The violent sound of something large running through the forest was loud and easily heard, as well as the occasional yowl or scream from a smaller individual. It really shouldn't be new for Palm Glades at this point, considering they've probably had a few crashers. But anyways.

Dante's jaws tried to snap at the white furred feline, a snarl following it. His heartbeat in his ears smothered the call of his name from behind him. He veered to one side and slammed his paw against their body, knocking them aside and onto the ground. "SHIT- SOMEONE, ANYONE, HELP!" The feline yelled and screamed, raking their claws at his face, scratching his face. He blinked, then barked angrily, viciously at the feline, before planting a firm paw on their chest, restricting their breathing and movement. Saliva dripped threateningly from his maw, teeth bared at the feline.

The universe was sort of a right, in a way. The Palm Glades really should've been used to intruders and party crashers, particularly loud and large ones. After all, it seemed as though at least a quarter of their userbase these days was made up of dinosaurs. However, that didn't mean that they took kindly to violent intruders on their shores. Rhinestone had always made it clear that they intended to protect themselves, above all else. The legate had always tried to make sure that Palm Glades kept to a careful balance. They were by no means outwardly violent, and they usually didn't go looking for a fight. They didn't enjoy wasting resources on battles that wouldn't earn them anything in return, and that was why two of their recent raids had been for allies, and as a result of deals. This didn't mean, though, that they were weak. They had a large member base, and they weren't afraid to rain chaos and death down on the heads of those that chose to hurt anyone that made up that member base. And while the particular person that had been being hunted by Dante and screaming was unfamiliar to Rhinestone, he didn't particularly like anyone being attacked on his territory. It would only bring more trouble, and he certainly didn't approve of wanton murder, either.

Despite this, Rhine did find himself wishing, vaguely, that Vaas had handled the situation in a bit more cautious of a way. He didn't want the tiger getting himself hurt, and while he hardly underestimated Vaas's strength, this particular intruder seemed... especially vicious. Unable to keep the wary look off of his face as he made his way over, the serval's dark eyes darted from the white feline, to Dante, and finally to Vaas. He eventually decided to settle beside his Medicus, feeling safer with the other's presence nearby. Lifting his chin a bit defiantly, Rhinestone made sure to make himself look dignified before he spoke, eyes narrowed, "You. Who are you, and why are you hunting this poor feline on the territory of the Palm Glades? We don't like unannounced intruders, and we also don't condone killing on our lands, either." Despite the fact that he wished Vaas had handled the situation a little more tactfully, Rhine was unable to keep a sense of anger from his own voice as well. The scent of the Coalition clung onto Dante's pelt, and Rhinestonestar thought that most agreements between allies were pretty simple. They involved not causing trouble on the lands of your allies, which was something that this bear dog didn't seem to understand, or seemingly didn't care about.

The flash of tiger fur caught Dante's attention, followed by a wild snarl as he was torn away from the now fleeing feline. Blood welled from his wounds but he turned and faced Vaas with an animalistic fury. Rhine's voice didn't reach him. The small child that arrived meant nothing.

But when he heard his own name from somewhere beside him, distant but getting closer, his attention dropped the tiger and picked up the voice. "Dante, I swear to god if you're picking a fight with allies I will keep you on the island!" The crashing of foliage gave way to an oriental, his amesthys eyes wide with fury and panic. Dante sank down as his boss' eyes met his own.

⸺ BRUTEI TSUNE ⸺

FRATER MEUS - YOU'RE BEAUTIFULLY MADE, AND TO YOU, I'M FOREVER GRATEFUL!

His face was taut with annoyance, anger set into his cheeks. Staring down his guard dog, he seethed a few words, [color=#fe1f14]"That is enough. I will not let you stain my reputation with your violence." He turned to face Rhine and Vaas, trying really hard to relax among the presence of a tiger.

[color=#fe1f14]"I do apologize. Dante has taken to be my guard and he takes it very seriously. The feline started to get aggressive and I wanted Dante to chase him, not kill him." He sent a glare at the bear-dog, before shaking out his fur and looking back at the group.

