DEAL, CAPTAIN [ intro ]

[align=center][div style="width: 40%; text-align: justify;"]newkit knew fully well why he'd been held back, why he was strictly not allowed to leave camp on his own, but that didn't change how unfair he thought it was. he'd been getting so much better at standing on his own without wobbling and falling over, gotten better as walking without falling onto his side because he wobbled then too. the only thing that he struggled with still was.. well, running. that didn't mean he had to be held back from being a trainee, being thrown into situations where he had to do it or face consequences would surely help, right?

over the past two months since getting the hang of walking, he'd tried multiple times to sneak out of camp, to have some adventure. those plans were always foiled by his father, of course, always coming up behind him and putting a massive paw right in front of him because.. as good as he was at walking now, he struggled to figure out turning just as much as running. this was escape attempt 34, and he was halfway to the camp entrance now, crawling along the ground so that maybe (hopefully) no one would notice him.

of course, someone would, considering someone always did.

"just a little further, lets go. come on. you got this." he whispered to himself, pushing himself along with his back paws. only yards from the entrance, he pushed himself up on wobbly legs, beaming because he'd finally made it, and all he had to do was walk through! he could totally do this! one paw forward, than another, only to find a shadow hovering over him.

"and.. i'm caught. great."

[spoiler=☼ tags | updated 1/1]"speech" ☼ thoughts | normal

☼ basics
☼ newkit newpaw newvegas | nicknames : new | aliases : none
☼ 0 years 6 months | born in july | cancer
☼ cisgender | he/him
☼ tanglewood | child (delayed ceremony) | no titles
☼ link to biography

☼ appearance and health
☼ domestic cat | other forms : tiger
☼ grey tabby / blue eyes / missing front right leg (birth, all bodies) / clubbed back left foot (birth, all bodies)
☼ physically appears ~5 months | actually 6 months
☼ 100% physically | healable injuries : n/a | permanent injuries : n/a
☼ 100% mentally | neurotypical

☼ social bits
☼ aurum x npc | kingmaker family
☼ slytherpuff | ENFJ | neutral good
☼ "i promise i can do it! i won't let anything hold me back!"

☼ battle and difficulty
☼ physically very easy | no weapons | fighting style : none, doesn't know how
☼ mentally easy | psychological warfare? : lmao no
☼ shapeshifting, discovered
☼ attack in bold | please @/tommy when attacking
☼ peaceful powerplay : allowed | dm for : kill, capture, torture
[/spoiler]

[glow=blue,1,400]YES, SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE, LIKE THE FEEL OF YOUR HAND IN MINE — [abbr=firefly osiris, female, 1 year and 3 months old, tiger x lion hybrid, paralyzed back legs, sister to paintbrush]｡+ﾟ.[/abbr][/glow]

Firefly laughed at the kit's response to her presence - a loud, growling sound from somewhere deep in her belly.  Caught, the little one had scoffed.  Caught indeed!  Caught by the least effective guard ever.  Firefly had simply been on her way to pick flowers for her upcoming trip to see her brother, basket in tow, when she happened across the kitten.  Er... well... this little guy seemed a bit bigger than the other kits she had seen, even if she did still tower over him.

"You must be one of Aurum's tykes.  Where are you going in such a hurry, little man?  You were going so fast that I felt more like a turtle than a snake today."  She motioned to her lifeless backside, which had left a slithery trail in the dust behind her.

template credit to guppy

A R E S

They said "Be strong," they said, "Never be weak."
So I cut everyone off and isolated myself. I will never be weak.

Just because Ares stopped talking with others, that didn't mean she didn't observe the group and those within it. Newkit was just.. a kid she took great interest in. His progress was exceptional, she couldn't help but smile as he would try to escape. One day, he'd get it! He seemed nice, too! Maybe Aurum would let her explore with him by her side, but that was unlikely. She was only 5 months old. Well, no one stopped her yet from exploring the territory. Hopefully that wouldn't change..

