The heat of the south was often still unbearable, even though she'd been growing used her new home. Lysis Armada stalked across the flat terrain with deliberate pawsteps, feeling the sun beaming down upon her back. She and Kyarst had discussed getting to know their nieces and nephews recently, and what better day was today for the task? Tail flicked aimlessly about her hindpaws as she moved across the range with grace. Seeking refuge from the summer heat, she ducked into the strange structure of the barn, feeling grateful for the shelter and the subtle chance of temperature as she ducked into the shadows. The moment of respite would give her the courage to finally call for her family members; and so after a long moment, she would lift her muzzle to the sky and let loose a howl for the few family members she had left.

He wasn't far away when the call rang out, having allowed his patrol perimeter to lapse over into the range for a change of pace. The knolls were interesting and had their challenges, but they were blazing hot every waking hour of the day. Seeking respite from the heat, he had taken to a quick dip in the lake. After having finished his swim he had reclined in the heat for a moment's peace when she came calling for him - and for a few others as well. Ah, so this was the day. He picked up his pace to a bouncy trot, slipping into the den in mere moments. "Hey there," he greeted her casually, allowing his frame to flop lackadaisically onto the dirt floor of the barn in a puff of dust. He had never been one to care about cleanliness, so he wouldn't even bat an eye as his still damp frame was no doubt now half-covered in dirt. He had laid closer to the entrance than she, and so his back was to her. Almost boyishly he would tip his cranium back far enough to view her (upside down of course) and offer her a charming, albeit humorous, smile. Teeth would flash momentarily, for the duration of the smile, before he rolled onto his back and onto his other side so that he was facing her, now completely tarnished with dirt. Kyarst Armada was in a fine mood today. "SPEAK"

A howl for the Armadas rose up from the Range and Siri stopped what she was doing to consider the call. She frowned, head tipping to the side as she tried to figure out who could be calling for her family. It didn't sound like anyone she knew; she was familiar with the voices of most of Imperium's adults. With some curiosity and much caution, she set out to find who was looking for her family. Reaching the barn, the young Armada regarded the entrance skeptically. It looked like some kind of weird yawning mouth. Kinda looked like it was waiting for something to waltz in so it could eat it. Nevertheless, she peered inside, not quite trusting the unknown caller enough to go completely in. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness but when they did they were quick to zero in on the two figures. Sirius eyed them suspiciously, the rolled over male getting much of her scrutiny simply because of the curious way he was laying. Frown still firmly held in place, she asked, "You're looking for the Armadas?" "Talk" "You" Think

Prancing back to the densites with marigold in teeth, Integra couldn't be happier.  She was making real progress.  She'd have her sister healed in no time and wouldn't that make her parents proud?  The girl paused for a moment, vibrant eyes turning to the sky where the sun seemed to wink behind the lazily passing clouds.  Yes!  She was going to do her best. I love you, I miss you… and I'm going to make you proud!     As she was in the process of storing the herbs and checking on her littlest sister a call rang out.  Ears flicked forward as she gazed out across the range.  Hmm… now who could that be?  The call wasn't overly familiar.  Getting to her paws she raced through the fields to come upon a pale woman and a dark male.  They both smelt of Imperium and were clearly members she hadn't met yet.  Sirius was already there and as she moved to stand next to her sister she caught the woman's eyes.  They seemed… strangely familiar. "Hello… did you need something?" She spoke cautiously, uncertain what the pair wanted with her or her siblings. "Speech"

He heard the call for them as well though, lazing around on his back outside their den-turned-herb-storage-and-hospital-den keeping an eye on their sister and watching Integra stuff yet more plant matter into the den, Trei was disinclined at first to answer it. The voice wasn't Valentine, Daegmar, or even Hati, so what reason would they have to call for the Armada children, and more importantly, what reason did he have to obey? But Integra - whatever her reasons - chose to move off in the direction of the call. Groaning and muttering under his breath, he finally sighed and rolled back to his belly and to his feet to follow her. The structure their path took them to dwarfed them, and raised prickles down his spine. He too, stopped beside his siblings though he also flopped down on the ground bonelessly and didn't add any words of his own. The girls had covered the basis pretty good. Hello, we're the ones you called for, what do you want about did it. ""

