(Fair warning I'll smack anyone from AO that posts, pls let @Minerva post first, thank u)

"C’mon, Min! Nearly there!"

Phin all but bounds across the sandbar that separates the rest of the world from their birth land, moving at a fast pace despite his overly large, somewhat still awkward body. Growing into too-big paws and coltish, lanky legs is something that has not come easily, especially while living a largely nomadic life. Food isn’t easy to come by, and it shows in the way his ribs poke through his dappled fur.

But the boy is too excited to worry about his legs tangling up, so he trips and runs and stumbles and bit and then turns around to watch his sister lag behind. Nevermind the fact she’s smaller and he isn’t being fair about letting her catch up.

"Hurry up. I wanna find somewhere to sleep before it gets dark." A weary glance is cast upwards while he waits, frowning at the clouds rolling in from behind them. Ah, well. If it rains, it rains.

"You oaf," Minerva grumbled as she trailed along after the larger, rosier lion with plodding steps. She narrowed the sunrise of her gaze with mild, familial annoyance, making no move to change her wandering pace.

"You wanna be followed by any old band of thieves that comes this way?" She checked with a lash of her tail. Thus revealed the strategy of her movements, wide and sweeping steps trailing about in nonsensical patterns. Call it paranoia, call it practicality, the young lioness was always working the survivalist angle of any given scenario. "I'm sure they'd love t' know where you camp tonight," Minerva pointed out. When finally she came to approach her littermate's side, she stared out at the grand runway of an entrance into their birthland. Home.

"Never seen it from over here," she mused, sucking at her teeth thoughtfully. It was all the introspection they would be allowed before the politicians assembled.

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|| october y9 | 1y 8m | rogue yearling | at maua's passage | @Phineas + AW ||
+5 - Leave a trail of confusing tracks -
+5 - Learn something interesting about a pride or family

Reah was finding herself frequenting the passage more and more. She was now rather keen on bringing numbers to her pride. Hopefully, this escapade would turn out successful. Yet, she could only really hope.

And so the woman stalked the sands, simply waiting for the telltale signs of someone passing through. Thankfully, she could hear two individuals conversing in the distance. Immediately she turned around and walked towards the sound, tracking down the lions. She approached the pair, they were yearlings, one a boy and one a girl.

How should she charm such youngsters? She wasn’t too sure. What did they like? Well, there were plenty of things they could’ve enjoyed… Hm….

Greetings, she spoke out to the two, offering them a friendly smile and dipping her head. I’m Reah, Sovereign of Lorien Plains. she introduced herself and looked up at the sky. I’m assuming you two are looking for a place to stay before the weather gets nasty, she added.
@Phineas @Minerva

CODE | ART

It's been quite a while since Hubert has chosen to reveal himself at the Passage. Probably not since the day he'd had the misfortune of 'meeting' the Summit's Heiress, come to think.

It's not for a lack of interest, really. He just tends to turn away from this place whenever he has a sneaking suspicion that the Mire Heir might already be present. Luther's free to drown in whatever troubles he causes by himself.

But as luck would have it, there's no sign of any of his brothers here today and two young rogues to boot. Of course, he's not the lucky enough to be the only one to spot them, and he makes his approach shortly after @Reah does. He glances curiously at the Plains' Sovereign, before politely dipping his head towards her - because here, he should be on his princeliest behavior, no? ...Depending on the company, anyway.

He regards @Minerva's pale form first and then @Phineas, his gaze skating over the distinctive eye dots without quite connecting their meaning. Hey. He offers a smile that's more boyishness than crafted charm, wondering if the pair might respond better to someone closer to them in age. Hubert Starke, Prince of Ecrosia Mire. If you need shelter, you're more than welcome to come back with me. His chin tilted upwards in a proud manner. You won't find a safer place. My pride is one of the oldest and strongest ones here. If not the strongest.

Not that he was biased or anything.