[color=#fe1f14]"I am Brutei Tsune of the Coalition. I wish our visitation was on less violent terms."

In any other situation, Foamkit's presence would be a welcome one, rather than one that Rhinestone wished was much farther away. However, this was undoubtedly a tense situation, and one that could possibly become much more violent with only a few bad moves. Needless to say, Rhine didn't want a child anywhere near that. It was because of this that he stepped somewhat protectively in front of the other. His long legs were tall enough that Foamkit would still be able to get a view of the proceedings, but would hopefully also be protected from any potential action. As the boy spoke up, Rhine let out a sigh, his voice low as he responded, "That remains to be seen... certainly not a fan of him right now, though." Thankfully, Dante seemingly had someone else to come to his rescue, an unfamiliar voice cutting through the air.

Black eyes flicking over to Brutei, Rhinestone hesitated momentarily before he spoke, a frown pulling at his muzzle, "If you wanted a bodyguard, you'd probably do well to teach him not to go and try to kill someone on allied lands." Despite his stern tone, the serval was quick to forgive, mainly because Dante hadn't actually hurt anyone from The Palm Glades, at least not yet. Shaking his head from side to side, the legate then continued, "Unfortunate circumstances not withstanding... it's nice to meet you. I'm Rhinestonestar, and I'm the leader of The Palm Glades. It's honestly strange to meet Coalition members on our lands that aren't Stryker." Despite Rhine's plans to dig a dagger eventually into Stryker's back, he had nothing personal against the rest of the Coalition. They were just members of a group trying to live their lives, much like the Glades were.

Quasar slunk forward. He stood next to Foamkit, a paw placed protectively between the kitten and the intruders. His blue eyes narrowed. The unspoken message rang loud and clear: if the two so much as looked at Foamkit with hunger or malice, Quasar wouldn’t hesitate. The angry teenager’s reflexes and angry looks were more than a bluff.

The apprentice, no stranger to hunting accidents, huffed as his blue eyes flicked from guard dog to master. His molars grinded. “This one talks better than Stryker, but Stryker didn’t attack anyone screaming for their life,” he grumbled to Rhinestonestar. Brutei probably wouldn’t be able to hear the whole phrase, but the wanderer would be able to tell by tone and body language Quasar hated this shit.

Snorting and rolling his eyes, the apprentice appraised the two wanderers. His stance relaxed. Despite his sharp words, his guard let up, since the sparkledoggo doubted even the dumb mutt would continue to attack them with Rhinestone, Vaas, and now Quasar here. Still, the apprentice looked down on Dante—not an easy feat, given the creature’s sizable bulk over the adolescent.

“What makes you so important you need a guard dog? Or are you that much of a wimp?” Quasar barked. His long, fluffy tails moved rhythmically behind him, as though they belonged to a more graceful animal than the angry canine staring at the strangers.

The brute had stayed silent as Brutei scolded him and spoke in his stance to the others. As he stood up, wincing at the small bit of pain on his haunches where Vaas had cut at him, he let his gaze lay on no one, instead opting to keep his eyes downcast. Even Quasar's appearance caused no reaction. He mistook a stranger for an enemy and now his boss was mad.

"Dante." His eyes drifted to Brutei. The oriental didn't look at him, but there was a tense, angered feel around him. "You pull this stupid stunt again and I'll have every reason to tell you off. I don't need you, but you make for a good asset. Don't fu-" There was hesitation. "Don't mess it up."

"I... I'm sorry. I made a mistake and it won't happen again. I.. joined recently and wasn't informed on our allies." He spoke gruffly, refusing to meet eyes with anyone. His throat felt tight against the spike collar, but he caught glimpse of Brutei flicking his tail; the signal for Dante to leave. "I'll be fine, Dante. Go back to the island. I trust you know your way."

With only a gentle nod, the bear-dog turned on his heel and began to leave the scene. First a slow walk, then a quickening pace until he ran from them. He was sure of more scolding from Brutei.

Out//