FALL TO THE BATTLEGROUND | the ascendants

[agathe.]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; color;"]Atbash's arrival upon their border had been... unsettling. Snowbound's demise meant that they were without allies and, given their current relationship with Sunhaven, that simply wouldn't do. While she was not keen on asking for outside assistance or attempting to find a new ally to replace the one that they had lost, she knew that this was necessary- even if it pained her to make the not-so-short trip to the Rosebloods to see how they would react to the proposition that she and Titan carried with them.

A part of her worried that they would reject them simply because of past behavior. From what she had heard, the Ascendants had been labelled as relatively peaceful and passive. While that lifestyle was not a wrong one, it still did not sit well with Agathe. They needed to start asserting themselves, letting the world know that they were no longer the compliant clan everyone labelled them as. This, she mused to herself, would be a start. Maybe a rough one, if things did not go as planned, but a start nonetheless.

Glancing at her fellow Seraph as they paused at the border, the snow leopard would adjust her cloak, lips pursing. There was no denying the fact that Agathe wasn't the most proficient at these types of ordeals, not yet anyways. She was used to getting what she wanted by physical force, not charming words and offers. Titan was quiet too, but she didn't doubt him being an expert negotiator underneath it all- he certainly struck her as such for some reason. "We come from the Ascendants and we wish to speak to your leader," Agathe would suddenly announce, bringing her attention away from her partner and into the open expanse of land before them, "My name is Agathe and this is Titan. We're the Astral Seraphs." That title still felt like a heavy and uncomfortable weight on her tongue, so unlike the simple and clipped titles from her previous clan. Oh well, she supposed she'd get used to it eventually. For now, they just had to wait until they were attended to.

[Fright]

CONFETTI & CONFESSIONS

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Frightfur was all too eager to get to the border of the rainforest territory encircled by desert. It occurred to him that the rainforest was like a diamond among the rough of wasteland. The spirit’s enhanced senses were ever-active and his boredom was always reaching new heights whenever he was injured and supposed to be resting and ‘out for the count.’ The bloodied and bandaged injury to his chest, barely left of the freakish blade that poked from the middle of his sternum, was burning again as he moved but he ignored it.

He’s never seen an Ascendant. Only heard of them. He wanted very much to see now.

The pale serval appear revealed himself carefully to the two Seraphs, his steps clicking and clacking as he approached on bionic paws and halted close (but not too close) and gave them a small ghost of a smile. His body was young, only about 7 months, but the his fierce eyes held seriousness that seemed much too old and looked as if they’d seen too much.

”Howdy there, pardners! Agathe and Titan, warm welcome to the outskirts of the Rosebloods. My name’s Frightfur. Would either of y’all like anything while we wait? Though, I’m fairly certain Sephiroth will show soon enough...” the feminine drawl was level and polite. His eyes glanced again and again over the body of the cloaked snow leopard a little too much, noting her sweet iron bracers (which made him feel a little cooler about his own metal forelegs).

Excitement shimmered in his eyes as he watched them, curious about them. He winced just a little after speaking and held a cold steel paw gingerly to his chest, silently begging the wound to leave him alone and let him about his business.

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WORDS: idk mobile
TAGS: (link)
NOTES:

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XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[BABY —]

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YOU'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME

YEAH, YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T GO BACK, IT'S TOO LATE TO SAY IT'S TOO LATE. YOU CAN'T TAKE BACK THAT YOU SAID NOTHING. HOW COULD YOU DO NOTHING?

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Titan couldn't say that he had ever ventured to the humid jungle that the Rosebloods called home. As far as he knew, they were dormant neutrals, distant and alienated from the Ascendants. Out of all of the instances, Titan would have never thought that he would be journeying to this place as a newly-appointed leader. Moonmade had gone far too soon for his time, and Titan simply couldn't cease thinking about the ( emptiness ) of the other lion's eyes or the crust upon thin, black lips. It hadn't been a pleasant sight or experience for anybody, but life continued on. The Ascendants needed allies, now more than ever, and they hadn't exactly a plethora of options.

The fellow Astral Seraph arrived beside the snow leopardess, amber eyes set forward in silence as she handled the introductions. A youngster had skirted up towards the border, eagerly chirping a greeting of his own. The blind optimism and warmth was nearly foreign and overwhelming to Titan. It was so loud, so [u]bright.[/u] Nonetheless, he held his ground just fine and managed to answer monotonously, "I'm alright, thank you." Titan just wanted to speak with this "Sephiroth".

