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Post by Nobody on Jan 3, 2016 21:20:12 GMT
Here in the holy of holies Eric could think clearly the foolishness of the lions of New Orleans seemed a hundred miles away. Then there was the voice different than the others here. It was the new boy. The would be savior of the Crescent city lions. He was no Yat native and brought with him. Eric actually bothered to listen not so much to what he was saying but how he said it. He was confident he was passionate, he believed every word he said and that more than anything made Eric sadder than anything else. He was wet behind the ears and completely out of his depth.
Eric looked at him blinking slowly taking the full weight of him in. Both him and his lion. He was shielded as tight a drum skin tight and ready to be attacked. Eric was open and ready to attack. He’d chosen the full moon for their little dance which suited Eric just fine he would wait another day. So he chuckled nothing would happen now but soon Tibs’ blood would bless this place and his soul would be one of the voices on the wind.
“YA ain’t have to say anything its true. Ya green and untried you come offerin a poison nobody’d be able to live from. Ya paint a picture an option that ain’t real. The world is a hard place boy. You’re either too dumb to accept it or too foolish to know it either way you gone make everyone soft. Thinkin the vampires care about you. This is the Yat boy. Ain’t nothing here but monsters and meat. If you ain’t one you gone be the other. Soon as you see that the better you woulda been. Too bad ya ain’t got no more time to learn that. ”
Eric moved closer to Tibs as a show of how unscared he was of the man. “I can guess based on how ya stand you’ve seen stuff but instead of learnin you shrugged it off. It’s a sign you’re as loco as me accept not as smart. You offer her protection but ya ain’t check her gun. She’s more liable ta shoot you if things go wrong. She got a fire and a real survivors mind. You got the itch to die for something you believe in but ya afraid of it at the same time. I know you’d rather everyone leave you alone and crawl up somewhere with one of yo books not have to lead. I now you ain’t got the stones to deal with the monsters in any true way. The moment ya see how bad things are ya liable to run or hide or both. Ya ain’t cut out for this life ya need someone like me to make decisions for ya when dealing with the dark. Its right there in your eyes. Ya afraid and angry and don’t really want this not the way its gone be. Ya want a world of flowers and roses where ya can be top dog. But we ain’t dogs we’re lions and there is bigger monsters out there so we have to be the most vicious. We have to eat our young and weak so there ain’t no soft parts for anyone to get to. Too bad fer you you ain’t learn that.”
Handing tibs the GPS tracker Eric turned giving the man his back. “I don’ t need this I can find this place in the dark with my eyes closed. Seeya round tomorrow hope ya said yer prayers made yer peace and all that less ya beg for mercy ain’t gone be a day after fer you.”
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2016 22:22:52 GMT
Tibs squinted his eyes at the man, he was truly crazy. Of course the monsters didn’t care about him. Of this Tibs was positive. The vampires cared about the vampires only. Chidera cared for Tibs, he would even go so far as to give pause about her loving him, however Gates was the top dog in her life. But she gave him strength and hope for that the relationship they had worked however while he lost himself into the illusion from time to time, he knew that Gates was truly her universe. Life began and ended with Gates as far as Chidera was concerned. As such he could never win between those two.
While Eric was a baboon he did offer some truths he really didn’t want to lead, he did not want to be the man who led, it was just that there was no one stronger. It was that simple fact that made New Orleans attractive to him in the first place. He was strong enough to live his life alone if he wanted, however due to Eric and Estelle they ruined his pleasant dream. Which made them enemies, this was the one immutable fact. They damaged the life that Tibs had wanted. The basis of him being able to live unmolested, however because of their heavyhanded ways it made all of the lions weak forcing him to step in.
“The funniest thing is if you and Estelle were not so heavy handed, I could have lived here in peace. It was you who made all the lions weak. Your methods that turned them into meat. I would not have had a leg to stand on if you were not the monster you were. And I am not afraid to die for what I believe in. I have seen more death than and live combat than you could imagine.”
Tibs could understand where Eric was coming from. He was a wanna be. He was the type to hate the soldiers who returned for combat because they survived, while he talked a good game and in his case was psychopathic even to enjoy the idea of killing, but would be unable to do it in a constructive manner. All he could do is turn tantrums and hurt and kill because it was the only tropes he could understand. Taking the GPS he snorted. Through his nose
“See you tomorrow night then.”
