She had stayed around after the meeting long enough to speak with anyone that wished to speak with her and answer any questions that were asked-and of course bear the praise from her parents at the very end-but once everyone had dispersed back to their usual daily tasks and she was alone with Saracyn once again she gave a heavy sigh and looked to her mate with a little smile. "I think that went okay." She was always her own worst critic and she knew Saracyn would never fail to compliment her even if she didn't believe it herself. She began to make her way back toward their den with him, replaying the meeting that they had just finished back in her head. Nearly everyone had come which she was grateful for. It wasn't as if this was a hostile take over or something of that sort. She had been the Heiress since the day she was born and her mother had wanted to step down sooner rather than later. None of this had really been a surprise, or shouldn't have been at least, to anyone, but she still hadn't been certain about how the others might feel about the change or how they would react to her stepping into leadership at a young age.

Luckily it had seemed that most of them were neutral or accepting-except, of course, for the family she had slighted. Her ears flicked as she thought about Albion's absence and the hard glare that Scylla had worn throughout the meeting. Of course she hadn't expected for them to be pleased to see her after what she had done and she knew it would take time for things to smooth over, but that didn't keep the situation from weighing heavily on her mind. As soon as they reached their home, Avacyn flopped down onto the furs that were laid out in a seating arrangement in the main chamber, sighing as a little frown pulled at her lips. "We didn't have anyone show interest for the Master Warrior position," she mentioned as she started to reach for a bottle of wine. It was easier to turn her attention to her work than it was to try and talk about what was actually weighing on her. "Although, do we have anyone that's ready for it? Fia is an excellent fighter, but she is already holding the Master Tactican role and I think she enjoys that more than fighting. Uncle Deimos wouldn't be a bad choice, but he's nearly as old as father and newly mated to Ikigai so I doubt he'd want that kind of responsibility right now. The only ones I'm sure would be a good fit for the role are the Kleins, but... I don't even know if they're staying." She frowned as she pulled the cork from the bottle with a pop, taking a drink of the sweet, slightly bitter drink as she waited for Saracyn's opinions.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

The meeting had gone well in Saracyn's opinion. All of Elysium had turned up (not counting the wishy-washy Kleins) to hear their new Matriarch speak and lay out her plans for the future of the pack, and with the exception of Scylla's bitterness, everyone had been in good spirits. The future of Elysium seemed bright under Avacyn's wise and benevolent rule. As Ava tended to the private matters and conversations that followed the meeting, Saracyn stood on standby at her side, the Commander keeping a watchful eye over the Matriarch as was his duty. Saracyn took great pride in his rank and responsibilities and he would never waver from them. Once everyone had cleared out though and they were left to their own devices, some of Sara's austere facade slipped away as he regarded his beloved mate with a warm smile and bright eyes. "Eh, it was all right. I've seen better," he remarked, his tone light and sarcastic to tell Avacyn that he was clearly teasing her. A wry smirk touched his lips as he moved closer to nuzzle her shoulder gently. "You did splendidly, Ava. Everyone is eager to see your reign begin."

The twins made their way back to their den side by side, Saracyn's bushy tail giving occasional flicks and teasing bumps against Avacyn's hip as they walked. His sister was quiet for most of their walk, something Sara took note of immediately. Her dark eyes were distant and unfocused, lost in some troubling thoughts. He didn't press her about what was on her mind until they walked back into the privacy of their den, however, and Ava settled into the furs in their lounge space. "Perhaps none of them feel ready for it yet. There's not anyone I could name off the top of my head I could trust in that role." Sara removed his sword from his back and propped it up against the den wall before moving to join his mate, laying down behind her so he could pull her into a spooning embrace, a giant white-tipped paw draping over her side while he wrapped his form around hers. Avacyn went through the list of the pack's fighters, naming a few that would be good and the cons to choosing them. It made Saracyn chuckle as he leaned his muzzle down to kiss along the back of Ava's neck, nibbling through her scruff as he covered his overthinking love in tender affections. "Fia seems happy where she's at. Uncle Deimos can fight and hunt, and he did well in the Valta raid, but he's impatient and impulsive. Plus he got his ass handed to him by Dad, so I'd sooner see Dad be our Master Fighter than him." But Ava had been staunchly of the mindset of rewarding their parents with higher ranks and keeping them close as advisors should she need their guidance. Either option was a good move for them, but there was no denying that Alastor had a proclivity towards violence.

Avacyn mentioned the Kleins next and Saracyn's expression hardened a little behind her as he thought of Scylla and Albion. Their loyalty had not been secured in Avacyn's ascent to power, and the future with them looked tumultuous at best, glib at worst. "I'd endorse Scylla before I'd see Albion in a rank of power," he remarked with a bit of an edge in his tone. Saracyn had never cared for the albino brute, least of all after the fallout that had occurred when Avacyn had broken off her engagement with him. At least he and Scylla had mostly been apathetic towards the devolving of their betrothal; Albion felt like a powder keg in a burning building—volatile and unpredictable with his emotions. At least with Scylla, they knew what to expect with her and what she was capable of. "Is that what has your mind so distracted, gorgeous?" he asked, bringing his muzzle up the side of her neck to nuzzle at her cheek from behind, wondering if this mess with the Kleins was what had her so upset.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Warning: Saracyn is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
Saracyn's designated wolf to protect as a Bodyguard is Avacyn. She may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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Avacyn sighed as she leaned back into her mate as he came to join her on the furs, his larger form supporting her own as he gave his own thoughts on the issue of their vacant position and the options they had to fill it. She took another drink of wine and hummed quietly with delight at his affections as she listened and she could certainly agree that Fia seemed to be pleased with her current rank and that their uncle was probably too volatile for such a position. It seemed like Ikigai had mellowed him out quite a bit over the last year, but she could understand Saracyn's concerns. It would have been easy enough to place their father in such a position since he had more than enough experience to do it, but she was proud of being able to let them enjoy their retirement and to be able to give them positions that better fit their years of experience and the role that she wanted them to play in their lives. No, he wasn't the perfect fit either. That really only left them the Klein wolves as their candidates, but even just thinking about the estranged family pulled a crease across her brow and had her pulling another drink of wine.

