Dragoncrest Cliffs leviathan

surprise? x'D

The sea suited her just fine. Poltergeist roamed the border of this community, uttering to herself a few times as she stalked. Her paws did not itch to invade. They kept where they would not be bitten off, yet her maddened eyes lingered on the terrain beyond this scent line.

The spook chuckles to herself before lifting her head. Surely someone has noticed her by now... she is not so oblivious to the eyes. The questions. The stares of distrust. Even she takes a risk to approach, should the pack be hostile. Still, a call was given. An answer would be best suited.

She remains standing, a pale wisp at their border around midday. Her thick tail wags lazily behind her like a banner.

A call summons the guardian to the borders. Naturally, despite his lack of role within the pack as any type of leader, he rises to the occasion to investigate this individual. Something he had taken upon himself even in his earliest days with Rusalka, and none of the leaders had chastised him thus far - and so he would continue to do so until told otherwise. 

The scar-faced man approached with the usual disdain carved across his face. A pale woman stood there, gaining his harsh eye's attention at it burned into her direction. With sturdy steps, he approached, regarding her briefly with a glance before standing in her way, a guardian to the gates of Sapphique. Why do you call? Barritones drawled in the winter wind.

"To join."

If they will have her. If they were willing. Her pale eyes scan his form, seeing nothing useful except his aura. It is not so much red - a bit of wary yellow ringing in. When facing the unknown, one right against your home's door frame... she does not blame the wary.

She pities them.

But there is inconsistencies of his form too. On one side, he is slightly darker. She sniffs, attempting to catch a scent. Though she is no healer, she can pluck out infection and illness by smell. Whatever plagued this man is long gone even if his scars remain.

The spook guesses he is not here to be a tour guide. The man is straight to the point. He asked a direct question and he received a direct reply. She falls silent, giving him the reigns.

She does not ogle his scars, nor does she recoil at the sight of him. The way her eyes wandered he could almost guess she was blind... but not quite. Something was a miss, and he simply could not put his claw on it just yet. She was strange, but at least she was no coward or danced around the subject when questioned. That much he appreciated. 

For what reason? He would continue to question her for now, to get a feel of this woman before calling for Erzulie and or Rosalyn to come to give the woman their final judgment. Tell me about yourself, who are you? What can you offer us? He continued, hoping to prod further into her mind and waste no time doing so.

He still fancies his directness. She could almost appreciate this. Rarely does she appreciate anything but the dark and wicked things. "They call me Poltergeist de la Rosa." A soft signal that she had not been chosen but more so gifted her name. The ghost rose in essence.

"There are many days and nights, many moons... before spring comes to this land" if he likes direct, she would give him bluntness. Light does not reach her eyes - it never does. Why else does a vagabond seek a community? Fear? Loneliness? Opportunity? "I seek shelter."

She pauses, tilting her head somewhat. As if listening for something that wasn't there. "My services are basic. I can feed others. I can defend if need be" all wolves can hunt and fight though "there are whispers this pack has a rich culture and history" she grins, almost a leer "I am curious about it. The people here."

But ah, it was true. How else does a person learn if not to learn the past? "I also fancy myself an entertainer. I can recite lyrics to others. Teach them tales. Amuse them on a boring day."

The woman was an open book. No obvious secrets being withheld from the looks of it, and she seemed like a regular Jack of All Trades if the woman was being honest about her abilities. Such individuals were rare... most weren't masters in any one task but dabbled in many, a master vs a jack was a debate on which was better in the end... but a mixture of both in a pack, to the paladin, was beneficial. 

Very well. A mere sigh, relaxing just slightly as his eye casts somewhere around them, off to some trees as if he pondered what to say next. This is Sapphique, I am Rosencrantz. I do not lead here, but I can call for the leaders for their final judgement of you. Do you know anything of Sapphique, formerly known as Rusalka. His eye found her once more. With his time spent here he was learning more about other packs and their bitterness toward the name Rusalka, how many enemies they had made in the years before he had joined. It mattered not, his loyalty was set in stone with the wives despite their histories, or their past leaders. 

He waited for a reaction... for words.

"No, I do not" she would reply, her words easy to admit to the man "I hear only whispers of a long-standing community by the sea. Is this not the one?" her head tilts to the side in question. The scent here was stronger than the others. She had skirted their borders a bit, but found nothing of interest.

"And should I know anything?" the spook went on "I come to learn the history of this pack. It would do me no good to come prepared, ego on my proverbial sleeve" She smirks, amused at the situation if that was the case. "before you call, may I inquire into Sapphique?" A simple request, as he had done nothing but badger with questions.

"I admit I came here with only one goal - and I would hate to waste the leaders' time."

This is one of them. As far as he knew there was more than one pack along the borders of the sea itself. More than one who laid claim to its beaches and waves - was this the one she sought? They would both soon find out he supposed, with some more questioning and clarification on both their parts. 

At least they both had the same goal here, to get right to the point and lose any of their leader's precious time. Unfortunately, he was probably one of the worst individuals to ask about the pack's long history - he knew of what he was told and nothing more. The man didn't poke his nose where it wasn't welcomed. Rusalka has a longer history than my presence among them. We are now Sapphique, now we put family first above all else. 

