COME ON LITTLE LIGHT // TEMP. JOINING

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    Her father was going to kill her, if his lengthy lecture didn't talk her to death first, but this wasn't a whim like he probably thought it was. For a while now, she'd considered...space from him. Not to escape his shadow, or anything like that, because she loved him, but this was, believe it or not, for his benefit. Narukami clung to her as though she were flotsam in the ocean, but she wasn't, and he needed a push to learn he could rely on people beyond his daughter. Niko was comfortable knowing she wasn't meant to be his whole world, no matter how determined he seemed to be in believing that. He needed to grow without her, now that he knew how, and now that he had a place to call home, despite how reluctant he was to do so. It was also an opportunity for Niko to receive more instruction with her powers- she wasn't certain that people would be comfortable mentoring her, knowing Narukami's tendency to kill people who touched her.


    Maybe she could have picked somewhere with less sand. It wasn't...awful, exactly, but Niko liked to walk more steadily than she could now. Sand in this amount was very new to the feline, but she wouldn't be daunted by it. People lived here already- she could too. It wouldn't even be permanent, and it wasn't as though this was an enemy of BlizzardClan's. She'd checked.


    Bright eyes swept the area, nose twitching. So this was the border? If her father knew this was her destination, Niko was convinced he'd have managed to put his foot down even harder than he would have anyway, regardless of the alliance. A bit late to turn back, though, and she was determined besides to prove she could take care of herself.

    INFORMATION

    the scent of blizzardclan alerted him. hmm. an ally - or as garrus liked to silently and regularly inform himself, the real enemy. you knew the intentions of true enemies, but you never knew what a true ally was thinking. or that was his view, anyway. so despite there being no particular issue with this blizzardclan member being so near their territory, he approached with a very professional - yet not hostile, like it would have been if she was an enemy and he was therefore allowed to openly show his suspicion - demeanor and stood a safe distance away, purposely allowing a silence long enough to verge on being uncomfortable before he would speak. "ally business or personal business?" he'd inquire in his unusual drawl, with a slight tilt of his head; unwanted curiosity slipping through his mask. as he awaited a reply, his own blue gaze studied the scottish fold. she appeared to be a kitten and was most likely half his age - which made her roughly half a year old if his assumption from her height, size and overall demeanor was anything to go by. if he was right, that would make her the same age he had been when he joined the sanguine ruins after hearing news of his mother being alive. he hummed at the thought and despite his mind trying to comfort him into relaxing, he forced himself to remain unreadable.


    The Caucasian Sheperd, faintly smelling of blood from his recent injuries, arrives next after Garrus. Tired wine red eyes fix themselves on the little lady before them, fictive brows furrowing against his head as his faintly smoldering gaze, half ablaze, half extinguished, quietly observed Niko. The smell of BlizzardClan wafts from the girl, an recognized ally, and the Baskerville feels himself relaxing just a bit. The male was naturally cautious around allies (especially since one of them had turned him into a vampire and tried to pin unfair things on him) and this child would be no different. However, he says nothing, his expression hardly changing, and waits for the BlizzardClanner to speak her part.

    「 ARAWELO — run the atlas, i'm a natural 」


    Hostility was a beast of volume, not known for its discrete politeness. It tainted the air in heightened silences, overwhelming in its presence at the border. Rawe found her limbs slow as she trawled hesitantly through the thickness of it. Hostility was commonplace at the Ruins' borders, however, and often ebbing in towards camp. It was not a creature Rawe was unfamiliar with but rather, one that often compelled her to move toward. On to see the source of the uncertainty, surrounded by two males saturated in testosterone-fuelled disquiet. A huff escaped her jaws as her eyes struggled to centre on the female that had captured their attention, a being young enough that proved such animosity unjust. Rawe certainly would not have it.


    Although, she was not yet so brazen as to utter criticisms to the others, both her higher ups. Instead, she settled precariously beside the two, enough distance to ease her breathing, and cast a pleasant smile towards the apparent BlizzardClanner. A territory she at least knew was a little distance away. "You got a name?" She added it, after a moment, attached to Garrus' curt inquiry.



