knew that wasn't the plan here. That was only a last resort if they put up a fight – a last resort that would more than likely end in the Pitt's total extermination, if they weren't careful. The lion could feel the wisps of flames upon his feathers, dancing back and forth in a motion on the outside that reflected the flames of fury within. He supposed he should just be glad he wasn't leaking lava from the mouth again. His gaze darted towards Sweeney as he spoke, immediately recognizing her as one of Jervis's children from his execution. When she spoke, it became even more so apparent that Jervis was her father. He shook his head a little, silently disappointed that his poor children were saddled with the burden of their father's genes, and his legacy. They'd more than likely be tainted forever, right from the beginning. It was after her little outburst that Gael spoke, and Aurum's eyes focused upon Aine's father, his form only tensing further when the fox finished. How dare he sound so damn calm and casual about everything? Acting as if he didn't fucking know why they were here? Aurum practically spat, the flames on his wings growing in size before shrinking back down again, "You're damn fucking right there's a reason for this." He would leave the actual explanation for Leroy, but he was just so angry that Gael could dare to feign ignorance.

━ I'M GONNA WIN.┆PROUD. WARM. PROTECTIVE. ━

[ABATHUR .]

Politics were, admittedly, not one of his stronger suits. Not in the way that sight escaped him, but more in the way that he didn't understand the nuances, the fine details that made up any politician's decision making. This, then, was one of those precious learning experiences for him - and he was a very, very fast learner.

He knew little of the specifics, but he did know that Moth had been captured and Tanglewood was marching on the Pitt (who had presumably been behind the capture - would be a bit strange for them to flaunt power against those who hadn't wrong them, from his understanding of Tangler behavior) in order to negotiate... something. Really, he was here for the learning experience, and to help out should negotiation turn to combat. Adrenaline coursed through his blood, and his blood coursed through his body in turn, pushing him forwards, until he came to a stop besides Aurum.

Aurum, who was bristling, a ticking timebomb, ready to detonate at whatever point certain key words were said. He could feel the tension in the lion's muscles from beside him - frankly, it was disconcerting. Abathur hadn't witnessed such anger from him when he could witness things, nor when he was forced to rely on touch alone. All he knew of the lion was his fierce loyalty and his general friendliness to those around him. A kind heart, for whatever that was worth - but perhaps his assessment was wrong. He reached out one of his legs to touch the side of the lion, in an echo of something Aurum had done for him once - he hoped to ground him, keep him just a little bit calmer, extend that fuse which was so helplessly burning away, threatening the peace talks.

After that small interaction, he took a few steps forward, prodding at the ground a few times to fully assess the Pittians that were assembled. It was a sparse crowd, if you could call a duo a crowd. One presumably adult, from his voice, the spread of his limbs, the cool pulse of his heartbeat through his veins, the other a child, addled by a fear he could not tell the cause of. A very sparse showing. He didn't know either of them, but he had a guess as to the adult - who else would speak from such a place of relative tranquility than the man whose name was being thrown around, the new leader of the Pitt? He was wrong, of course, but that was where his assessments led him, even if he was incorrect. As Aurum spread his wings, so too did Abathur spread his legs just a little bit, standing taller, flicking his chelicarae as if hungering to bite into someone, to spread his venom - a mere intimidation, but hopefully it would do the trick.

tags - "speech"

[aine.]

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I'll come back when you call me

Aine might've turned tail the second she caught the smell.  Swamp.  Tanglewood.  Tanglewood... Fire.  Aurum.  Fire.  Yet her hazel hues, flecked with gold, caught her father.  Standing his ground.  Alone.  With only Sweeny.  The Tanglers looked mad too.

The petite vixen quickly slid to her father's side, sinking low to the ground defensively at the sight of Aurum.  It was always Aurum.  All she had here was sand.  Sand everywhere.  Not vines.  Could she still control the sand? Da can blow out fires... He can... He can stop... Any fire.  She swallows a lump back in her throat.  "Da? Cad a rinne muid? … An féidir leat a dhéanamh orthu dul ar shiúl?"

