<div></div><br> <br>The sentry just waved them over, quietly. Looming overhead as a silent reminder for either side to behave. The tigresses, feral enough as it were, struggled somewhat to find the appropriate words. They were articulate enough, but just hadn't remotely used most of the words for a long time, most likely. There was some faltering discussion among the three, for the better part of a moment. The oldest one spoke first: "We are tired of living off of the land, and only the land. it's a tense existance with little influence from the outside other than hostility. A-and what better way to rejoin.. society than living with... society?" Before the elder is able to continue, the positively gigantic tigress interjected. "I not know too much about as a group.. but everyfa.. every one ha.. has things they are good at, that others are no good at?" She was immediately hushed by the elder after some further stammering. "What she means to say is that we all have our skills, but I suppose as a group, surely the city isn't that much safer now than it was in the past. There is something to be said for strength in numbers. Besides, the... other buildings are either full of people who already do not like us, we couldn't come to terms with already, or.. people further gone than we are." She paused, scritching the weird, beard-growth under her chin. "Though I can see why some might question..felines asking rodents for help." The third, who had yet to speak added, in a very low tone. "An unfortunate stereotype.. I believe."<br> <br>Lukas nods. "Fortunately, for some, these infections have been a way to overcome stereotypes."  He looks over the trio for a moment. "And, what would you say your strengths are, as a group?"<br> <br>Aescher moves out from behind Lukas and closer to the front of the group with a frown and his ears slightly back, tail twitching behind him like a live-wire. "An unfortunate stereotype indeed. But permissable when the parties involved have family and friends in the middle." The young rat goes silent, relaxing visible after speaking his mind to the tigresses.<br> <br>Arimia takes a drag from her cigarette as she listens to the others. She glances over at Chara when she speaks and says, "Hello, Chara. And that is a valid point. One I forgot." She turns back to the felines then and says, "I still don't see why you can't take a building of your own. Find a group of those further gone than you, and weaker than you, and throw them out. There are many of those who have more presence of mind who wouldn't hesitate to do the same. Or worse."<br> <br>At this point Nekura and Ebony decide to actually get up off their plots and wander closer to the tiger-girl trio now that others have arrived and are talking. Even so they don't appear to be interested in making conversation, but rather listening to what the kitties have to offer, though the younger pony seems to keep eyeing the older feline as if unsure what to think of his appearance.<br> <br>Mickey's tail gives a clatter. She appears ready to argue that the rats were too cool for such silly notions, but Aescher provides good evidence on his own. "Not that we condone that sorta thing. Displacing one group tends to have further consequences, especially if it's nearby our streets," Mickey chitters. She looks back over to the felines. "Just how many of you guys are there, anyway?" She asks with a tug to her whiskers. "Ain't exactly the four seasons in quality and space.."<br> <br>Chara nods sharply at Arimia's greeting, and states, "I do not care about whatever stereos you wish to speak of. Skills are important, and saying that you have skills is not the same as saying what skills you have. With what I currently know, you're warm bodies. You need to sell the deal and," she squints up at the sentry and says a bit more loudly, rubbing her jaw, "...That guy up there? Are they your people? Because this whole 'guy on the high ground' thing makes it seem like an awfully convenient if convoluted setup."<br> <br>Mickey glances around back towards Chara; flashing a dismissive gesture. "Extra set of eyes, we arranged for that. You don't gotta worry.." A polite hattip is tossed up to the figure. "Altho' they didn't mention who. Didn't ask."<br> <br>The elder tigress sighed a bit. "We've lost quite a few that are now beyond even staying with us, but that was months ago. We're not even two.. pairs of hands? seventeen?" She seemed to count on her fingers. For a moment. "We're not really strong enough to completely evict a pack of fighters out of any lairs just like that.. Not without losses, at least." There is a pause, the soft spoken, youngest one. "Think about it, you wouldn't want to lose your family to any other infection, right?" As Chara speaks up the three whince a little, all at the same time. The spear lands right infront of Chara a second later. The sentry slumped into a sit, hissing something awful. Remaining on the pillar, but slightly relaxed, if looking annoyed, even through the hood. "Eyes glinting. There's a flicking tongue, serpent-like, but not quite. "I think you'll find ssseveral people here can vouch for me. Right, Lukasss? Ratsssies?"