HAPPENING, HAPPENED. joining

^{". . . Oh, um, hello!" It was with surprise that Billie spoke, the young nurse tentatively venturing closer to the stranger. The kitten had been out looking for herbs with a warrior escort and had somewhat been lost in her own thoughts, not immediately taking notice of the male waiting at the edge of his territory. The three-legged child would limp closer to him, eyeing the foreigner with curiosity and caution mingling in her expression. There had been a lot going on recently, and the tabby understood the importance of being careful, though he seemed to have come alone and in peace. "Hi - Um, my name is Billie Jean, I'm a nurse here. What do you need with the Sanguine Ruins?"}

"Stinging my friends and my family, I don't know why this is happening--"

Well, unfortunately this stranger was going to get stuck seeing Elian. Not exactly the friendly face you would hope to be greeted by, the young silvery third tier was a feline only capable of anger. Not wired to understand or comprehend any emotion except the various levels of hatred, it wasn't uncommon for the tom-kit to expose his fiery temper. Occasionally he managed to mask such fumes simply by acknowledgment that his attitude coincided with his ranking, but today was not that day. Pain reverberated throughout his body, exhaustion clung to his cobalt gaze, and his pulse ran rampant with annoyance. "What the hell do you want?" He'd snarl abruptly, his alabaster leather lips curling into a small hiss.

He had to give this one credit, at least he was smart enough to wait by the border.

Smoke basically pouring from his nostrils, the silver tabby would huff down his mood. He was so done for today. Good thing his sister was here, otherwise he'd probably get himself exiled for picking a random fight with a potential joiner. Grumbling a few curse words under his breath, Eli would painfully lower his haunches to the desert sand beside his much friendlier sister. When would this pain go away? He thought Billie was a nurse, so why wasn't any of her herbs working?

"-- but I'll do what I want, do as I please, I'll do it again till I got what I need."

Humming curiously, the wildcat hybrid would bring himself over to the scene as it played out before him. Shining yellow eyes that glimmered something disconcerting focused on the stranger that sat upon their border, resting, and an easy smile played upon the trickster's face. Billie had chosen to greet the newcomer in polite way whilst Elian... well, he was being Elian. Akuma had not been around as much as he would have liked but, unfortunately, he had just been too busy to spend time with everyone in the Ruins. He would have liked to, perhaps... Inclining his head just faintly to the side, he leans into a seat and stretches out across the cool sand. "Yes, yes - please do hurry up. Not all of us have the godly virtue of patience." He says this laxly, the smile still turned up upon his maw, but it's empty for the most part. There's nothing warm shining in those brilliant golden eyes of his that was genuine, at the very least.

The massive hellhound padded over at the scent of someone unfamiliar to find...well, someone unfamiliar. Stella hummed curiously at the sight of him before taking a seat next to Akuma, her tail flicking.

The main question had already been asked, so she simply sat and waited to see what the stranger had come to the Sanguine Ruins for.

"Speech."

Petra chose an empty space close to Interstellar as she joined the gathered Ruiners, eyes carefully perusing the stranger. At Elian's words, the Warlord swung her head sharply towards him as her calculating gaze took in the boy. She couldn't find the anger she needed to scold him, nor would she want to. His response was likely similar to how she would have greeted someone unknown on their lands. However, this stranger was carefully placed just beyond said border, and the words he chose were edged with something Petra had not yet seen from Elian. Perhaps she was simply reading to far in to this, but something felt off about the male. Not that she could blame him. He'd only recently returned from an extended and involuntary stay with the Exiles - it wasn't like they could expect any different from the male. Letting out a small sigh, she would resume her analysis of the unknown creature.

TO THE DEAF STARS SHE SCREAMED: MAKE ME QUEEN OR I'LL MAKE YOU BLEED —

"Stinging my friends and my family, I don't know why this is happening--"

[ your muse is great, don't worry c:

welcome, by the way! just ignore this grump here. ]

Blue gaze narrowing into a disapproving glare, the tabby's white and grey face would contort into a rather frustrated expression. "Hmph. Seems we have a smartass on our lands." The words were a low mutter that slipped through his chapped leathery lips like venom beneath his hot breath. The infection that laced his veins with death would evoke a shiver to run down his spine with taunting icy kisses. He was going to die soon, he knew he was, and he would accept such fate without fear. Presently, he was just eager for the excruciating pain to cease. Swallowing back the phlegm that surfaced to the back of his throat, the young third tier would be forced a small raspy cough.