She was leaving the library and walking, albeit a bit shakily, into town when she saw Newkit. She beamed and began to walk toward him, but she saw the shadow and stopped. Blinking, she scampered back to his side and grinned, "You're getting stronger! I'm sure it won't be long before you can really get going."

She turned her eyes to Firefly and noticed her legs. A small 'o' formed on her lips but she smiled anyway. "You're both so strong!"

"Speech"

— Reggan

[div style="margin: auto; background-image: linear-gradient(to top left, #575f70 50%, #68949f 50%); max-width: 475px; height: auto; padding: 2%; border: 1px #1d1d1d solid;"][div style="margin: auto; background-color: #1d1d1d; max-width: 475px; color: #fefefe; padding: 5%; min-height: 20px; border: 1px #1d1d1d solid; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 17px;"]Attempt thirty four — against the soft peaks of grey matter seared each, differing and yet singular the intent, aftermath always the same. Almost the want was there to offer assistance, a scapegoat upon which pinned the blame, ugly and cruel the guilt that scorched his throat. Held those words, however, a craven where other bore a heart overflowing, the rivers his blood carved seeking a freedom with courage Salvia shied from.

Before fractured statue had he come to perch, solitary in his ceaseless observation of the remainder, recalled the manner marble had parted with a groaning crack. Projectile diverted, yet still trajectory remembered, paw light in the trace along forehead and jaw. Reasons his own did Aurum hold to be protective, though too much at times seemed it to have grown, heavy the sigh slipping through flared nostrils. It was the voices, a clamour that begun as ground out frustration and grew chipper as another was added, compliments shared with ease.

About head turning, alighted upon those assembled about familiar figure soft honey hued depths that grew wide. Protest touched the tip of his tongue, swallowed as hs arose and began his own approach, shame searing his skin. No right did he bare to halt New from such, deserved it as much as he though delayed his own ceremony, his own similar though for differing reasons. "With a bit of time I'm more than sure you'll be the fastest of us all." Gentle mirth touched about his voice, akin the smile pulling at his lips.

[align=center][div style="width: 40%; text-align: justify;"]ears pinning back against his head, the boy only narrowed his eyes as a pout creased itself over his features. he'd gotten so far, he'd been doing so well, and his plan was completely soiled by that lady that some of the younger kids called miss snake. firefly. he knew her from what little his dad had told him, knew that she was kind of like him, whatever that meant. the concept of being different from others was something. "one of, yeah." he confirmed, grumpily settling on his haunches. "you couldn't have been a little slower? i was almost there!""

next to arrive was ares, who he already kind of knew. you coudln't spend time around all the mothers and such and not know every little baby that was brought into the world, whether their parents were there or not. she wasn't much younger than him, maybe looked a bit younger, but she was certainly something. however, the compliment caught him off guard for a moment- strong? him? him and his stick limbs and his tinier-than-average frame like he didn't get much to eat despite probably eating the most of his siblings? "i don't know about strong but uh.. thanks?" significantly less grouchy now, at least.

however, his brother approached and that frown flipped, curving upward into a big grin. it wasn't about being fast to him, but about the adventure. sure, it'd be fun to be able to play tag or kick a little ball around with his siblings and the others, but that wasn't his goal. he wanted to see the world. "oh, i will, just you wait!" he boasted, all too confident for a boy that wasn't clairvoyant, couldn't see the next few seconds, much less months or years from now. "one of these days i'm going to be faster than dad, too! and you, even if i'm short!"
[spoiler=☼ tags | updated 1/1]"speech" ☼ thoughts | normal

☼ basics
☼ newkit newpaw newvegas | nicknames : new | aliases : none
☼ 0 years 6 months | born in july | cancer
☼ cisgender | he/him
☼ tanglewood | child (delayed ceremony) | no titles
☼ link to biography

☼ appearance and health
☼ domestic cat | other forms : tiger
☼ grey tabby / blue eyes / missing front right leg (birth, all bodies) / clubbed back left foot (birth, all bodies)
☼ physically appears ~5 months | actually 6 months
☼ 100% physically | healable injuries : n/a | permanent injuries : n/a
☼ 100% mentally | neurotypical

☼ social bits
☼ aurum x npc | kingmaker family
☼ slytherpuff | ENFJ | neutral good
☼ "i promise i can do it! i won't let anything hold me back!"

