Blacktail Deer Plateau of star & sea

sat on a hill, mei watched rìzhào paint the sky in warm shades that betrayed the chill of this northern land. it'd been quite some time since she consulted cāng, as she was truly trying to live in the moment. but it felt wrong to let silence grow for so long between them, especially now that she'd strayed from the coast. only those who stayed by the sea could even form a connection to the gods. that prompted a fearful prayer from past her lips:

如果我走了太久，我会失去你吗? if she even received "maybe" as an answer, mei would not hesitate to leave this place & return where she belonged.

but such was not the answer she received. 您已经接受了海洋和星星进入您的内心。到了那里，我们永远不会离开，梅。 part of her was relieved to hear this, but another was frustrated; she'd latch onto any reason at all to escape from this prison of green.

我渴望我们发现的那个小岛，我觉得它像是要成为我们的新家一样拖着我的灵魂。 her sisters told her they'd found family here. was that not enough for them to be self-sufficient?

您不必永远停留在高原上。除了死亡，其他一切都是暂时的。记住, cāng advised. those words rang in mei's head as she internalized them. she didn't know when, but someday, they would inhabit the isle. what other way was there to interpret this prophecy but that? her impatience grew.

it had gone on long enough.
@Rosalyn and erzulie were not blind wolves, perhaps on higher alert than many given their new stations and churning state of the pack.
the influx of familial wolves to rusalka threatened the core tenets of loyalty to the plateau. ying and her sisters had thus been exemplary, but their motives were suspicious, especially given the dove's challenge with golden nieve.
the pair ranged out, intent upon meting out a warning, and when the wolves found pretty young mei, who to erzulie resembled caiaphas far too closely, uncomfortably, the harlot sprang at her with a territorial dominance.

At Erzulie's side, they hunted.  The trigger was perhaps nothing significant, but the time had come to find what their purpose was here.  It did not need to be complicated.

She remained slightly back, and as Erzulie asserted, Rosalyn howled.  It was a challenge for @Huā and @Ying in particular.

Easier to address it all at once.

hmmm yes screw timelines... I must be involved in this >:3 vague since idk what happens lol

A call. From Rosalyn, for Huā herself and Ying. She wonders, why not sister Mei?, which would be answered soon enough. She wastes no time in finding her way to the scene.  

Here she finds beloved sister Mei, approached, sprung upon very suddenly by a woman whom she did not know. And there was the darker figure of the (once) trusted Rosslyn. Making no effort to stop what was going down. What was going on here? Gaze darts to her sister with concern, and she can't help the fur raising along her spine with irritation. What you doing to Mei? She hisses rather coldly, uncaring to the importance of rank in the current moment. Not when someone intended to harm the priestess. The sisters had to protect one another.

mei was still within the confines of her own mind when the sound of footsteps came. she looked to see who it was but only saw a pale blur of teeth & pelage before it slammed into her. she went tumbling down to the ground with a thud, air knocked from her lungs. instinctively, she fought with a racing heart, jaws snapping without aim. why was she being attacked, why now? why? a call sounded for her sisters — a challenge. it was rosalyn, & a familiar word rang in her head:

betrayal.

she'd begun to trust the red woman, but now she was being attacked for no discernible reason while they challenged her sisters. mei's frantic mind already latched onto the conclusion that she was right all along; strangers, foreigners, they couldn't be trusted. it was not safe here. it wasn't safe anywhere there were foreigners. huā was quick on the scene, rightfully furious with her assailants' actions. she hoped ying would be close behind. it felt like they were south again where they only had each other, & they had to fight to be safe. at least she wasn't alone in this.

The situation was too hostile for immediate action. Erzulie and Rosalyn stood on one side while Hua and Mei occupied the other. There was posturing and snapping; without intervention, the altercation would soon become physical. The guardian stood back while she weighed her options.

If she defended her sisters, they would surely be expelled. Where would they go? The island wouldn't be ready until early spring and with only five wolves, would they even last until then? Attacking the Betas was not a viable recourse.

If she defended Rusalka, her sisters would never forgive her. To side with Erzulie and Rosalyn would be a voluntary resignation from the Jiang name. Ying wasn't willing to give up on her sisters just yet; this decision wouldn't work, either.

