இ Ѻur Ѻwn Ҟeepers இ (Semi-lit Post-Apocalyptic- Beasts)

[Slayei]

◤--------------------◥

➳ Thayer

➳ Female

➳ Himalayan Wolf

◣--------------------◢

The kind words entered her ears like daggers. Thayer knew they were being nice, and their offer was nothing but generous, but to her it felt as if her freedom was now coming to an end. The way she had needed to run from the humans made her feel as if it was beginning again. In her heart she felt the fear race in her body once again at the thought of them retaking the land. Another time of destruction and terror, of animals living in fear and dying because of humans. As she was motioned by Ora to join the others her mind terrorized her.

She had not spent so many months in the wild, fighting for herself, just to be overtaking by those disgusting savages. Another deli ma rose in her. Could she stay with the others? There was no doubt that Thayer liked to keep to herself. She had more freedom, what was hers was hers and no one would tell her otherwise, and she could do what she needed without worry about someone else getting hurt in the process. She closed her eyes for a brief moment. She had never exactly been around others for more than a few hours at most, even when she was enclosed in the reservation. She tried to spend most of her time finding a way out of the wretched place, rather than making friends. Even now, she kept her friends at a distance.

Never had she told the others of her life before the world changed. The life where she was free within the restraints of a fence or how her family were used to repopulate her species by force. Within the time she had been with them she had not once had she told of how she came to be, of how her mother and father were forcefully bred with not only each other, but others of her species. At one time Thayer remembered hearing stories of how her exact species flourished and thrived, but in Thayer's time she had only heard of the quick deaths her species faced because of humans. That was her weakness, well one of them at least.

Humans continued to haunt her dreams and after this morning's event it played on her heart strings. In her head she pondered her decision of the leaders' offer. She would need somewhere to stay and with the humans rampaging it would be better if the Wise stay in numbers. Then again, more numbers could just always mean more death to have to rationalize. More friends lost. More pain to misplace once again. As she watched the others continue to pile in, she looked to her leaders. Because of the fact that Ora was busy with the other Wise, Thayer came to Tenzin's side. She bowed her head a bit before looking into his eyes.

Never had she met his eyes before, because to Thayer it was a sign of respect. Now, she met his eyes for the first time in order to invite friendship and trust. If she were going to be living with them she would need both. As she first laid her eyes to him she was taking back. His eyes were golden like the sun and full of the wisdom of many. As she gathered herself, she spoke gently and respectfully to him "I will accept your offer, sir." Elegantly she gave a soft bow, then raised herself once again. Strangely, Tenzin had caused a new-found curiosity to awaken in Thayer. Once she had seen his eyes her perspective had changed.

Something in her had clicked and she needed to find out why this beast enticed her so. So many thing Thayer had felt in her life, but never once had she felt such an urgency to understand this foreign feeling.

(( I will make one if no body else wants to, just for a filler. But I will wait until everyone else has decided so as to allow others the chance.))

[Resin]

((I'm in the process of making a female human now. If you'd like to make one, you may. If you'd rather not, that's fine as well. I can play disposable characters when needed.))

~|Tenzin|~Co-Leader of The wise|~ Male Liger|~

Upon Thayer's approach, Tenzin placed a slim red cord in the crease of his book to keep his place, then closed it gently and sat it upon the pile beside him. When she addressed him as 'Sir' he couldn't help but chuckle deeply. His deep amber eyes seemed to smile just as much as his maw. "No need for titles. I am but a simple Liger. Tenzin will do just fine." Canting his maned head to the side, he motioned to the baboon next to him. "This is Hapi. Hapi, this is Thayer." Yes, he knew her name well. He knew all of their names.

As he scanned her slender face, he noted the look of unease. It was as if the wolf was ready to panic, but held it back as best as she could. "You do not need to fear, lady. We will take back your home. The humans will be removed from it and things will go back to normal." Behind him, the furred tip of his long tail swished languidly back and forth. Perhaps she felt anxious for other reasons.

