Silent Moon Plateau stillness

I am the biggest fail. No posting order. Let's try to have replies in by Nov. 6 and I'll actually try to stick to our schedule this time. <3

Amusement struck him as Kyna meandered up to Takis – the brother she had yet to meet. It was quite noticeable how his son practically mirrored him, but the confusion on the girl’s features was enough to stir a gentle smile to the exhausted man’s lips. As she scrambled over to him, peering out once more form his side to Takis, his muzzle would dip down to graze gently over the crown of her head in a soothing manner. “Nothing, dear heart. We are having a pack meeting.”

And so they continued to come in. Wren and Maeve were sullen as expected – the loss of their mother was a heavy burden to bear. Celandine came as well – pointedly ignoring him. Gilligan, who took a seat next to his daughter and stirred a light frown from the man – as if the youth had a keen eye on her.

Datura would put a stop to that – barking at the boy to get by his side. Phineas’ fiery eyes studied the arrived few so far, understanding fully how the dynamics of his pack had changed, albeit drastically. They were certainly a random set of companions for one another.

Vitani was next, seating herself closer to him, and received a cordial nod upon her arrival. Finally, his silver brother came upon them, the offering of a hare, to which he would bump his brother’s cheek in response. For now, the hare would be forgotten – they had business to attend to.

“I’ve gathered you here as we have a few things to discuss,” he offered, deciding to jump fully in to the meeting. There was no point in a round table of introductions – they were adults, for the most part, and could take it upon themselves to introduce themselves to one another. “If you have not heard the news.. Aesire has been laid to rest after an accident on the mountain side during a rank challenge.” He paused with his words, his eyes gleaming as they fell upon the two children she had left behind. “Aesire dedicated herself to this pack – now I ask that the pack looks to her young and sees that they want for nothing.” He paused then, his eyes drifting down to Kyna, allowing his gaze to soften. “Aponi has also left the ranks of the pack – her own reasons of a personal matter.” ‘And,’ he thought bitterly, ‘leaving her daughter behind in the interim.’ It looked highly suspicious as well – but Phineas would never have put it past Aponi to think for herself above all others.. Including her own flesh and blood.  “With all of these changes, we need to do our best to move forward once more. Winter is coming.” There was a pause in his words, and with a nod toward Erebos, Phineas inclined his muzzle slightly. “And after this meeting, I will be relinquishing my title to the pack’s next in rank male – Silent Moon Plateau needs a change.”

(This post was last modified: Oct 27, 2015, 06:05 PM by Phineas.)

Celandine stared ahead, completely uninterested. Pack meetings were always a dull affair. 

“I’m Gil.  Don’t think we’ve met, yo.  Properly.” The princess tilted her head lightly, side-eyeing the tawny boy. "Celandine Argyris." The name would have to suffice, for she was already uninterested in their conversation. Thankfully, another man saw fit to end their interaction before it could continue. She hadn't noticed him before. He must have been new to the pack. It was no matter to her, until she saw.. well she wasn't quite sure what it was. The younger of the two; the one that had spoken to her seemed to have some strange growth about his neck. Her eyes narrowed for only a moment, before she decided that she no longer cared. Thus, the fae turned her attention forward once more.

"I will be relinquishing my title to the pack’s next in rank male" Wide eyes fell upon the stark male, disbelief evident in her delicate features. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Her mouth shot open, a strain of curses perched on the tip of her salmon tongue, though they never left. Suddenly, the Argyris woman found it hard to breath. She shot daggers at her father, and stood. The world was spinning, as she turned to leave. Phineas could watch his dream collapse for all she cared. 

[Celandine exits, unless anyone wants to stop her.]

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

He had heard the footfalls of another, but had not cast a glance toward them, finding himself far more interested in his current thoughts. Of course, when a pressure was felt upon his forelimb, the young wolf would glance down, his brows lifting in mild surprise and his fiery gaze sweeping over the smaller form of the girl. It wasn’t hard to discern who she was when she planted a mistaken title upon him, and upon realization of her mistake, was quick to propel herself to her actual father.

The father they shared.

Takis tried not to stare, despite that she studied him with curiosity. He swallowed thickly then, his eyes wavering upon his father before he looked away – Phineas’ child with Aponi took closer to Hypatia than any of his other siblings, and there was no mistaking those bright orange eyes – Aponi had not been lying, and Phineas had yet another child.

Others filed in – none that truly interested the wolf until his sister’s form came in. She seemed.. thinner. Distraught. His heart clenched as he would make to shuffle over slightly, as if inviting her to sit with him, but she chose otherwise – making sure to barely cast him a glance. Takis had some groveling to do.

