CODE ZERO && APPEARANCE

[hollows creek !]

the last time his kind had seen a meteor shower like that, well, he was told it wasn't a fairly easy recovery. at first the storm hadn't hit the area the ship was sailing, but tying to fight the current to turn around had proven fruitless. crew and passengers alike simply... stopped. watching the shower from afar as if in their own trance, even the captain had come to join them at the deck.

the saber tooth had grown uneasy and impatient, one of the few unaffected by its mesmerizing yet lethal presentation. he had noticed that with each meteor crashing down, the waves had begun to grow bigger and bigger. he tried to get the captains attention, anyone's, but to no avail. it had gotten noticeably rocky to the point of unbalancing them when it finally broke the trance. realization quickly settled to panic, some passengers and crew jumping overboard or descending on emergency boats.

hollow's creek was focused on the waves, rocking with the boat as each one crashed into it's side. then they grew taller, water flooding onto the main deck, reaching to his ankles. realizing he had limited choices: fight to survive or succumb, he chose the former. his eyes remained on the rising waters, and once they began to curve above his head, he acted. he jumped with the wave, landing hard into its depths below. he fought to keep his head raised above the water with every following crash after. exhaustion began to drag him down, shock gripping his heart when he turned to see floating forms where the ship had once been.

he looked up. another wave coming down, then silence.

---

when he opened his eyes, holly had expected to see his family welcoming him to the clouds. there were trumpets and floating spirits calling his name, but instead he heard... birds. the wind. the ocean.

he survived.

holly took little time to rejoice the fact he could still breathe and instead took to figuring out where he was. his travels had been aimless since leaving home, but he wouldn't be too happy being stranded either. the saber spent hours wandering through beaches and jungle, the hours now stretching to days. he had to be walking in circles he thought, coming up to a suspiciously familiar stone. he was determined to find his way through, and his strength restored when he discovered a different scent than his own.

he came across a set of docks with damaged ships and boats attached. the ship that stood out most was accented with red and gold, but holly kept his curiosity at edge. he had now discovered this land was occupied, and he just might be in a nest of... savages? hunters? who knew, but he was behind enemy lines now. he would have to be careful...


[TDLR: hollow's creek has crashed, post-meteor shower and is outside the anchored tempest!]

[MYERS]

[align=center][div style="text-align:justify;width:55%;font-family:verdana;"]If Ahab was once the name of a fisherman, he has failed to live up to his namesake. In a better world than this and even in this one, he avoided the water for it's bucking waves and raging tide. Its danger was elusive, a secret thing that only reared its head when the wind blew and you could watch it throw the boats on choppy curves; tactically unreadable, it was, and mindless in its violence. The meteor had been no different, a rock hurtling through the sky with no aim and no goal but nonetheless a killer when it struck the distant shore. Like the meteor and like the tide, any living creature could be caught at just the wrong moment and die at the hands of a mother who both nurtured and destroyed. Earth, it seemed, remained in constant flux.

To be caught on the ocean during a meteor strike is a death sentence in and of itself, but to survive it is beyond any miracle he's known - and he has had far, far too many miracles in his time. Bodies dot the shore in a way that suggests a warm summer eve, his crewmates soaking up the last rays of sun and playing in the shallow waves. But they are dead, and he is alive, leaving only the task of picking them up one by one and laying them in a careful row on the sand to keep headcount. So far he has found three dead among the wreckage. He covers their faces in wide jungle leaves and considers what their names could have been, if he'd ever known them.

A body shifts, moves. It drags itself up the beach and he decides, without hesitation, that this was a figure who did not belong. The dead were meant to stay that way.

It's easy to track someone who is lost: they wander in circles, trace the path of their own growing panic. Ahab recognizes, distantly, that this is wrong of him, but he also figures that their resources are better used on those who called the Typhoon their home. Any stranger lost in their territory, under his jurisdiction, was not one to be trusted. And this one, hungry, desperate and confused, could make easy pickings of anyone who knew not of his presence.

