Avacyn stood at the edge of the island's central lake for a while, watching how the chilled breeze blowing through made the surface of the water ripple and wash up against the rocky shore. After she asked her uncle to assume leadership of the pack there had been a small part of her that had hoped he would refuse, but when he had eventually agreed to the arrangement there had been a larger part of her that was relieved. In the long run she was confident that this was a good direction for their family to go and would give them more flexibility as they continued to grow into a much larger and more varied group than the family had once been as an isolated group, but it was still a hard thing for her to change something so fundamental that her great, great grandmother had put into place so many years ago.

She glanced over at Deimos as he came to join her at the pack's usual meeting spot and she offered him a smile as she walked over to the slightly raised slab of slate. Once they were both ready she lifted her muzzle to call for the rest of the pack to join them, her uncle's voice joining in with her own after a moment. There were pockets of the pack that would already know–their mates and her parents mostly–but she wanted the rest of the pack to hear her reasons from her own mouth. She settled back on her haunches, leaving space for Saracyn to join at her side when he arrived with their children, and looked out across the landscape of the island for everyone else to arrive.

"Avacyn Medacium"

One of Avacyn's ravens had come to let him know that his niece intended to hold a pack meeting to officially announce his new position in the pack today and for the first time in a long time he felt an odd nervousness. He was unsure how the rest of the pack and their family might react to the change in leadership and the fundamental change to how their family structure operated, but he wanted to be hopeful. He thought that Avacyn's reasoning was sound and even if he would only be King until his daughter was ready to become their Queen he was eager to come into his own in this way. He got ready for the meeting quickly–even asking Ikigai to help him make sure his coat was clean and presentable–and then walked down from the mountain caves to join his niece where the pack usually gathered for their meetings.

He found her there waiting for him and when her dark gaze turned his way he gave her a respectful nod. There wasn't anything more to discuss that they had not already talked through so Avacyn began the call for the pack and after a beat of consideration he lifted his muzzle to join her. Even though he would be King he still wanted the Matriarch to be a vital part of their pack and family structure and he wanted it to be clear from the beginning that he was not usurping her throne. He was joining forces with her to shape Elysium into something new. With the call made he settled onto his haunches with Avacyn on is left and a space beside him for Ikigai on his right. Now they just needed the pack to join them.

"Deimos Mendacium"

As soon as the call from Avacyn and her father went out for the pack to join in on the meeting she was impatiently waiting for her mother and siblings to start making their way down to the meeting area. Eventually she broke away and hurried ahead on her own, her fluffy tail wagging gently behind her as she trotted proudly over to where Avacyn and her dad were waiting on them all. She had already picked up on what was going to happen and she was absolutely thrilled and proud of her father for stepping up to this kind of position. It was a big change from what she had been taught so far about how the Mendacium family worked, but change wasn't always a bad thing, was it? She climbed up onto the edge of the platform Deimos and Avacyn shared, reaching up to accept her father's affections before she went and took a seat front and center in front of them. Hopefully everyone else arrived soon because she was ready to get this show on the road!

"Kintsugi Mendacium"

Ever since Avacyn took over as their Matriarch she had made a point to never interfere with how Avacyn wanted to run Elysium or the direction she wanted to lead their family. That was just as true now as it was then. She was always here to give Avacyn advice and her opinions when she was asked for them, but she didn't want to sway Avacyn one way or another. That was why when her daughter came to her with this idea of creating a division of power in Elysium she had told Avacyn it was ultimately her choice, but she would have her blessing either way. She knew times changed and how they approached the world needed to change to adapt to it and if this would help them move in the right direction then she was all for it.

The howl for them to gather for a meeting came as no surprise. She untangled herself from Alastor and gave her coat a good shake while she waited for him to get up and join her. Their daughter and her her brother hadn't interrupted anything yet, but a bit longer and they might have so it was both regrettable and perfect timing all at once. "Don't worry, we'll come right back here after the meeting," she assured her husband with a grin, giving him a quick kiss before they made their way down the mountain paths to the pack's usual meeting place, finding a very eager Kintsugi waiting front row for the meeting to start. She chuckled and went to sit next to her and looked around expectantly for the rest of the pack to join them.

