DEATH VALLEY ; open, memorial invite

[Suiteheart]

[align=center][div style=" background-color: transparent; border: 0px solid black; width: 530px; min-height: 9px; font-family:; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; padding: 20px"]The stench of the swamp reached her way before Suiteheart found herself at the border. Anxieties bloomed in her mind, for she did not exactly want to be here. She knew Starrynight had wanted to form a friendship with these individuals, and it had thrown Suite for a loop. After so much damage... But no matter. This was what her former leader wanted, and she would help ensure its happening.

The white feline sat down at the border, pressed close to Margaery for comfort. They had been communicating silently for their entire trip, and it gave her some solace but not much. This was their second stop, but it did not make this task any easier. "Suiteheart and Margaery of the Ascendants," she shouted, more tired than before. "I'm sure you've all heard, but our leader recently passed away... We're holding a memorial service for Starrynignt." The Cosmic General waited until her wife produced a map for those of Tanglewood to follow, should they choose to go. [color=#99182C][b]"If there're any questions, ask 'em now."

[Morgan]

Morgan approached the strangers at the border, silent and expressionless under its icy mask. The two outlanders clearly meant no harm, so the samoyed wished to hear them out.

It had met Starrynight once or twice in the past, but hadn't heard the news. The canine accepted the death without much question, silently hoping it came without much suffering. Though it was not quite sure what a "memorial service" was, it sounded like some sort of rite for the deceased. It took that moment two ask two questions: "What is 'memorial service'? Where is it?"

[Margaery]

[color=#b14767] ❁  ❁  ❁

Whereas Suiteheart was anxious, Margaery felt oddly calm, her stormy blue eyes wide with curiosity as she studied the swamp that spread before them. She had grown up surrounded by danger and though such was embodied by her family and not a foreboding terrain riddled with gators and the inhabitants of this place, the Tanglewood territory still extended a strange, definitely misplaced comfort to her.

As usual, the pregnant vampire permitted Suiteheart to state their business, more intrigued by the shadows that fell every which way and the unfamiliar sounds of the wild. It wasn't until Morgan arrived that she drew in a breath, collected her thoughts, and allowed a slight frown to contort chocolate features. [color=#b14767]"A memorial service is our way of honoring him. It's held back at home," She explained lightly to it, briefly confused by the nature of the question. Did they not know of memorials here?

Interesting.

Rearing upon her haunches, Margaery would idly flick an ear and return to studying the territory. Had things been different, she could have seen herself even living here admittedly.

[Morgan]

Morgan nodded, content with the answer since it was actually able to understand it. "I see," it muttered, sitting back on its haunches and staring at the pair some more. Of course, it had no idea where "back at home" would be either, but it at least knew that someone like Beck did. It would have to ask him the next time it saw him if it did not want to be late.

[eggplant18]

//OOC

The odd reptilian had a tendency to keep to himself. Over time, he had accustomed to the somewhat foul scent of the marsh. Watching the natives gave him an idea of what was considered 'normal.' He'd claimed a run-down building for himself, using it to store the notebooks he wasn't using securely. With the numerous observations he often made, his spares were filling up fast. Without the crude hand-operated machinery made by his mother, he would have to find another way to make more. But until then, they still had space in them.

Ska'arq approached shortly after Morgan, having been drawn by the unfamiliar smell wafting through the trees. The coyote-sized dragon peered at the felines in an unsettling matter. His expression was set in stone, showing no signs of feeling. Someone was dead? Politics were a foreign concept to him. If these strangers were coming from one of the other groups to announce the death of someone, they must have been an important figure, but he didn't understand the purpose of making a funeral. His tail swished once. "This Starrynight figure is dead. It is as simple as that. There is no reason to celebrate such an occasion. Bury the corpse and be done with it." It seemed like a waste of time to do otherwise.

[align=center]ATTACK IN BOLD #6e65b5 - TAGS

[▷killian◁]

As the hound padded up to the gathered few, he nodded along with what he could hear the dragon saying. He hadn't yet met this new joiner, but already Killian rather thought he liked him. "No point in havin' a big old thing for him." He spoke as he came to a stop next to Morgan. His nose wiggled as he took the chance to familiarize himself with the scent of the other group; who knew when he'd need to be able to recognise someone from there? Their scent seemed to be mixed with others, but that was to be expected.

"Should we have known about this dude? I didn't even know an 'ascendants' existed.. Damn, we should have like.. Some fuckin'... News thing to know about this kinda stuff." The dog didn't know much of the other groups, other than the pirates they were supposed to hate. He had met that one dog from another group too.. Well, after having lived in a closed off place for so long, it probably wasn't surprising that the dumbass didn't know much about what was going on.

"SPEECH"

▼o・ェ・o▼

[Suiteheart]

[align=center][div style=" background-color: transparent; border: 0px solid black; width: 530px; min-height: 9px; font-family:; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; padding: 20px"]She offered Morgan a small, halfhearted smile. Suiteheart held onto the map she and Margaery brought before gently extending it towards other female. "If any of you'd like to go, this'll help." She looked at Margaery before turning her attention back to Morgan. "Our groups haven't exactly had peaceful pasts, but if you do come, I ask that it's on peaceful terms. Starry would've wanted it that way." Her tone held no bitterness. It was just full of exhaustion, and she admittedly didn't like that. It was just the way things went sometimes, she supposed.

