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Description

After the Drifter's announcement of invading Pets territory, Lancer, Vaquero of the Farmstead, gathers his brothers and sisters for an important meeting.

featuring
(from left to right)

Tasi, Max, Lancer, Roman, Patagonia & Pups, Seymour, Yuki, & Shiloh

Lancer

Despite rumors spreading throughout Canidale regarding discord and war between factions, the Farmsteaders seemed still quite content. Lancer watched as they conversed with one another, seemingly unphased by the news. While the Vaquero felt some bit of relief knowing that his people were so unruffled, he couldn't help but still have concerns. Taking root on nearby hay bale, Lancer made call to his large family. "Farmsteaders. I'm sure you've all heard the recent news regardin' the war within the city. " His voice echoed through the open space around him as his brethren gathered. "Some of y'all are scared, some not. Some are confused, wondering what we do next. What's our part in all this?" The merles eyes scanned the faces of the crowd, taking note of expressions of concern and perplexity. "I want to tell you t'day that you are not to get involved. What all this comes down to is us protecting our own. We keep to ourselves and for years that's worked in our favor. We fight if, and ONLY if they cross our borders. Is that understood?"

Seymour

Seymour shuffled through the crowd of Farmstead dogs, eager to hear his leader's stance on the current situation. After what had happened in the city with Tater he was sure that the Pets needed their help. Afterall they did have an alliance. The rottweiler mix took a seat close to the hay bale that Lancer resided upon, listening to the chatter that resonated from the crowd of dogs. His gaze and ears were trained on his spotted Vaquero, ready to listen to what he had to say. Seymour had great respect for his leader, his sense of duty and leadership was truly something to be honored but the words that came out of the Vaquero's mouth made Seymour's stomach drop with dissapointment. What kind of order was this? What happened to the alliance they had with the pets, the tradition they had to help out their bretheren in the city? Frankly, the passive way Lancer was taking this situation made the rottie's blood boil with anger. It was his base instinct to fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves. Most pets didn't know how to protect themselves, they need someone's help. His heart was beating out of his chest but he needed to speak up, the Pets faction needed a voice here.

"Respectfully, sir, this is a direct violation of our tradition! We are to aid them in anyway we can, they are our allies, sir." he called out, standing up so that his leader could see him, voicing his concerns clearly. "Those Pets, sure, they live a pampered life but that's even more reason for us to lend a helping hand in this difficult time. Most of them are incapable or know nothing of how to defend themselves. I witnessed a situation like this myself!" he continued, recalling the moment where Tater was almost ripped to pieces by a scruffy stray. "If there's anything that history tells us, it's that just because something has worked for a long time doesn't mean it will work for new situation. Times are a'changing and we need to adapt or our allies as well as ourselves will be left behind." he finished, maintaining eye contact with the collie mix. It wasn't in his right mind to defy orders but he had seen the destruction that the Drifters had already caused just shortly after the orders from their Monarch. The Pets needed their help if they were going to get through this intact.

(I hope it's okay I replied, I figured since it was in the open RP I was free to make a reply )

Tasi

A meeting had been called. In Tasi's time here in Canidale, and even the Farm faction, she'd never attended one of these, so she was of course curious to see what would occur. When she arrived at the gathering, her eyes skimmed over all of the faces of the dogs already present, many unfamiliar, or only just recognizable from quick passings, but she did see a few familiar to her, causing her to automatically lock over to near where they stood among the group. Due to a few dogs of higher stature than her, Tass decided to stay standing, allowing her to angle her head and peer around them in order to finally see a dog standing over by the hay bales. To her eyes, the male looked to be some sort of shepherd and was fairly larger than her. She studies him for a bit, curious, than realizes with a start that he must have been the faction leader, Lancer. This was her first time even setting eyes on the dog, much less hearing something they had to say directly. From what she'd heard so far from others, he was highly respected. Never had a word of ill thought been spoken to her on them, so her want to hear what they called them here for increased.

Tasi's brows furrow at their words, their orders to basically do nothing in opinion. Weren't they all just doing more damage that way, by not offering help to put this all to an end? While they sat here waiting to see what happened to the pets and their people in the city, who's to say the stray's would pause there if they won their war. They could easily be the next target, and with one victory, they would be even more dangerous under the rule of Fred and Valentine. Her time in the city as of late had brought much of what she was unsure of to light, and if it all was true, they couldn't afford to follow this command. However, Tasi was aware that her thoughts were sometimes full of ignorance due to her still developing knowledge of this outside world. She was glad she wasn't the only one with doubts, so in with the one's already voiced, she brought up her own, hoping she could better understand all of this. "To add on to what's been said, may I add this. By standing on the sidelines of this war, don't we risk further endangering ourselves? What are we to do if they defeat the pets in all of this and then decide to go after us?"

Yuki

Yuki went to the meeting and sat next to another dog and listened to the words of the leader. She looked around, Yuki knew about the invasion and was worried about it. The young dog was quiet as Tasi was speaking. She was right, they wont stop before we and the pets are all gone. Yuki stood up and came a bit closer to Lancer with a serious face" She's right, they wont stop, they will fight until we are all gone!" she paused to find the right words." The pets needs us, together we are stronger!" she said determinedly.

