watching the tension grow ;; joining

— Ah, straight to the point. At least he didn't have to waste much time on this newcomer. Velvety sorrel nose scrunched, a scowl would fester along his facial features. Rememberme? What a whiny and desperate sounding name. Probably though he was a hot-shot of some sort; how pathetic. With a small sigh, the unimpressed maine coon would lower his haunches to the cold sand, his tufted ears swiveling back with the tugging breeze. The desert took time to adjust to, the rough sands were testing and could be unforgiving. Winds often threw the small sediment into sensitive eyes and made even breathing a hazard at times, not to mention it was basically low-grit sandpaper to the paws. As a kitten, Elian could remember opening his blistered pads on a distance run across the territory and the pain that followed. Like salt to a fresh injury, it felt like fire tingling through his toes and up his legs. Thankfully, his paws had since callused enough to manage the friction of the cold land.

"Alright, Freddy." He tested the name as he carelessly spoke it, tossed it from his leathery lips as though a foul tasting slug. He didn't like it. "Elian's the name. Welcome, the desert now owns you." That was about as polite of a greeting you'll ever get from the former warlord, as kindness wasn't his knack.

For once, it wouldn't be the name Harbringer that struck her as being important or memorable. It was Praelium. The queen would step forward in an instant, the blue-grey tigress bearing the name herself, though she rarely used the latter part of her hyphened surname. Darling-Praelium, with Praelium being a silent-but-present reminder of the woman who'd adopted her. Family had always been important to Amour, and now the former leader stepped up with her blue eyes flashing meaningfully. "Greetings, Freddy," she meowed to this creature, neither his nickname or formal first name ringing any bells for her. That was fine, one way or another they were kin. "Welcome to the Ruins. My name is Amour - I'm a Praelium too. Do you know Breakdance? She's my mother."

Amour would blink at him warmly, pleased to find that she had kin in her clan now - a half sibling, albeit adopted. Though the name Wyvernhill was not familiar to her, and she wondered at what point in time her mother had tangoed with such a creature. Her tail-tip flicked as she would explain, "Breakdance adopted me, we're not kin by blood but she's the only mother I've had. She was wed to Standstill, who was my father in every way but name." Standstill had not only been a fatherly figure to her, but a leader who had entrusted her with so much while she lived at the Tribe of Burning Eclipse. Those times were long gone though, and she could only hope the former chief was still living out retirement peacefully in the Shadow Veil. But where was her mother? "Is Breakdance still alive? Do you know where she is?"

A frown would appear on her features, the queen evidently displeased with the news. "I see," she replied evenly, and she wondered why her mother would join them. Amour'd never been a fan of the group of ruffians; they were chaotic evil, doing things without rhyme or reason. They were a bit like old-school Bloodclan and she could maybe understand why a returning Bloodclanner like, say, Risencorpse or Coppermine, would join them; bloodthirsty heathens, they were, but Breakdance had been a Scarclanner. The group a former tribe, they were a more refined anti-clan, more focused on a concrete goal than causing unnecessary chaos. Besides, she thought with her paws prickling in discomfort, Wouldn't Standstill still be in the Shadow Veil? Shouldn't they be together?

With a weary sigh, she would brush these thoughts off and say, "I'm glad to hear she's still alive, and I'm happy to have you here, Freddy. I look forward to getting to know you."