Ahab decides to make himself known when the hours stretch towards a dim evening; he's stalked his prey for long enough. The island is in pieces, clearly not meant to be tread for fear of upsetting the careful balance that kept rocks on the edge of eroded precipices and trees stooped low enough to brush the sand. As Hollow's Creek allows himself to break his cover and slip into the open air, Ahab falls back, drops into place close behind. It's only as he approaches the Tempest, the quarters of their leader and the highest of their ranks, that he lets out a snarl. He expected, like most other joiners, to find that they meant no harm - but such a direct approach reads to him as a threat. "...You're trespassing." A hollow, neutral expression gazes out at him through the highest of underbrush, shoulders squared like a bull considering whether or not to charge. "I'm going to need a good reason for that."

[michael t.]

It was honestly a miracle that Michael was up and about so soon after the meteor shower, even if it had been many hours that had stretched far too quickly into days. When he had first woken up post the rather traumatic event, he had been disoriented and frightened, his head spinning in a way that made him sick. His body had been seized by panic, terrified that he had lost everything that he cared about thanks to one stray rock striking down from the heavens above. Thankfully, this had not turned out to be the case, as he had quickly found that he was in his home, and Trevor was very much still around. Their shared hut had been a little worse for wear, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be fixed with time. Michael had spent hours after his awakening just pressed against his lover, soft black fur pressed against sandy, rough fluff. He had found out shortly afterwards, through the words of Roan delivered from Trevor's muzzle, that he had sustained a concussion during the events of the meteor shower. It didn't surprise him, considering how violently he had collided with the sand and rocks in his mad dash to find whoever he could. It also helped to explain the rapid spinning of the room on occasion, and the headaches that struck him with a sense of nausea whenever they came forth.

It had taken a while after that for Michael to finally emerge from his home, pulling himself away from his rats and his boyfriend for long enough to make sure that everyone else he loved was alright. The trek was hard at first, considering the concussion still made it so that the world swayed unceasingly from side to side, but he eventually found his bearings, his teeth grit in concentration as he put one paw in front of the other. He felt slightly bare and stripped down without any of his jewelry or his aviators, but it had felt a bit silly, doing his usual dress up routine while the Typhoon was in such a state. While he was in such a state. The privateer hadn't planned to do anything more than go and seek out Roxie and the rest of the familiar faces he cared about, but it seemed as though fate had other plans. The bobcat had been moving along at a somewhat comfortable pace through the sands when he saw a flash of movement in his peripheral vision. He ignored it at first, assuming it was another side effect of his concussion, but then it continued to move, lumbering along unyieldingly.

Lifting his head from his firm gaze downwards, Michael saw Ahab moving along silently, nearly entirely hidden in the shadows. It was clear that he was tailing someone, and the fugitive's curiosity got the best of him. After a few minutes of psyching himself up to stay upright, Michael followed after both Hollow's Creek and his follower, making sure to move slowly and silently as not to blow Ahab's cover. When they eventually reached near the Tempest, the dark furred feline could already see things beginning to go sideways. Ahab was famously protective, and Hollow's Creek was getting far too close to sensitive information and clanmates. Sure enough, Ahab was soon snarling out a warning, one so hollow and neutral that it made Michael flinch. Slowly making his way up beside the bear, the thief quickly added on, "We could also use a name, if you could give it..." Maybe on another day, he would've had a snarky comment or a gentle warning to Ahab to calm himself a bit. In his current state, however? Michael was just lucky he was still upright.

