{ meeting of the century [open to all]

[♥Picasso]

{ meeting of the century

It's been five years. Five long, difficult years. There have been countless deaths, countless bloodshed. And for what?
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Packs and loners alike have mutually agreed to meet on this summer day. They may have come here to start a fight or to end the war, but absolutely anyone is allowed to come.
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
What good will this meeting do? Some may ask this, however the packs have never met on neutral soil before without asking for a fight. Perhaps this will give them a different outlook on their rivals. Perhaps it will just drive the war further into turmoil. It is up to you.
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
This mass thread is open to absolutely any character. Perhaps they could meet someone new, make friends, make enemies. Who knows? But this mass thread is open to anything.
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la
It's your call. You have free reigns.

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[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/167uwox.jpg,true] "Speech." The rumours had been slowly spreading for weeks now. A gathering. A meeting. Five years of war, and finally cats and dogs alike were starting to question whether all this murder was really worth it. Denim wasn't sure whether a mass meeting was the right way to go about it. He wasn't even sure whether the leaders of the three packs would even be bothered to turn up. Denim hadn't consulted his father, however he hoped that Course, new leader of Lexis, would make an appearance. It had been a long time since he'd seen the lion, and he must be quite big now. Denim just hoped this wouldn't turn into a massacre. Some bloodthirsty canines and felines would use this as an opportunity to kill as many rivals as possible. Denim was on guard, however. His body had considerably grown in the past few months, and his mane was now making an appearance. Another eight or nine months and he would look like a fully grown adult. Padding through the long grass, he kept his gaze forward yet ears completely alert. He was aware that there could be ambushers. The meadow was a large space, however he followed the scent of the rest of the animals that were nearby. As Denim listened carefully, he could already hear the barks and growls nearby. Heart pounding, Denim wondered whether he would see his siblings here. He had made it explicitly clear to them that he wasn't interested in the stupid Pride and dogs weren't as bad as they thought. They probably hated him now. Letting out a soft sigh, Denim continued to walk through the long grass, brushing past the foliage with ease. It was midday. The sun beat down on the young lion as he walked. Luckily lions were made for hot climates, so Denim didn't feel too hot as he made his way to his destination. Denim had seen dogs and cats with thick fur which he just couldn't comprehend how they survived in the summer months. It was just too hot to have a thick pelt of fur. However, Denim felt the cold during the winter months. His fur was only thin and would never get used to the bitter chill in the air from December to February. The only thing Denim had was his thick mane to keep him warm. However, winter was the least of Denim's worries. As he approached the centre of the meadow, he already saw dozens upon dozens of canines and felines mingling about. There was a distinct split between the two animals. Cats stood on one side, whilst dogs stood on the other. A few brave animals were together, quietly conversing with each other. Probably friends. Probably part of the Lexis Tribe. Denim scanned the canines and felines that stood in the field, trying to look for anyone he recognised. He saw many felines that he had seen around the Pride, however no one that Denim was particularly close to. Denim's heart fell. He had hoped to see Course or Natiri here, however they hadn't arrived. Yet. There was still time. Keeping his ground, Denim stood away from the large group of felines. He didn't want to be a part of them. He was neutral. Gazing out at the crowd, Denim waited for more to arrive. ooc; I have no idea if this is going to take off. I've heard a lot of people express a liking for a mass thread like this, so here you are (: you can do what you like! Wewww!

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[* chemistry]

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[atrb=background,http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae113/gimble2355/alcytablemiddle.jpg] "Talk" Something big was going to happen. There was something restless and excited in the air itself, as if the whole atmosphere vibrated with the suppressed emotion that was present in every canine and feline going to this meeting. It was obvious that resentments and anger would be running high, and either a bloodbath or a very tumultuous negotiation party would ensue. Personally, he would love to tear a few dog throats out, but, as a cat, he had to remain dignified. An attack would certainly result in retaliation, but honestly, they were there to discuss, and it would be shameful for felines to launch the first attack. Were they not the better race? Surely they could discuss and contain their hatred in a civilised manner, like intelligent creatures. He wouldn't be surprised if the dogs were the first to engage hostility, though. The marbled cat made his way slowly to the meadow where the meeting would happen, stopping for a drink at an almost-dry stream. The water was warm, curtsey of the sun beating down on the region, but flowing and he took a couple of laps. If there was a fight that erupted, he wanted to be at his peak. The warm wind blew at his face, light but taking away some of the humidity in the air. He opened his mouth, letting the air bring in the surrounding scents. Mixed were the scents of dozens of cats, some Iris, some Lexis, some loners, and the rank odour of Tempest canines. Amongst the canines, he also scented loners and tribe dogs. He could somewhat understand the motives of Lexis tribe members: the end of hostilities, peace and no more bloodshed, but his own thirst for revenge dampened his comprehending abilities. Probably that if dogs hadn't killed his family, he would have had the desire to join the tribe. Setting out to the clearing once again, the cat's silent steps let him pick up on the sound of many voices up ahead. For now, they didn't seem too violent. Would that change? Probably. He had to be honest that he rather doubted that the discussion would be peaceful. He hoped it would be, but he doubted it. The spotted cat stepped out into the open, all senses on high alert. He stopped, taking in the scene. On one side, felines discussed, a mix of stripped, spotted and marbled coats weaving around each other, respecting self-consciously the line between both parties. On the other side, canines, with their more solid coloured coats, talking between themselves. What surprised him most were the few pairs of cats and dogs talking together. He didn't expect them to make such public show of their indifference to the war. How courageous, he thought to himself. Alcyone walked out towards the large group of felines, looking around for anyone he'd recognise. Seeing no one yet, the cat decided he would watch the scene from above. If it got ugly, he could pounce in and slash a few throats. Turning around, the cat found a suitable tree, a large maple, and climbed up the thick trunk. He settled on a big branch, about ten feet from the ground, his emerald gaze sweeping the scene before him. He would have a front row seat to everything going on below. He settled in a crouch position, ready to leap if it were needed, waiting for the meeting to begin. ------------------------------------------------ words; 569 muse; 7/10 tags; Everyone I guess xD notes; This should be rather interesting ;D