Patagonia

A wave of surprise swept through Patagonia as Lancer ascended atop a bale of hay. Beside of her, the puppies continued romping around, completely oblivious to what was going on -- as they should be. The beagle turned her attention to Lancer as he spoke, hanging on to every word. At first, fury struck her. How could he suggest such a thing? Cardigan was there! Her friend, her family, her old home... It didn't matter that she'd changed Factions; her ties to the Pets Faction were still strong. How could he let the Strays destroy that? Before she could agree, however, one of the pups knocked into her, completely absorbed in their game. "Sorry mama!" Bixbi yelled, dashing after the rest of the litter. "We're playing chase!" As Patagonia watched, a realization dawned upon her: this was her family now. If the Farmstead allied with the Pets, the Strays would come for them. At the moment, the Drifters couldn't care less about the farms; there was nothing of use here. All of the resources they needed were in the city. They wouldn't look twice at the Farmstead if they stayed out of it. They would stay away from the farms... away from her children. For once, the hound's voice was quiet, almost submissive. She could scarcely believe the words forming from her tongue, but meant them nonetheless. She had to do this... for the pups. "I agree with Lancer."

Shiloh

Shiloh was at the meeting, scratchign at hsi side nervously. He was aware of the war and he tilted hsi ears back."we are all dogs..we should eb uniting..if this is truly a war..we should help our allies..yes our homes and charges are important..but we should help those who are agaisnt fred..in all factions" he didnt want to step on paws but he believes that this should eb a time to unite..no matter of faction. Havign been a stray from birth to the time Man adopted him in Canidale and he cna see where the strays or junkyards are comign from but he doesn't agree with Fred's actions. "We should at leats offer soem sort of help to thsoe against fred!!"

Patagonia

"What, and have them come after us next?" The hound snapped. "They don't want anything we have to offer, and even if they did, we're too far away to be convenient for Strays. There's no point in sticking out our necks if we don't have to. I say we leave them be, and let them do the same. But that doesn't mean we can't offer refuge in our barns." While the safety of her pups was top priority, she knew there had to be middle ground here.

Tasi

Tasi looked over to the others dogs that spoke after her, curious to match the words with the face. She first lays her eyes on the white dog that goes in with agreement to her statement. It brought a bit of relief to know her words weren't seen as ignorant of the sorts, but the next words of a female beagle catch her attention. She at first has a look of confusion, questioning why they would, but she then spots the bundle of five pups playing around her, and her expression softens a bit. Her eyes stray over to Shiloh as she recognizes his voice with no doubt in her mind. She could see where an argument was starting up, and could possibly explode if not kept under control. Stepping up a bit, Tasi considers her words for a moment then speaks, "It's clear here there are some of us who have more to lose than others, and to put them at risk would be unfair. I still believe we should carry out help, but perhaps there's a way to do so without having it traced back to us? That way the pets have they aid they really need in this time, and those who wish to stray clear of all of this may remain that way."

Yuki

Yuki looked at Tasi and then to the beagle with the pups and sighed. She understood. " maybe....we are not alone...I mean I think not every street dog and junkie dog are agreeing with the plan." she looked around to the other dogs who whispering with each other, Yuki tried to find some approval. Her eyes met the eyes of the beagle " I'm pretty sure they have pups too and don't want to risk their lives!" She turned her attention back to the others " Maybe we can find them to join our team" she turned her head to the leader " so we can gain more strength and maybe it will not come to a fight....I mean no one wants to fight against the own family, right?"(edited)

Shiloh

Shiloh nodded in agreement with the pure white female "i have an...friend from junkyard...he is fighting agaisnt fred..and has come to me for help.."he then stood on his paws "i will not turn any dog who is against fred away because of their faction..i will fight if i need to but i wont turn my back on fellow dogs...i think many of us dont want this war to happen and can see that we are all the same in soem way..we all have feelings..we all have loved ones..and we are all decendants of wolves..the Great Dogs of the past would want us to unite rather than seperate eahcother..especially at a time like this.."

Seymour

Seymour listened to everyone, some were dogs he hadn't met yet but they were all making good points. He nodded in agreement with Tasi and Yuki but then Patagonia opened her mouth. He had heard the pups in the crowd but wasn't quite sure. Her words shocked him to the core-- for a dog that was so confrontational you think she would side with the resistance. But maybe the pups had changed her point of view -- he wasn't sure what it was like to have pups but he did know what it was like to have to take care of someone you care about a lot. And that meant making tough decisions, even ones that go against what you believe in. Maybe that was the case here or maybe it wasn't. Seymour was slightly dissapointed with Patagonia's agreement with the Vaquero but could understand where she was coming from. A familiar voice caught his ears, Shiloh, the young husky mix he had met not to long ago. The kid also agreed with him. Patagonia's rebuke to Shiloh's statement warranted a short reply: " Pata, I get where you're coming from and honestly I wish that that could be true. If I've learned anything in all my years of experience in warfare it's that a few miles won't stop an army-- if they weren't dedicated they would have never done this in the first place." he spoke, cutting his statement short once Tasi began to speak. Everyone here was making good points and Seymour was wondering why Lancer wouldn't just let each dog make their own decision on how they would deal with the situation. It was within their right to uphold tradition. After Yuki and Shiloh's last statements Seymour only nodded in solidarity. The rottweiler looked to Lancer with a serious gaze, awaiting a reply from the spotted shepherd.