ART + CODE By Dee

The Passage was not a far trek from the borders of his home. It was practically a hop and a skip to the Cove and Keligan was thankful for that. As the blackened beast made his way passed the Cove's invisible borders, he made his way southwest towards the Passage. The place where Rogues would pass through on their way into Amaryllis, as he had done himself many months ago. Coming into the area, Keligan noticed there were two youngsters and two others who smelled of prides. Hearing the tail end of @Hubert's speech, he caught that he was part of the Mire. Clearing his throat, he decided to chime in. I am Keligan, Gentry of Caladan Cove, we are the closest to the Passage. I offer you a home as well. Looking at @Reah, he then changed his gaze back down to @Minerva and @Phineas.

_{— ART — CODE}

They both know what it means to come this way, but the risks of going over the mountains were… too much. So Phineas isn’t surprised when the first, and then second and third arrive - all from different prides, none of them familiar. Except the Mire, but his memory of the war and tension is so vague and foggy the boy barely blinks at the prince. He knows he doesn’t want to join them, but that’s about it.

He isn’t his father, and he isn’t his brother.

"We’ve had worse," he tells @Reah casually, one bony shoulder giving a shrug. The weather doesn’t bother him; Phineas has been a rogue more of his life than he was ever a prince. Living rough is nothing new to him. Dual-toned eyes finally look @Hubert ‘s way. "Pretty sure we’re enemies or something, dude." It’s said without malice or anger, or any emotion one way or another. It isn’t his war, his battle. Maybe his parents would insist otherwise, but they aren’t here. They haven’t been for a long time.

"I’m Phineas Miroslav, this is my sister." He bumps shoulders with @Minerva, leaving her to introduce herself however she wants to. "We’re looking for a pride, yeah." But that doesn’t mean they can be lured into one easily. "What’ve you guys got to offer? Not you, bro, sorry." He asks @Keligan and Reah, adding the last part with a grin to Hubert. No hard feelings, man.

“Well, well— !” A heavy, raspy cough suddenly and rudely interrupted her, however the dark imp recovered quickly enough and, as if nothing had happened, declared, “— WELL!” Smirking, the mostly-healed Léonie Miroslav approached the pair, whose stench the breeze had fanned across the Passage. She’d followed it on quick paws, her movement bouncy and giddy, even as she’d neared the group. The stink of the Mire earned @Hubert a half-curious but mostly unimpressed look. She wondered if Alaric even remembered his name, with as many kids as he had. Well, she’d remember it because @Phineas was right, they were supposed to be enemies. Hubert could thank his dad’s knack for boning married women for that.

@Keligan received a more neutral, yet nonetheless intrigued look, as did the new Queen of the Plains, @Reah. Léonie wondered if the Plains had already chosen their allies, and if the Plains would serve as obedient mutts to the Stärke family, siccing whoever the Mire ordered them to, or if they were their own masters. Maybe she could visit them soon and find out. After all, if it was one thing Léonie did very well, it was gather intel.

“Before you two get any illusions of grandeur, you’re still hairballs, I don’t care how big you’ve gotten,” the elder Miroslav snickered and moved to bump her head into the jaw of @Minerva, then their brother too, beaming. She did not introduce herself to the others, unwilling to mention her recent promotion to Heiress while Hubert was there. He’d probably been overlooked by Alaric but Léonie would rather he not try to pass on information as a bid to earn the Mire King’s love and attention. He’d learn soon enough, but not today.

Léonie then turned to face the recruiters, who she assumed would recognize a family reunion when they saw one, and announced, “These nerds are mine. I totally forgot where I put them, silly me, but looks like they found their own way back, sooo no harm done. Now, to the Oasis!”

Léonie is marked as Heiress on the AO pride page!

artwork • coding • background

They came, as urban legend said they would. Her winding steps eventually slowed, though only when the yearling was content with how they trailed in nonsensical patterns. Minerva twitched her whiskers skeptically as she watched them approach, their pelts dark and their intentions unknown. The first was a lioness, dark as the void and just as enticing.

