Violet hues surveyed the expanse of sands stretched before him, narrow pupils shifting from the mountains in the distance to the seas that embraced the shores. Their rolling waves pushed a welcome breeze over the sun-kissed cat, salt-water winds raking long fingers through the crimson silk that draped from his crown to his chest. Ellisar lingered for a moment within that cool embrace, savoring the brief reprieve from the mid-afternoon heat which burned the landscape, but an inherent restlessness drove the man forward after only several moments.

The sands were hot beneath him, but the healer did not mind; his ambition was to reach the opposite side of this bridge and soak his mitts in an oasis, and he would endure whatever elementary brutality he needed to in order to achieve this intention. It wasn’t until he was midway across the sands did the man recognize that an ever-increasing number of scents, both fresh and stagnant, were now layered amidst the salt and seaweed smells of the environment. This realization divided his interest and slowed his measured stride as he grew more alert, his pointed ears pivoting forward as his gaze moved again with interest across the horizon.

It occurred to Ellisar that this gateway into the continent may not simply be visited by travelers, but also by the lands natives as well. It certainly made sense that those born to this continent would be curious as to what kind of wayfarers were drawn to their shores, and while he couldn’t blame them, he found himself both curious and wary as to what kind of reception – if any – he might receive. Perhaps he would slip by their radar, or he might attract attention, but either way, the healer did not slow his stride any further as he continued onward.

bg x art x code

this cursed land might as well be scorched with how hot it gets during the mid-day peak of the sun. it is on such days that manon curses the dark hue of her fur, which seems hell-bent on absorbing every ounce of heat possible. still she carries on with her task, paws moving in a fixed line across the entire expanse of the passage, red eyes searching and hunting for the rogues that frequented the area.

red eyes rove constantly over the sands, toes aching to turn towards the ocean that flanks each side of the passage. at least the water would allow for some reprieve from the heat. at least amaryllis' gods had been kind enough to throw a gentle breeze in manon's direction, surely the only thing keeping her from overheating entirely.

thankfully, her walk to find a rogue isn't very long. red eyes snap on to the man's red mane - the color striking against the drabber backdrop. "'ello zhere," manon calls out as she approaches, brows pinched together atop her head in concentration. "i am manon, of wolfbron bluffs." a well-practiced introduction. "'oo may i be een zhe company of?" it seems for now, she is the first of the recruits to approach the stranger. manon would surely not the be the last. "'ave you come 'ere een search of some'zhing specific?" the follow up question would hopefully tell her something about the man's motives, or at least, might indicate whether he would fit in well with the bluffs.

@Ellisar

coding by daanyen | art by rabbit

Alert as he was in his advance, his violet gaze rested on the horizon. The yearling’s dark silhouette which arose from that trembling, heat-saturated line did not escape the healers notice, and although she appeared in solitude, Ellisar maintained a measured and cautious focus on her approach as he was still undecided as to what her appearance might mean for him. It wasn’t until they were within reasonable proximity of each other, and she called to him specifically, did Ellisar pause his stride to encourage their meeting. “Hello,” He replied easily, his baritone lacking any of the charming accent that gilted her own words– at least so it seemed to his own ears. He supposed it was possible that to her, his greeting carried its own accented flair, but he found this difficult to imagine.

“You may call me Ellisar, it is a pleasure, Manon.” His reciprocated introduction was perfunctory, but not without a gentle authenticity to permeate his warm baritone, his tongue doing its best to replicate the correct pronunciation of the yearling’s name as she had given it. He would meet her rubied gaze if she would allow, a sense of curiosity growing within him as she continued. Dangerous was a flamboyant adjective to assign to a young cat not yet grown into her claws, but Ellisar found himself instinctively cautious and considering of his response to her. “A place to rest, primarily. These sands are hot.” He responded after his gaze flicked over her shoulder to the continent at her back, returning to her dark features with a wane half-smile. He was quiet in those moments following his answer; she had led their conversation this far, and he wouldn’t attempt to siphon that control away from her.

@Manon

bg x art x code

the young dieudonné doesn't find herself gleaning much from their first few exchanges. the man is pleasant, in a way that most people are in the presence of strangers, and carries a simple enough wish. one that manon could easily grant, should she find him suitable for the bluffs. "good to meet you, ellisar." she responds, a toothy grin pulling across her inky lips. his name tastes foreign and unfamiliar on her tongue. manon, to her credit, is not lying. the man is far more pleasant company than some of true others she has stumbled across as of late.

these sands are hot. she chuckles, giving a subtle nod of the head to indicate her agreement. indeed it had been particularly miserable in the passage doe the last few days. "zhankfully, i may be able to 'elp you wi'z zhat." manon gestures behind her, where wolfbron lies somewhere in the distance. "we would welcome you to zhe bluffs. you can find shade, comfortable dens, a full cache." they had certainly worked hard to ensure wolfbron prospered and perhaps the "catch" was that they expected all the members to do the same - but was that truly a catch or simply a part of pride life? "eef you are willeeng to respect our rules and contribute to zhe pride." simple enough, at least to manon. the yearling could only hope it wasn't obvious this was her first time getting this far with a rouge.

