come with me now * open

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    [fancypost=background: transparent; line-height: 15px; width: 400px; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;]The poor boy was shaking. Richard "Dick" Grayson wasn't sure how to cope with what he'd seen only hours ago. He'd run so fast, he'd run so far, he was soaked, he couldn't handle anything. Everything had melted into shapes and lines and static, and he was lost in it all. Dick shook as he stumbled to the Windclan border.The blood haunted his memory. Every time he closed his eyes he could see it. He shuddered.
    He was only a boy, he didn't deserve this.
    He made himself smaller against the wind and the outside world until he was just a dot of black in the grass. The child didn't need this pain, yet here it was. He shuddered.
    The last flying Grayson.

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    DARTH VADER

    Darth Vader is a cyborg barbary lion. An artificial lion-gorilla hybrid, robotic legs and arms allow him to walk upright and use his hands. At his full height, he is fourteen feet tall. A Dark Lord of the Sith, and former Supreme Leader of the First Order. He wears the axe of Rick Grimes, a knife from Judith, the eye patch of Bill Cipher on his belt, along with his lightsaber. Sometimes followed by Ivan (a polar bear.)
    ⚠ FULL BIO & TAGS ⚠




    The air would get cold. His boots crunched the leaves and sticks and left imprints in the grass. His cape flapped in the wind and his hollow breathing evolved into the imposing mask of Darth Vader. Soulless and empty- possibly a lion, but more metal than animal. His shadow moved, swallowing the creature in darkness, the breathing- constant.
    "You are suffering." He finally said, stopping in front of the boy, looking down at him.

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    [fancypost=background: transparent; line-height: 15px; width: 400px; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;]The cold that enveloped him sent shivers through the boy. Dick was sure it was just the night falling, until he heard the pawsteps and the breathing. A threat? A comfort? He didn't know. His green eyes shot open and Dick hastily turned his gaze to the stranger. Oh god, what if it was...? But no, he was still where the child had run from, far away, far away.... Right?
    "I..." Dick uttered. Yes, he was suffering. He had just witnessed the murder of two people he loved most. The void in him was huge, the images were still fresh in his head, he couldn't handle it. Dick just nodded to confirm what Vader had observed.
    The large figure was strange to Dick. He'd worked at the circus with his family, but had never seen a creature quite like Vader. The thoughts of curiosity were a mild distraction from the overwhelming weight of what he'd seen.

    [fancypost=border-width:0; width: 300px; text-align: justify; line-height: 12px][center]DARTH VADER

    Cold, reflective lenses focus on the boy and reflect the young one's image. As if he was reading the child, investigating him. "You are afraid of me." He assumed, rising onto his haunches. "Good. Keep it that way. Fear keeps you alive." He instructs, tilting his head.


    "You are young. You have lost... something." That part is cloudy. "And now you are alone."


    "But you have stumbled to refuge. You are safe, here." The lion finally rises onto his hind legs, towering over the boy. "This is Windclan. You may stay, if you chose. Come with me." He said, turning in the direction of the camp, seeing if the boy would follow.

    [center][fancypost=bgcolor=;border: 0px solid white; width: 455px; text-align: justify; height: auto;font-size: 8pt; line-height: 122%; margin-top: -2px;]Her ears picked up the sound of voices nearby and she figured she ought to check it out. The new territory was still unsettling to her but she decided to just try and see past it. It wasn't like this was Stoneclan, this was Windclan and the only similarity was the mountains that was it. Her paws pushed easily across the sharp rocks and bumps as she approached the pair with a cold yet calculative stare, eyes fixed on Vader for a short moment before she looked at the stranger who was about to be allowed into their home. "So, is he joining?" She spoke calmly before then glancing away, eyes searching the peaks for a moment then she focused back on the young kid. "What is your name? I'm Blueridge the advisor of Warfare here in Windclan."

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    [fancypost=background: transparent; line-height: 15px; width: 400px; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;]You are afraid of me. No, that wasn't true. He was afraid of the man that had... well. Dick didn't want to think about it, no matter how it plagued his mind. But even though he wasn't afraid of Vader, he couldn't find the energy or his voice to make a rebuttal. As for his second statement, Dick wasn't sure he believed it. Fear keeps you alive? How? Fear was so negative, how could it keep something as precious as life safe? But then he thought back. His parents hadn't been afraid. And now.... He had been afraid, and he was still here. So there had to be some truth to what the lion was saying, wasn't there?"Please help," he whimpered, uncurling himself to face the impossibly tall male. He had lost something so dear to him, he had lost the only thing that mattered. His voice cracked with emotion, some sound not even escaping past his lips before he had to stop and stifle a sob. "I don't know what to do."
    Tears welled in olive eyes, spilling down his face. He had lost.
    At Vader's offer, he didn't budge just yet. It didn't seem shady, but it didn't seem safe. Nothing felt safe right now. Dick startled at the new voice- he had been so focused on the lion that Blueridge had completely taken him aback. The boy scrambled away from the feline, at least until he could recognize that the other wasn't a thread.
    "I'm, uh..." the boy began, but trailed off. What was his name? Suddenly he felt very alone, not grounded to any one thing. He felt like he was floating above himself. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but his mind went blank, and that was better than dealing with his current reality. But as he focused on Blueridge's words, he snapped back into it.
    "Dick Grayson."
    His mind and body threatened to separate again, and the child tried to focus on something, but he was slipping.

