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I'LL HAVE YOUR HEART ON A PLATTER

The sun was high in the sky as Chaz padded around his den, sorting herbs as they prepared for the upcoming raids and battles. It wasn't much of a task, as he was generally a tidy person. Johnny's belongings still remained stacked high in the corner. The sheet that had only partially covered it before was now properly draped across it, hiding the belongings from view and protecting them. Soft hums came from the margay as he worked, the only thing breaking the silence his voice. That is, until he heard the sound of claws striking against stone. "Stryker, if you're here to get payback for me spookin ya', it ain't gonna work." drawled the margay amusedly.

"Ah, Darlin, ah ain't who ya think I am. Didya miss me, though?"

The margay froze, turning his head as his breath caught in his throat. His eyes rested on a familiar russet pet, thato f his late husband. The margay moved forward slowly, unbelieving, as he stared up at the wolf. "Johnny, darlin, is that you?" he asked softly, peering up at the canine that had been his companion on the island well before Stryker decided to show his face. This had to be him, though he appeared different now. Resting atop his head were two horns, light in color, that arched forwards similar to that of a bull's. Harsh bone plating now lined atop his tail and from Chaz's vantage point he could see dark scale plating along the hound's stomach.

A purple harness wrapped around the canine, pressing down on his fur. The beast of a canine shifted, mouth curling to show elongated fangs. "Oh honey, it's me but, ah wouldn't be so glad to see me if I were you," he cooed, leaning his head down to snap at the feline's muzzle, driving the mutated margay backward.

Chaz began to panic, mind spinning a mile a minute as his passed husband seemed to turn against him. "What, why are you acting like this?" he cried, lifting a paw up as if to keep space between the two. White teeth snap at his throat, purposefully missing and closing just a hair away. The hound's head lifted to place his muzzle beside the margay's ear, a harsh whisper leaving him. "I know what you did to me, love," the pet name was spat out with so much venom that it felt more akin to a slur, "I didn't work by your side for years to be so unaware."

The margay took a deep breath, swallowing as he panted, pinned to the wall. He knew very well what the other referred to, but lacked the words to acknowledge what was being said. He cried out as the hound lunged, grasping the margay by his scruff and lifting him up. The feline screeched and struggled but, Johnny refused to relent until they were outside of the cave and into a open clearing, throwing the guru to the ground and holding him down to the ground.

" [member=1738]Stryker[/member] , COME HERE PLEASE!" called the former Wanderer, though he had once resided on the island long before the Coalition. He knew the lion, and any who had been within the Coalition before the meteor strike, would recognize him as Chaz's former husband and the former co-guru. He had died shortly before the metoer, supposedly of a heart attack. "ANY OTHER WANDERER, I WOULD ADORE YOUR ATTENTION ASWELL!" he called out as Chaz squirmed under his paw.

YOU WERE NO FOOL, YOU WERE NO CHUMP
NOW ALL YOU'LL BE IS A SPEED BUMP

— Reggan

The days were growing shorter as time moved them toward their destination. They were getting ready to face the Typhoon and with a massive army no less. They had Elysium who she felt was a waste of time. Considering the group wouldn't know one battle move from the next. They didn't fight and killing them would be well worth it. But they had Tanglewood, Palmclan, and more. That was all they needed to take that pathetic island down. She hoped that they would crush them as quickly as possible and get to making that island their new home instead of this place that had been ravaged and torn asunder. It wasn't like they didn't have more land than they really needed but that was neither here nor there. Her paws pressed against the ground, feeling the granules of sand and debris when a sudden shouting caused her to pause. Everyday there was something and she wondered what it was now.

Was it worth her time to check out? Someone needed help and by the sound of it it was Chaz. Wasn't dad like....his friend or something? The woman didn't keep up with social circles but already her paws were moving forward through the foliage of the jungle and she pushed some ferns away to reveal just what was going on. Her jowls curled, revealing her thick fangs that dripped with debilitating venom. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Someone who is clearly out of his element." And right into her own. The air began to fill heavier but the ghoul didn't say much else as she stepped forward, eyes glimmering dangerously she hadn't eaten in a while. Mm. "So, here is the deal. You let him go you won't die slowly. You don't and I'll be picking you out of my teeth."

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on one’s perspective, Ninazu needed to see Chaz for a bundle of supplies. With the war on, even with the current tide in their favor, meant using a small fortune of healing supplies. Naturally, the lady’d run out of some such thing or the other and had come to bargain with the condemned’s other guru for it.

However, as she came closer to the cave, her pace quickened. She hadn’t expected anyone to attack the margay, not in their own bloody territory, and she’d first assumed it was a subjugated fool looking for revenge by punching one of their medics. Her green man flared, and she readied herself for a fight, only to hesitate when she stepped next to her daughter.