☼ battle and difficulty
☼ physically very easy | no weapons | fighting style : none, doesn't know how
☼ mentally easy | psychological warfare? : lmao no
☼ shapeshifting, discovered
☼ attack in bold | please @/tommy when attacking
☼ peaceful powerplay : allowed | dm for : kill, capture, torture
[/spoiler]

CAUSE EVEN BLOOD WILL RUN, LIKE THE TEARS OF A SAINT !
"Almost there he says. Still busted, speedy."

Arrow almost hoped the kid would've made it out, at least just a little bit. Not that she'd tell Aurum, of course, Big Dad on the Premises would have had her neck, one way or another. She was a ghost, not an angelic beast with glorious hair. Maybe he would shove her into a little bottle.

Despite not needing sleep these days, she was laying across the surface of someone's roof, using their home for her personal couch. She hadn't gotten around to checking out the new kid yet, she was never too popular with the council of mothers, with her habit of swearing and making bad choices that the young minds and future of Tanglewood could emulate. Although, it would be quite funny to hear a young child say "fuck" after trying to do parkour in the decrepit town square. Something told her that lil' Mr. Newkit would have been the first to do the leap of faith into the next roof and roll off.

Speaking of...off the roof she went, using the neighboring wall as a platform to get back down without just launching herself onto the ground like a moron. She could have, she really could have. And that had jack shit to do with being a ghost. "You wanted out, and tried to sneak out the front?" Arrow shook her with an amused grin, looking over her shoulder once for any sign of Aurum the kid wrangler. She figured he would have sensed the disturbance eventually, as busy as he probably was since his promotion.

An escape attempt, like many others that had happened and went by. She wondered what the plan was once he did eventually escape the confines of camp and went out into the real world. Did he have one? She saw herself in him back when she had been in her tribe. A wash of homesickness swept over her and she realized that it had been so long since she had seen home. So long since she had gazed upon her mother and father. Yet she supposed that was how these journeys worked. Pushing her thoughts of home back she focused on the group that was before her and she stepped down from the new and larger home she had even given because of her new status. It needed to be...decorated but she would handle that later. "Shh, Arrow. Don't give this one any new ideas." She spoke with light humor, feeling like herself this day. But her demons laid on wait. She knew.

Vivid green eyes then looked to the child that was looking to escape from the Tanglewood town. Contemplating. The king cheetah was not dressed up today. No paintings, no beads, no skull, just her. Her head tilted slightly but the Shadow Regent held a small smile on her muzzle. "He is making progress but he should be careful. The swamp is not a playground. Is he not old enough to have an adult with him outside?" She did not know his circumstances and frankly she would have happy to accompany him to where he wished to go, what he wanted to see.

[align=center][div style="width: 40%; text-align: justify;"]arrow came along, and he honestly couldn't help the smile that came over his face. arrow was like the cool aunt that all the kids liked- you know that ones, the one that gave you the presents on a holiday that your parents wouldn't let you keep because it was a danger to yourself and others? that was arrow in his eyes. cool, fun, not to mention a ghost which only upped her cool-factor. "hey, it'll work one day!" he defended, though that smile never left his face, at least until elsweyr came along.

though, she didn't scold him, so he let that beaming smile return. he shrugged his shoulders, feeling one of them ache like always. he never had much use for that shoulder, didn't move it often, and it was always ready to pop. "well, i want to go out on my own. like the others can." again, he didn't quite understand that he was a bit different, that there were things he wouldn't be able to do like the other "big kids"- he was lucky none of them had made fun of him for it, hadn't made him feel like an outcast because that's not what tanglewood was about.. yet the adults still watched him like a hawk when he had claws on two of his feet and perfectly sharp teeth and a glare that could take a man down two pegs.

