ooc: Pride meeting! Attendance encouraged, its an open forum for discussion of events and future pride plans. No post order. Second round will be posted Sat/sun the19/20th.
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IC: Reti finished his morning circuit of the borders, ensuring that scent lines remained strong and clear. Checking the game trails that entered the plains for recent activity. He took his time looking to see if any suspicious markings, scents, sights, were lingering outside ... or inside ... the territory.

At the moment, things were still, things were intact. But such things rarely remained for long. As the morning was for now, peaceful, it made for a perfect opportunity to gather the pride and speak about what had happened a little while back.

Where he had died.

The reasons for it. And how that would likely effect not only the plains, but possibly lives all over the island going forward. Everyone should have a chance to hear about it, and to ask questions if they had them.

Reti settled in under the shade of his favorite lone tree in a little meeting area and called for the Pride to gather for a talk. All groups functioned smoothest with open communication after all.

He wanted everyone to feel comfortable voicing their thoughts. They needed to work together in order to stand firm against the flow of time's river - a flow that swelled with storms building on the horizon.

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@Ghyslaine ♔ @Maeve @Ilarion @Olive @Elodie
@Atalanta @Weimar @Kazimir @Ilarion @Merrill @Arjana
@Kireena @Iðunn @Marlowe @Aspen @Toxin @Ekon @Zinnia
@Amari @Atasi @Azriel @Remnant @Ismene

code by corvus

I've sworn thee fair & thought thee bright

Lorien Plains had proven safe and unmistakably become home. Merrill hunted as often as they could to help their pride and had set up a cache outside of the territory. Now, as the weather slowly grew warmer, the abyss lion(ess) was ready to get more done. There were areas in Amaryllis they wanted to explore and always more lions to meet. Their first priority, for the moment, was still the needs of their pride.

The call rolling across the plains was unexpected, but they heeded it without any issue. Following the sound led them to @Reti ♔ stretched out in the shade of a tree. "Good morning.“ Merrill dipped their head in greeting before laying a few feet away from the sovereign. Head up, pointed ears pivoting, they watched for anyone else approaching.

who art as black as hell, as dark as night

code x art x inspo

Ghyslaine

Nothing boosts her morning more than a quick run through the neighboring gardens- to gather any early blooms she may find. Ghyslaine returns to Lorien with a mouthful of precious blooms, stems damp with dew upon the newly unfurled flowers. When she hears the call from @Reti ♔, she is quick to detour towards her den to drop them off and then she moves towards the meeting place.

She arrives, apparently, only the second to make it- and she greets @Merrill warmly, with a chuff. "Hello Merrill!" She offers, before coming to sit near her, gaze resting on @Reti ♔ "Should you not be resting?" She teases, her tone warm, eyes lingering on him, for a moment or two longer as she waits to see what it is he has called them for.

_{art by yumpy}

Zinnia

She would have been there quicker, but someone had made things difficult. She had half dragged the little gremlin half of the way to the place Reti had called them to. He was heavy though and far too big for her to be dragging around at that age. Still, she made her point clear and now stalked behind the dark, orange swirled brat to make sure he went. The duties of being big sister were oddly annoying now. She had better things to do than drag Azriel to pride meetings. It was embarrassing. Ears pinned, she would come upon the group of three, still glaring daggers at her brothers back as he plopped down at Reti’s paws.

Only then did her gaze shift to those gathered, Reti, @Ghyslaine, and
@Merrill. She nodded politely to Merrill and then grinned to Ghyslaine in greeting. Finally her gaze rested fully on @Reti ♔. "Why aren't you resting?" She asked, more than a little bit bossy in her tone, followed by an apologetic smile. ""Sorry we took so long, SOMEONE had to be dragged half way here." She huffed, sitting her rump on the ground and then tilting her head. Why were they here?


speech

artwork • coding

speech

He didn’t want to go! He wanted to stay where he was. Claws dug into the ground, scratching and leaving small gouges as he struggled against his big sister- that he had stumbled on when she had been going to the meeting. She had the nerve to grab him by the loose skin along his back and drag him. Eventually getting hold of his scruff. He’d kicked and thrashed and made the trek as difficult as possible but he had finally caved. Giving in and promising he wouldn’t run off the second she let go.