Kyarst didn't make her wait long at all. After a short moment of waiting, he came to her, flopping down quickly to the floor of the barn. His movements sent a cloud of dust into the air, and she exhaled sharply, not wanting to breathe in the tainted air. He seemed a bit childish as he tipped his head back, looking at him upside down, and she found herself grinning gently. "Hey you," came her comment, as sweet as ever -- for now, she'd gotten over the brief fight they'd had, though admittedly Kyarst hadn't come to her stinking of another female again thus far. "You're in an awfully good mood today..." Though she was inclined to move to embrace him, the moment they shared was interrupted by the arrival of the children they had decided to meet. The first was a female, who wore a scowl and asked quite matter-of-factly if they were looking for the Armadas. A sweet smile painted her features, amusement dancing in her hazel eyes. "I am," she answered pleasantly, her demeanor far warmer than usual -- for this girl was clearly a family member. There was no doubt in her mind that she was the child of Roman and Drashiel. The next to arrive seemed more curious than wary, and she'd flash a smile to her as well. Finally, a male would join the group, flopping down much like Kyarst had. Slowly, she dipped her muzzle to them, offering them a wide wag of her tail in greeting. "We wanted to meet you kids," she explained, glancing sideways at Kyarst, wondering what he had to offer. "My name is Lysis Armada. Your father was my littermate, and your mother one of my half-sisters." The bond they shared was deeper than the one she shared with Roman, in her mind -- they had been born of the same woman, and she wanted them to know they shared such close lineage.

He was in a good mood. A damn good mood. He would chuckle as she commented on his lightheartedness, and then the voice of a child would bring him back to reality. In an instant he rolled back to face the growing number of pups, resting in a more appropriate position on his stomach, rather sphinx-like. A smile creased the corners of his lips, but just the corners as he gazed at each of them - taking in their interesting reactions. Their personalities stood out at once, and he noticed how much they all looked like Armada children. He let Lysis speak first, noting how awfully pleasant she was. He knew this made her happy, meeting her nieces and nephews. "And I'm Kyarst Armada," he followed after she was finished. "Your parents were both my half-siblings." He glanced at each of them, offering each one in turn a nod of his head. "We recently joined Imperium, as Praesidio's." He didn't really know how to talk to them, though he knew he would learn eventually. He wanted this to work, and so he would try his best. "SPEAK"

As a rule Sirius handled others with a liberal dose of indifference. Their comings and goings meant very little to her, the only exception being her siblings who meant everything. For them she would do anything--a willingness that stemmed from the suspicion that they, just like everyone else she cared about, would die long before she was ready to part with them. Her indifference was largely the work of the ever present shadow of death. That is to say that she was afraid of getting close to someone for fear that they would soon be snatched from her. It was better, in her mind, to have never loved than to have loved and lost, so it was with this firmly gripped belief that she regarded her supposed aunt and uncle. "Okay," she said simply. Was that it? Did they just want to say hi? And were they really family? "They never mentioned you." She paused a beat to consider them. Sure, they had green eyes like dad, but other than that, they looked nothing like her parents. "You don't look like them at all." "Talk" "You" Think

Atreides would show up a few moments after her question and she felt better with her siblings nearby. There was something some what familiar about these strangers but it didn't stop her from being very wary of them. They were Imperium wolves and thus allies but it was rare for Drashiel's brood to be called on specifically. The woman spoke and it quickly became clear why Integra felt this sense of familiarity. She was Drashiel's sister? So… so this woman was their aunt? Instantly Integra felt conflicted. On one paw they had family, family that was still alive in this world but on the other why was this sister only showing up now? Where was she when they were born? Where was she when her brother was killed? Integra was so close to her siblings, that she couldn't imagine being away from them for that long. Maybe she'd understand when she was older but for the moment she regarded the woman cautiously. The male also seemed to be a relative, some sort of uncle to them. Integra ground her teeth together as she struggled to process this, gaze turning to her silbings to see what they made of this turn of events. Sirius spoke with her usual tone, serious and straight to the point. "Um… nice to meet you." Integra spoke the automatic greeting, unsure what else to say. Sirus spoke again and she turned to her sister and shrugged. The woman's eyes reminded her a bit of her father, the man's too though neither hue matched the peridot gleam of Drashiel's gaze. What else was there to say? Hello, hi, nice to meet you but we've been doing just fine without you around so… bye? "Well, you've met us. We need to get back to our chores soon." "Speech"