@Ellisar

coding by daanyen | art by rabbit

Their exchange is mild, dancing through the predictable poses of courtesy and lacking any true intensity, but Ellisar was intrigued by it, nonetheless. His brow lifted in interest when she speaks of being able to help him, and his gaze flicks briefly in the direction to where she gestured, his pointed ears pulling forward with each of her gilded words as his eyes return to her. It became clear rather quickly that Ellisar’s initial assumption of this land – that the natives ventured here to observe the newcomers – had only been partially correct.

The man did not know whether to be flattered he was being considered to join ranks with a pride here or if he should entertain a semblance of wariness, seeing as they were both only acquaintances. Inclined towards the former, he offered the dark yearling a smile. “You had me at shade,” There was a warm flippancy to his words; Ellisar was unwilling to formally accept without having covered the basics between them. “And I must say, that is generous of you to offer. You should know that my expertise is in healing and medicines, although I would naturally be amenable to contributing to whatever the pride may need at any given time.” The desert healer paused then, the end of his auburn tail flicking as he considered the young Manon, wanting to be plain with her without offering offense. “However, I would like to know the basics of what sort of rules I would be obeying, prior to my official acceptance.” Ellisar could figure out the minutiae of everything else Wolfbron at a later time, when they both were not standing beneath the sweltering sun, but a general overview of what kind of world he would be pledging himself to would be welcome.

@Manon

bg x art x code

he says his expertise lies mainly in healing and medicines and manon allows a pleased grin to pull at her lips. good, that would serve @Ellisar quite well amongst the ranks of wolfbron’s lions who seemed to always be injured in one way or another. there were others, as far as she was aware, who shared his interests - at least he would be in good company. “zhen you would be very welcome amongst our ranks.” she says, an uncharacteristic warmness lacing her words. it seemed out of anyone that manon could have possibly recruited, this man was probably ideal.

though understandably, he is curious about wolfbron’s rules. “well, zhe most eemportant ees respect,” manon starts, red eyes staring evenly at ellisar to judge his reaction. “women are regarded highly amongst my family, who rule zhe bluffs. eef you believe o’zherwise, eet ees best zhat we part ways ‘ere.” in their conversation so far, ellisar certainly didn’t strike manon as a misogynist - but the most venomous of snakes often wore the most inconspicuous of costumes. “your loyalty ees expected as well, do not share wolfbron’s secrets with o’zhers zhat you might meet. and pulleeng your weight, as we ‘ave already discussed.” though the yearling hasn’t lived anywhere else save for the bluffs, she thinks their rules are fairly standard for amaryllis prides. at least from what she had gathered during other interactions within the passage.

coding by daanyen | art by rabbit

The positive reaction from the dark yearling after Ellisar spoke of his expertise came as a pleasant surprise. He could only infer it to mean that there would likely be opportunity for growth in his field if he were to join the Bluffs, which would be a more than welcome consequence of this meeting. He said nothing further, until there was a pause in her conversation, it seemed at a place of importance. “I take no issue with that, certainly.” He assured promptly; his baritone measured evenly. Having two mothers and two sisters, Ellisar would be the last soul to believe women lesser than men and was a frequent witness to their unique strengths. Although he was inclined to designate worth based on the individual and not their sex or gender, he would not press the matter. He also realized, with her explanation, that she would be among the most highly regarded of her pride, and his violet gaze turned thoughtful as he considered this new perspective.

Manon continues, shifting the tone from respect for the women and family to that of Wolfbron in general – keep their secrets, pull your weight. It was fairly straightforward, and seemed perfectly reasonable to Ellisar, and he would say as much. “All of which, I can do. Thank you, Manon, and as long as you and yours will have me, I will graciously accept your offer.” He said with a smile and an inclination of his head. There was a bit of a flamboyant edge to his words, playful and good-natured but not without the foundation of respect for the yearling who was likely to become his superior. He would say nothing more, allowing her once again to take the lead and perhaps direct them off these sands.

-exit w/ @Manon?-

bg x art x code

he seems receptive enough as manon explains the culture and rules of the bluffs - even confirming that he would have no problem respecting the women of the pride. good, good. that was precisely what the bluffs was looking for in a new member - surely louve would be pleased with the addition her daughter was going to be returning with. neither does @Ellisar have any issue with pulling his own weight or maintaining a certain amount of secrecy about the bluffs. “of course,” she responds with a returned dip of the head.

so it seems manon has recruited her first new member, and one that she thinks might even be a friend at the end of things. “welcome to wolfbron zhen, ellisar. eet ees a pleasure to ‘ave you.” she says, head tilting to gesture towards the bluffs. “zhe bluffs are zhis way, eef you’d like to follow me.” with a twitch of the tail, the yearling’s body turns to start on the long, hot path home, definitely eager to escape from the burning heat of the sun.

exit manon with ellisar

coding by daanyen | art by rabbit