[Rita]

Darkness claimed the lands.
Only a sliver of a moon decided to grace the scrubland with its light, tonight, when the scattered rain clouds decided it could.

The bitch took advantage of the dark, having decided to use it for their safety as they moved carefully, cautiously, knowing full well how risky it would be otherwise. The rains were intermittent, and as much as she loathed traveling soaked, she ultimately knew it would be for the better. The less chance of her trail being picked up, detected, followed. Or, more importantly, his.

Even before they had reunited, even when she was with Tethys, Rita had not truly needed to care for someone else. She'd been alone. In fact, it was her daughter that had taken up the mantle, had assumed the responsibility for her mother. It was a kindness the bitch did not deserve. The patient girl had reluctantly given her mother the distance she so craved, but never once gave up on her. Tedious, at first. Irritating. But now that her bitterness had been countered by her reunion with Shark, the pirate queen knew better. 

She had sent word with Rokko.
Maybe they will meet again, soon.
Hopefully.

But for now Rita could only afford to focus on Shark. It was, after all, for him that they sought out this place. This sanctuary. Before Rita lived relatively freely under the guise of death, but now she had someone else to live for. Someone whose safety was compromised. And she would not leave him. Never again. Paws tred across sodden ground, her form leaning against his as they strode side by side through the grasslands. Her eyes were peeled, her senses on high alert. This was not the time to let her guard down. Aside from the pitter patter of the rain, and Shark's wheezing breaths, the night seemed solemnly still. Quiet.

The ex-Captain would not mistake that for safe, though.
With a low growl she'd press onward.

After another few minutes, she began to pick up the scents of others. Scents that seemed to coincide with each other. A pack. Was she at the borders of this sanctuary already? Was this what a haven looked like? Ears perked up, the mutt paused, her maw quickly moving over to nuzzle her mate carefully, affectionately, before she'd look outward. At the horizon. Scanning. A soft tap tap tap from her eight o'clock alerted her, and Rita would place herself squarely between herself and the newcomer. Ready for the worst.

She'd recognize the white blob on the wolf's back before truly seeing the wolf, herself. Tethys. A heavy sigh of relief, adrenaline already coursing through her veins from the tension as the mother gazed upon her daughter. The slender girl approached, now cautiously as she recognized the fleeting panic in her mother's eyes. The bird was asleep - or trying to be - on her back, ignoring the worst of the rains. "I'm surprised you called for me, mother." 

Soft words. Gentle words. It still felt odd to be called mother.
"I'm surprised you answered."

Tethys responded only with the gentlest of smiles, so small that others might have easily looked over it. But she knew. Sighing heavily, Rita turned back to nudge Shark, murmuring sweet nothings into his scruff as she offered him tender kisses. For a split second she almost stopped to howl, to summon the inhabitants of this mystery wonderland to them. But as her daughter came up, careful and quiet, she knew she never could. Sending out a resounding howl... she may as well sign her death warrant herself. And Shark's. No. He's not theirs to claim.

So she would wait, her patience only present because of her daughter. Because of her mate. Because of their critical situation.

They needed sanctuary. 
The world was dangerous, and she could not risk it.

ooc: a closed acceptance/entrance rp, alpha-approved. if you'd like to join, pm me first. please wait for shark to post. tethys is with rita.

text speech: #4C7B80

[Shark]

He did not know where they were going, and he did not care.  

He ached, everything ached and groaned, his legs, his back, his mind.  Everything hurt.  Things were clearer, somewhat, now then they were before.  He remembered- memories came back and faded just as quickly.  Names swarmed his already overactive mind, crowding it, some names were clearer then others, but only one remained to be clear, and steady.  Only one name pulsed with his heartbeat- Rita.  He leaned on her for support, he was confused, but he trusted her.  She knew where they were going.  

Clouded mind and glazed eyes focused on nothing as they walked, keeping in step with her, breathing when she breathed and stumbling when she did (but she never did).  She remained at his side, his burned, scarred, broken side as they walked, remembering as it used to be.  They did everything as one- they slept, ate and killed as one.  They conquered and as fate would have it- they fell.  Although the fall was not as together as he would have hoped.  Rita had disappeared, and Shark had slowly begun to sink into a state of anger, and it ate at him.  It engulfed his mind, body and soul, and the rage had begun to take its toll.  He was no longer the sharp tongued predator he had been when they had met, instead his tongue, as with everything else on the aging wolf, had dulled.  

