[Perses]

OOC:
Perses left Inaria and is here now to join (discussed this with Eve). Dated to roughly mid March if that's alright.

       It had been almost half a moon since Perses had fled from Inaria. He never felt like he fit in to the wolves and the culture of the pack. It hadn't taken much to get him to flee and now the beast found himself on a trek as far as he could get from the wolf pack. He didn't feel like he fit in but he didn't want to be lonely. The beast found the ocean and walked along the cliffs, unsure of where he was going but feeling like he was going the right way.

       The oversized sabre had only the bare belongings, a small satchel with the few things he managed to bring with him, a white flower crown on his head, and a few feathers decorating his mane. Now he was equipped with some hunting skill and a sobering experience of what was expected in a pack. He didn't know what he would do now but he didn't want to go back but didn't want to be alone.

       The cream and brown behemoth smelled peculiar scents in the air, something he had never smelled before. He followed it to where it got stronger, the entrance of a cave. The beast sat there, figuring out it was pack lands and wanted to see what there was to offer. He was unsure of what was going to happen but he wanted to try again. He knew he had done something wrong but didn't know what he could do to fix it.

       Maybe he could try again.

I don't know where you're going but do you got room for one more troubled soul?

[Aine]

Speech: #339966

The hot winds blew through her feathers and fur as she traced the pathways along the cliffside; a track weaving in and out of El Dorado that brought with it the many sights and sounds of home. Things were changing quickly in her home and Aine was unsure of how to deal with them. It wasn't necessarily bad, but it kept her from interacting with many of the other pack members. She was a Roc; the leader of a group of wolves and to be honest she was beginning to feel as if she were letting them down. A quick jaunt through the cliffs and borders to collect herself; to ready her mind and to bring her back in to focus was exactly what she needed.

What she didn't need was the scent of something new to enter her nose; something foreign. Her lips pulled back as she slowed her pace towards on of the cliffs many cave tunnels only to see a large cat sitting there, waiting. Her ears perked before lowering, fur and feathers standing on edge as she puffed herself out. Whoever this was, they were at least respectful to sit and wait, but that did not stop her from keeping her guard up as she approached.

"You are trespassing, cat," she sneered as she walked up to him, her head held high in rank, dark eyes watching him carefully, "why have you come here? What is your purpose? State it now, cat." Her fur and feathers would relax slightly, eyes still narrowed towards the newcomer. Everyone was welcome in El Dorado- but they would have to give Aine especially good reason to come in. This stranger was off to a good start, but it was something she felt still needed to be judged- and she would be that judge.

"Well? What brings you to El Dorado?"

[Perses]

       Perses couldn't believe his eyes when he saw her. The canine that walked from the tunnels had feathers! They were pretty and her colors were pleasing to the eye, they matched her colors and he was sure that they weren't from other birds. He stared at her, dumbfounded before she addressed him and he remembered what canines did when they met someone higher-ranked than them. He held his head low and avoided meeting her eye. She spoke in sharp tones, referring to him as "cat" but at least she wasn't as wild as the creature that greeted him the first time.

       M-My n-name i-is Perses, the oversized sabre stated, not sure of what else to say. I-I w-was w-walking a-along th-the cl-cliffs a-a...a-and f-found th-this p-place, he didn't know how else to explain his arrival. I-I s-seek...I-I s-seek a-a...a-a h-home, he paused as his red eyes slowly looked up to her, S-Somewhere th-that I-I'm n-not a-a....I-I'm n-not d-different f-for...f-for l-liking pr-pretty th-things. He had always been regarded as an oddity for seeking out flowers in the snow and feathers. He realized that he after he got over the feeling of being overwhelmed by the new things, he just felt different. Not only because he was a sabretooth in a pack of wolves, but because there seemed to be things they expected of him that he couldn't be. They expected a warrior, a fighter. The brown behemoth was not.

       I-I l-lived i-in a-a p-pack o-of w-wolves f-for a-a c-couple o-of m-moons. I-I c-can h-hunt. I-I c-can l-learn. the crimson-eyed cat added.

