Roleplay-8th of January

((OOC: We're gonna replace Buckeye with a newer DF. So I'll make it happen now.))

Buckeye is about to lead the group off, but suddenly, another female appears. Curious, Buckeye approaches the other female, wondering who this was. She looks for any signs of submission, but sees none. She tenses, asking the female who she is and what she wanted. The female chirps, calling herself Lumina, and she's looking to take over the group. She can see Buckeye isn't much of a leader. And it was showing since she had lost Keeko. Her abilities as a DF have been slipping. But she doesn't give in and growls, charging at Lumina. She wouldn't go down without a fight. Lumina smirks and charges as well, managing to knock Buckeye down, biting her neck a few times. Buckeye yelps but manages to counterattack, slashing the other female across the face. Lumina winced, but ignores it for now. She lunges, biting Buckeye's tail base several times. Buckeye yelps again and tries to counterattack again. However, Lumina is no fool and clamps onto Buckeye's wrist. The dominant's eyes widen a bit. She's really lost her touch... But she was nothing without Keeko... She finally submits. Lumina wins, she can take over...

Lumina smirked again and let go of Buckeye's paw, biting her tail and giving her an eviction mark. Buckeye, however, looks back where her pups were. Wishing she could bring them with her, but she knew she couldn't. She makes probably the hardest decision of her life. She chirps to Josephine, requesting that she takes good care of her pups... Before leaving, however, she walks to her pups, giving them a final farewell nuzzle. One day, she may come back to visit them, if she's allowed... With that done, the former dominant female soon leaves, vanishing into the vegetation. Lumina watches her before looking at the group. She begins to scent mark all the females to show she was the dominant female now. However, she's not heartless. She shows it by nuzzling Buckeye's pups. Weather they were hers or not, she doesn't kill pups. She chirps, asking who the dominant male is and wishes to know her new mate.

Ashtail hisses a bit as she's scent marked by the new dominant female, but does nothing else. She was also shocked at how Buckeye lost. Now they may never see her again... She sighed. Hopefully, this new dominant female would be a good leader. They'll have to see for themselves how capable Lumina is as a dominant female.

Saja cringes as she's also scentmarked, despite being a pup. She can't believe Buckeye is truly gone. She nuzzles against her father Tank, a little frightened.

Tank is also in shock at how Buckeye was overthrown. He watches Lumina. He doesn't trust her. But... if she proved she was a good leader like Buckeye was, he might give her a chance...

Phantom just stares, unable to process what had just occurred.

(:O I wasn't expecting that, a great post Night. I'm really looking forward to getting a chance to reply soon)

Lancaster's eyes are wide and his mouth is agape, shocked at the swift deposal of Buckeye by this female trespasser. Witnessing Lumina plunge her fangs into the undeserved Buckeye's tail base ignites fury within Lancaster, but he endeavors to not plow himself into Lumina, knowing this fight is strictly between females and that Buckeye may not want anyone to intervene unless it's really necessary. Gritting his teeth in heartbreak as Buckeye bids her children a farewell before slipping into the foliage, Lancaster bows his head in remeberance of what was the beloved matriarch of the Willows. She shall be profoundly missed. Will they ever see her again? The chances of that prospect are slim as with most solitary individuals they die or meet unknown fates within a month of living in isolation. Without a mob to back her up, Buckeye could be facing a bleak future. He wishes her the best of luck and hopes Fate will spare her from meeting a tragic misfortune while out there on her own.

Shocked in disbelief to witness Buckeye overthrown by a sudden new arrival, Josephine trembled nervously and watched anxiously as one by one the subordinate females received their new scent markings from this mystery female. Her gaze though never left watching the former dominant say goodbye to her pups before fleeing into the grass.

Upon her turn, Josephine reluctantly accepted the rough chin swipe across the forehead from Lumina and stared worriedly as she approached Pippin. Thankfully realising Lumina only wanted a sniff of the pups, Josephine shifted from her seated position and huddled her full body tightly around the two little males. They were Buckeye’s last litter and now they’d need a protective guardian more than ever.