[Jay]

As the rumors had spread about the city, many creatures had learned of the meeting in the meadow. It had caught the attention of many who saw the foolishness of the war between canine and feline, and also many who just wanted to see what would unfold. Would it turn into a peace between forces, or would it descend into another bloody battle. Loners heard the news as well, and as many had stayed as far from the war as possible, it was unsuprising to see the loners coming into the mix at the mention of peace.

---

Three toms from the Iris Pride stood cautiously amongst the mingling creatures. A pair of tabby twins slid through their pride mates and past lexis tribe members, eyeing the dog crowd cautiously. After a few moments they confirmed that there were no dogs among the Tempest crowd that they knew would kill them in an instant (namely Braker), they relaxed a bit, and decided to split up.
Sideswipe, the orange tabby twin drifted in amongst the various creatures, mingling with canine and feline alike, casually striking up a small, quiet convorsation every now and again. His brother, Sunstreaker, the yellow tabby twin, remained off to the side of the Iris Pride members, watching the many occupants of the meadow.

---

Also among the Iris members was a small black tom. He sat perched at the edge of the dividing line, not far from the twins, and observed carefully.
"Seems that a lot of us, canine and feline, are sick of all this killing." He murmured, half to himself. Standing to slip past and eye the different members of the other packs, he wondered how this would turn out. He didn't expect Brooke or Panja to conede to allowing the war to end, but he could hope couldn't he?

---

Across the gathering, on the dog side, a small, sleek female Tmepest pack member stood worriedly. June, a young Tamaskan dog, was a soldier, first and foremost, she was loyal to her pack, through thick, thin, war, and peace. But that did not mean she had to like the war. This war had stolen her family from her, and she wanted it to end. Only difference between her and many of the loners here, she was willing to fight to end it, willing to wipe out the other side in order to end this battle. But this, this gave her hope for a less bloody end, a kinder end to this war. She sat amongst her pack mates, looking out over the meeting, wondering just what was going to happen.

---

Lien crept into the meadow as cautiously as she could, wondering if this meeting was just some ploy to wipe out as many potential rivals in the packs and loners as possible. When she saw the crowd in the meadow, a mixture of Tempest, Iris, Lexis, and loners like herself, mingling quietly, she relaxed a little. The prospect of peace for Hexasol was a very nice one, even if there was just as much potential to drive this war even further, and chance to cause even more bloodshed. As she walked in amongst the loners, she spotted a familiar spotted coat.
"Alcyone?" She called over, trotting up to the leopard. "Is that you?"

(OOC: Jeez, there are days I believe I have WAY to many characters. But, feel free to interact with them. <3 good luck everyone)

[offtomars]

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[atrb=background,http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz129/sorrelpaw102/ChellTable1Middlecopy.jpg?t=1342632476] "Speech" Chell had heard the whispers, the quiet word of those around her. She was never directly spoken to about the matter, her current test subjects hated her (Maybe because she was going to kill them? Hm... no. It was just her personality.) and she avoided other creatures on her own terms. But the rumors had still come to her, the rumors of a great gathering. Where cats and dogs, loners and pride members alike, would come together to... just be around each other. Chell had no real knowledge of what was going to go on at this meeting, and she supposed that nobody else did, either. Normally, something like this wouldn't interest Chell in the slightest. Being around multitudes of creatures that may or may not want to maul her face off wasn't really something the feline was looking forward too. She preferred to spend her time alone. Then, Chell took another view point. Imagine how many different creatures would be there... how they would interact, like different types of microorganisms (whatever those were) colliding! She could promote her lab! She could collect samples on creatures she'd never before been able to get near! Wolves, leopards, lions, the whole lot was going to be there. How could she call herself a real scientist if she skipped out on this great event? And so it was decided. Chell had set out early in the morning, anticipating the long trek to the meadow where this event was suppose to be held. She had met a few other felines that were on their way to the same meeting, and she nodded politely to them before trotting off. The feline was part of no group, she was on her own. And she would act as such. However, as Chell neared the meadow, she began to become more excited. She could see the multitudes of paw prints that spanned the area, all headed in one direction. Oh, how many samples would she be able to collect here? Too many for her to carry, it seemed like. Chell couldn't taste or smell the air, due to a rather bad accident, but she could feel the excitement, the tension. It cracked in the air like lightning. It had occurred to Chell that she might be walking into a potentially dangerous situation, due to the fact that warring nations would be stuck in one big meadow. Chell wanted- no, needed to be alive so she could document the experience. Who else was going to? She could die from wounds later. The time for science was now. Chell could tell she was close, now. She could hear the soft mutterings of felines, and the rough tone of some particular canine. Chell pushed through the undergrowth, becoming frantically anxious to get where she needed to go. The tabby and ginger feline crossed into the meadow, awe struck. Her eyes flew over the scene, the felines over to one side, the dogs to the other. Iris and Tempest, obviously. Perhaps some loners with a grudge. But there were a few canines and felines conversing together. Probably Lexis. But what did she know? Most would be identified by smell, something Chell was now incapable of. But she searched, frantically, for any species she had yet to document. And to the small tabby's delight, her eyes rested on young lion. Chell practically squealed with excitement, trotting over to him as quickly as she could. The small alley cat stood in front of the creature, who was massive beside herself. "Oh- oh my goodness! Panthera leo! Oh, this is so exciting!" Chell purred, bouncing around in front of him. Her accent was hardly noticeable, but the slight twist of her words indicated her Egyptian upbringing. She turned in a wide circle, beaming to herself. And since the lion hadn't yet decided to rip her ears off, the feline felt it was safe to assume he wouldn't. Her wide, greenish yellow eyes scanned him, taking in any scars, fur patterns, color. She smiled, tucking the information into a corner of her mind, saving it for later. "You're not very old yet, are you? Maybe one and a half? Two?"

