Lucien stayed quiet while others began to filter in, the first one bein' the Plains Heiress. He couldn't say he was particularly surprised that she was right behind him; from what he had taken up about her was that she needed to be in the know, even if that meant forcin' herself into view. But alas, she were apart of himself and Violarum's rankin', and with a watchful eye he'd take in how she introduced herself before sayin' that it was a rather nervy move to summon all the leaders in one spot. The dun man silently agreed - high tensions could only be stifled for so long before it became unbearable to deal with.

The next to arrive would be the Hollows King, only bein' given a glance before Ecrosia's Sovereign came into view. Her question brought a brow to rise slightly above right eye, for it seemed more than obvious that Ronin had taken Andal for himself. Why else would he had called them all? Scilla's leaders would arrive next, Lucien watchin' them with continued silent observation. He was nothin' more than a sponge at the current moment, learnin' names and scents and placin' them with faces. He couldn't help but let out a bemused snort through flared nostril's at Tiamat's comment, ears twistin' forward.

Only one of the Brook's leaders would answer the call, and with knownin' there had been a pride challenge recently for the forest pride, he wasn't all that surprised that she was alone. A woman with a tattered ear would slink her way toward Obsidian's leader, the hushed murmur that traveled in the air nothin' more than garbled up words. Golden eyes would sweep over toward Alaric as he arrived, watchin' him as he greeted Ronin with a stiff greetin' before settlin' himself in. The ever growin' tensions around the lions was thick enough now to make Lucien's fur begin to bristle ever so slightly - he was so oblivious to the turmoil and hatred that was both felt and received that he wasn't sure what to make of anythin'.

A purpled eyed bronze male would be next to show, an unknown face to the King but the scent that clung to his fur told him he was from Firnen. His eyes didn't linger for too long on the male, now flickin' toward the small posse from Illyria. Lucien noticed how the High Queen was limpin' and how the others made known that they would not tolerate any funny business. Durin' their entrance he would catch a glimpse of the albino lion as he made his way toward Slaine and Alaric. A maroon woman would make her way to be next to Ronin, and Lucien took in the rather beaten appearance she held; he could only imagine how the swollen part of her face must be feelin'.

Wolfbron's High Queen would be next, findin' her way toward the tattered eared lioness and the Hollows ruler. Lucien was takin' it all in, how which lions gravitated toward which and how they all reacted to others' presence. And then a rather small albino lion would arrive and make a beeline toward Ronin, and as he strained his ears forward Lucien would only catch the congratulations before it all turned into soft words. But as the lion moved away would Ronin begin to speak, saying that this lion - @Nero - wanted to say somethin' before anythin' else was to begin. Attention would hone in on the man, listenin' as he spoke of Ghyslaine and how she was missin'. Brows would knit together as lips pulled into a tight line; Lucien remembered Violarum mentionin' how she was missin', the cowboy feelin' a bit more dread seepin' into him as he heard that her whereabouts were still unknown. And then he would speak of another missin': his mother. Lucien couldn't quite recall if he had ever seen Alizabeth, but how Nero described her he was more than sure he wouldn't forget her if he had.

Finally it would all begin, @Ronin steppin' up to formally introduce himself before divin' into the knitty gritty. Still the ever so silent one, Lucien would listen as the Oasis ruler first addressed his relation with the Mire, pointin' out that they had a very strained relationship but he was willin' to be civil as long as they were. Ronin's attention would then snap toward the trio, speakin' about how he didn't want to start any wars but a member of one of the prior's rulers (and those that the Bluffs appeared to have problems with) was holdin' a high rank in Andal. Lucien could feel his muscles begin to tense as he watched their interaction as Ronin continued on, now speakin' to the male next to the two women. From what he was gatherin' there was that Obsidian and Wolfbron were allied, that much was obvious.

Next in line was the Summit. Ronin would mention how he had stayed there but a brief moment, sayin' he had heard both good and bad things about her before wantin' to create an alliance between the two prides. The Brook would be given the same invitation, Lucien's eyes dartin' between man and women a couple of times. The Rainforest would be asked what their pride values were like, somethin' that would also help Lucien to know whether or not they would be good allies for Lorien.

And then the attention would be brought upon himself and Anniston. Lucien couldn't help but lift his maw up a bit while his shoulders rolled, tail tip flickin' behind him. The news of how Ronin and Violarum shared more than just a rocky relationship was news to him, sayin' that he wouldn't be able to offer anythin' more than just becomin' neutral and nothin' more, nothin' less. He would take some time to allow for the offer to be mulled over in his mind while the Oasis King continued on down the line with the remainin' pride left for him to acknowledge and try to create some form of an alliance with them despite certain lies and pasts.

@Jafar answered the question he was givin', one that Lucien felt like he could easily stand behind. The Plains was family oriented, more exclusive than most, but all the same a family - and he wanted nothin' more than to protect that family with everythin' he had. @Tiamat's response was somethin' that brought his attention fully onto her, listenin' to how the Lagoon would not be an ally to Andal if they were enemies with the Mire due to their close relations. It made sense to Lucien, to want to have an ally's six, but sometimes things were much more than that alone.

@Revna would introduce herself and her place within Vermeda, commentin' on how Cassandra was still healin' for bein' the reason why she was not also present with her. She'd offer neutrality only until she could have words with her High Queen, and the King couldn't help but give a slight nod. It was a good move of her to do, to not assume bein' allied to a pride until talkin' it over.

