listen to your heart - [visitor]

[Romulus]

Recent events had driven Romulus to explore the different possibilities of the world and dive into the world of novella. The false worlds and factual insights had been a safe short-term way to cope. Amongst his readings, a scribe of Elysium had managed to leave a scroll during their leave that outlined the history of the mainland groups and what laid within their borders. Of course, it was dated, but it held many interesting details. One being specifying a library in Tanglewood.

During his father's reign in Tanglewood, he had never visited. In fact, he landed within The Pitt instead and met up with a fine fellow by the name of Domino. His mistake, in hindsight, had been for the best. Still, he wondered what laid within Tanglewood's vast collection and Romulus was intent to find out. The lion had prepped a small collection of his own novels and herbs he had quickly grown with his earth elementals. They were neatly placed in a basket. With it in his jaws, he set out towards the south and towards Tanglewood's borders. He knew his offerings wouldn't help with his alliance and the Coalition of the Condemned's past, but perhaps bring momentary neutrality between them so the intellects among them could connect.

Upon reaching the edge of the marsh, his jaws unhinged and he lightly set the basket on a dry spot. Haunches lightly maneuvered to the floor. Once settled at the edge of the scent border, his tail wrapped around his paws and a soft sigh left Romulus. For a moment, he wiggled his jaws that were tight from the basket encased within it for so long, unsuccessfully trying to loosen them. Disappointed by his attempts, he merely straightened out his back and tried to remain presentable. He would need to. Especially considering their history.

"I come with no intent to harm," he rumbled deeply. His paw lightly pushed the basket before him forward, only to gesture at it's opening. "I, in fact, wish to inquire about a library that appears to be within your borders."

[arrow]

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The library. A place Arrow used to visit often, try to improve her skills at literacy and study subjects like basic medical knowledge, botany and wildlife identification mostly. However, being dead and then a floaty ghost made reading an arduous task, and since then she’d sort of forgotten her former interests, rarely venturing near the library let alone in it. But the books still stood well enough she’d imagine, or at least she hoped following the reign of Stryker and the subsequent damage. She was still figuring out what was left in tact and what was not.

Still, anyone still commonly using the library was surprising, someone from outside the territory lines inquiring about it was even more so. Especially when said visitor was...not particularly welcome. A Coalition member, how grand. It was almost insulting, someone from such a group asking about a structure in the town that had to shake off the cruel iron grip on it from those same sons of bitches. Arrow almost wanted to spit directly nearby and tell the lad to piss off and keep his filthy bloody paws off her old books, but she begrudgingly accepted that it was a terrible idea. At least she hoarded her favorites back in the safety of her home.

”Why do you care about the library?” The cheetah asked in response, not making any attempts to be outwardly hostile minus a slight squint of her green eyes, and a less than relaxed curl of her tail. But she didn’t kiss or spit or growl, or any other indication that she wasn’t exactly pleased. But he swore no harm, it wasn’t a complete reassurance but it was better than nothing. She noted the basket, a symbol of truce, or so she associated it in such a way over time. ”How do you even know about it?”

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[Romulus]

A quick arrival. While there was no outright hostility, Romulus could tell that his presence was an issue. He didn't blame Arrow. The Coalition of the Condemned had taken advantage of Tanglewood at their lowest moment and killed their leader. With Stryker being his father too, although unknown to them, it would definitely add to a list of generalized burdens against him. Nonetheless, the lion merely remained calm and craned his head at her words. He tried to keep eye contact with his head high as he listened.

The lion pushed the basket a bit forward once again, trying to show his neutral stance. "I am merely interested in Tanglewood's collection and if I could peruse it," came his dull response. "I know my-" 'Family? Kind?' "-group has a reputation though and I understand if that is not welcome." Periwinkle hues looked out into the distance, noting that no one had shown up just yet. Just Arrow. He didn't know of her rank, but he continued on with his negotiations. "If an escort, or rather a body guard," he mustered with a subtle chuckle, "would make everyone comfortable, that would be suitable also." If accepted, the wanderer would try to make use of his time the best he could and contribute some of his own findings to their library. It was only fair.

"A scribe within Elysium's territory kept accounts of the mainland and their landmarks on a scroll," he responded. Romulus wasn't sure if there was more though. The scroll's contents were detailed and included visuals, but it's ending was rather abrupt and left him on a cliffhanger. While not his purpose of being here, maybe he could find more on their end. "It's outdated, but I was hoping there might be a chance it, the library, remains." With her crude first response though, he presumed it was still standing.

[trojan g.]

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IT MUST BE BELIEVED TO BE SEEN

The last time there had been a Coalition member on the border it had been to return Seven to the swamp, beaten up and broken. At that time, Moth had been hostile, thinking nothing but having her daughter back with them, glad that despite what had happened she was home safe and she could look over the other once more. Time had passed since then and now there was nothing stopping the thoughts the rolled in the mutated jaguar's head as she pad over, slitted pupils washing over the other large feline at the border, asking about one of the great landmarks of Tanglewood.

Moth didn't so much mind that he knew about the Library - she couldn't stop the knowledge of its presence leaving their borders, and after all the Coalition was within the Swamp for some time when they had taken over. It was more so the fact that the other wanted to ask about the Library that they had that she minded. Although it wasn't used as much as it had been in the past, it was still a place Moth held dear to her, and she'd rather die than let a Coalition member step foot onto Tanglewood territory, let alone the buildings they had within it.

She listened to the words exchanged by the two at the border before ears flattened to her head as it shook. "No." She would state simply at first, taking a step forward to block the path of the other in case he tried to simply walk in. "I don't care how many gift baskets you bring or how many times you try and say you 'understand' why we don't want you here to try and get in." She would begin, claws extending to dig into the earth in front of her, growing frustrated with her words, "I don't have to explain to you what your group did, you already know given your words. So go away, I don't care how 'willing to make us comfortable' you are, if you take one step into our swamp you'll never take any steps again, I can promise you that."