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Regina of the Décès Ombre Pride
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Post by Pepper LeForge on Jan 3, 2016 23:51:04 GMT
As par for course the men in her life disappointed her. This should have been over now right there they could have ended it where in needed to be but they were walking away and she released what she held. She could shoot them both Eric first then tibs as she was the only armed one and a good shot. The voices told her they wouldn't accept such so she released a breath. "sad excuses for pelts"
She had whispered that last bit to her self. Eying tibs but having no words she left him this place left im to think. She wants to talk to muttonchop maybe they could take her with them because new orleans at the moment was the last place he wanted to be. Her urge to kill something almost had her in the basement putting a bullet in the boy just because he was Erics.
That made her go into the kitchen reach for the bourbon and guzzle the bottle like it was perrier. It hit her all at once and that's what she wanted she went up the stairs and knocked on Amanitas door" hey chere lemme in?"
Only a hint of a slurr she needed away from men they were horrible stupid creatures in her thinking.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2016 1:37:32 GMT
Tibs turned off the GPS and layed on the ground. Listening to the voices. They whispered many things to him, offering advise on how to rule and that Eric’s spirit was blighted. He knew that, and he gave silent thanks for the words. The voices said that he was being too kind and that he needed to be a king or he would fight for the rest of his days. Not to rely on the vampires as they were as old as the spirits. Some of the eldest of the ghosts knew Gates when they walked the earth. He would turn the crown to tin if Tibs let him.
Tibs closed his eyes and let his mind wander with the spirits. He knew they would offer counsel, but his reign would be defined by his actions. Although the closer to the end he got the less he wanted to rule. His mind wandered, once Eric was disposed of if the other lions would flee once the danger was gone. He could not play the part of the white knight and the monster. If they left after the danger had passed what would he do. Tibs honestly did not have an answer for that. It was a situation that he would have to prepare for much like if they stayed. He was fairly certain that Amanitas was going to be in the wind. That left Pepper what would she do.
TIbs felt the energy of the old place call out to him on a level that defied explaination. He just wanted to drop the meat sock of his body and run and lay in the center of the energy. The other lions be damned being able to revel in the energy was what he wanted more than anything, his beast wanted to feel the glow and ghost rub along his flanks. Tibs shed his clothes and let the shift arrive. It was a sweet pain. He allowed the shift to happen slowly as he savored the feeling of his bones creaking cracking and finally breaking. The reknitting and lengthening process he did something that most didn’t he prolonged the process savoring every second of the transformation to beast.
Shaking his gigantic head and think full black and gold mane, tibs marked the trees and then let a roar out that shook the manor house. His beast wanted all who was present that a king was in their midst and that he knew where they were and he owned everything he saw.
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Regina of the Décès Ombre Pride
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Post by Aminta Eliades on Jan 4, 2016 2:43:39 GMT
Aminta opened her door sleep still in her eyes she’d spent the last night bartering for Shelf companies, trading for rights as well as several other not completely legal securities for the Pride. There was electronic paperwork going back several generations proving that the Pride was a self-sufficient charter and society with board of officers and standing of note. The Décès Ombre even paid taxes. It was lot of work and had demanded her time and energies. She was wiped yet having slept since first light she was nearly back to her bright-eyed and bushy self.
Seeing Pepper out of sorts wasn’t a great first image but even swimming towards the bottom of a bottle she was aa spicy minx. MAinta didn’t say anything she simply pulled her into her room closing the door and guided her to the bed. It was the only thing let in the room except the whiteboard she’d brought and her turtle tank.
Taking the bottle she took a swig. It was the first meal of her day and liquid would have to do as she would try to play catch up with the little Pepper left. She left the bottom half of the gallon but just barely.
“Okay start at the beginning…"
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Regina of the Décès Ombre Pride
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Post by Pepper LeForge on Jan 4, 2016 3:46:23 GMT
Through some slurring stopping and starting she managed to tell her about the boy in the basement the new out of towners including her favorite muttonchop the place of power and the face off with Eric. finishing with " flipping stupid dunderhead men and their chest beating..kill em all and let god sortum"
he petted the blanket softly and looked curiously at Aminita" you wanna run away to the circus with me?"