[glow=#75603C,1,000]" oh, it's a setup, no, no, we won't fall. "[/glow]

[hollows creek !]

it was unusual to see many manmade objects in citon as the tundra was often untouched. life was harsh despite his uncle's victories. though the more they gained in numbers and land, his charisma allowed them to glance over their lack of food for the sick and old. always appearing mighty and righteous on the outside. when he and elk had parted outside their fallen kingdoms borders, it was then holly had come into contact with it much more than he assumed.

building and general architecture were the most common. the entryways were always too narrow for his shoulders to comfortably fit through, but they could also go up. they built things on top of what was already built! then when he discovered they also built sea houses, or more commonly named boats, he knew what he wanted to do. find a place, clan or no, that needed him.

but these weren't just boats he was looking at. these were ships. warships. he could only assume they weren't the only deadly things they had on hand, and he was correct.

ahab's voice had sounded cold and chilling, something reminiscent of echo when he was disappointed, followed by michael's meek addition. he knew it was wrong to break borders and walk on land that was not his own, but could he really be blamed for when he had crashed on it with no awareness? not really, but he had to assume they would think the opposite.

the saber moved calmly and slowly when facing the pair, summoning his uncle's lessons in charm and speech. holly lifted his head high and stood firm, nodding his head to them. "i wasn't aware this island was already claimed- i came here on a passing ship that crashed from the..." he vaguely gestured to the sky. "...aerial attack. i'm not here out of choice. my name is hollow's creek. former lead hunt to the citon clan, though since disbanded. i am not here to cause harm." it would be impossible odds, anyhow. he was too exhausted to utilize his powers to defend himself, and he was sure these were not the only numbers they had telling by the lines of boats and ships on the dock.

[Grimm]

[align=center][div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; width: 60%; text-align: justify; line-height:120%"]Beneath the feigned edge of crumbling resolve rang forth the dull tremor of agony, averted depths of illuminated ocean peaks, solemn the promise that had skirted along lips of cracked, bloodied flesh. Yet regret arose in a tentative wash of sparking energy lacing the edges of their nerves, frustration worn against sheets gathered in soft mounds. Excess in all, softened the placement of mattress laid among its brethren. About were others, select their number, a mere trickle grown those beyond their tally.

Had it been days, possibly a week, they could not recall as they watched with halflided eyes the pale wash of dying sunlight fade into the chill silver of night. Possibly it did not matter, loose the assemblance of their thoughts when conciousness arose in the darkness imparted beneath offered parsels, the bitterness of necessary medicine hidden among sweetness.

Battered body rises, aching muscle grown taunt, if what clung with stubborn resolve may be deemed such, increasing within strength the manner legs trembled. Maybe best they stay, inviting the pooled mess of soft blankets, among the soft presence of offered stuffed toys. Yet they were not that which they wanted, the patch work quilt of repaired skin lacking, heavy grown their heart as dejected vision noted the lack once more. Gentle the tap of exposed claw tips against wooden flooring, at once drawn the curiosity of vision, yet away did many skirt. Others lingered, pressed into their skin with the burning heat of a brand.

Across pale countenance did grimace settle as shoulders rolled, brief the open of rose hued wings, miniscule appendeges hanging uselessly against their sides. Slow the beginning of their trudging walk, swaying as did the world before squinted eyes. Difficult to say the hour when the door finally opened before them with a weak protesting groan, a swirling vortex of shifting hues the world rushing forth with relentless abandon. Maybe it had been longer, lost all recollection of that which settled into muddled silhouettes before them.

Unbeknownst to the broken child the staged game of creeping cat and mouse - or may one deem it cat and bear - the aftermath all that appealed as the air carried tones familiar. Grating the gathered grains, scraping against the delicate skin of paws and wrists where once glass had cut, weeping trail of crimson droplets a train behind them. Yet another agony such however, a mere dull voice among the cacophony of what already plagued aching bones. For a moment halted their progression as forth drew colours of earthen hues, confusion turning Eulia to the one they thought family yet wrong might they prove.

It was not to Ahab did the cub approach, rather, stranger to lands proven hostile did they stumble with an unsure smile worn upon their lips. All too late the realisation this was not the ursidae, the heavy tang of salt layered throughout thick coat enough to quell their fears, at the least. Forth did a paw reach, stark the contrast of ivory against the browns Holly bore, seeking a place it may rest which was surely to be about his upper arm.