MOTH KINGMAKER - TANGLEWOOD - PENNED BY TIKKI - BIO

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[Seven]

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The last time Seven had even scented Coalition was when she was stuck with them and clawed and tortured and then returned back to her home. She had lied about what happened and didn't have the heart to tell the truth at all, but the scent made her freeze. She couldn't see, which made it even worse if she was to be attacked. Following Moth's scent lead her there, though a bit distanced from the trio just out of blatant fear.

Library? Moth seemed angry and that spurred Seven to step a little closer, hearing to her words before she took another step. "Not welcome, should leave." She spoke, quiet but firm. Not after what they did to her. She couldn't stand having someone from there staining the swamp with their scent. They'd done too much already, from Seven's experience and the way Moth spoke.

Seven - Tanglewood - Heavily mutated tigress - Tagged by Astral

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[merlin]

☆☆ ??????? ????? ???? ????? ?????????? ?? ????  ☆☆

?? ?????????  《》 Scents she didn't recognize, found only in stale locations through the territory, her head down to follow the scent only to be awarded by the sight of so many faces at the border, facing against a lion. Pausing for a moment as she lifted her head to scent the air, the molly made her way forward with a cautious expression as she attempted to read the mood. Joining the group as she looked at Seven, watching the blind tigress quietly, switching her gaze back to the lion siting there asking about the library.

She knew very little of other groups outside of Tanglewood, still getting accustomed to those around her and the swamp that she was quickly calling home. Wings pressed to her back, she tipped her head, looking back and forth between the opposing sides. Taking a breath, she spoke up, "I don' know much 'bout what happen'd but books are good information. 'Ve done enough travelin' in my past to say so. I can tell there's been some bad blood between all o' us, but I've yet to hear it all out.", she murmured softly before looking at Romulus curiously, "It's rare someone takes interest in books or their likes these days. I can't say we'd be willing to share our books an' knowledge kept within 'em, but I'd offer m'self to talk paper and ink.", it was a chance to learn more about the world around her, what she couldn't learn from the others here she might be able to glean more knowledge from this lion.

Merlin didn't know what knowledge he was after, but she did have her own small collection of books safely kept within her suitcase, written in a different lifetime. Some had spells, some had stories and tales, and some had maps that belonged to a different land. Flicking an ear as she adjusted her weight from paw to paw, knowing that maybe it had been best she kept quiet, she had wanted to remain a neutral party but books were books and she would be damned if she didn't say she was starving for more.

??? ?? ?????????  《》

?????? & ???????? & ????????? ????????

[rhosmari]

Unchained, unbridled rage, and hate rolled through her. It was as clear as day. Manifesting in the coils and rolls of her flaming mane. The moment the scent hit her nostrils the emotion was ignited within her. She wanted nothing to do with the Coalition and any of their members. She wanted them gone and wiped from this world for the atrocities that they had committed against Tanglewood. For what they had done to her people. She did not count herself a foreigner among the natives anymore. She was them and they were her. She was their Luminary and she would not have any threats that had tried to destroy them in the past coming here and trying to play innocent. The lioness felt her claws unsheathe as she came upon the scene. Crocodile skull hiding her facial features but not her anger. Her flames twisted and coiled with it like a living creature. "Leave." Her tone left nothing to be argued as she stood there.

She held nothing but malice within her gaze and voice as she looked at the lion that stood there wanting permission into their territory. How dare he even think he would be welcomed here. "None of the Coalition will step paw on Tanglewood lands. She will not have it. He is to leave or his life will be forfeited here and now. No one is to communicate with him and if she finds out they have we will have a talk." Her blazing gaze cut to Merlin then before she focused back on the Wanderer hoping he got the message. He wasn't wanted here and her claws flexed against the ground, tail lashing back and forth as she stood there jaws slightly curled.

[arrow]

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"I'm gonna be real with you, man, I don't think that's gonna be a possibility. I'm being probably too polite, actually, you ain't going a step farther than this. Reputation is an understatement, you're on a hit list." She sighed for a moment, agitated at the shit storm she knew was right around the corner. She was just tired, and felt no need to jump the gun and skin Romulus alive. Tapping the basket that was pushed closer with a paw, Arrow raised a brow and simply shook her head. "Do you have even the slightest idea what Stryker and company did to the place? An escort won't stop somebody pulling your spine out through your ass. That ain't even me making threats, it's just how it is." He would polite, she'd give him that. Didn't carry the same energy as his absolutely nuts fellow wanderers. She hadn't even gone head to head in bloodshed with them, but she saw their head bitch in charge and that was enough for an entire lifetime. Not to mention the fact that Stryker led the place alone was bad enough. Her expression didn't change much when he explained how he knew anything about what lied within the town, though her frown did increase. "Heard you ran the star kids out of their own damn home, disbanded the place. I'm guessin' that's how you have their shit. Don't they have books up there? They were the smart ones." A snort of disdain, but still no aggression.

She didn't need any, because here came the unwelcome wagon. All with much more right to be fucking furious than she had. Arrow didn't even need to say anything else, although she did gently use her tail as a barrier between Merlin and the visitor, shaking her head quickly with a quiet, "Nope, don't get yourself in trouble." Admittedly, she'd also like to hear Romulus out a little, just to fill in what she assumed she was missing while he was rotting underground, but she wouldn't say that out loud. Might as well string herself up if she did that. Spotted shoulders shrugged half-heartedly, while internally she prayed to whatever god was listening that this didn't move into bloodier territory. She was more than done with all the death and shit. "You heard 'em, might wanna skedaddle on out, dude."

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