[/color] Chell asked, half to herself. She paused, scanning him, before delicately reaching out her paw to prod him in the chest a couple times. She made a slight face, and pulled back. As the feline's excitement ebbed away, she remembered what her mother use to say. 'Manners before science, my dear.' The words echoed around Chell's mind, leaving her fairly ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry, where are my manners?[/color] She sighed, "My name is Chell, daughter of Sugizo and Nuit, scientist extraordinaire. Who might you be?"[/color]

.. ooc ...

Silly Chell gets excited over science. She's talking to Denim, btw. XD

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[{Mactíre}]

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[atrb=background,http://i42.tinypic.com/33ufp07.jpg] Valkyrie had been hearing things on her regular outings. Rumours hd been circulating that there was to be a gathering of every creature in and outside of Hexasol who wanted to come. There was to be no fighting between packs, nothing. The small, gangling cub had told her mother and siblings the first chance she got, and now the day had come. With her siblings and mother not far behind her, she charged down a hill and into the meadow, her eyes widening as she beheld the dozens of canines and felines who stood, lay, or sat in the meadow, some talking, joking, or playing; others sat apart from the group, every mouscle in their bodies tensed to spring at the first sign of trouble. The young she-wolf hurtled through the crowd, doing her best not to bumb into anyone. She was doing fine until she passed a large group of felines and tripped over something - she wasn't sure what - and slammed headfirst into a young lion, who had just been approached by a tabby cat. Picking herself up, the arctic-cross-timber wolf burst out, "Sorry about that, I tripped. I've Valkyrie, of the Tempest pack, even though my Mama says we're not really a part of it. Who are you?" She looked from the young lion to the she-cat, her bushy tail wagging and her pointed ears erect as she waited for a response.

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/kf5pph.jpg,true] Rikki picked her way carefully across the meadow; her cubs had scattered everywhere - though she was worried about them - she was always worried about them - the she-wolf knew that they wouldn't leave the meadow. She just hoped they didn't cause a ruckus. Sighing wistfully, she wondered what it would be like if Gravity, her lost beloved and the father of her cubs, was here. The cubs would not doubt be more obedient, for one thing. Pushing the sadness and longing away, into a far corner of her mind, she caught the sight of her only daughter, running headfirst into Denim, one of Panja's children (she preffered to think of them as that, rather than as Florence's children). Hurrying around the throng, the arctic wolf poked her daughter's side with her cold black nose. "If you don't behave, we'll go home," she growled warningly. Turning to Denim and the she-cat, she apologised, "Sorry about that. She's rather wild, this one, but not at all unfriendly towards felines." Nodding to them, she backed away a few paces and sat down on her own, her eyes scanning the area.

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[sorcerer]

"Ahahah, what is this again?"
It was an odd group that wandered through the crowds. A skinny, possibly drunk old black wolf, accompanied by a small Lexis tribe cat, a skinny, big-eyed black tom, and a violently scowling Tempest pack puppy. The wolf regarded the puppy somewhat too fondly.
"Atur, Atur, my boy, why are we here, do tell?"
"It's Pen," the furry puppy muttered irritably. "And I don't know."
"A party!" The orange cat's eyes grew huge and green for a minute. Her voice was horribly cheerful. The black wolf contemplated the idea for a minute, then laughed loudly and limped onwards. Parties were, if Cole remembered correctly, his main interest in life. And murder. Parties and murder.
"No," the black tom said after a moment. "It's a wedding."
"A wedding?"
Pendragon stared for a moment. How he'd ended up with these three, he didn't know. Ah, wait, yes he did. The black wolf had kidnapped him, dammit. Of all the luck and all the people to be stolen by, it had to be this drunk-ass Russian and his cat friends.
"Yes," the black tom said after a minute. Rumor, if Pen remembered correctly. "A wedding. I believe the uh, the lion there.." he nodded to a youngish looking creature across the way slightly "..and the wolf? Yes. An alliance!"
"What."
Pen wasn't sure he understood. The male lion and the definitely female wolf were getting..married? To each other? The young dog was certain that Rumor must be mistaken, or...
"A wedding!" The orange cat smiled happily. Flurry. What a silly name. "Oh, how romantic, kind of like me and um..well, yes. Romantic."
A vaguely fuzzy look appeared in her eyes. Pendragon frowned again, sure that the expression was beginning to stick on his face.
"Aha, I love weddings!" The black wolf wobbled for a second and lurched off in the direction of the young lion. Flurry and Rumor began chatting hapilly about bridal arrangements and catering. Pen took a deep breath, stared around at the scary animals surrounding him, and took off after Cole.