Max

Max's gaze was of worried concern. His friends, who were pets, were in trouble. He couldn't just stand by and watch them fight by themselves. He had never met Lancer before this Farmstead meeting, but had heard many good things about him. Were they true? He flicked his eyes worriedly back and forth, and felt slightly better after the Big rottie said something. "Look," he said, stepping forwards, his gaze locking on the merled collie "Ahm noot froom here, and oi don't know yer traditions all thaat weel, but I Refuse to stand by while my friends are getting hurt! I'm going to help tha peets faction anyway oi can!" his accent faded in and out as he struggled to make himself understood by pronouncing his words like the other dogs. He knew there might be consequences to his statement, there would be back at his home country. "One oof moi closest friends is a pet, and I will not stand by while she is getting hoort." (good luck interpreting that)(edited)

Tasi

With her words done, Tasi now sat back and waited with her ears on the ready for the responses to come. It seemed everyone wanted to fight thus far with the exception of the beagle, who had offered up no further words since her statement. Another dog step up though, one she doesn't recognize. His accent is more than apparent, telling her he was clearly not from here, and perhaps even a fairly new addition to Canidale. While she struggles a touch with his fill to say, she gets what he's telling them all, Lancer in particular. It seemed at this point they all were awaiting Lancer's two cents to their comments at this point. Following Seymour's, Shiloh's and the one dog with the accent, Tasi now looks up, wondering what their leader would have to say on all of these protests.

Roman

The fur along Roman's spine was already raising. This was not right. It was not okay just to abandon the Pets to the harshness that would come from the Drifters attacking them, they would be greatly out numbered, and a majority of the Pets would not know how to fight off the strays and junkyard dogs. "So you are suggesting, we turn a blind eye to the war that is going on with the Drifters and our ally, the Pets? Act as thkugh it is none of our business and carry on with normal business?" The speckled dog frowned, shaking his head as he rose to his paws and stared at Lancer. "I understand you are our leader, and know what is best for us- but we cannot abandon them. There are a majority of pets with disabilities, deafness, blindness- not being able to walk or run away. We would be cowards to just leave them to a gruesome fate and pretend we know nothing." The spaniel honestly couldn't believe that most dogs were agreeing with this, just to ignore the Pets unless the same situation happened to them. It was a horrible suggestion, and one the spaniel could not stomach easily. His ears perked when he heard a few others speak up against Lancer, and his brows furrowed. "We would be cowards not to help them Lancer, we would be as bad as the Drifters right now!" He had already decided he would go and help, long before Lancer had called this meeting. He didn't care. He didn't care if he was punished, he would not turn a blind eye to the trouble their ally was going through.(edited)

April 3, 2018

Lancer

Voices rang through the crowd; each one stating their case and looking for answers and reason. The Vaquero listened to each and every one, not allowing his face to show the struggle he’d faced with his decision. It was against Lancer’s nature to stand idly by as his family and friends were threatened, but somewhere a line needed to be drawn. ”Friends, I want to assure you that that this decision was not made lightly. And you should all know that I hear your concerns,” he wholeheartedly reassured. ”I too have friends within the Pets faction who I want to keep safe.. But my priority first as a leader is you all; my family.” The shepard's eyes showed, ever so slightly, a hint of sadness and regret as he spoke. It took every ounce of himself not to charge onto the battlefield and aid his Canidale brethren. ”Many of you have voiced your unease, your outrage, and you should. You should be upset,angry even. Now I can’t force you all to stay uninvolved. But I hope before any of you run nose first at them City Slickers, y’all ‘ll think hard about the impact it’ll have here.”

Shiloh

SHiloh listened tothe leader and though he never met him personally, he knew that Lancer was trying to think about all of them, as a leader should, and he nodded and sat down on his huanches to see and hear how everyone else will react or say but deep down he feels like there should be soemthing that they, as an entire family, can do to help.