    .... Well this was interesting. Whatever this was. Poppykit had been padding over just in time to hear everything and she still had no idea what exactly happened here. This Grayson guy was scared, Vader was being his usual ominous self and Blueridge was asking what his business here was. It was curious to her. Why weren't the others asking him what had him so freaked out? What if there was danger near by? Did they not care? Not looking like she cared either way, she sat down with a sweep of her bushy tail. "What happened?" something had to have happened to this guy.

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    [fancypost=background: transparent; line-height: 15px; width: 400px; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;]A distraction allowed him to anchor his spirit to his body for a bit. Poppykit's question must have meant she was concerned for him, something he hadn't really noticed in the other two. They had been curious, not compassionate. The child took a deep, shuddering breath and focused his green gaze on her. He swallowed.
    "Mom and dad," he started with a croak, but almost instantly his voice gave out along with his will to continue. The events were too recent to recount. Emotion crashed around Dick and he couldn't focus. "I couldn't help." But he should have helped. The child bit his lip hard and resisted the urge to cry again. They had died because he couldn't help them. Maybe he shouldn't have run, but should have tried to fight off the man who had killed them.
    The tiny black kitten shook where he stood. But finally, he began to walk, following Vader silently.

    His words were vague, but it was all Poppykit really needed to hear to know what had him so upset. It was the same exact reason she was in this clan now. Her parents where gone. They did not survive the winter, and she had. Windclan had found her a while back all on her own and took her in. "I couldn't either." Was all the child said in response for a while, making it clear she had been in his situation not that long ago. "Don't blame yourself." it wasn't sympathy coming from her, rather, it sounded like she was simply stating a fact. Because in her opinion she was. Grayson did not deserve to have to think losing his parents was his fault. Her parents' death had severely affected herself and how cold she acted now, but she made sure that it did not put her life to a complete halt. She didn't think Grayson deserved to have that happen to him either.

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    [fancypost=background: transparent; line-height: 15px; width: 400px; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;]At her words, the boy almost perked up, but that wasn't entirely correct. He still looked so beaten and pitiful that 'perking up' could hardly be called that. But, it was clear that he was a little surprised to find someone who'd gone through something so similar so soon. But soon, his surprise turned back into anguish and turmoil. How could he so easily let go of the pain he felt, even for a moment?
    "What do I do now?"
    His question seemed to be directed solely at Poppykit. He was willing to take advice from anyone, but she was the person he trusted most here, even if she had only talked to him once. He didn't even know her name, but she was the safest option, the best bet he had for something useful. Something to help.
    He didn't want the fear or the sadness or the grief to shape him, but it seemed like it was beginning to already. The boy didn't want the negativity in his life. He wanted to grow up normally, with his parents, with his family, with the circus. Of course, all of those opportunities were gone now, and Dick didn't have a chance at a childhood anymore at all. If he was to take care of himself, he'd have to act like an adult. Nobody deserved that, though, especially not children like him or Poppykit. The way that the events had changed (and would change, for that matter) both of them was unfair and cruel.
    The boy stared at her helplessly, waiting for an answer.

    Vader would turn back around to look at the boy, head tilted to him. Vader had no empathy but the fatherliness he had caught onto was at work. The lion bent down, squatting, placing a fist in the earth and extending the other to the boy.


    "Come with us."


    // Wears black? Check. Fatherly? Check. Angsty? Check. Dead parents? Check. Congrats, he's batman.

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    [fancypost=background: transparent; line-height: 15px; width: 400px; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;]His attention shifted to the massive lion hybrid. He looked so cold and indifferent, the boy wasn't sure that he should trust him, much less going with him to join a clan he'd never heard of. But did he really have a choice? This was his only option of shelter now as far as Dick could tell. How could he refuse the prospect of food, shelter, and care when he'd just lost it all?
    He placed an incredibly tentative paw into Vader's outstretched hand.
    "Okay," he murmured, just loud enough for the other male to hear. The events of the day had him so shaken up that he wasn't sure he'd be able to walk right all by himself. Hopefully somebody could provide him some support or something.


    / bam new dad

    [fancypost=border-width:0; width: 300px; text-align: justify; line-height: 12px][center]DARTH VADER

    Vader picked up the kit- it was smaller than his hand- the leather glove offered little comfort, and the metal hand under it was unforgiving. But Vader would stand, placing the kit in the area between his cape and robe- where the satin and wool fabric comforted him.


    "Just... relax."


    Great. Another one. Why did he keep finding kids. He looked at the others, a look on his face behind his mask, and turning to the camp.

    What do I do now? Yikes. That was a loaded question. One that Poppykit liked to believe she knew the answer to but she did not. She personally dealt with her problems by suppressing them. A very unhealthy tactic, but the child had a very cold, cynical view on the world. She did not hold back where others did. She opened her mouth to speak when Vader swooped in to take him like a bat in the night, quickly causing the fluffy feline to shut her mouth once more. To Poppykit, it seemed like Vader was bent on controlling everyone, and if that meant taking in as many kids as he could he'd do it. The thought alone made her crinkle her nose in disgust. No way she wanted to stick around now. Perhaps she'd find Dick and speak with him another time. Which was saying something impressive about Grayson since Poppykit hated socialization and hated almost everyone she knew. To her, he seemed interesting enough to pluck aside and get to know so far.