Months had passed since the rogues had attacked and scattered the pride, and in the chaos, an aspiring ruler had moved in to claim the dropped crown. Hiccup had heard the commotion that day from deep in the tunnels, where he’d rendezvoused with Faevyre and Narcissa, but that was it. He’d never actually seen the new sovereign, and even now, as his yearning drew him back to the Hollow, he only had a name to go by: Roan. Hiccup had no idea who he was beyond that, or how he ruled his childhood home, which made him … somewhat nervous as he approached. There was comfort in seeing the Hollow though, in thinking that he could maybe return.

A warm wind rushed across the horizon and carried with it dark, ominous clouds. There was a storm coming in, and Hiccup had managed to outpace it. Behind him, however, it rumbled in warning and the yearling knew it was now or never. A nervous hiccup squeaked out of his throat, followed by a summoning chuff.

The boy had come home.

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ooc: hope you don't mind Avana popping in too :)

The strawberry lass was near enough to the Hollow's entrance to hear the dull booming of thunder in the distance. She'd yet to really pay attention to a storm passing by outside while living underground, but the tunnels hadn't flooded yet, so it was probably safe enough. Lions had been living here for years before she got here, anyway, but still, she was curious to see how, if any, water might get inside. Was the angle of the entrance good enough to keep the rain away?

As the Hodari made her way towards the front door of Obsidian, she was met with a summons before reaching it. Oh? Well, this was unusually good time as Avana was already making her way towards the entrance, not that the call was for her, though. Still, @Hiccup wouldn't be left to wait for long without company, and the maned girl had no doubt that Roan would join them soon enough. The strawberry pixie was more than happy to entertain a visitor until her brother got there. As she made her way out of the shadows, Avie's mismatched gaze landed on a very striking looking young man. Even in Amaryllis, his markings looked very unique. And that mane? It wasn't often she saw males with half manes like hers. "Hello there," the medic greeted with a bright smile before allowing her haunches to sit just inside the cave's opening. "I'm Avana Hodari. I'm sure my brother will be along shortly. Can I help you with anything in the meantime?" With another rumbling of the storm in the distance, she wondered if shelter might be among what she could offer. Would Roan mind her letting someone come in to escape the rain?

Table & Reference by Amanda | Base by Drifty | Background from unsplash

Deep within the caves, Roan had been busying himself with something. He wasn't yet at liberty to discuss, or was too embarrassed to say. But ANYWAY, because of his distracted mind, the mauve lion hadn't paid a lick of attention to the outside world, not the rumblings of a storm, anyway. He did, however, catch the quick chuff of a summons from someone outside. As a king, that just seemed to be a special talent to know when one was calling for him. That and he heard the faintest touches of his sister's chipper voice. Hm, even without a rank, she was attending to visitors? Noted.

Abandoning his task at hand for the moment, the mauve lion went in search of not only his sister but the stranger who sought an audience with him as well. He wasn't too far behind the pink girl, showing up after she had already finished her greeting. Roan moved to stand beside the younger girl, minty gaze taking in the sight of the yearling. He didn't seem familiar, though that only made the Hodari's curiosity grow. "Hello, sir." Just as he had greeted Keir during the challenge, it mattered little to the mauve lion of one's age. He'd still show them respect until it was deemed unnecessary. "I am Roan Hodari, High Sovereign of Obsidian Hollow." @Hiccup had called for the leader, after all, so he felt it was only proper to confirm his rank. Without knowing the boy, any strange face could claim to be the new ruler, though Roan supposed their scents wouldn't match his own scent markers. "What is it we can help you with?" Roan kept a calm neutrality about him. Respectful and not unfriendly, but not with the warm exterior his sister often possessed.

Table & Ref by Amanda | Background | Base

	+5 Learn a character’s full name and rank (1/2)

It was strange to be a visitor in his childhood home. It was strange to have to stand outside and wait. Fortunately, the wait was very brief — a lion soon appeared and headed his way, and the yearling swallowed around the nervous lump in his throat. The smile he wore was anxious, as was the look in his eyes when the lioness approached. She seemed nice, but the boy was nevertheless nervous. What if they said no … ?

The lioness introduced herself as Avana and mentioned her brother — the king? Another hiccup squeezed through that knot in his chest as he opened his mouth to answer, which forced him to pause and swallow again, to reset. “Th- thank you, @Avana,” he managed without another squeaky interruption, but he could feel them there, rising. “I’m— hic!— uh. I’m Hiccup. I wouldn’t mind some— hic!— company? I mean— I appreciate you coming out— hic!— and welcoming me.” The more he spoke, the more and more his ears angled back on his head, the more Hiccup shrank in on himself in his embarrassment, all while imagining one of the Hollow tunnels opening beneath him. He wanted to disappear.

There was no going back though — especially now that another lion (who he assumed was the brother she’d mentioned) had arrived. He greeted him as “sir”, which had Hiccup feeling funny. He … supposed he was a sir now — no longer a boy. The older male offered his name, @Roan, and mentioned that he was the Sovereign before asking him: what could they help him with?