He found the black wolf standing in front of the lion, smiling magnamiously and talking. Again. Did any of these animals ever shut up?
"Good even, young sir. How are you? Congratulations on your big day, by the way. Marriage is a huge step and..."
Pen, unsure what to do, decided to interrupt before the old wolf did something extremely silly. Or dangerous.
"I'm sorry, sir, I think he might be confused.."
"Nonsense," the wolf said sharply. "Don't interrupt, boy. Anyway, as I was saying, I am sure the two of you will have a happy life together. A merging of families! Two kingdoms, made into one!"
Pen's eyes bulged slightly. The Malamute pup swallowed hard, wagged his tail hopefully, and mouthed just go along with it to the lion. Hopefully he could get this "Cole" person away from the other animal and into a dark, unattended corner shortly..

OOC: Cole and Pendragon @ Denim. In case anyone was confused.

[Zen]

Panja’s entrance into the gathering was far from grand. In fact, he wasn’t even sure anyone had even noticed him lumber his way to the back of the assembled crowd. He was tired, his bones ached, and he just wanted to get this meeting over and done with. The only thing that had carried him down here was the small chance that this could end in a compromise between Tempest and Iris. He had been doing a lot of thinking lately, and perhaps it really was time that they tried to work something out, if only for the sake of his cubs. He wanted to die knowing they were safe, and if that meant forcing himself to somehow make a treaty with the dogs, so be it.

But even then there was no telling if Brook was actually willing to make a peaceful negotiation or not. He lifted his chin to look above the many heads of the dogs who were gathered at the front, but he didn’t see the Tempest Pack leader’s face. Perhaps she wouldn’t even show up and this entire trip had been completely pointless for him.

Sighing, he plopped himself down in a dark patch of weeds, a spot that happened to be somewhat near Rikki. He did a double take when he saw her, surprised she had bothered to drag herself all the way here along with the puppies. His blue eyes, calm as the ocean on a summer day, found hers and he twitched an ear in acknowledgement, offering her a quiet “Hello” in a tone that was neither friendly nor unfriendly. A warm breeze stroked the thick fur of his mane and he closed his eyes, wondering when exactly this thing would be over and he could go back home.

OOC: Ok yeah I know this sucks, but I just wanted something to show that Panja is (sort of) present at the meeting D: <3

[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/167uwox.jpg,true] Denim discovered that he had very much stood in the wrong place at the wrong time. Already, heads were turning towards him. He wondered whether many knew his connection to the leader of the Iris Pride. However, Denim held no authority here, and wasn't interested in being the centre of attention. He noticed a Clouded Leopard leaping into a tree and cursed himself for not thinking of it sooner. He was less likely to be harassed if he was high up in a tree like that leopard. However, just before Denim was about to turn and follow the Clouded Leopard's lead by pouncing onto a branch, an eccentric young feline suddenly approached him. Eyes wide, he stared at the small cat, who had started prodding him with her paws. This cat had courage if she had just approached a fairly large lion without any thought of his temperament. "Er, yes. My mane hasn't come through just yet. I look forward to getting out of this gangly stage." Denim chuckled lightly, before the cat began to introduce herself. It was refreshing to see that not everybody knew who Denim was and his relations. He shot the cat a smile and shrugged, "My name's Denim, son of Florence and Panja, leaders of the Iris Pride." Denim said it with no glory or pride in his voice. In fact, Denim, was more embarrassed than proud of who his parents were. "So," Denim began, "What's this about science?" Before there could be too much of a conversation, Denim felt something hard yet fluffy run into his flank. Standing his ground, he turned his head to look at the wolf cub that had excitedly not seen where she was going. Staring down at the cub, Denim chuckled. He missed the excitement and playfulness he had had a year ago. Then again, Denim had never been much of a playful, carefree cub. Denim was extremely curious about what the cub, Valkyrie, meant by 'not being part of' the Tempest Pack. Before Denim could reply and question it, he saw another, older wolf approaching. Denim assumed this was Valk's mother. "I'm surprised you approached me," Denim said truthfully, "It's rare that a Tempest wolf like yourself would willingly speak to an Iris lion like myself. Especially the battle scars you wear." Denim pointed his muzzle at the countless scars that etched into the white wolf's skin. Was she a warrior? "I'm Denim, son of Florence and Panja." Denim repeated again, to introduce himself to the two wolves that were now speaking to him. However, yet again Denim was interrupted by a deranged, black wolf who seemed to be talking to him about a wedding?! A little dumbfounded, Denim opened his mouth several times like a fish, unsure of how to respond. Who was this wolf? "Marriage?" Denim echoed slowly, "I think you're at the wrong venue. This is the gathering for all packs and loners alike, to discuss the war that's been going on for five years." Denim moved his gaze to the puppy with a questioning look. The puppy looked saner than the wolf! Suddenly, Denim recognised another voice. Quiet but very recognisable. Turning his head around quickly, he saw that his father had sat himself down nearby. Narrowing his eyes into a scowl, Denim hoped that his father saw him mingling with the dogs. He wondered whether Alex or Neb had told Panja of Denim's 'conspiring' with the canines, or whether they had decided to keep it to themselves. However, Denim suddenly realised that Panja had been greeting the ivory wolf, whose cub had run headfirst into Denim. How did Panja know her? Was he starting to change his mind about canines? Curiosity peaked in Denim as his mind raced. However, Denim said nothing. Instead he just bowed his head and mumbled a small, "Father." Before he turned his attention back to the others.

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[smudge]

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[atrb=background,http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5064/5585398841_9d6c038328_o.png] "old story, same old story."

[/b]

The white wolfish figure had woken that morning with a churning feeling of uneasiness and anticipation in his stomach.