She wasn't all that surprised when Sara voiced his endorsement for Scylla over Albion for any position of power, though it did make her sigh softly. Even now after she had broken off her engagement to the pale man and given Saracyn everything she could possibly give him it seemed like there would forever be a tension and a distaste toward her former fiancé from her brother. As much as she wanted the Kleins to stay, she knew Sara would never fully be at peace with them no matter how much she tried to smooth things over. Still, she could agree with Scylla being the best choice of them for the Master Warrior, but not because she didn't want Albion in a position of power. She had other ideas and plans that she thought would suit the thoughtful male better than something that focused solely on brute strength.

She leaned gently into his affections as he nuzzled her cheek, her ears folding back a bit as he asked if that was what had her so distracted. "Partially," she admitted hesitantly, taking one more drink from the bottle of wine in her paws before she finally sat it off to the side. The slightly tingly warmth of the bittersweet alcohol was very much welcomed in among all of the worries that she was constantly trying to chase off. Sighing, she leaned into Saracyn and slipped one of her feline paws around his foreleg, giving his paw a small squeeze. "All of our own personal feelings about the Kleins aside, they're three very well trained and skilled fighters that are a huge benefit to our unfortunately less well equipped ranks. Losing all of them in one swoop would leave a noticeable gap in our defenses. And even aside from that... It would just be yet another thing that mother tried to arrange for me to set me up for success that I've ruined. Yes, I know that their father's pack no longer exists so it wouldn't be for the direct alliance any more, but they are still related to the ruling family of Ashen. I don't think Venom would retract our alliance because of all of this considering the friendship she and mother have and not with Ikigai here, but I don't want to cause any issues that could have been prevented either." Avacyn frowned, looking down at their connected paws with a tired sigh. "I just don't know what else I can do to keep them here or what I'll have to do to make up for the gap they'll leave if they don't."

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

While Avacyn revealed those thoughts that plagued her peace of mind, Saracyn contented himself to just listen quietly and give his mate little shows of affection and love, listening attentively to her concerns and worries. Not even a day into being Matriarch and already the role was weighing heavy on her mind. Sara released a slow sigh and pursed his lips, contemplating the position they had put themselves in. No part of him would ever regret taking her as his soul mate, nor the costs it required, but the last thing he ever wanted to do was make Ava's life any harder. While they cuddled and Avacyn held onto his paw with one of her own large leonine ones, the dire brute curled around her pondered the circumstances and tried to mull out a solution that would be acceptable to them all. He doubted Albion would ever forgive him or Avacyn for their choices, especially considering the bitter feud the two brutes held.

But maybe they didn't need to convince Albion. Instead of focusing on their hardest sell, Saracyn began to think about Scylla and Cerberus, what it might take to convince them to stay in Elysium. Albion was nothing if not loyal to his siblings to a fault. If they stayed, he would stay, and then Avacyn could work on trying to mend the burnt bridge between them. Though Sara perished the thought of having to go pleading to Scylla—or anyone for that matter—to stay and support the pack, he understood how crucial the Kleins were to Elysium's safety and what losing them would mean. "I can speak to Scylla about staying as Elysium's Master Warrior. See if I can't persuade her to stick around and try to smooth things out between us and them," Sara offered, giving Ava an affectionate squeeze around her slender midsection to hold her body all the tighter to his. "Ancients know that I'm as culpable for our choices as you are. You won't have to handle this alone. Who knows, she might find it more sadistically enjoyable to hear it from me than from you." Saracyn didn't hate Scylla the way he hated Albion; they had both had moments in the past that revealed that to one another. He didn't exactly know how to frame his feelings and relationship with Scylla other than calling it complicated.

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Warning: Saracyn is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
Saracyn's designated wolf to protect as a Bodyguard is Avacyn. She may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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As Saracyn began to offer to go talk to Scylla himself to offer her the Master Warrior position and convince her to stay, her ears perked with surprise before flicking with uncertainty. She knew it wasn't a small thing for Saracyn to go to Scylla of all wolves and plead with her to stay, but she couldn't disagree that he had played a role in all of this as well. Ultimately she had been the one to give in and let them have this life that they had both wanted, but he had been the tipping point for her that had convinced her to take the leap. She wanted to be able to handle everything on her own and take ownership for this situation as the matriarch, but she didn't think that her trying to talk to Scylla would go well and she had already pleaded her case to Albion with no definitive answer. She couldn't blame either of them for not wanting to work with her in the wake of the hurt she had caused Albion. She wasn't sure if Saracyn would have any better luck, but at this point she didn't really have anything to lose. "Alright," she agreed after a long moment of reluctance, turning her head to look back at him with a little smile. Turning in his embrace, she twisted to face him and tucked her head into his chest, nuzzling into his neck as she tried to put the mounting worry about the situation out of her mind for now and instead just enjoy getting to be with Sara like this.

"Avacyn & Saracyn"