“Hh- hello, sir,” Hiccup mumbled, more than a little intimidated by the audience he’d called. “I- I’m Hiccup, and I— hic!— used to live here. Ss- some rogues attacked and— hic!— we had to get out. Are you— uh, are you the one— hic!— who claimed the Hollow after- afterwards?” Hiccup had known there’d been a challenge, but he’d never seen who had won. He’d never even seen the challengers, nor had he heard any news of the Hollow since they had lost it. Maybe the Hollow was under new leadership? He had no idea.

Taking a breath (which really did nothing to calm his nerves), the anxious yearling finally answered, “I— uh, I was hoping mm- maybe— hic!— I could come back to— to the Hollow— hic!— and … joinyourpride?” Please?

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Before the boy could even utter a response, Avana was surprised to hear a hiccup crack through his throat. It wasn't exactly the response she was expecting and seemed to force the yearling to pause and regain his composure before continuing. She would soon find out that the hiccup wasn't a one time occurrence. Between the sudden bursts of sound, the strawberry pixie managed to gather that he was actually named @Hiccup. Well, it was fitting, to say the least, as the noises continued throughout his words. "It's no trouble," the maned girl smirked. Whatever she could do to help her brother on the borders, she would do, even if she didn't really have any authority to do much else but greet the visitors. "Nice to meet you, Hiccup." He seemed nice enough, quirks and all, but that was as much as she would get out before Roan showed up beside her.

The mauve lion held a much more formal air about him. Well, maybe not formal, but her older brother was more serious and stoic in nature. Avana supposed it made sense, though. He was much older and had been through a lot more loss than she had, not to mention that the masked man had a lot more responsibility than her. In any case, the maned medic was happy to take a back seat to things for the time being as her brother addressed their visitor. Roan would receive a very similar introduction before the boy went on to mention that he used to live here. Oh, well wasn't that exciting. Avana was still getting used to the tunnels, so maybe it would help to have someone around who already knew them like Alva did. The pixie did her best to hide her smile, though. The boy just seemed so nervous, it was almost comical, but she also didn't want to seem rude. It wasn't nice to laugh at others, after all. All she could do was look to her brother on the verdict of joining, however.

Table & Reference by Amanda | Base by Drifty | Background from unsplash

At first, Roan was ready to mentally question why anyone would name their child @Hiccup, but that answer soon presented itself willingly. Roan appreciated that he at least tried to cut right to the chase, though. So the maned lad had lived here before? Other than Alva, Toberlone, and Tobin, the Hodari hadn't been faced with anyone else that had lived here previously. He didn't know many others might still wish to return, if Alva's mate would ever join them or not, but it mattered little to him. So long as they were willing to live with his rules, they were welcomed to return. Hiccup would be no different.

"Pleasure to meet you, Hiccup," the mauve lion would start off before addressing what was said. "And, yes, I am the one who won the claim of these lands. My apologies about what you've been through, though. If it is any consolation, I know what it's like to lose a home to invading rogues." Roan couldn't help but glance to his sister. They both knew that hardship. At least the former members of Obsidian could still come back to their home if they wanted to. The same could not be said for Roan and Avana. "That being said, you are more than welcome to return home to the Hollow. I don't ask for much from its members, just that we all pull our own weight and have each others backs." The Hodari was never fond of spitting out every single little rule he wished his members to follow, so he'd simply start off with the gist of his leadership style. If Hiccup had more questions, the mauve lion assumed he would ask them as he left the opportunity for such open.

Table & Ref by Amanda | Background | Base

	+5 Learn a character’s full name and rank (2/2)

The pair were nicer than he could’ve hoped for, and the more and more they spoke, the more Hiccup relaxed. There was apparently no reason to be as nervous as he was. He’d kick himself later for it. For now, there was only relief.

Roan explained that he was indeed the one who had claimed the Hollow, to which Hiccup nodded. @Roan must’ve been a very capable leader then — not only had he won the crown, he had worn it ever since. And that made Hiccup feel better. There was the promise of stability — something the yearling craved. He’d known it here in the Hollow, before the rogue attack, and it maybe he could find it again under Roan’s reign.

The Sovereign apologized too for what he had been through. Roan and @Avana had lost their home to rogues as well — information that had the young male smiling more softly, the expression sad and sympathetic.

It was short-lived though: Roan circled back to his request and welcomed him back into the Hollow, and yeah, Hiccup perked up. “Really? Th- thank you!” he chimed with an excited grin and held his head higher, ears cupped forward. Everyone was expected to pull their own weight and look out for one another — a comment that had Hiccup nodding, “Yy- yeah! Hic!— of course!”

“Do we have— hic!— a lead hunter?” he inquired. “I’m trying to get better at— hic!— hunting and could use some tips.” There was another question on his mind. “And … what about ranks? I- I don’t plan on— hic!— going for anything yet, y’know, bb- but eventually— hic!— I’d like to do more to help.” Hiccup had no idea if he would have to challenge for a rank (a scary thought), or if he could earn it on virtue alone, but he wanted to know, so he could plan his path appropriately.