Seymour

Seymour listened as Lancer spoke once more. His heart sank. Seymour could see the conflict in the leader's eyes as he continued to speak, the rottweiler sitting down once more. For once he had nothing to say, he needed to mull everything over. Lancer was making sense and he understood his side but Seymour's first instinct always was to protect. Maybe that wasn't always the best answer to the problem at hand. The rottie mix didn't want to bring harm to the Farmstead faction, in fact he'd rather die than do that. But what about their abundant resources? And all the living, breathing animals that were in their stead, ripe and ready for hunting? Once the Strays had pillaged the city, whose to say they wouldn't continue on to the Farmstead? And if they did come for them afterwards, what was the point of doing nothing in the first place? The Farmstead would be in just as much danger then, if not more so, than if they got involved right now. They would allow the Strays to destroy the city and then come for the Farmstead instead of possibly stopping the whole process in it's earliest form. Seymour's anger was steadily growing -- not towards Lancer but towards the whole situation. Lancer was doing what a good leader does; Seymour couldn't deny that. He was protecting his own and making the hard choice that nobody else wanted to. He was tempted to reach out and speak about his point of view but he had a feeling Lancer would remain steadfast in his decision so he stayed quiet. He only gave a small dip of his head in respect towards his leader. He needed to go home and think about this just as Lancer had said-- and evaluate the consequences of his involvement.

Lancer

Lancer could still see unrest within the crowd and his own conscious still battled against him. There must be some way to help while still staying away from the city, right? The farmlands were expansive and plentiful, as his faction mates had stated earlier. Perhaps something could in fact be done to assist the Pets. ”Before you all walk away to contemplate all this, I want address a comment that was made earlier,” he spoke up again. ”If you are willing, and I truly hope you are, I encourage you to give refuge to any Pets who come seeking it. While I discourage heading out to fight, it is against our ways to turn someone away. Any Pet who sets paws on my doorstep will be welcome to stay. Open your barns, your stables. Give them water and food. The Farmstead will become a shelter, not a warzone.”

Shiloh

SHiloh's ears perked up,his tail wagged a little and he smiled softly, he had always told hsi friends and allies that his farm was always welcome to them and he was glad that the leader will allow this to continue. He stood, letting his elader see him, then he lowered his head towards the ground, ears poitnign to lance, a leg tucked under him while his other front elg stretched out, his hind legs and tail upwards. He was bowing respectfully to the Leader,as his father had taught him of the ways of the Great Dogs of the Past had once did. He then stood up and nodded towards Lancer and began to leave to his own farm for the night.

Tasi

Tasi was left with mixed feelings after their leaders second statement. She knew he was only doing what he thought was best for them all, but sometimes, in order to save oneself from a great danger, they had to endure the one before them first. While she was happy to hear he wasn't outright forbidding interference, she still felt more could be done to ease the burden the pets now had. As she was getting ready to then be on her way, not seeing the point in remaining any longer, she pauses as Lancer speaks up again. Her eyes remain locked onto him, considering what he then says to them next. As quick as she had stood up to leave, she finds her seat again, happy to see that there was some way Lancer had seen to aid in at least some way. She still wanted to do more, but it was a start.

Patagonia

Quite pleased with Lancer's decision, Patagonia stole a glance over at the pups. Yes, she thought to herself, a shelter. They couldn't abandon their friends in the Pets Faction, but as he said, this was not a warzone. Someone had to offer refuge, and the Junkyard certainly wasn't going to. "Good," she replied shortly. "We're not martyrs, after all."

Yuki

Yuki sighed deeply and stood up. She understood, her gate will be open for every pet who needs help. She needs to go home and think about everything.

Seymour

Seymour was just about to stand up to depart from the meeting but Lancer's voice broke his focus and he turned back to the Vaquero, earnest to listen to his words. It made him happy that Lancer wasn't completely opposed to helping the Pets. Harboring them would require some level of risk so he had obviously taken this into consideration. He must be willing to take the risk. It reassured the rottweiler knowing that his leader is willing to take a risk if it means the betterment of canines alike. Seymour's doors were always open to Pets who proved trustworthy-- and most of them were. They were a nice bunch of dogs, they deserved some sort of assistance, even if it was only sanctuary. His anger had dissipated some and he continued to stand among the farmsteaders, waiting to make sure nobody had anything else to say before he left. Seymour wanted to be involved in his community and if that meant a few extra minutes in the crowd, then so be it. He turned his head to glance at Patagonia and her pups when he heard her reply. He didn't say anything but his mind was spewing all sorts of stuff. I'd rather die for what I believe in than abandon those who need help. But of course, he realized, that was just him. Not all people thought like he did. And the beagle's pups needed a mom. Seymour didn't have much to lose or anyone to rob something of if he passed and he had to consider that a lot of dogs did have things to lose.

The rottweiler mix turned back to Lancer, "Thank you for letting us voice our concerns." he spoke. A lot of leaders would not have taken so kindly to the backlash that had just occurred but Lancer had took it in stride and that was worth some gratitude and a certain level of respect. Whether or not Seymour agreed with Lancer's point of view-- he was his leader and he had Seymour's loyalty. Usually after a meeting like this he would visit with the other farmsteaders and converse but he was ready to head home and get back to work. Working eased his stress and helped him think better. And boy, he needed to do a lot of thinking.