Nothing. It didn't matter. If that satisfies you, the leaders know more of our history than any of us. Should they accept you, you can ask them.

"Hm" it was not a satisfying answer. He still directed her to the leaders of this pack, unwilling or perhaps void of her answers. She supposes this is better than him being a blowhard. "very well." she would meet his leaders and ask them. That was all she could hope to do right now.

You cannot measure a being until you meet them. You can assume anything but cannot know the measure of them by words alone. The spook supposes that is right. "Call for your alphas" or whatever they called themselves. "I would like to meet them."

There was a meeting happening, Rosencrantz and a stranger?  Rosalyn appraised her for a moment, from the distance, before coming in and interrupting just as Rosencrantz made his last statement.  She flicked an ear and nodded to him, gratefully, before looking curiously at Poltergeist.  What did she want with their history?  It was an odd question for a joiner; most were concerned with rank and duties.

And now you will,  Rosalyn spoke up as she arrived.  While not unfriendly, she was skeptical.  It was odd for her to make such a demand of Rose without performing the action herself, and she glanced at him to see his response before continuing.  You are interested in Sapphique.  Who are you, and why?  Perhaps to join, but she wanted to take a measure first.  If it was for other reasons, then she would be far less giving with the information, especially if she judged Poltergeist to be less than trustworthy.

Golden eye narrowed lightly onto the woman as she seemed to command him now to call their Alphas - perhaps it was just her choice of words, but he had less desire to call either Rosalyn or Erzulie to meet this one. Having half the mind to turn her away now. Luckily for her, Rosalyn was lurking nearby and joined them already.

Unsure now of this one, he wouldn't relay the information previously shared and waited for her to speak instead. He would call her out on any discrepancies in her story should it differ from what she told him, to what she would soon say to Rosalyn. What was originally said to simply not waste Rosalyn's time was now a test of honesty in Rosencrantz's judgemental eye.

A woman of crimson scarring appeared, ushering in the leader's presence. The spook glanced at the man, giving a curt nod before her attention was for the alpha. "Poltergeist de la Rosa" she utters, her features void of emotion in having to repeat herself. The woman radiated a red aura, similiar to that bloodied man. Confidence, of course, for this was her land.

Her head slipped slightly, pale eyes on the ground. She rarely liked to look at those with positions of power in the face. No particular reason. No fear they would see through her. If they thought she was submitting to them, they were wrong. It was not respect that made her do it. It was sneakiness. Yet to note, she did not mean this pack harm.

She meant what she said. Until any turned on her, the spook would be a quiet little burden. "I had come to join, should you judge me worthy" she speaks "yet I will not force the issue. I can and will leave without a fuss." Perhaps being alone suited her if rejected... yet she was not quite sure of that right now. Poltergeist was not a child - she did not have to be escorted or run out.

"Rumors led me here, of a pack that had long stayed by the coast... I have an interest in history, of the chronicles of communities and the people in them. And I much prefer a longstanding community, over a kingdom that can easily be toppled."

Rosalyn was, fortunately, not the kind to look further than she needed to.  She read in Poltergeist's reaction the proper amount of deference, perhaps to make up for her command to Rosencrantz only a moment before, and approved silently of it.  She would read for a threat, anything that might endanger their family, but beyond that she cared little what a joiner brought with them.  If she was a good fit, she would last.  If not, she would either leave or be forced from their ranks.

If you wish to join, you are welcome.  You'll need to prove yourself family, of course, but the bar is not unattainable.  She smiled, and while it was small, it was genuine.  More friendly than her previous expression.  She wasn't about to lie and say the woman would be greeted with open arms immediately, but all she needed to do to earn her place was remain and prove her intentions.

We certainly have a history here, in various names.  And I intend this to be the last.  Rosalyn knew that Erzulie felt the same.  They'd both expressed their preferences; she'd breathe her last in these very cliffs, if she had her way.  She was done with moving, done with uprooting herself.  There have been others, but only we remain.  Despite attempts otherwise.  Her eyes narrowed, the good one glittering as she said this, but she smirked.  One by one their enemies had disappeared, and here they stood.

So far so good, the story weaved by this one seemed to either be well constructed and remembered, or the truth - to tell between the two was nearly impossible and so, the guardian kept silent as Rosalyn took the mantle between the meeting trio. He had nothing to add, nothing to point out, and instead, would remain as simply a guardian should this turn sour. Unwilling to leave Rosalyn with a stranger at the borders, at least not one that he had met first and now felt responsible for her presence here.

going to wrap this <3

She answered the woman's questions, at least as much as she was willing to put forth, but in the end she did not stay to join them.  Rosalyn snorted in amusement at the wasted time, but did not comment; it was better than doing nothing, or walking repetitive circles along the cliff's edge.

She cast a glance at Rosencrantz that spoke of her amusement, then tipped her head in invitation.  More circles, then, though perhaps with a conversation alongside.