"You must finish a trial before you're allowed to consider yourself one of us." Tone remaining flat and careless, Eli's haunting cobalt optics would remain steady on the unfamiliar male. "You can choose to complete an obstacle course, demonstrate your loyalty by sabotaging your previous clan, or prove your worthiness by battling one of us." He wasn't sure what to classify this stranger as yet. He wasn't annoyingly over-social and didn't appear incredibly emotional either, only time would tell whether or not Elian would ever find the guy useful. Of course Eli's special list of approved members was greatly smaller than the actual list of acceptable clanmates. "Which do you choose?" At least his initial temperament had died down . . . for now.

"-- but I'll do what I want, do as I please, I'll do it again till I got what I need."

<sup>She felt her fur prickle as she saw his eyes rest on the stump that remained of her leg. Bristling with shame and discomfort, she would shift her weight slightly, turning her body so that only her right side was facing Smokerlungs, keeping her injury out of sight the best she could. Her ears had begun to pin against her head a bit, and though she forced herself to straighten them, it was clear that she was uneasy. While her smile remained, it was strained, wavering, threatening to collapse amidst everything. He had looked away quickly enough, sure, but his eyes had latched onto it like a magnet and that was one of her biggest fears presently. To be seen as only her disability, to have the disfigurement blind others from who she was- All that she still hoped that she could be.

Elian's presence did little to soothe the tension, and only added to it. His words scathing and cold, the anger that her brother always seemed to possess seemed to be only mounting in the wake of his horrible internal injury, which she knew not how to treat. Flustered, she couldn't blame him for having a shorter fuse than usual given his current state, but though that this was not how new members should be greeted. Weary was her expression as blinked in an almost apologetic way towards the recruit, the kit's verdant eyes scanning who had gathered to greet this new male. "You could fight either Petra, Interstellar, or Akuma," she would offer practically, nodding to each member as she named them. "Elian and I are too young," this might have been obvious, but with Eli's attitude it could be hard to view him as a kitten- Rather, he seemed like a very mean, undersized adult, and she was sure he'd be throwing himself into all the introductory spars when he was bigger, and better.

"Um, speaking of names, I don't think you said yours."</sup>

Stella watched the scene unfold with an almost bored look on her face. Typical joiner, typical Elian, she supposed

Smokerlungs, huh? An odd name, but most names were a little...strange these days. And he chose the fight as his initiation. When he turned to her, Petra and Akuma, Stella slowly blinked. Assuming he had spoken to her, the hellhound gazed down at him with an unreadable expression. "I will fight you, if you wish," she said as her tail stopped flicking.

"Speech."

Akuma offers nothing but a smirk at the solemn man before him, his attitude reminding him of someone once held close and dear to his now cold, dead heart. Golden eyes glittering, he responds casually, "I was obviously joking." This guy didn't have a lot of humor, now did he? The jokester would let the kiddos take over from there, watching with boredom plain on his face as the joining initiation carried on as per usual. He wishes that something else could be done here like with how the Cartel just gave their joiner that most embarrassing things to do in order to join. Akuma snickered quietly at the thought of someone as serious as this guy doing something like the Hokey-Pokey.

He leans back when Smokerlungs - that was his name, wasn't it? - decides that he was going to fight someone to get in and seemed to take to Interstellar for that. "Ballsy, that one." He murmurs, fictive brow raising as he got to his paws so he could clear out of the space of which they were going to fight. While he passes Stella, he nudges her with his elbow, "Be careful not to sit on him, hm?" He snickers towards the much taller hellhound whilst he takes his seat further away from the group, a yawn quietly rolling off of his tongue.

SNAKE OF CLEARING EYES / FIRST TIER / SANGUINE RUINS / INFO

So he did want to fight her. Stella appreciated this one’s nerve. The hellhound stood up and stretched her legs, her ears flicking back lightly as she walked over to stand across from him.

She then felt a nudge on her side and turned her cranium to see Akuma, barking a laugh at his comment. "I will try," she replied before turning her full attention to Smokerlungs. Her yellow eyes narrowed as she examined her opponent before saying, "Your move."

"Speech."

The queen landed next to Akuma and settled in. Eyes on the male and head tilted slightly. He was fighting Stella. That was, interesting.

"TEXT!"

When he lunged forward, Stella made no reaction, only her yellowish-orange eyes following his movements. Then, as soon as his jaws clamped around her leg, the hellhound attempted to spin around and slam her leg into the ground using her super strength, trying to throw him off. If that was successful, she would them aim to use her tail like a whip, lashing out at the male.

He seemed like a worthy opponent so far. But now it was time for the real trial to begin.

"Speech."