Stock by Gerard Stolk@Flickr | Texture by Xnienke @DA

[Aine]

Speech: #339966

"M-My n-name i-is Perses. I-I w-was w-walking a-along th-the cl-cliffs a-a...a-and f-found th-this p-place. I-I s-seek...I-I s-seek a-a...a-a h-home... S-Somewhere th-that I-I'm n-not a-a....I-I'm n-not d-different f-for...f-for l-liking pr-pretty th-things. I-I l-lived i-in a-a p-pack o-of w-wolves f-for a-a c-couple o-of m-moons. I-I c-can h-hunt. I-I c-can l-learn."

The Roc stared at him long and hard, her face expressionless as he stuttered his way through his monologue. To be frank, Aine wasn't impressed with his display. El Dorado welcomed all, but the Roc reserved doubts in her mind that this was going to be a fruitful acceptance. If this cat wanted to join her home, he was going to have to prove himself to her. She lifted her head, dark eyes staring at him and his...was that a flower crown? Aine sneered; what kind of beast was this? She had never seen a cat wearing flowers- but to be fair- she had only seen few cats in her life. Anything was possible; it was not her place to judge what others wore around their body- even if she did find it in ill taste.

"I see," she mused after a long moment of silence between the pair. Internally she was debating of what exactly she was going to do with this cat. Chase him out? Or would she give him a chance. The Roc stared at him, allowing the silence to once more grow between them.

"I will give you a trial run," she finally mused, her voice sharp as she watched him, "and you will prove to me that you are worthy of stepping foot within El Dorado. Should you pass this test, you will be granted a place within our home, cat." Aine gave a small glimmer of bared teeth as her head lifted once more in to her ranking position.

"Should you prove incapable of being a useful member of our clan, then I will see to it that you are reminded never to step foot on this land again. Personally."

It wasn't that Aine didn't believe the sabre, and it wasn't that she wanted to chase out a prospective new member- but her job was on the line, and it was her job to show that she was capable of holding the attention of others; that she was a leader.

"We shall go on a hunt. Then and only then do I believe I can assess your true potential in this pack."

The Roc lifted her head and bellowed a howl in to the vastness of the rain forest- she called for a lark, any nearby lark to come and join in on their hunt.

[Lorcan]

   Is he a workaholic? Fuck, he'd better not be. Maybe he'll take a week off without telling anybody, just to make sure he's not too invested-- but half his stashes are along his route, and he likes getting to the Sparrows first, just so everybody knows, and-- fuck, he kind of cares about this job. Ew.

   Just as he considers going to ground and just beating it for the day, he overhears a little something from up ahead. Sounds like Aine, pinched as always, but it's been a while since he's listened in on her particular type of snobbery. Hasn't smelled her in a while, either-- thought he was finally free. Looks like she's got a peon, too. Lorcan creeps closer through the canopy over the cliffs, intent on doing some eavesdropping, when she suddenly fucking howls, right in his goddamn direction. With a huff, the aviari hops down to her level, and meanders over, making a show of being in no hurry to answer, despite how oddly nearby he was.

   When finally nearing her, he first peeks over the precipice at Perses, raising a brow at whatever he's wearing before redirecting his attention to Aine with a sigh. "You called?" Lorcan makes an effort to sound bored, even if he's curious. The Roc had better not need backup.

[Perses]

OOC:
Crappy post go!

       Perses had already been a part of a rather confusing test to enter Inaria and he wasn't surprised if this woman wished to test him. At least she wasn't as wild as the creature that met him at Inaria; she was calm and seemed to be a leader. The beast tried not to shrink under her scrutinizing eye. The sabretooth had to give a good impression and from what he could notice so far, she was not impressed.

       Alas, another test, a trial. At least this one the oversized sabre could do since it was to prove he was useful. Hunting, he could hunt well enough and hopefully meet her expectations best he could. The beast nodded, I-I w-will t-try m-my b-best.

       The crimson-eyed cat watched the female raise her head to howl at the sky and he waited until another of the peculiar feathered canines came over. This one had vibrant feathers, however the beast thought that the female's feathers were prettier and complemented her fur.

       The scarlet-eyed sabretooth would do whatever was asked of him and would follow the pair without word. He didn't know much about these lands, much less how to hunt in them but he could try and see what he could do.

I don't know where you're going but do you got room for one more troubled soul?

[Aine]

Speech: #339966

" I-I w-will t-try m-my b-best."

