(Not trespassing yet, have an invitation! Please let Virgil post first)

The trek here hadn't been as bad as she had thought it would be, she had hurried to the spot where her and @Virgil were suppose to neet, but not before she masked her scent by taking a dip in one of the fresh mountain springs, washing the scent of the Mire away, washing any scent of her family away, and replacing it with something she found quite nice. As she waited, she couldn't help the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach, she was actually here, she was actually going to see his home, his family, she couldn't help the tiny squeak of excitement that escaped her.

Finally, the yearling couldn't wait, she was worried maybe he'd forgot about her, so she lets out a few chuffs for him, toes wiggling in the snow, Rusalka felt her heart thumping against her chest, she could hear it, she could feel her pulse quicken as the thought of him distracted her briefly.

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no, he definitely hadn’t forgotten!

he’d taken his time getting ready, doing his best to straighten up his den and himself. taking the time to do more grooming than he usually does, straightening his clothes until he looks close to presentable. he’s happy with it all when he hears her, her rumbling little chuffs carrying through the summit. his excitement at the sound wanes, just a bit, when he realizes that he’s taken far too long and was late.

by the time he hurries to the borders where @Rusalka waits, he’s all but undone all his hard work. a little breathless, he looks all mussed and frazzled, but his smile is bright and beaming. hey! hey, you’re here! he says, eloquent as always. he steps forward, intent on pulling her into a hug — it’s briefer than their usuals, but he’s too excited to linger for long. i’m sorry for not meeting you, i — heh — lost track of time. did that sound mean? oh, he didn’t want to sound mean. i’m so glad you made it! are you ready to see the summit? his smile never waivers but his eyebrows do wiggle, hoping with all his pounding chest that it lives up to her expectations.

because if she doesn’t like the summit, then she’d never want to live here.

and he wanted her here.

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Moments tick by, the girl paces softly, and then there he is, bright, sunny, and she grins, rushing to meet him, he pulls her in and she laughs, she wishes for it to last but she knows there's more important things in store, Of course I came! She laughed, he explains he'd lost track of time and she knows it isn't in a mean way, @Virgil had never been mean to her, the girl kisses his cheek, I'll forgive you..

She teases him, looking up at him with wide orange eyes as he asks if she's ready and she hesitates, her eyelashes fluttering, and her sentence stutters as she speaks, Y-yeah.. w-will antone be upset? She finally asks, sliding closer to him, her fur brushing his, nervous about meeting his family.

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his grin widens, just a little, when @Rusalka blesses him with her mercy. despite how he laughs, he’s glad to hear it — he had been worried about it, worried about her being upset that he’d been so late to come and grab her. he wanted today to be perfect, somehow — he wanted everything to go as well as it could, so that she’d love the summit ( as much as he did ), and be willing to move here.

That was the whole point of this, of course, to make sure she had a place to escape to if it was ever needed.

it’s his turn to soothe her worries, then, and virgil wastes no time. upset? he repeats, the echo of the word derailing into a little laugh. pshh, nah! they’re going to be so excited to meet you. well… probably. things were still a little vague, timeline wise, in regards to what he’s told his family about her specifically, but it’ll totally be fine! she’s a friend, after all — that’s all they really had to know.

his shoulder bumps against hers jovially, before he presses it to her. encouraging, comforting. c’mon, i’ll show you around! the best part of seeing a new place was the tour, of course!

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Rusalka couldn't say it now, because she didn't understand it, but even if she didn't like it, she would leave with him, it wasn't Illyria she would be in love with, it wouldn't be any place she fell in love with. Her eyes softens when ever she looks at him, her heart beats faster, but she wasn't close enough with her mother, or any other female to ask why she felt the way she did.

Rusalka perks up as he eases her worries, she giggles and butts her head up under his chin, before stepping over the border tentatively, Thank you so much @Virgil! She exclaims and shakes her fur out, the half maned girl could not be more excited and ready to throw up at the same time, she was worried about more things then just them not liking her. The chance of her going back home only to be caught and killed, or something else, being taken prisoner, or being turned over to Luther.

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she’s a friend, after all — that’s all they really had to know.

That was all Talisa needed to know.

Despite her fear of what was to come and the ongoing political strain of impending war with Ecrosia and the Rike to come, she was still who she was. While the air of a stranger on the wind made her pace quicken (hardly, seeing as she was absolute fat with colossal children in her womb) and her head raise. For just a second she felt herself analyzing the stranger at her doorstep before she recognized @Virgil talking with her. Rather excitedly, she might point out.