"Manea Mendacium"

Somehow despite the amount of time Desponia spent outside of packlands she always managed to time her returns poorly. At least to her. Her family would probably have argued it was well timed that as she was starting to return to her den, tucked away from the more well traveled parts of the island that her niece's call rang out. (And her... Brother? She hadn't made it a habit to know exactly how she was related to many of the older members.) The woman grumbled to herself, considering just ignoring it. She was tired. Emotionally and physically. She'd only gotten back to Boreas a few days ago and though she hadn't pushed herself to move particularly fast the trip still wasn't easy. Didn't help the winged bastard refused to leave her head. Asshole. How dare he be as hot as he was and yet so deeply irritating. Des thought that she maybe hated him. That was fun, someone who she wasn't directly related to to hate.

Shit. Desponia turned away from the warm enticing call of her den and practically stomped her way towards where the pair has called for the pack. She hated that somehow, the majority of the pack had yet to show up. Only made her stand out more, when her ideal world would be to sneak in to the back of the group and be largely ignored. Enough to show her face so her family would have no reason to try to chase her down. The less they felt they had to interact with her the better!

Desponia decided the best course of action was to ignore them as much as she could, head high but gaze sliding over her sister, brother (?) and their spawn like she hadn't even seen them. She moved towards the back of the area and plopped herself down. She let her gaze rest somewhere over the shoulder of her niece. She was there, she was paying some amount of attention. That was all she'd let them reasonably ask for.
"Speech"

Image by Fiery-vulpes

It was her first meeting back from her extended Auster trip and she wasn't very thrilled about it. Still, she would find the energy to get up out of her den and make her way to the common grounds where her uncle and sister had called. Strange for Deimos to join in to the call, but she didn't think much of it.

She'd gather with the few wolves that had made it here, stick to herself and eager to get back to her den to try and sleep- or not sleep in her case. Close her eyes and hope. She was ready for it to be over regardless of how much she used to want to be Avacyn's... left hand woman when it came to the pack responsibilities. Not today, and seemingly not again with the news.

"Fiametta"

Saracyn had been keeping their three children wrangled around the den until Avacyn called them to the pack meeting. This was an important announcement and he was not going to chance one of them running off and ignoring it when it affected the entirety of their pack and family. Once Ava called for them, Sara nudged the three balls of fuzz out the door and in the direction of Alias lake. "Come along, you three. We can't be late." The sect of the Mendacium family marched dutifully down to the lake, arriving after just a few others had come. "Behave yourselves," he spoke in a curt whisper to them, giving Daemon a pointed look with steely blue eyes. After he had the three rugrats settled in at the front of the group where he could keep an eye on them, Sara clambered up onto the stone dais and moved to take his place at Avacyn's right hand side, expression solemn and stern as his role dictated. Today would be the day their family changed dynamics forever.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Alastor had been quite enjoying his retirement with Manea ever since Avacyn had taken over. His days now consisted mostly of waking up whenever he wanted, fucking his wife whenever they wanted, hunting and fishing for fun and to keep him active, and spending endless amounts of time with his grandpups. Every now and then he would act as an advisor to Avacyn when she needed them, but for the most part the Mendacium patriarch was very much enjoying the desserts of his lifetime. He had been aware of Avacyn's struggles as Matriarch and her decision to divide power between political and spiritual leaders thanks to Manea filling him in, but otherwise he was just here for the ride.