Finally noticin' that @Anniston had scooted a closer to him would cause for his skull to turn in her direction, watchin' her and beginnin' to realize that it was just goin' to be the two of them here, with Violarum nowhere in site. Lucien couldn't help but feel the smallest of ruffled feathers at the lack of their High King's presence, so that only meant that he needed to figure out what the clay man would want to do in this situation (but not knowin' the full extent of he and Ronin's past it would certainly make it a little harder to do).

And that was when the young Heiress' actions consumed his attention entirely.

Before Lucien had the chance to speak his piece about the Plains and the Oasis creatin' any sort of nonpartisan agreement she would begin to speak, allowin' for her irritation and anger to be so clearly exposed. He could feel his muscles tightenin' with each sentence she spoke, eyes now narrowin' - but not at Ronin. The dun man was beginnin' to have trouble keepin' his breathin' normal, his heart beginnin' to thump quicker and the adrenaline slowly startin' to seep through veins. He could feel his toes itch and flex, long claws beginnin' to click the stone beneath them. Eyes would dart back and forth between Anniston and Ronin, tryin' to keep himself as calm as possible.

Until he couldn't any longer.

"Enough!" The loud boom of his voice might've shocked those that knew him, the usually calm and casual southern drawler. But in this moment, he was seein' red. The switch was flipped, one he tried so desperately to keep at bay, of how he tried to bury it way down inside of him. But the girl's arrogance and immaturity at holdin' such a rank, paired with the way she tried to steer his reigns like he was some sort of weapon for her to abuse, was more than enough to cause for those walls to crumble down. "You do not give me orders. You may be Violarum's daughter but that doesn't give you squat over bossin' me 'round."

Lip would curl to reveal stained canine and the teeth that were next to it, tail now lashin' behind him. "I am the present Lorien King, so I decide what goes and what doesn't. Now quit your yappin' and sit down." Lucien would have to suck in a few slow breaths to steady himself, starin' down Anniston as if challengin' her to try to make him bend to her will. But after several long moments passed he would slowly drag his attention back toward Ronin, nostrils flarin'. "Now I don't know what you and King Violarum's squabbles have been 'bout, and if I'm bein' honest I don't care. If bein' amicable is the only thing we can offer each other then consider it done." Drawlin' tone was gruff, and as he spoke the last bit he would give the Heiress another hard stare. 'Try me, girl'. He knew he was bein' a bit hypocritical from his previous thoughts on speakin' alliances over leader to leader, but at the current moment he did not care. Violarum wasn't there to pipe in so Lucien took the lead.

The Mire Sovereign would be what broke his focus, sayin' somethin' or other about if Ecrosia was the problem or she herself. It all seemed like personal drama now, another way to air out dirty laundry for good. And then she declares a fight between she, who was heavily pregnant, and Ronin himself. With a loud snort, Lucien would find himself takin' a strong step forward, claws clickin' once more on the stone. "Now hold on there," he would begin, his anger beginnin' to simmer down to a soft heat. "Y'all seem to have many skeletons in each of y'all's closets and y'all want to clear 'em out here, of all places. But what y'all need to focus on is bein' leaders, not squabblin' cubs." Now whether or not his comments would be heard or even acknowledged was another thing, but for right now all Lucien was seein' was a bunch of yearling's encompassin' the bodies of adults - and these weren't the types of lions he would choose to ally with. "Keep private affairs private." Because why would you want to display your issues and potential weaknesses to all the leaders of Amaryllis?

A rather heavy sigh would escape him then, feelin' as though the weight of the world was fallin' onto his shoulders. He would take a step to the side now, to bring himself in front of Anniston, as though to further hinder her from tryin' to do anythin' else Lucien would have to retaliate to. He could already see it now, though, of her runnin' off to Violarum to give a story of how mean he was to her, of how he didn't have her back or some other nonsense. But that would be later's problems to deal with, for right now all he needed was for Ronin to say he accepted his offer or not so that he could leave this forsaken meetin'.

image by mono, code by corvus

Nephthys had not been born with the innate desire to lead. She had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, yes, but that had never shaped her future. Toddler Nephthys had been giggly and silly, adventurous and comfortable. Her loving parents had never left her wanting for anything and she still treasured those memories now: running along the beaches of Caladan with her brothers, wrestling and playing and thinking there was nothing better in the world than breathing in the salty air and life. Her father had shown her the ways of leadership as a pastime more than anything else, and her mother had taught her the ways it meant to be treated with love. She watched her parents and their love story, yearning for something like that to be her own one day; a different story but one she could treasure just as dearly. Young Nephthys grew up surrounded by compassion and love, so why was her story so much different than what she had envisioned?

Why was she even here at all?

This gathering was for the kings and queens, not the tagalongs that only hoped they could make a difference. And what did that matter when, in the end, @Ronin did not consult her about his decisions? She could have been somewhere safely resting, nursing her broken jaw back to health instead of sitting on a blustery mountaintop to be embarrassed as she had been now.

