sounding again today from somewhere within the town you protected,

@Hotaru @Antares @Izumi, Tiberius will be spoken to after this thread since he's watching over Vera

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^^

It took a while, but finally the small gathering had been brought together to speak of the events of today. Still the empress' paws were stained red, it was impossible to wash off on time as she needed to gather the others to speak of the matter regarding Vera's actions. It brought stress to her heart to see the pinking stain on her own paws - but at least Gyrfalcon was now stable, and Reiko was certain she would pull through provided they cared for the wound to stave off infection.

There was little she could do to prepare herself to be presentable. The pink not only stained her paws but anywhere that might have touched the injury - small stains touched her chest and neck, something she would dutifully wash off tonight in the hot springs once a decision was made. For now, she took in a deep breath to steady her nerves as she watched the group with concern in her eyes - hiding the shame she felt in letting someone within their ranks who she now deemed too dangerous.

“Thank you all for being here on such short notice. I needed to speak to a small neutral group of ours since I have no other royalty beside myself and my daughter to speak of this with.” It would also be good practice for Hotaru for being a future Queen to be a part of.
 
“Today one of ours have turned against another. In a moment of madness, she tore off Gyrfalcon's leg. Though she shows regret, I am afraid of keeping her here. Shiroshika is all about new beginnings, and we lack guardians... so losing Vera would be a great loss... but her state of mind may harm us more than assist. I would like for us to come to a decision on her remaining in Shiroshika, or banished for the safety of the group.”

^^
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The news had been more than shocking when her mother first came to her. Even as she gathered plants for the wound, it seemed hard to believe until she saw the resulting damage herself as Reiko struggled to stop the bleeding. The blood still stained her paws and the young princess was more than happy that she had somehow managed to avoid the red altogether.

The princess stood about a yard from her mother, just far enough that she could see the others she had called before the Empress began to address the situation. She wasn't really sure why it was even a question, to her the answer was clear. Vera was dangerous and if she had already attacked their own who's to say what she would do next? She was a risk, and still one of their newer members. What if she attacked a member of a nearby pack? Or killed someone?

“I would think the answer is obvious.” They had no way to control her or whatever episode overcame her. They had done more for less in the past...or at least tried to. A shiver ran down her spine as she thought of her father. He had been dangerous too except he knew what he was doing. Maybe it was cruel to want to send Vera away, but she didn't see a way that they could help her. Not without potentially losing their life.

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 Fujiwara's reaction came quite slow -- in the numbness of trying to process what she'd just been fed and the general disbelief of it even happening. Fights and arguments between pack members was a normal occurance -- uncivilized and primal in the eyes of modern day, but staying within a group was bound to set off steam from the pot every once in a while, hadn't it?

 Except that excuse would not fly with her.

 and frankly, Izumi cared little about what the reason was or what disagreement might've led to these events -- one of their own had gotten dismembered. Gods forbid there was no one there in time to stop Vera in the continuation of that mess and it would've turned into a full-on fucking murder. To think someone who appeared so kind and oddly charming in their first conversation -- who'd been entrusted to protect their own was so quick to turn and do the exact opposite....

 Regret? Regret did not make this better...

 It was safe to say that Izumi was not in a very forgiving mood. The woman was not risking anyone's safety by giving into the idea of a second chance, ecspecially not with the presence of freinds and loved ones she wanted to protect. In Izumi's mind, they came first before the entire world.

 "I think I've heard what I needed to hear on my part." The cranebird stated calmly with a slow nod and averted gaze, though a sheilded anger fueled by what felt like betrayal threatened to take hold of her lungs. At the sight of the dove's blood-stained coat, this feeling only worsened -- What if it had been Reiko?

 "The trust given to Vera in her role of a protector has been severely tainted. Allowing her here -- it is not worth the risk..."

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Blinking his way into a better awareness of the surprising new situation, he had come, and listened carefully to the bloodstained Empress. Any reservations of his for being.. new to everything here were quickly shelved. The gravity of what was going on settled in fast in its place and indeed, it was concerning--so no wonder such worry reflected on Reiko's every expression. He could serve as a neutral enough party, though. Not royalty, but he would listen and make his attempts as the details proved to be difficult to bear.

He did know Vera, so this seemed to contrast what he might have expected based on their one meeting. He did not know Gyrfalcon, or what sort of happenings could have transpired between the two exactly to lead up to this. His expression furrowed, and heart sank further. The consequences were dire--Gyrfalcon suffered a sizable loss in his eyes. To tear off a leg was a feat, not just a misplaced slice of teeth, or a particularly reasonable accident. Her mobility, and the rest of her life, were altered from here on out. Though he was spinning through the possibilities, he couldn't come across anything to justify such an act towards a packmate, madness and regret or not. Had there been any warning? Any foreseeable escalation? Presumably, no one else had been there, and pressing Gyrfalcon for every detail after a surely-traumatic event didn't seem right either...

