[[to avoid doubles, please no wb, oh, lp, or fr, lol ]]

Perhaps there really was something to be said regarding continued companionship. So much of his life had been spent either within the unique chaos of his family, or orbiting the lives of others who often seemed to only barely tolerate him for his particular set of skills. Lightning had struck in the form of one, singular, lion he might have properly called a friend, but his dear doctor had disappeared and the trail had been cold too long by the time he found any hint of it. Which left him, for only the second time in his life (the first being his initial flight from his homeland) utterly alone.

And, he'd found, such a state was boring.

With little motivation to hunt for himself, his health had suffered. Which was only truly frustrating because the version of his dear friend that lived in his mind continually popped up at the most irritating of times to remind him to eat. Or rest. Or yell at him for indulging in some of his favorite herbs again. That was always the worst, because it came coupled with a guilty twisting somewhere in the vicinity of his stomach.

It was with some regret that he secured his jungle den to the best of his ability, in the hopes of deterring some other creature from moving in. Again. At least he would be able to make more regular trips back than when he'd been entirely absent from the lands.

With that settled, he began the trek out to the edge of the land, to a place he was aware of in a more academic sense than by personal experience. It had come to this, throwing himself upon the mercy (pity?) of the population. Upon reaching the passage, he would only venture far enough to make it clear he was, indeed, a rogue in the market for a pride, as he squashed down any argument his subconscious might attempt against the decision.

It was time to try a fresh, new, start. If it wasn't too much to hope for.

You are the sea and nobody owns you

code by corvus

One became quite accustomed to the scent of Amaryllis, especially when born and raised within it's lands and knowing little else. So, when the scent of a Rogue is captured in his naires, Thrain rather effortlessly picks his rainforest aroma as being a local, and not a newcomer.

Regardless, the bronze lion would divert his path to trail towards @Sherlock, spotting the dark lion not all too far ahead. He would approach with a respectful air, coming to pause nearby the male with a dip of his head - deeming him a little familiar. "Afternoon," a casual greeting, purple gaze noting the male was older and a little light on his bones, "Looking for a pride? I'm Thrain Casales from Illyria Summit, forgive me if we've met before."

_CODE

code & bg-credit

The sands of the passage had begun to become more familiar to Sunder as time passed. She might not frequent them very often, but it was like embracing with an old friend each time she made her way here. Sunder didn't discriminate against who she approached, in her mind anyone was given a chance to stay within the Cove, to have a chance at a life with great rewards. It was the small gathering of two men that caught her attention as she moved forwards and closer. "Hello gentleman." She would greet both @Sherlock and @Thrain as she moved in closer, floppy-ears preening forwards as a soft smile graces her features. "Sunder Tollaire, High Sovereign of the Cove. Allow me to place my own pride in the pool of options if you are indeed looking for a home." She says towards Sherlock before offering Thrain a small grin as well.

First, came a younger male. Which wasn't all that surprising if he admitted that he, himself, was no longer such. Ears tipped forward as the stranger approached, "Hello, no I don't believe we have." Sherlock prided himself on having a very good memory for faces, and this boy's did not have a place in his memory. The pride he represented, however, did.

Then came a lioness, leader of the Cove, as she introduced herself. She would earn a nod in greeting. "I suppose I am looking for a home," that had been the plan. To leave behind the solitary life he'd led recently for motivations that were often fleeting, dissolving the second he found too much friction with others.

Attention settled on @Thrain, a twitch of a half-smirk briefly gracing his lips, "Do Morrigan and Talisa still rule there? I think I made a rather poor impression on them the last time I visited." Which was a roundabout way of saying he was pretty sure he'd pissed them off and probably wouldn't be welcomed very warmly if he chose to try living in the mountainous territory. Which might be for the better, as he remembered the bitter cold and the way it had seemed to seep into his very bones.

He glanced back to @Sunder, "I've visited the cove before, as well, though I imagine it's changed quite a bit in...oh probably five years now." He remembered a pleasant climate, and sandy beach, and defensive locals who were really only doing their job and intercepting a too-eager visitor.

You are the sea and nobody owns you

code by corvus

It was of course, always a risk in the recruiting process that one might pick up a less than favorable traveler. It took a combination of life experience and luck to try and determine who would be worth the effort, and though @Sherlock, a seasoned man, had given him a decent first impression, his words bring a hint of doubt.

"Yes, they do," he smiles however, a sort of knowing amusement intermingled with wonder, "Should I ask, or just take my leave?" Though Thrain was far from a gossip, he couldn't help but be curious. He had known of the leaders for all of his life, but less so on a personal level.

Masked face would dip politely to the arrival of @Sunder, "Good to meet you."

_CODE

code & bg-credit

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you." Sunder would say casually, a small grin curving her lips upward. Though it is @Sherlock's words that have her flopped ears preening forward curiously. A bad impression on Morrigan and Talisa? Now that sounded like juicy drama. "Well I'll be honest in that we are also aligned with the Summit, I'd hate to hear if you did anything to harm them." She muses but behind her friendly features was a seriousness. She couldn't bring someone in that had wronged family, after all Morrigan was her sister-in-law. "You'll be happy to know that the Cove hasn't changed as far as location or appearance, but I rule with an iron fist. Well, not really. We all take care of each other, like a family." She says then, pausing only to allow the man to digest the information she'd just given. Though admittedly her curiosity was peaked, how had that conversation with the Summit Queens gone?

@Thrain

The twitch of a smirk shifted into something more like a grimace when @Thrain sought more information. "I may have made some very pointed observations that may have hit a little close to home, without being asked to do so." It hadn't really been his intent to offend, sometimes his mind (and mouth) just ran away from him. "About Talisa specifically." And he expected to be made to apologize or something just as humiliating and pointless at this point before things might be patched over between himself and Morrigan. Social situations were so much more difficult to navigate without a trusted friend nearby to correct him when he said something he shouldn't.

"No harm aside from some bruised egos on all sides," the last was directed at @Sunder. He hadn't physically harmed anyone, but it seemed damage to one's ego could often last longer than a physical scar.

So far, the cove seemed a better choice, if only for the more comfortable climate. And he did so enjoy the sea. "I suppose I should give you the opportunity to rescind any offers. As of now, I would choose the cove if only for the more comfortable temperatures, but I should let you know I can be...difficult...to get along with." He recognized that, but had had little motivation to do anything about it for most of his life. More recently, he was left with a desire to avoid dying alone, and the unfortunate knowledge that friends might actually be a nice thing to have more of. "I don't respect authority for authority's sake - that is, the title itself does not make a lion worthy, only their actions can do that. I will push back against things that don't make sense, or ignore them entirely. But I also know a great many things about the natural world, and have a wide variety of skills that would be beneficial to any group. It is inevitable that I will offend someone, but it will almost never be on purpose." He paused here, the slight smirk making its return with an amused tint, "More simply, if I'm being an ass, do tell me." Sometimes it was necessary, after all. "I've never belonged to any pride but my family's small group many years ago, and social intricacies often escape me."

You are the sea and nobody owns you

code by corvus

Though Thrain really couldn't imagine Morrigan or Talisa being easily wounded by words, he was a man who had been raised to prioritise pride discipline and hierarchy. So, he cannot relate to the males words, and can't help but feel @Sherlock was better suited to the upstart of a new pride, or even some kind of outlaw band.

So, he offers the male a knowing nod of his head - and smiles in departure to @Sunder. "I will leave you to your first choice, if you would like to talk more about the Summit in future you know where to find me," it was better that way, he thought, so the gentry would take his leave.

-- exit

_CODE