"You look like abuelo...You're soft…" Beyond the slurred words there was no warning as they teetered, falling back to sit rather heavily on their hindquarters. "I'm Eulia, are you a… friend or um... I forgot what the other one was."

[michael t.]

Aerial attack was certainly an interesting way to describe the meteor crashing down into the Typhoon and causing general chaos for everyone. However, Michael preferred to simply call it what it was – a massive shitstorm from above. A shitstorm that had left him in his current shaky state, struggling to remain upright as he listened to Hollow's Creek speak. Really, the only thing motivating him to remain firmly upright was the fact that Ahab was beside him, and he was fairly sure if he leaned on the bear, the other would maul him. Ahab might've been a big teddy bear to those such as Roxanne and Roan, but Michael knew himself to be on the outskirts of that group, protected from ire mainly because of his connections to them. The thief was naturally grateful for this, but he didn't particularly have the brand of death wish required for him to go pushing his limits. Thankfully, it seemed as though the privateer wouldn't be given a great deal of time to focus on the upsetting lurch of the world around him, considering Hollow's Creek had finished up speaking. Michael opened his mouth, keen to respond to... whatever the other had just said, but then he was interrupted by the presence of a newcomer to the little gathered group – Eulia, his niece.

Michael found himself tensing up when Eulia made her way over to the newcomer, an expression of shock gleaming in his oddly mismatched blue eyes. He knew Eulia to be rather timid, at least when she wasn't accompanied by someone else. Perhaps it was just around him? Or perhaps it was simply the presence of he and Ahab that reassured her she would be safe. Either way, he watched in mild shock as the child trotted up to Hollow's Creek, gently putting a paw against his leg. The fugitive winced as Eulia fell back on her hindquarters, muttering softly as he heard the girl's slightly slurred words, "Foe, Lu. Friend or foe..." It didn't seem as though Hollow was foe, considering the other's soft spoken and diplomatic words, but Michael still felt like reaching out and pulling Lu into his chest, guarding her until either Roxanne or Ahab stepped in. He resisted the urge, not wanting to scare her by dragging her away sternly. Instead he just turned his attention back to Hollow, explaining in a tired tone, "Well, Hollow, these are the lands of the Typhoon. We're a little worse for wear at the moment, but if you'd like to stay for a while until you get your bearings, you're welcome to... you just have to be willing to help out while you're here." There was no shortage of things for the other to help out with, considering the damaged structures and dwindling supplies.

[glow=#75603C,1,000]" oh, it's a setup, no, no, we won't fall. "[/glow]

[hollows creek !]

hollow's creek had been careful not to mention the meteor shower. he might have had an idea of what had caused it; truthfully he believed aarus had been punishing him. showing him that the act of betrayal against his clan hadn't gone without punishment, and thus caused the boat to be shipwrecked. for him to arrive, living, was his god's act of mercy. he still had work to do, fortunately. the saber was well aware of what would happen if he shared this belief, though. he had already attempted to speak of aarus before to the outsiders and very little of it had been taken well.

he paused, body tensing when the cub had begun to creep closer. his involuntary thought had mimicked was echo had drilled into his head since he was just eulia's age.

cubs are not to be bothered with. his uncles voice growled in his head. that is a mothers job. don't waste your time with them, you'll see them again when they're your soldiers.

he couldn't imagine this one being a soldier at all... she was so small, so gentle. he choked on his words when she touched him, his fur standing up as his skin rose from goosebumps. he wasn't used to physical touch other than claws and teeth.

abuelo. he wasn't familiar with the word, but it sounded warm and affectionate. he would have guessed it was a generous honorific. one he did not deserve of, he thought.

he snapped from his trance as michael spoke up again, his body still frozen in place but his gaze moving from the child to the bobcat. "of course, of course. i've never been known to be a loader." the words tumbled out as he fought to regain his posture, gently moving his arm away from the cub. "i apologize, but whoever your abuelo is may want you back. it was nice meeting you, eulia."