When the call for the meeting went out, Alastor gave a deep groan of frustration, giant paws clutching tighter to Manea's sides to prevent her from pulling away from him just yet. It was a futile effort, and once the lusty pair of wolves had untangled themselves, Alastor was left sprawled on his back sporting some very obvious arousal. "They have the worst timing," lamented a randy Alastor, half debating just blowing off the meeting so he could pull Manea back to bed, but he knew that would also be an impossible battle to win. Manea reassured him that they'd come right back to their lustful activities after the meeting, earning her another groan from Alastor, but also his reluctant acceptance. The behemoth of a brute rolled to his paws and shook out his flowing coat as well, returning his soulmate's kiss before walking a little stiffly down to the lake. By the time they'd arrived, Alastor was back to normal (if not a little blue balled) and settled in beside Manea and Kintsugi, stretching out his massive form like a giant cat while they waited for the meeting to get started.

"Alastor Mendacium"

For the most part, Irilyth kept to herself and out of the way of everyone else. She was around when needed, but otherwise existed in the background alone, like a ghost amongst the crowd of Elysian wolves. It was how she preferred to operate, not drawing any attention to herself, especially not after the last time she'd interfered in Mendacium affairs. She did miss her time spent with Manea, but she understood that the former Matriarch had such a large family and a husband to spend all her retirement time on, so she accepted her lot in life without complaint. When Avacyn and Deimos called for the meeting, she was there, smelling faintly of the herbal poultices that she'd been preparing. Not one for crowds, Irilyth stuck to the outskirts of the meeting area, still visible and present, but keeping to herself while she watched everyone else from the sidelines.

"Irilyth"

Ugh, a mandatory pack meeting? Ancients, this was so booooooring! Daemon didn't want to go to some dumb old meeting he wasn't going to be a part of anyway. He wanted to run and play, hunt and fish and swim! He wanted to fight his brother and play games with his sister! He didn't wanna be forced to sit still and listen while the adults made more dumb boring decisions. But despite the sour grimace on his face, the boy trudged along with the rest of his family at his father's insistence, marching down to the lake where Saracyn sat them in the front row in a neat little line, then joined their mother up on the dais. Daemon pouted and grumped, leering around at all the other wolves to make sure everyone knew just how displeased the little prince was at being forced to be here. As soon as the meeting was over, he was gonna cause so much chaos they'd never ask him to be at a meeting ever again.

"Daemon Mendacium"

Mariah had just lit the fire in her den when she heard the dual call from Avacyn and Deimos echo across the island. A gathering was being called. She stood, dusting off her paws on the soft fur that lined her bed and padded to the entrance of her den. With one last glance over her shoulder at the now flickering fire, she slipped into the cool outside air, leaving behind the warmth and familiarity of her safe haven.

The journey from her den to the central lake was a familiar one, almost instinctive. Her paws made quick work of the rugged terrain, carrying her swiftly across the innocuous expanse of Alias Island until she reached the meeting spot. There Avacyn and Deimos waited, the pair standing tall against the backdrop of the lake.

As she approached, her gaze roved over the growing crowd. She noted each face, some she recognized, most she did not, acknowledging their quiet nods and soft smiles with a slight tilt of her head or a flick of her tail. The gathering was mostly silent, the only noise being the soft rustling of fur against the grass and the occasional whisper that cut through the still air.

She settled down on the outskirts of the crowd, near a patch of tall wild grass that rustled gently against her side. Despite her family around her, she felt surprisingly alone- the pang of longing for the company of Caedes. His presence had become a constant comfort, and now his absence felt like an unexpected void. The thought of him made her gaze soften as she watched Avancyn and Deimos prepare to address the gathering.

"Mariah Mendacium"

As her father roused the group of siblings into action, the tiny black and red girl bounced towards him. "Can Papa Moros come?" Without waiting for an answer, the girl motioned for some invisible specter to follow, then raced out the door and down to the meeting area. She skidded to a halt when she saw all of the wolves already there, mismatched eyes widening for a moment. Some of them she'd never even met! How crazy. Running to the front of the group, she brightly said, "HI MAMA!" then went and sat behind Ava, curling up in her tail, you know... just because.