Oh, her sweet Ronin. She winced as he began, already feeling the leathery fingers of discomfort twisting in her gut. The first and greatest insult he could have slapped the Mire king with made her physically tense, because why did all of these men find her so incapable of handling things herself? Bhaskar had challenged for her freedom (had he just asked..) against her wishes, a grand surprise she had never wanted to see. The result had been similar: embarrassment. It announced to everyone that she was a trinket to be won, not another living being with her own machinations and desires. Nephthys was not incapable of securing her own release and she would have done it with far more tact, but now what? Now what was she supposed to do? Her eyes drifted to @Alaric, knowing full well there would be hurt there somewhere - even if it was buried deep down. Even if he was already surrounded by women who clearly adored him and even if she was an insignificant speck in comparison to those lionesses. They had never been exclusive, but she knew their bond had potentially been severed – and for that, she was distraught. Nephthys shook her head subtly at him, though its meaning is lost even to her. Although she wanted to reach across the gathering for him, there was no point. He was sandwiched between two women much prettier than she, and if she hadn’t been mistaken, Slaine had just flashed her a look. Curious. If only Nephthys was aware enough to understand its meaning.

“I will speak on my behalf, Ronin,” she finally replied in response to his outcry for her release. Nephthys fully expected him to be upset with her, but she is done letting men override her and her abilities to function on her own. Her eyes flash towards him, narrowing ever so slightly: you need to trust me. Fresh from the reopened wounds of Bhaskar and still struggling with the loss of her son, Nephthys was no longer willing to put up with the idea that men could say as they pleased in her life. She did not need a hero, she needed a husband. A husband who understood that sometimes fixing things meant leaving it alone for her to fix at will, and that rushing in as a white knight only served to push her away.

The only man that had ever treated her as capable was Alaric. He had not babied her and she had not asked for it, had not even considered purring in his ear to ask him to take care of everything and deal with the messiness attached. All she had wanted was a protector; and beyond that, a friend. Someone she could trust to trust her, and Nephthys will no longer allow a white knight to save her. She was a damsel, she was in distress, but she was not a damsel in distress.

When Slaine rose to her paws, heavily pregnant, and offered to fight Ronin, Nephthys shook her head. “That won’t be necessary, @Sláine, and you are correct. My release is between myself and Alaric and is not pertinent to this conversation.” Nephthys glanced at Ronin from the corner of her eye, daring him to try and override her. Everything she did now was damage control, and how did she stop the damage from a man who seemed so keen on war?

Her eyes narrowed, however, at the mention of the peak – and her story was different than what Ronin had said. In his eyes, his ex-wife had potentially pushed him off a cliff, and yet here she was saying they had left on peaceful terms? Nephthys bristled because she was absolutely sick of all the games. Who was telling the truth? Considering the pretty little healer off to the side (Alaric’s side, no less) had just begun dramatics about being misled about Ronin’s name, she had to wonder. Was he the one being honest if he had lied about his identity to someone?

Cowboy Bebop (@Lucien) spoke up next, saying what everyone at the damn meeting needed to hear. “He is right. This is not the time to discuss personal matters, it is a meeting to discuss politics and it is fruitless if personal matters are brought into it. I will remain a member of Ecrosia as a measure of good faith between the prides,” for now lingered unspoken on her lips as she held her head high, fully aware Ronin would be vehemently against it. “There will be no bloodshed between the Oasis and the Mire and there will be no more discussion of this tangled web in front of others. We will speak afterwards if King Alaric and Queen Slaine will allow it.” Nephthys would happily give her crown back to Ronin if it meant keeping him safe – because at the end of the day, isn’t that what it was all about? Keeping him safe, keeping him alive? And now she needed to resort to public humiliation, tarnishing her reign in its infancy. She would do whatever it took to keep him alive and well, even if it meant going against what he wanted.

Nephthys sucked in a breath, shame warming her cheeks as she maintained the smallest amount of regal composure she could.

Why couldn't things ever be fucking easy with men?