the voice of his father, however, did make the smile disappear. oh no. extra caught. ears pinned back against his skull, he slouched as he turned his head towards his father, huffing softly. his father didn't seem to upset, but he knew him well enough to see the concern and the worry that he didn't understand or want. then there was the obvious disapproval that he had to worry about and he just knew there was going to be a scolding coming. "well! if i'm going to be leader one day, i kind of have to be super fast, right? so i have to be faster than you!" he put on a smile, didn't want to seem too disappointed, "auntie arrow is a great influence!" no she wasn't, but oh well.
[spoiler=☼ tags | updated 1/1]"speech" ☼ thoughts | normal

☼ basics
☼ newkit newpaw newvegas | nicknames : new | aliases : none
☼ 0 years 6 months | born in july | cancer
☼ cisgender | he/him
☼ tanglewood | child (delayed ceremony) | no titles
☼ link to biography

☼ appearance and health
☼ domestic cat | other forms : tiger
☼ grey tabby / blue eyes / missing front right leg (birth, all bodies) / clubbed back left foot (birth, all bodies)
☼ physically appears ~5 months | actually 6 months
☼ 100% physically | healable injuries : n/a | permanent injuries : n/a
☼ 100% mentally | neurotypical

☼ social bits
☼ aurum x npc | kingmaker family
☼ slytherpuff | ENFJ | neutral good
☼ "i promise i can do it! i won't let anything hold me back!"

☼ battle and difficulty
☼ physically very easy | no weapons | fighting style : none, doesn't know how
☼ mentally easy | psychological warfare? : lmao no
☼ shapeshifting, discovered | clairvoyance, undiscovered
☼ attack in bold | please @/tommy when attacking
☼ peaceful powerplay : allowed | dm for : kill, capture, torture
[/spoiler]

[div style="margin: auto; max-width: 475px; padding: 5%; min-height: 20px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 17px;"]The sun breaking through long since established cloud over, gloom aside swept beneath the warmth of such brilliant illumination. Infectious the manner the contours of his mouth drew back, easy the injection of mirth or mischief, yet here was only joy, though taunt the mirror that grew tight lipped across his own features. Heavy the words once bypassing those exposed teeth, confirmation giving way to a lighter tone, ever perplexing the shift that came upon so suddenly. At the least inclined to better spirits for the moment was New, enjoyed as forth did Salvia lean, distance between closing so he may gently nudge his shoulder.

"I'm gonna hold you to that," light the faux mirth in his murmur, laughter tacked on that felt a bit more genuine, further caught against his tongue, ground into the roof of his mouth. Swallowed for the moment with intrusion of new voice, the resident haunt grown a familiar presence, though such did not make her more easily digestible. Odd still her condition, centred his attention upon her as interlocked roof titles acted as solitary resting place, widened eyes blinking in manner rather akin to an owl.

Strangled the noise that crept up through his throat, drawn from clenched teeth exposed between the severe curl of a grimace now painted across his lips. Too late the realisation settled, her smooth, and supposedly practiced, descent incapable of causing any bodily harm. Vision diverted, settled once more upon New as the next remark fell from incorporeal lips. Again expanded their tally, more reasonable the response spoken in dialect that soothed the quickened beat of his heart, small but of genuine quality the smile he offered towards Elsweyr. Her addressal was not for him, thus held his tongue as conversation continued.

Denied further time, the fine strands of simple conversation ground to dust. A matter of time all it had been, awaited arrival expected even as other duties drew him away from the perimeter edging the town where they converged, too soon by far still.

Mouth opening, words laying there against the tip of tongue as Aurum spoke to New, confusion stealing them. Expected a scolding, remark to close such ambition as to escape the confinements unjustly placed around the withheld child, his gaze flicking back and forth between father and brother. Jovial the words offered, a response that garnered similar from New, light the breath that seeped through his teeth. "Who said anything about if." Once more grin adorned, the surety of comment reflected in honey hued depths. For all that had conspired to act as roadblock on had New continued, pushed back with a conviction that seemed incapable of wavering.

"Aunt…" Softer this next, fallen his smile as regarded the person in question. Each day seemed to bring into the light another tied into their family, this connection an unknown, though it was more honorific than true relation. "How many more are there?!"