Perhaps he was just over-thinking things. But was it possible for all of the affiliations in Hexasol to meet in one small meadow peacefully? To the Tempest General, the whole scheme sounded like some individual’s twisted and poor job of concealing an impending bloodbath. It was like some sort of sick joke. Oh well, Hueso was a fan of perverse trickery anyway, and his duty to the Tempest Pack kind of required him to be present. If anything were to erupt, he needed to be there to help Brooke. If she's even there, the white shepherd realized with a slight frown. He hadn't seen the leader for a while now. Either way, he was making hurried progress towards the arena since he had accidentally slept in from a restless sleep the night before. Sleep didn't visit him often anymore.

Maybe I'll retire, Hueso thought, his signature crooked smile raising only his left cheek to expose a row of jagged incisors. Not in a million years. Though stressful and demanding at times, he wouldn't pass up his duty for anything. Tempest had been good to him and his expanding family. His only way of repayment was eternal work, the kind of work a dog with his personality thrived on. Anything felt better compared to his previous life shared with the humans. Even though today would prove to test his limits extremely- as his ashen self emerged into the clearing, it took every bit of his control not to make a scene. Although not aggressive, he was defensive, and he had to force every single fiber of his being to remain calm as he stalked through the crowd, many consisting of Iris Pride members. Multiple times his hair threatened to rise up, especially at the sight of Florence's family. That's when he realized he wouldn't be seeing her today...This will be interesting, Hueso thought coldly, though no emotion was present in his chocolate irises.

He saw the young lion, most likely one of Florence's spawn, being crowded around and had to force himself not to smirk. He looked rather uncomfortable with all of the amount of attention he was receiving. I wonder if... Hueso shook his head, disbelieving in how much his mind was foggy today. No, that was a cub from the previous litter. Memories of Brooke and him hunting down Florence in the blizzard with the frigid air slicing through their fur to try and kill off her cubs suddenly flooded the back of his vision. How had he managed to forget Florence was dead and she had birthed a second round of lion cubs? Pushing the thoughts away, he finally approached the young lion as Panja also appeared nearby. Wonderful, Hueso thought with a dark grin, although his intentions weren't entirely clear. No, he wasn't going to start trouble, but he sure as heck could make everyone surprised and uncomfortable at the same time by joining them. After all, they were all mortal enemies, were they not? Except for the odd group that had already consumed the lion's attention- an old wolf, two other younger looking wolves, a puppy, and several small cats.

"Greetings," Hueso rumbled softly, baritone vocals easily carrying across to the other strangers without him having to speak too loud. A part of him was curious to see if any of them would recognize him. Maybe Panja, and the white wolf whose name seemed to escape him... "Quite an odd carnival we have going on here, isn't it?" He chuckled, carefully studying every creature that was around them. From the corners of his eyes and behind that seemingly-genuine smile, he was secretly calculating every movement made, every comment mentioned, even from other conversations, all at the same time. At any time the place could erupt into chaos, and he had to be prepared, but at the same time, he could figure out a lot about the animals around him.

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[atrb=background,http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5140/5565494523_bca5a82aa3_o.png] "any way the wind blows."

[/b]

Repeatedly the lioness cursed herself in her head, cursed herself for even considering attending this weird event, cursed herself for daring to check it out, and cursed herself for staying. She wasn't welcome around here by any one- maybe by loners and some of the Lexis Tribe, but she had departed from the Pride permanently and Tempest was still her enemy- the main two groups that had constituted this meeting. What on earth did she think she would accomplish by reopening old wounds and potentially creating new ones?

The lioness managed to stay off to the sidelines of it all, sauntering around and eying each individual warily before moving on. It was when she spotted Panja and a young lioness with a resemblance to him she vanished. She knew her mother was dead...but she hadn't seen Panja since the incident and didn't know the lion very well anyways. And as for the young lion, maybe he was a sibling from Florence's latest litter- Aiyana wouldn't know. She hadn't met a single one of them. Regrettable, she guessed, but it was the only way she could live without any ties to the Pride. Something about the young lion intrigued her, however, and as hard as she tried to place her paw on it she couldn't. Perhaps it was the fluidity of his actions, the calmness and acceptance of all of it despite the disarray, that appealed to her.

Oh well. Wasn't like she would be talking to him any time soon...it was too risky.

Locating some sort of tree she could hide out in, while also watching the entire spectacle take place, Aiyana raised herself up on the trunk, about to climb up when she spotted a gracefully spotted feline already hanging out on one of the branches. She was about to duck her head and leave the feline peacefully when an idea possessed her. I should start trying to make a few friends for once, she realized, relaxing and allowing a small smile to spread across her lips. "Mind if I join you up there? I'd hate to disturb you, but I think we both had the same idea."

[/b] Aiyana chuckled nervously, nothing like the impulsive and demanding young lioness she once had been. If the stranger reacted badly, well, Aiyana would just leave or try to find another tree.[/justify]


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[Hunter]

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[atrb=background,http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5227/5583692288_159ae396a5_z.jpg] Kira walks. "Kira talks."

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Of course he couldn’t walk away from the pride without her knowing. He was just too important for her to just let him slip by. She had of course heard about the gathering, but at first she had found it a joke. Seriously, what did Tempest and Iris think they would get out of it? Peace? Not likely. At least not unless all the members of the Tempest pack wanted to commit suicide and throw themselves off Tooth Cliff voluntarily. Pathetic creatures, she thought coldly and spat by the thought of the dogs. She then wondered who had come up with the idea at all. Hopefully Panja wasn’t that stupid. But she had to admit that he hadn’t recovered well after her mother’s tragic death – how tired she was becoming of everyone talking about it. It was time to move on; she had grieved, the pride had grieved… why think more about it? Clearly it was only Panja who had a hard time letting go.