table by sentinel / lion + mountains

Other filter in but it was @Nero that catches her gaze and holds it as he moves toward @Ronin and talks to him. Her ears flick as she tries to hear but isn't able to. It didn't take long for Ronin to step aside for the pale male who seemed to want to talk to them. Her whole body stiffened and her tail flicked sharply at @Louve's heels. So not only did he call the leaders here, he was going to let some nobody steal the show. She huffed lowly as he started speaking. He seems to know he isn't liked, which is a good thing for him. He went on about his wife, a name she knew. Poor lioness, getting saddled with a lion who seemed to be everywhere and nowhere every time she saw him. Amara didn't know anything about his wife but his mother, oh she knew where she was, well sort of. She was surprised that the male had taken this time now to ask about her after no one showed up looking for her at the borders. Your mother was in the Bluffs after nearly being killed by some mammoths. No one came looking for her at my borders or asked my pride about her that I am aware of. She said with a shrug. Once she was healed enough to make the journey, she headed north to find a mate of hers. A warden or something like that. Amara takes a moment to sweep her gaze among those gathered to see how they took this news. It wasn't a secret that Amara and Alizabeth weren't on good terms so would it matter that she was allowed to live and leave the Bluffs? No one needed to know that she had been a prisoner and was only just let go a few days ago. Would this move give Amara some good will that she could use to advance things later on? Her gaze settled back on @Nero to see what the pale male would do. @Ronin stepped up and got to the point of why he was there and why he had called upon them. He seemed to focus on the Mire first, which Amara expected to some degree but what came surprised her some. Nephthys had herself a new husband and it seemed that she would get herself a new rank as well. It seemed that there was some relationship drama with him and the lioness that she had come to know as the Mire's Queen. Amara flicked her gaze between them for a moment before the offer of a fight was made to clear things up. She didn't care for this level of drama and was starting to itch at needing to be in such a gathering. His gaze moved to Amara and Louve next and her ears pricked and then folded back at the mention of Seneca. Her claws slip out and dig into the ground. Seneca started it all. I gave him a fair chance to back off and control his offspring. He didn't. His family kept coming at mine and declared open season. She didn't know which son he was talking about, she remembered there being a lot of cubs at one point but it didn't matter. Knowing that one of them was leading the Oasis again burned her up inside. She couldn't allow them to gain a strong hold again. Ronin's attention went to Vermier and Amara's annoyance rolled off her as things seemed to be moving along the lines of this calling out those around them to make them either take him as an ally or not. That quickly seemed to be the case as he looked to Morrigan and asked her straight up to be an ally. While she didn't have anything against the lioness and felt that they were at least on some level of meh towards each other, that feeling wouldn't extend to her allies. His focus went to @Revna who had learned the same level of meh from Amara after things but that doesn't mean that Amara wanted them to be allies with the Oasis either. Amara was mentally doing the math to make sure that the Mire and Bluffs would be able to manage a raid on the Oasis together. It seemed that Revna was open to it but not without checking with Cassandra first. That seemed to track with how things went with the Brook. @Jafar was next and Amara didn't know much about the forest, the pride had been quite and had managed to not bother her so far. Amara finds herself amused that Jafar seems to be the only one that gets to explain anything about his pride, guess it wasn't just her they were avoiding. The male was quick to reply and talk about what he wanted for his pride. Was it really any different than any of them? At their core, all the prides seemed to run in a similar way. It seemed rather plain but that matched the fact that she didn't even really know that he was leading the rainforest. Then it was time for the Plain's lions to come under Ronin's attention and it was made clear that they would not be allies. Interesting. That could be a good sign for Amara who wasn't sure she had gotten to meet the male? She knew of him only because of Ghyslaine. She wasn't sure what that would mean for them but she was willing to try. Her brow raised as a lioness snapped back with a laugh and Amara's full attention went to her. She was spicy and Amara liked her. If her father was anything like her, she was sure that they would get along well also. She gave another an order who quickly shoved the order off and a small snarl left Amara at the disrespect. The male, @ Lucien, dismissed the fact that his leader and Ronin seem to have some bad blood. She hoped it would be a mistake for the unknown male to offer anything on his behalf when it was clear that Violarum's daughter wasn't keen on it. Males. The only thing he said that she agreed with was that all this private shit needed to stay private. And then, the Lagoon's new leaders. Amara's gaze flicked over to them for a moment before going back to Ronin who talked about false names and things she didn't know about or care about. Until the mention of a feud between Alaric and him. That could work in her favor and it seemed that @Tiamat was keen on sticking with the Mire. Something Amara felt as well but hadn't voiced at this point since it hadn't come up, she wasn't asked to be an ally or to just get along. Her counterpart, who hadn't fought in the challenge seemed to be upset that she had been lied to. Suck it up buttercup. Though it sucked to have such personal stuff aired out in front of this group. @Nephthys spoke and it seemed that she was just a pinball between males and she seemed to allow it and maybe even thrived on it. It was sad to see. There had been a time that Amara had seen a lot of potential from Drakon's daughter but to see her now, stuck between males. It seemed like she was trying to smooth things over but Amara couldn't help but wish that she was strong enough to just pick a side and deal with whatever the outcome was going to be. It had been a long time since Nephthys had been in her pride and it seemed that time away had not made her stronger, only weaked to the males she came in contact with. She speaks softly to the two near her, tout désir d'être des alliés avec lui? any desire to be allies with him? She asked them as they got to watch things unfold. There was a lot going on and it was hard to follow things but it did seem that things weren't going to be lining up for them to be allies and unless the Mire jumped at the chance Amara wasn't seeing how it would work out. If the Mire did become allies though, knowing that the Bluffs wouldn't be, that would make things harder for her and might just be the reason for their long standing relationship to break. She looked toward @Alaric who had a lot of things going on around him but hadn't said anything just yet. What was he going to do? It seemed that Nephthys wanted him to be allies with Ronin but would Alaric be willing to risk things? She wasn't sure but in the moment, she realized just how tied to the Mire they had become and it was something that needed to be handled in some way.

Table by Ice. Graphic by Lars.

