to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.

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OOC. Wow, took me a while to think of a reply to this, it was so moving. Rest In Peace, Ao Shin.

The evening did not seem to hold any sort of panic or surprise in it's whispering wind. In fact, it was quite the opposite in many ways. The breeze carried forth a warmth that was not too strong but enough to relax by in the shimming sun light and there was enough of the solar rays left to sit, looking out across the sea front to sky of orange and pink hues to feel complete at rest. Rosencrantz had been spellbound by these pleasures that sitting on the golden sands brought more in the way of comfort then she had had in the territories in a while. Death and mortality had been rife amongst the trees of their forests and as far as they knew, their beast, now known to be a multiple possessions murderer still lurked amongst the creepers and tangles without care for who was the next fatality whether it be friend, foe or prey. They wanted their kill. To the young Legate that had all but been forgotten for a few moments in the presence of such a spectacular sunset.
This clan was so much more then just a clan. They were a family and even though some had few and far connections between others they still knew, respected and in a way loved them because they were another part of the jigsaw, they still contributed massively to day to day life with everybody in the Skulls because things of what had happened in the past, how they effected others actions in the presence and what the knock on effects for the future were. It was true that at the moment, the Scottish Fold certainly didn't feel like she had made any sort of contribution to the history of the clan but looking back, with in the last moon and a half so much had happened around her that had changed her and changed the way she would look at band in general. At the center of it all stood proudly their ship and it's captain Ao Shin, a great leader in her mind to them all even if she had never really had the change to get to know him through words, through his actions and implements she couldn't have asked for anything more from him.
There was a cry from the beach front and the tortoise shelled apothecary flashed across the water edge just in her view line. Her first thought was that of danger, every reaction like the one James had just given seemed to equate to that these days. Not long after the snow white femme darted after him only to slow on seeing their honey coloured leader lay still upon the shore.
Padding carefully she approached soundly toward Ao Shin and sat by him as her eyes drifted over his restful body with not a hint of fear swirling through her optics, not today. Surprisingly she looked rather calm though not in a disrespectful and senseless way but in a steady, peaceful sort of manner. It wasn't like Fitz or Napalmpaw or the death of the ginger hair stranger, no, Ao Shin looked as if asleep there on the drifting beach. A few days behind there had been a hint of coughing from the leader and since then he hadn't been out of his quarters, quite clearly he had never recovered from his ailment and now he had gone to be with Oceanus and any loved one's he might have beyond the borders of this life.
In all honesty, the femme of 5 moons did not know how to respond to this happening, what would be accepted as respectful and what to say to whom, the others would be over soon no doubt. For the first time, her mind had the freedom to moan the person rather then dwell over what happened to them and she did so truly. "Rest in Peace, Ao Shin"

((This is worse than Collateral and Sinara put together *cries*))

Lady rushed to the group the moment it came into view. Worry, maybe even a little fear, seeped into her bloodstream, sending little nervous tremors along her spine. Situation after situation tumbled through Avorio's complex wave of a mind, till the only thought remaining was that it had to be another murder.

That is, until she saw the body.

The pieces fell into place before the bronze-colored femme really knew what was going on. Their snowy leader had never gone to James about his coughing, and it had killed him. Ao Shin had been infected with blackcough, and now he was dead. Dead.

Tears were at Avorio's eyes now, and they spilled silently onto the sand. Lady had been friends with the akita for Oceanus knows how long. He'd been there when she first became active, a whole eight moons ago. He'd been happy to make friends with her. He'd gone with her to BloodClan. He'd asked if she was okay when her ADHD had ruined her day's hunting trip. He'd been there to congratulate her when she was promoted to Shanghai. He'd been the one to promote her to Lady, the second one the Skulls have ever had. He'd always been there, and now he was gone.

Just like that.

The tears that fell from Avorio's bronze cheeks became heavier, each droplet perhaps signifying a day of their friendship. The femme wanted to speak, but there were no words capable of describing the torrent of emotions that came crashing through her mind, dark sadness blossoming deep within its shadow.

[fancypost bgcolor=#; borderwidth=0px; height: px; width: 400px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9pt; color: ; text-align: justify;]Wolfgate inhaled deeply and did not speak, his mind shuddering with thought. The smoke tortoiseshell stopped looking at Ao Shin's body; it made him feel remorseful, which he was keen to avoid. He sat down, instead, at the side of his mate and attempted to wind his tail over her shoulders in silent comfort. He hoped.

And yet, a tiny part of him rejoiced. He had finally - finally - done it. He was going to rule this place.

It was very good to see Wolfgate back for good from where ever he had been but Rosencrantz did not want to smile to the tortise shell because of the atmosphere and the situation of Ao Shin's death and the greif that currently held most of the clan down like conconcrete at the loss of a friend. She could only imagine what it was like to return and find that 1. He was leader 2. The murderer had been sighted upon their terriories 3. Activity had not really picked up an awful lot dispite newcomers joining their band. It would surely be a lot to take in but knowing Wolfgate he would continue totake it in his stride and continue. Through the murk and darkness of the day it was easy to forget that he was their new leader, no body really wanted to mention it in audiable words and that was understandable because his predecessor was not even buried yet but she would be intregged to find out howthe future would pan out now that he was in charge. No doubt he would be a great leader, Rosencrantz believed that strongly in fact but every newcomer to the highest position brought something new and made the post their own, she expected Wolfgates term to be just the same.