Finally got this old chestnut done!! I was gonna count words but I'm to tired so I'll do it later. Hope you guys like <3

Art(c)Me
Characters(c) Me, Ruechilla , hovnds , Mighty-C-amurai , MagnoliaNight44 , Vizzixi , Pawsome298 , @AkihuWolf

Description

After the Drifter's announcement of invading Pets territory, Lancer, Vaquero of the Farmstead, gathers his brothers and sisters for an important meeting.

featuring
(from left to right)

Tasi, Max, Lancer, Roman, Patagonia & Pups, Seymour, Yuki, & Shiloh

Lancer

Despite rumors spreading throughout Canidale regarding discord and war between factions, the Farmsteaders seemed still quite content. Lancer watched as they conversed with one another, seemingly unphased by the news. While the Vaquero felt some bit of relief knowing that his people were so unruffled, he couldn't help but still have concerns. Taking root on nearby hay bale, Lancer made call to his large family. "Farmsteaders. I'm sure you've all heard the recent news regardin' the war within the city. " His voice echoed through the open space around him as his brethren gathered. "Some of y'all are scared, some not. Some are confused, wondering what we do next. What's our part in all this?" The merles eyes scanned the faces of the crowd, taking note of expressions of concern and perplexity. "I want to tell you t'day that you are not to get involved. What all this comes down to is us protecting our own. We keep to ourselves and for years that's worked in our favor. We fight if, and ONLY if they cross our borders. Is that understood?"

Seymour

Seymour shuffled through the crowd of Farmstead dogs, eager to hear his leader's stance on the current situation. After what had happened in the city with Tater he was sure that the Pets needed their help. Afterall they did have an alliance. The rottweiler mix took a seat close to the hay bale that Lancer resided upon, listening to the chatter that resonated from the crowd of dogs. His gaze and ears were trained on his spotted Vaquero, ready to listen to what he had to say. Seymour had great respect for his leader, his sense of duty and leadership was truly something to be honored but the words that came out of the Vaquero's mouth made Seymour's stomach drop with dissapointment. What kind of order was this? What happened to the alliance they had with the pets, the tradition they had to help out their bretheren in the city? Frankly, the passive way Lancer was taking this situation made the rottie's blood boil with anger. It was his base instinct to fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves. Most pets didn't know how to protect themselves, they need someone's help. His heart was beating out of his chest but he needed to speak up, the Pets faction needed a voice here.

"Respectfully, sir, this is a direct violation of our tradition! We are to aid them in anyway we can, they are our allies, sir." he called out, standing up so that his leader could see him, voicing his concerns clearly. "Those Pets, sure, they live a pampered life but that's even more reason for us to lend a helping hand in this difficult time. Most of them are incapable or know nothing of how to defend themselves. I witnessed a situation like this myself!" he continued, recalling the moment where Tater was almost ripped to pieces by a scruffy stray. "If there's anything that history tells us, it's that just because something has worked for a long time doesn't mean it will work for new situation. Times are a'changing and we need to adapt or our allies as well as ourselves will be left behind." he finished, maintaining eye contact with the collie mix. It wasn't in his right mind to defy orders but he had seen the destruction that the Drifters had already caused just shortly after the orders from their Monarch. The Pets needed their help if they were going to get through this intact.

(I hope it's okay I replied, I figured since it was in the open RP I was free to make a reply )

Tasi

A meeting had been called. In Tasi's time here in Canidale, and even the Farm faction, she'd never attended one of these, so she was of course curious to see what would occur. When she arrived at the gathering, her eyes skimmed over all of the faces of the dogs already present, many unfamiliar, or only just recognizable from quick passings, but she did see a few familiar to her, causing her to automatically lock over to near where they stood among the group. Due to a few dogs of higher stature than her, Tass decided to stay standing, allowing her to angle her head and peer around them in order to finally see a dog standing over by the hay bales. To her eyes, the male looked to be some sort of shepherd and was fairly larger than her. She studies him for a bit, curious, than realizes with a start that he must have been the faction leader, Lancer. This was her first time even setting eyes on the dog, much less hearing something they had to say directly. From what she'd heard so far from others, he was highly respected. Never had a word of ill thought been spoken to her on them, so her want to hear what they called them here for increased.

Tasi's brows furrow at their words, their orders to basically do nothing in opinion. Weren't they all just doing more damage that way, by not offering help to put this all to an end? While they sat here waiting to see what happened to the pets and their people in the city, who's to say the stray's would pause there if they won their war. They could easily be the next target, and with one victory, they would be even more dangerous under the rule of Fred and Valentine. Her time in the city as of late had brought much of what she was unsure of to light, and if it all was true, they couldn't afford to follow this command. However, Tasi was aware that her thoughts were sometimes full of ignorance due to her still developing knowledge of this outside world. She was glad she wasn't the only one with doubts, so in with the one's already voiced, she brought up her own, hoping she could better understand all of this. "To add on to what's been said, may I add this. By standing on the sidelines of this war, don't we risk further endangering ourselves? What are we to do if they defeat the pets in all of this and then decide to go after us?"

