ooc: Due date will be 8/23/15! I will post again no later than 8/24/15 in the morning. EVERYONE MUST ATTEND OR THEY WILL BE CONSIDERED MISSING AND WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE PACK ROSTER. If there is a reason for them not being there (aka you're on absence or scarcity or they're on a trip or whatever) please send me a PM or Skype me just to make sure I know. Leo realized as the season rolled into summer that he hadn't yet called a pack meeting since he became Sovereign. It had been over a season since their last meeting and so many wolves had come and gone since then that he thought it would be good for them to all get together again. He had expected to feel more nervous than he did as he made his way toward the middle of the Mangroves where there was a larger dry area of land for them to hold their meeting. He guessed he was finally settled into his new role since he was actually excited to gather them all together and not the least bit nervous. He settled onto his haunches facing out over the open space before he would lift his head to let out a long, echoing howl, calling every member of Fiori to him. "Talk" "You" Think

speech
She'd been a member of Fiori for almost a whole three to four months. Her flowery den was completed, her navigational skills were slowly increasing, and she was already two years old. Summer had rolled in much faster than she had anticipated. It was only yesterday that she had realized she was slightly older than Tiburtius, and yet, he was a giant in her eyes. It made her laugh a bit, but it hadn't altered their friendship at all. The Lion and the Mouse, she kept thinking. That would be their ultimate title to those who were familiar with their friendship. But with the good things, there were always the bad. Summer was her birth season, so right now, she was in heat. The girl decided it'd be safer to remain in Fiori until Autumn came around. In other words, she'd need to put her studies to the side...

On the bright side, she'd get some time to goof around with Tiburtius. All summer! They could go swimming, learn how to fish, she could teach him some little things about the clouds, the stars...it'd be lots of fun. The two of them could even go out into the many fields that surrounded Fiori and catch grasshoppers! The thought of such fun was exciting, but a voice in the back of her head told her Tiburtius may not want to hang out with her, due to her being in heat. Thoughts like that made her depressed, and she felt the need to go off and talk to Shaye about it. She was a girl too, yeah? She understood...hopefully. Or she could run off to Threar and hang around some of her aunties.

A low, familiar howl echoed through the sky, shattering her thoughts. Leo was calling a meeting together, hmm? She wondered what it could be about...however, Epiphron hadn't explained to everyone the change of leadership last time they had a meeting. Arivae stood to her tiny paws, moving out of her den and making her way toward the source of the howl. When she arrived, she gasped. Had she arrived too early? No one else was here...except Leo.

Arivae rolled her shoulders forward, trotting over to the Sovereign and sitting beside him slowly. She tucked her tail between her hind legs in attempt to block out the heavy smell, but acted normally, and turned to Leo with a cheerful grin. It is good to see you again, mister Leo. She giggled, touching her nose to his shoulder in greeting. Considering she was the first one here, she might as well talk to him casually, while they weren't surrounded by others.

Epiphron could not be happier that her son had agreed to take over. Though she was not necessarily old, she was certainly aging; she had grown too jaded for leadership. Fiori needed Leo's youthful intuition and optimism, something that she had grown too cynical to provide to them. Her time as a ruler was over, of this she was certain, but she would never cease to be a parent and a protector to her children, no matter her age. A slight bit of excitement crept through her as she heard Leo's confident voice ringing through the Mangroves, summoning them all to gather. She moved quickly, expertly avoiding the more damp areas of the land. It had been over a year since she had first come to these lands, and Epiphron had grown not only fond of them but also an expert in navigating them. If wasn't difficult to find Leo, settled comfortably on one of the larger dry patches of land that the mangrove offered them. Only one other had arrived yet. Respectfully she would dip her head to him, approaching and sitting close to him, though giving him the space he rightfully deserved as leader - though she didn't bother to hide the proud smile that suddenly appeared on her lips as she studied him as he stood.

At the call of her brother her ears flickered, head rising sleepily from her den. Amalia really just wanted to sleep the day away right now, she was four years old now. An old fart. Giggling softly at her own thoughts, the tiny girl pulled herself to her paws and stretched out her limbs, the scent of her heat filling the family den. Or dear, she really hated this time of year for this exact reason. Feeling vulnerable, she stopped by her herb den on the way to the meeting and with her muzzle rubbed some lavender into her rump. It wasn't perfect, but it sure did make her feel a lot better. Nodding her coloured head at her handy work, she carefully picked her way over the damp lands to where Leo had called them. When she walked into the clearing her blue eyes first landed on a black girl that she had not seen before, white marks adorning her face. Head tilted curiously as she inspected her, but didn't stop until she reached her mothers side. It had been awhile since the two of them had talked, Ama had been pretty much den ridden while she was sick, and since getting better she had spent all her time with Athena and the boys. "Hey Mother," she hummed, leaning up against the older woman as she aimed to leave a trail of kissed on her cheek. "I have missed you." the girl breathed, taking in her mothers proud smile for Leo. Amalia couldn't help but grin back, looking towards her more colourful sibling and tossing him a wink. She was full of pride for him as well, and that their mother could finally relax now.

