odds and ends XX open, joining

[Bean]

[align=center]

iota

ナインイオタ xx info

it's been too long.
it felt like she'd been walking for an eon. her bruised and blistered paws made her wince with every step.
pain was all but new to iota. her experience with the feeling has been far more than sharp brambles cutting at her limbs. but the pain of her physical form was the last thing on her mind.
where the hell is this place...?
iota felt her sharp, red horns catch with every passing tree branch and every passing vine that stretched across the marshlands. whipping her head back in response, she felt her sore neck strain as it has become a habit throughout the journey. she sighed, sat down and tilted her head, tasting the air with her nose.
she was nearing the border to tanglewood.
licking her sore paws, she thought to herself the opportunities that lie before her. she'd live a new life, one without abuse and one where she could make a name for herself. hell, she didn't even need to keep her name anymore.
then again, her name was all she had. her memories weren't worth holding on to.
a bright spark of hope within iota was suddenly dimmed with doubt. what if she were to be outcast again? she shuddered at the thought. maybe she shouldn't attempt to network so hastily. she might get stabbed in the back.
she might relive her past life.
that was the last thing she wanted. she decided to swallow her fears and continue her journey, edging closer and closer to the tanglewood border. it was time to start anew.

[IVAN Z. BRAGINSKY]

Zimavich was wading in the swamp waters when he caught her scent. The bear made a gruffing sound with his throat, and climbed out. He didn’t bother to shake himself off. It was the only thing keeping him cool. His fur was green and brown from algae and dirt, he smelled like guts and fish, and there were alligator bites peppering his legs.
He looked and smelled wretched, but well fed.

He approached her now, stopping a few feet away. He stood up on his hind legs, making her aware of his massive size, then came back down.

”Tanglewood.” He said, stomping his paw on the earth. ”Zimavich.” He followed, gesturing to himself. ”Join?” He asked, his good eye locking on her horns.

He wanted to poke them.

[Nayru]

[color=#6b7e99]✦ ✦ ✦

The petite nurse's arrival was announced only by the slightest of nods from her cream head. She gazed idly at Zimavich before permitting her cerulean eyes to fall upon Iota and, by extension, her horns. They were absolutely fascinating and Nayru, suddenly excited, longed to study them. Goddesses, get a hold on yourself, Her mind commanded, forcing her to settle. She'd ask about them only after after the girl her opposite made both her name and business known but, like many who came across their swampy borders, she presumed that this would be a new clanmate of theirs very shortly. Taking a seat, the healer allowed a polite smile to touch her pale features, more engaged and expressive than usual. [b][color=#6b7e99]"My name is Nayru."

[Bean]

iota

ナインイオタ xx info

iota caught the smell of her onlookers as she tread towards the bramble-enclosed marshy borders of tanglewood. not one, but two. one of them felt... larger in presence; iota scented it first. a shabby stench, but a welcoming one nonetheless. it wasn't a stench that was extreme, to her at least. the other was not as prevalent, but the scent was present nonetheless.
her head craned around the area, scanning the dark swamp-encircled horizon for her newfound acquaintances. she caught the sight of what looked like a large bear, coated with the blood of the swamplands -- as well as what looked like his own -- which approached her, making his massive size well aware to iota. she then caught a glimpse of the second figure, much smaller in comparison to the large beast that made itself known to her. a slim tabby, a she-cat just like her.
[align=center]just like her...?

iota shook her head, trying to clear her mind. now was not the time for her thoughts to run amok. they'd just met. and now was the time to make herself known to her spectators.
she cleared her throat. "hello, there. i call myself nine iota." she oscillated her head slowly towards the two mammals, scanning their facial expressions for any hostility. she plastered a friendly grin on her face, making an attempt to avoid seeming hostile. "call me iota. it's a pleasure to meet you, nayru and zimavich."
if there was one thing in common that she noticed between the two, it was their eyes. they both held a gaze that was fixated on something.
it wasn't eye contact. she knew what they'd been looking at.
she could feel her face heat up. the embarrassment she felt from her new acquaintances looking at the two jagged bone-like structures on her forehead made iota choke up a bit. if any boundaries to her interactions would be made, they may as well have been made there.
"please," she requested quietly, "stop looking at my horns."
she shuddered, her spine having chills sent through like a peregrine cutting through the air, diving at supersonic speeds to chase its defenseless prey. she was already messing this up.
clearing her throat, she continued. "i'd ... i'd like to join tanglewood, yeah. i'm looking for a fresh start."
at this rate she felt she'd be cast out immediately.

[Morgan]

Morgan approached its fellow Tanglers for support, appearing from behind some tall grass. The samoyed stared at the stranger, concluding that they were not a threat to the group.

"Come with us to join, Iota," it said, stepping past Nayru to meet Zimavich. Melting away just enough of its icy mask to expose its eyes, the dog continued, "Welcome. Dangerous here, many gators and traps." In an attempt at friendliness it wagged its tail, gesturing its head toward the rest of the trio. "Name is Morgan."

[Bean]

[Morgan]

Morgan smiled back, glad that its words had helped. It turned around, facing the nearby town. "Yes, let's go," it replied, stepping forward and beckoning the others to join it. "Traps everywhere. Follow me close." Thankfully, the place Iota chose to enter from was one that had relatively few alligators. Of course, the Tanglewood traps would still be a bit of a threat - the only real danger in the area.

[Luciferr]

FENRISULFR

▼ — when the weak court death, they find it.

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"Traps and gators - though less than there might;ve been around here" came a voice seemingly echoing Morgan's exact thoughts on that matter as another joined the forming trio welcoming this stranger - Iota - among them.

unlike the other two, War did not even glance a second at the horns - likely if anything because the nine foot beast was already a bizarre conglomeration of strange spikes, spines and plates, as was natural to his bloodline - Fenris inclined his head down at their newest rookie with a nod.

"Fenrisulfr Grimm, a pleasure" he rumbled before glancing to Zimavich and Nayru with a nod in greeting and then back to Morgan with a huff of agreement to his fellow proxy "Best to follow closely while you've yet to learn the lands Iota, as Morgan says"

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▲ — TANGLEWOOD. PROXY. VERY HARD. REF. BIO. — ▲

#psychosocial.

[Bean]

[IVAN Z. BRAGINSKY]

Alright, he had to ask. He moved, getting close to iota and prodding her with her nose. “Horns.....” Zimavich hummed. ”Touch?”