"You also needn't accept our offer. If you wish to stay elsewhere, we won't think less of you." Silently he rose, bringing his large, bulky form to his paws with ease. He motioned for her to walk with him. Moving up yet another flight of stairs, he pushed open a door and led the wolf to another floor. Not a sound was heard in this area of the library. "This is the archive floor," he informed Thayer, his voice that soft, deep purr. "We rarely come up here since all of the books are below. It was a sort of office when the humans lived here." Again he began to walk, leading her down an aisle between the desks that they had pushed to the side long ago.

Moving through another door and down a few steps into a lowered room, Tenzin sat before a large glass wall. Looking through the wall, you could see the entire library below. "One way glass. We can see them, but they can't see us. From the outside, this just looks like another portion of the wall." Down below, the congregation of animals could be seen in the lecture hall. He watched as Oresia moved through them, putting each animal at ease to the best of her ability. If one looked to the right, the floor where he had previously been reading could be seen.

"When I need a dose of solitude, I come here. It's quiet and comfortable but I can still keep an eye on the goings on. You are welcome to stay here if you wish it. There's a second door leading to a long flight of stone steps. You can come and go as you please." With one massive clawed paw, Tenzin directed her attention behind them. There rested a large pile of pillows and blankets upon a king sized mattress. "It may have a bit of fur upon it, but I promise that it's quite comfortable."

Movement below caught his attention and he was slightly surprised when he looked towards it. Merikh, the killer crocodile, had managed to drag his giant girth all the way to the library. It was out of character for him, but the decisions that needed to be made involved him as well so it was good that he came. "I'm not sure how many more are going to show themselves. I'd rather stay here. But alas... duty calls." He graced her with another warm smile and nodded respectfully before rising and making for the door.

[Soriams]

((Aw, shucks, thankye! I actually wished I had spent a bit more time on it. Anyway, I'm happy to play humans as needed also. Do you want forms, or just have them show up when necessary?))

Calaphan
~<<<<<<<<-–—=:•:=—–->>>>>>>>~

Croaking back his own greeting, Calaphan left the stone on which he sat and followed Tenzin into the library. Though the building was large and spacious, navigating the indoors on wing was still tricky at best. Having a wingspan of nearly four feet, he had to time his movements carefully to keep from catching a wingtip on a doorframe or shelf as he passed. Yet for his part, Calaphan did admirably well, cruising through the rooms with practiced ease to land upon the top of an ornamental curtain rod. He settled himself to watch, the feathered trousers on his legs fanning out over his feet where he sat. Not bothering Tenzin as he turned to his books, he instead took in the others animals who gathered, his sharp eyes not missing Thayer, the golden wolf. It was rare for her to leave her home across town, and though Calaphan had often shared of her kills, he doubted she would recognize him. Even in their enlightened state, it seemed as though the furred ones still had difficulty telling one bird from another. Especially if they had never spoken. At any rate, her presence meant that more trouble was afoot, and he waited patiently for the meeting that would undoubtedly follow Oraesia's becoming howl.

Before long, the baboon, Hapi, appeared and went to question Tenzin on the happenings of the morning. Rather than stay and listen to what he already knew, Calaphan hopped off the window and walked across the tops of the book shelves until he sat atop the poetry section where Thayer and Oresia now sat. Though sad, her story was hardly surprising, nor was Ora's reaction to it. As the humans had recovered their strength after the death that fell upon them, they too sought to rebuild their lives. Change was difficult for all beings, especially when you were in the thick of it, and the grey wolf harbored a deep resentment for their crimes. Though he knew in his heart that her anger did nothing but hurt her in the long run, he could hardly blame her for it. So many of those she cared about had been harmed in her enemy's name, and the violence and fear ran rampant like an unchecked sickness through the city. Her planned retaliation would only perpetuate the cycle, and though the Raven saw this clearly, he would not lecture. Such was not his place in life, and as Thayer turned to speak with Tenzin, he followed Oresia into the lecture hall.