"Speech"
'thoughts'

"Listen to me talk," 'but read my thoughts.'

The young woman would rise, heeding the call of her friend when he summoned the pack. A gentle nudge was given to the sleeping polar fox she had, the little critter giving a yawn before getting to her paws. "What's up Svet?" The critter would ask. Svetlana would smile, her bright blue eyes shining. "It's time to go to Leo. He's calling the pack." The fox would arch a brow as Svetlana turned on her paws. "...Svet likes Leo, doesn't Svet!" There was no answer as Svetlana just kept on walking. "Svet!"

Svetlana would arrive after a couple others, coming up near Leo to take her seat. Her gaze would slide to Epiphron, giving her a gentle smile and nod in greeting before her attention turned to Leo. There was another girl close to him, and Svetlana would, for a second, tense. What was this feeling...? Jealousy? She would shake it off, taking a breath and managing to get out a greeting. "Hey there Leo."

Table by:: Shelby

Tiburtius gave a little surprised snort when Leo's howl woke him up from his afternoon nap. He had stretched out in the sun and had accidentally dozed off. He drowsily hurried to his paws and shook out his blue-hued coat, quickly trying to blink the sleep from his eyes. He didn't want to miss the meeting cause he was sleeping! His family would chew him out later if he did, he was sure of it. Well, his mother would anyway. Momma Ama would probably give him a stern look, but he couldn't see her being mad at him for very long ever. He trotted toward the call and he was happy to see that he was far from the last to arrive when he got there. All three of his russet and white relatives were already there along with his best friend and a pale gray and tan woman he hadn't met before. He smiled happily and with his silver-striped tail wagging behind him he came up to sit beside Arivae. He smiled down at her happily and playfully nosed at her cheek. He noticed with some curiosity that she smelled different for some reason, but he didn't comment on it or think much of it. He spotted Momma Ama eyeing Arivae and he suddenly realized that he hadn't actually gotten the chance to introduce her to all of his family yet, Ama included. "Ama, this is Arivae, she's my best friend. Arivae, this is one of my mothers, Amalia," he introduced quickly, nodding back and forth between the two of them as needed. Speak Thought Others

Walk | Talk | Think Eirik was perhaps a little reluctant to go the meeting, even though he knew it was expected of him. Despite the time he and his family had been living in Fiori, it still did not feel like home, and being surrounded by a bunch of wolves that looked absolutely comfortable around their friends and family would only make him feel even more isolated and awkward. Of course, he had his own family there too, a small relief for him since he doubted he would have stayed without them, but he was still not convinced they were even settling in well. It made his mood a lot less carefree and easy than it typically was, and the change was beginning to take a toll on him. Never the less, he knew his mother would want him there, and he knew she would end up needing help keeping an eye on the pups, so he went. He felt out of place and surely it showed in the nervousness of his expression as his rosy pink eyes roved over face after face that was new to him. Only one, that of the woman who had given his family permission to be there, stood out, but aside from the hospitality she had shown them even she was a stranger. And not anywhere in the midst did he see a single face from his family. While his brow puckered in a worried frown, the pale grey wolf padded silently into the midst of the small gathering and took a seat, glancing around and over his shoulders expectantly for his family members to make an appearance.

Play yawned as she rose from her den at the call. Blinking a little when she heard Leo's voice. Ahhh, she didn't want to be late for her friends. A smile plastered on her face as she started trotting towards the meeting place. It was no doubt even if someone was in a bad mood, the woman couldn't help but to have a permanent smile plastered on her face. Now even as she was a year older, she almost seemed like a pup out of the blue. Her tail wagging back and forth as she let out a bark in greeting to Leo and Epiphron. She settled herself comfortably close to the others. Though looking around, it didn't seem like the turnout was much. She wondered if everyone had just been sleeping in. It wouldn't surprise her with the summer coming along fast and hard. Play would easily move through her heat like it was nothing, her hyper energy kept her entertained for the most of her time regardless. "Talk"

Sarai dragged her feet as much as she could when she heard a call for a pack meeting. The only thing that actually made her go was the fact that she knew if her mom was there and she wasn't she would get chewed out later. She arrived at the very last second... to see that the only one of her family that was there was Eirik. For a moment she just stood several feet away from the group in a mix of shock and anger. Damn it, if she had to stay in this pack and participate so did they! Then as the flash fire of emotions passed just sadness and loneliness came over her, as well as the smallest hint of worry. Where were they? Surely they hadn't all abandoned her too. She huffed and trudged over to where her older brother was sitting and sat down beside him, sitting close enough that her side touched his right as Leo began to speak. She wouldn't look up at him... but sitting close to him did make her feel the tiniest bit better. "SPEAK!"