    TAGS


    /you mean to say garrus isn't busy with calibrations


    Thankfully, Niko didn't have to continue thinking about her father for too long, as someone was arriving to greet her, although she could feel his concern across the bond, and it would be difficult to ignore. She told him not to worry, but that was just something he did. She wished she could show him she had nothing to fear- this person seemed nice enough. Professional, a little distant, but her father was a master of detachment, for the most part, so she wasn't cowed by the lack of open welcoming. Instead, she smiled at the older feline, tamping down on the urge to ask what the paint on his face meant. If she were younger, she wouldn't have hesitated to ask, but she was a little better at holding her tongue now. "Personal business! Sort of." Was there a shorter way of saying she was giving her father much-needed space and simultaneously seeking out some unbiased training?


    Probably not.


    Her lively stare looked past the blue-furred fellow to a canine, who managed to be less friendly than the first. That was all right- she wasn't expecting social butterflies. She visibly perked up with the warmer approach of a cheetah, round face tilted as she returned the smile in full-force. Good to know not everyone was so reluctant to grin. "Oh, sorry!" Niko bowed her head quickly in apology. "I'm Niko! And you probably want to know why I'm really here. Etto...I'm here for training! My father is very nosy, and doesn't think I'm ready. But I am!"

    INFORMATION

    askaldkwln lmfaooooo pre shepard c-sec days atm so not yet c;


    head would dip slightly in greeting to yuu, acknowledging his step father’s presence. but blue eyes remained firmly on the newcomer before him. the reply, if he were to be truthful, was one he expected so he managed to contain any unwanted facial movements due to being unsurprised. it wasn’t hard to figure out that such a young looking cat would be here, at the ruins, for anything other than personal business. in his opinion, anyway. still, the last part made the clogs turn in his head and his gaze narrowed fractionally. rawe’s arrival was a distraction and he gladly took it; turning his attention towards her briefly to hear the cheetah voice the question he hadn’t. he offered her a flick of his ears in greeting before niko’s answer tore his attention back onto the kitten. ah, a temporary alliance. he wasn’t a fan of temporary and short term alliances solely because one could stay for a short enough time to know how the clan works, before moving on with some secrets. and someone hitting their rebellious streak? maybe. he wasn’t one to judge, he still hadn’t got out of his. probably never would. “fathers are like that.” the siamese hummed, bobbing his head to the side in an action similar to a shrug. his gut has decided that she wasn’t a threat and her enthusiasm rubbed off on him and his lips fluttered into a smile. “he doesn’t think you’re ready but you’re joining the ruins. that alone warrants a joining.” vague amusement filtered through his generic sarcastic tone. “that’s not how it works unfortunately. i believe you still have to undergo the usual joining procedure. you can spar one of us, run an obstacle course or betray a former alliance,” he paused to allow that information to sink in, “garrus. nice to meet you. the stage is all yours, niko.”


    /mobile



    「 ARAWELO — run the atlas, i'm a natural 」


    It was a subtle greeting that Garrus issued and one the female did not catch for her ailing vision did not allow for awareness of her peripheries. Perhaps it seemed rude, her ignorance of the friendly gesture and the lack of her own reply. Yet, the newcomer did not seem to allow for hesitation. A blast of welcome and Rawe suddenly felt as if it was she, and not the stranger, that was on unfamiliar territory. How brazen the younger seemed, how unabashed by life. She would have felt a rush of jealousy, if she did not already harbor a powered admiration for Niko. Alone, naive- it was perhaps stupid bravery. The Great Empress would see this shining child, surely. It was all Rawe could do to nod her head in gratitude at the emulation of her smile. Ah, but there was a reason for everything and the child's bravery was assuredly lended to the safety net of her father. Fathers that doubted their daughters, that put restrictions up for their female brood that did not extend to their dear sons.


    But interestingly enough, Garrus did not seem surprised by Niko's father's actions. In fact, he gladly welcomed Niko's rebellion, her valour in being on the Ruin's borders. It was almost refreshing, to know there were males that did not seem to stand so proudly on a pedestal. However, as always, these joinings did not leave room for lingering thoughts and pleasant idle chat. The third tier continued to voice Niko's options as the younger stood there and Rawe felt a lump of disquiet for the kitten. "Rawe and ditto. And- uh- I'd be careful on choosing to make your joining test your first training session." She was not entirely she was allowed in these circumstances to advise but surely their were exceptions for lone kittens? After all, neither of the gathered at the border would hardly be a fair fight for Niko.