Dodging the press of heavy paws and furred bodies many times his size, Calaphan quickly took to wing and landed in his place atop the defunct projector that hung from the celling. The animals that filed in seemed to bristle with tension, many of them were ill at ease and rumors abounded as they too took their places. Though many voices could be heard, the zeitgeist by far leaned in favor of retaliation, of putting them in their place. Even if it was for their own good, they should be contained and kept safe where they could do no harm. Shaking his head, Calaphan looked way, tipping his beak down to preen the feathers of his breast. He had heard all of this before, well before the others had awakened from the mouths of humans. Surely, the planet turned in great cycles, here, those who were once imprisoned and repressed sought to do the same to their oppressors. Whatever the reason, his kind always feasted when there was war, and yet, it brought sadness to him. This was to have been a new age for them all, and now it had come to this.

A commotion at the entry drew his attention, and Calaphan looked down to see the arrival of Merikh. Amused by the way the others scattered in his wake, he crowed out an appreciative laugh. "Merikh! This must be important if you are to drag your scaly hide all the way here from the park," he said in a jovial tone, making a few of the animals below look up at him. Most of them probably hadn't even realized he was there, and, as with most birds, his voice was surprisingly loud for his size. Just the same, he enjoyed watching them eye the reptile warily. Much the same as he, the mouth of the crocodilian was hard and his scales offered no display, and the furred ones had difficulty reading him.

Gliding down from his high perch to land on the top of the tattered projection screen, Calaphan sat at the head of the hall where he might have a better view. Tenzin was still absent, and he could only assume that they would all wait for he liger's entrance before starting. At the very least he would have Merikh's banter to pass the time, and raising the feathers on his head, he looked over to the scaled monster to await his reply.

[Slayei]

◤--------------------◥

➳ Thayer

➳ Female

➳ Himalayan Wolf

◣--------------------◢

With Tenzin's words Thayer shook her head "I would be glad to stay here. In a time like this it is important for us to stay together, personal emotions aside." As he motioned for her to follow him she did. Once they were to the top of the stairs she looked around. It was a fortress of solitude. It was, of course, nothing compared to the opera house. For now, however, it was human free and slightly secluded. In her mind she had to remind herself of how many other Wise would put themselves in harms way in order to receive such an honor as to live at the library. They were not her though. They did not crave the lonely feeling as she did. She craved the freedom. As much as she hated to admit, the library loft was the most amount of freedom that she could possess at the moment with the humans running amiss.

As he explained the living arrangement of the room Thayer's eyes explored it. Not only did it meet her standards, but not she could feel slightly safer. She looked out over everyone else. They all seemed so panicked, and so they should be. Humans were not to be trifled with. They cared about no one, not even themselves. Even before they were killed off the humans ate trash manufactured in labs, then when they began developing new diseases they turned on each other. They even destroyed their own planet for their selfishness. When she began to become enlightened to realized how much they had really destroyed themselves. Overeating, disease, and pollution made up human life.

Gently, as she saw more pour into the Grand Library, she turned and nodded to Tenzin as he smiled to her. His smile hit her like a brick wall, stopping her right in her tracks. The foreign feeling from before now burned inside of her. As Tenzin walked ahead she stood still, evaluating herself. What was this feeling? Where did it come from? Never had she felt anything like it. It was powerful and threatened to overtake her. She felt the need to be by Tenzin's side, to be friend him. Even more, she felt a growing fondness of him. Trying to bury this feeling, she shook it from her mind. In order to keep it from arising she deermined she needed to keep her distance from Tenzin, just until she figured out how to control this emotion.

Thayer made her way back down the steps in order to join the others. Many had traveled from all throughout the city in order to meet the leader's call of order. With a few steps she joined the others in the crowd, making her way to the far back of the room. She sat beneath something she had come to know as a globe. The globe rested on wooden stilts, which she used to lean against. She waited for the order to start.