this world is dying in our arms

The tension did not lessen as more political faces appeared; if anything it seemed to drastically increased. Alaric watched as @Jafar appeared, only slightly surprised to learn that the man was leading again. There were no feelings of ill will on his behalf, no matter what had come after his own challenge, and it doesn't make him unhappy to see him in a position of power. @Morrigan is next, looking a little worse for the wear, and he tenses ever so slightly at the appearance of the woman. She had called war on his pride, after all, breaking the tenuous neutrality that had existed between them. All over a challenge, the very thing that had seemingly led to all of his feuds in Amaryllis. @Caltáriel is with her, and he cannot help but flash a quick smirk at the sight of the girl. Maybe one day they'd have the repeat pleasure of fighting, if she dared try any of her sneaky tricks again. @Talisa is there, too, though he barely knows the woman, far more familiar with her dark coated counterpart. @Luther ♔ comes to join them, earning a quick look from his father, before his attention returned to the growing crowd. @Amara earns a similar look, accompanied by a small nod, as he watches her join her daughter and the Obsidian ruler. Then @Nephthys appears, and rather than join the small group of lions from Ecrosia she sits next to Ronin. A rumble rises instinctively in his chest; even if he had been aware of their growing relationship such a blatant display was... frustrating. Especially considering the clear lack of respect the Andal King had for him. Surprisingly he watches as @Nero slips near Ronin and Alaric watches closely to discern just what is happening. He doesn't have long to wait -- shortly after the latter man finally addresses them all. As if he had the right to command the attention of all of Amaryllis' rulers. The Mire King feels his impatience grow as the floor is handed to Nero, only for the boy to ask that all those gathered keep an eye out for Ghyslaine. It was not news to Alaric and so he feels no need to speak on the matter; though he does show some measure of surprise when Nero mentions that Alizabeth is also missing. Before he can dwell long on that particular tidbit @Amara herself is speaking up, informing them all that Alizabeth had been in the Bluffs. Strange that, and he makes a mental note to dig a little deeper in to what had exactly come to transpire. They weren't exactly friends, after all, so it was all the more surprising that Amara had... healed?... the scrappy white woman. Unless it was a political move, in which case he could hardly blame her for making the move when she had the opportunity to do so. With that matter tidily dealt with Ronin steps forward again, and Alaric is not surprised when the focus turns to the Mire first. "There have been many accusations about myself and the Mire, Nephthys says I should reason with you, and perhaps I can…with her by my side." Well damn, Ronin; not exactly playing friendly are we? His lip curls, his anger surging. "I have no idea what accusations you're talking about, Ronin," he had not uttered any such things, even if he had clearly seen the lines being drawn, "but how dare you stand there and threaten me." There is a scoff in his voice, the disbelief breaking through his normally calm facade. He had many more things to say, stopped only when Slaine speaks up. It is glaringly obvious that Ronin's issues are personal -- why else would he turn so abruptly on the Mire? However when Slaine offers a fight with her instead of what, war?, he automatically takes a step forward in defense. Nephthys, surprisingly, jumps in then, saying exactly what he was feeling. Still he feels the need to add his own two cents to the situation, his voice gruff but clear. "You will not be fighting today," he warns, his words clearly meant for the both of them, but most obviously for his pregnant wife. For her he has a sharp look, his frustration with the situation nearly boiling over. @Tinúviel's voice pulls him from his mounting fury, his attention sliding to the tiny medic he loved so dearly. The hurt and embarrassment in her expression did nothing to temper his anger, his claws flexing against the ground. If anything it made him believe that Ronin had deceived her with the intention of gathering intel, or perhaps of undermining his own authority; why else would he have given the girl the wrong name? Especially if she was doing him such a service as healing his injuries. Alaric feels suddenly torn; caught between both wives and wishing for nothing more than to fight for their honour. Slaine for this endless and pointless and painful grudge that Ronin was holding and Tin for the hurt of being so shamed in front of such a crowd. Ronin addresses Wolfbron and Obsidian and Alaric fights to calm his pounding heart, grasping at the mask he had once worn so well. Surely Amara will put him straight? Surely she would not broker an alliance with the one who had just publicly tore him down? He is only moderately relieved that she does not jump to make friends, though she whispers to the girl at her side and he cannot shake a sense of unease that rises to see it. Was Wolfbron as trustworthy as he had thought? Alaric had begun to think their alliance was rock steady, they had supported each other in numerous fights, but was that truly the case? It is the summit, next, the place that has named him a target. Ronin practically prostrates himself at Morrigan's feet asking for an alliance, and once more his lip curls in annoyance. This was getting tiresome, and as the minutes passed and Ronin made his rounds he could feel his temperature rising. On to the brook, too, requesting the same alliance. Oh, how clearly the lines were being drawn. He addresses Jafar, then, followed by the lions of the plains. The former is calm, level-headed, much as Alaric would have expected. But Ronin's ignorant words -- starting with dislike for the Plains ruler -- sparked a fire in the young Heiress. She spits fire and brimstone and he watches with a measure of admiration, pleased to see somebody saying the very thing he thought. Standing up to the arrogance of the Oasis King in front of all the political forces; he was nothing if not impressed. It showed gal and guts, even if it lacked finesse, and he appreciated her speaking up in defence of her father. @Violarum would be proud, he was most certain. Unfortunately Violarum's co-leader seemed to have something else to say, and Alaric watched as he shut down the fiery outburst of the younger girl. All to broker a friendship with a man who just said he didn't like the High sovereign? It would be rather interesting to see what Violarum thought of all that... and another mental note was added to Alaric's growing list. Ronin addresses the Lagoon, his slight against Tin all but cast aside with shallow apologies. "Any feud we had was entirely one sided, Ronin; do not blame me for your lies." It is then that @Tiamat speaks, and burning green eyes turn to her. Gratitude for this display of loyalty rushes through him, and he gives her a quick nod, though still the tensions holds tight to his muscles. He is on edge, instinctively settling in to a defensive posture, loathing the way the energy has shifted, here. While he trusts his allies he is impressively pissed off at being called out in front of all the leaders, their business aired as if it was imperative for everybody to know. @Lucien has more to add about that, and despite his initial annoyance with the man he cannot help but agree. "You bring us all here and slander my name when your issues with me have nothing to do with politics. I remind you that you once ruled beside me, my most trusted and valued advisor. Now you have all but named the Mire an enemy unless I, what, hand over one of my members? My friend?" His gaze shifted to Nephthys, and there was the faintest hint of softness in those hard green eyes before they returned to Ronin as she speaks. Nephthys' words are far more practiced than his could ever hope to be -- once again he was glaringly reminded of the fact that politics were not his forte. He feels no need to add on anything more, stepping back between Slaine and Tin, waiting for the inevitable fireworks that he expected to follow the Tolaire's words. He does, however, give the slightest of nods, making it clear he would not be opposed to a private discussion of things..

code // art

More filtered in along with Illyria. All of them were women, which earned a long glance from the young Heir. What distracted him, however, was @Nephthys who stank of Ecrosia standing proudly beside @Ronin. Who was she? A traitor? His eyes fell back to his father, trying to read his reaction, and receiving the clear signal that @Alaric was displeased with this. Oh my, the boy mused to himself, thinking how easy it could be to dangle the couple from the cliff behind them.

