Septima winces as the conversation devolves further. She wishes her sister had a heart somewhere beneath the stony exterior, but if there is one, she hasn’t found it. It weighs heavily on her heart to witness the barbs she lashes the poor orphan with, but what can she do? Short of calling for one of their parents, she isn’t able to prevent Victoria from unleashing her wrath. It’s a miracle that it hasn’t already come to blows, and she glances over her shoulder to see if Diantha was heading their way to fuel the fire. Her ear twitches towards Victoria as she explains she is protecting her sister among other things, and her cheeks flush with an odd emotion. A mixture of embarrassment that she needs to be protected at all and embarrassment that Victoria finds this boy so much of a threat. Either way, it is unpleasant and she does her best to stifle it. Still, there is a shred of happiness that her sister is agreeable to protecting her at all, but the momentary flash of kinship is short-lived. Her ears wilt against her head as Victoria glares in her direction, and Septima slumps a bit in defeat. What else can she do besides look at the boy with wide, apologetic eyes and pray he understands that Victoria did not speak for the both of them.

no damsel in distress, don't need to save me

table by sentinel / art

“You can own land?” The question seemed more like it was for the pint sized assassin then for the two older girls. “huh” The consept was weird, that you can just own land and take it away from the use of others. That you could stop other people from using it ? But why would anyone do that? Perhaps safely! To mark out a land just for yourself and yourself alone. The consept was almost easy to grasp but not quite. Still, he almost felt bad for this girl so eager to protect her family.

Almost but no quite.

“You want to keep people safe you have to use more than your claws. My family were assassins, I started my training two months ago. I don’t know everything but I know enough to kill.” He turned to @Septima . “This land is dry and dessert like, you’ll have larkspur here, it can be used to kill or wound if you know how to use it. Also made me dizzy from what I remember.” The less we delve into his family’s use of poisonous plants on themselves the better. “Boabab stops it as long as you’ve only had a little.” These were harsh lessons forced into a young brain. In many ways he had long stopped feeling like a cub.

Finding refuge in my own lies How are you? I'm doing alright

Small talk is a great disguise, Just let me be, Just let me be, Empty thoughts start to crowd my mind, Am I only living, living to survive? , Shake it off but I've lost the drive, Just let me be, Just let me be, Let me be okay, No one knows what goes on up inside my head ,There's a new kind of poison and it's starting to spread ,No one knows what goes on up inside my head, They don't think I need help ,But I'm scaring myself,I just want to be okay,I just want to be okay

code by corvus

Septima does not comment and Victoria does not notice the defeated slump. Her attention is once more on the cub in front of them, who briefly commented on the concept of land ownership but it wasn't what had the Princess' attention. His words caused a cruel and sharp laugh to erupt from the girls lips and within that need to hurt others there was genuine humour as well. "Enough to kill what - an ant?" She sneered, stepping further forward and bearing down on the cub. "Two months ago, you would have been a mewling baby still sucking from your mother." Her tone completely dismissive, tail twitching in irritation as she questioned the validity of a three month old cub knowing anything about assassination and killing. "I think your new friend likes to spin some tall tales Sepi." Victoria bit over her shoulder, grey eyes cutting to her sister and quirking an eyebrow - See - he's a filthy liar! As his words continued to spout about herbs and plants, Victoria backed off only slightly and remained a steadfast barrier to the boys view of the Oasis. "I don't believe a word you say. So I guess you're going to have to give us something else to convince us to help you before we decide we don't want strays on our border anymore." Victoria concluded, gaze firmly fixed on the boy, immovable and intense.

table by koi

“spin a web so deep eventually the dummies won’t see through.” He smirked, an almost unnerving glint in his eyes. “But I don’t lie. I started training. Wasn’t much good yet but I know the basics. Like lions who talk to the wrong lions in the wrong manner meet the receiving end of an assassins trade.”