[Wormgod]

The big cat jumped and Hapi instinctively took a step back. Tenzin was quite large and sometimes intimidating, even though the baboon knew he wouldn't hurt him. The news he brought, however, did, "A leopardess has been killed by humans in the subway. This has been the third kill this month."

Hapi's eyes widened. This was unacceptable. The humans knew darn well that animals--minus pure herbivores--were intelligent! They couldn't just kill them willy-nilly! But of course, they thought so. They did it Before--Before the plague, Before intelligence--and they would do it again. The baboon bared his teeth in anger.

"...Hapi, this is Thayer." Tenzin's words snapped the baboon out of his thoughts. He looked up at the rust-colored wolf that came here before the other animals started assembling. Hapi was being introduced. He gave a big, lipped smile at her. She looked troubled, but distant, as if her mind was somewhere else. Hapi knew that look. Tenzin had it all the time.

The liger and wolf left, and Hapi was once again alone. He climbed atop the bookshelves and jumped from one to another to the lecture hall. Already it was teeming with furry, scaled, feathered, and thick-skinned bodies. Hapi weaved through the crowd and headed toward the lecture stage, where he and other members of the Wise would stand and address the public.

[-Starchild.Keith-]

(Sorry about the lateness of this. I have been rather busy and just now found the time and muse to post.
And would you want to say Doll and Varg live in the same building?)

Mabaya
- Margay - Female - Young Adult -

As the sun rose over the city, the bright slivers of light seemed to pierce everything they touched. The glow slowly spread across everything, bathing the city in the hazy glow of morning. Perched on top of the conservatory, Mabaya's eyes seemed to take in everything. If the city, even in its current dilapidated state, was able to seem beautiful with this light, she could only imagine what it must have looked like while intact. Sure, some buildings were still standing and in a decent condition. Most, however, were slowly wearing down with the elements. Her own home had been crushed under a fallen tree, though it did make it more liveable for the small cat.

The conservatory overlooked a large sidestreet of the city, as well as a corner of the park. She liked to roam the parts of the city near her home. She was naturally nocturnal, and still much preferred night to the day. However, since most of the other inhabitants were primarily diurnal, she had adjusted her own sleep schedule. She began to sleep later in the day and halfway through the night so she was able to both enjoy the night and speak to the other dwellers in the city.

As she watched, the sun finally made its way higher into the sky. Mabaya often enjoyed the solitude her housing offered her, and she loved to watch the sun rise. She didn't get to see it set often. As she looked down now, she spotted a large, moving mass. A second later, she discerned it to be the scaly bulk of the neighborhood crocodile, Merikh. Though Mabaya was naturally a loner, she did know the names of a few of the nearby residents and, of course, Tenzin and Oresia. Curious as to why the large reptile was leaving his home, she nimbly picked her way to the ground.

Once her paws were safely on the ground, she took off after him. His size was always a bit intimidating to the small cat, so she chose to follow him stealthily. Being on the ground always irritated her, seeing as how her early years had been spent almost entirely in the great canopies of the jungle. Still, her curiosity led her on. She followed him to the great library, which was odd. What would a crocodile want there? With a shrug, she followed, instantly scaling a nearby bookshelf so she was up where she liked. Tenzin was not present, so she sought Oresia. Remaining on the shelf, she spoke so the wolfess could hear. "Is there something up? I am wondering why Merikh would drag himself all the way out here."

Varg
- Maned Wolf - Male - Young Adult -

The sun was riding well above the city by the time Varg awoke. The young maned wolf loved to sleep while the sun shone. HIs bed was positioned just how he liked it- underneath the window, right against the wall. The sheets were a tangled mess around him, and the pillows were piled haphazardly at both ends. He took up a large portion of the queen bed, his long limbs stretching far across the squishy old mattress. The sun kept rising, however, and soon the light was bright enough to wake the sleeping wolf.