Taking into a run, Kira quickly followed the white lion’s route. If she was fast enough, she would most likely make it before the meeting really began – besides, that old lion couldn’t be that much ahead of her. Coming to the scene, the two year old lioness quickly found Panja’s white frame, sitting near to her half-brother Denim and she realized that she pretty much had forgotten the cub’s existence. Well, it wasn’t like he would become anything great, so Kira never paid him much attention – unless she had the opportunity to play the caring big sister. No wonder if he didn’t seek her out. But she found many other known faces at the gathering too, and Panja wasn’t the only white one. Just beside Denim, Kira recognized Rikki with a young wolf at her side. So she had gotten brats after she’d escaped her cell? What a nightmare, it just meant more canines in this world. But seeing Rikki was fun. The white wolf was clearly getting old, but she hoped she hadn’t forgotten her torture, and she especially hoped that the scum would remember her as the cub who had chosen the way she should be tortured. Shooting an innocent smile at Rikki, she wondered if Brooke and Bane were here as well. What good memories Bane could get into her mind – both in Straight Bit and in the torture cell.

But he wasn’t there and neither was Brooke. At least not yet. But it seemed like the General was there. Looking more outside the crowd, Kira found one who deeply displeased her; Aiyana. She had really loved her sister – how they had run around on the Pride’s territory, feeling invincible together and caused trouble wherever they could. They had been strong together but Aiyana had changed and so, Kira had had to continue life on her own. Hoping Aiyana had seen her, Kira went to sit beside Panja. ”Greetings Gentlemen,” she said with a purr and found herself wanting to say just the same as the Tempest General. Oh please, don’t make me think like a dog... She smiled at Panja, wondering what he would do at this gathering.

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***

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true] Sota walks, ”Sota talks” She had been to a meeting with some spies this morning, making sure that everything was alright when both her and Panja would be gone to the meeting. It might be quite risky having both him and herself outside the pride’s territory when mingling with so many dogs, but who knew? Maybe there would actually be a truce between the Tempest Pack and Iris Pride, and no matter how little she liked the dogs, she couldn’t hope for more. It would be good for the pride to recover fully – Panja wasn’t himself yet and she wanted to focus more on Alexander so he one day would make a great leader. She sighed, yes, a truce would be good. Dashing out from the Iris Pride when everything was settled, Sota quickly found that she wasn’t the only Iris Pride member wanting to attend to the meeting. And when she came to the gathering, she saw that many were already there, cats and dogs alike. So this was definitely not a private party. But that shouldn’t stop the leaders of the two conflicting rivals to get some peace between them. After so long, it was about time. She slowed down to a walk and went up to Panja and Hueso where several others also sat to get the best view over what was about to happen. ”Sorry if I have kept you waiting, I hope not I’m too late,” she said formally as Hueso talked about this being a weird carnival. Standing beside Panja she nodded respectfully to each of them. Better to keep formalities than causing trouble by not doing it. ”We should be delighted that so many have chosen to come today,” she said almost cheerfully, still trying to keep a somewhat formal tone. The big gathering might only be showing the interest of this meeting and that could put them under pressure to make them find a solution… if the dogs wanted that instead of trouble. After all, she wasn’t quite sure how to read Hueso, but hopefully he wouldn’t be stupid enough to start trouble with so many spectators.

***

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[atrb=background,http://i47.tinypic.com/2ldyrer.png] Her father hadn’t been home this night, and she had wondered where he would be. Sneaking away from her mother and other siblings, Antigone had chosen to find him. She didn’t like that he wasn’t sleeping at home every night, and she wondered what he was up to. The yearling had used everything she had learned to find the place where her father had slept for the night, but he wasn’t there anymore. The scent was strong though, so from there it was easy for the black and white female to follow him, and she had never imagined what she would find. Looking over several dogs and cats of every size and many different breeds, Antigone felt her heart pound wildly in her chest. What was going to happen here? And why hadn’t her dad told her anything? This looked like something important and her father was an important dog, so he had to be here. He could at least had shown some trust to his family and told that he would be gone for a meeting. But maybe he hadn’t because he feared someone would be following him… nonsense! She trotted through the gathering, trying to find her father and found several members from the pack. But she wasn’t sure if they would like her company and therefore continued on, trying to find the white male. She found him, in the center of everything of course. Feeling a little scared by the lions and other big cats standing right ahead of him, Antigone walked slowly to being with but then became bolder. She wanted to sit by her dad, letting those stupid kitties know who she was! Sitting beside her father she saw Rikki and her cub Valkyrie who had bumped into a lion cub. ”Rikki, what are you doing?” she exclaimed, not understanding at all why she excused Valkyrie’s behavior instead of telling the lion cub to move. A female tabby cat was standing beside the lion cub and looked quite excited because of something unknown to the young dog. Looking up at her father, she felt confused that he hadn’t done anything to make the lion cub and the tabby move away so there was more space for the canines.