laughing" we can jump trough fiery hoops then shift and the crowed would loose their shhh"
burping softly" sorry"
Thinking of her friend the bear she wondered how he was doing, the drink was burning fast and now she was lest plastered and more buzzed the realization dawning" oh my you must think Im a mess Im sorry I just didn't want to kill the boy then have to hide the body and there's been so much death already"
She heard the roar and rolled her eyes " well la dee da "
Not impressed with it it was late he should have savaged eric now the man would get back up and it would be dangerous for them all. " I cant leave that was bull but man if I could"
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Regina of the Décès Ombre Pride
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Post by Aminta Eliades on Jan 4, 2016 4:47:56 GMT
Aminta listened to Pepper and her mind immediately went to why not in regards to the boy. It was obvious Eric was using him for fodder until he proved himself enough of a monster to fit in with his image of a lion. The next was attacking the puzzle of Tibs and Eric. It was obvious that between the two of them there was an actual Rex there if they could both be combined in the same body. She hated Eric but respected his willing to do anything and dare anything. A pride worked better with that sort of brass pair in the drivers seat. But it also needed that balance that consideration of how to protect and not just avenge. She nodded at the appropriate places and mm-hmmed when needed letting Pepper empty herself of the weight of it all.
Finally speaking as Pepper eased to a pause. "So if Tibs didn’t kill Estelle who did would be my question. The boy we can’t kill him but why does he have to stay. Why not send him back to Eric until this is all over tomorrow. The visiting lions why can’t one or two of them stay once this is settled how does Tibs have friends who would come all this way to make sure he has a chance of winning?"
Pausing Aminta listened to Tibs outside. His roar while vainglorious was a little sad . She could feel his pain and while she was no empath it was pretty obvious this wasn’t easy for him. If she could she would have helped more. She couldn’t and that was the sad thing. Her life was only sedentary between jobs. She wanted this to be a home for her just like LA but she knew until things settled they would never be a home in New Orleans for lions not from here. Her peaceful few years of hiding out were over." I’d love to but I have a better idea I have a place in LA just down in Crescenta you can come stay with me when I leave."
She knew Pepper wouldn’t leave but everyone needed a break eventually having a place where she would be safe would help that. And after all that Pepper had helped her with it was the least she could do. "Don’t be sorry. You’re great. I want to come back to you when I leave I know you are one of the few people that are really a friend. Its why I was doing this.” She opened her laptop and brought up the paperwork founding the Deces Ombre Group. She walked her briefly into the incorporation that went back several generations that would protect the Pride here in perpetuity. One of the officers that could decide the fate of the Group its inherent society and its properties was Pepper. The other was simply the CEO/COO Rex Appointee.
“Securities and the electronic are my world and for offering me a chance at a home and safe place to lay my head this is the least I could do. You can do whatever you want to but I get this is home not Home base for you. You get the people you get the lions here its to be expected that you are invested no matter what happens. I haven’t shown Tibs yet but I thought he would notice when he checked his bank accounts. He needs you a strong as he is he isn’t form here and you all are crazy I think it’s the constant heat.” She joked to lighten the mood. It was a tough situation no matter how it was sliced and Tibs was at least willing to be a man of his word. He would keep to the ritual of challenge and that had to count for something. She wasn’t sure what but she knew it had to count.
Not impressed with it it was late he should have savaged eric now the man would get back up and it would be dangerous for them all. " I cant leave that was bull but man if I could"
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Regina of the Décès Ombre Pride
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Post by Pepper LeForge on Jan 5, 2016 6:09:45 GMT
Pepper had scooted over to look and was in awe " oh my lawd that is amazing thank you so much wow hes.. we are gonna be so much better off and maybe i can even quit ..yanno dancin. I can become a baker and make flower pot cupcakes or soup kits in little pots and call them peppers potsosoup"
She was ecstatic but rambling she hugged her and looked through it all " Id love to come to visit I've not been to the coast in...well since... never mind sure yeah I'll visit"
She didn't want to ruin their good time by telling her that was how shed become a lion and was supposed to have been dead not infected. " I dont know but the cops think Eric did it and Id believe that in a fit or rage but he loved her some in his own way so had to be some one else guess we wont never know"
Thinkikng on the other things" as for them staying I think they got their own prides to get home to each goes by where they are from but Muttonchops says hes from chicago and if I remember right Chidera said Tib joinedsome group based outta there and that the rex there had promised him help this must be them. Id love to put that little weasel out but he knows the inside of the house now so hes a liablity."
