falling, falling | rise from the grave

[SOJOURN]

Unpleasant. Everything had just been so unpleasant, well except for the killing. That would never be unpleasant but everything else. The unfinished business. Those that had fled that she wished she could still get her claws on, meaningless friendships. All so very unpleasant. Though she had just wanted a little bit of silence, a small time to herself and she had gotten it. Death. It had been the only way and now she wanted to be alive again. Yet how did one come to life after they had inflicted their death. Well, she was the mad queen, she was insane enough to find her own way. She was the daughter of an infamous king and an infamous queen. There was nothing that could bind her, or hold her. Not even Death. Such a notion shouldn't have even been thought up with her impromptu passing. It was almost laughable.

The ground cracked and bulged, shook and shuddered. There was a trembling and shaking as if something was happening. Something that spelled an omen. A crack began to form. The mound rising and rising before it suddenly surged forward in a large pillar of stone and loose earth. The explosion rocketed up and outward. A blue paw grabbed and pushed at the broken wood that confined a body. Another showed and suddenly a horned skull pushed forth from the grave. A screech of pain, pleasure, awakening left parted jaws as the beast clambered out. Gasping for air she shook herself. Black eyes rolling in sockets before she stumbled from her grave.

Alive. The lioness was alive, ragged skin and showing bone. But she was alive.

[INFERNO CIPHER-VANTAS]

[align=center][div style="width: 45%; text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: times new roman;"]♡ —  ɪɴꜰᴇʀɴᴏ | ꜱᴄᴀʀᴇᴄʀᴏᴡ ᴇꜰꜰᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ʙᴀʙʏ | ᴄɪᴘʜᴇʀ-ᴠᴀɴᴛᴀꜱ | ʙɪᴏ



ɪᴄ ᴛᴇxᴛ | ɪᴄ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴꜱ

an unfamiliar scent, old, but new. something was recognisable, but what? who? did she know? oh no, she didn't. curiosity was what killed the cat, yet inquisitive paws brought her to the hole in the ground, pink optics focusing on a trembling, ragged figure. it looked recognisable, so similar to someone she once knew, but who? the screech had summoned her, the angel dearest, to approach the multilated body. she looked at it, then a small break in her lips caused a small giggle. "sojourn?"





ᴏᴄ ᴛᴇxᴛ!




"ꜱᴘᴇᴇᴄʜ"

[Romulus]

ROMULUS MALUS - KINGPIN - COTC

The ability to cope quickly, shoving things deep inside his mind, had always been one of Romulus' finest abilities. No conciliation. Only moving along. The logic behind every move and the probability of what could follow had always been on his mind. When his parents died, the Malus had always assumed they would die in battle. Their valiant triumph and vicious greed led them to their ultimate doom, despite being shielded by good, familiar intent. As for his sister? Well, that was different.

Peculiar, particular situations on the spot were always a potential. Had he envisioned his sister's death to a 'T?' No, not quite. Her madness was a growing issue as they grew, especially with her growing power later in life. Despite that, her brother always had hope. Unfaithful, pessimistic hope, but hope nevertheless. Where Romulus could, he assisted. Kept her occupied and away, but with his parents' death, he fell absent. When he isolated himself away to cope, grand delusions kept him busy. In hindsight, he wished for his siblings to visit and pull him away from his melancholy, they never did. Not a soul. For all he of the support he put forth, the Malus never received any of it back in his time of need.

When he rose from the darkness of his hidden home, the lion came back to a new environment. His worldview had changed. The environment, no... the animals seemed different. Sojourn, despite the time being short, seemed... different. Something had clicked.

Then it happened.

The noise.

The yells.

The blood.

The dead.

After the deed, he realized that his disappearance might have played a factor. Guilt. Blaming himself. She could have been better. She could have lived. Her victims could have lived. It was too late.

If only he knew what to do, but he didn't. Despite their anger and spite towards one another, her sibling loved her. He wanted her back. That never appeared to be the case though. Two years had passed and he was left to fend for himself, Abzu occasionally joining him at his side. Romulus had never felt whole though. Split between life and death. Had the kingpin ever felt complete though?

During that time, he found purpose. The grief drove his ability to do better for others. As he led, the intelligent lion attempted to remain neutral with the groups. His family's greed had taught him that it would be his death if he pursued it, so he kept his Coalitions satiated and at home the best he could. So far, to his knowledge, it worked. Their peace in the north western islands went undisturbed. Romulus wished to keep it that way... And yet, at the best of times, there always appeared to be an issue that popped up.

The ground began to rumble beneath his paws. An earthquake? No. Not that. Something else. Puzzled by this predicament, the lion followed the source of the feeling and the sound of struggling. As he drew closer, he felt his heart began to sink. This direction only led one way. His ears pinned back as he realized where he was beginning to wander. 'The graves.'

The subtle scent of Inferno grazed his nose. Danger appeared to be lurking or the child was meddling at the gravesite somehow, but she would never cause such a rumble. The first option seemed likely. The screech, once familiar but faded due to time, only confirmed his suspicion. Claws unsheathed and his pace quickened, only to halt at the cemetery's edge. His periwinkle hues first caught Inferno's familiar figure. She was safe, but that was not his concern. Not anymore. What was in the distance caught his attention.

'Sojourn?'

