With a little struggle, Caelum finally had gotten @Alaiya to the borders of Wolfbron Bluffs. With a threatening growl, he stood up on a jutting rock behind her and commanded her onward. The lioness' wounded backside was visible against her pale coat, and it would only get worse from there if she continued to deny him what he requested of her. For now, it was easy things - like walking onward, joining the Bluffs, behaving. His requests would likely get more difficult with time, but she didn't need to know that. All she needed to fill her pretty, little head up with was listening to what he told her... and that was joining the Bluffs right now.

As they neared the border, he growled, "Stop." Then he proceeded to chuff for @Amara or some other high-ranking member to come and screen her for success. As with all things, Caelum didn't expect this to be an easy process, but he waited silently, not offering any clues to what lie ahead.

---

Assumptions OK'd by Anyu! Please let Anyu post with Alaiya first! Ty <3 // Caelum's hoping to get his new plaything all joined up :) ((also backdated to Feb))

ART

She'd tried to resist going to the Bluffs, but in the end her weakness had won out against her. There were a few more bloody welts on her hind end, not bleeding actively but sore and bruised and stinging in the cold winter air. She limped a little as he ordered her forward, her bruised muscles complaining at the continued use. Her head hung low - defeated, for now.

Finally he told her to stop, and she did without hesitation. She didn't want to be here, where she had watched Zoticus lose his crown. She didn't want to be near those who had taken it from him. She had no doubt that her weakness would not be appreciated here. @Caelum called for someone, but she couldn't guess who. She didn't even know the name of the male who had defeated Zoticus, but she assumed he was still king here.

She waited with Caelum, wondering if the Wolfbron lions would even let him keep her here at all.

[[super vague on health status due to ongoing challenge lmao]]

He wasn't Amara, but he was high-ranked. Until either Xerxes managed to beat him or Amara got tired of his shit, anyway. He was also fairly close when the call went out, having taken some time to roam the border and put on a show of actually using the title he'd fought for. Although, it was more curiosity than a sense of duty that drew him toward the sound.

And what a sight it was. The man he'd fought in the training event, with a pretty pink thing in tow. Brows raised as he neared, and finally paused a few paces away, bemusement finding its way into his expression. "The fuck is this?" She still had the scent of the brook on her, and looked like she'd been smacked around a time or two.

Even so, there wasn't any real emotion in his voice; it was a simple request for information. Ryker wasn't quite sure if he should be amused yet or not, so he'd wait to hear what all this was about.

@Caelum @Alaiya

I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

Fighting my way through the sins of the street I'm feeling psycho, psycho Where did my mind go? Biting my tongue and I'm loading my gun Back to the wind, better run, better run I'm feeling crazy, crazy Go 'head and make me It's the life that I can't escape, can't walk away There's blood in the ocean And I'm losing focus I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

code by corvus

Caelum was confident that anyone who met them at the border was going to give him a hard time about this, and when @Ryker joined them at the border, he growled in frustration. Not him. Why did it have to be him? Ice-colored eyes followed the lion as he sauntered towards them, asking what was what.

"She's mine," Caelum growled at him, lowly through clenched teeth and furrowed brows. He knew the male had just secured quite the victory of obtaining a high rank. Caelum could smell the arrogance dripping from his pores. He would not tolerate Ryker trying to steal Pinky away.

"I took her, and I want her to become a member here. She's my new... pet." If one could call it that. @Alaiya could take on many roles at Caelum's side... whatever he felt like that day.

ART

It wasn't long before a stranger approached. At least it wasn't the lion who had beat Zoticus. Still, she eyed the black and white lion warily, not sure what to expect from him or any other member of the Bluffs. There was a hint of pleading in her gaze, as if she was trying to will him to tell @Caelum no, that he couldn't keep her here. But somehow she doubted that would be the case.

The way the male spoke didn't give her much hope. Lacking emotion, his words were far from those of what she thought a civilized lion would sound like, and though Caelum seemed to dislike the male, the lion seemed just like the sort that would be in the same pride as her captor.

So, despite her hope that this male might send her away and Caelum would give up this venture, Alaiya shrank away from the stranger and closer to Caelum, as if she could somehow hide in his shadow. Though she doubted he would protect her, his ego might at least cause him to defend his claim on her should the other male seek to stake his own, therefore keeping her out of harms way, or at least out of a worse situation.