It was a sassy remark, hidden behind a smile of innocence. A true angel baby. One who saw fire reaching for the heavens and swallowing it while. Destroying a civilisation in one snap of its flaming jaws. “But fine. I won’t lower myself for the likes of anyone- pretty pink princess or not.” He grinned, rubbing a tail against @Victoria . “You know Miss Septima, you’re sister is quite the card. So tell me, Vicky Vicky Voo, what do you want.”

Sweet and innocent.

A con.

Finding refuge in my own lies How are you? I'm doing alright

Small talk is a great disguise, Just let me be, Just let me be, Empty thoughts start to crowd my mind, Am I only living, living to survive? , Shake it off but I've lost the drive, Just let me be, Just let me be, Let me be okay, No one knows what goes on up inside my head ,There's a new kind of poison and it's starting to spread ,No one knows what goes on up inside my head, They don't think I need help ,But I'm scaring myself,I just want to be okay,I just want to be okay

code by corvus

Her patience, hardly particularly long to begin with, was wearing thin and it showed in the gleam of her dark grey gaze, the spike of her fur as she listened to @Fortis spout his ridiculous words. The arch of her brow was the only response to his poor explanation, but she didn't bother to reply. He had his chance and injured or no, Victoria had had enough. When the boy directed a question towards her and foolishly mocked her name, the tether she held upon her patience snapped entirely. He might have been granted entry into the Oasis, for someone to actually help heal him, had he not taunted her, lied to her, fabricated a ridiculous story whilst on their borders. With nothing more than a malevolent hiss, Victoria launched herself towards the boy. She barrelled forward, attempting to bowl into him and shove him over, out, away from the borders. At the same time, she attempted to use her superior height to look down at him, fangs reaching to bite at his head or neck, whatever was left vulnerable to her. He was no longer welcome on their borders - he could go and find help elsewhere. Victoria vs. @Fortis Dominance (GTFO my lawn, do not give me nicknames) Round 1 / 3 Hits: Rolling 3d20: 7 + 20 + 14 Dodges: Rolling 1d20: 18 Luck: Rolling 5d20: 19 + 10 + 5 + 18 + 1

table by koi

Fangs sank into his neck, hardly enough to even pierce a grown lion. But it hurt the smaller boy in an odd way. He could feel it begin to bleed as he tried to shake the larger cub off his back. "Moron. He hissed under his breathe.. Not for her to hear but to give him some form of justice. Some form of control. He fumbled to try and cut her arm. Anger welling in his joints. She will not be given victory not now- not today not over him. The assassin. The miracle son.

A babe who wishes for his mother. Broken

@Victoria vs. @Fortis
Dominance (Attacking a baby gees)
Round 1 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 3d20: 20 + 4 + 8

Dodges:

Rolling 1d20: 11

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 3 + 8 + 11 + 19 + 15

Finding refuge in my own lies How are you? I'm doing alright

Small talk is a great disguise, Just let me be, Just let me be, Empty thoughts start to crowd my mind, Am I only living, living to survive? , Shake it off but I've lost the drive, Just let me be, Just let me be, Let me be okay, No one knows what goes on up inside my head ,There's a new kind of poison and it's starting to spread ,No one knows what goes on up inside my head, They don't think I need help ,But I'm scaring myself,I just want to be okay,I just want to be okay

code by corvus

Deep within, Victoria did not consider that there might be something wrong with her behaviour. Her sister had only wanted to help an injured cub on their borders, but the middle Princess had been so quick to judge, to be suspicious of the blood-covered child. It probably meant that there was something fundamentally wrong with her, but it also wasn't something she would be analysing any time soon. As she launched herself at the boy, she caught sight of @Septima turning away from her and the older sister dismissed it just as quickly. If her younger sibling could not stomach the sight of Victoria enforcing the law then that was fine by her. Their bodies collided, her much larger frame dominating his - already weak from his injuries. His low hiss only incensed her further and the Miroslav ploughed forward, bowling the plum-coated boy over and onto his back. Without a second of hesitation, she struck - a viper strike at his neck, to clamp down on the vulnerable area, jaws instinctively seeking to crush trachea and slice jugular. It wasn't a conscious thought and perhaps it wasn't tempered by previous experience. She had never made a killing blow, did not necessarily know her own strength over an already weakened cub - in the past she had never managed to catch Diantha out and get a hold of her throat, so perhaps it was the victory in having managed to expose such a vulnerability that had Victoria going for the kill. Whatever it was, the piebald girl clamped her jaw tightly shut and held on, a rumbling growl muffled by plum fur.

