just mania - open; barricaded in

[MAUDE P.]

[APHRA CIPHER .]

[glow=grey,1,400]ONCE A WHORE, YOU'RE NOTHING MORE ! — ｡+ﾟ.[/glow]

Aphra was aware of Angelembrace's approach and allowed him to take care of his younger half-sibling; mostly due to the numbness that was washing over her and partially due to the jaguar cub could probably do more to help Oleander in this manner. Someone had to and Aphra... felt as if she couldn't move. Maude came and ripped out the Kingpin's throat, effectively ending her life - a mercy kill, perhaps? Sojourn was clearly going mad, if that wasn't obvious by now. Aphra didn't think much of the woman's craziness at first, even when Sojourn ruined the statues of the former leaders, but now... Sojourn was clearly off of her rocker. Not only because of her attacking clanmates, but the crazed look and speech the woman had was chilling.

Sojourn was dead, and this left Aphra Cipher as the highest high position. And yet, despite how power-hungry the woman was, she could not find herself feeling proud of this. She wanted to be leader, but to get it in such a gruesome way... was not what she wanted.[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]

[Casphian]

The pup started blankly at the body of his mother, his gaze only lifting to watch Maude draw closer and end his mother's reign. The hellhound couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't do anything. It wasn't until Maude spoke up about burying the bodies that he was finally able to push himself up, blood still dripping from the wound across his face. He shakely padded towards Arvid and Sojourn's body, gaze drifting towards the frozen Aphra, their new Kingpin. A sigh slipped past his muzzle realizing that she wouldn't be of any use to them at the moment. It was sad that a pup who just watched his mother kill herself was able to do better than the feline beside him. "Someone take Arvid's body and take it to where he needs to be buried, I will take care of mother," he called out to any of the npcs that were standing around. Solsken padded closer to Sojourn's body, dipping his head and pressing it against hers, a soft whimper escaping past his muzzle.

[Romulus]

So close, yet so far. A perfect summary of their relationship all throughout life, especially recently. The two siblings had their quarrels, but saying that Romulus did not care about Sojourn would be a lie. He had watched her mentality fade. From the lively child she once was to the monstrous, blood-driven ghoul that laid before them today. Crazed with power descended from his parents, the lionness strayed from Romulus' grip with time. During his grief, she hadn't visited. They fought. After that, their talks were short.  Things were... abnormal. Sojourn was still family though. He wasn't ready to lose faith in her, but his subconscious screamed for mercy. As a stoic rock for her to unleash upon, Romulus remained within the Coalition of the Condemned for her and the past he reflected upon. If he was to lose her... Well... He didn't quite know.

The raid was cruel. They had all sustained injuries and the border was lined with bodies of their wanderers, along with the remains of The Typhoon's own pirates. Many were crumbling. Romulus had expected his sister to feel dismay, but not this. Never this. Concern wracking his brain in the meantime, the lion traversed throughout the territory and into the alpine woods. Thick translucent ice filled his vision as he grew closer towards her home, only to spot the crowd amongst the shattered and spikes of frozen aqua with time.

Then the wall shattered. Portions of the frozen tundra darted outwards and debris shattered, colliding with the ground below. Screeches of his sister echoed outwards. His vision jolted to the blue lioness hidden. Romulus channeled his energy forward and rushed towards her direction, but the distance made him too late... Too late to save them... Too late to save her.

In a swift movement, claws wrapped around her own jugular and tugged. Romulus watched as he ran, tears beginning to form in his eyes. The gagging for air. The spurt of blood upwards. Then Maude's canines clamping down onto her to finish the last bit of life within the Mad Queen's body, only to kick her aside without a care. The memories of his parent's deaths flashed in his mind. It was a reminder that he had truly lost everyone, but he continued to drive forward with a fading hope of her presence.

Paws skidded to halt next to Sojourn's corpse. Blood pooled around him, but it wasn't clear whether it was her's or her victim's crimson insides. Soaked claws raised upwards towards his sister's throat and tried to apply pressure, but the gush of visceral liquid continued with no pulse in sight. A ragged croak exited Romulus' throat. Disregarding her adopted child to his side, his head lowered into Sojourn's side and he closed his eyes. Breathing heavy, he let the world around him dissipate.

Not again.