Hearing Lumina’s call about her potential new mate, Josephine tucked her head down on her forepaw and dreaded what would happen when she found out about the current lack of dominant male. If Lumina chose Lancaster for herself then there would be nothing Josephine could do but to follow her orders, the last time she fell out with a female over her beloved it end in an eviction, a long walk in a desert and a huge multi group encounter. This time there was no Buckeye to protect her and two small pups that would be depending on whatever milk she could allolactate.


Unsure what was happening, Pippin watched his mother leave before being nuzzled by a stranger. Who was she? Why didn’t she smell right? And where was mother going? On her daily forage?
Unexpectedly being cuddled close by Josephine and sensing her unease, Pippin rubbed his head again her and churr’d. When was it feeding time?

Merry let out a wail as Buckeye left them alone in the care of Josephine, his mother had already left them once that morning where was she going now? She’d come back wouldn’t she?
Still dazzled by the sunlight, he failed to see his mother disappear into the grass with the fate of an evicted female resting on her shoulders.

Sarah and Grace both follow their mother. (I've been needing to disperse them)

(Taking Daisy back...) Lavender glares at the new female... She doesn't trust her and pulls her younger sister Daisy close to her. Daisy whimpers, frightened, and cuddles into Lavender's fur.

Midnight, who had been resting, looks up. He gazes at what's going on. This lazy dominant male smiles. Huh, a new mate... Yeah, Buckeye didn't like him anyways... He gets up and runs over to Lumina.

((OOC: Heh, thanks LM. x3 I did that in one go. ^^))

Lumina notices Midnight and smirks. So he was her new mate now huh? She grooms him as a way of accepting him as her DM. She knows what she did was rushed. She'll have to work hard to gain this mob's trust. She wasn't a bad 'kat. But she'd have to prove it. She takes a moment to look around at the mob. Decently sized. Not bad at all. But she'll ensure she won't be a tyrant, it wasn't in her nature.

Ashtail is very conflicted. How could Buckeye loose? She gave a glare in Lumina's direction, very distrustful. If she was anything like her natal mob's DF, she won't hesitate to try and overthrow her. She refuses to have a DF like that...

Saja looks up at her father worriedly. D-Dad..? Buckeye... She'll be okay... R-Right..?

Tank looks down at his daughter and frowned. Not many evicted females are lucky. He fears Buckeye could possibly die out there. But... No, she was a strong DF. She just might find a way to survive.

Phantom doesn't stop Grace as she runs off after Buckeye. He'll miss Grace, but if she wanted to be with her mother... He won't keep her away. He just prays some how, her, Sarah and Buckeye will survive...

Lancaster is positioned at his beloved's side, the fur along the back of his neck and spine bristled, feeling extremely protective towards her. Lumina intends to be a polite matriarch but Lancaster doesn't know that and therefore is distrustful of her until she proves herself worthy of deserving the pivotal position in the mob. He doesn't plan on permitting Lumina to approach his lady until that is achieved. When she scent marked her earlier, the physical contact seemed kind of rough. He inwardly threatens Lumina if she dares to pluck a single stran of fur from his lady's pelt, he'll maul her senseless.

Josephine breathed a sigh of relief as her beloved Lancaster sat protectively over her. She was glad that Midnight had stepped forward and that her relationship with the individual she cared about was safe for now, but it definitely now wasn’t something that if exposed would be tolerated by the new dominant couple. They stood a fair chance with Buckeye, Lumina on the other hand could be very different.

Merry and Pippin together gently attempted to suckle from their protective guardian. Josephine wasn’t able to produce as much milk as their mother but a little was better than nothing to a growing pup.

Mozart who had been sat on the periphery of the burrow was still ruffled by the sudden overthrowing of Buckeye. She growled in discomfort for the sudden altering of balance but showed no hostility towards Lumina or her choice of a mate. As she watched the former dominant flee the scene, her gaze fell back on the little couple with the two youngest pups sat near the burrow entrance.
Lumina’s overthrowing of Buckeye reminded her of what she had done herself to Josephine. Sometimes it was important to remove any competition and so deep down she could relate to the new female.
Standing to her feet and shaking her pelt, she made her way over to Tank to get a better view of goings on.

