I BUY SOME NEW FRIENDS — JOINING

[PERCY]

[align=center][div style="0px; width:450px; height:auto; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; line-height:13px;"]Percy didn't really know where he was going, just.. just.. away. Percy had never been a patient guy, but he'd tried his best to hold his tongue, to listen to Dumbass and his mom as Dumbass had dragged them up, down, and so far away from home.. he'd always listened to mom.. but...

The smell of saltwater, the slight sting in his eyes was the most comforting sensation Percy had experienced in... he couldn't remember.

He didn't even care sand was in his shoes as he raced down the coast, the xiphos by his side banging painfully against his leg. The sword was big, meant for someone not twelve years old definitely, but Percy had grown used to it and all of its downsides, like how heavy it'd been at first, and the current issue of it almost being as long as his legs were. But the sword was the closest thing to a best friend for Percy, just like the sea, and the salt, and the sand...

"My little fish." The warm voice stung worse than the salt, because Percy couldn't explain the ache it caused, burrowing deeper than his skin, entering his soul. It twisted at him worse than the way Dumbass looked at him, and made him want to leave where he was, jump out of his skin and..

He couldn't run from the voice, so he stopped, panting slightly at the water's edge, vivid eyes watching out for any sign of trouble. He'd just try and clean some of his wounds, and then he'd move further up the coast. If he could find food or a place to stick it out for the night that didn't involve crabs crawling up his shirt, it'd be great.

[CATALYST]

When they wanted to move, they moved. When they wanted to stay, they stayed. While people could influence whether or not they wanted to leave or stay, but once their mind was made up, there was no changing it. They left home when they were nine, abandoning their mother because they were foolishly convinced that it would be best for both of them. They left the Young Rogues when they realized they didn't have to depend on them anymore, and they left Mourningstar when they could no longer stand by Derick. They didn't say anything when they left, they just... disappeared. Sure, they had spoken to Louie as they departed, but he happened to be in their path as they left. The only person they went out of their way to tell about their leaving was Susie, and that was out of respect to their old friendship.

Cat thinks it would be different now, if they were to leave now. They wouldn't go alone, they'd take Molly and Gavril and Mo, tell at least Creed. Provided nothing bad happened that burned whatever connection they had with this place and the people in it. They didn't see that happening any time soon, nor did they think anything would drive them to want to leave, but Fate could be unpredictable and as much as they thought they had a grasp on Her plans, she often surprised them.

The sight of a kid tearing down the beach had certainly been attention grabbing, what with the small spray of sand his shoes kicked up and the general oddity of the child's presence. There weren't that many kids running around the Badlands these days, let alone of that age. Cat was actually holding one of the Badlands' youngest residents, but she was little more than an infant, being a roughly fourteen months old.

Mo loved the beach, loved the water, and Cat tried to bring her out by the ocean at least every few days, sometimes just to get the salty sea air, sometimes they let her play in the sand. This had been one of those days, so they'd been sitting on the ground with her when they noticed the figure coming closer. He stopped a good ways away, giving Cat ample time to get to their feet and pick a fussy baby up and walk over. Yeah, trouble had found Percy, but trouble also had a little girl held gently within their arms. "Hey, kid. Do you know where you are?"

[spoiler=IF YOU DONT KNOW NOW YOU KNOW && INFO && 04/27/19]GENERAL  welcome to the end of eras, ice has melted back to life
⇥ Given name is Scott Mathew Darrow ⇥ Goes only by Catalyst or Cat
⇥ Assigned male at birth ⇥ Agender ⇥ They/Them pronouns only
⇥ Twenty-one ⇥ Born 11/27/17 ⇥ Sagittarius ⇥ Real time aging
⇥ Boss (leader) of the Badlands ⇥ Ex prisoner of the Badlands
⇥ Ex cultist (Mourningstar) ⇥ Ex member of the Young Rogues

RECENT EVENTS  done my time and served my sentence
⇥ 04/20/39 ⇥ Released Northstar from Badlands occupation
⇥ 04/16/39 ⇥ Was saved by Sheogorath
⇥ 04/15/39 ⇥ Took the Badlands brand
⇥ 04/08/39 ⇥ Had a huge fight with Molly

APPEARANCE  dress me up and watch me die
⇥ Catalyst is 6'2" tall; they possess a lean and muscular body, one that has a variety of old scars adorning it. One of the easiest to notice is one that stretches down their right cheek. While not a scar, one very notable marking on their chest is the "BL" brand. They have two piercings, one in their tongue and the other in the cartilage of their left ear. They typically dress in dark colors (favoring jackets with some sort of writing on the back), and their hair is black. They're not all dark, however, as they have pale blue eyes that peer out from beneath medium-sized eyebrows.