Azriel proceeded to stomp his way all the way to the meeting. Glaring at the ground and secretly thankful that no one had seen him get dragged halfway there. He didn’t bother greeting anyone, he simply stomped over to his dad, brushing against him and then plopped down heavily to the ground, his gaze finding his bigger sister and glaring at her with narrowed eyes.

art

This was something where it was certainly important for her to attend. She would have to get back into the swing of things at some point, after all. Besides that, she had to let father know she was back and in the same pride again, after they'd briefly been split up when the Brook had fallen. She wasn't sure where Caligula had gone in the interim, having gone to the Lagoon and then the Mire, and then roaming around as per usual for her. But this had seemed like the most logical place to go, peaceful as it usually was. Oh, she was about to have a shock.

Presuming the man that @Ghyslaine was standing beside was also the leader, she approached to dip her head to him respectfully. Hello, I'm Spiritus Khan. I collect stories of the families around the lands and am an ambassador as well, she said to introduce herself to @Reti ♔ so that both leaders would know her at least. She then took a seat a respectful distance away as she waited to see if her father would come and join them or if he was doing something else that day.

ART BY INKY, CODE BY DEE, MODIFIED BY GUNNER

defiance were a tool better suited to the royal clutch, but olive still found its utility in the throes of middle age. neither crows feet, nor motherhood, nor experience-borne wisdom had quite tempered her spiteful disposition, but rarely were her vengeance exacted in conspicuous ways. in place of violence or public berating, olive had opted for far more subtle means to express the qualms she harbored; however, whether her negligence and overall detachment from the pride held any sway upon its functionality were dubious at best. at worst, @Ghyslaine were perceptive to her frequent absences, yet indifferent to them when preoccupied with this failed usurper, turned stranger-king. the very same who sought to rally the lorien bannermen now, and so brazenly in the morning glow.

more curious than compliant, olive cushioned her response with minutes, spent delayed in soaking up what warmth dawn would permit. when coupled with her typical, lackadaisical stride, olive anticipated a late arrival, but few bodies emerged from the distant fog to dot the meeting’s center. the poor turnout threatened to overtake the neutrality she’d schooled her features into with wry amusement, but olive stifled her petty humors to halt upon the fringes and sweep the premises for familiar faces, instead. recognition only struck her as her gaze touched upon ghyslaine, who were quick to offer undue compassion to their born-again caller. should you not be resting? — yes, in a bed of worms and earth, anchored six feet below. but olive contains her japes with a gritted jaw, maintaining focus upon @Reti ♔ with practiced patience. this beacon of strength ghyslaine had elevated in her place, whose triumphs they had yet to uncover beneath several staggering losses.

code & art

OOC Note: Being vague on rank currently lol

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An ear twisted around at the sound of summons ringing throughout the pridelands. She had only just returned to her den from hunting for some herbs outside of the land, and had been working on creating more space in her garden to add new things to it now that spring was here. Dusting off her paws, the giantess would make her way in the direction of Reti's call.

As she approached the group, she would pause to take in those who had approached so far. She recognized @Ghyslaine, and would flash the queen a polite smile as she also would aim to meet @Reti ♔'s gaze and give him a polite smile as well. Not really recognizing anyone who was around, Atalanta would sit a short distance off from the rest of the gathered pride members.

text. "speech."

Art by Drifty | Table code by Zodiac

She approached the meeting with quiet footsteps, her bi-colored gaze searching around. Kireena shifted before she found a space to sit, somewhere near the back of the gathering, off to the side and out of the way. She didn't know anyone here - a few were familiar, but the red giant found herself content to simply sit in the background.. to watch and listen.. Learn about the pride she had come to live within. Her gaze flickered around the gathered lions, and she frowned, not seeing her children or mate just yet. What were they doing? Though, she supposed they could be out and about - it wasn't something to really trouble herself over... Not really.

code by koi, manip by tabs, images from unsplash

He padded after Kireena, finding his mother and taking a seat at her side, his eyes turning to look at the gathering around them. Kirja had been enjoying his time within the pridelands. Finding hidey holes and other fun things to play with and around. He shifted, leaning against her large side slightly before he focused on the lion standing at the forefront of the gathering. Who was that? He knew of the female that had greeted them - the female that Mother had called 'queen' but he didn't know who this lion was.

Still, he had learned enough to know when to hold his tongue. This was one of those times that he kept his questions and comments to himself.

kirja huntsong

XOXOXOXOX

code by corvus & art by Tabs