A ragged, blue-hued form of his sister cruelly appeared before his eyes. Shocked in disbelief, the kingpin held his tongue. It couldn't be. Had this been another vivid dream world of his? Another manifestation of his desires? A hallucination appearing before him? Or, the final option, his sister alive and tattered before him? For a moment, he wavered through the options. His imagination and dreams he could control, but hallucinations he never considered. This was something Inferno could see too though... Was it true? Was she standing before him?

Hesitant paws stepped forward. Eyes drawn out and wide. His jaw parted to speak, only for a wavering rasp to come out. "Sister?"

The disgust of her form had passed by his thoughts. While she was not whole, it appeared to be her. Exposed bones, mutilated flesh, and all. Rancid smells and flesh-craving creatures escaped from the chambers below where her wooden casket was, but he couldn't acknowledge them. Only her. Shock and disbelief left him silent. He could add no further. As always, Sojourn was an unexpected surprise in life and in death... and life again.

[INFERNO CIPHER-VANTAS]

[align=center][div style="width: 45%; text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: times new roman;"]♡ —  ɪɴꜰᴇʀɴᴏ | ꜱᴄᴀʀᴇᴄʀᴏᴡ ᴇꜰꜰᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ʙᴀʙʏ | ᴄɪᴘʜᴇʀ-ᴠᴀɴᴛᴀꜱ | ʙɪᴏ



ɪᴄ ᴛᴇxᴛ | ɪᴄ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴꜱ

a noise, heavy, dragging in the ground. romulus' scent drifted towards her nose, she twitched her tail in response, the gold in her pelt shimmering as she turned her head briefly to face him. he seemed to be fixated on the rising form of his sister, stunned into silence. well of course, she supposed, giggling to herself. a manic shriek before she made herself shut up. a voice, his voice, ragged, a hoarse whisper of the former kingpin's name. she pressed herself against him, sending warmth, comfort, though she wasn't sure if he needed it.





ᴏᴄ ᴛᴇxᴛ!




"ꜱᴘᴇᴇᴄʜ"

[SOJOURN]

A snap of bone, a sharp and jagged movement. The creeping of a smile against gums and showing teeth. Dragging herself up from the sucking ground as it shivered and pushed away from her. Back legs shifted and stepped onto solid ground and she sucked in a breath. A single one before she allowed dirt and mud to crawl up from her throat and spill from parted jaws. Oh being dead was no fun. No good. It had been awful and boring. Disgusting. Repulsive. Shaking herself once and then again the woman blinked, eyes rolling and following the sound of voices that spoke her name. Those hellish eyes focused first on the smaller one. A name escaping her enraptured mind and then her eyes shifted and focused on the lion. Her gaze swept over him and a shiver raced down her spine. Familiarity.

Family.

A sudden laughter spilled from her maw as she answered the both of them. "Who else? Who else?!" Her words croaked from her throat like the rattle of bones as she slowly advanced toward them. A thick forked tongue slide from her jaws as she allowed her blackened gaze to rake over them. Once and then twice before she paused in her steps. She remember her fall, she remembered her death. Her face fell then and then her gaze narrowed. "Are you dead too? Although I feel...much too alive again. Haha...ahaha..."

[INFERNO CIPHER-VANTAS]

[align=center][div style="width: 45%; text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: times new roman;"]♡ —  ɪɴꜰᴇʀɴᴏ | ꜱᴄᴀʀᴇᴄʀᴏᴡ ᴇꜰꜰᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ʙᴀʙʏ | ᴄɪᴘʜᴇʀ-ᴠᴀɴᴛᴀꜱ | ʙɪᴏ



ɪᴄ ᴛᴇxᴛ | ɪᴄ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴꜱ

"sojourn, we're all alive here. you're alive and we are not dead." the putrid stench that wafted from the animal made her want to gag, but she still took a step forward to greet the newly arisen. "i'm inferno, and this is romulus, though i'm sure you remember your brother." her voice took on a softer tone, throat locking up briefly as she hesitated for romulus' response into this new sojourn's appearance.





ᴏᴄ ᴛᴇxᴛ!




"ꜱᴘᴇᴇᴄʜ"

[Romulus]

ROMULUS MALUS - KINGPIN - COTC

'Who else?'

Her raspy tone brought a chill down his spine. Shock. Pain. Happiness. Disbelief. Perhaps, acceptance? Emotions overcame the lion's mind as wide hues stared out at the 'corpse' of his sister. Jaws parted. Words tried to roll past his tongue, but all he did was choke. Tears started to line his eyeline. Romulus did not know how to feel. The burden of being a watcher over his sister, but the overwhelming love for her left him conflicted. His shoulder was always open to lean on, but when was too much? He had already managed to part with the feelings over her death, along with his parents, yet here she was. Alive and before him.

A sudden flow of inordinate sentience caused Romulus to push forward and speak out. "No," he proclaimed. "... Or I don't think so." He never guessed that his death would come to sudden or without memory of it. The reality of the situation was too real for him to consider this the afterlife or another overly vivid nightmare. Inferno's stance reaffirmed him thankfully, despite him half paying attention.

Shaky paws traversed closer. He tried to get face to face with her and stare into her narrowed gaze. "I..." His tone trailed off into silence. Consideration was a factor in his next words, only to let impulse overtake him. "I... missed you."