The crowd was growing bigger and bigger, which prompted Luther to wonder how many of those gathered had actual authority by rank. Surely the valley doesn't have that many leaders? He felt slightly naked, with only Slaine and Alaric to represent Ecrosia beside him. Perhaps Vater shouldn't have declined Luther's offer to bring a couple more guards along. Slaine was evidently unfit to fight in her state. That left only Alaric and him. Little did Luther know of Bruno lurking in the shadows.

@Nero, whom Luther had seen on one or two occasions and therefore knew a little bit about his connection to Alizabeth & her children, spoke. The man stank of Illyria, and Luther's eyes narrowed in on the albino. How many more of the Summit plan to show up? Did Morrigan take her whole pride to a diplomatic meeting? Ecrosia should've done that, too. Unfortunately (or fortunately for everybody gathered) the enormous Mire numbers wouldn't fit on the cramped peak. He almost sneered at the idea. Almost. Nero asked for permission to speak and to Luther's surprise, Ronin gave it. A frown touched the snaggle-toothed prince's forehead.

He was growing confused with the purpose of this meeting & growing impatient with the whole charade. The tiny pathetic man spoke some sob story about his wife Ghyslaine (whom Luther knew vaguely from his childhood) and how she was missing. How their children missed her and yadda, yadda... Luther shifted in his seat, frustration beginning to bubble from beneath the surface. Then in the same breath, he spoke of Alizabeth missing. That was an interesting tidbit, but it didn't calm his annoyance. Amara chimed in and just like that, Alizabeth had been found in Wolfbron. Would you look at that. Luther could care less about the two women, especially this Ghyslaine, missing. Moreover, he felt insulted that the two men thought it worthwhile his time, or his Vater's time, to listen to their personal issues. His tail tapped against the ground in irritation.

Finally, the almighty man himself blessed them with his attention. Luther would've stormed out already if it wasn't for Alaric by his side. His introduction is short & nothing less of arrogant. Piece of shit, the yearling thought while watching with a dark expression. "As for why I called you all here, I wanted to speak plainly, so all will know where the Oasis stand- and with who, you’ll find out anyway. Might as well get it out of the way." Luther snorted audibly, unable to contain himself (and frankly, unwilling) at the mere idea that the lion had gathered all of them here to do what every leader did on their own. He could admire his laziness to go to each of the separately, but it simply rubbed Luther the wrong way when he was on the receiving end of such insolence.

Ronin's gaze then landed upon the trio of Ecrosians, but his words were meant for Slaine & Alaric specifically. Without much hesitation the arrogant man speaks of accusations and immediately seeks to take one of their members, placing the woman as a bargaining chip so... what? they could reason?. Luther's brow lifted at the lion's audacity, and Alaric speaks quickly to put the man in his place. @Sláine steps up, speaking of dealing with things on their own... and Luther realizes that there were far more personal issues to this story. He could only assume that Vater had taken Slaine from Ronin. Thankfully, Alaric was here to calm the pregnant woman and keep her in her place.

It simply made him question Ronin's intentions with this meeting even more. Did he truly call them all here to air their dirty laundry on display? To shame Vater and threaten him for their personal issues? He was making an incredibly stupid move. Made an enemy out of Ecrosia, and by proxy their allies, simply because his ego was inflated by his fragile new crown. Did he not know how frail he was currently? What the man was doing was simple political suicide. He would not last long.

And now, Ecrosia & co would make sure his fall was permanent.

Ronin's next words were meant for Wolfbron's representatives, speaking that he does not want war. Luther sneered at the man's idiotic words. Was that how he avoided war? He should've stayed in his fragile sand castle and hoped that Ecrosia doesn't notice him. Now they will squash him like a bug. @Amara does not stand outwardly with Ecrosia, however, and instead speaks in this strange tongue to the chartreux cat beside her. It was not meant for our ears. One glance at Alaric and Luther saw that the Mire King noticed the strangeness. Luther brings his voice down to a whisper, his words meant only for Alaric's ear. "Vielleicht müssen wir unser Vertrauen in die Bluffs überdenken." "Perhaps we must reconsider our trust in the Bluffs." Women were scheming and untrustworthy, to begin with. Luther had often wondered why Alaric even chose to stand with Wolfbron, this only gave the young Heir a reason to try and convert Alaric to his dislike of the Dieudonne pride.

The cheeky man clearly displayed which side he was going to stand on when he spoke praise of @Morrigan and sought her approval for an alliance. With Vermeda, too. It only solidified Luther's opinion that Ronin was an unworthy weakling. Siding himself with the losing side and kissing women's feet as if he forgot what dangled between his legs. @Jafar was next on Ronin's list. Luther knew little of the Rainforest, even if they were practically neighbors. The pride was almost nonexistent in the young Heir's mind. The russet man spoke of community, family, and whatnot... it was a pretty dance of words that simply said 'I'm scared to take a side'. Sometimes Luther wondered if age really made a man wiser or just weaker.