Thankfully for her, not enough information had been given to her just yet to make the connection between lions in ecrosia being held captive and this maned lion in front of her. The covering of the scent was enough to deter her from immediately guessing where they came from. Hello, she greeted quietly as she finally made the distance to catch up with them, Virgil, who is your friend? Because it was only fair that as mother and Sovereign that she know who had found a home in his presence. @Rusalka

^{ART BY CUSH, CODE BY CALA}

he lets out a happy little purr, trilling softly as she bunts up under his chin. it rattles his teeth around but he grins regardless, pushing his shoulder into hers when she steps away. he follows her happily, easily, across the borders — knowing that nothing bad will happen, here. it’s just @Rusalka. she lived in the mire but wasn’t one of them, and he trusts her.

so, my favorite brother is penrose — he’s usually around here, somewhere! i hope you’ll get to meet him! virgil knows for a fact rus will get to meet penny — he’ll make it happen, even if he has to drag his shadowy sibling out from his den by his ears. i have an older sister, she’s the heiress here, and — oh! i have a few friends, too. he’s thinking of alastor and his sister, although calling them friends is a biiiig stretch. he certainly likes them more than they like him, but that was kind of his whole life.

he’s intent on leading rus further and finding all these people, but talisa’s waddling approach gets in the way. slowly. he beams to see her ( her, and all her added bulk — what was with the women in his life and getting fat? ), brightening immensely. certainly all his previous worries is forgotten in the face of seeing @Talisa. hallo! he greets with a happy noise, tail wagging at his ankles, grinning to his friend as he continues. rusalka, this is my mutti! mutti, this is rusalka — she’s my friend! i’m showing her around today. warmth blooms in his chest as he handles this introduction, with total charm and charisma. aw, yeah, it's all coming together.

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Now a yearling, the girl is looking more like a lion, less like a cub, and she notices @Virgil also is growing, he's no longer the childish cub who once thought all of Ama was Illyrias. She smiles the memory of their first ever meeting recounts in her head, his trilling and his shoulders pushing against hers bring her from her daydream, and she smiles at him, eyes full of emotions not understood by her just yet.

He goes to explain his favorite brother, another foreign concept to her, her brothers terrorized her, how could any of them be her favorite? She listens to every word, his excitement contagious, her paws fall in step perfect to his, and then there's someone else joining them, and her body tenses as the bundles of nerves wind up tight again. @Talisa speaks to Virgil, questioning politely, and he introduces the two to eachother, Rusalka seems to finally find her voice as she bows her head politely, Hello, ive heard so much about you, it's finally nice to meet you! I'm Rusalka..

She breathes out a sigh of relief as she speaks with no stutter, nothing embarrassing happened, and yet, she presses against Virgil a little more, using him to support her and her bashfulness.

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Morrigan trailed after the rotund figure of her wife, having stopped momentarily to check part of the perimeter before trotting to catch up and discovering she was no longer alone. @Virgil was very happily introducing a stranger who seemed to be about his own age, if perhaps a bit younger. She was beautiful. If if she didn't look so much like her father.

"Rusalka is a pretty name," came her rumble as the scarred warrior approached, her expression friendly, even warm in that regret already burned in her stomach for what she knew she was doing.

So much for giving Virgil the choice, but it was too much a coincidence. She didn't smell of the Mire, but neither had the man who had attacked Morrigan before Virgil's birth. She sighed before finally attempting to catch her son's gaze, "I bet you have a pretty last name, too?" Her words were followed by a silent plea to both Vellen and Maua. Let me be wrong. Don't make me tell him now.

coding & image by flea

The trio were soon joined by another lioness, and Rusalka couldn't help but think how pretty she was, she bowed her head once more, being very polite, her ears pricked up as her name was complimented, there was no suspicion about what would come next. Thank you.. She gives her appreciation, she smiled up at @Virgil, her eyes shining brightly, it was clear to anyone just how much she felt for the Illyria Summit royal.

And a pause happened, before @Morrigan spoke again, and Rusalkas head swiveled quickly to look at the woman, her heart thudded fast in her chest, no... Not now please.. She internally begs the woman, she does her best not to tear up, she shifted uncomfortably, and she took a breath before speaking, I don't claim my family's last name, I am trying to put as much distance between me and then as possible. I do not agree with my family's lifestyle, I am not one of them. She says soft, politely, she exhales softly.

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