The challenge is accepted, quickly, and Roarke barely has a moment to blink before the other lion bursts towards him head on. Roarke grounds himself, bending at the knees as Velimor gets within reach and lifts a paw. As it comes down on top of his head, batting him, Roarke suddenly shoves forward and attempts to slam his chest into the other male’s front.

His skull tips to the side and his jaws open, and he tries to latch onto the left side of Velimor’s neck. The mane there is thick, so it will hopefully protect any vulnerable bits from Roarke’s grip. But he means it to hurt, he means it to make an impact; the Summit is not a place for fighters of the weak of heart, and Velimor’s first attack was literally clawless.

If he wants to win, he’ll need to earn it.

Roarke vs @Velimor
For Gentry
I of III
Hits:

Rolling 11d20: 6 + 1 + 2 + 18 + 15 + 12 + 8 + 17 + 5 + 9 + 13

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 2 + 10 + 5

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 17 + 3 + 2 + 15 + 19

+1 hit as Lead Fighter

He had arrived with @Alizabeth and currently he stood at her side. Silently he listened to all the back and forth before whispering a huff to his mother. Who the hell are the Rike? Lyle had absolutely no idea what any of them were talking about. He hadn't been around or involved in all their drama. So he sure as shit wasn't about to get involved now.

They can count ne out. He continued in a hushed tone. Ain't ny hisness. Maybe he got that from his father. The idea of not fighting other's battles for them. Not helping to clean up messes he didn't make. Yet unlike his father, Lyle was apparently a bit more blunt about it.

His attention shifted over to a couple of males as they duked it out for a position. This intrigued him far more than any meeting.

+5 Observe a fight (Velimor v Roarke)
+5 Learn information about a potential threat (Rike)

Art by Rabbit, Code by Minxy

As @Roarke hits his chest, Velimor feels his breath escape his lungs, a sprawling pain unfurling beneath his mane and settling deep into his freshly-bruised flesh. He is given little relent, however, as Roarke's jaws quickly clamp down into his neck, causing Velimor's head to tip upward in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure. He knows the man would not kill him, and feels okay exposing his throat as a result.

Reinvigorated, Velimor aims to unsheathe his claws now, attempting to bear them down closer toward the maned area of Roarke's nape. While he could not quite be able to reach the flesh through the mane, he could attempt to tangle his claws in the mane's hair and attempt to tug them uncomfortably.

Velimor vs Roarke
for Gentry
ii of iii

Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 4 + 1 + 20 + 17 + 5 + 7 + 15

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 19 + 18 + 2 + 17 + 1

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 11 + 10 + 7 + 12 + 1

@Nero was the first to speak up, revealing he had no desire to participate in his mother's war anymore, but Morrigan as promised would hold not ill thought about him for that. Just as she could never blame her own children if they chose the same. She couldn't help but think once more of Virgil, and what his absence here meant to her, what she had done, whether she had done it for the sake of truth or for her own selfish reasons and fears. "Of course, Nero."

As @Talisa gave her own reassurances to those who had gathered, Morrigan recalled how that interaction had cause her pain, too. Not the first time her own thick-headedness had hurt the beautiful Valour woman. @Eisa and @Eskel were there as well, comforting presences to remind the others that the Summit was not entirely alone in the world. They did have friends at least, if not many true allies. "I intend to visit the Lagoon as well," Morrigan would say simply in response to @Isla ♔'s addition.

It was the most likely place to discover her niece and her children one way or the other after all. @Valeria, one of @Jafar's young children he now spoke of, was a reminder of what they needed to protect. Making more enemies wouldn't help with that. "The Summit will protect all children and women who cannot defend themselves first, the rest of us can fight for ourselves," she laid down the promise to the Casales man just as @Roarke and @Alizabeth joined them.

The man who had come with Jafar to the Summit, @Velimor, showed his own mettle by challenging for the rank Nero had forfeited. Roarke happily met his challenge and Morrigan nodded in approval at both. "The Rike are getting bold, Alaric sons becoming men. They will try to take this crown again as I am no different than a Sigrún to them now," she gave Alizabeth the shorter version since she at least had some context to the situation. Her attention turned back to the fight and even before it could finish her decision was easy.

"Velimor will get the rank of Gentry alongside Jafar either way, Roarke will take Noble. That leaves the Lead Fighter spot for you, Aliza," and Morrigan had no doubts about what the Valentine woman's response would be as she flashed the smaller woman a matching split-lipped grin. @Zahra had done a bold service as she spoke, taking much of the weight of the explanations from Morrigan or Eyvindr's shoulders as she was Sigrún herself, a daughter of Magnus from when he had been the Jarl still.

"Thank you, Zahra, that is very generous of you to share." @Archaic, who had been twice attacked unprovoked in the name of the Summit, still promised to assist them. Morrigan nodded gratefully to the healer, "We will do our best to keep you out of the frontlines this time," she couldn't promise anything, though. She recalled the Rike who had landed on her from a tree above her own head. Some of their enemies were sneakier than others. @Lyle had joined his mother, but he clearly wasn't as outspoken as Aliza. At least not yet as all he did was murmur to his mother.

coding & image by flea

War, in Parvati's estimation, was not a blight yet it could not be scourged away. Organic and intractable like a bad fungal infection, but mechanical in its inevitability. The silver lion could not run from it or stop it. Take that as bravery or loyalty at a glance; in reality their whiskers had been singed every time they screamed for it to end, and now, dampened in spirit, the failing medic gave no further protest. Lips bunched to a neat, tidy point just in front of their canines. A frown, sporadic, unconscious, resigned.