No; she would have to find a way to merge the two paths. Slowly and with hesitance did Ying fall into submission, tail curled under and ears flat on her skull. Stop, she called to Mei, voice solid and steady, Don't do that. This was not a fight that they would win. Even with Kun, the family was sorely outnumbered and sure to meet defeat.

Bright eyes turned to Hua. She said not a word, but shook her head in silent disapproval. Were they anywhere else, Ying would have leapt at the chance to down two wolves. However, these were two leaders, and this fight was on their turf.

she was happy to see mei go down beneath her onslaught, less pleased that the young woman fought back.
teeth flashed again as she sought submission, savagely; and when huā arrived, abristle and demanding, the harlot turned the burn of mismatched eyes on the second sister with a snarl.
summoned, ying arrived last, and it was only her show of yielding, the way that she called to her sisters, that kept erzulie in check.
and yet this enraged her still, that ying sought to engender deference where it should have already been. that her sisters would heed her over the rusalkans.
"to whom is your loyalty?" erzulie spat, keeping eyes trained upon huā while mei had been subdued and ying lowered herself.

Erzulie's question was perfect.  Rosalyn's growl grew when Mei fought back rather than simply submit, and she turned her eye to Hua, making it clear.  She would step in if the women did not back down, and she would gladly enforce their place here.  She stepped forward, bristling, head held high.

This street wound two ways.  They'd been fine with challenging others... let them see that in Rusalka, your place could be tested as well.

skip me going forward. i just wanted raleska to be watching/aware of this! hope that is ok, feel free to PM me if youd like her to butt out <3

Detached as Raleska was to Rusalka as of late, she could not ignore the snarls that sounded over the Plateau. Investigating swiftly, she came across a scene that had her hackles bristle immediately.

The siblings were strangers to Raleska - this was her fault, not theirs - still, she could not help but feel her fur rise in bladed rifts as she looked upon each of them, situated before Erzulie and Rosalyn -- her family. One of the sisters had her do a double-take, for a brief second of horror, Raleska had thought Caiaphas rose form the dead (that cannot be so - I saw her myself!) she withered, feeling a shiver of tense fear rattle her bones.

As she drew nearer, the features were quite distinct from her dam - wrong colored eyes, different hue -- but still, that sibling in particular earned a rather incredulous look from the Eyjolfur. Rather than butt in when she did not know what was happening, Raleska watched from the fringes -- ready to leap in at a moment's notice, but preferring to let Erzulie and Rosalyn dictate the shots. She trusted them immensely, and would defer always to their rule.

Ying arrives shortly after, slowly submitting herself. It was not often that Huā would see Ying give up her dignity- she was used to the nuvujak who would fight with pride. Now she had become soft. Laying her sword and shield on the ground, submitting to the Rusalkans. 

Huā herself was a hypocrite- raised with the age-based respect of the southern shores and yet slow to bow to these foreign women. But Ying's silent look was enough. It did more to convince her than the wives' displays, and so Huā averted her eyes from Rosalyn's. Lowering herself in a bow, head down, tail down, ears flattened. Awaiting whatever the women had in store, and watching from the cold corner of her eye Mei. Praying that harm would not befall her, that her gods could save her now.

Nothing set the fire ablaze in her heart like someone harming her sisters, and every muscle in her body wanted to defend Mei, to slaughter the pale wife. It was only Ying who could hold her back, and desperately she hoped this would all be over soon.

the unknown pale woman brandished her fangs, a threat to cause further harm should she not submit. that combined with ying's order had her reluctantly go limp. trembling like a leaf in a storm, mei squeezed her eyes shut & asked the gods for strength, for she couldn't bear to be immersed in reality any longer. the pale woman demanded they say where their loyalties laid, but her lips remained sealed; the betas would not like her answer.

more footsteps sounded, but she dared not open her eyes. with bated breath, she waited for someone else to speak.

The commands were obeyed with no audible argument. Each sister fell into full submission, prostrating with eyes downcast and protests withheld. Hua and Mei remained silent, but Ying knew that they would not be released while Erzulie's question remained unanswered.

