+5 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds

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Dark and moss-smeared nostrils snuff from a low, stagnant stand of dwindling pond scum. Naked limbs half deep dredge droplets behind massive, unwieldy paws suddenly lifted to a different venture. Shaking off the dew, and stumbling over claws, enthusiastic before reason - the oft-astray medic finds passion now where chance often found the Half too far afield to even skirt the drama.

To the sight of their queen, mingling with larger and savage blood - Imago's deep orbs settle, unperturbed, with that warm state of the sun behind a passing thunderstorm. Front limbs plant heavily, a weight that could be mistaken for surety, and half a stride later those pudgy haunches catch up and the scraggly tail tatters around.

"speech"

The girl was freezing, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the fight that was happening. While excitement coursed through her veins, warming her slightly, she did not feel the need to launch herself into a fight. She simply wanted to know what was going on. They why behind the fight she watched. Her brows furrowed, intently focused on what was going on to try to figure out it. So focused, she didn’t hear the clumsy steps of her sister until she felt the collision. The plum girl stumbled to the side, nearly toppling over. "Hey!" She hissed, ears flattening to her skull. That was rude!

What was even worse was when @Zira tried to jump on her back, causing Sarai to roll onto her side, teeth snapping at her sisters paws. "Get off!" She growled, not amused by the sudden attack. She should be used to it now, but she wasn’t. Needle like teeth nibbled at her ears, causing her to shake her head.

An adult came, but they did not intervene, they only stood watch and Sarai couldn’t help but roll her eyes. No one ever intervened. They just let the cubs nom each other to death. To her relief, @Ashland came then, distracting her vicious sister and causing Zira to launch off the side of Sarai towards their brother. Thank fuck. She was tired of being the guinea pig. Let someone else get chewed on.

She rolled to her feet, shaking herself with an angry huff and icy glare at her sister. Well, there went her chance to sneak around. Now @Arcania ♔ knew they were there. Siblings ruined everything. But she loved them regardless. "Why they fwighting?" She asked, looking up to the babysitter Sovereign. She could at least try get some answers since she was discovered.

code by corvus & art by rabbit

Her gaze turned as another approached, one she didn't know, and her eyes narrowed slightly until he took a seat. If she hadn't had her youngest siblings beneath her she wouldn't have cared about his presence, but since she did there was a certain amount of caution within her even in the boundaries of their home. When he gaze left @Horith, it returned to the battle only briefly before @Ashland's greeting caused her ears to twitch, and she looked down at him, her gaze softening.

Icefang's words reach her ears but for once she doesn't obey, instead remaining resolutely in place. There were plenty of others to get in between the two, but only she was watching over the little ones. That was deemed more important in her mind. Absently, she lowered her head as @Zira placed her little paws on her leg, not tearing her gaze from the battle just yet. Not until @Sarai spoke. Then she tipped her head to the side, looking down at the furballs huddled beneath her. They are fighting over who would get to rule the pride if something were to happen to our mother and myself, she replied. Yes, "our". No one question her on that, thank you very much, even if by age it didn't make a lick of sense.

art x code

Everything and everyone had long melted away. All that remained was him and the blood he spilled. Even @Velasco no longer existed. He was no longer family. No longer pride. No longer a lion. Enemy. That was all. Enemy. Obstacle. A sack of bleeding flesh.

And @Icefang ♔'s fears were indeed warranted. This was no mere fight for a rank. Not for the Darkling. This was a reckoning. An elimination. Cassius was out to kill this other male. But it would not stop at just Velasco. He had every intention of turning on them all. To take out as many as he possibly could.

Mad. He was a man consumed by more than just rage.

Pain continues to throb from where he is hit. and he seeks to return the favor. Claws slicing, teeth gnashing. Blood filling his vision, his ears, his mouth.

His paw raises, readying to take the type of swing that would relieve a leopard's shoulders of it's head. Then white flashes from the side, teeth nipping through his cheek. And Cassius's claws find earth as he spins. Pupils so constricted, all that remains is cold translucent blue. Blood is sent spraying across the Queen as he roars into her face. He mock charges her, the fury in his eyes slipping but for a moment. As reality begins to slowly sink back into place, hurt and betrayal reflect back on her. Home, she had said. But now he saw that this was a lie. Everything she had ever said was now nothing more than manipulation purred from the lips of a treacherous liar.

Had it all been for this? To lure him from the Bluffs. To promise him power, family, security, only to rip it away? Had she brought him here simply to humiliate him? The truth! The Dark Prince now screams. Your ear, your husband, your shared title. He would be deceived no longer! And the threat was obvious. This would be her final chance to make things right. Or it would come from his mouth. And they both knew what that would spell for her control over those present.