<br> <br>Lukas nods in the direction of the apparently reptillian sentry. "If you're who I think you are, then yes, I can." He turns back to the eldest of the tigers. "So what your asking is a place for your group of seventeen to stay? I don't know how the rats would feel about sharing their space with felines, but if it proves a problem, I'm sure there's some other group who could take you in." Heglances at Arimia and Chara before adding, "Without bloodshed."<br> <br>Aescher looks sheepish at Lukas' apparent recognition of the hooded reptile. Staring at the ground, he backs off and paces in circles towards the rear of the group.<br> <br>Arimia idly stares at the glowing end of her cigarette, ignoring the spear, though the snakes atop her head do hiss viciously at it. She gives Lukas an amused look before saying, "A lack of bloodshed is an admirable goal, but I think an unlikely one. Their skills, or lack thereof, may have them end up serving as little more than guards for the mall. Which would almost certainly entail bloodshed. Then there are the somewhat crowded conditions at the mall, and the influx of those who visit to see what the rats have on offer. That will lead to tensions which, again, can lead to bloodshed."<br> <br>"I thought you said these usually ended in ogries or fights?" Ebony pouts as she leans up against her mother's side. Nekura wraps her arm around the smaller Nightmare while telling her, "Well it's not even a 'meeting' yet. They've still got to go actually talk to the rats in person," in a chiding sort of manner. Isn't she the best mom ever?<br> <br>Mickey sighs softly after the spear gets thrown down, then jingles softly as she moves over to pick up the weapon. "All true," Mickey chitters after Arimia as she gives a tug, then a second one to yank the tip from the dirt. "Guards are a plus; 'fighting' would happen if we had them or not tho', and I think we'd rather have. The problem lies in the logistics," she explains as she follows natural instinct to return the polearm and offers it up to the post-dweller. "Can fit maybe five in a stall to dorm in. That's at least three, maybe four shops. Are you planning on making this a new settlement? Or just till you guys get back on your feet?"<br> <br>Sensing an attack, Chara automatically moves into action. She crouches down, picking up a nearby rock with her left hand and hurling it directly at the cloaked figure's center of mass in one fluid motion. With her free hand she whips out a collapsible baton from the pockets of her hoodie and extends it with a flick of her wrist. The expression on her face is implacable, neither fear nor rage.<br> <br>The sentry simply leaned back, the rock striking nothing but the dirt and mud off in the distance. Seemingly able to balance on just the wrists of nimble, grabbing feet. Silence, then the tigresses continued. "I think it would be best for all of us if we only stayed until we got back on our feet." The reply came. The curled tail of a gecko unfurled to retrieve the spear, nodding at Mickey. Before curling back into a tight spiral under the coat the sentry was wearing once it was back in the proper hands. The elder continued after some thought. "We're good at building strong walls and finding things as a group. We can hold our own and make.. I suppose poor quality clothing." They seemed a little nervous now, huddling together to discuss something. The elder spoke again. "It's just not safe for us out here anymore, that's all.." The sentry crouched  back down again, sighing a bit. Shaking head at the human's response. "I wassn't gonna hit you.."<br> <br>"Well, that works out, I suppose. They can stay in the mall and function as guards until they've constructed their own place. And Chara, please don't attack Nai." Lukas looks at the others in his group, as well as the tigers. "Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?"<br> <br>With a squeak Aescher pipes in. "How about what they're allowed to touch? There are things lying around the mall best left unmolested by... visitors." Aescher looks specifically to Mickey as he finishes speaking. Surely another mall rat can understand his meaning.<br> <br>Mickey's whiskers quiver. "I will start perscribing chill pills," she warns when things tense up briefly, and with a smart adjustment of her vest she ressumes her previous spot to face the feline. "Yeah, I suspect Rod'll let everyone know where they would and wouldn't be allowed..but I'm curious to why us." she tugs on her whiskers. "New Dawn is just as welcoming afterall. You guys aren't in like any, trouble or what not out there, are you? How dire are things?" May have to put a rush on it..<br> <br>Arimia turns her gaze to stare up at the cloaked figure and says, "If you weren't going to attack, then don't attack. All your claims do after throwing the spear is show you have bad aim and are embarrassed to admit it." She lowers her gaze then to Aescher and says, "Then you put those things where they can't get to them. Of course, they wouldn't be visitors. More akin to roommates. But if you go leaving anything sensitive out and about then it's your own fault for being a bunch of idiots who deserve what they get."<br> <br>Nekura is kind of confused what just happened but then again she's not paying close attention to the lizard either. What? Just because she's a mom doesn't mean she can't ogle the other females. Ebony on the other hand appears to be paying more attention towards Nai and ends up peering at Arimia when she speaks up about looking bad, then turns her eyes back to the gecko.