"Fever Mendacium"

Aliana was staunchly against Chimera's wishes to join the upcoming pack meeting, but it seemed that nothing she could say or do could convince her pigheaded husband any differently. Anything that required her ailing husband out of his quarantine and around other wolves had been a major no-no in Ali's books, but it seemed that she was being overruled. So, with a bit of a temper and a huff, Ali helped clean up Chimera and get him presentable enough to be out amongst the public. "We go for a few minutes, then I'm taking you right back to bed, okay? No staying to mingle, no asking questions," she told her husband off, patting his shoulder while she helped him out of their den and towards the lake for the meeting. Every step of the way, Aliana remained at Chimera's side, offering what support she could for him. Granted he was almost twice her size and would crush her if he toppled over onto her, but that didn't stop the clouded fae from trying.

When they reached the lake, Aliana immediately directed Chimera off to a side where the least amount of wolves were. She didn't want to risk his compromised immune system by exposing him to more wolves than he needed to be. Once they had settled, Ali pulled out some dried marshmallow and handed it to her giant mate. "Chew this. It will help the cough," she instructed him while she snuggled in against his side, ready to get this over with so they could get him back to bed to rest.

"Chimera & Ali"

Big changes were in the works and they had to do directly with her family. Deimos would be King of Elysium and she would support him as she had been born and bred to do. Diplomacy, ruling a kingdom... it was second nature to Ikigai. Her husband was rough around the edges still, but he was getting better. She would be there to school him in the finer points of leading a group.

Ikigai seated herself behind and to the right of Deimos, her long tail curled around her hip. The horned woman sat tall and slender, marbled eyes noting everyone that arrived and everyone that didn't. Where were her children? If they didn't show up, she'd be rather cross with them.

"Speech"

Aliana fussed over him as he knew she would. He expected her to badger him a bit, but in the end she relented. The black and white giant placed a paw upon her cheek, bringing her blue eyes to meet his pink and blue. "Have I ever told you that you're the most gorgeous woman that I've ever seen?" She brought back his sight by some magical means and he never tired of looking at her. The brute liked to remind her of it too. It was easy to speak the truth anyway. For Chimera Klein, no woman in the world could compare to his Aliana.

Chimera had lost a bit of weight, but he was still an imposing figure. They'd cleaned the black muck from his lips and made their way to the lake. He felt good today. Or as good as he could, anyway. During the walk, he coughed a few times, but it had definitely been a lot worse. As Aliana chose their seats and made him sit, she gave him some root or other to chew, which he did without argument. It was bitter and gross, but it tasted better than the black phlegm that filled his lungs. The brute slid down to his belly, tucking his little queen in against him, and waited for the meeting to begin.

"Chimera Klein"

Since the siblings had returned home, Mal has noticed that his sister has been away a lot and, when she returns home, she often carries the scent of another on her coat. It is strange for the Mendacium man to realize that his sister is growing a part from him and, if he is being completely honest with himself, he might admit that he has been taking that fact rather hard.

Mariah has her den now and Malico doesn’t wish for her to feel smothered by him so he had decided to den out near Firefly Lake where he could sulk away to his heart’s content with only the light bugs to judge him. Part of him doesn’t know what to do since, in the Mendacium world, the women hold all the power and he absolutely refuses to be a burden to his family.

Another evening spent silently mulling over his path is interrupted by the dual call that rings out from the nearby island, summoning the pack together for news. Malico immediately stands and trots toward the island where the communal area by lake has always housed the pack meetings.

There are many who have already gathered by the time he arrives and he quickly spies Mar setting on the fringes of the group. For the briefest moment, he considers joining her but Mal is quick to dash his idea with the thought that she probably wants to be alone and instead finds a place to sit by himself. Once he is settled, he turns his attention to his eldest sister and waits to hear what this is all about.


"Malico Mendacium"

It is strange how time seems to ebb and flow, one minute feeling like a thousand years while the next several months seem to fly by at the speed of light. Ricin has been busying himself with things around the pack lands, setting up some lessons that he has thought about holding for the newest pups that have joined the world.