[sephiroth]

SEPHIROTH

MALE — ROSEBLOODS — LORD — HOVER FOR TAGS

[div style="background-color: #292727; color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-align: justify; overflow: auto; width: 500px; height: 340px; padding: 10px;"]Speak of the devil, the silver Lord would emerge from the shaded foliage of the Rosebloods territory and cast his intensely sharp eyes on the pair of strangers.  He wasn’t familiar with the Ascendants at all, there might have been tension between the two groups in the past but certainly not in Sephiroth’s time.  The terminology they used was foreign to him, but one could also believe that the Rosebloods were also rather odd to this visiting group.  He didn’t know what this pair wanted, his unblinking and alien eyes studying the pair of big cats that stood before him.  At least he was on equal footing with these animals.

No.  You are above them.  You are above all of them.  Mother reminded him sweetly.

The silvery Lord would look down at Frightfur in approval and nod at their good initiative in dealing with these outsiders before he looked back at Agathe and Titan.  ”I am Sephiroth, Lord here.  What business does your group have with the Rosebloods?”  Outside of the alliances his group currently had and the knowledge of those groups, he didn’t think too much on the political front of dealing with other clans.  Sephiroth would quietly seat himself, resting his pale hindquarters as he awaited a reponse from either Seraph.

#psychosocial.

[agathe.]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; color;"]It was Frightfur's enthusiasm that caused Agathe to mentally recoil, a frown blossoming upon inky lips as she studied him intently. Of all the things she had expected from a member of the Rosebloods, this was not one of them, and yet, it was heartening all the same, a part of her absolutely relieved that they had not been met with hostility and aggression. "I'm also alright," She'd respond finally, absently bobbing her head along with her words. The offer was nice and she appreciated it to some degree, but Agathe would never willingly take from another clan- not unless it could be helped anyways. Not to mention the fact that the Seraph was hardly interested in it after catching his stare. It made her skin crawl but she tried to ignore it to the best of her ability, fearful of what might happen and what she could jeopardize if she threatened to skin him alive for looking at her like that.

Thankfully, Sephiroth's arrival stole her attention and caused her to turn away from Frightfur to look upon him instead. "It's a pleasure," She'd smoothly respond, dulling the edge normally found in her words for something softer, more refined, "If you missed it, I am Agathe and this is Titan." The snow leopard would nod briefly in the direction of her partner, swallowing hard as she did so. Negotiations and diplomacy had never been her strong suit, but she knew that she needed to present a convincing case if she even wanted the lion that stood before her to entertain the idea of an alliance

"We have come to discuss a potential alliance between our two groups. While we may have the reputation for being peaceful pacifists more interested in the stars than anything else, you may notice some changes within our clan that suggest otherwise. Word reached us that you're no longer allies with the Typhoon. Seeing as our current enemies are Sunhaven and the pair have a rather..." She paused, as if to search for the right word, "strong alliance, perhaps banding together might be beneficial for both of us." Agathe would flash her teeth in something that resembled a smile as she concluded, silently hoping that what she said had been compelling enough. They'd be out of options if it hadn't been.

[Fright]

CONFETTI & CONFESSIONS

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Neither of the Acsendants accepted anything from him so he nodded, not particularly blaming them. He was prideful himself and didn’t often even dream of asking for assistance even if he was dying.

He’d stopped staring at the leopard and gave up on trying to figure out why she chose to wear that cloak. Maybe it was simply a fashion choice and nothing else. He’d watched the other for a moment and then Sephiroth arrived to save him from standing in awkwardness.

The Seraphim watched as the questions was asked and he waited for either of the Serpahs to state their mission. And that mission was not one he expected.

An alliance sure was something. However, he frowned very obviously when Agathe turned away from him on purpose like he was doing something wrong. So he sighed loftily and sat down in somewhat of a salty pout. It was true that the Typhoon had turned their backs. All the right reasons were spilled from the snow leopardess’s mouth but it was such a commitment to make an agreement to stand by another group in any sort of bond.

For a moment, his gaze lifted to Sephiroth, trying to give nothing of his own opinion away. ”It’s a generous offer. But I don’t have much pull or push in the matter, unfortunately,” he spoke nonchalantly and level. That was a big decision for Serpiroth and possibly his advisor to make.

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WORDS: idk mobile
TAGS: (link)
NOTES:

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XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[sephiroth]

SEPHIROTH

MALE — ROSEBLOODS — PHARAOH — HOVER FOR TAGS

[div style="background-color: #292727; color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-align: justify; overflow: auto; width: 500px; height: 340px; padding: 10px;"]The silver maned male would work through Agathe's words thoughtfully, left ear twitching to plainly show his thoughtfulness and attention along with the intense life swimming in his eyes.  It was true that the Typhoon had recently broken off their alliance with the Rosebloods, of no fault of Sephiroth.  If Sephiroth was anything, he was vengeful for sure, cold and cruel despite not letting it show.  Mother would hiss and whisper into his ear, telling him to go through with his vengeance, and the lion couldn't help but agree.  It was his purpose after all, to stand above others.  If he could make the Typhoon quiver in fear at the sight of him in all his otherworldly silver glory, with the help of this potential ally, that would bring him immense pleasure for sure.

