So someone decided to tuck tail and run already. Was the pressure too much? Had Aphra grown too infamous for her to handle? The world would never know. Nevertheless, it left Romulus laughing. That abusive mother who presumed her beauty was superior and assumed that granted her access to unlimited powered had disappeared into the island's mist. For as uncharacteristic as it seemed, no trace was left behind. No big bang. No display of her verbally abusing the rest. Just silence and then nothing.

With the rest balancing their daily duties and disappearing among the rest, there was no other but a Malus to step up once again. Romulus had never imagined himself a leader truthfully. Stryker, Ninazu, and Sojourn were all exemplary leaders with ferocity and prowess. They led the Coalition of the Condemned head first into conflict, but always managed to come out on top due to their confidence. On the other hand, Romulus Malus preferred... well... none of that. Knowledge and strategy was his game. Verbal first, consider the choice, and then act. Needless to say, he had already begin to fester doubts about his own reign, but didn't express it publicly. At least some reassurance came from the fact that he held more consideration and care for the wanderers though.

For his first decree, the multicolored feline wandered up to the porch of the Ouroboros Pub. His head poked in, mane brushing up against the doorframe as he looked inside. Empty. Besides the workers, of course. With a paw, he gestured for them to come outside and gather at the front. Looks of confusion were given, but any opportunity to ditch their job for an event kept them coming. As they gathered, so did the rest of the wanderers as they noticed the commotion in front of the porch. With his head leaning against the cold stone of the pub and periwinkle hues looking down on his audience with caution, Romulus cleared his throat.

"WANDERERS! GATHER FOR A MEETING."

In the meantime, he pushed himself off the wall and moved towards the front of the porch, only to sit down. His tail wrapped around his paws promptly. Before he addressed anything, Romulus wanted to see if anyone had anything to say or ask regarding his presence. If not, he would continue.

Of course the children came first. The heat in his face swelled quickly, feeling shame and disappointment for their sudden loss. Romulus never wished for them to get hurt. The two did not deserve any sadness, nor the pain of losing their parents, especially since he knew how that felt. If any support was needed, he would provide it. Even so, he was thankful for her leave. Aphra was a narcissist and had true loyalty to the Coalition of the Condemned. Despite this, he held his tongue. They didn't need that. The two didn't need to know about his qualms with their cowardly mother.

The Kingpin's periwinkle hues attempted to lock with Inferno's. "Your mother has disappeared," he declared. His answer was straightforward and blunt, but he still held sympathy for their loss. With a dull expression, Romulus looked over at Lutum and then back at Inferno, only to switch between the two continuously as he spoke further. "If you would like, we can send out a search party for her." Romulus could only offer his ears, words, and gestures past that. Aphra Cipher was gone. Looking would never hurt though.

Offering a bow of his head towards them, he turned back to the general public. Wanderers stared. Slowly the crowd began to piece together what was happening. "I plan to lead in her place," Romulus remarked. At this point, every Malus left would probably take a turn as a leader, funnily enough. Despite this, he kept his mind open to other options. The lion never saw himself being a Kingpin, especially any time soon, but with what remained, he had to persist and provide the help needed, just like his father did years ago.

Romulus offered one last look around. "If there's no issue with that, then I'd like to proceed. If there is, speak now." He wanted to hear everyone's thoughts if possible, especially if it improved their likelihood of survival. If not, the meeting would continue... but it was more of a discussion than anything.

'No search party?' At Inferno's response, his head craned and eyes narrowed. Romulus agreed with her statement, but he felt as if there should be at least someone looking for Aphra. His gaze momentarily moved to Lethe. Would the hybrid agree? What about the rest? The lion wasn't so sure. Despite that and his distinct dislike for Aphra's motives, he considered taking the task into his own hands. He would like the same done for him if that ever occurred, after all.

Quietly noting Inferno's preference, he just nodded. "My condolences then," came his soft reply. He truly felt disappointed for them. "No one deserves any treatment as vile as Aphra's." A parent was there to love, cherish, and support their children, not abuse or downplay them. While Stryker and Ninazu had questionable morals, they still took their time to put their children on a pedestal and love them unconditionally. If only others did the same.

In regards to his leadership, he awaited any other inquiries before he continued. If there was none, he would gladly continue on after confiding in Inferno's tragedy.