table by koi

The world started to dip in and out of darkness. Soft huffs of breathed barely escaping his mouth. Quick hushed and pained. His eyes madly darted to Victoria. A silent plea for her to stop. But he knew death. His weeks had been young and short. First filled with warmth and love and whispered lessons. Then with harsh flames and cruel fate. Pushing him down and trying to break him at every jagged turn. But now none of that mattered. None of it ended up mattering. It was all mearly another broken end- a fallen angel cast into oblivion. His stuttering gaze met hers. Eyes bulging. “Th-thank you. Mi-mi-missss” He spar out. Tone breaking and faltering. “For gi-vin me backta ma s-s-sisters and ma-mama-“ It wasn’t filled with malice. A true thank you. For while her strived to survive. He had also strived to feel peace again. What would come next? Would he feel that loving warm of his family again? Nuzzled by the warm form of his mother. Perhaps several sisters would come see him. The boy king of everything and yet nothing. He almost wanted it. He almost dreamed of it. Being whole again.

He wouldn’t have to wait long.

Finding refuge in my own lies How are you? I'm doing alright

Small talk is a great disguise, Just let me be, Just let me be, Empty thoughts start to crowd my mind, Am I only living, living to survive? , Shake it off but I've lost the drive, Just let me be, Just let me be, Let me be okay, No one knows what goes on up inside my head ,There's a new kind of poison and it's starting to spread ,No one knows what goes on up inside my head, They don't think I need help ,But I'm scaring myself,I just want to be okay,I just want to be okay

code by corvus

The spluttering gasps did not really register with the girl, who felt almost lost in the bloodlust that gripped her. Unable to let go, unwilling to yield even an inch, she noted the bulge of his eyes and the gargle of his breath without really connecting it to death, to killing. It wasn't to excuse the girl, nor was it to say that she didn't understand what she was doing. But in that moment, in those seconds that ticked by with @Fortis's last breath, she was only instinct and clamping jaws. At the very back of her mind, she considered the fact that he didn't struggle, that his words seemed genuinely thankful and she brushed that aside. She held firm, ears straining for any sign that he had succumbed - that she had won.

table by koi

Th-thank... tha-nk your-s sista for meh. Sep- I- I - ma was kind ta meh.” They were final mumbles. Soft and stuttering. “yeh kind in da bad way.” He added, almost a last conclusion. He focused on the sky as everything seemed to fade around him. Happy to give in to it all. Let her win this one. One day in the realm after death he shall fight her again and next time they shall both fight at equal odds. That time he will win. His eyes closed for one last time. His breath slowing down and vanishing to nothing. “Alone with others.” was his last broken mumble. A broken raspy laugh shaking through him. When the world slipped away all the pain vanished. The cut on his leg being the last to fade. He went limp.

When he would next awake- he prayed that it would be his mama to greet him.

The broken king returned to the lands of nothing and all. An assassin taken by blood and pain. This girl- this Victoria. She’d done him a kindness in a way.

DEATH OF FORTIS

Finding refuge in my own lies How are you? I'm doing alright

Small talk is a great disguise, Just let me be, Just let me be, Empty thoughts start to crowd my mind, Am I only living, living to survive? , Shake it off but I've lost the drive, Just let me be, Just let me be, Let me be okay, No one knows what goes on up inside my head ,There's a new kind of poison and it's starting to spread ,No one knows what goes on up inside my head, They don't think I need help ,But I'm scaring myself,I just want to be okay,I just want to be okay

code by corvus