Sharks ragged breaths cut through the silence as the pair travelled, he was close to reaching his limit- about to fall over from over exhaustion.  He was not himself, his body could only handle what his mind could, and the last few hours had been like an erupting volcano.  Molten eyes glazed over slightly when they stopped, only half interested on where they were.  He lifted his head only an inch when Rita nuzzled him, legs shaking, he gave way to the exhaustion and eased himself onto the ground.  He heaved out long, heavy breaths, moving the dirt around his muzzle.  He did not move much when Tethys arrived, only moving his head when Rita did, and relaxed when she heaved a sigh of relief.  The two spoke, briefly, but the words were mumbled, soft and low.  

Words that were soft and low, murmered like a whisper of a lullaby- that and his utter exhaustion- caused the scarred male to begin to close his eyes.  

He was so tired-  he just needed a moment-  

- to rest.

[Portia]

---

It had felt strange having no where to go, nothing to do. Portia had drifted along the straits like a leaf in the wind, without purpose or premise, rather just existing in the hollow wastelands of whatever vast open field, forest, river, barren nothingness she managed to find. In some way it had been numbing, both mentally and physically to have such a drone, monotonous life now that she’d escaped Tortuga. Portia had little concerns about being hunted, the back of her mind wondered if her dear Captain of a brother even noticed her existence within Tortuga let alone outside. It was not his fault, though, as Portia made herself scarce as time ticked on. Nothing had been the same since the wildfire, their family been ripped to shreds, Portia feeling less and less and less for her kin and their well being and more about her own needs.

That faded until she no longer felt loyalty to her home. To her Captain, her Quartermaster; nothing. So she left, without a breath of goodbyes or a single thought of remorse. Perhaps it was heartless, unforgivable, but nothing unlike what her mother had done. Father was not the same from that point, either, and suddenly everyone was trying to prove a point. Portia couldn’t care, her heart and her family devotion burned up in the flames the day she witnessed her parents nearly get burned alive. Portia didn’t even remember the day Rita passed the Captain torch to Brielle, just that one day she had vanished and Portia was left without a mother. She had been mad for so long, she had believed her brother and her mentor, all the twisted words and stories spun about what an awful creature their mother was, how selfish she was for leaving and how little she cared.

Portia believed them.

Her drifting little path led her wandering aimlessly in a field of shadows in the middle of no where as darkness fell upon the world and the silvery coated woman nearly drowned in the blackened scenery aside from the glimpse of moonlight dancing across her features. Voices traveled far in the darkness and while Portia didn’t hear the exact phrases spoken, her attention turned to the makeshift noise of something regardless. There was no paranoia there, simply blatant interest in where she was and who was present, turning her focus towards the figures in the distance from the east and squinting, trying to make out the strangers from a safe enough place to not give herself away too easily. Fiery eyes were able to make out three— some light markings, creams, white, other darker tones muddled in the shadows. But the light bounced off the figures in strange ways though, snaking down around an array of accessories that took Portia a moment longer of careful focus to register, ones that were distinctive in their nature and as quickly as they became clear to the ex-princess she felt bile rise in her throat.

Portia believed them, once.

Shuddering in her stance she blinked once, twice, three times, before realizing those were not imaginary figures before her. Shark was there, her father whom she’d ran into briefly since leaving Tortuga. But he had been alone. Eyes stared at the figures in the distance and as the one who resembled her mother so clearly turned her head ever so slightly, flashbacks of fire surrounded her vision. The sight of her mother and father burning, trapped under fiery logs and her being yanked away— screaming, fighting, Loch was there too— where did Loch go? Where did anyone go? Portia felt her cheeks go warm like the fire had been licking at them right then and there, but instead it was the welling warmth of her angry, hot tears trickled down her face. It was a mix of relief and hurt, betrayal, sadness and happiness all wrapped into one explosive breakdown.

“You’re… ” She started, quietly, slowly, as if they were standing right in front of her. But they were still far away, enough to possibly not even have seen her yet. “You’re alive!” She spoke a little louder, not enough, still, though, as her emotions flared even more and her teeth grit, a wheeze through a quaking throat as the lack of reaction made her mad. Didn’t she care? Did Rita not care that her daughter was standing right there? Portia hadn’t even realized that they couldn’t hear her, instead like the fire crackling around her from the traumatic day she’d last seen Rita in the flesh fueled her hurt and she stormed forward now, eyes blurred with tears and her teeth bared like daggers, it was a surprise Portia could even hold herself up.