@Tiamat stood with Ecrosia, proudly displaying her loyalties. A smart move, especially considering that Scilla was small yet. @Tinúviel stood by Tiamat. Her Sovereign, that drunk lady from the challenge. Luther glanced at Alaric subtly, vaguely wondering what sort of triangle... err.. rectangle his Vater had gotten himself into. Little did Luther know it was probably an octagon if you consider Nephthys in the whole thing.

Ronin had deceived the plump Scillan Sovereign, and the woman looked absolutely embarrassed. Alaric seemed displeased, and Luther was growing impatient with this melodrama. In the end, Ronin sought neutrality with the Lagoon. Such a splendid idea. It definitely won't go wrong. Not at all.

But wait, there's more.

Ronin dug his grave only deeper by insulting Violarum in front of his subjects. What a delightful idiot, this man. This meeting was almost as if taken out of the playbook of what not to do after getting your grubby paws on some power. Luther wondered if Ronin thought himself so smart at this moment. Probably thought this could not backfire at all.

But it did. @Anniston, Lorien Heiress, had a quick fuse and suddenly stood on her feet. Fury was evident in her gaze, and Luther was quite amused. He shared her thought, however, for it was the most sensible thing he'd heard today. All that from a girl. She even commanded her... lackey? to attack. Luther rose to his feet, muscles flinching beneath taut alabaster flesh, narrowing in on the scene before them. He was ready to shield Alaric & Slaine. Especially Slaine. That was what Vater would want. Claws extended from their sheaths, biting the rocky ground beneath, ears swiveling in the depths of his mane until...

@Lucien did nothing.

In fact, he yelled commandingly to stop. Was he not her servant? Her bodyguard? Luther had no clue Lucien was a Sovereign. However, he realized it may be so after his words. Still... Lorien's was a display of instability. He couldn't imagine a man standing in Slaine's place, openly disobeying orders from the Heir apparent. That would certainly not fly with Luther... but the young Plains Heiress was not Luther. She may be an Heiress, but she was still just a girl.

Sit down, he says. Interesting dynamics. Perhaps Violarum should've shown up in these two's stead. And perhaps it was good to know that Lorien had unstable leadership. Lucien, surprisingly, agrees to Ronin's offer. Neutrality. And how, exactly, did they think to keep this in wartime? Weren't Lorien Ecrosia's ally? Violarum had been part of the Mire, a crucial one at that. Alaric and Violarum were allies even before Violarum ascended to the throne. Were these two planning to go back on Violarum and Alaric's agreements? That is why the King should attend such meetings.

The red woman beside Ronin sought to calm things down, choosing to remain in Ecrosia as a measure of good faith. There was no amount of measures that can keep Ecrosia and Andal on good terms anymore. Ronin had made sure of that. Luther is surprised to hear that Alaric declares Nephthys his friend, but it only makes matters worse for Ronin. Luther's impatience and annoyance with this silly waste of time meeting resurfaced. "So," he declared in a lackadaisical manner. "You gathered us all here to threaten Ecrosia, slander Lorien, waste our time with useless sob stories, deceive Scilla, and have all of the valley leaders watch as you dig your grave deeper with every word that leaves your mouth." His tone is matter-of-factly, but there was a clear note of frustration beneath it all. "While I can appreciate your lack of initiative to move your allmighty self and actually speak to us, and all the leaders, in private, I can give you a couple of better ways to destroy your reputation and guarantee war on your newly-acquired little pride." His last words were spoken with a mocking sneer.

She stared at Ronin with seething malice, almost giddy with the promise of having him physically knocked down by a peg or two. Oh, but there the lion remained, with his stupid arrogance and stupid splotches. Her stare faltered, flicking back to the dust-hued form of Lucien in anticipation of his attack. It did not come. No, his strike was reserved for her alone as the lion cried out at her, his words harsh and full of betrayal.

"You do not give me orders. You may be Violarum's daughter but that doesn't give you squat over bossin' me 'round."

If she had been angry before, what did that make this feeling? The quickening of her blood, the blurring of her vision, the rapid drum of her heart – it was too much for the girl, so utterly overwhelmed by her own urges. She wished Olive was there, for she would know how to cut at the men with her words alone. She wished Orson would come up behind her, as he would use his colossal heft to strike them quite literally. She wished her father was there to witness the treason bleeding so fervently with each of the unwelcome man's drawling syllables.

"I am the present Lorien King, so I decide what goes and what doesn't. Now quit your yappin' and sit down."

"I hope you enjoyed your play-pretend while it lasted!" Anniston cackled once more, shifting herself to face the traitor in question now that he had drawn the line of his allegiances quite clearly. "Best of luck explaining your way out of this one, Lucy. You should know the first fuckin' rules of Lorien, if you were a king: all leaders are equal, and we don't turn on our own."

There was no one else to look to. Anniston would have to do this job on her own.

The girl barreled forward without further warning, attempting to launch herself at the lion's left side with both arms outstretched. She attempted to latch the flexed razors of her claws at the top of his cape, practically trying to mount on top of him. If he wanted to be a cowboy that desperately, she would bring him the rodeo he so desired. Anniston reached her head forward with her ears flattened safely against her crown, attempting to drive her fangs, ivory with disuse, down upon the base of his spine with petty malice. Whoever came out on top, she was determined to make this hurt.