Kyarst was quick to introduce himself, though he seemed as at a loss as she felt. Even still, she wanted to get to know these children -- even if they seemed a bit hesitant themselves. When Sirius spoke, her gaze shifted to her. She seemed largely unimpressed by their presence, and largely unphazed by their introductions. A bit confused, she wrinkled her nose, though her head tilted delicately to the side. "We'd been away from one another for awhile," she explained timidly. Did they think they were lying to them? "And you've never met our father -- he looks much more like me than Drashiel." Though a bit hesitant, her smile was genuine and she found her tail waving gently where it lay behind her. "He also doesn't look very much like our mother did either." The other girl seemed just as unimpressed at the meeting. "I wouldn't lie to you," she said finally. "Drashiel really was our brother, though Kyarst had a different mother than we did. At the very least, I'd like to know your names." The woman's demeanor had softened considerably. If they were all this combative, it might be a bit difficult to get to know them, but she would try until they shut her out entirely. "And if you have chores to do I'd be happy to help you with them."

It would be then, as he read each of their faces and absorbed their reactions, that he knew he was not the best at relating to children - especially not these children. He could understand their coldness and combativeness, they were Armada through and through. He could be ornery like this too and so on some level he understood them. But seriously, did they think that two adults would take time out of their lives to lie to children? He followed Lysis' lead, trying to soften his features while still seeming genuine about what they were saying. When Lysis had said her piece, he chimed in - deciding to try a different method of relating to his half nieces and nephews. "You know, you guys are smart not to believe us." There wasn't a hint of patronizing in his voice as he continued. "I mean, we haven't given you a whole lot of proof, have we?" He shifted his gaze placidly between the lot of them, trying to read their responses - however minute or bold they might be. "So tell me, what kind of questions would you ask of two adults you don't know anything about?" Why not put the ball in their court? "How about we make a deal? If we can't answer your questions, we'll do your chores for you today." What kid didn't love a challenge? He rested his chin upon his paws unobtrusively, emerald gaze shifting from one child to another before finally landing on Sirius. He imagined she'd be the one making the decisions. "Kyarst talks,"

He was irritated enough to be called away from his guard over Minerva, but for this? What were they expecting, a happy family reunion? For a time he stayed silent, letting everyone else have their say, but the pair just kept talking. They came here claiming to be... half siblings? to Mom and Dad and insinuating that... Mom and Dad had been siblings and not mates? How could they even say something like that? Of course they were mates, babies only came from mates. Not siblings. Did they think that they'd be too young to catch that? But still they just kept talking. Atreides gave a short barking laugh at the end of their little speeches. He'd thought his sisters had summed things up pretty neatly but these adults just weren't getting it, were they? "We don't need your help," he said bluntly, and turned his scowl on the male, "and we don't need someone to patronize us either. I've already got a family. We've been doing just fine on our own." He pushed himself to his feet. He wasn't much feeling amused at the moment - if anything he was feeling insulted. Where were these wolves when Mom and Dad died? When Bellona died? When they had struggled on their own to take care of Minnie? Touching his sisters' shoulders gently with his nose one then the other, he turned on his heel to stalk away. He wasn't going to make a decision for either of his siblings - they didn't work that way, they had to trust each other more than that - but he wasn't going to sit around and let these grownups try to push and poke him into some new little family group either. "You can call yourselves Armadas all you want," he fired a parting shot back over his shoulder, "but you'll never live up to Mom and Dad. They were Armadas. You're just someone else's soldiers." ""

Integra still regarded the pair cautiously. She believed them. They seemed to be telling the truth but the word family had only ever meant her siblings and parents to her. Uncles, aunts, grandfathers… they were never part of the equation and she wasn't comfortable redefining what family meant to her out of the blue. Integra's ears flicked back slightly as Lysis offered to help them with their chores. Chores meant herb gathering to Integra, it was her private time and also a chance to wander outside the borders of Imperium. She wasn't sure she wanted any adults to know where she'd been going for lessons just yet. She was fine with giving her name to the woman but…. her attention turned to the male as he spoke and she frowned. She liked her chores and wondered how he could expect them to ask meaningful questions. Drashiel and Roman had died when they were quite young… what could they possibly ask? Integra opened her mouth to at least give her name, however as she was about to voice it Atreides spoke. As harsh as his words were she was appreciative of them. This was just too much to take in right now and she wanted nothing more than time to process this. "I'm sorry, but we need some time. We've been on our own for so long it's hard to process that we have relatives that are only now just springing up out of nowhere…." She appreciated them trying though and would throw Lysis a bone. "My name is Integra. I really must finish my gathering. Good day." She moved to reclaim her marigolds in her jaws before turning and racing after Atreides. Had the pair been there for them when Roman or Drashiel died it would have been another story but what good was a port in a storm when the storm had already passed? -exit- "Speech"

