SUPER ASYMMETRY ☆ meeting 2/16

[Atticus Roux]

He couldn't lose his family again. Not Moth. Not Sweeney. None of them. They were all he had left and the thought of their demise was disgraceful. Atticus stood tall at the edge of Aurum's unrightful spot. His gaze narrowed. Nothing yet. The frankly untalkative canine was looking forward to watching the lion stumble for an explanation to go to a prideless war. Nevertheless, the arguments continued. At least he wasn't alone in his thoughts. Claws dug in as Suvi's telepathic pleads came through and the horror of her capture was recalled. She was right. Generalizations. The Pitt was not like it was during Jervis or Stryker's reign. Sweeney and him were examples of such. Even so, there were always a few like Dante that popped up... Just like in any other group.

Atticus's ears flattened against his head as Atbash continued. Close-minded cunt. "They ran into that battle on your orders... After all, you were their leader, right?" he shot back. A snort echoed from him. A disappointed frown donned his muzzle as he shook his head. "You say you 'could have lost your life trying to defend them and their safety came before yours,' but why aren't they still here? You're the only one left, aren't you?" His head craned, morbid curiosity spiking within his mind. He surely didn't see any others around. After all, wouldn't their 'precious leader' be in Snowbound and not in Tanglewood? Or did her fear ravage her? Had Snowbound just dissolved into a one-man tyrannical reign after that? He truly didn't know, but the male wasn't buying her heroin agenda. Someone had to cause the fire... and it was Atbash's actions. Atticus would see it no other way.

The gears in his head turned. His paw tapped on the floor in contemplation, only to make a final assumption in the end. "You ran... and left them all to burn." What a hero. A leader than leads their people into battle, only to retreat cowardly in their final moments. "They trusted you." A growl echoed from deep within, attempting to pull at Atbash's strings. "And you left them to die."

"You say you have sympathy. You do not." His yellow orbs returned back to Aurum and then back to Atbash, speaking to both and anyone who agreed with the leader's destructive plans. "You are asking for an unwanted war that will kill innocents." Despite the anger rushing throughout his body and the tenseness in his muscles, he kept calm. "I risked my life diving past the border for Tanglewood, even getting tortured and captured in the Coalition to free you fucks, and saved your damn medic at the border." He huffed. Not even a 'thank you' or a pat on the back. Atticus would do it again if it meant his family's safety. "Yet you have the audacity to say my people- NO- I'm the enemy? Because of one man's actions?" Please. That would be fucking stupid of them to assume. He had done his part within Tanglewood, both as a child and now. Where he stayed did not label him. Atticus would not be discriminated for a place that welcomed him with open arms.

At Atbash's attempt of cocky points, the canine shot back. "Why not?" he piped up. "I don't blame an entire group and their innocents for my torture and capture, just as Suvi does with her own experience." He made a mental note to talk to her later. Even though she mentioned not all Pittians were bad, he still wanted to make a good impression. Nonetheless, he continued on.  "A neutrality to prevent lives from being lost would be smart." She was only helping their argument. If she wanted to think that war was the way, then so be it. Atticus would not allow his family to die within the raid, just as her Snowbounders had.

Breathless, the usually reserved canine tone fell off. "Let us go after the man himself, rather than targeting the rest." With that, he fell silent. If someone was to push him, he'd reply, but he wanted to hear what everyone else had to say. If Tanglewood was truly a democracy and not a tyrannical reign, they'd decide together.