"I’m assuming you two are looking for a place to stay before the weather gets nasty," she guessed.

"Could be," Minerva countered noncommittally. She kept her honey gaze cool as it met the stares of the others – a small lion approaching, proclaiming himself outright as one of the enemies of the Miroslav. They make it too easy.

"Pretty sure we’re enemies or something, dude." Phineas assessed rightly.

"I think I could list a lot of places safer than your swamp, actually. No one is safe around your fuckin' pops," the yearling sneered with a curled lip, eyes alight with malice. "A hyena's den, a noxious lake, a nest of scorpions, a convention for assassins, a warthog's butt, the middle part of falling off a cliff..." She trailed on in a drawling alto. Hubert Starke, Prince of Ecrosia Mire – more like prince of motherfuckers, Minerva decided, for a slight against her family was a slight against the girl herself.

Phineas's address to the group tugged her attention back to the entirety of the scene. She snorted lightly, noting that her brother – ever the passive boy – cared to focus more on their goal than on the swamp pup presented conveniently before them. Another lion had approached, she saw, though his sentiments were less presumptuous than the others and so he was spared her ire. Minerva quirked a brow she felt Phineas's shoulder bump roughly against hers, a clear cue for her own introduction.

"Min," she gave curtly. Her face was just winding up to begin a spiel of demands for a potential base when a familiar, rasping voice cut through the air.

“Well, well— !" cough, "— WELL!” At once, Minerva's expression collapsed with disbelief. The mask cracked, revealing for a few moments the inner relief of a girl reunited with the very family she sought. Such was quickly replaced with the creased devil's smile as she attempted to close the distance between her and that famed Léonie, growling lowly as the lioness taunted them with a headbutt.

"Hairballs that can make you bleed now," Minerva goaded lowly. Pulling back conversationally, she studied her sister's frame for any difference – perhaps hoping that Léonie would see a difference in she herself. In the several months since their separation, the yearling felt herself that much older and wiser. While it came as no surprise that Léonie would insist on them coming with her, it was the mention of an oasis that piqued Minerva's interest. Her gaze flashed with something, her stomach stirring at the notion of returning to the land of their birth. Turning her gaze to Phineas, she searched for any signs of his protest.

"Seems the perfect place to wait out the rain," she mused, still studying the ginger boy for some secret signal.

---

@Reah @Hubert @Keligan @Phineas @Léonie
+5 - Leave a trail of confusing tracks
+5 - Learn something interesting about a pride or family (AO is family)
+5 - Witness drama between prides (AO/EM enemies)

Before she knew it, more lions appeared. A few she did not know, but they both introduced themselves. One was @Hubert from Ecrosia Mire, and another was @Keligan from Caladan Cove. She allowed them to speak, and finally, the rogue lion spoke up as well. He spoke to Hubert and how they were enemies, and then he introduced himself as @Phineas.

Another lioness suddenly appeared, she went by the name @Léonie. She quickly claimed the two as her own, and Reah remained silent and neutral for now. Well, if you two wish to live within the Oasis, I won’t argue, she finally spoke. It seemed that the trio all knew each other, and it would be more trouble than it was worth to try and sway them to join the Plains. She got to her feet, Farewell, she said and she stalked away.

/exit Reah

CODE | ART

Before much more could be said, a familiar and obnoxious voice pierced through the air, catching Phineas's attention and hooking it. Dual toned eyes snap around to find the warm hues and stripes of his big sister, and he grins.

"I'm literally bigger than you," the boy says with only a small trace of sadness about that fact. They've all grown, all gotten bigger - so much time had passed. But they're together now. No need to linger on the shitty parts.

After an extraordinarily awkward silence, it seems nothing more needs to be said by the other recruits. This is now a family affair, and as Leonie said, the nerds are hers.

"Home sounds good." Phineas murmurs, glancing down at Minerva before pushing off the sands to follow the elder of the three.

Home.

Exit.