I'M WORRIED 'BOUT THE FUTURE ♡ joining

[COSMIIX]

LEWIS GRIMES, "THE NOMAD"

A soft sigh left the parted maw of the tiger as he walked around trying his best not to run into everything, he had been trying to get accustomed to his birth body over his other form especially due to unfortunate circumstances that he had gone blind in this body of his. It was troublesome but for the most part, he could see the auras of other creatures and even his own though that wasn't enough to stop him from tripping over a branch or two. Lewis and his husband parted ways briefly since the tiger had other business to attend to, the striped beast letting out a huff that got a few flames out from his maw as the will-o-wisps floated around his throat though they did tend to wander farther than that often looping around his tail. Sometimes, they would go ahead of him to lead him away from trees or whatever else was around the tiger. Right now, all Lewis wanted was his Shooting Star. That's all that mattered right now to the nomadic soul.

The Grim Reaper shook his head lightly with his ears pressed flat against his skull and glanced to the side not paying attention to the wisps as he tried to pick up any auras, he fell over with a grunt across a branch. "It'd be a lot easier if I could actually fuckin see..." He rose to his paws slowly once more before following the wisps deciding that it would be best if he didn't get distracted anymore, after all, he didn't want to reunite with his husband and be covered in bruises. Sure enough, the Grim Reaper found himself at a border that faintly had the traces of his husband's scent which made him perk his ears forward. Unfortunately during the trip, Lewis had gained some scratches and wounds from what he had ran or tripped over. He would open his jaws to speak "Hello? Nine, are you there?" He fell quiet after speaking only to step a paw over the border, normally, Lewis didn't care about any of the groups since they didn't mean anything to him. His whiskers twitched briefly as the wisps floated around his paw only to stop in front of him, he supposed that he should stop before getting lost.

"I suppose I'll sit down." He mumbled to himself as he took a seat after pawing around to make sure that he didn't sit on anything, he curled his striped tail around his paws. Lewis would lift one up watching as one of the wisps landed onto his paw, he closed his eyes. It would have been a lot easier to have made this journey with his hellhound form but he didn't want to end up startling anyone with this large form of his. He reopened his eyes slowly as he reached towards the collar on his neck touching the small scythe that was attached onto the collar. Now, all he had to do was wait until someone found him... That wouldn't be all that difficult considering he was easy to spot given his white coat and dark stripes... Along with the will o wisps.

AIN'T GOT NO TIME TO WASTE ON BULLSHIT, YOU KNOW
I GOTTA KEEP MY HEAD ON STRAIGHT
'CAUSE AT THE RATE THESE TIMES KEEP CHANGING
I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT SECOND PLACE

— Reggan

[Grimm]

It seemed they had become a beacon of sorts, the lighthouse within the storm apart set from the world at large, a quiet haven offering respite. Or they had been such, dark the roiling belly that obscured the sky, a monochrome threat that had grown quiet as though awaited the time for further issues beyond the already fallen snow.

He knew forbidden had grown the shore outside of the shallow dive, risk lay there none may categorise or speak of for the struggle was against the bitter chill death wore, a concept a mind so young could only understand so far. Yet such may not halt the wanderlust that ran rampant, amplified with the forced seclusion to allow his sickness to not pass to another or grow worse. At the least he had supervised walks about the camp, cleaned out as best was possible though replaced the shifted snow. It was never enough, a taste of what he wanted.

Away had he slipped, lacking any covering and so ever more apparent the manner he shivered as he traversed the once golden span of shore, now obscured until he might see only white. Broken the field in time, how much Foam may only make an incorrect guess upon, ebony a stark contrast, the flickering hue of lavender flame further tantalising. Closer did he walk, hesitant now for another meant more would gather, a supposed beck and call issued when a stranger found their border, halting without grace.

"Whoa." He had seen such beasts before, Vaas a familiar and welcome face, not to the level of his surrogate father but close enough deemed family in no uncertain terms, different this. Within the snow he was near lost had not he bore jagged lines cutting along his coat in no true pattern, further accented by the weight carried about neck. Upwards did paw travel, mimicked the action he barely caught as the will-O-wisps weaved about the stranger, gesturing to them. "How did you do that, can I do it, do they have names." Words spilled from his lips without care, running together until they could almost not be distinguished, bright the grin he wore, the first since the snow had begun to fall.

[table][tr][td]

[/td][td]

I think I’m not quite ready to let you circle the drain. all the things we’ve broken can be puzzled together again, all your sums and your pieces are enough to clean up all the messes you’ve made

[/td][/tr][/table]

code by Wisker

[number nine.]

Number Nine had found a strange sense of peace, ever since he had showed up on Palmclan's border, driven by curiosity and a want to be around others again. Of course, that didn't mean he hadn't been at peace when he was with his husband. Quite the opposite, it fact. Lewis was his entire world, and Nine would have given up anything for him, no matter what the consequences of doing such a thing came to be. However, he and Lewis also had an understanding between the two of them, since despite how well they worked together, they lived very different kinds of lives. After all, Lewis had a tendency to be more nomadic and sporadic in where he decided to stay. Meanwhile, Nine had a tendency to move around for his bounty jobs, but also had a tendency to stay loyal to one place. That one place had once been his and Lewis's home out in the wilds, but when he had stumbled upon Palmclan... it had been like something clicked. Maybe it was just because of the simplicity of the group, or maybe it was just because Palmclan's members reminded him of the kinder side of his old home. Either way, he was quite happy where he was, even if he did miss Lewis quite dearly – he had no doubts that his husband would one day come to visit.

Of course, what he hadn't been expecting was for Lewis to come for any extended period of time, let alone join. This was why, when the jaguar spotted his husband sitting at the border, he felt a rush of excitement thrum through him, nearly completely forgetting Foamkit's presence there as well. Nine's large paws spilled up snow in his wake as he went rushing towards the tiger, a happy cheer leaving him, "Lewis! Lewis, you're here!" His aura seemed to shift and glow around him, pulsing and bright pink as usual. His entire manner seemed to change and brighten with the tiger around – not that he was particularly sad or displeased without the other's presence. Without even a moment of hesitation, Number Nine stepped forward to throw his front limbs around Lewis's neck, pressing affectionately into his husband's fluff. He let out a low rumble of joy, a grin curling at the edges of his muzzle as he greeted Lewis, "I'm here... I wasn't sure how long it would be until you came to visit. I'm so glad that you're finally here, though. Everyone here will love you... it seems like Foam already does." He couldn't help the soft and affectionate chuckle that then left him, staying pressed up against Lewis's chest as one of his smaller wings stretched out to pat Foamkit atop the head.

The familiar warmth of love remained in his chest as he reached out to bop quickly at one of the little will-o-wisps, chuckling. He teased lightly as he stayed right where he was, his tail flicking from side to side behind him as he questioned, "Have these little ones missed me? I haven't been able t'regale them with stories of my exciting bounties while we've been apart." Of course, he hadn't exactly pulled off any particularly exciting bounty hunts since he had joined Palmclan. In fact, he hadn't taken any bounties since joining. At some point he would need to go and find some more work, in order to make sure he didn't grow stagnant – he always needed to keep fighting, or he'd lose his skills.

HELLBENT ON MAKING YOU LOVE ME TOO