She gave a firm nod, though she would admit based on his stuttering she did not fully believe him. But- it was never right to judge a book by its cover.

And Aine was in luck; her howl had resonated within the cliffside to call upon one of her Larks, Lorcan. She lifted her head as he came blundering out of the brush, offering him a curt smile. It was the closest she could manage to being proud and happy to see him. To be fair, she was; he was one of the best at his job and she knew it to be so. His attitude and lack of undertaking responsibility however, left much to be desired.

"You called?"

"Ahh, Lorcan, how nice to see you." she mused with that tight smile, her tone lightening just a bit as she looked at the aviari and then back to the cat.

'How nice of you to show up to do your duties as a Lark for once.'

Her face fell as she gave a soft hum. What was she going to do about this one...

"We are going to accompany this new "recruit" on a short hunt. He wishes to join the ranks of El Dorado but I do not believe he has shown me he is qualified. I am sure you would enjoy a little jaunt in to the mangroves to take care of a certain pest that has been plaguing parts of the border." She gave Lorcan a small, genuine smile. She was honestly trying her damndest to be a nicer boss, to show her appreciation towards her subordinates- was it working?

"A quarter mile in is a nice little pond of water. There is where we will find the beast that this cat will slay to prove he is worthy of our ranks." Her head held high she allowed a genuine toothy smile poke through her mouth.

"I am sure this cat will be able to kill a giant snapping turtle without losing a paw." Dark eyes looked from Perses to Lorcan before she began a slow trot in to the pack, leading the pair towards their destination: a large pool of water fed to by a decent sized waterfall; a general oasis by any sense of the terms. Lush foliage, rocks, and other assortments of flora decorated the space- it was one of Aine's favorite retreats, and a place where a nasty turtle had taken refuge. She would not tell the others that this was a personal request of which she was asking. No, it was to be a challenge for the newcomer to prove himself. The Roc paused as she neared the clearing in which the little oasis sat and turned to look at the other two.

"Deep in the center of the pond is your target, cat. Kill it without sustaining any wounds, without destroying the small oasis, and without creating a mess, and you will have a home here."

She smirked, turning to Lorcan and then back to Perses.

"If you require Lorcan's or my help you may ask for it. However you may not ask us to help you lure it out of the water or kill it. That, cat, will be all up to you."

[Lorcan]

   "How nice to see you," she says, and his face pinches in disagreement. Watching side-eyed while she speaks, an eyebrow raises, barely biting back "the hell you need me for--"

   "I am sure you would enjoy a little jaunt in to the mangroves to take care of a certain pest that has been plaguing parts of the border."

   Well, she's got him pegged. Hell yeah, he's always up for a little "jaunt"-- question is, why's Aine smiling so much? Fuckin' weird.

   "A quarter mile in is a nice little pond of water..." It's that fucking turtle, isn't it? "There is where we will find the beast that this cat will slay to prove he is worthy of our ranks." You sneaky bitch, sending the new guy out as exterminator. Lorcan's almost impressed, mouth hanging open and not nearly as much hate in his eyes as when he normally looks at her. He licks his teeth while she finishes the instructions, lagging a little as she leads, wondering if he would genuinely wring the Roc's neck given the chance. The Riverine quickly catches up via a shortcut through the branches, inevitably dropping down beside Aine and not sparing the sabre a glance. The self-important way he walks, crest a little flexed, gives off the impression he's onto her, and kind of digs it.

   "I am sure this cat will be able to kill a giant snapping turtle without losing a paw." If he can't, he sure as hell won't make it in El Dorado. Aine has her spiel, and the Lark considers just snatching up the shell when this whole thing is over. That sabre had better not crush it. Then she says his name, and his head swivels like he was just caught ogling somebody's ass, but he snorts instead.

   "Just because you ask doesn't mean I'm helping..." Just because he kind of cares about his rank doesn't mean he has to all of the sudden act like it.

[Perses]

       Perses filed that new name "Lorcan" away for future reference. He didn't know the female's name but at least he knew the male's. He watched them interact, trying to understand the place they had in all of this. He could figure out quickly enough that the woman was some sort of leader from what he could tell from how she held herself and being able to call upon this male. He wasn't sure about the other one but figured he was important somehow but subordinate to the female.

