The orange faced lady lumbered forward each day easier than the last. But life was busy. She was near the lagoon but hadn’t stopped by yet to speak with Oberon. Her dear Oberon it hurt too much the fact that she had been forced to choose between joining him or staying in the pride she dearly loved. She knew he would be disappointed in her decision to stay in the Bluffs, but she did hope he understood. There was this nagging feeling in her gut though. ’Why hasn’t he come to the Bluffs and checked in on me?’ She had thought it on more than one occasion before the maim battle as well. Perhaps Zoticus had been right he was selfish. No, no he was just busy! In any case the lioness made her way away from the passage she wanted to stop by the pit on her way back though to pick up some clove and found she got sidetracked as she past the edge of the shore. The ocean’s view of the sunrise drawing her in and so she sat in silence watching it.

@Drakon

(Wounds - Claw marks on head above eye, cut up scruff, shredded right shoulder, badly bruised right shoulder, claw marks along right side of ribs.)

Art & Table by Autumn!

+5 Listen to a living character's problem and try to help them

**setting this before the meeting but after the 'down to business' thread**

He was once again, a ruler. A king with a crown on his head and he didn't even have to fight for it. If only it was that easy. Just because he was a king once again didn't mean shit. Anyone could come looking for his crown. Anyone could come and challenge him for it and he would fight until his last breathe. Only different is that this time; Drakon wasn't going to make enemies unless it couldn't be helped. Sarthak was no where to be seen, or Caligula and he worried about Cali. He had been a good friend, someone Drakon hadn't wanted to hurt but he had a poor choice in a partner. However, that was over with and Drakon was just fine living his life the way it was as he walked the black shores. His black toes kicking up the sand and living behind speckles of dark against his white fur. But his nose told him he wasn't alone and the newly crowned king would glance up to see a red woman. For a second he thought it was Georgia, but this wasn't. Chuffing out loud, Drakon would let his presence be known.

@Arjana

image by frida bredesen | art by irish

Grey sad eyes watched the horizon and not the world around her. Being injured it was a stupid thing to do but she cared not. Instead Arjana would watch as the sky started to become ablaze with the fires of first light. Watching as it peeked through the clouds out over the sea and danced across the waters below. Her mind numb to the bittersweetness of it all. That was until she heard the call of @Drakon announcing himself to her. Turning an ear she slowly turned her gaze to look at him. Looking him over she smiled before dipping her head. “Hello sir. Enjoying a dawn stroll?” She asked in soft polite tones before returning her gaze to the sunrise. She couldn’t help but think she had seen him somewhere before. Her luck he probably had been there at the Bluffs when it was challenged for and when she made a fool out of herself, out of the pride when defending herself from Turrek and his attempt to maim her. Though she did hope that wasn’t the case.

(Wounds - Claw marks on head above eye, cut up scruff, shredded right shoulder, badly bruised right shoulder, claw marks along right side of ribs.)

Art & Table by Autumn!

Mmmm, no that wasn't the case for her. Drakon hadn't been to the Bluff's. Didn't even know it had been challenged for. Sure as hell didn't know that it had been Manes that had did the calling and then lost it. Were all of his allies a disappointment? Who knew, but Drakon planned to change things now that he was once again ruling a pride. He wasn't the same tyrant that ruled the shoreline back home. However, it wasn't hard to not notice the wounds that the woman carried on her pelt and it caused him to worry. "Normally, yes, but now I'm a bit worried about your injuries." He would move closer, but not to close, just close enough to see her wounds properly and show concern. "What happened?" And why wasn't she resting?

@Arjana

image by frida bredesen | art by irish

The world was full of disappointment. She was full of disappointment. Which was a darn same as she had been able to defend herself well from a male also twice her weight. Had she not been able to than her shame would have been even worse than it was. Trying to hide her sorrow and shame Arjana just kept her gaze out at the sea until the questions came that was. Why was this stranger lion asking? Why does he care about some random lioness. Taking a deep breath she slowly let out a sigh. “These wounds are my punishment for a moment of panicking within the public eye during the challenge for the Bluffs.” Her words came with such deep shame as they left her lips. Shaking she had to take another deep breath to hold herself together. To stop herself from breaking down. “Zoticus won to keep his crown, to keep the pride but I, he got even more hurt than needed because of me. I was just defending myself from that man - Terrruk but … I … I.” She couldn’t finish her words. The once proud lioness couldn’t keep herself posed as she went quiet and softly cried eyes looking at the ground. Shaking she must look so painfully stupid.