“YOU’RE ALIVE! You… YOU!!” She yelled now, loud and clear, striding up to the trio and staring her mother down as her form continued to grow as she got closer, the reality of her before her become more and more solidified as she did. “YOU LEFT ME!” Bellowing now, Portia felt her voice wheeze through her angered roars, ears pinned back and giving an array of mixed signals. “Why!! WHY!!” As she approached Portia would attempt to snap at Rita, although with little physical force and likely enough for the woman to simply shift out of the way. If she didn't, the contact would be comparable to baby nips, nothing strong enough to do harm even if within her mind Portia imagined herself doing more damage. Her pitiful snaps wouldn’t last long, though, before she simply came to a shuddering halt and scowled, demanding everything from her wearing and travel-worn mother, nearly forgetting in that moment that her sister she’d not seen in just as long and her father were standing there too. Portia’s eyes would dart between them briefly, only adding to her conspiracy of why they were all together.

“How could you leave us… How could you leave ME… what are you doing here! Why are you here!!” Her voice had lowered now, but it still had the same spitfire fuelled emotions. The little porcelain girl who once idolized her mother so much stood in mixed shock before her; no longer a child but a grown adult, who lost herself and her purpose the moment Rita had disappeared from her life. Once the dust settled, Portia might’ve actually cried happier tears to see her mother.

But, it wasn’t too late for that.

---

ooc: sorry lovely gemini rangers for the family drama on your borders, but..... hey, loud commotion now!!

[Tethys]

T E T H Y S

She hadn't seen her mother in over two months.
Not that it was entirely unusual.

Ever since her mother's first downfall, back when she had first fallen into obscurity within Tortuga, her daughter had been there. Never having made too many close ties, there wasn't much difficulty for the young girl to turn to the isolate within the forests, sticking with her ailing mother, tending to her. But her mother seemed to mirror her own displeasure in constant company, and so their meetings became less frequent, less lengthy, though the daughter refused to outright cease them. Not when mother was so ill. So... wrong.

When her elder brother moved the empire, the two stayed behind, small relief washing over them as they began to worry less about encroaching visitors. Tethys could focus more readily on tending to her patient rather than simply securing their privacy. Though she cared little for the politics within her homeland, she was aware of the dangers lurking over her mother. Isolation was crucial for her recovery, for her safety. Countless nights passed without sleep, full of agony, the type that could only accompany a mind wrenched in so many directions. As gentile as she was, as caring as she could be, it was still a surprise to see Rita come out alive and intact. Well, relatively speaking.

Her recovery seemed to come hand in hand with a greater need for isolation.
The daughter granted it, in a sense.

Dainty paws followed closely as her mother trekked off from the girl's abandoned homeland, though she did well to give the ex-Captain her desired privacy. On the nights when Rita failed to turn Tethys away, the girl taught her mother the lessons in healing she'd learned. In the body, in the plants around them and their effects. If she couldn't stay close in tow with the only family member she had left, she would make sure that she'd be prepared for any pains she'd encounter. After all, only a fool would think a lonesome Rita wouldn't end up hurting herself.

In more recent months, Tethys had begun to enforce her mother's sobriety. Rokko helped, dutifully stalking and intervening on any attempts for the ex-Captain to worsen her physical condition. It was out of love, of course. Out of concern, care, duty. But the lonely, isolated queen without a crown only saw it as a slight... not caring for the intentions, only for the results. No relief from her anguish. Their times together grew short again, and less frequent.

That was why the willowy girl was surprised when her beloved cockatoo arrived one dreary dusk, relaying a message from Rita. An invitation. 

The rains drizzled softly on her silky fur, drenching it quickly as she made for the quickest route to the region her feathered friend had specified. The night hung heavy and low, a soft droning from the dark rains and distant crickets. Small paws sloshed against the soppy ground, shoulders rolling with each stride as she felt the grip on her back loosen and flex accordingly. The bird was not enjoying this ride, and as beak grinded against itself in blatant irritation, she could only offer soft whispers and coos in consolidation. 

Ahead she saw her. Wait... Saw them.
Tethys would slow, her stride coming to a halt in the dead silence of the night as she came upon her mother. And father. Her heart skipped a beat. They found each other. But he... he didn't look good. A pit in her stomach, an overwhelming guilt as she thought of how much time she'd invested in helping Rita... while her father suffered. But Rita noticed her, and turned, fangs bared. "I'm surprised you called for me, mother..." So rarely had she been sought out - it was usually her doing the tracking and hunting down.

"I'm surprised you answered."
A smile, soft. Of course I answered.

She would come closer, up to Rita's side, up to Shark, her face wrought with worry as she watched him lower himself to the ground. In pain. Exhausted. She'd offer the gentlest of whimpers, a loving tone for the father she hadn't seen in years. For the father she could never forget. But it was something else that caught her attention now. Or, rather, someone else. Even against the drizzle she could hear something that must have been a voice, though she couldn't make out the words. Instead she turned, vigilant, mirroring her mother's attentiveness but with her own cloak of cool. Eyes that matched her father's narrowed, picking out the form in the darkness. Could... could that be...?