       The concept of ranks didn't make that much sense to the dark and cream male before he came to Inaria but figured out quickly enough that there was something of importance in the function of packs. The beast had little concept of group dynamics before he lived amongst wolves but to his knowledge, wolves liked to have ranks and any newcomer was at the bottom. Or at least that was what he figured from his former pack.

       The tri-colored female explained the situation to the blue and green male. However she added that they were going to "mangroves" to take care of a pest. The brown behemoth was unsure of what they considered to be a pest, however the use of "beast" didn't sit right with him. They definitely weren't taking him to hunt a deer. What was it with canines and making the new members prove themselves anyways? This was the second time and he thought that she was reasonable, unlike the peculiar creature.

       In retrospect, the creature that met him at the borders was nowhere near reasonable.

       What was a snapping turtle? It was giant from what the chocolate and cream creature could tell and he could lose a paw in the process. Just great. However any "this better be worth it" thoughts left his head as the female turned to lead him through the trees. The lands of El Dorado was beautiful and the flowers were stunning. The beast was even more determined to prove his worth to these feathered canines if he could live in a paradise like this one.

       The oversized sabretooth listened to the female's terms before he spoke. I-I've n-never e-encountered a-a s-snapping t-turtle he remarked Wh-What d-does a-a s-snapping t-turtle l-look l-like? Then he thought, A-Are th-they h-hunters? Once his questions were answered, the beast padded over to the oasis, his paws quiet as a cat. His red eyes held a look of concentration and thought as he studied the water as if he was trying to summon up the beast itself.

       The large feline sat down at the water's edge. He had fished before and if the turtle was a predator it would be drawn by something similar to prey. He began to drag his tail across the surface of the water. He didn't have much of a plan other than to get the creature's attention and hope to snag it before it went underwater. Of course the beast forgot that it was called a "snapping turtle" for a reason.  

       The beast was lucky he was already on edge from the fact he was being tested and he pulled his tail away just as the ugly head of the creature rose from the water with a long neck that the beast thought the could grab. He missed at the creature descended below the watery depths again. Well at least he knew what it looked like and it was huge. He looked back at his judges and then took a deep breath. He could do this.

       The massive feline padded to another side of the oasis to think. It was fast but it took bait, he could work with this somehow. It was big and it was a turtle so he knew that it had a hard shell. It had a long neck but was also fast and bit hard if the snap of jaws had been any indicator. He remembered hunting small turtles in the river when his mother was still around. He remembered that the shelled creatures had soft underbellies but unlike the smaller turtles, this one bit and had a long neck making it difficult to attack them without being subject to the snapping jaws.

       The red-eyed beast glanced back at the water with a half-formed plan in his head. He was large enough to drag it from the water and he knew it took bait. It hunted in the water and it seemed hungry if its attempt at his tail was any indicator. The beast looked back at the canines before he silently padded around the oasis and quickly managed to hook a mouse after several minutes of silence.

       The brown beast trotted over to the water's edge and hung the mouse over the water's edge, dragging it through with a careful paw until his red eyes could make out a shape that was slowly getting larger and darker. He dragged the mouse away from the water's edge and dragged it out, leading the creature out of the water enough for him to drop the mouse and spring into action.

       He was quick to drag the creature onto the land and hook his claws on the beast's shell. He dragged it on land and as away from the water he could get it, the turtle's jaws letting go of his tail to try to snap at him.

       Okay, now what?

       The turtle was appropriately enraged by the crimson-eyed cat dragging him out of his home and the beast snarled and swiped, trying to attack its head or neck but never getting close. The beast then decided to try plan B. He leaped forwards attempting to flip it over however that neck reached a lot further than he thought and he narrowly avoided the snapping jaws. He swore he felt the beak brush against his fur a couple of times.

       The scarlet-eyed sabretooth withdrew for a second however planted himself in front of the oasis to keep the creature from returning to the water. However he was at lost at how to beat this seemingly unbeatable creature.

Stock by Gerard Stolk@Flickr | Texture by Xnienke @DA

[Aine]

Speech: #339966

"I-I've n-never e-encountered a-a s-snapping t-turtle. Wh-What d-does a-a s-snapping t-turtle l-look l-like? A-Are th-they h-hunters?"