He is in the small cave that he uses as a work space, carefully crafting several items that will be used for jewelry crafting when two calls summon the pack together. Curious and more than slightly worried, the lighter of the two blue brothers stands and hastily covers the work bench with a fur, knowing from experience that the slightest of breezes can send the small items scattering.

Once he is satisfied that everything is secure, Ricin makes his way into the cool winter air. A breeze tugs at his fur that is laced with icy fingers and the promise of a cold storm that will soon arrive. Making a mental note to check the clouds in the morning, he then hustles down the rocky pathways that wind up toward the brothers den, going as fast as possible while still being safe as he makes his way to the meeting.

Arriving to the open area beside the lake, Ricin quickly scans the ground for his brother but does not find him. It isn’t a terrible surprise for him since Chade often likes to travel away from pack lands for days on end in search of prey but still, he can’t help but miss him. Finding a seat near the back so that he doesn’t disturb anyone, he looks up to Avacyn and Deimos and offers them both dips of his head in silent respect. With that done, he waits with the gathered wolves to see what the future has in store for him.


"Ricin Dauner"

She had tried to give Ruse her independence and let her daughter roam on her own, but she only had one child so she was bound to miss her terribly. She had gone in search of her daughter for a while and after she found her she quickly realized they had simply been missing one another, one leaving just as another was getting there. Regardless, now that she found Ruse and felt reassured that her only child was well she was ready to return to Chimera and the others–except she wasn't sure where to find them. It wasn't until she happened to run into Morendo in her searching that she was given a direction and she went off toward Elysium to join Chimera and Aliana there.

It seemed like her timing was impeccable. As she neared the border she heard howls for a pack meeting. It was most certainly not proper manners to walk into a pack's territory uninvited, but she didn't want to interrupt the meeting to try and get someone out here to greet her and she didn't want to wait for the meeting to be over. She made her way toward the source of the howls and by the time she got there she saw a good number of wolves gathered around two purple-hued wolves seated up front. She met the gazes of the pair and gave them both an apologetic look and made a beeline straight for Chimera and Aliana, hoping that it would be clear that she was here with them. She quickly noticed Chimera's state, his constant waning and building illnesses a familiar sight. She put the thought aside for now, giving the pair a grin as she settled in on his opposite side, leaning in to kiss is cheek. They would have to do their proper reunion later, for now she focused in on the meeting so she wouldn't be too much of a disturbance.

"Dalila Vista Klein"

Unlike many of his littermates, the pallid princeling had lingered in the pack where his parents remained. With his sure ailing, there was no way in hell he was going anywhere. So when the leader summoned, he did as he was bid. Slowly, of course, trailing after his parents and their careful path. Perhaps he'd been a bit side tracked, stopping to watch bodies trickle in with all of their fancy colours and mutations. He hadn't inherited any, and so he found himself fascinated by the unique traits that cropped up in the many inhabitants of the realm.

As the flow of wolves slowed, he took a few more steps to rejoin his parents. Though he was grown by now, by all accounts a man, he still found himself urged to cling to the pair. He wanted to ensure that they remained safe and comfortable. He settled close to his mother, leaning on his ebony hip and tipping his weight so he could gently press his flank against Aliana's for the duration of the meeting. Something was afoot, but he was hardly perturbed by any of it. As long as he wasn't going to have to leave, he was content to wait for what was to come.

Damira knew that being late was rude, been at the lakeside, took her some time to cross the territories with her short legs. By the time she arrived it appeared as though many of her pack mates were in attendance. She was related to most of the wolves present, all familiar faces as they gathered, waiting for the meeting to begin. Settling amongst the crowd, she would have liked to sit near the front beside her Mother, but she was upfront with Deimos, it seemed as though he had something to say? Mimicking how Ikigai curled her tail, Damira sat all pretty beside her sister, Darika instead.