We are loyal to family, she said, Rusalka is family, too. We not prove this? She was careful to keep her voice level and non-threatening. If Rosalyn didn't understand, surely her wife would? What we do to.. to get this? Ying kept her gaze low, avoiding eye contact with any wolf present.

the sisters were quiet, until ying again spoke, gently. softly. but though the shows of submission soothed some primal part of erzulie, the disrespect of the trio continued in subtle ways.
"an' you?" the harlot went on, stalking over to where huā had curved herself in yielding. "you say dat you are loyal to family," the irate she-wolf snapped toward ying, "but your sisters only be listenin' to you."

It didn't escape Rosalyn's notice that Hua only quieted when Ying spoke.  While Rosalyn had enjoyed the woman's company before, the way she glared at Erzulie now elicited daggers.  She took another step, up to her wife's side, and bared her teeth in a distinct warning.  She had quieted, but if she fought, there would be two.

They were at a standstill as Ying spoke, and Rosalyn allowed Erzulie to take the floor.  She was better with words in these situations, and her repoir with Ying stronger.  Her thoughts on this she'd already shared; they'd shown no attempt to learn the ways of the pack they'd joined, and without doing so, they had no future here.  She was too selfish in their own family to allow it to fall aside to something else.

As expected, Erzulie cut to the heart of it.  She waited, expectant, for the answer that would follow.

Soon all the sisters were submitting, as the frightening wives stood over them. Never had Huā imagined, that day on the beach, that she would've ever seen that woman again- nor that she could end up in this sort of dilemma with her. 

Ying takes the reigns as usual, having the social skill to navigate the conversation. Had it been Huā, she might've been a tad more explosive. When Ying claims Rusalka was family, whether or not it was true for the nuvujak, Huā could only think what a lie! Though her face remained poker, in her mind she cackled. Erzulie was a complete stranger, and Rosalyn was barely more than an accquantince. The only Rusalkan she'd dare to call family was Aningan- and that was only because she saw him something like a brother in law. 

Ying's words were perfect to Huā, but apparently they weren't enough for this snarling bitch. Throwing out further accusations, she would not quit. And that accent! She was just as bad at the common language as Huā. 

The woman said that Huā would only obey Ying. It had been true, of course- she had waited for her sister's signal to submit- but now she thought how picky this woman was. She was already bowing as if the woman was an empress, what more could she desire? 

Rusalka my family too. I owe you people my life, me and my sisters not survive winter without you. I sorry... I never mean be disrespectful. Comes Huā's quiet and trembling voice, directed to Erzulie, though her eyes remained glued to her paws. It was a lie, of course.

He heard raised voices, but what drew Reyes out from the forest was the sight of his mother's red-cast figure beside the gold of Erzulie, and the accompanying snarls. He had no idea what was going on but he felt an immediate attraction to the sounds of possible combat and chaos - seeking out both his mothers with a swift stride, his posture shifting in to something defensive as he came upon the gathering.

Reyes recognized some of the faces; these were the sisters he had systematically challenged and lost to. What were they doing here, trying to muscle their way around two of the longest standing loyalists of Rusalka? His fur bristled as he came to a stand-still beside his mothers, serving as another body in a united front against them, and cast a glower towards the girls as they spoke their stilted common. He wanted to charge fang-first at them but held himself back, corralled, as he gathered information instead.

The initial howl itself did not lure the northerner into the scene but, as things developed, the voices and snarls did. His ears fell flat and then shot up again, alert and turning in search of sound; Aningan followed the noise until he arrived at the cause of the commotion, fur bristling and body tensing. He watched from afar at first, taking note of everything as it unfolded. And when he finally closed the distance between himself and them, instinct and emotion overwhelmed him; he did not say a word but simply made his being there known, tail raised and gaze, surprisingly, hardened as it settled on the gathering. For now, he remained back and out of the way, observing everything as it unfolded—these displays, he learned long ago, were simply the Rusalkian way.

