OPEN you're depraved! // post-eruption survivor regroup

[Rhode]

RHODE ANTHOS

"Crab boil. Hell yeah." With this, the sabertooth tiger too would make her presence known to the rest of the Descendants congregated on the black beaches. Those who had been around the feline had likely witnessed her demeanor plummet into that of constant irritability since the eruptions began. She was a creature of routine, and some goddamn volcanic stirrings to shake up the whole clan were the very last things she needed. Today, though, Rhode seemed to be returning back to her usual self as the waters calmed. It certainly, certainly, had nothing to do with the scrumptious scent of boiled coconut crab wafting across the shores.

Of course, she was more than capable of securing her own meal if she needed it, and she liked the challenge that the coconut crabs prompted. They were rather tough to catch when she first made her home on the island. She could vividly recall the days of attempting to crack open a fat crab on the beach, only to get pinched and assaulted by the quite ferocious crustacean. By now she had mastered the technique, having spent quite some time living with the Descendants.

Still, she could always appreciate someone else's cooking. "Good looks, Birdbrain," Rhode mused to Vale, nodding her head towards the three-eyed crow as she made her way over. She never really saw xem as the giving type, so this was a pleasant surprise for sure. The tiger pawed a piping-hot crab over towards her, letting the warm steam kiss her face as she cracked the now-soft shell open. Still a bit hot, so maybe it was worth waiting for a bit.

Rhode listened to the others chat for now. Their previous Pharaoh, Valerius, had unfortunately succumbed to the volcano, it seemed. Fortunately, they were able to reap his body's natural resources, as made evident by Meteor's cannibalization of his own father.

...Yeah. Weird pack of folk for sure. She had swallowed many of her morals since joining the Descendants, a sacrifice she felt was ultimately a good decision. As different as they were from her and her upbringing, they were undeniably a strong group and knew what it took to survive, both on the island and in this harsh world as a whole. Regardless, if she was going to fight on their turf, she was going to have to play by their rules in and out of the pits. With that being said, she didn't look down upon their cannibalistic tendencies (not nearly as much anymore, at least), but there was definitely a bit of internal side-eye lingering deep down.

She did have plenty of respect for Meteor. The lion knew the island like the back of his own paw, and being the former Pharaoh's son definitely gave him a leg up on the competition for the throne anyway. Valerius ran a mean pit fighting scene that originally enticed Rhode, but Meteor seemed less likely to turn his own clanmates into cannon fodder. He was a better choice for her long-term presence here. "So, Pharaoh — what's the play for us from here on out?" She figured that restoring the natural balance of the island was priority number one for the Descendants right now, but she was curious if he had any other plans in store for them.

Rhode glanced down upon her portion of coconut crab and finally used her massive paws to split the shell open, revealing the juicy, buttery meat that made her salivate near instantly. She spared the bugger no mercy even in death as she wolfed down her meal in pieces. Delicious!