    TAGS


    ☾ walking in a ghost town

    ♤♤♤

    tags

    plot[WIP]

    The wolf couldn't help but grin a little as she heard the small girl speak. So, she wanted some training? The request wasn't unusual since most children wanted training at some point. The want to become stronger seemed to be quite prominent from the bite-sized feline. Something that gained some of her respect.


    "If you do happen to pass one of the tests though then I'm willing to train you," Elvina offered as she sat down keeping her distance from the group. Though they were her fellow Ruiners, she didn't fully trust them. Ever since she awoke on Agrelos she lacked some trust in others. It took a bit of time, but she had grown to trust her family at least. There was a chance she could trust her fellow members in a similar fashion.


    Keeping her scarlet gaze on the newcomer, she waited patiently to see what the little one would think.


    //I SEE YOU WASTELAND P.S. It is Ella's rper lmao



    The woman would stroll up and stand at the ready. Eyes on the younger creature and head lowering slightly. Parents worry because we love you. She mused before letting her gaze shift to her son.


    speach


    (c)trexgirl



    /this is late af sorry aslkds

    i'll be waiting for him to reach that stage so i can make all the jokes

    LMFAO HELLO THERE


    Niko did not consider that they might be suspicious of her, that they might think she was a spy. She wasn't the most experienced liar, not like her father, who managed to conceal and repress so well that sometimes he believed his own tales, unable to be honest with himself. Niko, on the other hand, was more open, although she had pulled back from her father recently. It was nothing of his doing, just her realization that he needed a push to learn to depend on other people. And Niko- she wanted to see more of the world. Even this, interacting with people on her own, was more thrilling than she could say. She didn't blame Narukami, though. She knew better now, so she merely laughed lightly. "I always wondered." Were all fathers like that? The man who'd played a part in her creation left her in the cold, from what she was told.


    But then she supposed he didn't count as a father, did he? He certainly wasn't Niko's. Being dead made that difficult anyway, and she re-centered her focus on Garrus, who had managed a smile. She considered that progress, and the eagerness swelled before she realized what he said. A trial? She couldn't spar any of them, because she was here to learn, and she couldn't betray BlizzardClan. The obstacle course then? What would her father recommend? Once he overcame his worry, of course.


    That concern wasn't because she was a girl. Niko knew- she would have been insulted if it were, because how he raised her didn't allow for Niko to be as naive as people must think she was. She watched him tear apart her biological parents, had felt his anxiety that he might lose the best thing in his life. Wouldn't anyone be protective of their world? It was why she was here. Not to be rebellious- not entirely. Niko saw her father needed to expand his horizons, to learn how to live for himself rather than devote his life to a child who needed her own room to grow, which she was determined to do. She couldn't spar or betray them, but she could run an obstacle course if she had to. Rawe was right- this would be her first real training, more than the few things her father taught her.


    Vivid eyes lifted from thought to the wolf who arrived, and the offer brought the smile back to Niko's face. "I'll make it, just you wait! I'm going to do the obstacle course." Her gaze darted to a feline, who glanced at Garrus, and Niko had never contested why parents worried.


    "I know he's scared because he loves me. But I'm going to prove he doesn't have to be scared anymore."