@Drakon

(Wounds - Claw marks on head above eye, cut up scruff, shredded right shoulder, badly bruised right shoulder, claw marks along right side of ribs.)

Art & Table by Autumn!

It's true. Normally, Drakon wouldn't give a shit about someone outside of his family but that wasn't the case anymore. He had changed when death had been knocking on his doorstep. Now, he was changed and different. Perhaps in a good way. Drakon stayed a respectful distance from the injured lioness and ears pushed forwards as he would begin to listen to her words. Of course, Drakon had never panicked at a challenge as he had always been the one fighting but there was some understanding to her words. "Punished because you panicked? Sometimes you can't help but panic." He would begin to state. Ears twitching as she spoke of defending herself from a man and that caused worry. "A man within the bluff's?"

+5 Listen to a living character's problems and try to help them 1/2

@Arjana

image by frida bredesen | art by irish

Without meaning too she had already shamed herself more as well as shamed the Bluffs. Though she assumed with all the many faces that had been there that rumor might form anyways. Might as well be an actual account of it out there. Zoticus she knew now for sure wouldn’t allow anything to befall her. Not if he could help it. “As Gentry I deserved it for my disloyalty. The male was an unranked lion who wanted -“ Power, revenge, control. She didn’t know anymore. Honestly had she simply been able to speak with Circe and been talked out of her panic she would have stayed. It had been the trauma of her past, coupled with the words of Vesper and the influence of blinded love and the worry of losing that love at made her panic. All of which laid heavy on her now. “I don’t know if he is still there, I have found his scent lessing each passing day.” She admitted.

@Drakon

Art & Table by Autumn!

"If anyone should have punished you it should be your leader, not someone with no rank." He felt his blood boil. It was how he would've dealt with it granted he wouldn't have attacked her but asked her in a much more calmly manner as to why shew as so eager to leave and a moments notice of a weakness to the pride. Otherwise, Drakon wouldn't have cared. Ears twisted and swiveled in his mane as he would listen to her words. "Have you talked to Zoticus?" Was that the King? He would have to go to the bluff's and talk to him but at the mention of the male, Drakon would let his attention focus on that. "Do you know his name?"

@Arjana

image by frida bredesen | art by irish

Yes it should have been and he was punishing her in his own way. “Don’t worry he has in his own way. Which was, is more painful than being mauled by someone twice my size.” Letting out a sad sigh she turned to look at him. “A choice had to be made between my two greatest loves. Wolfbron or a mate who has yet to even check up on me.” She softly made mumbled that last part. She worried why he hadn’t came to see her. “Oh Oberon where are you? Don’t you care?” The last bit was a question not meant for @Drakon to hear but it was possible he did as she asked it as she turned back to look at the sunrise.

“Yes. To both questions. King Zoticus is a good lion. Strong, brave and a good friend, but I am not worthy of such friendship. I don’t think I have earned such a gift, such a trust back.” She spoke so highly of him, but so lowly of himself. Looking at her paws she closed her eyes to hide the look of disgust within them as she answered the question of the name of the one who had taken it upon himself to punish her. “A red maned lion with a bronze hide that now sports a scar across his face over orange eyes. Often seen with a snake. That man. His name is Turrek.” With that she was quite as she opened her eyes once more.

Art & Table by Autumn!

It was clear now why there had to be a choice to begin with. She had a mate, one who didn't care to check up on her, in another pride and living in a pride she loved. Deep down, he couldn't pity her, he didn't know that feeling but he did pity her. A soft sigh formed as he would listen to her speak about Zoticus punishing her in his own way. "It sounds to me that your mate doesn't really care for you. I know that will be hard to hear but it's the hard things that we sometimes have to hear." When did he become such a wise ass on relationships? He's been with three different females and only one has ever stuck around. He wasn't great at emotions and expressing them but apparently he was good at giving advice? Who knew.

"It might take a while, but eventually you won't think that." There had been a time that he felt the same thing. Hecuba had found out about Georgia and he had grown jealous of Manes and well.. we all know what happened then. Something Drakon tried to not remember. "I will keep an eye out for him." Even if she felt like she deserved it, it didn't sit right with him.

image by frida bredesen | art by irish