Phineas called the meeting to order and he tried to focus instead on the matter at hand. He had heard the changes that had occurred within the pack, but not the details – Phineas had been weary when he had accepted his son back in to his ranks, and Takis had left the brief news at that. Aesire was dead, and Aponi was gone. What came as a surprise was Phineas was stepping down for now – and Takis’ hard orange eyes would flicker over to the man who would take his place. From the corner of his eye he seen Celandine leave abruptly – but for now he would not seek her out. He wanted more information on the turbulence that had swallowed his home while he had been gone.

THERE IS A CASTLE ON A CLOUD

Kyna met her father’s affection with a soft noise, lifting her head into the gentle touch of his coriaceous nose. It was hard to believe that less than two months ago, she had feared this man. That worry had been fed by her mother, once the only source of comfort in her life, and now the woman was gone. Forced to adapt, the princess had accepted the alpha as her only remaining parent, and all that entailed. Nodding, she hummed quietly as she was informed of the nature of his call.

“Okay,” she agreed, drawing her eyes away from Takis to settle more firmly by the man’s side. She’d grown quite a bit since they’d first met, making it much harder to actually hide behind Phineas – but all the same, it was clear she felt the safest at his side. Stilling her feet, she tipped her ears and her head as the girl listened carefully, keen to learn what went on at such events. If they’d been held since her birth, Kyna simply hadn’t attended one before – now that she was allowed the privilege, she was determined not to waste it.

First came the discussion of less than pleasant news – the death of Aesire, her friends’ mother. It wasn’t that new, not anymore, but the honey-kissed girl made a mental note of it all the same, glancing around the gathered wolves quietly to gage their reactions. A long look was spared for @Wren as she offered him a sympathetic look before tearing her bright orange eyes away. Her own mother was the next to be discussed and the girl’s ears flattened out to the side – it wasn’t any matter of a secret, but she did not want to listen, did not want to hear any of it. An announcement made it all the more real, and that was something the princess was not yet certain she was willing to accept.

Fortunately, at least she thought at that moment, the topic changed without much dwelling. It was the change in the seasons, and-- A change in male rank? Eyes widened as she sucked in a sharp breath, head flying upwards to study her father’s face. It became immediately obvious that Phineas was not saying any of this in jest. He truly meant to relinquish his role as Silent Moon Plateau’s alpha.

Why? the child wanted to demand, though she had not the courage to bring the words from mind to tongue. Instead she only watched him as she held her breath, shrinking where she sat as her mind began to race. Aesire and Aponi were already pushed to the back of her thoughts as she tried to swallow what she’d just been fed. What happened to a wolf when he stepped down? Aponi stepped down and she left.

A sudden fear gripped the child’s heart, leaving her breathless as she tried to swallow the knot of panic down. Finding that she couldn’t, she leaned closer to @Phineas as she managed to muster a meager whisper. “Please, don’t go. Not you too.”

A wild dissertation appears!

Immediately Phineas dove into the business at paw, sweeping over the circumstances surrounding the two prior Queens' absences. Good riddance, he thought to himself, holding in a low chuff so as not to offend the children. They'd done nothing wrong, but they'd been born of nothing but trespasses, and however dear they might find their parents to be, the pack and perhaps even they were better off without such conniving forces.

As his brother moved on, voicing the need for the pack to gather themselves regardless of their losses (addition through subtraction), a mild warning of winter falling from his tongue, Erebos nodded with a hum of agreement. Their numbers were dwindling, and while the man wished he could keep this pack closed to simply his own blood so as not to endanger them with foreigners, it was an impossible aspiration (at this point, at least). They needed to recruit, and he made a mental note to himself that perhaps he should start satelliting further away from the perimeter to see if he could pick up a straggler or two. Anyone able-bodied with an honest face would do, he supposed, and the closer Winter drew near, the more souls that would be seeking refuge before it was too late.

Then Phineas nodded to him, drawing his hellish gaze, and threw a grenade made of words directly within the circle of words. Wait, what?! his mind reeled as the statement hit him full force, pumpkin eyes widening with incredulity. Certainly it was a joke! His brother couldn't truly think him fit to lead, could he? The seconds ticked by and not a drop of humor entered Phineas' eyes. Celandine abruptly departed, failing to draw her uncle's gaze but acknowledge all the same. Kyna huddle closer to her father, fear overtaking her countenance as Erebos heard her whisper her concern. Before absorbing any of the other reactions occurring around him, he already solidified within his mind, They don't want me, Phineas. They want you!

Sorry I'm late :(

The meeting had been going exactly how the young fae had expected. Celandine made an appearance, sitting next to the pup if only because the she had no real friends, everyone chatted a bit, then when the meeting started the subject of her dead mother almost immediately came into play. 'Everyone already knows...' she whimpered in thought. 'So why can't we all just shut up about it?' it'd been a while since Maeve had been granted the title of 'orphan' due to unfortunate devastation. She'd almost grown completely accustom to it, though being reminded of it never really grew any easier.