PERSONALITY  if it feels good, tastes good, it must be mine
⇥ Catalyst is ambitious, with the cunning and ruthlessness to reach their goals by any means necessary. They can be brutal when they feel it is needed, however when it's not they won't bother. They tend to be rather aloof and apathetic to most things and people, with some very rare exceptions. Provided those around them don't cross a few specific lines, they're content to leave them be, though they've been known to take an interest in some people, which seldom has a positive end for whoever their interest is in. They can be manipulative, and will often encourage people to make bad decisions. Those that stick by them will be rewarded, but those that do not will be cast out, as they've been outcast for their entire life and have learned to appreciate loyalty wherever they can find it. Even during the most stressful of situations, they usually keep a firm grip on their temper and keep their calm, though when they do snap and lose their temper, it is uncontrollable. They're remarkably observant, often able to deign much from subtle clues in what people say, how they say it and how they act.

RELATIONS  dynasty decapitated, you just might see a ghost tonight
⇥ Molly Darrow x Austin Darrow ⇥ No siblings
⇥ Adopted parent of Molly Valentina Darrow-Lupei (Mo)
⇥ Pansexual/Panromantic ⇥ Very much taken ⇥ One Crush
⇥ Not looking but it happened ⇥ Rarely forms romantic attachment
⇥ Holds most people at arms length and doesn't get close

INTERACTION  i'm taking back the c r o w n
⇥ Hard physically ⇥ Hard mentally ⇥ Doesn't let their guard down
⇥ Is most comfortable with close ranged-weapons ⇥ Dislikes guns
⇥ Brass knuckles ⇥ A variety of knives ⇥ Carries a handgun
⇥ Will kill/capture/maim in certain circumstances
⇥ Will leave things be in others ⇥ Will start & finish fights
⇥ No kill/capture/maim without permission
⇥ Peaceful powerplay allowed but they may react negatively
⇥ Dislikes almost any sort of touch unless they initiate or agree to it
[/spoiler]

[OLLIE.]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 1.2;"]kids like percy were familiar in a world like this.

kids like percy , they didn't last long. all alone in the world with their parents was one thing , all alone in the world without their parents counted for a death wish. angel was lucky to have had a mother up until she was old enough to hold her own. not everyone was able to have that privilege, and those who were lucky enough to see their loved ones a day past that were some lucky bitches. despite her rebellion, before her mother's passing she couldn't ever imagine herself leaving despite feeling suffocated. in the end, it's where she felt safest. it's only when she was forced to , when she has no other option does she finally make the ultimate decision and from there, it's been an almost downward spiral of shitty thing after shitty thing. had to deal whatever was handed to you.

she can't stand obsolescent children. around that stage , you harbored lots of anger and teenage angst that angel herself deals with on a day to day basis. she'd taken the responsibility of caring for her sisters, yes, but they'd always been close in age. when she was figuring out herself, so were that. when she was learning to fend for herself, so were they. since then , she hadn't much run-ins with children but that's because she could only assume not many made it around here. not without being killed or forced into slavery. seeing percy not dead, and not in chains, but casually strolling down the street was an odd occurrence for her. for a moment she watches him curiously, chewing on the gum that she has in her mouth. he seems to not have noticed that he'd stumbled onto a territory, lost in his own thoughts.

it's when cat approaches him , baby in hand , does she decide to approach. [color=#990000][b]"you're in badlands territory now, scrappy," her voice sound cryptic. taking off the strap of her backpack, she unzips it, searching through it until she finds her water bottle. just in case the kid perceived she or cat as threat, she might as well play welcome committee for mo's sake, even if she couldn't care less. [b]"thirsty?" she holds out the water bottle towards the kid, giving him an awkward half-smile. kids like that, right?