    INFORMATION

    he continued to watch her carefully, as though awaiting a slip up that wasn't going to come - but she didn't say or do anything out of the ordinary. the rational side of his brain decided that as of now, she didn't have any ill intentions, so he forced the wariness back to delay it. blue eyes would momentarily shift to rawe as she spoke, and then they moved to elvina; his brow raising fractionally. just like that, hey? people sure did have a lot of trust these days. but alas, like he told himself moments ago, niko didn't seem suspicious and on hindsight he might reflect and find himself respecting the ambitious newcomer with a rebellious streak that he could sympathize with. he hummed absent-mindedly to himself before realizing that his mother was approaching on breaking out of his little trance. if cats could blush, his silver and mocha cheeks would have overtaken his cobalt markings as the darkest area of his face. he offered his mother a smile, for even though he was awkward when it came to show of affection like that, he sure did appreciate them and his blue gaze finally returned on the blizzardclanner. he coughed in an attempt to berid the embarrassment. "that's a damn good goal." garrus nodded; the corners of his lips fluttered slightly as his mask struggled to contain a genuinely impressed smirk at her confidence. "the obstacle course is just over there. we're not allowed to tell you what happens, you just have to adapt and be creative - which i doubt you will struggle with," he paused and managed to resit shrugging his shoulders out of habit, "i can show you there?" his drawl took on a questioning tone as he turned to always dead for confirmation that he was indeed allowed to guide niko to the start of the course, his uncertainty rarely clear. his tail lashed behind him as he awaited clarification.


    aksjaksksks can't wait now lmAo


    im still not over mass effect so yes there will be plenty lmfao


    She'd never gone through an obstacle course before. Her father had taught her a few things, but he hadn't wanted to train her as he had been, and he didn't know how not to do that, so very little of it happened at all. Niko wanted to prove she could handle it, that he didn't need to worry, but when Garrus led her to the obstacle course, it was daunting, and she glanced at the taller feline briefly before catching herself. No- she couldn't look to anyone for this, so she took a deep breath. "I'll see you on the other side. Just you wait." Niko faced the beginning. A wall, and a tall one, but if it were impossible to jump, then it wouldn't be here. Her father would manage it easily, she knew, and with that odd bit of motivation in mind, Niko darted forward, launching herself as high as she could manage. She hit the side of it, claws digging for purchase. The top wasn't too far, so fortunately, with a bit more scrambling, she was over it and dropping down onto a stone.


    There were six, and she assumed she had to- jump across? Platform by platform, she hopped, determined to keep from making a mistake and slipping. That would be a short-lived attempt, and she wasn't going to lose because of a stupid rock. With those over, another wall obscured her view, this one low enough she could leap over. She propelled herself up, paws brushing the top, and she almost brained herself on the one to crawl under. Two, actually, but crawling wasn't so difficult once she avoided a concussion. After them was a tunnel, impossibly dark- she might have been afraid if she were younger, but she knew that the dark itself was nothing. Maybe something was in the dark, though she trusted they wouldn't dupe her like that, so she raced through, almost hitting the first of the panels on the other side. What was she supposed to do here?


    Maybe wind? Niko weaved her way carefully through, a bit more cautious in case there was something else, and she found herself at a rope with a bell at the top. Inhaling deeply to catch her breath, she dragged herself up, slipping a bit; she'd almost made it to the top when she lost her grip. In that very brief moment of free fall, she was back on the islands, her biological father tossing her over the side, the helplessness and terror in the nothingness of plummeting. Instead of Narukami's talons closing around her, Niko caught herself, a burn blossoming in her shoulders, but she pushed past it, clawing her way up to bat the bell.


    Her heart was thunderous in her ears, but she'd done it. She could feel her father's alarm across the bond, which she shuttered more firmly. Niko didn't need him razing all of Agrelos because he misinterpreted an obstacle course. She was going to be sore after this, though- and she was determined that she would stay here. A literal ditch in her path wouldn't stop her either, and she launched over it with gritted teeth. "Not today ditch." Another hall, this one requiring her to lie low, and at one point she bumped her head, but it was a minor, brief ache. The next part looked more difficult, and she stopped, frowning.


    Balance. Cats were good at that, weren't they? Her muscles seared, and she thought she might have pulled one or four things, but if she quit now, she'd forfeit all the hard work she did to get here. Niko couldn't run back to her father like that, so she took a moment to breathe again and quickly shot up the first board, and on the second, she figured the same approach would be best. Going too slow might give her more time to fall, so she kept up her pace, the elevated plank shifting, and at the end, she nearly fell when transitioning to the other platforms, belly tightening with worry. Luck was on her side, though -she knew it wasn't skill- because she made it to the window. Jumping through that, she caught a limb on the frame and went rolling. The leg pained her to stand on, so she might've banged it up a little, but she couldn't stop for that either.