Her disbelieving expression remained firmly in place as the two adults spoke. Honestly she wasn't sure what to make of them. She definitely didn't want more family, although if they were there wasn't much she could do about that, now could she? Her brother and sister both had their say, and with their piece said they marched off. Siri did agree with them to an extent, although a small amount of curiosity kept her from following without responding. Deciding to toss the older Armadas a bone before she peed all over their parade, she offered her name. "I'm Sirius." After a moment's hesitation, she went on to say, "And if it's all the same to you, I'd rather pretend we're not related. Bye." Finally it was her turn to run off and she moved to do so without hesitation. -exit unless stopped- "Talk" "You" Think

They'd been rude to her from the start, but she had tried -- just as Drashiel would've wanted her to. Atreides spoke up first after Kyarst was done speaking. He'd been far more kind than usual and she was caught be surprise at their reaction to him. Her half-brother seemed to have tried to be patient with them, but it was clear they were having none of it.  "Fine," she'd snap back, though had to maintain some semblance of politeness despite the innate rage she felt building inside.  "You can disown us as family if that's what you want. I'm not going to fight you over it." she'd comment dryly to Atreides.  "But I hope you realize that your father would be ashamed of you all for not trying to get to know your very flesh and blood. I would've thought Drashiel had taught you better. And you can pretend your parents are saints all you want, but I'd like you to know it was them that abandoned me first. Drashiel was my closest friend from childhood, a brother I loved dearly, and he ran off without me -- even when he knew I needed him." And despite this, she'd come back to get to know these children. She couldn't help but bristle outwardly as she spoke. Not only were they rude, they were ignorant and entirely unwilling to even have a simple conversation with their aunt and uncle. Only the girl, the only to offer her name, had been even a bit civil toward the pair. Even the last to leave spoke with scathing words -- 'I'd rather pretend we're not family.' No reply was needed for the rude girl and she'd watch the leaving children with narrowed eyes. Why was she even in Imperium, again? Hadn't it been for these kids? And they were tactless and rude, hardly even giving her time to speak before deny them as family. She would've thought children of Drashiel and Roman would be infinitely less ill-mannered, but who knew? She'd cast an annoyed glance to Kyarst before heading off away from the children. If they didn't want to know her, fine -- honestly, neither did she. - exit Lysis -

[M] for language.

He knew he could never begin to imagine the horror of losing one's parents so early on in life. He felt sorry, not for these children in particular - because they didn't deserve to be pitied - but for the fact that they were missing out on knowing their parents. Drashiel and Roman, despite their flaws, must have been remarkable parental figures, and he couldn't imagine the pain that had been inflicted on these children upon losing them. Still, he felt a frustration growing in his figure because he felt as if he were talking to three brick walls. He gritted his teeth as they all seemed more than willing to cast aside the only splinter of their family that had given enough of a damn to come and find them personally. His eyes shot to Lysis as she told them off in the best way she knew how, and he was in awe of how well she'd managed to keep herself together. He was smart enough to know he ought to keep quiet just now. That is, until the one called Sirius made a statement that rubbed him the wrong way. "Fuck it," he growled, but Sirius was long gone before he dared let the words loose from his lips. Lysis alone remained, as the brat children had already taken their leave of them. "Little shits," he grumbled under his breath, rising to his paws in an instant. He felt lightheaded as frustration ebbed through his veins. He trailed after Lysis, not having known she'd even left his side. He picked up his pace, limbs taking up an unusually curt trot. "Let's go somewhere, I don't give a damn where." Just anywhere but here. She was perhaps the only one he could keep from dismembering at this particular moment, and that made her suitable enough company. "Kyarst talks,"