It was her voice that confirmed it.
"YOU'RE ALIVE! YOU... YOU!" Sister... please...  "YOU LEFT ME! WHY!! WHY!!" Tethys watched, frozen beside her father, as she watched her own sister lunge at their mother. Her jaw split for a whining yelp out of horror, wanting to stop it, to intervene. Watching in shock as her mother took it. Rita simply let Portia nip and bite and attempt to latch on. She felt her heart sink as she saw teeth slide against Rita's chin, dipping down and going for bits of the scruff on her neck. It took a second or two for the frightened girl to realize there was no blood being drawn. But she didn't feel relief. Something else, something worse was weighing against her heart, against her chest. Guilt. Anguish.

And then their eyes met. 
She found herself without breath.

"How could you leave us... How could you leave ME..." Flurried eyes darted over to Rita, worried about her mother, worried that she might relapse. That she might lose what she had regained. But what could she say to placate the situation? "What are you doing here... Why are you here!!" It was at that moment she felt her wobbling legs straighten and step forward, much to the displeasure of Rokko on her back. Her regal, sleek figure slipped up toward the two, watching her mother's horrified and frozen eyes as they gazed down to Portia. She could recognize the pause, the look, the feel. Rita was hurting.

"Sister..." Ears were lowered, her paws carrying themselves delicately as she approached, cautious but yearning, "It wasn't safe..." Mother wasn't safe. Mother wasn't well. "It was me, as well, I had to act fast..." I had to get her out of there. I had to keep her away. With how sick she'd been, they would've eaten her alive. But it wasn't as simple as that. Nothing is ever so simple. Glancing over to Rita, Tethys knew only her mother's words had any chance of lending any sort of comfort, any sort of actual mending to the situation. She was just another daughter, one of countless denizens from the crooked empire, but it was only the queen who could save the peace.

Not that this family ever had a chance for peace.

ooc: n/a.

text speech: cadetblue

[Lev Malakh]

After finishing the last meal of the day, the mother and daughter duo set out toward the lowlands. Lev Malakh wanted to show her daughter the outside, wanted to prepare her for anything. Night was just as dangerous, and if she wanted to learn her home quickly, it was best to wander at night. The world was a different place when the moon and stars guided them rather than the warm sun. Maia followed her mother silently as they traveled to the edge of the world to the wall, slipping between the gate, the skulls rattling in the ocean breeze. Fog started to roll in as well, Lev glancing back at her daughter. "We can go back, if you want. You don't have to do this." Maia only shook her head. The valkyrie smiled slightly, knowing the star daughter was as determined as her father. Not one to stand down for anything, especially an adventure.

So they walked, Maia feeling slightly nervous and Lev Malakh telling her a few stories from childhood, like when she sprained her ankle while exploring around the Saboran volcano. How foolish she was then, she knew her children would be the same. She did not fault them. Both of their parents were the adventurous type, and they too had it running their their veins. Maia seemed to relax more as they wandered through the fog, but she suddenly stopped anyway, ears perking forward. "Did you hear that?" the star child asked her mother, the Valkyr pausing as well to listen.

Voices, shouting. Heart pounded against her chest wall as she remembers that day, but Lev couldn't think of that now. She couldn't think of the heat of the fire or the warmth of blood, she had to do her job. She was a valkyrie, battle had to pull her in, defending anyone from monsters of the cruel world, a vow she had to take so nothing like Tauro would ever happen again. Lev Malakh didn't have to save a word, Maia knew something was wrong as her mother took off into the distance, into the shrouding fog. The girl lagged behind, not knowing what was happening and not wishing to put herself in the middle — not for her own sake, but for her mother's.

Lev Malakh found the source, a snap of teeth had clicked in the air before she descended, and the Valkyr went between mother and daughter, thoughts fleeting as she snapped at Portia in the same manner — a warning growl and fangs barely missing their target. They were all strangers here, but even so, the borders were not a place for a skirmish. Not when they were seeking refuge within Gemini. So Lev also whipped and snapped at Rita as well, a warning to keep her distance as the valkyrie placed herself between them. She noticed a man collapsed on the ground, and although she wanted to jump to conclusions — it was far too easy — she would save judgement and listen. Maia approached reluctantly, quiet to let her mother speak and do her job. She would observe.