Art by Evelyn

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ooc: sorry so late with my reply! Life got real cray real fast. I'd like everyone to reply again by September 2nd <3 Slowly pack members would trail in, but the first wolf to appear was actually Arivae, Tiburtius' friend. He gave her a smile, pleasantly surprised by her promptness. "It's good to see you too, Arivae! I'm glad you're here." Soon to follow was his mother. Her proud look wasn't lost on him and he couldn't help the wide grin he gave her in response. It made him feel good knowing that he was doing good in her eyes, even if it was just a silent glance that said so. Then came Amalia and he chuckled at the wink she shot his way. He returned it with a smirk and a silent thought of needing to spend more time with his sibling soon. His ears would perk at Svetlana's voice as she greeted him and his head would turn so his gaze could find her beside him, his tail instantly wagging behind him. "Hey there, Svet," he replied with a happy grin. Tiburtius would come next, his nephew's attention obviously focused on Arivae. He wondered if they might eventually become a couple sometime in the near future.. they were both growing up after all. He chuckled softly to himself at the thought before turning his gaze to watch one of the boys that had come with Alamea's group, Eirik he thought his name was, followed by Play and Sarai. He was a little disappointed in the turnout, but as he made a mental list of the wolves that were missing he felt a little better about it. "Well then, I suppose we might as well get started," he began, glancing around at the group with a smile. "I assume you must all know by now, but since it's never been officially announced I'll start with the fact that I am now the Sovereign since my mother passed Fiori on to me. Nothing much will be changing with the structure or laws of the pack, just a shift in the ranks. Epiphron will instead be on my Council." He breifly smiled at his mother before going on. "Of course Amalia will still hold the Head Medic position and Athena will be one of our Head Sentries. Svetlana has also agreed to take on one of the Council positions. If anyone needs anything these wolves will be more than happy to help you. Of course you're more than welcome to come to me directly as well." "With all that said, there are still positions to be filled. I'll be looking for another wolf to be on my Council as well as another Head Sentry. If you are interested in either of these positions please let me know so I can put you in for consideration." He turned his gaze to Eirik and Sarai, since they were the only ones there that his next words applied to. "I would also like to begin moving our general members up into their proper positions. Eirik and Sarai, if you would let me know which specialty you would like once I'm done I would greatly appreciate it." He turned his gaze back to the general crowd and paused breifly. "I won't say too much about how small the turnout for this meeting is since it would be preaching to the choir to do so. But just keep in mind that these meetings are important and spread the word to anyone that isn't here that I do expect them to come to all meetings and training sessions from here on out. I suppose Absinthe and Bacchus have left for their trip as well as Novel and Ara. I'm not sure where everyone else is, however, so if everyone could just keep an eye out for them and make sure they are okay I would appreciate that." He smiled softly and gave each member another glance. "But thank you to those of you that did come. I like spending time with all of you. Now, anyone that needs to speak to me please come on up. If not, you're free to go unless anyone else has something they would like to say." "Talk" "You" Think

Walk | Talk | Think Of his family, his baby sister was the only one to arrive. Eirik spotted her almost as soon as she appeared, and though she looked entirely displeased with being there he was so very glad to see her. It still begged the question where everyone else was and why they were not in attendance, but the pale grey wolf was hard pressed to complain as Sarai chose not to turn and walk away but to instead walk forward and take a seat at his side, all while not looking his way. From the corner of her rosy pink eye, Eirik studied her, wondering if this meant she was finally coming to accept this place as home or if she had other reasons. Either way, he smiled, albeit subtly, to himself as he redirected his attention back to the wolf who had called them all together. He spoke of the pack changing hands, of his promotion and his mother's resignation into an advisory role, as well as touching on a few positions in the pack that would stay filled and those that would need to be filled. As his name was mentioned specifically, his dark-tipped ears perked, and he cast a quick glance at his little sister. He knew what he would be going - guard work and sentry duty were what he already specialized in - but what about her? Puzzling over it, Eirik remained silent and waited as the meeting quickly closed and everyone was given leave to depart. With another glance at Sarai, hoping that she would take his lead and follow him, he let his gaze return to Leo and approached the alpha. Very softly he cleared his throat, not as a means of getting the wolf's attention but just so that his voice would be steady once he spoke. "Excuse me," Eirik started, feeling suddenly struck by how odd it was to address someone as a leader that was not his father. It made him pause for a second longer than necessary, but he found his voice again quickly. "I'd like to sign up for whatever rank is for fighters." Would it be any different here than it was in Secretua?