Meg is uninterested in the new dominant female. She staring at the ground as she digs for food, a bit unsuccessfully. Since Snicker's death she had become distant from the group and hostile towards everyone. It was kinda sad. She would never be the same again.

Midnight returns Lumina's grooming. With Buckeye gone, he was more likely to be accepted by the group. He now had a mate, Buckeye might never have accepted him. Things would change for Midnight for the better...

Grace changes her mind last minute and eagerly runs over to Phantom, climbing onto his back. She didn't want to leave her friend! Smiling, the female pup cuddled into his fur.

Lavender hisses at Lumina and holds her sister Daisy close to her. Little Daisy whimpers but she's hungry! Lavender nods and starts to dig for her. Growing pups need to eat, especially in times of stress.

A male, meanwhile, approaches the group. By all appearances, this is Ghost. The dreaded rover that killed several Willow pups awhile ago. But this isn't Ghost. This is Soul, his brother. He looks almost exactly like his brother, at least from a distance. He's looking for a new home. Unfortunately for Soul, he doesn't know that the group probably won't treat him kindly...

Tank is the first to spot Soul. His blood runs dangerously cold. Ghost! He's returned?! He growls deeply as he recalls the deaths of his daughter Triscuit and son Snicker. Caused by Ghost. But wait... Ghost would always hide himself. This "Ghost" was showing himself completely. Was this a trick? He tells Saja to stay with his uncle Lancaster and aunt Josephine and charges at Soul, eyes flashing with hatred, letting out calls that Ghost has returned.

Ashtail, too, notices Soul and her fur bristles. Was that Ghost?! She follows Tank, also ready to attack. Triscuit and Snicker's deaths shall be avenged at long last!

Saja yelps, remembering witnessing Ghost kill her sister Triscuit. Obeying her father, she rushes over to Lancaster and Josephine.

Phantom feels happy as Grace decided to return. He smiles and nuzzles her happily, unaware of Soul's presence until he hears Tank and looks around confused.

Lumina is busy with Midnight but Tank's calls causes her to look around. What the heck is going on?

When "Ghost" comes into Lancaster's line of vision, the fur on the back of his neck and along his spine bristles, remembering he commited a heinous act against his niece and nephew, Triscuit and Snicker. He can feel his heart palpitating, pumping a massive dose of adrenaline through his circulatory system. Bravely positioning himself in front his beloved Josephine and niece Saja, he stands ready to sacrifice his life for the individuals closest to him if "Ghost" comes after them. He shall not give into fear in this encounter with the sadistic male, he'll die protecting his mob! He's unaware this individual is actually the kind-hearted and gentle brother of Ghost.

Soul lowers to the ground, watching the meerkats carefully. He's so eager for a new family that even as the attacking Willows grow close he doesn't run.

Extending a paw to offer comfort to Saja, Josephine watched anxiously unsure about the suspected danger. She had only heard about Ghost and his terrible crimes but never seen him in the flesh so could only read from Lancaster’s body language that something potential bad could happen.
Snuggling Merry and Pippin ever closer to her chest with her nose, Josephine prepared herself to once again be the pup’s last line of defence before staring out towards the grass.

Not bothered by the danger, Merry and Pippin continued to suckle letting drops of warm milk land on their tongues. They were far to young to know of Ghost but if it was him in the grass they would be his prime targets for a swift kill.

Torn between getting on the good side of the new dominant female and seeing what the new fuss was about. Mozart made it across the sand to beside Tank and instantly spotted the mystery male snaking through the grass.
Unlike the large male, Mozart’s hairs didn’t stand up on end nor did she feel as threatened. She had heard the story and seen the damage caused by ‘Ghost’ but his approach to a strong, healthy group head on didn’t fit his motives.
If this was who they though he was, ‘Ghost’ was either apologising or suddenly had a death wish coming back to the Willows. If he made an attack on someone first then she would retaliate and participate in bringing some closure to the family members she cared about.
Offering a grooming nibble on Tank’s shoulders, she tried to reassure him and let him know he had her support.