She sat up and looked at Aminita then she got sad for a moment" I need you to do something for me .. I cant leave but you need to before tomorrow night cause this goes sideways I dont want to have to worry Eric will try to keep you here. I rather know you got out and are safe so that I can fight for the rest who actually need to be here and have no where else. You got a home.. so promise me before the moon rises tomorrow you'll be long ways away and not look back till I message you one way or another"
She had hope but she was also smart and knew there was a slim chance Tibs would loose despite their bet efforts and shed not let Eric have any extra people to hurt.
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Post by Ray on Jan 9, 2016 9:15:07 GMT
Ray and the other Vindexes had been back at the Pride house for quite a few hours when he knew certain were amiss. They’d set up a fall back at the place Ro had rented for them but had been staying at the Pride house as the challenge had only another night to go. They’d fortified the house nit in fear of anything Eric could bring against them but just in case he had non-lycanthrope help in his arsenal. It had taken far too long due the size of the house. But he was happy with the results. Lounging on the back deck he felt as the Rexes aura fled so he followed. He knew if anything was amiss the others would follow soon on his heels. Checking the draw and load he was carrying Ray stayed down wind of the Rex and simply watched.
If he had to he would bring Eric down he wouldn’t kill him but he would definitely put him on his back. It would take the fight right out of him. It would postpone the chances for an actual challenge but if need be he was fine with that. He knew from watching just how hard it could be leading a Pride of lions so the more time Tibs had to get a grasp of his lions before the challenge the better. Provided of course he was the victor. Ray didn’t believe Ro would have backed the weaker lion but strange things seemed to be the byword for New Orleans.
As Eric slunk off and Pepper made her way back to house he stayed and watched Tibs. His heart went out to the guy he was in a vice. Knowing he was the better choice yet underneath it all he knew he would much rather be anything but leader as it was a job that was thankless. It was a job that many aspired to yet few could do for very long. Lions were too stubborn for nothing but monsters to lead normally. Yet Ro managed to not be that asshole. Maybe the guy should give classes.
Ray waited until he’d shifted sure Eric wouldn’t return before revealing himself. He moved out of over and approached the huge lion of Tibs. “ I don’t envy you pal. It’s a hell of a job but better you than anyone else. I know you don’t want the job but if you are just protecting if you are just being the Reperio then you can passs the buck when someone you feel is capable comes along without any had feelings.” Having said his piece Ray left Tibs to his meidtations.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2016 21:19:04 GMT
As he lay there deciding on whether to cannibalize the ‘Man from Chicago’s lion he really thought about what was said. It was there a kernel of truth he could live with. He could be the Protector of the Pride and still live his own life. But he was a king in his heart. He was king of his own fate. It was why he’d left the west coast. It was why he’d left his island home. It was why he’d gone into the world he was no one’s slave or serf. He was created to rile. As difficult as it was to lead lions that’s what he was a leader of men and lion’s.
Tomorrow as the full moon. He could feel the pull of it already. He knew tomorrow would be formative in what would be in the hereafter in New Orleans. Part of him was seriously considering throwing the fight and leaving them all to their own devices. Yet the Man from Chicagos lion raised a good point he didn’t have to be Rex to be the strongest lion in New Orleans. He could still be who he was and not let the title of Rex change him. He didn’t have to play by anyones rules. Each Pride was different while the ceremonies were the same the traditions orally passed down and shared all spoke the same he didn’t have to be the same. He could honor the ancestors here those who died in challenge and those who gave their all for Pride.
He could be as Samuel was the Militis of the Pride until a Rex worth his time came. Someone who had the stamina and drive someone he could vet and insure was not a despot like Eric or whatever it was that Estelle had been. Thinking on it made his head hurt but he knew there had to be a way out of the mess that he was in. Everyone had their ideas as to what a Rex was and should be yet no one could agree. He’d even overheard some of Eric’s victims whispering about how determined he was in a hushed tone of reverence. It saddened him hearing it but he’d kept form addressing it. Eric was a monster and they would rather a monster they knew than a protector they didn’t even while eating the food and soaking in the warmth he provided.
If he had been Eric he would have torn their heads off beaten them for daring to think that way. He wasn’t that sort of man. Nor that sort of lion. Thinking about who he was he had to admit he was no typical definition of Rex. He wanted them to do their best because they wanted to. He wanted them to be the best versions of them they could be.
Damn Reperio, Militis, hell even standing Vindex might suit him better. Leonine eyes closing taking in the quiet power of the place he allowed his thoughts to flow and fritter as they were want. There was an answer there and he would find it.
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