"What's going on here?" the Valkyr demanded, voice harboring a growl. Golden eyes would watch all of them, especially Rita and Portia as they seemed to have some sort of conflict. Their coats were similar and she wondered if this was some sort of family fued. Even so, these were borders, and not the time. "You're on the borders of Gemini. State your purpose, quickly."

I'm running out of patience.

✦ ✦ Speech Text ✦ ✦

[Missouri]

You know what they had plenty of in this small-- (ha no, wait) massive dysfunctional family? Drama! And it came in the form of shrieking, accusatory sister first-- on someone else’s doorstep no less, what great manners they all had-- btw hi, Gemini! We’re your new neigh...bors…. No, that’s not quite right.

Missouri tilted his head slightly, squinting. “Which one are you again?” A reference at Portia. But she had more important things to do. Like yelling. He tries to catch Tethys’ eye, maybe exchange a, ‘what’s her problem, eh?’

Maybe, he’d had a little too much to drink.

A pirate with no tolerance for rum. What would mother think.

He blinked at Lev, a crooked, dopey smile. “Family feud has come to yer door.” How does that make you feel?

[Rita]

To say the tensions were high would be an understatement.

With Tethys here she should have been able to breathe easier, knowing there were now two vigilant sets of eyes on the lookout. Instead she found herself twice as worried, twice as responsible. Her ears twitched as Shark lowered himself to the ground, her gaze uneasily following him, aching over him. Lips pursed as the ex-Captain stifled a groan here or there, shifting her paws as they began to seep into the soggy ground. The din of soft rains might have soothed her any other night, but she couldn't afford such leisure now.

Part of her wondered if she would ever be able to afford it, again.
But that wouldn't stop her from doing what she needed.

She moved in tandem with Tethys, senses picking up the distant voice before she realized what it was saying. Her own guts recognized the speaker before she even could, turning cold and twisted and heavy. As Portia grew closer, her words harsher, deeper with anguish, Rita felt herself stepping over Shark. Protective, shielding. But her face was frozen, her heart iced over and still in her chest. That golden gaze would betray the guilty and horror that stewed inside her weary mind.

"YOU'RE ALIVE! YOU... YOU! YOU LEFT ME! WHY!! WHY!!"
Jaw stammered open, but words failed.

"How could you leave us... How could you leave ME..."
Tremors. Guilt. Shame.
"What are you doing here... Why are you here!!"
She swallowed hard, but was otherwise a ghost. Where... where were her words?
"Sister... It wasn't safe... It was me, as well, I had to act fast..."

The flash of Portia's advance did not shock Rita out of her stupor; she would have taken the blows and the hate. It was the least she could do, wasn't it? But no, it was the blur of red and black and white Rita did not know that snapped her attention back. She stepped back quickly, tail instinctively flickering up in an aggressive, defensive manner as her lips peeled. Only after she took a second to remember where she was, why she was here, did the mother simmer her temper back down - for now. At the first hint of this stranger making any moves toward her family, Rita would not hesitate to defend them, by any means necessary.

Only when Lev would not make any moves toward the daughters would Rita take another step forward, placing herself back in her hovering stance above Shark. Try as she may to focus on this pack member, she could not help but flicker her gaze over to Portia every other second, as if hoping that perhaps by doing so, her words would find her. That she might find the magic to heal the hurt she'd caused, the damage she'd inflicted. To mend it all. But her lips trembled and nothing came, only eyes full of pain and pleas for the impossible.

"What's going on here?" Her sights momentarily returned to the stranger. Back to Portia.
"You're on the borders of Gemini. State your business, quickly." Back to the stranger.

"Sanctuary," her voice croaked, throat itching from the lump that had held her tongue before, "My... family... we need sanctuary." Flicker back to Portia. Her leg brushed against Shark, feeling the slow, ragged breathing from his torso. It was his life on the line, here. His. Hers. Tethys's. And now Portia's. Bright gold eyes in the dim of the rainy night stared in disbelief as yet another shadow from her past came sauntering in. Missouri's jests fell upon dumb ears, and the ex-Captain found her throat hot and raw as she tried to swallow.

If Tortuga might set out to find Shark, as he had shared such fear with her, Rita could only think of the necessity for protection now that Portia and Missouri were added to the mix.

"If you turn us away," this time her eyes were fixed on Lev, with purpose and with grit, her voice deeper, "you'll likely be condemning myself... my mate... my children to death..." Rita wasn't here to a leisurely visit. She wasn't here for diplomatic reasons. Not for adventure or exploration or to make new friends.

She was here as a mother and a mate.
She was here to save their lives.

ooc: don't wait up on shark this round - he is resting beside rita. gyr may post if she desires. <3

text speech: #4C7B80

[akante]

cough