WOW okay this blew up, we'll do rounds from this point on! next round is feb. 7th unless everyone posts before then.

mei couldn't tell if ying was lying or not, & that terrified her. still, her reassurance wasn't good enough for the pale beta, who snapped at huā. her eyes flung open, & she rolled onto her side to watch on. she was sure huā was lying about considering them family, though even mei could not deny that they were grateful for the sanctuary rusalka gave them in what was an especially harsh winter for the sisters. but it wasn't like they hadn't contributed to the pack; they didn't owe them their lives, & she'd be damned if anyone believed they did.

her fear turned to fury, especially as another approached with hostility shot the sisters' way, then another, tense & bristling — aningan. brutes! they were all fucking brutes! despite the wobbling of her legs, she stood, eyes hard as diamonds. this wrong! she shouted, heart thundering at this point as all eyes were no doubt dead-set on her. she was unbelievably furious, but the last thing she wanted was a fight, especially when they were so severely outnumbered. you have problem with us, you talk us, not attack! we do not fight, she said with a commanding glance at her sisters, daring them to disobey.

her glare fixed on the pale bitch who'd tackled her. you want to know where my loyal-tees? she dared to take a step forward, blinded by her rage. my loyal-tees with family. family do not attack each other!

YOU NOT ONE OF US!!

mei's voice cracked as the water overflowed from her raging whirlpool eyes. her exclamation ricocheted off the trees & pierced the heavens above, leaving her throat raw. then, hoarse & quiet, she uttered, we do you favor & leave, right now. her eyes swept across the crowd that'd gathered & landed on her sisters. unless physically apprehended, the broken priestess would finally storm out of this fucking prison once & for all.

Aningan had broken his promise. He'd said that they would get rid of anyone who aimed to harm the sisters, that he wanted to protect them. Erzulie and Rosalyn were posing a direct threat — wasn't that obvious? — but all that he did was stand by idly and watch. Ying stole a glance in his direction, the pain of betrayal and deceit clear in her gaze. She'd been ignorant to think that he was any different from the others. It was as she'd told him:

I protect my sisters because no one will do it, but me.

Her eyes hardened into a stare, trained first on the Alpha but shifting slowly to either Beta. She listened as Mei spoke and nodded along to each word. They don't want to hear you, Ying barked to her sister, They aren't listening. Aningan's false decree and Erzulie's sudden shift made it clear that the wolves of Rusalka were not to be trusted. She lifted a song for @Kun and rose to her paws, hackles bristling as Mei announced her exit.

The twins might not have been fighters, but that was not the same for Ying. If they chose to leave, she wouldn't be the one to stop them, nor would they be the ones to force her to follow.

Erzulie, she called, They hear me because I speak, not fight. A leader who had to resort to violence to get their message across didn't deserve to lead at all. She did not make the first move to attack, primarily due to the overwhelming presence of loyalists. She looked behind the Betas and saw Raleska, looked between them and saw Reyes; Aningan stood off in the distance, still removed from the battlefield.

Ying drew in a deep breath and prepared for the onslaught.

Skip me from now on, Nieve's just watching!

The sound of snarling and shouting drew Nieve from the depths of the territory. She was reluctant to approach after the last time she tried to intervene on a scuffle between packmates, and her posture was accordingly neutral. However, as she drew up on the fringes of what was a most chaotic gathering, she realized this wasn't just a mere scuffle.

Ying, Huā and Mei were all crouched in the clearing with Erzulie and Rosalyn bearing down on them. She made her way swiftly over to Raleska, ducking her head and shoulders as if she thought making herself more conspicuous would put her in the line of fire. Blue eyes searched the Gamma's face for a second, and then she turned to watch what was going on.

The girl didn't understand why Erzulie and Rosalyn were being so domineering toward the trio, but the looks on the sisters' faces made her feel immensely bad for them. Whatever they thought of her, and whatever Nieve thought of them, they were strong contributors. They worked hard. Nieve's heart went out to the three when Reyes bristled down at them and she flinched when Mei shouted back at Erzulie. She could anticipate what would happen next, but didn't have the fortitude or ill will toward the three to do more than watch meekly from the sidelines.

erzulie was quick to wrath, but she saw no fault in it. she had been prepared to like all the sisters, as she enjoyed ying's company.
but mei's shrieked outburst curdled her anger into a stabbing knife. loyal or not, hardworking or not, the harlot would not have her rank undermined.
especially not before her children.
the scent of aningan paused her a moment, and then ying's vivid young voice. it was followed by a summons, and erzulie decided then that it was over.
she looked to their great pale boy of a leader; her two-toned eyes burned then at ying. she had no need for words, save a hissed "tell him."
if aningan did not intervene to stop her, erzulie intended to lunge after mei to assuage her scorned rank.