Yuki

Yuki went to the meeting and sat next to another dog and listened to the words of the leader. She looked around, Yuki knew about the invasion and was worried about it. The young dog was quiet as Tasi was speaking. She was right, they wont stop before we and the pets are all gone. Yuki stood up and came a bit closer to Lancer with a serious face" She's right, they wont stop, they will fight until we are all gone!" she paused to find the right words." The pets needs us, together we are stronger!" she said determinedly.

Patagonia

A wave of surprise swept through Patagonia as Lancer ascended atop a bale of hay. Beside of her, the puppies continued romping around, completely oblivious to what was going on -- as they should be. The beagle turned her attention to Lancer as he spoke, hanging on to every word. At first, fury struck her. How could he suggest such a thing? Cardigan was there! Her friend, her family, her old home... It didn't matter that she'd changed Factions; her ties to the Pets Faction were still strong. How could he let the Strays destroy that? Before she could agree, however, one of the pups knocked into her, completely absorbed in their game. "Sorry mama!" Bixbi yelled, dashing after the rest of the litter. "We're playing chase!" As Patagonia watched, a realization dawned upon her: this was her family now. If the Farmstead allied with the Pets, the Strays would come for them. At the moment, the Drifters couldn't care less about the farms; there was nothing of use here. All of the resources they needed were in the city. They wouldn't look twice at the Farmstead if they stayed out of it. They would stay away from the farms... away from her children. For once, the hound's voice was quiet, almost submissive. She could scarcely believe the words forming from her tongue, but meant them nonetheless. She had to do this... for the pups. "I agree with Lancer."

Shiloh

Shiloh was at the meeting, scratchign at hsi side nervously. He was aware of the war and he tilted hsi ears back."we are all dogs..we should eb uniting..if this is truly a war..we should help our allies..yes our homes and charges are important..but we should help those who are agaisnt fred..in all factions" he didnt want to step on paws but he believes that this should eb a time to unite..no matter of faction. Havign been a stray from birth to the time Man adopted him in Canidale and he cna see where the strays or junkyards are comign from but he doesn't agree with Fred's actions. "We should at leats offer soem sort of help to thsoe against fred!!"

Patagonia

"What, and have them come after us next?" The hound snapped. "They don't want anything we have to offer, and even if they did, we're too far away to be convenient for Strays. There's no point in sticking out our necks if we don't have to. I say we leave them be, and let them do the same. But that doesn't mean we can't offer refuge in our barns." While the safety of her pups was top priority, she knew there had to be middle ground here.

Tasi

Tasi looked over to the others dogs that spoke after her, curious to match the words with the face. She first lays her eyes on the white dog that goes in with agreement to her statement. It brought a bit of relief to know her words weren't seen as ignorant of the sorts, but the next words of a female beagle catch her attention. She at first has a look of confusion, questioning why they would, but she then spots the bundle of five pups playing around her, and her expression softens a bit. Her eyes stray over to Shiloh as she recognizes his voice with no doubt in her mind. She could see where an argument was starting up, and could possibly explode if not kept under control. Stepping up a bit, Tasi considers her words for a moment then speaks, "It's clear here there are some of us who have more to lose than others, and to put them at risk would be unfair. I still believe we should carry out help, but perhaps there's a way to do so without having it traced back to us? That way the pets have they aid they really need in this time, and those who wish to stray clear of all of this may remain that way."

Yuki

Yuki looked at Tasi and then to the beagle with the pups and sighed. She understood. " maybe....we are not alone...I mean I think not every street dog and junkie dog are agreeing with the plan." she looked around to the other dogs who whispering with each other, Yuki tried to find some approval. Her eyes met the eyes of the beagle " I'm pretty sure they have pups too and don't want to risk their lives!" She turned her attention back to the others " Maybe we can find them to join our team" she turned her head to the leader " so we can gain more strength and maybe it will not come to a fight....I mean no one wants to fight against the own family, right?"(edited)

Shiloh

Shiloh nodded in agreement with the pure white female "i have an...friend from junkyard...he is fighting agaisnt fred..and has come to me for help.."he then stood on his paws "i will not turn any dog who is against fred away because of their faction..i will fight if i need to but i wont turn my back on fellow dogs...i think many of us dont want this war to happen and can see that we are all the same in soem way..we all have feelings..we all have loved ones..and we are all decendants of wolves..the Great Dogs of the past would want us to unite rather than seperate eahcother..especially at a time like this.."