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ooc: going out of order because i can lol and for reasons

The boy seemed harmless, nice enough. It was always a little thought in the back of his head that Roan didn't often know anything about a rogue when he accepted him into the pride, not usually, anyway. He took a chance on letting Alva and Tobin join so easily, but neither had given him any reason thus far to regret the decision. Hopefully, @Hiccup would be no different. How bad could he be if he could hardly control his own hiccups? Roan wasn't one to judge, but he'd been burned before, and perhaps might always second guess every acceptance of a new member he did not know already. Still, the mauve lion put on a reassuring smile, ears cupping forward as the yearling trailed off a series of his own questions.

Hm, ranks? The Hodari had been thinking about this a lot lately. He needed to start filling the ranks if Obsidian was going to remain stable and grow. So far, it was only Alva taking up a rank that really offered her very little power. She'd done well so far, even with the limited capabilities that the Barony offered her. He'd likely be selective on filling the upper ranks, but the occupational ranks might be easier to start with. Lead hunter? He actually had someone in mind as a slightly smug expression crossed the king's face. "As a matter of fact, we do. You're looking at her," he offered before turning his attention towards his sister. "I was going to do this at the upcoming meeting, but if he wants to start learning from someone already... What do you say, Avie? Wanna be lead huntress for a while?" Though he knew she was also a medic, Roan thought she still had a lot to learn before she'd be lead medic material. And he wasn't sure how much responsibility his little sister wanted just yet, if any at all, within Obsidian, but he had seen her hunt before. The maned girl knew how to take part in as well as lead a hunt. It felt like the right starting point for her.

After the strawberry girl spoke her acceptance, though, Roan would return his attention back to Hiccup's other question. "Our ranks are very sparse right now. I was actually planning a meeting soon to try and fill a few to help Obsidian start to flourish more. I don't mind if ranks are challenged for, but I prefer to grant ranks based on merit and activity within the pride." It was one thing to claim or challenge for a rank, but another thing to actually utilize it. If someone wasn't going to use their rank for the betterment of the pride, then they didn't deserve the responsibility. Roan would pause another moment for anymore questions the yearling might have.

Table & Ref by Amanda | Background | Base

Hm, well it seemed like @Hiccup's nerves were settling a little once her brother accepted him into the pride. As if she had any concern that Roan would turn the boy away. Still, though, he continued to hiccup. Avana was content to sit back and watch the exchange progress until their new recruit mentioned ranks. Other than the other pink lady, Avie didn't think there were any other filled ranks, but then her mauve brother seemed to start saying otherwise. They did have a lead hunter? Wait, her?! Was Roan naming her lead huntress right here and now? The maned girl's brows shot up in surprise. Her tongue fumbled for words to answer with after being caught off guard. "Me? Oh, um, sure. Of course! Thank you, Roan!" Though she was never one to turn down a good hunt, the younger Hodari had never thought about becoming a lead huntress, but she would do whatever she could to help her brother. And it looked like she might already have someone to teach and go hunting with.

Avana beamed with the new rank, aiming a quick bump of her head against her brother's shoulder before turning her attention back on Hiccup. "Whenever you wanna go hunting together, just let me know. Or we could go tracking. Whatever I can do to help." The maned girl was more than eager to get started right here and now, but maybe she should let the boy settle back into his home first. Besides, it sounded like Roan had a meeting planned soon anyway. It would probably do some good for everyone to know about any new ranks getting handed out, keep everyone on the same page.

Table & Reference by Amanda | Base by Drifty | Background from unsplash

Oh? Hiccup had asked if the Hollow had a lead hunter yet and, to his surprise, he had already met her: @Avana. Avana seemed surprised too and Hiccup, amused and delighted, immediately grinned. Roan revealed that he planned on announcing Avana’s promotion at the pride meeting, to which Hiccup beamed, “I guess this means— hic!— I get to be the first to congratulate you!” The new lead huntress said they could go hunting together and Hiccup nodded. “I’d appreciate that, thank you! My uh— hic!— stalking isn’t the best. I kind of stick out.” That cherry-red coat and its extensive markings made him more visible. He was slowly figuring out how to use his environment to conceal himself, but he would certainly learn quicker with an instructor.

The yearling looked back at @Roan when the Sovereign revealed that the Hollow was lacking in ranked members, but that he hoped to remedy that soon at the planned meeting. He also explained that ranks could be challenged for, however he preferred to grant them based on merit. Oh, good. A look of relief passed through Hiccup’s eyes at that. “That’s good to hear,” he laughed a little. “I’m … not much of a fighter.” An embarrassed smile briefly overtook his muzzle, before he relaxed — something which was evident in the fading of his hiccups.

Hiccup realized how he must’ve looked though: a yearling who was only beginning to learn how to hunt and had admitted that his fighting skills were nonexistent. He was young and had time to learn, but he wanted to prove he could be of some use now. So, he ventured, “Thanks again for taking me in— hic!” A final hiccup. “I know you’ve been here for a few months, but before the rogues, the Hollow had been my home since I could crawl. If you haven’t already found them, I can show you some of the secret tunnels we used to escape the group that attacked us? They lead into the labyrinth.” He may not have been the greatest hunter or the strongest warrior, but he was knowledgeable in other areas, such as the network of hidden chambers and passages that non-residents were likely to lose themselves in.

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