Hadn't they been bullied enough?  Jervis was gone.  Who could've done something to make the Tanglers mad again?  She didn't understand.

— aine | the pitt | commodore of the crows | fae druid —

[Orion]

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How adorable. A child was saying they were the leader. Raymond couldn't help but wince at the thought of The Pitt being ran by an incessantly annoying kid. For a uptight clan, even that would be ridiculous. Then again, they already had a childish fox by the name of Jervis leading their shithole. Perhaps even a literal child could lead better than that cunt.

Thankfully another emerged. Another fox. Was this a vulpine cult? Had the Callahan's truly succeeded? Little did he know, there was another big family out there who specialized in procreating foxes. Even so, he swayed away from that topic. Instead Raymond focused merely on their response. Telling off Sweeney was wise and their implication of something being wrong was correct. Despite Aurum's willingness to talk, the panther was surprised he didn't answer Gael. Sure, he 'answered', but there was nothing but blandness. The Pitt needed to know why they were attacking, not just that they were aimlessly attacking.

Raymond chose to keep his trap shut as he arrived though. There was nothing he could say in memoriam of Moth, as he did not know her very well. Instead he stood tall and awaited Kydobi's presence. The fellow panther had to show up sometime...

[Kydobi]

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STILL THOSE VOICES ARE CALLING FROM FAR AWAY -
♕tags-powers♕

[OOC: ]

Kydobi really couldn’t have been farther from where the Tanglers had decided to gather. Preoccupied with his thoughts and mundane tasks, the Leroy showing up was so far from his mind. So far.

But he had always been aware of his surroundings. For some reason his name had power, it snatched his attention. So no matter the distance, he would hear someone holler his name.

Leroy was no exception, hearing his name screamed with so much anger nearly yanked his neck. He jerked it up and ears perked, head swiveling to search for the direction. Meanwhile his heart was thundering, minority panicking.

Not again.

Not again.

Not again.

It had been a moment since he had terrible flashbacks but the chaos of it all rushed into him and he lurched forward trying to catch his breath. But he couldn’t. People were going to die again. People are going to die again. People are going to die despite his efforts to make some sense of peace and normalcy.

He would stand there frozen for a moment before he gathered himself. There was no screams... focusing on the noises around him and on the distance he heard no signs of struggle. But he did hear Aurum yelling at someone. That was a voice he couldn’t forget. Thankfully, fear and dread was replaced with a nonchalant disgust and loathing. Not this man again. Really, he was tired of Aurum. Tired of Leroy. But especially Aurum.

Tired of them all.

If they wanted to harm us they would’ve by now, he would tell himself. They didn’t have as much nobility as they all thought. This would slow the thundering of his heart but it did not quiet the roar of anxiety in his ears.

Quickly he would head toward the gathering smells of Pitt and Tangle. The overbearing stench of swamp allowed Kydobi to guess there was a sizable number of Tanglers. Of course there was, but Kydobi wouldn’t let them intimidate him. And Leroy? Hollering about Kydobi listening to his demands? That nearly made the jaguar laugh. The fool should know that even the most stern command was nothing but a mere suggestion to someone who refused to bend.

Truth be told he was tired of Tanglewood thinking they could bully the Pitt. Kydobi tried to stay out the way and let hostility die down but it seemed fate had other ideas.

The most annoying thing was that Kydobi couldn’t fathom why Leroy bothered trekking a large sum if not all of his group through the desert. Really, what could’ve caused this?

He could see them through the dense foliage, just spots of faces and pelts through the smallest gaps between leaves. Of course, it was all of them. Of course. Kydobi held back a snort. He would close his eyes and slow his breath. Shoving the storm of emotions deep down in his body. He wouldn’t forget it, no. It always came out sooner than later when he was alone.

But never around others and he would be damned before he let Tanglewood know how much stress and trauma they caused him. There was people to protect. Eyes focused on Aine and.. damn Sweeney looking bold as ever. The way Aine pressed against Gael hardened his gaze. Such terror...

