OOC: thread for the cub war. any cubs from 1-11months are welcome. no yearling/adults welcome unless they're supplying double exp ;D

caydin has heard much about this place - the pit. his father has told him that this is where the valley gathers to fight, where the juiciest drama tends to happen. so naturally, the young x'uekai boy finds himself toddling halfway across amaryllis to come check this place out. though not without nudging his four brothers in the ribs to ensure they were awake and along for the ride.

much to his disappointment, the place is completely empty when he stomps up to it. "this place is ours." caydin proclaims proudly, chest puffed out. if nobody else was going to stick around to stake a claim on this cool place, he'd just have to step in and do it himself. finders keepers, and all that.

Lyla had been told she had to stay close to the Hollow, but the pit seemed close enough to her as she made her way around the dusted limestone the surrounded the fighting floor. The air around her had a bite of iron and blood they seemed to be permanently in the air, as if the atmosphere itself was saturated and stained. It made her nose twitch as she explored. She’d told her sisters where she was going, and had highly encouraged them to sneak off with her, hopefully @Zaria, @Barilla, and maybe even @Kinza would pop up soon.

From her spot in the bleachers she heard someone yelling from the midst of the out that it now belonged to him. She snorted and walked over to the edge of the limestone pillar to peer down at him. "Oh yeah? You wish! What are you going to do to earn it, pee on it?" she called down to @Caydin as she observed him.

art

Normally Cassius wouldn't mind his children wandering off and doing as they pleased. But the pit was a place he was not quite yet ready to leave them unsupervised.

So in the background he lingers, hints of curiosity rising to the surface as his boy declares ownership of the fighting arena. He is quickly joined by a young girl. One that he recognizes yet only vaguely. He has seen that kid before but couldn't quite remember where. Or perhaps it was a parent he was confusing her with.

Upon a large rock Cassius ascends, lowering with crossed paws while a yawn stretches apart his maw.


DOUBLE XP ACTIVE UNTIL JAN 2

Art by Rabbit, Code by Minxy

After his brother he had gone. Dutiful and loyal to the end. To the remaining brothers he had called. @Caius. @Cassian. @Caelus. @Ashland. (Yes even their older half brother. Maybe not of their litter but a brother was a brother.) Encouraging them to come along on this little adventure. If other siblings decided to tag along, he wouldn't stop them. Scowl at them maybe, but he'd for now say nothing.

As they enter this place of rock and bone and blood soaked earth, eyes skip over their father as @Caydin roars his claim. Cassius was there but if Kincade knew anything in this life with great certainty, it's that their father would support whatever the fuck they were up to.

A snarl shoots up toward the stranger cub, claws poking the dirt. I'll piss on your mom!! He screeched. And make her my bitch!

@Zira @Estrella @Moontide @Sarai @Kamaria

code by scorpixia♡︎ | art by drifter

`

She noticed the two boys leaving the Brook, at first she didn't care, it would give her some peace, but then she saw @Cassius ♔ leave, her head perked up a bit and she quickly scurried after, keeping close to her father, not out of love, but out of loyalty, she was showing him she wasn't going to run off. When it didn't seem like he was going to order her back home, she peeks up a bit, still sticking close to his large paws until they come to the Pit, a place she'd never seen before, her eyes widen a bit as she takes it all in. Then she hears @Caydin declare that it is was theirs. it didn't take a rocket scientist to tell what that meant, she curled her lip forn a Moment, ready to go down there but she felt uncomfortable going down there looking as if she were related to the boys, or worse, her father, who she still sat next to. Plus, she somewhat knew the dangers. She slides away from Cassius's side finally, using her paws and claws to gather some red dirt/dust, then she lowers herself into it and rolls around until the lighter markings are at least diluted, then she gives one last look to her father before slinking down into the pit, eyeing her siblings, and the unknown girl. Poor thing... She should have just stayed quiet. Her half brother screeches at the cub and Kamaria watches with an icy stare, she found her half brothers distasteful, foul mouthed, it just made them seem less intelligent, and who was she to stop them. But finally curiousity pulls her towards the brother that had laid claim on this land, she slides up next to him, keeping her voice low, "So what's the plan?" Usually she doesn't ask them any sort of questions, and it was not like her to just allow them to take the lead and her follow, she would have usually went to find mother, but this was interesting. And he seemed to have a plan. @Kincade (Double XP from Cassius) Assassin: +10 Practice speed or stealth Barbarian: +10 Observe a fight +10 Complete a spar or fight

Art and code by Shazaki`

code (c) daanyen

Barilla followed after her sister, staying close.

"Lyla she shouldn't be here...what if..if we get harmed?" She muttered to her, doing so on her ear. As she walked next to her. This was where Miaran died, and since that day she was afraid of harm coming their way. Yet she wasn't able to stop Lyla.

Their mother wouldn't want then wandering off like this...even less after allthe events around them.

As they walked in a boy approached her sister being overly rude. She aimed to brush her shoulder against Lyla's aiming to stand between her and the boy. "Stay away from her" She said in an extremely low voice.

@Kincade

❅

This place is ours.

His voice echoes, impish and young. Certainly, no great maned beast staking his claim on a territory he would undoubtedly fight other grown men over. Instead, the call echoes from a boy, older and larger and far more frightening than even her half-feral brothers. But he is still just that—a cub. And Aira, for her part, is content to watch from the edge of the Pit as others his age contest his proclamation.