Art by Rabbit, Code by Minxy

The pain burns through his skin as muscle and flesh move with every motion. His chest is wet with blood his throat hoars with another roar. He feels the fight tearing at his being, feels the drain from a battle bloodier than expected. Deadliear then expekted.

The monster snarls but his attacks grow weaker, painful as his pale chest soaks crimson. But he doesn't stop, can't stop. Stopping means death. And he will not die, not by Cassiu's claws. Or at the very least not now. But perfect chaos shapes fate as a white wraith tears between them claws dig into his muzzle. He snarls angry, hurt, beaten as his jaws snap at @Icefangs limb blindly.

A roar echoes fury and pain fills his mind as he stumbles backward away from danger, away from them. His lips are still pulled back his brow red with his own blood. It keeps seeping down over his brow and into his eye leaving half his vision drenched in a darkened red. He stands staring, as blood seeps down his front limbs from open wounds along his chest and neck.

The truth!

@Cassius ♔'s words echo like the howling of a banshee in his head and a new growl builds its way onto his lips. Truth, the truth. What truth, no not truth, lie. What lie had Icefang told them all this time to cover her own ass. What secrets had she kept from them her closest allies her very family? To hell with what the pale queen kept from everyone else to hell with their allies, to hell with even the brook itself. It did not matter, not in the hands of a weak old woman.

Velasco steps forward his step shaken but determined, stubborn. A snarl falls onto his inky lips as his eyes narrow and his head drops. His body burns from the wounds Cassius has left him but his voice is cold and clear "Explain, Madre" his tone is not requesting, his eyes shine with fury with pain as his lips pull to reveal teeth. Explain it, explain your lies, your betrayal.

Velasco X'uekai

code by corvus, art by eightysichs (DA)

Her interference seems to do the trick, but not before @Velasco's teeth rip at her front limb and then she is suddenly stumbling backwards when @Cassius ♔ turns with a mock charge. Blood sprays from his lips across her face, speckling the pallid hairs as her ears pin back. Icefang lowers her skull slightly in a submissive gesture (the first she has given towards anyone in the family) as he screams and demands her truth. The queen growls, defiant, but her blue eye drifts towards her eldest son as he also commands for an explanation. The sight of him bloodied and injured tugs at her despite the tension that has always been present in their relationship. "Fine," she hisses softly towards Cassius before placing herself upon a stone that is nearby giving herself a podium. The dread builds in her abdomen as she takes in all that are present including a few of the brook that are not part of her family. Ugh, does she send them away? Though one glance at the crimson drenched males is enough to convince her otherwise, dare Cassius rip her to shreds right now.

Talons dig into the stone Icefang suddenly experiencing stage fright at the thought of unraveling the lies and secrets that she has built her throne on. Blue eye darts to some of the children present and part of her wonders to what extent is she required to speak the truth? She huffs and raises her voice so that the entire audience can hear her. "I'm sure some of you have noticed Cassius's sudden presence here in the Brook and his involvement in the war against Scilla," her eye dances over them searching for any reactions that might cause her to fly off and flay flesh. "He is heir of Vermeda Brook.” Revelation of secret one, check. “And Patriarch of the X’uekai.” Revelation of secret two, unhappily marked off. One talon clicks against the stone, Icefang clenching her jaw as her eye darts to Cassius and Velasco again. A reminder of the ticking time bomb as she can feel the tension suffocating her. Gods, she did not want to do this. Though it is best from her lips knowing that the colossal male might put his own twist on the retelling of events. Besides, she dared anyone to do anything but accept her declarations right now.

“He has earned the title by killing Renozuri and maiming me.” The words are spoken with a harsh tone. Revelation of secret three? Fucking said through gritted teeth. He might as well be torturing the information out of her. She glances at him now, a challenge held in her eye. There. Was that enough? Though she knows there is still more as she notices @Arcania ♔ standing over three of the cubs, noting that @Lathan’s are present. The rest of her secrets with the patriarch could not be told for all these ears and thus before anyone has a chance to protest too much, she is issuing another order. “Alright, anyone that isn’t part of this family move on! You have five seconds.” Whatever became of the information she spoke would be left for the X’uekai to digest and the last lingering bit of hidden truth sitting on her tongue was meant for their ears only. For the protection of the children in her den.

ooc: Icefang is demanding anyone who is not an X’uekai to leave.

"SPEECH"

html by castlegraphics; image by Eightysichs

Hell went first — I followed.

The sound of battle erupting within the pride lands was enough to catch the young princess's attention, which was always fleeting these days. After all, she was above it all, and they were permanently below her attention unless it was her mother's beckons that stirred her from her eternal laziness. But today, it was the incessant sound of violence and hissing that woke her from her stupor atop a tree branch. Did they think waking her — wise?