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[atrb=background,http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae113/gimble2355/alcytablemiddle.jpg] "Talk" There was more and more activity in the clearing as one by one, cats and dogs alike arrived. The marbled cat didn't recognise any of the Tempest dogs, but listened in carefully on their conversations, hoping to snatch information on their mindset. Up until now, there wasn't anything interesting that he had picked up, and the canines didn't seem very comfortable with talking of things other than the gathering and the mass of felines on the other side of the clearing. Alcyone spotted a young lion, who was clearly a centre of attention in the feline side, looking like he wanted to bounce up the tree like him, but was held back by a small tabby. He gave a smile when the same lion was run into by a small puppy. How interesting. That's when he caught sight of a white lion, large and muscular with ocean blue eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that this was Panja, the leader of the Iris Pride. His entrance made much of a fuss, but the young lion dipped his head in greetings. His ears picked up the loud scratching of claws on the surface of the trunk and looking down, the cat saw a lioness, gracefully climbing the tree. She spotted him, looking like she was about to go back down again, then seemed to change her mind. A smile spread on her lips and her tone was amiable when she spoke. Mind if I join you up there? I'd hate to disturb you, but I think we both had the same idea. He gave a friendly smile in return, appreciating the idea of company. ”Why, of course not. We have front row seats here.” he said, his deep voice calm. He flicked his tail towards a large branch just next to his, inviting her to come up and make herself comfortable. ”I'm Alcyone by the way. Who may you be?”

[/color] he questioned, his emerald eyes inquisitive.

He had just finished his sentence when a familiar voice rose up to him. Alcyone? Is that you? The smooth flowing words with the slight accent told him instantly that it was Lien. He looked down, his eyes finding her making her way towards the tree. ”Lien, how good to see you. Come on up, we have a splendid view here.”[/color] he said, his tone warm and a smile stretching his lips. He looked back to the lioness, his smile taking on a more charming side. ”I hope you don't mind if my friend comes to join us. She is most friendly, I can assure you.”[/color] he said. He then gave a glance at the clearing before saying: ”Well, this should be interesting. Do you two have any ideas how this will end? I would personally be surprised if there wasn't some kind of fight.”[/color] he asked the two ladies, his eyebrows raised slightly. There was only left to talk until the meeting started.[/justify]

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words; 489
muse; 6/10
tags; --
notes; Yay for mass threads!

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[zeph]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=#F2F5BC][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=cellpadding,9,true][atrb=cellspacing,9,true] Basil woke up to the strong scent of other animals, canine and feline alike. The elderly dog had stopped to rest on the edge of the field, and before he knew it he had fallen into a fitful sleep. This was a rare thing to him, as his old bones often ached too much for a good rest, but the soft grass and a nice cool breeze had lulled him to sleep. Now, he was lifting his head, alerted by the strong scents. In the short time since he had left the mountains, Basil had learned much about the war going on here. He knew that for some reason, the dogs and cats here hated each other with a burning passion. He had heard of many battles and deaths that had been the product of this blind hatred, and this is what he worried about now. If there was a battle nearby, Basil would not likely stand a chance. He could hold his own against another dog or small to medium sized cat, but a battle would be unfair to a dog of his age. At eight years old, the Irish Wolfhound was still active, but one blow to his spine and he would be down in the dust. Slowly, Basil lifted his body from his sleeping position. His joints were not too stiff today, and he was able to stand without a large amount of effort. He blinked his eyes, which were in the beginning stage of going blind. The edges of his vision were slightly blurry, but for now, the large dog was fine getting around on his own. His feet began to follow his nose as he tracked down the source of the many scents. When he saw the source, he nearly lost his footing. A gathering was occurring, and the scents were so mingled it was difficult to pin down just one. Tempest dogs, loners, Iris cats, and Lexis tribe members all stood together, though they weren't exactly embracing. There was only one explanation for this; the animals of Hexasol had decided to meet on peaceful terms! Basil was happy to see this, because he was a peaceful dog by nature. He padded over to the growing group and sat down, but did not intrude on any conversations. This was bigger than himself, and for now, he would be content to observe. ~so why don't we go somewhere only we know~

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=#021401][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=cellpadding,9,true][atrb=cellspacing,9,true] and you have every right Alto had heard rumors drifting around the area that a meeting was to be held. A meeting for all the animals of Hexasol, regardless of species or pack alignment. This frightened Alto, because not only was he terrified of cats, but he had recently learned that the Tempest Pack would love to rip apart any cat they find. this completely flipped over his mentality of trusting dogs and hating cats. He didn't know what to think anymore, but he knew that he would never truly trust a cat. Or so he thought. Altos fear of the gathering was understandable: His mother had been torn apart by his father, and he had been abandoned in a thick blizzard. He was rescued by a dog, who raised him with her pups, but later on, two rogue tigers had killed his canine mother and probably his brother, and his two sisters had gone to live with a pack that didn't really like cats. So, Altos entire life had taught him that cats were bad news. Why else would that pack not trust him? Why else would those tigers kill his beloved family members? He had an extreme aversion to attending this gathering. That is what his heart felt. His thoughts were different. Gnawing at the back of his mind was the desire for revenge, and the feeling was growing. If all the animals of Hexasol gathered, his father could be there. That meant he would have a chance to enact revenge. Revenge for the illness, pain and heartbreak that all led back to that cruel act on the night of that blizzard. And that feeling, that desire for revenge, is what drove his body to head toward the meadows that day. His mind was set as his silent steps carried him through the tall grass. Luckily, the sight of all the animals together snapped him out of his violent mindset. He didn't know why he was there. He didn't know what would happen if he was seen. His large round eyes scanned the area, and saw many cats. Large cats. He also saw many dogs, quite a few which had a distinct Tempest odor to them. Alto crouched low in the grass, hoping not to be seen, but it was in vain. His scent was as easily caught as any other animal in the area. And that's when he saw his father. Rather, what he thought was his father for a split second. The other clouded leopard was not large or old enough to be Alto's sire, but still, the sight of another like him brought fear to his heart. He crouched even lower, eyes wide with terror. Why had he come here? to be scared