Ska'arq and Killian stepped forward then. The purple dragon let no emotions show. She wondered if this was a stoic individual or just someone who hid themselves away. Killian seemed to be the exact opposite of that. His emotions were clear as Starpool. Suiteheart opened her mount to greet them, but she quickly shut it at Ska'arq's words. Killian only echoed the dragon's thoughts, and she felt anger flare up within her.

"Look, Starrynight was kinda fucking important to us. I'm sorry if both of you guys don't believe in taking time to remember people you love who've died, but that doesn't really concern me." Her tone had gained an edge, and the tip of her tail twitched. She felt that all too familiar rage bubbling inside of her petite form, and she inhaled deeply to steady herself. "Sorry. Our leader just meant a lot to us. You don't have to go if you don't understand it, but our group wanted to extent the offer."

Her baby blue eyes fell on Killian as he continued to speak. It was odd to her that most didn't know the leaders of other Clans. Suite had taken it upon herself to be well-versed in the politics of this new land, but she supposed not everyone was interested. [color=#99182C][b]"Maybe we'll all have an ambassador program up-and-running soon to deliver news. Sorry this couldn't have reach you all sooner; we thought most people knew. Some did in other groups, which is why we figured."

[Morgan]

Morgan thanked the pair as it took the map to look at. The clear markings on the page made it simple for the dog to deduce the destination even without being able to read. "I'll come," the cream samoyed said, responding to Suiteheart. In a kinder voice, it added, "Peaceful, yes."

It hardly noticed its allies approaching as it continued to examine the map, though it was not surprised when they began to talk. Without facing him, the samoyed told Killian, "Ascendants is a group like Tanglewood, but not Tanglewood." It was a strange explanation, but it would have to do. It said nothing to Ska'arq, not understanding most of what the dragon said.

[beck.]

    Some part of Beck regretted closing off Tanglewood from the other clans; yet at least they wouldn't be required to attend parties hosted by allies. Isolation was all he had ever known, and despite the growing amount of "friends" surrounding him, he selfishly didn't want to risk losing them, be it to conspiring outsiders or petty wars. He figured the other groups out there would start to respect their privacy by now. So why they were being invited for a memorial to a leader he gave two rat's tails about?

    The unwelcomed stench of the Ascendant's flowery territory along with a heavy dosage of alcohol was enough to stir his unstable wrath, his spine already bristling with tiny flickers of static before he arrived. Stalking through the thorny underbrush with a murderous glare aimed at whoever had the gall to bother them again, his limping gait was eerily silent, barely causing a sound beyond the occasional jingle of singular chain links against their shackles. Luckily for the couple, others had already intercepted their invitation, rescuing them from a volatile entity with a body count nearing triple-digits. His peers' presence didn't shelter them from all his anger, claws digging into mud as he eavesdropped out of sight.

    Next thing he knew, he was materializing from nonexistence threateningly close to Suiteheart, scarred features wiped clean of any irksome smirk and instead contorted with a feral snarl. Pupils mere dark pinpricks against his lantern-like glare, Beck's ashen lips peeled back to expose the other half of a dangerous set of teeth as a low growl rattled in his lungs. "Ya better watch it," the poltergeist rasped, usual childish mockery to his words stripped away to leave behind a sinister warning, "You're forgettin' whose land you're on." His burning stare passed between Margaery and Suite, unspoken acts of violence and blood-spray flashing through those dusky amber eyes of his. A funeral for three instead of only one would be something worth attending. Beck regained his control, letting out a bitter huff of waterlogged air at the pair and refusing to back down despite having to crane his neck to meet their eyes. "Morgan, and everyone else, can go to Starryskies' l'il party if they want -- but I doubt it." Maybe it would be better for the most extroverted members to get out and see what horrors were beyond their polluted swamp, but that was their choice. He couldn't control them, and he didn't want to try. He should start telling them about ongoing politics despite how much he hated them, but there hasn't been anything going on that was newsworthy so far. Flicking a notched ear against his skull and back, Beck hissed through his teeth a question he wasn't sure if he wanted the answer to: "Who's the Astral Asshole now?" In polite terms, he wanted to know he would be dealing with during leader business, and if he should hate them in advance.

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[Margaery]

[color=#b14767] ❁  ❁  ❁

[color=#b14767]"Suiteheart," Margaery said quickly, lowly, lips further contorting into a frown. A rapidly darkening gaze would fall upon her wife, a gleam of warning dancing within her eyes. You have to speak carefully in these kinds of situations... Remember where we are, She sent through the bond, resisting the urge to sigh. She, too, felt a slight spark of anger as these Tanglers expressed their personal feelings toward the situation. Suite was right one hundred percent but they were treading on dangerous territory- literally. At least Morgan seemed halfway civilized. She would glance carefully at the samoyed, her expression half-reflecting appreciation before Beck arrived.

His appearance was dreadfully eerie indeed but Margaery refused to waver, now copper eyes studying him carefully. [color=#b14767]"She meant no harm," The Starstruck Guardian would supply, injecting her words with her typical charm in some last-ditch effort to neutralize the situation. She would fight to defend Suite and her if she needed but they were terribly outmatched and even Margaery and all of her combative prowess couldn't handle an onslaught from this bunch. Peace was their only option.

At his inquiry, she only forced a pleasant smile to appear upon her face. She would be nice even though the copper in her gaze and the blood on her tongue screamed at her to be otherwise. [color=#b14767]"Bastillepaw," She offered quietly, appearing almost eager to see his reaction, [color=#b14767]"But if that's all, we really must be going. Thank you all kindly for your time."