So, it seemed Shiroshika's leads were looking to be proactive, and keep this from happening to other wolves among them. Removing Vera's madness from the packlands entirely should solve that, for them, anyway. Not that any of it was in the scarred guardian's interest. He wondered what he would have done in the head of Firefly Glen's position, or what Osiris and Atlas would've thought about this mess. Of course, over it all, was what would his parents do should someone among them wrong one of their own so badly? He drew a slow, steadying breath.

Antares did not rush to voice his piece, but found he could fall into line behind Izumi's contribution. It would be difficult to trust a protector after such an incident. “Yeah. There is no real way to strike a balance back after that, not reasonably..” Because if they chewed off Vera's leg, what good was that? More weight for the pack, more fuel for a fire, potentially--and someone would have to do it, consciously. Otherwise, they would have to waste valuable guards to watch her, lest the madness return, which while he did not know much about the condition, it had already proven itself stunningly. He did not want to be on the receiving end of whatever else it might decide to do. “Banishing her may.. also create eventual vengeance, or a festering problem if she decides to fixate on Shiroshika, somehow. It also may not ever come to that, but I agree; Gyrfalcon's peace is at stake. It is bad enough she has to live on three legs from here on, let alone beside the wolf who did it to her--presumably without due cause,” he spoke through a frown, sorting his thoughts aloud to share with them what he had too. “Do you know what even.. started it?” he glanced towards Reiko, fleetingly, not that he was prepared to change his mind based on what he heard.

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^^

As her beautiful daughter would answer - it was fairly simple. Unfortunately for Vera, it was unlikely she would remain in Shiroshika for much longer. But it was fair to seek out a jury, to seek an audience to hear out what the others may say on the matter before turning her away from their gates. What if it was Hotaru, the mother couldn't help but wonder. What madness would overcome her to see Hotaru in such a state?

It mustn't, and it would not if she and the others had anything to say for it.

Izumi agreed without hesitation. Stating the sad fact that no one could be trusted to Vera again in fear that they too would bring out her demons and wind up losing limbs as a result. A solemn nod was offered in response to the truth that Izumi had uttered. It seemed that there were little if any who sided with the scarred woman - and Reiko felt a pain in her chest to think of speaking with her on their decision.

A second chance to move on from the past, and it was squandered. In possibly one of the worst ways possible, one that could not be overlooked and forgiven with a simple slap on the wrist.

Antares was next to bring up a point that was not thought of before - the possibility of Vera seeking retribution for being cast out during a vulnerable time. The Empress' eyes lowered as she fell into a deep thought, digesting his words. “She says she was startled, does not understand why she did what she did. I do feel the desire to help her, but... I cannot imagine how without risking another.”

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Even without directly saying it, Izumi was quick to agree with her, and to her relief, Antares seemed to be on the same page as well. He brought a valid concern though and the young princess could feel as a frown etched into her features. She didn't know Vera well enough to say what kind of reaction she would have and it wasn't like they had many to fight off an invading force or dangerous individual. She had caught them off guard this time but still had done enough to take a limb. What's to say what she could do if she was prepared?

No matter what, Hotaru saw her as a risk. Keeping her here would only be a countdown until the next incident and if she decided to come back with vengeance then at least they would have time to try and bolster their own defenses. They would be more ready than a sudden trigger. “I can't say I understand her reasoning...but to me it would be cruel to Gyrfalcon to allow her to stay.” What if they had never left the empire? If they had been subjected to her father's rule where he took so plainly. They had an option then and left while they still could, but Gyrfalcon had to now relearn how to live. It wouldn't be fair if she felt she had to leave after such an injury.

Hotaru had taken to staring at the ground while her thoughts wandered, but eventually, she would speak up again, this time her eyes seeking those around her, but specifically Antares' “Whatever happens to Vera after she leaves will be unknown no matter what. The best we could do is prepare for the worst and hope it never comes.”

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Sorry for the wait. The thread decided to be a lil' cute and go missing from my threadlog LMAO.

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 Izumi was relieved to know she was backed up on this, and that the majority knew what had to be done -- because no matter what was said to sympathize with the perpetrator, there was no way to excuse such a violent act -- Fujiwara just couldn't find a short cut for it. Although her earlier anger did manage to die down some as she listened to further input. Yes, the actions were so sudden that it would be unfair not to take guesses as Vera's side of the story, she supposed. This did not affect her decision on wanting her out of course, for Gryfalcon's sake and for the safety of the rest of Shiroshika, but it did give Izumi time to think...

 Whatever Vera's deal was, the cranebird decided to confront her about it later on -- before things that are out of the guardian's control are set into motion.

 Absorbing the responses from both Antares and Hotaru, she would add her own piece "Vera's role as a guardian can be replaced by another with due time," which was a rather blunt choice of words, but true in Izumi's eyes, at least "It will be a great loss as she seems like a capable warrior, but reliability is just as important as strength. I will also latch off of Hotaru and Antares' statements and agree -- keeping her might be of risk of Gyrfalcon. We shouldn't put the girl's mental health at further risk by allowing Vera to continue living under the same roof."