With a loud huff, Varg's eyes slowly opened. It took him nearly a minute to sit up and stretch himself out, which he did with a bit of difficulty due to the mattress. After stretching, he leapt to the floor with a thud. Though his paws were rather small, they easily supported his weight. His entire frame was small, actually. A quick shake to get rid of the sleepiness, nearly sent him falling, but he recovered. Now that he was fully stable, a smile crossed his face. The sky was clear, and he heard what sounded like peace and quiet over the city. Turning happily, he trotted down the narrow stairwell of his building. The door was easy to push open with his body, and soon he was outside in the sun.

Once outside, Vard trotted towards an old bucket. He tried to keep is as clean as possible, seeing as how he used it to collect rainwater. He dunked his head in, lapping eagerly at the cool water. It helped wake him up, and soon he became the normal ball of energy that everyone knew and some loved. Today he planned on borrowing another book to read. He normally waited a day in between each book, and he had returned the other one yesterday. Maybe not a full day, but one day is enough for me! He smiled as he trotted towards the library.

It was a quick trip to the large building, and he trotted inside without a care in the world. He was one of the frequent visitors to this great building, and thus knew his way around. His first destination was the fantasy section. He had just started a wonderful series, called Harry Potter. He easily nosed out the second book, picking it up delicately in his teeth. Trotting to the front of the library, he paused when he actually noticed that a great many creatures were inside, including Merikh. Quirking an eyebrow, he deposited his book on a small table and trotted over towards the large reptile. "Good morning, Merikh! What has brought you all the way from the park?"

[Apocalyptic_Punk]

{{Illusion~~Female~~Middle aged}}

The tan and black Ocelot slipped slowly through the cool morning air, her nostrils extending as she caught the scent of her prey. She was irritated, she'd been out longer then she planned, and should have already caught her food for the day. But, the scent of humans was everywhere. With a low growl at the memory she finally spotted the small ungulate she'd been trailing, her deep yellow eyes focused on the prey as she lowered her already stout body closer to the ground. Her ears twisting around as she drew in the sound of, birds from high above, screeching and chirping. Another low grumbling growl burst from her chest, the noise of the day time animals bothered her to no end. She bared her sharp white incisors and slowly inched forward, tasting the air she almost missed it, with a growl she threw herself hard to the left her long tail the last bit of her to dissapear as the spear stabbed into the earth's flesh.

She snarled in anger glaring back through the bushes before making herself scarce, her stomach roaring its anger at her as she made tracks back for New Isolia. Grumbling and growling the whole way she barely noticed the change between grass and cement upon her rounded paws. She growled in frustration and continued walking heading for her small house, her home now sense the death of the humans, and her freedom from her cage. She paused though at the long howl from the city center, the great Library. She paused letting her long tail lash the air as she sniffed, narrowing her amber eyes to mere slits she sniffed the cool morning air.

With a low grumbling growl she stood to her feet again and padded towards the City center; something had happened, she could tell that much from Oresia call, and she best find out what it is. She made short work of the city streets and soon her eyes fell upon the Library, with a soft sigh she mounted the stone steps and trotted into the building her long tail lashing the air behind her as she entered the arbitrary and found a place to sit, she would see what needed to be said before bringing her own concerns to attention.

{{Nos~~Young~~Male}}

Nos was running because that was what Nos enjoyed doing the most, his long striped tail was held out behind him as a rudder almost as he ran, his long legs reaching his blunted claws just barley scraping the dirt as he charged head long across the open space. He shortly reached his top speed, his black and orange frame, flashing through the early morning sun light, hot breaths burned into his lungs, already he could feel his speed diminishing. He let out a frustrated huff of over heated air, and stretched himself harder. Then with out warning the ground went out from under him and with a cry of surprise he pitched nose first into the dirt, pain rattled up his spine as he slowly, dizzily regained his feet.

He shook his head hard to clear his head, blinking his deep red eyes as he looked about the small park in the center of the city. Letting out another huff of hot air. He sat silently taking deep breaths of the cooling air, feeling out his long gangly limbs to be certain that nothing had been damaged in his embarrassing fall. Once he was certain of the lack of serious injury beyond the bruising to his pride he let out a soft chirp of air between his teeth before rising to his feet, he quickly walked up the path towards the the city center.