[PERCY]

[align=center][div style="0px; width:450px; height:auto; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; line-height:13px;"]Percy's mother had given him a few survival tips: don't be stupid, don't make rash decisions, and stay with the strongest person you could find. Percy had done his best at not following those tips. After she'd.. Percy had immediately gotten away from Dumbass. He didn't care that he was about as well-equipped for survival as a fish that couldn't swim, but Percy couldn't stand it any longer. He didn't care Dumbass was the strongest person his mother could find, he didn't care that his mother had begged him to stay with Dumbass to be safe.. Percy wasn't safe as long as he was with that mouth-breather.

Rubbing the purple-green bruise on his jaw pensively at the thought of said Dumbass, his eyes stared out to sea. He remembered his mother showing him the beach he'd been born on, the ocean that'd carried him away from his mother, and into the real world. They never strayed away from the water, not until Dumbass had showed up. Then they'd picked up and gone away, far away from his home, and Percy had felt like a drying-up sea slug.

He was at least knee deep into the water when the sound of voices made him flinch, hand immediately snatching the hilt of his xiphos. As he whirled around, the tall, serious, older figures that came into view made his heart skip a few beats. He wasn't gonna win, even if the punky-looking one held a baby during the fight.

Scrappy? Kid? If there was something that really ground Percy's gears, it was being called kid. He stayed tense, green eyes watching the two with an open air of suspicion. Percy wasn't really good at hiding emotions.. which was probably why Dumbass had hated him so much. That, and how Percy had never seemed to keep his mouth shut, even in situations that could mean life or death. Like now, for example. "Bad lands? What's so bad about it?" This place had a beach, and an ocean, and trees.. there was nothing bad about the land.

The thought suddenly occurred that maybe it was something else that was bad. Or someones. The water bottle that had seemed so tempting before suddenly felt like.. a trap. What was that thing that Dumbass had always done with his friends? Or strangers they'd met? Something about mushrooms and food.. however, Percy couldn't drink seawater, and his water bottle currently was looking a bit.. miserable. "Depends on what's.. in it." He said slowly, flicking back and forth between the two.

[OLLIE.]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 1.2;"]angel's mother's tips had been remotely similar to percy's , she's even sure that 'don't be stupid' had been one of them. since then , she'd managed to make plenty of rash , and stupid decisions that cost her both her heart and nearly her life , but also it was her ( stupid ) decisions that saved her the first time. her mother always encouraged the ideology of 'women empowerment' , however , as the girls didn't have a father figure nor their mother a husband. she'd prepared them for the idea that one day , they might lose her. stocked up on food , taught eliza how to work her way around the black market through roleplaying in the trailer just in case. angel thinks her mother thought if she were to die , that they'd at least have each other. she didn't prepare angel for what it'd be like to be truly alone until she was. maybe that's why she was so close to find security in another person , cause she wasn't quite sure on whether she was secure in herself , or at least not yet.

bad lands? what's so bad about it? angel glances at cat , baby held in their arms , and breaks into a grin. she , too , had wondered about the origin of the group's name. badlands ? couldn't be any more transparent , if you'd ask her. even by textbook definition , the badlands isn't as bad , or at least in her observations. there wasn't evil villains who laugh mechanically , or anyone who consistently tried to kill her or assault her any time she was alone. that isn't to say it couldn't happen , there is a possibility she's just been lucky. but still . . . what was so bad about the badlands ? well , she isn't sure. [color=#990000]"i don't know , what is so bad about the badlands?" she'd inquires towards cat ( obviously amused ), before her gaze lands on the young boy once more, who is immersed in the ocean. before she could stop herself she adds , "i don't know about the lands, but there might be something bad in the water , though. i heard we've been having a shark problem?" she tries to maintain a serious expression , but can't help but smirk. was that true ? absolutely not. but it's been awhile since she's been able to joke around , as she had with her sisters , mostly peggy who believed almost everything from spirits to demon possessions , even when disproven. it was obvious that the humor she'd gained obtained ? was still there.

at the offer of water , he's suspicious. wow , she's impressed. however, she frowns , feigning offense. "what , you  don't trust me ?" she asks and then , relaxing her face she deadpans , "bleach , of course. what else would it be ?" she tosses it to him , shrugging her shoulders. "up to you on whether or not you drink it. just make sure you return that bottle it's one of my favorites."

[CATALYST]

Cat's what they call a fucking idiot.

They ran away from home when they were nine. They hadn't felt safe there anymore, but that was the fault of the neighborhood kids that had followed them home, not Molly. They'd gotten it into their head that it would be better for both of them if they just... left. The idea to bring her with them hadn't even occurred to them, and thus, they'd been separated for nearly twelve years.