 A breath would pass through her lips next, rather anxiously, in not knowing whether or not she'd regret her desire to actually talk to Vera. Could the woman truly be trusted after such an act? "My opinion on wanting to let her go doesn't change, but still...I have the urge to just ask her myself. It's just hard for me to understand how someone could do all this without provocation..." It just didn't add up -- how could she go from trusting to batshit insane within just a couple of seconds? Just to say that she didn't understand why she did it?

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Slowly, as he learned more, his face stayed pensive. Nowhere could he disagree. Not that he liked any of this, having to weigh Vera's future for what was fair to Gyrfalcon. He did not want to have to cast a wounded warrior away but if this incident turned out to foreshadow more, what were they supposed to do besides live with that, waiting to see one way or another? “We will prepare, then..” he added the promise lowly, with a slow exhale. For whatever the ultimate outcome, but he had a feeling what the Empress would see to here--and this meeting served as a good confirmation, he thought.

His heart ached at the thought of upheaving her entire life, but all the same to the new tripod Gyrfalcon who seemingly didn't deserve any of this. He didn't want to imagine Vera as the sort to plague them because of this. Maybe she would go and never be seen again, though. Antares didn't know.

He nodded, to Hotaru, and then again to Izumi's mention in his silent show of support. He didn't understand where this had come from exactly either, but wondered if he ever would, with or without confronting Vera about it himself. It probably wasn't his place to try right now, so the dark Ostrega kept quiet, ready to hear the next step to come. 

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^^

They were all in constant agreement. Though a part of her thought how it was unfair to not have anyone voice a side for Vera... It would also be difficult to agree with anyone to defend the scarred woman without being insensitive to the now one-leg-less Gyrfalcon. None of this was fair to anyone - and it was why Reiko sought a meeting with level-headed individuals in order to make. decision together and not just with her own thoughts... at least this way it was justified that it was spoken through, weighed and not just a spur of the moment decision out of anger for broken trust.

She'd nod along to everything being shared, only to stop and interject as Izumi wished to speak to Vera herself. A look of concern painted itself across her pale features, seeking the crane's gaze and attention as she herself would speak up. “If you wish to speak with her I will not stop you, however, I ask that you take Antares with you... we have agreed she cannot be trusted, we cannot have you wounded as well.” Or worse...

She'd shoot a glance at Antares, hoping he wouldn't mind escorting Izumi and make sure she would come back safely from speaking with Vera. Once everything was settled and Izumi's safety assured, Reiko would make her way back to Vera and Tiberius to deliver the unfortunate decision. She dreaded the moment... but there was no time to delay it should it simply grow worse with time.

^^

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last from me!

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So it had been unanimously agreed on...Vera was to be exiled from the pack in favor of the safety of the rest. A part of her wished to understand or find a solution where a happier end was involved for all, but realistically it was improbable if not impossible. It hadn't been...intentional. Something that was hard for her to bite given the dire state Gyrfalcon had been put in, but she could recall her own trauma...

How even the smallest pool of water had been so intimidating once.

For a moment she idly wondered if she might have ended up the same had her reaction been different then, but now it did not matter. It was for the best as the majority of them could not outmuscle her and none of them would be able to prevent another episode from occurring. With nothing left to add and the meeting at a close, she would take her own leave silently treading to the cherry blossom grove.

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 The meeting presented before them was of high stress, and tension could be seen in everyone's body language -- including her own, as her features creased at the browbone conflictedly. It was what had to be done in the end and despite her inner confusion on what was right or wrong, Izumi wouldn't have it any other way. Something like this shouldn't be offered a second chance case it happened again -- it was the best decision for everyone's safety.

 Reiko expressed concern for Izu's wellbeing after what she'd ended her statement with, and the only thing the crane bird could do was nod gently while casting her glance from Reiko and the dark-cloaked man. The duchess would neither agree nor disagree to take Antares with her when she'd sought out Vera, as she felt that this was something she had to confront Vera about herself. The Ostrega probably had better things to do anyhow, and the last thing she'd want to do was become anyone's responsibility for a mission with an unpredictable outcome. A foolish and selfish thought considering Fujiwara was no fighter, but she disliked the thought of needing protection when it wasn't necessary.

 With all things being seemingly settled, the young cranebird would turn to leave after Hotaru's own exit, casting one last glance to Antares, and then towards the path that she'd entered to walk away...

 

-Exit-

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Silent, Antares answered in a small nod; he thought that was a reasonable request, and could go where needed to fulfill it. Though after affirming to the Empress, he suddenly wondered Izumi's stance on that protective piece. How far would she want to trust Vera? How well did she know her, anyway? Nevertheless, it seemed this had been as concluded as the present would allow. Now, they would get to tidy up what was left and move forward.

He watched the others make for their leave first before he ducked his nose and set off on his own. A moment to regroup, do a quick sort of all this, then he would follow proper on to duty.

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