    She limped up the ladder, dragging herself up, and then slipping down, which was, admittedly, a bumpy ride. Niko could see water ahead, which wasn't...encouraging. Going up the ramp only affirmed that she was going to have to swim, and she'd never been in water she couldn't walk in. Maybe she could- would that work? It beat swimming when she didn't know how to, so she dug her claws in, and instead of jumping in the water, she just jumped straight out. Niko reached out with her will, grasping at the molecules she could feel around her, and a violent burst of wind caught the feline, buffeting her on several strong gusts to the finish line. Descent wasn't gentle, and she fell with a thud, intensifying her aches. She laid there for a second or three, just breathing, until pushing herself up on wobbling legs. Did she do it? Niko made it, but did she pass? What if she was absolutely required to swim?


    INFORMATION

    i dont think anyone who has played it has gotten over it askldsjak


    when he had joined - which was a far while ago now - he had chosen to spar his littermate, piratepaw. you see, after running away from his first home after his father's death left him parentless, he had stumbled upon a group of loners who ran a boot camp of sort. obstacle courses were a norm there. so when he heard the options, it was an easy choice for him. and anyway, if he were to be honest, he was arguably the angriest he had ever been on first joining due to the fact that his mother had been reincarnated, and he had no knowledge of it. having said that, the top place of angriest moment was, without a shadow of a doubt, when he returned home to the ruins after a brief spell away. so angry, in fact, he killed two people. then again, anyone who had their friends and comrades killed in a coup would be angry - not many would track the killer down and kill him in the name of justice, though.


    an eye for an eye; a life for a life.


    as he accomanied niko to the course, he found himself remembering the last time he witnessed someone doing the obstacle course. it had been obsidianpaw and, quite honestly, she had smashed it. he couldn't think of many, or if any, parallels between the joiner beside him and obsidian herself, but he could agree on one thing: both were interesting individuals. garrus had a good sense of judgement - true, he had a tendency to be judgmental and hold some prejudice, but at the end of the day, one could not doubt his perceptive skill - and he trusted his gut when it said to trust the blizzardclanner. that was why, on catching her side glance at him in his peripheral vision, he didn't react and kept his blue gaze firmly ahead. yet, on arriving and hearing her comment, his whiskers twitched and he felt a necessity to turn to her and say something, which turned out to be: "no arguments from me. good luck."


    he watched her run the course with a smirk plastered on his maw. well, whoever mentored her would be lucky. it was glaringly obvious that she had a good level of skill - and fight, too. hell if he wasn't technically an apprentice himself and elvine hadn't already said she would have trained her, he would have offered to help himself. he was equally, and very weirdly, impressed that she didn't - or couldn't - swim either. he waited until she was up on her paws before he made his way over.


    "hmm, can't say i'm a fan of water either." the siamese joked in an attempt to distract her from the ache she must have been feeling and although it was meant in a light hearted way, he couldn't hide his grimace as he thought of having to swim himself. swimming was... not his forte. it never had been and never shall be. there was just too much flailing and splashing an for some weird reason, his fur - which was extremely short for a siamese - seemed to drag him down. ages ago, he remembered saying "why swim if you can just stay on firm ground?" to which someone retorted something along the lines of "because if you involuntarily 'take a dip' you can die, jackass". he took no notice of that because honestly, for one, he was a jackass. a omplete and utter asshole. a tremendous dickhead. and he loved it, damn it. and for two, he purposely acted like threats of drowning didn't paralyze him with fear, for if he succumbed to fucking water he would deserve to die. a frown creased his forehead and on realizing he must have just been standing there for more than a few seconds, he shook his dual toned head in an attempt to focus. "i don't see issue with you joining our ranks," he admitted; sarcastic drawl almost minute thanks to his genuine honesty, "you completed it very well and you, ah, improvised very well." to avoid looking overly amused, he craned his neck so that he could look over at yuu and always dead and he quirked a brow in a silent inquiry. was niko allowed to join them? if he was to decide, then it was an almost obvious yes. and if his mother had to have the final word, he sure hoped she would agree.


    he sure hoped so.