---

Anniston vs. @Lucien
For Minor Maim
Round 1 / 4
Hits:

Rolling 4d20: 11 + 8 + 5 + 20

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 7 + 1 + 6

Luck:

Rolling 6d20: 1 + 15 + 12 + 7 + 5 + 13

The few that had the time to react to his words to the crowd would seem to give agreement to what he had said about keepin' private things just that - private. He was beginnin' to settle back down, wantin' to finish this up as quickly as possible, when the snide remarks from Anniston would break through and float to his ears. It was all that was needed for the anger to begin to resurface, boilin' over while he seethed. "An' you should know how to act like a proper Heiress instead of a child throwin' tantrums when they don't get their way. In front of political heads, no less!" Words would be snarled as his large frame whirled around to better face her.

And that was when narrowed eyes caught the blur of her chargin' toward him. To say he was surprised would have been a lie for he fully expected retaliation on the girl's part. So when he turned, her attempt at tryin' to mount atop his back would instead become claws that raked down the upper portion of his left flank and left shoulder. The white hot sting of flesh bein' torn would make him release a hiss, tail lashin' behind him as his ears burrowed into thick ebony mane. His own front right limb would rise, toes flexin' to allow for his claws to be fully unsheathed as he swung his right mitt directly at the right side of her neck, attemptin' to both give her a hard whack as well as have his claws dig into her skin and drag downward. The sensation of teeth sinkin' into dun skin toward the middle of his side (for when he turned it brought his spine in a direction where Anniston's jaws wouldn't have been able to fully latch on), causin' for Lucien to react by jerkin' his body the opposite direction in an attempt to free himself from the bite she had - no matter if it meant further injurin' himself.

"You are showin' the whole crowd how you are not fit to sit in a throne aside Kings, Anniston," Lucien would bellow out, jaws snappin' toward the right side of her face. "You want to keep war at bay, not let it through the fuckin' front door!" Boy did this girl have a lot to learn.

And he would be glad to teach her.


Lucien vs @Anniston
For minor maim - tbd
Round i/iv
Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 15 + 4 + 16 + 18 + 9 + 5 + 11

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 9 + 13 + 4 + 8

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 17 + 1 + 10 + 15 + 13

image by mono, code by corvus

Time was only proving to the lioness that she could not count on those older than her. No, adult males had a way of yelling and throwing fits of their own – ironic, given the lion's choice of accusation to throw her way. They did not listen unless heft was put behind those words, and there was no one left to give that heft but Anniston herself.

"Tantrums in front of political heads are reserved for you, only, right?" She sneered, glancing to the audience as if to say, get a load of this guy! She would imagine she had full buy-in from that crowd, a throng of cheering supporters willing her on in her pursuits rather than the stuffy bunch likely closer to the reality. Any other taunts were ignored, the frenzy of flesh against flesh gripping her attention completely as she struggled to keep up with a sport quite new to her.

He whirled slightly, sending her claws skidding down his left flank rather than giving her the purchase she had desired. Anniston writhed, unable to appreciate the satisfaction of the tearing attack as she struggled to land on her right foreleg, quick to rebalance herself upon the three limbs to prevent a fall on that precarious mountainside. Her body positioned at his left flank from his previous maneuvering and her teeth buried there in his flesh, he would not have access to her right side with his forepaw. However, his claws were successful in smacking against the left side of her own torso and slashed ribbons of spiteful scarlet there. Anniston snarled a guttural sound as pain and indignance throbbed in a steady beat, willing her on in her mission of retribution against the one who just kept proving that, to the heiress, he did not belong in Lorien leadership.

She would take his bellowing as prime opportunity to get back at him as he was distracted with his own words. She ducked down low, avoiding the clicking snap of his teeth as she reached forward again with her jaws parted, attempting to snap against the sensitive flesh of his belly with bared fangs. Anniston darted that left paw forward, still raised from her attack moments ago, trying to slice it maliciously down his left foreleg with her pink claws hooked like barbs.

---

Anniston vs. @Lucien
For Minor Maim
Round 2 / 4
Hits:

Rolling 4d20: 15 + 16 + 17 + 7

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 15 + 18 + 7

Luck:

Rolling 6d20: 17 + 7 + 9 + 5 + 20 + 2

@Anniston VS. @Lucien FOR minor maim
— FIGHT TIMERS PAUSED —

This fight and its timers are currently paused pending a Fight Club discussion and review. All other posting can continue to happen in this thread without issue.

Another post will be made to signal the unpausing of the fight timers, at which time the fight can continue.

GOD KILLS INDISCRIMINATELY AND SO SHALL WE

Others arrived. They were ignored, to increasing inward anxiety. Then his familie, to whom he moved to be involved with, and gratefully stilled both emotions and thoughts. He was their physical shield, and they were his command. Outwardly he appeared stoic, his face crossed with scars. The male @Ronin began a great, windy speech, which Vermier was grateful to ignore. Save for a sentence at him, questioning his commitment to the Bluffs. Vermier straightened his chest, both proud that knowledge of his allegiance proceeded him and annoyed that it need even be a question. "I serve Dieudonné."

Dieudonne, familie, addressed him via means he assumed to be rhetorical. His commitment was only to them. If there were other data that might influence their decision, he would eagerly provide it, but he had been engaged in a pride challenge while the piebald lions spoke their words and did their deeds and thus his obliging spectators would know more. "Je ne veux que la guerre et la victoire." ("I want only war and victory.") He spoke steadily, but at an even tone, intended to reach his allies @Amara @Louve and no further. Less because he believed anyone was capable of overhearing and more because he did not want in any way to be seen as speaking over the females.