<br> <br>Chara squints at the sentry some more, possibly trying to confirm Lukas's statement. After a few moments, she lowers the baton to her side, though she's still keeping the weapon extended and at the ready. "There are no warning shots," the woman states flatly as she continues to watch the sentry who may or may not confirmably be Nai.<br> <br>The sentry rummaged through pockets, plucking out little pebbles and rolling them in one hand. "I would like for you to leave, if all you're here to do is throw insults." Nai stated, yawning a bit. "I'm here to be impartial, professional and impale anyone who gets any funny ideas. That includes the go-betweensss..." The gecko flicked a pebble, which landed right in Arimia's lap, too small to even cause any wounds. A second bounced off of her forehead, equally as harmless, but nevertheless a statement of a sort.. "Do I make myself clear?" Shi yawned a bit. "To be fair, I should probably tell you there's a bit of a territorial war going on out here right now, and these guys are mostly old.. or ssscrawny. And would get bulldozered in the middle." This statement from the sentry elicited rather embarrassed and shameful expressions from the three tigresses. And a growl from the biggest one.<br> <br>"We're not interested in getting involved with a war here," Lukas says. "If we're done negotiating, I'd like to get back to the rats with what we've worked out."<br> <br>"I'm sure we can find room for them. It is the humanitarian thing to do." Aescher sighs and rubs his temples a bit. "As long as Rod and the other mall rats are good with it you won't hear any discent from me. Though we''re going to have to do a bit of spring cleaning."<br> <br>"Humanitarianism is going to get you killed one day." Arimia stares dispassionately as those pebbles are flung at her before removing the cigarette from her lips and idly tossing it onto the ground. "I would advise against doing that. If you feel yourself safe up there you are incorrect. Further, I was just offering a statement of how things appeared." She turns to Mickey then and says, "Next time, pick a smarter, less confrontational mediator. This one attempts to start fights, takes a high ground where they would be ineffective of breaking up any fights that did occur before blood could be shed. Not the smartest course of action. Even tactically, as a sniper from a good distance away now has a nice, easy target in the form of the idiot standing, unconcealed and unprotected, up there."<br> <br>There's another noisey rattle as Mickey twitches her tail, and she struggles to not mirror the other rat's rub to the temples. A passive glance is given to Arimia, then matched with a shrug. "Ain't the one who hired the hand, man." She does seemed strained; the rodent doesn't need the scouting 101 lecture afterall. In a chilly tone she asks, "Is the cock-waving contest finally over?" A pause. "We're here for buisness. Spotlight here should be on our guests. So what you're looking for is shelter from this war, baseline, right? I think Rod'll be able to hash out a timeframe and where to put them if we bring this back," she adds after turning to her fellow rat. "As long as no sort of trouble follows you guys, I think we could live in cool harmony. We'd be out of buisness if we weren't amiable afterall."<br> <br>"I was not aware that the plan was charity," the woman states, "If that is the case, then I have no further questions."<br> <br>Arimia might have felt comfortable in the assessment, until, perhaps, one would realize that Nai had dressed in a colour close to the concrete pillar. Kept to the shade, close to the arch of the bridge above. And the spear had pretty much hit the ground in no time at all. Nai just chuckled. "From my position, you're the ones that are out in the open. I'm mostly here to ward off unwelcomes and idiotsss like you who speak out of line when, you know, you're doing the exact ssame thing. Throwing your weight around and forgetting that you're here to repressent someone else, and not yourself. The fact that one of you already pulled out a baton when this iss supposed to be purely diplomatic. And that I'm repeatedly hearing these inssults flying around like a bunch of kids who just hit puberty. I feel sssorry for the ones that actually are impacted by thiss deal." Nai explained, calm in tone, if a bit narrow-eyed. The tigers had already shuffled a distance back, worried about the situation. Nai just waved a hand dismissively. "You should excuse yourselves if you're thinking up any other things to spit at me." Nai mumbled. The tigress elder shuffled back closer to the fire in the middle. "Yes, we'll help you however we can for the stay.. I don't know how much longer we can stay out here before there are.. victims." The elder gathered the other two and headed off, with a brief nod up at the sentry, who spoke up again afterwards. "I'll take care of final arrangements, apparently. I'll be bringing the news back to the cats over there when we're done, but I suppose you'll want Rod and the others' opinions, first? I think we'd best head back, anyway." Shi pointed outwards, off into the distance.<br> <br>Nai leapt off of hir perch, brandishing hir spear for a moment. "I don't think we want to fight a whole pack, cheers!" Shi exclaimed, shortly thereafter, starting to herd the others off towards the city, away from an apparent threat.