As always there was a light as air spring in his step, his tail whipped the air to help him keep his balance, even when he wasn't moving at the greatest of speeds, he let out another huff of over heated air leave his lungs before taking another cooling breath he paused his head lowering, his huge rounded ears twisting as he caught the howl from the library. He grinned happily, he was always up for a meeting, he loved talking to others. He picked up his pace running towards the library, he was never one to lay about reading a book, but exploring the twists and turns of the great building always appealed to him, when he couldn't find anyone to converse with. "Good morning everyone," He called cheerfully as he entered the great hall.

[Resin]

((Don't worry about being late. And yes, Varg and Doll can live in the same building. As for the humans, I'd like a few permanent characters, but each of you can play disposable humans when one of your characters has to interact with them.
Sorry for the short post. I have an interview in the morning and need to try and sleep soon. ))

~|Merikh|~Saltwater Crocodile|~

With slow movements and great care, Merikh heaved and dragged his massive bulk over several city blocks. The ladies didn't want him to go and watched with glistening eyes as he pulled himself from the lake-like pond. Some species still clung to their animalistic ways and the scaled royalty of the pond did this moreso than others. They hated to see their king leave them, but he rather liked it. It was nice to get away from their incessant chattering. Females were so... talkative and loud. The only exception that he'd found to this was the silver canine that frequented his side of the city.

Oresia intrigued the crocodile greatly. Her call was the only reason that he had left the pond. He was curious as to what she had to say. One could only assume that it was something relating to the human infestation that had plagued them so recently. Remembering the recent death of one of his favorite females brought a flareup of anger and Merikh released a rumbling, hissing growl. If he could taste the flesh of the human that had killed Mumbira, he would be quite happy.

It took quite a while, but finally the croc worked his way inside of the library and to the large hall where the meeting were held. Carefully, he stretched the great length of his body, all twenty-one feet of it, smack in the middle of the center aisle. He knew that he made the majority of the beasts uncomfortable and he rather enjoyed it. Anxious whispers met his ears and, just to make a show of it, Merikh opened his gigantic, gaping maw in a long, toothy yawn before allowing his jaws to fall shut once more with a loud, echoing snap.

"Merikh! This must be important if you are to drag your scaly hide all the way here from the park." Rolling one yellow and green marbled eye to the side, he noted the presence of Calaphan and a large grin spread upon the reptiles face. This little bird was another that Merikh would almost say that he liked. He made a point to share his kills with the raven simply for the sake of companionship other than that of his yammering hoard of females. His deep baritone rumbled from within him and he managed a chuckle. "The lady called, Calapahn, so I came. Plus I needed the exercise."

Another greeted him and he swung his blocky head to the other side, his gaze falling upon Varg, the maned wolf. "I decided to take up flying rather than swimming so I came here to borrow a book." His remark was snarky and sarcastic, but the jesting was good natured for the most part. Tired of holding his heavy head up, he placed it upon the ground, eyes waiting to find the female that he came here to see.

~|Tenzin|~Co-Leader of The Wise|~ Male Liger|~

The words that Thayer said met his ears and made him smile. He was glad that she was willing to accept the offer of lodging. Knowing that she would follow to the meeting, he continued down the stairs and out into the large open room where the rest of the animals waited. Casting his golden gaze about, he named each creature in his head as he passed them. With one leap, he sat upon the raised dais next to the silver form of Oresia.

She met his gaze then motioned with a paw for him to take the floor. Of course she would let him address everyone first and explain the situation, then she would let them know how she would like to handle it. He didn't mind this. It allowed him to lay out the issue as it needed to be seen. He adored Ora, but sometimes she acted too brazenly; too aggressively. Her aggression and passion were infectious. If she spoke first, she would incite the animals into a riot before Tenzin could make a peep.