Lumina notices the three charging at a another who had lowered himself to the ground. She has no idea why this is happening, but she leaves Midnight's side and ran, luckily managing to get ahead of the three and stood in between them and Soul, letting out a very loud bark, commanding them to stop this instant!

Tank, startled, manages to halt himself, just a few inches from the new dominant female. However, his hatred returns and he snarls, asking her to move aside. This male had killed two of his children and he wants his revenge! He won't be at ease until "Ghost"'s blood is spilled and on his paws.

Ashtail had stopped as well, her fangs bared. How dare she! Why was she defending "Ghost"?!

Phantom watches, his body tense and kept Grace close.

Saja huddled against Josephine, her warm pelt bringing her much comfort. She buried her face into her aunt's torso, not wanting to watch "Ghost" get mauled but is unaware Lumina had stepped in.

Lancaster snarls in indignation as Lumina comes to "Ghost's" defense. He understands that she doesn't know this individual has a flagitious disposition and is oblivious to what he's capable of but he'd much prefer if she didn't intervene. "Ghost's" bold, conspicuous approach gives the Willows the perfect opportunity to seek retribution for his heinous act on Lancaster's young relatives. It's extremely crucial that the Willows bring "Ghost's" reign of terror to a permanent end NOW, before he claims more innocent lives!

Having burst after Tank in a dash across the sand, Mozart skidded to a halt as Lumina intervened and blocked the path of the three meerkats she was following. Hearing her command, Mozart sank to the sandy ground and chattered submissively over to her new dominant pleased that an individual of authority had had similar feelings about the stranger as her own.

Feeling the same as Saja, Josephine looked away and clung tightly onto the pups. This wasn’t her fight and she’d rather not see her beloved Lancaster get hurt. Brave and skilled as he was, ‘Ghost’ wasn’t an individual to underestimate.

Feeling squashed, Pippin finished suckling and tried his best to wiggle out of Josephine’s protective embrace to resume exploring.

Merry on the other hand had found Saja and yawned as he cuddled up against her soft fur.

ooc: Wish I could get this plot over before I leave but I don't want to rush it. ^^'

ooc: It's alright Pancake. We could play Soul for you if that's okay but he won't be injured unless if you already plan for that to happen to him.

Molly had been quiet the whole time. She was in shock at Buckeye being overthrown. She couldn't believe it had happened... She was so shocked and distracted, she fails to notice Soul and how Lumina was preventing Tank, Ashtail and Mozart from attacking him.

Lancaster continues to hold his ground in front of Josephine and Saja, his scraggy teeth bared in a fierce snarl. The muscles in his extremities are contracted, poised to defend his mob with his life if "Ghost" launches an attack.

ooc: I'm going to wait for Pancake to reply here.

Soul just stares in shock, like a deer in headlights... Ghost... Who? Wait... It couldn't be...

ooc: Still waiting for someone to pin him down~

Tank snarls. Enough of this! He pushes pass Lumina and pins Soul, his eyes showing a fiery hatred for the one he thought was Ghost... He lungs his head forward to strike.

Lumina almost falls over when Tank shoves pass her. That was the last straw. She will not allow any killing under her watch! She grabs Tank by the throat, not trying to choke him. She does luckily manage to stop Tank's fangs from digging into Soul's flesh. Her eyes now were sharp and very narrowed. She was not happy. Despite Tank being bigger than her, she had a lot of strength on her own, just barely managing to save Soul's life.

Ashtail hisses, but does nothing. She doesn't blame Lumina trying to stop Tank. Buckeye was well aware of Ghost, but it seemed Lumina did not.

Saja trembled, not wanting to look at all and kept herself hidden in her aunt's fur.

Lancaster is horrified Lumina is protecting "Ghost". He grits his teeth, fearing for her life. She's going to regret making that decision when she finds his fangs positioned mere inches from her neck, threatening to sever her jugular, making her realize he's truely a deadly menace to meerkat society.