“Wait, Sojourn. Johnny’s not a stranger to the island.” Oh, the canine looked mutated as all hell and wore a pink harness of all things, but Ninazu recognized him. After all, she’d spent plenty of time with the couple before Johnny’s unfortunate death.

“This isn’t any way to treat your husband after a long absence. Not like he’s even taken another lover.” Ninazu’s golden eyes narrowed, and her flame-tipped tail flicked behind her. “Explain yourself. I’ll not tolerate you harming another condemned, whether you call yourself a citizen or not.”

I'LL HAVE YOUR HEART ON A PLATTER

As wanderer's approached, Chaz would throw them a pleading look, though he knew deep in his heart that it was useless plight. Johnny knew of his crimes and was fully prepared to list them off. The first to approach for what was a face the canine hadn't seen in a long time and had quadrupled in size since he had. A grin spread on his face despite her threats and his tail began to wag slightly. He'd know the stark color of her pelt and the venom she must have inherited from her father anywhere. "I'd hardly say I'm out of my element, Sojo! Gosh you've gotten so big," he barked out in comment, cocking his head to the side. At her threat he sighed, shaking his head. "Listen kiddo, I'll explain once your Papa or Momma shows, assume they're still the head hanchos 'round here?" He huffed shaking his head.

Ah, speak of the devil, and she shall arrive. Silent was his prey under paw, trapped in a cage of claw. The margay gave a pitiful sound of protest as Ninazu spoke and Johnny ducked his head, looking at him with a false pitty expression, sighing and clicking his tongue. Shaking his head, he lifted it and gave Ninazu a disappointed 'do you see this shit?' look. "Ninzy! Dear, how are you! It's splendid to see you, is your husband near? How's the bastard?" he asked, 'bastard' said with a tone of affection and not as an insult.

At her demands for an explanation he huffed and nodded, it was a reasonable enough request. He debated holding off, waiting for when Stryker finally arrived, but he realized that may just get him in trouble. "Oh, Ninzy, please, I think I have every right to harm my murderer." His tone started off sweet but rapidly shifted until it ended in a snarl. He suddenly jolted, paw lashing out to snatch up the margay by the scruff, dangling him like a kitten. "Isn't that right, Darling?" he spat in Chaz's face, who responded with a hiss and by swatting at his muzzle.

Johnny pasped at the sudden pain, dropping Chaz, who hit the ground with a thud and a hiss. Johnny snarled, slamming a paw on the feline's side and relishing the crack that followed. As Chaz screeched, the hound lifted his head to look at Ninazu and her daughter, smiling twistedly. "He had plots to kill ya, you know? You and Strikie both" he hummed nonchalant, as if he wasn't dropping a massive bomb.

YOU WERE NO FOOL, YOU WERE NO CHUMP
NOW ALL YOU'LL BE IS A SPEED BUMP

— Reggan

Well, wasn't that quite the surprise. Charlie didn't know whether to laugh or attempt to help Chaz, for a moment at least, until it was mentioned that he'd plotted to kill Ninazu and Stryker. At that point it seemed that Chaz was too far gone for his help, though he hadn't been described as brave and bold for no reason, but two against one didn't seem like fair odds (even if it had taken five dogs to take down his uncles Fabian and Gideon, or so he'd been told).

Bill, who had perched himself on a nearby rock, watched with keen interest, though made no move until Charlie commanded him to. Yes, Charlie had a rather good grip on Bill, albeit simply through taming him instead of mentally manipulating him, which Charlie suspected was a common occurrence around these parts.

"Huh?" Came the questioning sound as the other spoke of familiarty with her. When she had only been a cub who was struggling with what she was and honestly she never had a real name for it. Back then all she had known was that she was much much more hungry than most of her siblings. A hunger that ran so deep into her veins that it almost made her crazy. She just had to eat. Eat and eat. Think of nothing else. As an adult she was okay with it, she knew how to manage it or as best that she could but that didn't meant that she was adapt at it. She was even more confused though because the hound confirmed what her mother had told her. The man knew her and this island had been his home before he was murdered and he was saying that Chaz had murdered him. The sound of the cat's screeches of pain as something broke in him didn't make the ghoul flinch. Instead she looked down at the cat cooly, without much emotion in her gaze. "So is he lying or what? Did you kill him and did you kill him on Condemned lands?" She honestly just wanted to know as she glanced to her mother.