Tenzin sat and brought his long striped tail up next to his body. Clearing his throat, he began. "Thank you for coming. As many of you already know, a leopardess was killed during the night. Our ferret friend, Sigmund," he motioned to the little black ferret that had pulled himself atop one of the cushioned chairs, "saw humans standing over her with spears. By the time Oresia and myself arrived, she had been skinned and meat had been taken." The liger took a moment of silence, remembering the grizzly scene while he let the words sink into the congregation.

"Thayer has also been displaced from her home in the Opera House today. Humans have invaded there as well. There are more of them showing themselves every day and, while they have just as much right to live as we do, they are not willing to do so peacefully." One golden brow arched and the giant cat let his gaze roam over each face that looked up towards him. "We must now decide what to do about this situation. That is why you have been called here." He'd said his piece and now looked to Oresia, giving her the floor.

~|Oresia|~Co-Leader of The Wise|~Female Cascades Wolf|~

After greeting everyone, Oresia leaped upon the raised stage and sat, curling her tail about her paws. She watched the trickle of animals slow until it seemed as if no more would arrive. A bit of surprise rose in her as Merikh pulled his girth through the double doors that would barely allow him entry. A small "Hmmph," was let free and she watched as the other animals gave the crocodile a wide berth.

Mabaya had appeared and questioned Ora. Looking to the side, she saw the Margay settled upon a bookshelf along the wall. The silver wolf nodded and, with a soft whisper, informed the small cat of the nights events, following up with. "We need to decide what to do with these humans. The more we let them get away with, the harder they push against us. It's unacceptable."

She watched as Varg, Nos and Illusion appear as well. Calaphan sat above and Hapi made himself comfortable and prepared to listen. Finally Tenzin showed himself and sat upon the dais with her. Thayer followed shortly after. The room went quiet and everyone listened as the big cat spoke his piece, each word clearly chosen and said with purpose. He was a lovely speaker, but Ora felt that he was too passive at times. This was not the time to sit idly by and watch the two leggers walk all over them as they had in the past.

Soon it was her turn to talk, so she opened with a quote. "To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent." She flicked one dark edged ear towards the mass of animals. "You can thank Buddha for that bit of wisdom." A small grin was cracked before she continued. "The humans are pushing us more and more every day. We cannot allow their actions to go unpunished. Their time is over and our time is now. This is our city and will remain so."

Rising, she paced back and forth across the edge of the stage, the light filtering through the windows above giving her silver coat a bright, glittering sheen that rippled with every movement. Tenzin knew how to speak, but Ora knew how to put on a dramatic show. "I am not opposed to the humans retaining their lives. If we are capable of speaking and coming to an agreement, I will gladly share some of this vast space with them."

Sulfur yellow pools narrowed slightly as she looked over each beast that sat below. "The actions of this past night demand retaliation. Not in the form of slaughter, perhaps, though I know some of you would enjoy that." Her eyes met those of Merikh as she spoke those words. "They have pushed us and we must push back. We must reclaim Thayer's home. We must let these humans know that we will not sit idly by while they slaughter our people. Those that have been killed deserve justice."

With her final word, she sat once more beside Tenzin, her eyes still locked upon those that sat below. "Anyone that wishes to speak and give their thoughts may do so. We will all decide on a course of action once we've all been heard." The floor was open to each of them. Each would speak in turn and all would be respectful of the thoughts and opinions of others.

[Soriams]

((Alrighty then. I think I'll take one of those permanent characters. Could you shoot me a PM with what you sort of have in mind? Best of luck on your interview!))

Calaphan
~<<<<<<<<-–—=:•:=—–->>>>>>>>~

Calaphan crowed out a laugh in response to Merikh, the hearty caw-caw of his voice carrying across the room. "If you take up flying, you're going to need all the exercise you can get!" he said, croaking again. "Just try not to land in my tree, eh? I don't think it was meant to be a flat oak," he finished. Bantering with the massive reptile was always fun, and it lifted his mood. Though they had great differences in philosophy as well as outlooks on life, he gladly put all that aside when he spoke with him. He knew that in all practicality there was no way they would ever see eye to eye on such manners, and rather than push his ideals on him, it was much better to simply accept him for who he was and enjoy their conversations.

