She hasn't been here before. The rolling hills of green have given way to a thin blanket of snow that crunches beneath her paws as she walks, breaking through the thin layer of ice crusted on top with every step. Septima drinks in the scene with wide, curious eyes and looks from place to place, hoping to find something marvelously unique as she went. There is nothing too special about the place, she realizes, but that resonates with her because there is nothing too special about her, either. The youngest daughter of an abandoned litter, the quiet daughter against two lively and vivacious ones. She doesn't know her place in the world and it frightens her, but what can she do? She feels hopeless. Without a mother to guide her, without a father to guide her -- what is she supposed to do? Septima sighs as she slinks up the hill, hoping the answers might lay just on the other side.

code by Cloudy

collecting poison and antidotes was now a favorite pastime of diantha's. even more of an obsession now that she realized she had to make something work. that poisoning someone was better than murdering them with her fangs and claws. as they say, poison was a lady's weapon. diantha pushed herself into the dusky hues of the everglade, mind focused on the ghostly petals of horse chestnuts and angel's trumpet. she had no intention of doing anything else nor stopping to chat until she saw a familiar figure pressing forth onto the same hill she happened upon. her youngest sibling, @Septima, was a short distance away. without hesitation, diantha made her way forward and chuffed at her.

_{BG — DUSK/ALE-TIE — CODE}

It was strange how the atmosphere seemed to shift whenever one of her siblings were nearby. Septima could feel the electricity through the air, feel the tension as her muscles pulled coiled in anticipation. She thought her attempts at avoiding them were somewhat successful, but now she is face to face with one of her nightmares. Creating the hill, Septima pauses and looks back to her older sister with a look of expectant annoyance. "Hi." It is a lackluster greeting, yes, but she cannot always pretend to be the good girl. Even Septima has her demons, and one of them happens to now be standing right in front of her.

@Diantha

code by Cloudy

diantha was expecting something of the sort, that no matter what she did her youngest sibling would look at her like she was a bother. but diantha had no reason to beg for @Septima's kindness nor her forgiveness. she didn't care at all. and, to be honest, she didn't think she was the sole reason why septima hated her. you're upset she observed, making sure to place her body directly in front of septima. did victoria steal your possessions again? she couldn't tell if septima was back in the oasis yet after her sudden absence. the scent of their pride had since integrated itself with their natural smell.

_{BG — DUSK/ALE-TIE — CODE}

Septima's brow knits together pensively as @Diantha comes to stand directly in front of her. There is certainly something different about her sister that she's not sure she likes -- specifically because it reminds her of her mother. The woman who left them is not someone she is keen on remembering, so she does her best to simply see Diantha as Diantha and nothing else. It is only marginally successful.

"I don't know, I haven't seen her in months." And she wants to keep it that way. "And there's a difference between upset and defensive." Septima frowns, her tail lashing at her heels. "Is there something you wanted from me, Diantha?"

code by Cloudy

you are upset diantha said, more demand than an observation now. she still remembered the glances septima gave them whenever she and victoria were in her vicinity. or her lack of presence when they were in the same place at all. despite septima's reason for her absence being due to find their mother, diantha thought that she had another too. it must suck for you that you were born in the wrong family, no? it had to be one of the reasons then, that septima was always more ghost than the full-fleshed sister of theirs. we are blood sisters and our mother is gone. i don't suppose it would be too alien for you to realize we should stick together. i don't want to see you disappearing again. at least, not right now. diantha didn't want to suddenly wake up and find out septima's gone a second time and that it'd be her final time.

ooc slkdflskd im sorry this sucks im still figurin out how di works

_{BG — DUSK/ALE-TIE — CODE}

Ah, yes, she had forgotten her sister could read minds. Septima is already exhausted by the briefest of interactions with her sister, only further proving that she had made the right choice in avoiding them. It is the next sentence, meant to be an insult, that makes her shake her head sadly. "Oh, Diantha, it's not me that was born into the wrong family." Septima is a Miroslav woman as they are supposed to be -- obedient, strong, understanding of her place and position. Diantha is some amalgamation of anger and low self-esteem, and that is not something Septima can help with.

"You don't own me, Diantha, and you do not control what I do. You cannot make demands of me because I will not bow my head to you." Her claws dig into the earth below, her ears pinned against her head.

code by Cloudy

you mean victoria? diantha replied without missing a beat. she was aware that @Septima may have meant her. but, most of all, she was aware that septima fought victoria countless times in the past. and with the middle sister not here to defend herself, diantha thought it better to bring her in. she did not dislike victoria; in fact, diantha and her were closer than septima ever was to them. i am the eldest and i'll tell you both what to do as long as i live. so right now you and victoria should make amends and spend some time getting along. her eyes narrowed, the brightness of it sharp and intimidating. she allowed the silence to settle, mind swallowing every little word septima said. you'll bow your head to everyone else then?

_{BG — DUSK/ALE-TIE — CODE}

"I think you're confused little girl," came the low snarl from the glade around them. She had only just arrived, but it was soon enough to catch the last words from @Diantha's ivory lips. Vesuvia slunk from the trees into the open, head already lowered into a fighting stance. It made no difference to the Miroslav waif that her niece was already taller than herself, they, all of the Miroslav women, were beneath herself. "Time to learn your fucking place," bicolored eyes flashed from her target to @Septima as she quickened her pace, "And you're going to help."

Demands made, a chance for Septima to earn some favor in her aunt's eyes if she chose to take it, Vesuvia would shift her weight to her back legs, tail flung out for balance as she would attempt to lunge directly for her niece's face with her jaws aiming for the left side of her opponent's muzzle while lifting her own left paw to attempt to rake her claws down the front of Diantha's right forelimb. There would be no holding back in this as Vesuvia saw this as the black and white girl's last chance to prove she was even worth the elder Miroslav's time.

Their mother had clearly failed in preparing them and Seneca as a man could not be expected to fulfill that gap either. Just how much of a lost cause are you, niece?

@Vesuvia vs. @Diantha
for Dominance
i/iii
Hits:

Rolling 4d20: 15 + 7 + 17 + 1

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 17 + 11 + 1 + 2

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 7 + 5 + 13 + 11 + 20

table by ferus, art by grav3wolf

the silence stretched on until an unfamiliar scent cleaved her senses. a low growl of threat arrived soon after, causing dianth's fur to stand and her legs spread on instinct for defense. she saw the golden lioness, mind hurled into an abyss of lost childhood memories. who the fuck are you, you old woman? diantha demanded, mouth curled into a smirk and a growl as she dipped her head low until it aligned with her spine. disgust coiled in her stomach at the woman's interference and diantha prepared herself for the oncoming strike.

the woman lunged and diantha moved to her right, feeling @Vesuvia's fangs rake down her muzzle. the damage was only to the surface, but this was the first pain that diantha acknowledged in her entire existence. with her own jaws unhinged, she attempted to do a similar attack on vesuvia's muzzle by twisting her head towards the woman. her eyes let slip vesuvia's second attack, the strike on her forelimb, and she felt a much painful searing sensation on her forelimb. with her left paw, diantha attempted to tear it down vesuvia's right upper leg.

@Diantha vs. @Vesuvia
for who the fuck are you
i/iii
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 5 + 4 + 1 + 7 + 12 + 6

Dodges:

Rolling 2d20: 7 + 1

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 16 + 11 + 7 + 1 + 19

_{BG — DUSK/ALE-TIE — CODE}