Never had the Roc of Eyes wanted so badly to put her canine's in to the throat of another as they walked, with the large cat continually stammering on the whole way. She would roll her eyes hard in the back of her head as she lead them all to the oasis; ass planting to the ground as she silently ushered the cat towards the overly sized alligator snapping turtle. The Roc smiled- the cat would have his pick of trees, ferns, and other useful tools at his disposal to lure the hearty beast out; a fishing trip with over sized timbers that could have been used for the giant beast to latch on to and for the cat to drag out of the water. Easy. If he'd managed to secure a thick enough branch he could have easily taken the thing by the neck as it clamped on to the bark of the tree. Or perhaps the large boulders surrounding the oasis could have been a help; the cat large enough to push one in to the water and crush the large turtle. A simple, easy task to start, but as the cat moved towards the water and stared in to it, Aine couldn't help but notice that her simple to do plan wasn't going to be that simple.

No, because instead of using the world around him, the cat thought it best to lure the beast out with his...tail. The Roc's eyes raised in question as the large saber used his own body as a means of bait and just narrowly missing the large beak of the snapping turtle. Whatever she had as far as expectations went, they were quickly filtering out of her brain as her eyes now half lidded watched this display in front of her. The damn cat was lucky that he didn't lose his tail with the snaps of the snapping turtle.

Aine huffed in boredom as she watched the cat skulk off a few feet in to the brush. Perhaps now the beast would finally make use of his surroundings--wait...what was that? The Roc's eyes lit up as she watched the large beast trudge back towards the water with a small mouse in hand. She felt her fur rising and fangs baring as she watched this...cat...dangle an innocent life over the waters edge. This was all she needed to see. The Roc turned a half glance to Lorcan in the hopes she could gauge his own interests in what was happening, but as for her, she had seen enough. Any creature willing to risk the innocence of another was not one welcome in her home. It screamed of betrayal and self preservation; there was already enough of that in her home and it was something she was desperately trying to break amongst her own ranks. She knew all too well that everyone always seemed to be in it for themselves but this...this took it to a whole new level. Never had she witnessed another use live bait like this for a snapping turtle, and while it may have made sense to anyone else watching, Aine couldn't help but look on horrified as Perses snapped back quickly as the turtle came up out of the water. The mouse, of course, wasn't apparently hurt, but it still sat at the forefront of her mind as she watched the cat take a step back and try to adjust his plan. The shock on her face soured in to a glare as she watched on.

Finally, after a moment, her head would turn back towards the lark and give her dissatisfaction look towards him. If he were smart, he would have already seen her answer written across her face. But never the less, she valued his opinion, even as a lark.

"Thoughts?" she growled lowly towards him, her anger and disappointment showing clear across her face at the current situation at hand. There were so many ways the large saber could have handled it and yet he seemed to have single handedly chosen the dumbest, worst way possible.

[Lorcan]

   Lorcan watches, indifferent, through the whole ordeal. He doesn't give a damn about the turtle, or the mouse, or the cat's tail, or any of it: only a narrowing of his bright eyes when he realizes he's not getting the shell he was already making plans for. The Riverine sighs exaggeratedly when Aine asks his opinion, dramatizing her own feelings to make it obvious enough even this idiot gets it.

   "Well, he's dumb as hell," turning to Aine, he grins slightly, "and I think I have that market cornered." If she looks close enough, below the self-deprecation, there's a whole lot more going on in his head. In this moment of camaraderie, he doesn't give Perses a chance to see. The mouse, eager to escape the debacle, skitters by, and Lorcan lashes out with one paw to pin it by the tail. "If I never have to hear that fucking stutter again, can't say I'll mind..."

   His other paw crosses over to stroke the little thrashing thing's back until it settles on its stomach, twig-ribs still heaving. It was a poor pitch-- but you don't need to be a hunter to be worth keeping around, if the mouse currently scratching its chin on his claw is any indication. Cat said he could learn-- looks at Lorcan's wrist, the snakeskin wrapped there, the rodent settled snugly beneath. Power isn't all they care about here.

   He lets Aine deliver the news; she's in charge, and way better at spoiling fun than Lor. Besides, the Lark's never been one to shut anybody out, so long as they're willing to pay. Not in front of the Roc, though.

   So, no shell, but he did get a ball of grateful fluff from the ordeal-- which is better than Aine.