Soon, Tenzin entered and his regal presence quieted the chattering animals, Merikh and Calaphan included. Everyone knew that his appearance meant the meeting was about to start, and as he leapt up to the stage next to Oresia, Calaphan settled on his perch. The liger's words were measured and firm, and as always with the great cate, Calaphan was impressed. His magnanimous ways might have made him weak in some eyes, but the Raven knew just how difficult his situation was. Managing anger and sadness was one of the most difficult things any leader could do, and he carried himself well.

Now it was Ora's turn and Calaphan already knew what was coming. She was proud and strong, and there was no way she would let such crimes go unpunished. Nor should she, he supposed. If the humans were ever going to see them for more than beasts and killers, they would have to find a way to gain their respect. However, he knew from experience that fear was not going to be the way to do that. Humans simply destroyed everything they feared, and his species had a long memory of their rampages. Most namely the one that was carried out against Oresia's long misunderstood species. According to the legends he knew, Wolf was the first of the animals to befriend Man. However, with his silver tongue and rich food, Man soon turned Wolf against the others, sending him out to hunt and kill in his name. Soon after came Horse, and Cat, though the sly Cat only partnering for her own benefit. Unlike the captives who now ruled as the wise, these had been animal companions to humans.

As the wolf's speech came to a close, Calapahan sat forward on his perch, wanting to hear what the others would say. He, of course, had something to say as well, however, he would wait and see what else was to be said before having his piece. As with many others, his eyes shifted towards Merikh. Quite simply, the crocodile wouldn't be here unless he had something to say, and he expected that he would soon speak. Aside from that, he hoped that Thayer would speak as well. After all, it was her home that was destroyed, and though he knew the golden wolf to be shy and uncomfortable in these situations, he deserved to have her say.

[Resin]

~|Merikh|~Saltwater Crocodile|~

Another deep chortle rippled free and the croc's permanent smile widened. "I would feel sorry for your tree as well. Once I managed to get up, I'm not sure I'd be able to get back down and I doubt that your nest is big enough for two." Their banter was interrupted by Tenzin's entry. All attention was given to the big cat as he addressed the lot of them. Merikh paid close attention to each word, already knowing that the liger would advise taking the path of peace.

When Tenzin finished and Oresia took the stage, his eyes were only for her. As she paced across the stage, his gold and green gaze followed her every step. Each passionate word spoken was well absorbed in the reptiles mind. When she was finished, he reiterated a questioned that he asked himself regularly. Why couldn't she have been a crocodile?Or why couldn't he have been a wolf, for that matter? He admired the canine and held her in the highest esteem. She was placed upon a pedestal in his mind.

She finished speaking and the crocodile nodded his head in agreement. When the topic was open for discussion, Merikh took the opportunity to speak first. "I do agree that something must be done. These savages cannot continue to think that we are weak. Those humans erred when they believed they could kill us at will. We are not an exotic buffet, ripe for the picking. We are The Wise. We deserve and demand respect." The enormous reptile took a small breather, but continued, his giant, blocky head still held as high as he could manage.

"This is no longer their home. This is our home. We rule here. And, as the rulers, we shall determine who stays in our kingdom and who goes. I vote that they go. The less humans to worry about, the better." A big toothy grin was given. "I'll gladly take care of their disposal." He'd developed quite a taste for human flesh and it had been quite some time since he'd satiated that hunger.

His face dropped back to a serious expression. "The reclamation of Thayer's home is paramount. These two-leggers have stolen and destroyed our homes for centuries. If anything, this must not go unpunished. If the past has taught us anything, it's taught us that humans excel at destruction. The more we let them get away with, the worse things will get." And with that he was finished. He said his piece and it was obvious what his true wishes were. The humans had killed them, so they deserved the same. An eye for an eye.