Fur flies and blood sprays. Hers. His. Velasco's. The sting of pain equal on scale to that of pleasure. And he needed more. Demanded more. Even as she slices through his hide in her pivot to escape, it is not enough. And he was not yet ready for this dance to end.

His uncle attempts to close in, snagging her in her weak attempt at retreat. Only one way. A reminder of his earlier words. She would not be leaving this Brook until they were all satisfied with her punishment.

Cassius surges forward, his bulk attempting to barrel into her from the side; trying to knock her right off her feet. The pair of males would claw and tear and rip until there was no room left for her insults or her disrespect. She would remember this day. His fangs once again snapping, guttural violence slicing up through his throat.

So help him, she would remember to never fuck with this family again.


When the dust settles, Cassius steps away. Nostrils flaring but eyes brimming with blatant gratification. I never want to see your face near this Brook again. The Patriarch finalizes. But he says nothing about the cubs. He would leave that to @Velasco to deal with. The X'uekai would eventually find them though. Even if Cassius had to aid in tearing this whole island upside down to find them. Dead or alive, they'd come home.

As he turns away, his shoulder bumps roughly against his uncle's own. His growls melting momentarily to a purr. A silent job well done, but also of support. Cassius would depart now and he would leave that heap of bloody grey fur for the older male to drag out of their territory. And whatever else Velasco had planned for Miaran on the way out, was not his concern.


/exit

code / artwork

The situation escalates from worse to catastrophic. It had taken every fiber of her being to avoid raking her claws against @Miaran's face the moment she had spat an insult directly at her. Icefang was no stranger to the surge of hormones that birth often brought, but the disrespect was inexcusable as the executioner's ire launches @Cassius ♔ and @Velasco into action. The fight takes place outside the den, Icefang pressing herself against the wall as Miaran rushes past her and Velasco to attack Cassius. Her attention drifts to @Haipo as the boy ignores her order in favor of his father, curling around the live boy protectively. The Matriarch clenches her jaw, wondering if it was time that she and this unrelated yearling have a chat.

She steps forward testing if Haipo will dare to defy her a second time. "Bring your father to my den," is her only warning as she attempts to grasp the cub from the male's protective hold. If successful, she would turn to exit the den and head towards her own, ensuring that regardless of the outcome of Miaran's fight she would know that at least this child was safely with his family where he belonged. The three missing girls would be hunted down eventually. She could careless if the men killed or exiled Miaran. As long as she was disposed of like Renozuri wished. The lifeless boy would also be left behind, Icefang leaving it up to the others to decide what to do with it.

/attempted exit with Ramon

art ♥ code

As his abuela steps forward, Haipo senses her mood and cringes away from that single blue eye. He does not stop her grab for his sibling. Instead, his ears press flat to his skull as he resists the urge to roll over and show his stomach. He thinks he understands her feelings about his actions and hates that he can’t explain.

It wasn’t deliberate disobedience. More like staying where he thought he’d be the most use. He’d had no way of knowing what she would do while the others were fighting. If she had joined @Cassius ♔ and Velasco, that would have left the cubs alone. Then, if anyone else tried to grab for the living cub, he would have been defenseless. Haipo couldn’t leave things like that.

The yearling doesn’t move until @Icefang ♔ is out of sight. Once she is, he wastes no time, going straight to @Velasco and attempting to herd the bigger lion in the direction his abuela went with cub in tow. Papá, she’s mad. We’ve got to go. I need everyone to stop being so mad. Please, Papá, I need to get you to Abuela. He would try everything he could: nipping at Velasco’s heels, pushing against his body, tugging his mane, mewing and chuffing all the while. He knows Papà can stop him easily, that he will yield immediately if Papá puts him on the ground or lashes out in any way, but the boy still tries to follow Icefang’s instructions as quickly as possible.

code by corvus