At least nobody expected them to care about the politics behind it. It was all noise, and a vestige of ranting from their father that had not been understood at the time made some sense: politics drew one into fights that were not needed, and posturing created fights, and none of this would be needed if one could take a moment to staunchly and forever not give a fuck.

Parvati had greater ability in that regard than Sarthak ever could but the most perfect stone could not stop a river of blood.

More fighting. More vying for prominence. Relieved that there was some other, better, stronger medic here, Parvati looked aside with one ear turned waiting for it to end and them all to be adjourned.

Among the news that he had brought to the leaders attention, his own was pitched perfectly between the child that was present and the man that had stolen his brute heart. @Velimor fighting the large male for the right to be Gentry while he would look to @Valeria and hope to seek her eyes. Wanting nothing more than to shield her from the fights and wars for just a little bit longer, but knowing that it was better hoped than done. With @Morrigan's address that the Summit would protect every woman and child who could not defend themselves, he made to attempt to speak up when the time is right.

I intend to fight anyone who tries to steal any one of us, or any one of the Brook. We may not know one another, but our goal is the same. What that goal was would be different to each and everyone that sat and stood around their leaders. It could be to simply live, to thrive, to fight, to wage war, to dream... but once it was thrown together in a bowl it would be hard to sift through the ingredients. Jafar hoped that if the time came where they were targeted, that if his children were called -- that the men and women here today would fight for his children. Just as he would fight for them and fight for their children.

Jafar would fought with honor and strength to keep families together and he would do so with no remorse. So as he fell into the comfortable silence that he enjoyed far too much, he allowed his head to attempt to rub against his gray daughter's head in comfort of her and himself. Letting himself be privy to the fight that Velimor was participating in and only truly exiting once he was well and finished. Likely to attempt to grab a few herbs and help him a bit with some light healing if needed. exit jafar

^{ART BY KAIRI, CODE BY CALA}

Valeria sat quiet and listened to everything unfold, that unsteady feeling she had already been contending with growing at the sound of her father swearing to fight if anyone tried to take any of them. Would that really happen? Were people taken just as easily as homes were? Her idea of the world she was living in was becoming more clear, and she wasn’t sure she liked it very much. It made her long for the dense foliage of the rainforest, and the sense of safety that it gave her when she hid in the dense foliage. That life was a long way off, though, and in truth, despite what her father had said, she didn’t really know for sure if they would ever get to go back. She would have to make do with where they were now, and try to be stronger, and more brave for her family. She leaned into @Jafar’s touch, finding comfort in the contact, and stuck close to him, leaving only when he left. -exit-

art & code by vasilia

LAVENDER

It was boring. Lavender lay propped against that imposter's leg, blinking slowly as her mothers laid out a surplus of information for all of those cats gathered in the crowd. She tried to glue her attention to the words they spoke – to their grave and important tone – only to find her mind wandering off to a cricket lurking at their paws, or to contemplating latching onto Radahn's tail.

The princess grew tired of the mental push and pull as the scene stretched on. She kneaded her oversized paws against the rocky earth, her pelt practically itching with the need to run and pounce and play. What did war matter to a cub whose greatest known fear was boredom? It hardly seemed to stand up in comparison. Verbal cues warned of the encroaching end of her sentencing and Lavender straightened to a proper seat, then finally realizing that this pelt did not match Mama's; nevermind that Talisa was visibly over at Morrigan's side. She jolted slightly, craning her neck to trail her pastel gaze upward until she found that face so similar yet different from their own.

"Uh, sorry," she murmured and her face flushed with embarrassment she had not known she should be feeling all along. Scrambling away from her prodigal sister, Lavender turned to find something more interesting to do, stat!

---

-exit-

coded by flea + background credit

She stays long enough to what others have to say as well as watch the fight for ranks start and finish. She wanted to see how her fellow pride mates worked and battled, and she wasn't disappointed. Dual colored eyes flicker back and forth while Roarke tested the other's strengths. Velimor is given the rank he had challenged for, and as the meeting seemed to be dying down the Heiress decided it was time for her departure, as well. She gives both Morrigan and Talisa a nudge of farewell before leaping off their perch, giving her coat a quick shake before padding in the direction of her den.

exit Isla.

art by flis, table by gunner

With there being little else to mention outside of what @Morrigan had already addressed, Talisa let her gaze find @Lavender's retreating form. Having no idea what had made her scamper away so quickly but curious to find out, she gazed to her wife for a split second and then to @Isla ♔ as the grey heiress moved to exit. Finding her feet she began moving towards where her daughter had burst off to. If anything, it gave her a good excuse to stretch her legs and get out but also to have a small moment with Lavender. Not that she didn't have many small moments every day but Talisa would happily take more. exit talisa

ART • CODE