He would destroy Tangle for sure. Yet this took time. A lot of time. The period from Jervis death to now was not even near enough to what was needed. Time to gather numbers. Strengthen bonds. Heal the land. Mostly heal the people.

But the rug of security was yanked from under Kydobi. He would adapt and survive, he always did. Just nowadays he had to look after more than just his self.

Finally having gained his full composure Kydobi would emerge from the thick foliage. A shadow breaking apart from the mass of darkness. His head held high and posture at its signature regal stance. A handsome face would be stoic as ever perhaps even bored. Because he was bored. This was beginning to become stale. These games of argue and attack were old and the Ardent was done. Their poor attempts to terrify were outdated. These people would not evoke fear.

That was done.

His demeanor was calm and nonchalant despite his brief panic attack. Even though he had shoved them to the side, Kydobi couldn’t forget how he truly felt. The emotions were far from the front of his mind but he was constantly aware of them sitting in his gut. The only indicator of his rage, hate, and fear was his glowing eyes of molten. That was it only. pride would not let him show it and he wasn’t being so calm for just himself or just to piss of Tanglewood. No, he was being calm for his people. To show them that they didn’t have to worry.

As he neared he would slowly pad over to Gael and Aine and dip his head in greetings.

“Do not worry Aine. Things will be fine.”, because already he was deciding plans to murder Leroy. Eradicate the threat the resided in the swamp. This would not do at all. This attempt at peace... failed. Unless Leroy has intentions of discussing neutrality but from the looks of it that was far off.

“Sweeney. Stand by Gael or go back to camp. Now.”, his voice lead no room for complaint or negotiation. That was a cold and straight order.

Finally his eyes rested on Leroy, “You Tanglers do love your shows.”, he would tilt his powerful head to the left, looking at Leroy in the manner of a mother amused but disappointed at her child, “What is all this about?”

[sub][W]isker[/sub]

[CAUSTIC.]

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  CAUSTIC

Caustic had yet to familiarize himself with the other clans, but Octavio's arrival and his transcription of the surrounding area had filled him in on the details. The return of Octavio to his side had been a welcome one, with its draw backs. Staring at Octavio's face for too long was dysphoric, as his metaphorical mask would glitch away into his piercing-filled face, replacing just as quickly with the cheetah's tear-marked eyes.
Hunger panged at him, green eyes glancing to the various piles of blood leftover from his hoarded prey, and eaten by that annoying wolverine. The cave was too cold for Octavio, the cheetah stuck too close to his side for the warmth. The wound on Octavio's shoulder was closing somewhat nicely, a complete accident as his part. The cheetah had spent the last days doped out on venom, and the wolf was intrigued by all the possibilities. He had patched the wound, but he would need to replace the wrappings soon. Caustic wasn't a fan of the constant contact, and he wanted Octavio to get away for just a few moments so he could work-
He looked over to the portal maker on his "desk" (a flat rock near the wall), and the sharp rocks he was already attempting to use as tools. He wanted to get out of here.
A parade of footsteps went over his head, the sounds of voices and smells of a swamp coming from the outside. Perhaps, it was inevitable for another group to arrive. He couldn't imagine why, though. Had the Pitt done something to gain the ire from another group? Perhaps, he would think on it later though-

Octavio stared at him with wide eyes, ears tilted back, already standing. Caustic was familiar with that look, a quick glance of assurance and an understanding that they needed to escape.

"Caustic, we gotta go."

He watched the cheetah move, scrambling to grab the portal maker, and Caustic moved to assist him, strapping Octavio's pouches to him and clasping his harness. Caustic took one of the pouches for himself, carefully placing the chemicals from his desk inside. The wolf placed his dog brush, Razer, scissors, and voice recorder in the cheetah's pouch. He looked across the cave, then back to Octavio, giving him a nod and turning to leave. The wolf moved ahead, taking the lead in the tunnels as they moved towards the outskirts of the territory, safely travelling to escape underground.

TAGS • PLAYLIST • PENNED BY OWLIE

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