For now, the odds are in his favor.

Two distinctive, opposing sides quickly become clear, and Aira feels a nervous energy begin to creep along the fringe of her spine, raising her fur and widening her eyes. She is an inky blot against a backdrop of stone and grass, easily discernible if not for the distraction of their growing feud. It would not be long, however, before they notice she is eavesdropping.

So she makes the decision to reveal herself.

The two girls smell like the Hollow—like home, now, she supposes—so Aira instinctively takes her place beside Lyla and Barilla, dwarfed by their age difference, especially with both girls already larger than most their age.

You're not very nice, she accuses, her gaze falling firmly on Kincade as her lips press into a firm, pouty line. Keep your stinky pit. Our home has a garden.

A very nice one, in fact. Aira made sure of it herself.

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ooc. Aira would be in OH at this point, just haven't completed the joining thread yet. ♡
@Caydin @Lyla @Kincade @Kamaria @Barilla

Since arrival, and leaving the cavern behind, he'd largely hung around the plains. It offered a wide view of any approaching strangers, and the grass was tall enough in the summer that he could still conceal himself if it became necessary. Aside from that, there were plenty of things he could use to cover up his scent and ensure he blended with the landscape itself. He'd been wandering, somewhat aimlessly, on a half-hearted mission to collect some of those very items that could help to conceal him, when the sounds of some sort of budding commotion reached him.

There seemed to be an adult observing from a distance, so he was inclined to assume no serious danger was imminent. Most of the voices rising out of and around the hole were young, so perhaps this was some sort of (ugh) play-date.

Or, perhaps not. There seemed to be more insults than anything, and a separation of groups. Against his better judgement, Vito abandoned his mouthful of aromatic plants and moved, instead, toward the noise.

Confident strides would bring him alongside the group of girls, the large plum one in particular (@Lyla). His gaze was cool and even as he stared down his nose at the dark, vulgar, boy (@Kincade). "Do you really think that's an acceptable way to speak to a lady, cane¹."

¹ Dog.

Ashland X'uekai

Okay, normally it was just the girls who did stupid things like wandering miles away from home. Normally it was just the girls, but not today. Today two of his younger brothers seemed to disregard common sense and leave the safety of the brook.

But when he is called upon his annoyance evaporates and the princeling follows, obediently, loyaly. For while Ashland was older than the 5, he longed to have what they had. Each other, brothers, strength. He was alone with 4 girls.

Ash moves quickly, yet he is smaller compared to his brothers. But he still made quick work of the terrain between the brook and the pit. It's an odd place, one Ash hasn't been to before. Rocks and solid earth make up most of the terrain boulders and rocky formations stand around them as the earth dips down.

The pit, the arena of Amaryllis.

The group of cubs is already growing large, his brothers @Caydin and @Kincade seem to already be starting trouble trying to claim the place. Could they? Then again why shouldn't they be able to? They were X'uekai after all.

The princeling descends into the pit eyes moving over the unknown cubs. One girl seems to stand by his younger brother. Her scent is rich from the brook. Another sibling? @Kamaria did seem to carry some resemblance to the rest of them.

The two other girls smelled like rock and dampness (@Barilla @Lyla), the third one was tiny, too tiny. She shouldn't be here, she should be safe in her den. Which meant @Altaira was a typical brainless idiot of a girl. Perhaps the princeling should give her a scare? Ensure she'd never become like his sisters? Brainlessly seeking danger? It could work, there were four of them and just 3 stupid girls. At least until a boy joins the girls throwing insults toward one of his brothers.

Ashland snarls at the brown boy as he steps towards @Vito. He who'd dared insult them would come to regret it. "Do you think that's an acceptable way to speak to a member of a royal family, mestizo?" mongrel he snarls back, mixing in an insult learned from his older brother. Ash's pale eyes narrow as his tail lashes behind him. A member of the royal family, a half-truth. While the boys were related to the royal family they were not princes like he was. Their father was Cassius, who was heir so one day they would be. But not now, and not knowingly as in public Cassius was not their dad.

July Y13 | The pit | Vermeda Brook royal | 10 months

Potential XP (double XP from Cassius)
Paladin
+20 Win a fight
+10 lose a fight
+10 Observe a fight (X vs X)

Sleuth
+10 Study the landscape of an area
+10 Tell a lie without getting caught (the 5 are not royals)

code by corvus, art by celestialdrifter

"Not VB, IS or LP please <3"


Her legs were stronger, her body was stronger and she had somehow grown even more in the short time she had been in Amaryllis. Her paws were still far too large for her own good, her legs too long, but that was okay because she was catching up. Her body was bulkier and no longer skin and bones…she just had a few bones protruding now instead of all of them.

Arlo had decided to explore, wandering to the pit to find an interesting sight. A bunch of cubs! At first she grinned, not giving the guardian, @Cassius ♔, any attention as she clambered down the side of the pit and trotted on over to them. It wasn’t until she got closer that she realized this was a conflict waiting to happen. She frowned, brow furrowing. What in the world? Words were being spit back and forth between @Vito and @Ashland. Her bright eyes rolled at Ashland’s words. "Maybe you should be royal then." She didn’t have a bone in this fight, but it felt good to be sassy back to what she perceived to be a bully.

code & art