The feminine feline couldn't help but stretch her legs; uncoiled as the irritation simmered gently below the surface. Long steps carried her to the place of meeting just in time to hear @Icefang ♔ say that @Cassius ♔ was not only the heir but head of their family. Who was this? Irritation was heavy about her as she found a spot in the grass away from the gathering to flop down upon. It was the subtle flick of her ears down against her head that marked her silent disapproval. The princess would lower her head towards the earth; tail lashing in annoyance behind her as she glances between Cassius and @Velasco, only allowing her gaze to fixate upon Icefang for a moment as she settles lazily under the suns rays.



[ EXP ]
+5 Sunbathe or take a nap
+5 Slack off or shirk one's responsibilities

code + art

Obsidiana watched with surprise as her brother fought this unknown lion who clearly wore the traits of a X'uekai. Giant and all hulking, clearly one to respect. Camly the dark lioness stood quiet, simply watching without daring to say a word, seeing it as a wrong place to speak out of turn.. But there is when her mother voiced them to stop, which she wasn't sure why she would do that. Unless there were thing untold, which perhaps she and many of her family wouldn't know. It was a crazy situation and Obsidiana did her best to stay calm and again stay quiet, not wanting to drag the anger and tension back towards herself. After many questions, Icefang drop the truth. So this male was their heir? And only know she was told about this. Not only that but the idiot dared to kill her father and also mark her mother. She growled lowly yet did her best to keep her anger in check. And from there she went to simply observe what would happen next.

art by Kaori + code by spu

s

o forget theories of sorrow / & hellfire & brimstone at the final circle of the earth: / if I must believe in anything, I choose this

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The fight ends, just as abruptly and confusingly as it began.

Cassius wrenches himself free from Velasco and demands the truth, and she isn't sure why a heavy pit sinks in her belly. She exchanges a brief glance with @Nikandr, her mouth pursed in thoughtful silence. All of Vermeda around them seem to collectively hold their breaths, their eyes all focused on the two tousled men and the bleeding queen between them. She wonders if she feels as she looks—like a cornered, wounded animal.

Melusina's heart seizes in her chest. Fuck.

I'm sure some of you have noticed Cassius's sudden presence here in the Brook...

She sucks in a breath, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. She had been one of the vocal few who made her displeasure known by Cassius' sudden appearance, but her loyalty to the Brook and to Icefang had made her no more than a barking dog with none of its teeth.

He is heir of Vermeda Brook, Icefang continues, And Patriarch of the X’uekai.

X’uekai, Melusina repeats under her breath. Her own name had once held importance, honor. It once struck fear in the hearts of their enemies and admiration in their followers. But then her name became a curse, and unimportant. She never considered to think of Cassius' and Temero's and Icefang's, and their shared name.

He has earned the title by killing Renozuri and maiming me.

Melusina swallows the lump in her throat.

Suddenly, she's thankful that Icefang orders them all to leave, for she's unsure if she can find the nerve to look Cassius in the eye. Instead, she focuses her attention on her friend, and begins to hurriedly nose him out of the immediate area and into the safety of her den.

---

Exit Melusina, herding Nikandr.

Art by rabbit, table by cala

Ashland X'uekai

He unfortunately does not escape his sister's notice and before he can react @Zira's small tiny fangs nib at his ear. The princeling squeaks in pain and defiance as he tries to get free aiming a slap at his sister's face with an angry hiss. He'd have kept his onslaught going if she hadn't had the nerve to wander off as if she hadn't just attacked him! The hell?

The princeling is already a puffball of annoyance and anger when their mother's voice echoes loudly. His body shudders as he spins to face the battle of the two men, of mother tearing in between them joining in the violence. His tiny frame is puffed and his small claws dig into the soil as pale eyes stare at the carnage before him. At @Sarai's question, Ashland's eyes dart to his plum sister and then to the red lioness her words causing his flattened ears to rise. They were fighting to rule like Mother and Arcania. His eyes, however, linger on the red lioness. She'd said our mother, but that made no sense. @Arcania ♔ was not like them, she was a big lion and they were tiny how could Icefang be her mother too? "Our?" the little prince questions voice confused as he looks to her for an answer. An explanation. How could she be a sister when she was big like mom and not small like them?

As the brawl comes to a bloody end and one of the lions roars at Mother in a way that has the boy flinch his attention is back on the fight. He looks at the trio their blood-stained frames in stark contrast to how they looked before. How they were supposed to look.

Mother's voice rises above the rest and Ashland listens pointed ears alert and focused towards the white queen. Cassius was their heir and their patriarch? Whatever that meant. More important was that he was X’uekai like them. That meant something right? So who was the other one? Mom didn't speak of him only some dead lion named Renozuri, who had been killed by Cassius. And who was who? "Who?" the princeling asks looking up at Arcania again before raising a paw to point at the two lions. Who was who and who had done what? Of course, Mom then makes everyone who is X'uekai like them leave. Guess that meant one of the lions was leaving?

code by corvus, art by celestialdrifter