Harps was nesting. Never before in her life had she had a space to call her own. But she'd found a little underground burrow at the far end of the plateau and decided to claim it as her den. She spent the better part of the early morning outfitting it with various pieces of soft brush and even strands of her own fur to make insulated bedding. Once she was happy with it, she settled down for a long, hard nap. She had never felt so cozy, safe and snug.

But sounds of dissension disturbed her rest and even the mild-mannered newcomer could not ignore the lure of a commotion. By the time Harps made her way to the scene, the confrontation was well underway. Still blinking the sleep from her copper eyes, she could only stop and stare at the place where the three wolves she knew best (Erzulie, Ying and Rosalyn) appeared to be at odds with one another and a small handful of unfamiliar faces. Uncertain what to make of any of it, she simply did what several others had gathered here to do: Harps gawked.

Rosalyn did not doubt their actions for a second.  Rusalka had been without a foundation for too long, listing sideways with a marching string of leaders who came and went.  Challenges went, heedless of merit or what result they might have on the crew they were here to protect.  In her paranoia, she saw in Ying just another Vectoringex.... another Firefly.... another Caiaphas.  Wolves who looked to their own and cast out the rest.

She would not have it.

In doing so they were hypocrites, but she did not see that far.  To her this was right, the greater good for a pack that had seen too much unrest and was finally coming to know calm.

Mei's outburst made her bristle, but she fell silent, not dropping her head one bit.  If they left that would make this all easier.  She hadn't demanded it, all they'd needed was for them to submit.  All she'd wanted was proof they would not displace them.  So far, all she'd seen was the opposite.  Sisters who followed only one lead, and a lead who followed only her own volition.

Erzulie spoke only a snippet, but Rosalyn felt the ones at her back.  She turned and saw Nieve hovering behind, and another, the newcomer Harps.  

You are barely here, carrying strange scents, and when you do return, you seek only to rise.  You do not fight?  Rosalyn barked out a laugh.  She is right.  We are not yours.  This is Rusalka, and here, loyalty is shared.  Places are earned.  She stepped forward aggressively.  Give it or leave.  Aningan could overrule her if he chose.  She did not seek to topple him.  But she would do what he would not; she was no naive boy with clouded eyes and a divided heart.

made an assumption here, let me know if it is too much <3

please dont feel like u have to match me I just got hella carried away but idk how to cut down so I guess u dont even have to read this all if u dont want.... ; _ ;

一，二，三，四! They came one by one from the foliage and shadows, making Huā feel positively sick. The chinese sisters were sorely outnumbered by the foreigners. Bent down with a lowered head like this and surrounded by strangers, she nearly felt like she was back in the south getting sold to men by her cousin. Her stomach did flips and she swallowed the urge to hurl in the face of all these people looking down upon them. 

Aningan was there too. She noticed him make no move to protect her sister in the slightest, only watching on. Of course- he was like every other foreign man. Take and take and no give, and putting himself and the pack above the woman who loved him. Aiyah Ying, he not deserve you!

Mei does not give in. She lights a fire with her words and actions, stepping forward, shouting out against the women. And making the bold bold proposal to leave. Huā can't help but raise her head a little, eyes widened in shock with her sister's actions. That was something she'd expect from fiery Ying- not from the cold and quiet Mei. In some ways she felt distraught. They had just begun to settle into home, making their way through the winter. And now Mei was begging to get them banished completely.

Huā's head whirled, wondering how things had progressed so quickly. And she hadn't even done anything! Not in her eyes, anyway. 

But on the other paw, how could she stay with these people? They were downright cruel. And she still didn't understand what was wrong with Ying's ambitions. She had only tried to rise in the ranks- if anything, she thought, it showed the nuvujak's dedication. And now all three of them were being punished for Ying's actions, or perhaps for speaking a different language amongst themselves, or perhaps having family ties- it was all too confusing.