Now they were reunited. Reunited but not speaking. The years had changed Cat, and she didn't like or endorse the changes. Despite this, they were glad she was back in their life, glad she was able to be in the life of her granddaughter. Even months after the initial adoption, they still couldn't believe that they were a parent now. They never wanted Mo to have to be without them or Gav, or to be in harm's way. They knew that it would happen someday, but they liked to pretend that so long as she was in their arms, or their boyfriend's arms, she'd be okay.

What was so bad about the Badlands? "Your breath." They rolled their eyes. "We ain't good people here, kid. That's gonna have something to do with it." Were they the worst one here? Well, that was pretty subjective, but they had a long list of sins that was at least as tall as them - and that was only briefly summarizing. Details would make it even longer. Cat grabbed the bottle of water with their free hand and took a swig, then held it out to Percy. "My face is blank but my insides are screaming." Total deadpan sarcasm.

[spoiler=IF YOU DONT KNOW NOW YOU KNOW && INFO && 05/05/19]GENERAL  welcome to the end of eras, ice has melted back to life
⇥ Given name is Scott Mathew Darrow ⇥ Goes only by Catalyst or Cat
⇥ Assigned male at birth ⇥ Agender ⇥ They/Them pronouns only
⇥ Twenty-one ⇥ Born 11/27/17 ⇥ Sagittarius ⇥ Real time aging
⇥ Boss (leader) of the Badlands ⇥ Ex prisoner of the Badlands
⇥ Ex cultist (Mourningstar) ⇥ Ex member of the Young Rogues

RECENT EVENTS  done my time and served my sentence
⇥ 04/20/39 ⇥ Released Northstar from Badlands occupation
⇥ 04/16/39 ⇥ Was saved by Sheogorath
⇥ 04/15/39 ⇥ Took the Badlands brand

APPEARANCE  dress me up and watch me die
⇥ Catalyst is 6'2" tall; they possess a lean and muscular body, one that has a variety of old scars adorning it. One of the easiest to notice is one that stretches down their right cheek. While not a scar, one very notable marking on their chest is the "BL" brand. They have two piercings, one in their tongue and the other in the cartilage of their left ear. They typically dress in dark colors (favoring jackets with some sort of writing on the back), and their hair is black. They're not all dark, however, as they have pale blue eyes that peer out from beneath medium-sized eyebrows.

PERSONALITY  if it feels good, tastes good, it must be mine
⇥ Catalyst is ambitious, with the cunning and ruthlessness to reach their goals by any means necessary. They can be brutal when they feel it is needed, however when it's not they won't bother. They tend to be rather aloof and apathetic to most things and people, with some very rare exceptions. Provided those around them don't cross a few specific lines, they're content to leave them be, though they've been known to take an interest in some people, which seldom has a positive end for whoever their interest is in. They can be manipulative, and will often encourage people to make bad decisions. Those that stick by them will be rewarded, but those that do not will be cast out, as they've been outcast for their entire life and have learned to appreciate loyalty wherever they can find it. Even during the most stressful of situations, they usually keep a firm grip on their temper and keep their calm, though when they do snap and lose their temper, it is uncontrollable. They're remarkably observant, often able to deign much from subtle clues in what people say, how they say it and how they act.

RELATIONS  dynasty decapitated, you just might see a ghost tonight
⇥ Molly Darrow x Austin Darrow ⇥ No siblings
⇥ Adopted parent of Molly Valentina Darrow-Lupei (Mo)
⇥ Pansexual/Panromantic ⇥ Very much taken ⇥ One Crush
⇥ Not looking but it happened ⇥ Rarely forms romantic attachment
⇥ Holds most people at arms length and doesn't get close

INTERACTION  i'm taking back the c r o w n
⇥ Hard physically ⇥ Hard mentally ⇥ Doesn't let their guard down
⇥ Is most comfortable with close ranged-weapons ⇥ Dislikes guns
⇥ Brass knuckles ⇥ A variety of knives ⇥ Carries a handgun
⇥ Will kill/capture/maim in certain circumstances
⇥ Will leave things be in others ⇥ Will start & finish fights
⇥ No kill/capture/maim without permission
⇥ Peaceful powerplay allowed but they may react negatively
⇥ Dislikes almost any sort of touch unless they initiate or agree to it
[/spoiler]