[SMIFFAGRIFF]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g399/SmiffDemon/leowolf.png); width: 499; height: 499] Lee had been looking forward to this event for days now. A giant gathering? What a blast that sounded like it was going to be! With his usual sneer and a mischievous glint in his eye, the melanistic wolf padded right into the center of the meadow. His obvious excitement betrayed some of the uneasiness even he was feeling though. There were so many lions around. Leo couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, maybe even a bit resentful, of those creatures. They had murdered his father, after all. He tried to push those thoughts away for now though - this was a peaceful gathering. And though he was a little more in favor of dogs over cats, Leonardo wasn't a believer in this war. Not even a tiny bit. All it was bringing was pain anyway. He spotted Panja, Kira, and Denim all gathered together, and one other lionness, Aiyana, off nearby a tree, but like hell he'd let them know he was scared of them. That'd just be disgraceful, especially with the show he was about to put on for these uptight old hags in charge of Hexasol. And so with a deep breath, Lee let out a loud, obnoxious howl, "THE PARTY DON'T START TILL I WALK IN BABY!" He'd probably get loads of disapproving stares, but maybe someone would find him amusing. Maybe. If not - well.... he'd just have to continue to be obnoxious until someone personally shut him up. Oh yes, this was going to be fun indeed...

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-image: url(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g399/SmiffDemon/brooke-2.png); width: 499; height: 499] "Speech!"

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***
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This is a damn stupid idea,[/color] she thought. But Brooke felt obligated to show up at this... gathering of sorts. She wasn't there to be friendly - but if something were to go wrong like she suspected it would, she wanted to be there for the members of her Pack that did decide to go. She hadn't forbid anyone from attending, though, as soon as she had arrived and noted how many Iris members were present, she wished she had.

Not that it would have stopped the ones that really wanted to go, but at least she could have said she warned them. Head low, and tail twitching, but erect, Brooke approached the meadow on guard. She noted Leonardo - Dawn's child - making a scene. He always did that, even in her territory. She only tolerated it because Dawn was a friend, an ally, and she wouldn't dare discipline the only surviving pup of her litter. Brooke didn't have that right anyway. She wasn't the yearling's mother. She hardly was even a mother to her own two pups.

That oh so familiar feeling of regret gripped her in that moment. Oh how she wished now that she had never taken on this duty. Her young mind was clouded by ambition at that time. Now going on seven years old, Brooke wished she had not been such a fool. But it was too late now, and there was no use dwelling on past mistakes.

Without so much as a hello, she stood in the clearing for a few moments, just to let the others know she was there, and then made her way over to Heuso. At least there was one friend she could rely on here for company. She had also spotted Rikki - Gravity's mate. Perhaps they would get a chance to talk as well. Strange, she thought, how a gathering between dogs and cats would make her interact with those of her own pack whom she hadn't spoken to in what seemed like eons.

I've become so impersonal with them all. That's not what a pack is about.[/color] She had had to though, when things were at the brink of disaster. She had to disassociate with them all to do her duty right. But now that Florence was gone, it felt like she was sitting peacefully in the eye of the storm of a hurricane. Perhaps she should enjoy it before the winds stirred up old rivalries again.

With a nod to her General, she spoke lowly, "I don't know which disillusioned moron decided this was a good idea. I pray nothing starts up today."[/color] She blinked and smiled at her old friend. "It's been too long since we spoke. I want to thank you personally for your hard work."[/color]



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[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/167uwox.jpg,true] Denim turned his head to look at more arrivals. He was feeling a little on edge, wondering whether sparks were going to fly. Ever since his mother's death, however, everything had been quiet. Denim wasn't too surprised, seeing as it was often his mother who planned the next attack. As much as Denim missed his mother, he couldn't help but be glad that she was longer here. She caused so much anger and hatred that it was better off that she was dead. Denim felt ill from thinking such horrid thoughts, but it was the truth. Denim had never connected with his mother, and he knew that she saw him as a failure. Denim had been the meek cub, and his cowardice had stopped the Tempest Pack from kidnapping him with the rest of his siblings. There was a hush in the meadow, and Denim lifted his head to see the leader of the Tempest Pack entering towards the back of the meadow. Fur prickling, Denim abruptly looked away from the black canine. That was the dog that had killed his mother. He had heard rumours of the pain that Florence had been put through. How they had literally torn her to pieces. Shuddering, Denim wondered what Brooke would do to him, if she ever got the chance. He wondered how his father might react to the presence of Brooke. He knew that Panja wouldn't remain oblivious to the Tempest leader, however Denim reckoned that he would just ignore her. He was still caught up on the loss of his mate. Turning to look at his father, Denim saw that his half sister Kira had joined him. Denim knew very little about Kira. He rarely spoke to her, even though they shared their mother's blood. Denim nodded his head to his elder sister, "Kira," He greeted, "I can't imagine you're at this meeting for peace." He said with a bit of an ironic smile. Kira was probably the daughter most like their mother, Florence. Denim had never met his other half-sister, Aiyana. She was no longer interested in the Iris Pride, much like Denim himself. Denim had no idea of her scent, nor what she looked like, so it would be difficult to track her out of a crowd. Perhaps she was here somewhere. Perhaps she held Denim's views. Before Denim could say anymore, there was a howl from a young, black wolf nearby. Raising his eyebrows, Denim stared at him, bewildered. If this wolf thought this was a party, then he was very wrong. Denim reckoned he just wanted to have a bit of fun, and judging by the wolf's demeanor, he is fairly young. Probably around the same age as Denim, yet they were so different. Denim wished he could be as carefree and happy as that wolf. Sighing, he scanned the crowd, wondering whether there was going to be any peacemaking.

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