Huā struggled whether to follow Mei. She knew Ying had already started to root herself here, rising in the ranks and finding herself a handsome young boy. If she left now with Mei, would Ying follow? Or would she betray them for this boy? In an ideal world, Aningan would just come with the trio and leave the pirate bitches to fight and snarl amongst themselves. But she knew it was not that simple. She could only pray that Ying's loyalty lied with the Jiang family and not with these strangers.

And just as she's about to agree with Mei, going to tell them that they could not stay- Erzulie is lunging for Mei. And Rosalyn is saying more, words that sounded like banishment to Huā. That they were not one of them, that they must give their loyalty or leave. Stunned into stillness, unable to intervene with Mei in all of her fear, she stumbles backward. Losing her bow and suddenly tense- but she could no longer help it. Hoping it's the right choice, hoping Ying would follow and Mei would be left alone- 

I follow Mei. You not happy with us, you not like us, I do nothing wrong but still you not like me! You hate me because you hate my sister, and you think we all the same! We not! Yingyue challenge but I not. I never try to get big rank. Her words progress from a pained cry to something of a cold hiss. Don't touch Mei and let us go! She shoots a nervous glance to Ying, and suddenly she's aware once again of how outnumbered they were. Suddenly regretting her words, hoping she would not die here in her home.

These girls were idiots.

Beyond feeling a personal sting for having lost to each of them in the days previous, Reyes was trying to focus on the threat that they posed and keep tabs on them in case they veered in to dangerous territory - such as if any one of them decided to go after one of his mothers, or his sister now that she was making an apperance. Rosalyn and Erzulie were powerful in their own right; each having their own histories and knowing their own capabilities. Nieve was not so much a warrior as a scout, so Reyes edged toward where she lurked in case things spilled out beyond the obvious challenge between Erzulie and the sisters; he would not let harm befall any part of his family.

Then, as the sisters began to protest with words rather than the natural system of combat, Reyes found himself focused upon each of them as they took their turns barraging those gathered with their sharp tongues. It was Mei's outburst that made him bristle further, tense more, and glare. He need not glance to Erzulie to feel the ripple of aggression in the air; nobody had the right to speak to either of the Betas like that, least of all a couple of punk ass kids. As Mei announced that, You are not one of us! Reyes couldn't help a deep growl from emanating from his chest - but this was curtailed by the sound of his mother's laughter.

Rosalyn's laughter eased some of the tension from Reyes' body - but it did not last, not when the more pugnacious of the sisters began to snark in her own right. Something about not listening; they called to Erzulie and Reyes couldn't help but glance at his other-mother, then back to Ying, wanting nothing more than to insert himself between the sisters and throw some proverbial punches. Why were they letting these girls rant and rave? Why not chase them out to the wilderness where they belonged? They had already proclaimed themselves as other to the Rusalkans. They held no loyalty to their pack, and so their pack would turn upon them - it was only natural.

Then Erzulie spoke. It was quick, so Reyes missed exactly what she said, but then the woman turned towards the dark-capped girl. It was enough of a lunge to prompt Reyes' growl to grow stronger and he too lunged, moving in an arc so that he could assert himself as a defensive measure should the other wolves move to counter. This was a challenge between two beasts of Rusalka (for as long as that might last) and in Reyes' mind, none should intervene. 

One of the others is shouting now, or -- it started as a shout, but seemed to dwindle, to weaken, and it is enough to gather Reyes' attention. He watches as Hua stumbles backwards; she looks unnerved, and it fills him with an unbridled sense of satisfaction to see her cowed in such a way. To watch as she seeks the gaze of her sister Ying (perhaps for comfort); to Reyes, these are all signs of weakness. None of them can fight without the other, or so the actions tell him. Feeling bold and confident and all manner of intoxicated by the presence of those he considers true friends, allies, family -- Rusalkans -- he makes a lunge towards Hua.

He does not snap at her though; he does not so much as touch her. Rather, it is like Reyes has chosen this moment to crowd her a little bit, to see how far he can push the meek girl back. Let the tide of bodies overwhelm these strange sisters and push them away, for they certainly did not belong among them.