Though she was rather tense when Johnny spoke again and this time it was to tell them that Chaz had plans. Literal fucking plans to kill her father and her mother. Her fur raised along her spine and she suddenly moved forward. The grass and vines seemed to writhe and move around her, power leaking from her frame as one paw with unsheathed claws slammed down against the ground. "Is he for real right now?! Are you a fucking traitor, Chaz?!" She would kill him right now. She would wrap these vines around his neck, move the water that was within them and choke the life right out of him for committing such treason.

Ezrakel Tsune - Male - Oriental Shorthair

He was always slow to these sort of things. Dragging his paws toward the gathered crowd, he stopped. Chaz, a traitor? Was this a joke? His gaze settled on the canine who held the guru and then dropped him and broke something -- a rib, most likely -- and he felt his body stiffen. Something went and walked up beside him, staring up at Johnny, a menacing grin on the new oriental's face. While Ezrakel could not see the newcomer, he was visible to all else. Equally black and equal in coloration to his brother, Ezekiel stood taller, with a sense of purpose. Eyes a deadly crimson in color, claws longer and curved with a wicked arch.

"If you think that accusation is shocking, just wait until you hear what Ezra here did to me!"

Suddenly Ezrakel could see him, and his kaleidoscope eyes widened and he shrunk back for a moment, an aching pain in his chest and mind. Ezekiel ignored him and the ghost stepped forward, "Ezekiel Louis Tsune."

★

And hence comes the silent soldier, massive in his entirety and weeping murderous intent. Of all the siblings, Sojourn and Diego were perhaps the ones to be feared, but for two different reasons; where Sojourn was quick and barbaric in her ways, Diego differed in that he was the smart one, a title most assumed was lent to Timbre.

Diego, while he seemed a brutal force of nature, was undoubtedly clever beyond most people's assumptions, and there always seemed to be a method to his madness; whether it was revealed after he'd executed his thought-out plans or before. If there was ever an obstacle, Diego could overcome it. It was only a matter of time.

However, to people who had grown up around him; Chaz, his family, he was not such an intimidating figure. Perhaps a little unstable, but witty and sarcastic, but most of all silly; playful. Diego, while he was intimidating, loved with his whole heart and, usually, was undyingly loyal.

Until you wronged him or, heaven forbid, wronged his family.

The saber-tooth lion stops in his tracks as some unknown begins to speak and he turns to look back, only to see someone he doesn't recognize. He wants to snort, wants to laugh, but he never did; he never let his guard down when he was around people he didn't trust. His face carefully schooled into a neutral expression, the lion turns completely then to regard Ezrakel and Ezekiel with a slow-moving, judgmental stare, and eventually his green-yellow eyes flicked up to look Ezekiel in the eyes; they say the eyes are the windows to the soul, albeit it looks that perhaps Ezekiel's soul was already bared, if you could catch his drift.

"I don't mean t' be rude, but there are more pressing matters to attend to; I don't know if you heard, you might be a little slow, but there are plots to kill people being uncovered; my parents, yknow, they're kinda the figureheads of this whole shebang. So..." he clicked his tongue and offered a wiry smirk as he began to turn back to Chaz, Sojourn and Ninazu, [b]"Catch ya later, Casper the less friendly ghost." and with that his eyes fixed on Chaz again, he seemed to completely ignore Johnny's presence in the moment; too overcome with his rage at the mention of plots to murder his parents.

I'LL HAVE YOUR HEART ON A PLATTER

Johnny paid no mind to Charlie, seeing as how he hadn't said anything. Instead, he was much more interested in how Soujurn was reacting. He lifted his paw, looking down at the margay. "Well, Chazzy, are you gonna tell 'em?" he asked, huffing as the margay simply refused to answer. The canine shook his head, opening his maw to say something, when another incident occurred.

He cocked his head to the side, looking at the orientals unimpressed. "Charmed. I'm Johnny Bates." he sounded off-put, confused as the why this was happening now. He watched as Diego approached, grinning upon seeing another one of Stryker's kiddos. "Howdy! Yep yep, you're hearing right! Even if this rat-" he paused to scoop up the margay, holding him flat on his palm, "refuses to answer. Believe me or not, he's not reaching the end of the day alive."

He sighed, looking over at Ninazu. "Considering what he's done, I'm more than willing to let everyone gets some hits in, but" and he dropped the margay again, tossing him into the center of the gathered animals. "I want the last hit, he killed me, I kill him."

And with that, the canine huffed and laid down, watching as the Margay began to slowly stand, struggling, and looked at the others. "Come- come on y'all," he wheezed out, wobbling as the pain washed over him, "you don't believe him do you?"

YOU WERE NO FOOL, YOU WERE NO CHUMP
NOW ALL YOU'LL BE IS A SPEED BUMP

— Reggan