Maeve had managed to almost completely zone out of the discussion before something genuinely interesting popped up. So Phineas intended on stepping down from the throne, eh? The pup didn't have to look toward her princess to know how the news was settling, though managed to catch a glimpse of her over-dramatic departure nevertheless. 'I'll find her later...' she sighed, curious to catch the reactions of others standing near. Kyna appeared devastated, and Erobos was seemingly in some state of shock. As to be expected out of the pair. The fae wondered if her brother would state an opinion on the matter, or if he'd simply run to comfort his new friend. Her friend, or so she'd thought not to long ago. 'They both forgot 'bout me..' she huffed, looking at her kin for answers.

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

Some female walked in after him. He might not have even noticed her if not for the fact that she was clearly the oldest of the females assembled. His eyebrows raised as he followed her through the small crowd, noticing the strained way she interacted with the rest of the pack. Moments ticked by, and his grey battle partner floated in. No other females arrived. He really had to wonder if this woman who could only nod and seemed so uncomfortable could really be the leader. Where was her presence? Datura might not have agreed with Phineas on a lot of matters, but at least Phineas exuded a natural royal aura. The white woman had nothing of the sort.

Perhaps she was new to this.

And at this point, the meeting begun. And suddenly it was all coming back to him. This new white wolf -- of course she was new. He had watched with horror in his eyes as his sister had knocked the last one straight off the cliff. Phineas certainly made the whole thing seem like an innocent affair. But it was so hard to say. Datura's heart hammered as he, too, stole a glimpse at the orphaned children. Was it guilt that drove Aponi away? It was hard for Datura to believe her story about the search for her father's killer. What did Datura care about father's? His own father could be dead, but he felt no inclination to suss him out. Mapplethorpe, from Datura's minimal interactions, had always left his fur crawling. Who could care for a man like that? Somehow his mother had...

His jaw hung vaguely open when Phineas moved onto the main course of the meeting. Perhaps he had put too much stock in Phineas' regal nature. Perhaps he was not such a "born ruler." There was no way the golden man would relinquish a title should it ever fall to him. His eyes narrowed upon his grey opponent Erebos. Had the match been Datura's the pack could have been his by now. This was a painful thought.

The others seemed equally upset by this news. The white woman overlooking the orphans simply got up and left. And Phineas' daughter was mewling about him leaving. He inhaled sharply, wondering if this man knew quite what he was doing. Datura certainly knew what he had to do.

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Next round ends on the 18th.

His pack balked more than he would have expected – his eyes swept to the fleeing form of his daughter, and they burned with a slow anger at her obvious distaste. If she felt self-pity and reclusion would gain her the crown in the future, she was far mistaken, and in that very moment the Argyris wolf determined he would not waste his time trying to chase her down and further her training of the matter – she had clearly made her decision.

Letting Celandine go, Phineas felt the burning eyes of his pack mates upon him, though he felt no need to soothe their worry or curiosity. Instead, his muzzle would steal downwards, casting an affectionate nudge upon Kyna’s cheek as she expressed her distress. “No, little dove, you mistake my intent. I am not leaving. Simply allowing myself more time to spend with you and your siblings,” he murmured quietly, knowing the term ‘siblings’ very likely had little meaning to the girl who’s elder siblings acted as if she was not in existence.

Pulling upward once more, his gaze drifted between his members, falling, finally, upon Erebos, who perhaps seemed almost as displeased as Celandine by the news. “Fallen Tree Cove and Oak Tree Bend continue to be a nuisance to us – this pack needs to grow and thrive. Perhaps your reign will allow it to do as such,” he determined then, his tail giving a gentle flick behind him. No one made mention of Aesire or Aponi – and he was loathe to bring them up once ore. Instead, his eyes searched his companions. “Does anyone have anything to add to this meeting, or shall I adjourn?”

(This post was last modified: Nov 10, 2015, 07:52 PM by Phineas.)

Wren watched as the others arrived, making sure he was close to his sister being his primary concern simply because he had been too wrapped up in his own mind, trying to figure things out, which truthfully Kyna had helped a lot with, that he hadn’t thought to make sure she was holding up alright. He was still scolding himself for such things, feeling a funny feeling in his stomach as he looked toward her with a frown. The death of their mother was the first bit of news said, and with that, his sorrowful gaze only intensified, feeling alone since his father had evidently decided to cut his ties with them. He pressed a comforting touch behind his sister’s ear.

He cast Kyna a sympathetic look, one that had matched her own earlier though he made no movement towards her. He had been torn with that – he wanted to comfort her but at the same time, he couldn’t be sad that the murderer was gone. No, it was all alright in his mind, seeing her off the lands, hopefully for good if he could have his way. He didn’t want his life in danger too, and he had seen everything. “We’re going to be alright, Maeve. I promise.” His murmur was soft as he looked at her. He could find Kyna later, talk to her about it just as she had listened when he had lost his mother. That was what friends were for, was it not?