Seymour

Seymour listened to everyone, some were dogs he hadn't met yet but they were all making good points. He nodded in agreement with Tasi and Yuki but then Patagonia opened her mouth. He had heard the pups in the crowd but wasn't quite sure. Her words shocked him to the core-- for a dog that was so confrontational you think she would side with the resistance. But maybe the pups had changed her point of view -- he wasn't sure what it was like to have pups but he did know what it was like to have to take care of someone you care about a lot. And that meant making tough decisions, even ones that go against what you believe in. Maybe that was the case here or maybe it wasn't. Seymour was slightly dissapointed with Patagonia's agreement with the Vaquero but could understand where she was coming from. A familiar voice caught his ears, Shiloh, the young husky mix he had met not to long ago. The kid also agreed with him. Patagonia's rebuke to Shiloh's statement warranted a short reply: " Pata, I get where you're coming from and honestly I wish that that could be true. If I've learned anything in all my years of experience in warfare it's that a few miles won't stop an army-- if they weren't dedicated they would have never done this in the first place." he spoke, cutting his statement short once Tasi began to speak. Everyone here was making good points and Seymour was wondering why Lancer wouldn't just let each dog make their own decision on how they would deal with the situation. It was within their right to uphold tradition. After Yuki and Shiloh's last statements Seymour only nodded in solidarity. The rottweiler looked to Lancer with a serious gaze, awaiting a reply from the spotted shepherd.

Max

Max's gaze was of worried concern. His friends, who were pets, were in trouble. He couldn't just stand by and watch them fight by themselves. He had never met Lancer before this Farmstead meeting, but had heard many good things about him. Were they true? He flicked his eyes worriedly back and forth, and felt slightly better after the Big rottie said something. "Look," he said, stepping forwards, his gaze locking on the merled collie "Ahm noot froom here, and oi don't know yer traditions all thaat weel, but I Refuse to stand by while my friends are getting hurt! I'm going to help tha peets faction anyway oi can!" his accent faded in and out as he struggled to make himself understood by pronouncing his words like the other dogs. He knew there might be consequences to his statement, there would be back at his home country. "One oof moi closest friends is a pet, and I will not stand by while she is getting hoort." (good luck interpreting that)(edited)

Tasi

With her words done, Tasi now sat back and waited with her ears on the ready for the responses to come. It seemed everyone wanted to fight thus far with the exception of the beagle, who had offered up no further words since her statement. Another dog step up though, one she doesn't recognize. His accent is more than apparent, telling her he was clearly not from here, and perhaps even a fairly new addition to Canidale. While she struggles a touch with his fill to say, she gets what he's telling them all, Lancer in particular. It seemed at this point they all were awaiting Lancer's two cents to their comments at this point. Following Seymour's, Shiloh's and the one dog with the accent, Tasi now looks up, wondering what their leader would have to say on all of these protests.

Roman

The fur along Roman's spine was already raising. This was not right. It was not okay just to abandon the Pets to the harshness that would come from the Drifters attacking them, they would be greatly out numbered, and a majority of the Pets would not know how to fight off the strays and junkyard dogs. "So you are suggesting, we turn a blind eye to the war that is going on with the Drifters and our ally, the Pets? Act as thkugh it is none of our business and carry on with normal business?" The speckled dog frowned, shaking his head as he rose to his paws and stared at Lancer. "I understand you are our leader, and know what is best for us- but we cannot abandon them. There are a majority of pets with disabilities, deafness, blindness- not being able to walk or run away. We would be cowards to just leave them to a gruesome fate and pretend we know nothing." The spaniel honestly couldn't believe that most dogs were agreeing with this, just to ignore the Pets unless the same situation happened to them. It was a horrible suggestion, and one the spaniel could not stomach easily. His ears perked when he heard a few others speak up against Lancer, and his brows furrowed. "We would be cowards not to help them Lancer, we would be as bad as the Drifters right now!" He had already decided he would go and help, long before Lancer had called this meeting. He didn't care. He didn't care if he was punished, he would not turn a blind eye to the trouble their ally was going through.(edited)

April 3, 2018

Lancer

Voices rang through the crowd; each one stating their case and looking for answers and reason. The Vaquero listened to each and every one, not allowing his face to show the struggle he’d faced with his decision. It was against Lancer’s nature to stand idly by as his family and friends were threatened, but somewhere a line needed to be drawn. ”Friends, I want to assure you that that this decision was not made lightly. And you should all know that I hear your concerns,” he wholeheartedly reassured. ”I too have friends within the Pets faction who I want to keep safe.. But my priority first as a leader is you all; my family.” The shepard's eyes showed, ever so slightly, a hint of sadness and regret as he spoke. It took every ounce of himself not to charge onto the battlefield and aid his Canidale brethren. ”Many of you have voiced your unease, your outrage, and you should. You should be upset,angry even. Now I can’t force you all to stay uninvolved. But I hope before any of you run nose first at them City Slickers, y’all ‘ll think hard about the impact it’ll have here.”

Shiloh

SHiloh listened tothe leader and though he never met him personally, he knew that Lancer was trying to think about all of them, as a leader should, and he nodded and sat down on his huanches to see and hear how everyone else will react or say but deep down he feels like there should be soemthing that they, as an entire family, can do to help.