Sephiroth hummed thoughtfully, nodding with a shift of his quicksilver mane.  "I see."  He murmured, his own eyes glittering with dark promise.  "It sounds...incredibly promising."  The last two words were practically purred, as if tasting the sweet potential of their alliance.  "Are there any other politics on your end that we should know of?  At the moment our only other ally is the Tanglewood.  And while I suspect you know this, you must know that we are not a gentle group.  Simply prepare yourselves for that if you wish to stay by our side in the long run."  He matched the Seraphs own expression with a small smile of his own, showing satisfaction.  "Though I am highly intrigued in the 'changes' you plan for your own group."

#psychosocial.

[BABY —]

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◜: *✧◞ Titan remained silent as Agathe took her hold of the conversation, and sometimes he truly thanked his lucky stars that he had a co-leader that was diplomatic and intelligent. Ancestors help him had he been stuck with the likes of Onision, who would have likely sabotaged this trip in mere seconds.

His gaze locked onto the Rosebloods leader as he responded, and he carefully noted his words and silently formulated what to say next. Titan raised his large head and spoke, "And you'll be intrigued to know that the Ascendants will be a gentle group no longer." That was one of the "changes" that Agathe had hinted at. "While we do not seek to actively wage pointless conflicts and bloodshed onto other clans, we won't be walked upon, either. We're training our members in the art of combat and defense, so that in the case that anything must arise, we will be ready to defend ourselves and allies if need be." They would be a neutral-aligned group, if you will. Someone that wasn't chaotic evil but not exactly peaceful and passive. If push came to shove, then they would shove just as hard ( and if not harder ).

To answer Sephiroth's initial question, Titan responded, "As of now, our most prominent enemy is Sunhaven. We've been the subject of several attacks. The Typhoon has been a longstanding enemy as well, and seeing as they're close allies with Sunhaven, we now stand alone against them both." Obviously, they were in need of an ally... now more than ever.

[agathe.]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; color;"]Perhaps it was too easy to slip back into the persona of her grandmother's prized heir, the smile that danced upon her features no longer a restrained and thoughtful thing, but something laced with wild intent and anticipation. She was terrible at politics and diplomacy, yes, but she had forgotten how much fun it was to negotiate with someone who had something that she wanted. And this alliance... it was becoming more tangible with ever passing moment. Good. This was good- great, even. She might not understand how the Ascendants worked yet, but at least she and Titan could do this one thing for them.

She'd nod along as the lion spoke, only stealing one glance at him before stepping forward to add her own thoughts. "Consider it a 'take no shit' sort of philosophy. We no longer possess any interest in sitting idly by and letting things happen to us and I think I speak for the both of us when I say that we will extract vengeance if need be. Brutality does not frighten us, not anymore. I believe that an alliance between our two groups will be a wonderful beginning to this new chapter in Ascendants history," Agathe offered easily, effortlessly. She could already imagine the sort of things they'd be able to do together, the power and strength they might have by combining their forces. Sunhaven would be no match against them and finally, finally, they'd be able to show Marina the mistake she had made by crossing them. That smile widened. "So, what do you say?"

[sephiroth]

SEPHIROTH

MALE — ROSEBLOODS — PHARAOH — HOVER FOR TAGS

[div style="background-color: #292727; color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-align: justify; overflow: auto; width: 500px; height: 340px; padding: 10px;"]"Hm."  Sephiroth considered carefully, his eyes almost sleepy looking as he listened in on the pair of Ascendants and their offer.  Truely, it did sound beneficial.  They were down an ally, Sephiroth had a score to settle, and apparently the Ascendants were in a similar boat.  He didn't have any attachment of any sort with te Sunhaven, they hadn't commented when he mentioned the Rosebloods on ties wit the Tanglewood.  It all checked out in a positive manner.

Sephiroth's expression would relax and a smile that mostly showed satisfaction with the decision he had come to.  His eyes glittered, blue green colors shifting with his emotion.  His appearance certainly inspired awe and curiosity if anything.  "Then consider it accepted."  The baritone velvet of his deep voice confirmed the proposition.  "We will ally ourselves with the Ascendants."

That was that, he had handled politics with the same ethereal grace he handled everything.  "I will send ambassadors very soon, I myself might even pay a visit."  Sephiroth would offer up his own time as well, to see  firsthand what this group had in store for them.  He would nod at Titan and Agathe, settling his focus on the later as he kept his unblinking eyes on the Seraph.  "We are honored to have you with us.  You can come to us whenever our...services are needed."  He particularly enjoyed the proposition that this ally would stand firm and not let themselves be pushed about, and that this pair had clearly taken initiative to help their group.  He could very much respect that.

#psychosocial.