@Ryker

Amara had slowly grown used to being called for, she could hardly ever guess the reasons behind each call but she would respond. She walked through her lands until she found the black and white lion that had called her. With him were @Ryker and a lioness that she didn't know. She paused for a moment before coming to stand with the group, her golden gaze looked the female over and saw her wounds. @Caelum seemed to be free of marks from what she could see as she looked him over before settling on his icy gaze. The scent of the Brook rolled off her. Amara struggled for a moment, to her, a lioness wasn't meant to be a play thing or anything but respected but weak lioness weren't worth taking up space. Who did you fight for her? If he was going to be taking things, surely there would have been a fight? A struggle at least. She looked toward the female with a slightly raised brow to see if she was going to say anything or remain silent.

code // art // do not use without permission

Poltergeist got himself attracted by the commotion soon to arise in the borders where he had been not long ago seeking home here. But as cautious as any Black would be he didnt want to go head on, perhaps he even shouldn't be here at all or that's what he thought. In said light he came but hiding away, doing so using an slop that covered him well enough, unique from each other his eyes fell over the party finding it amusing what he was able to see from there. Silent and stealthy to no end. This could perhaps be useful for him later on. But for now he watched hidden. These lions were interesting.

Polter is hidden

Sleuth exp:
+5 Infiltrate a group thread without getting caught

BG

“Amara,” he greeted as she joined them, dipping his muzzle slightly to the High Sovereign.

He might’ve been able to get what he wanted by sympathizing with @Ryker - as much as he didn’t like the male - due to his recent claim ventures in Andal Oasis… however, once Amara showed up, he couldn’t be quite sure he could go that route any longer. But what was Caelum if not true to his nature? He wouldn’t sugarcoat or hold anything back from @Amara. He had stolen a lioness from a pride and he was proud… because she was pretty, and they had history. And now, she was his.

“No one,” he answered freely, proud of his achievement. “I stole her.” If @Alaiya ’s wounds counted, one could say he fought her, a little. Or rather, she fought him.

ART

Honestly, the man's frustration at simply seeing him was more amusing than whatever else was happening at the moment. Poor loser? A slight smirk formed at the first growled words, "You really think I'm interested in your sloppy seconds?" No thanks. Not when they looked so fucking pitiful. He liked his partners with a little more fight in them.

As @Amara arrived, she'd earn a glance and a slight nod of acknowledgment, but Ryker couldn't help the snort of amusement as @Caelum explained. "Let's make sure we have this straight. You stole a brook lioness, as if she was quite literally a piece of meat. No challenge to remove her from the brook first, and you want her to join the bluffs." Did he have that right? The darker man had simply abducted the girl?

"What you have there is a prisoner, not a prospective new member." His gaze shifted to Amara while the rest of his head stayed still. They were big on the superiority of females here, weren't they. He was very curious to see how she'd react to this. Ultimately, Amara had the final say on what happened with the girl, and with her captor. Ryker, for his part, wondered just how long it would take the brook to realize she was gone, and then how long it would be before someone came charging up to the bluffs to demand her release or return.

@Alaiya

I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

Fighting my way through the sins of the street I'm feeling psycho, psycho Where did my mind go? Biting my tongue and I'm loading my gun Back to the wind, better run, better run I'm feeling crazy, crazy Go 'head and make me It's the life that I can't escape, can't walk away There's blood in the ocean And I'm losing focus I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

code by corvus

It was starting to seem like the lions here weren't necessarily approving of @Caelum's...methods. They seemed convinced that there should have been a challenge, and by all rights that was true, but since no one had caught him trespassing...well, a challenge had quite simply not happened.

And there is where she saw an opportunity. A way to make a fool of him in front of his pridemates. So, Alaiya raised her head and met @Amara's eyes - she'd heard Caelum mention her name, so she had a label to go with the black speckled lioness - with hatred burning in them. She was a terrible fighter. He could overpower her easily. And she wasn't so good a medic that she could treat her own wounds. And...she was afraid of him. But that didn't mean that the fight wasn't there at all. She wanted them to see that, even if they wouldn't value it.

"He didn't fight anyone," she confirmed after he admitted to it himself. "He overpowered me in my sleep like a coward." There. She'd said it. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't, but she turned her accusing gaze to him regardless, expecting violence from him now, but wondering just what he would do in front of his superiors.

Then the other male's mention of prisoner reached her ears and she pinned them back, hating the idea that being a captive might become her fate here. But...perhaps their was still hope that she could turn this in her favor. In the meantime, she tensed her legs, bracing from an attack or a blow from Caelum. Knowing she was poking the bear.


@Ryker