Seymour

Seymour listened as Lancer spoke once more. His heart sank. Seymour could see the conflict in the leader's eyes as he continued to speak, the rottweiler sitting down once more. For once he had nothing to say, he needed to mull everything over. Lancer was making sense and he understood his side but Seymour's first instinct always was to protect. Maybe that wasn't always the best answer to the problem at hand. The rottie mix didn't want to bring harm to the Farmstead faction, in fact he'd rather die than do that. But what about their abundant resources? And all the living, breathing animals that were in their stead, ripe and ready for hunting? Once the Strays had pillaged the city, whose to say they wouldn't continue on to the Farmstead? And if they did come for them afterwards, what was the point of doing nothing in the first place? The Farmstead would be in just as much danger then, if not more so, than if they got involved right now. They would allow the Strays to destroy the city and then come for the Farmstead instead of possibly stopping the whole process in it's earliest form. Seymour's anger was steadily growing -- not towards Lancer but towards the whole situation. Lancer was doing what a good leader does; Seymour couldn't deny that. He was protecting his own and making the hard choice that nobody else wanted to. He was tempted to reach out and speak about his point of view but he had a feeling Lancer would remain steadfast in his decision so he stayed quiet. He only gave a small dip of his head in respect towards his leader. He needed to go home and think about this just as Lancer had said-- and evaluate the consequences of his involvement.

Lancer

Lancer could still see unrest within the crowd and his own conscious still battled against him. There must be some way to help while still staying away from the city, right? The farmlands were expansive and plentiful, as his faction mates had stated earlier. Perhaps something could in fact be done to assist the Pets. ”Before you all walk away to contemplate all this, I want address a comment that was made earlier,” he spoke up again. ”If you are willing, and I truly hope you are, I encourage you to give refuge to any Pets who come seeking it. While I discourage heading out to fight, it is against our ways to turn someone away. Any Pet who sets paws on my doorstep will be welcome to stay. Open your barns, your stables. Give them water and food. The Farmstead will become a shelter, not a warzone.”

Shiloh

SHiloh's ears perked up,his tail wagged a little and he smiled softly, he had always told hsi friends and allies that his farm was always welcome to them and he was glad that the leader will allow this to continue. He stood, letting his elader see him, then he lowered his head towards the ground, ears poitnign to lance, a leg tucked under him while his other front elg stretched out, his hind legs and tail upwards. He was bowing respectfully to the Leader,as his father had taught him of the ways of the Great Dogs of the Past had once did. He then stood up and nodded towards Lancer and began to leave to his own farm for the night.

Tasi

Tasi was left with mixed feelings after their leaders second statement. She knew he was only doing what he thought was best for them all, but sometimes, in order to save oneself from a great danger, they had to endure the one before them first. While she was happy to hear he wasn't outright forbidding interference, she still felt more could be done to ease the burden the pets now had. As she was getting ready to then be on her way, not seeing the point in remaining any longer, she pauses as Lancer speaks up again. Her eyes remain locked onto him, considering what he then says to them next. As quick as she had stood up to leave, she finds her seat again, happy to see that there was some way Lancer had seen to aid in at least some way. She still wanted to do more, but it was a start.

Patagonia

Quite pleased with Lancer's decision, Patagonia stole a glance over at the pups. Yes, she thought to herself, a shelter. They couldn't abandon their friends in the Pets Faction, but as he said, this was not a warzone. Someone had to offer refuge, and the Junkyard certainly wasn't going to. "Good," she replied shortly. "We're not martyrs, after all."

Yuki

Yuki sighed deeply and stood up. She understood, her gate will be open for every pet who needs help. She needs to go home and think about everything.

Seymour

Seymour was just about to stand up to depart from the meeting but Lancer's voice broke his focus and he turned back to the Vaquero, earnest to listen to his words. It made him happy that Lancer wasn't completely opposed to helping the Pets. Harboring them would require some level of risk so he had obviously taken this into consideration. He must be willing to take the risk. It reassured the rottweiler knowing that his leader is willing to take a risk if it means the betterment of canines alike. Seymour's doors were always open to Pets who proved trustworthy-- and most of them were. They were a nice bunch of dogs, they deserved some sort of assistance, even if it was only sanctuary. His anger had dissipated some and he continued to stand among the farmsteaders, waiting to make sure nobody had anything else to say before he left. Seymour wanted to be involved in his community and if that meant a few extra minutes in the crowd, then so be it. He turned his head to glance at Patagonia and her pups when he heard her reply. He didn't say anything but his mind was spewing all sorts of stuff. I'd rather die for what I believe in than abandon those who need help. But of course, he realized, that was just him. Not all people thought like he did. And the beagle's pups needed a mom. Seymour didn't have much to lose or anyone to rob something of if he passed and he had to consider that a lot of dogs did have things to lose.

The rottweiler mix turned back to Lancer, "Thank you for letting us voice our concerns." he spoke. A lot of leaders would not have taken so kindly to the backlash that had just occurred but Lancer had took it in stride and that was worth some gratitude and a certain level of respect. Whether or not Seymour agreed with Lancer's point of view-- he was his leader and he had Seymour's loyalty. Usually after a meeting like this he would visit with the other farmsteaders and converse but he was ready to head home and get back to work. Working eased his stress and helped him think better. And boy, he needed to do a lot of thinking.

Finally got this old chestnut done!! I was gonna count words but I'm to tired so I'll do it later. Hope you guys like <3

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