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 Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 8:22 pm
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The silver lioness felt light on her feet as she was over the moon excited about her brothers new found love. Still, she had yet to meet her, but small steps had to be taken. Heck he hadn't even been entirely able to tell her until she'd made a guess at her pelt color - pink. A flush color that made it's daily appearance during sunset and sometimes during sunrise. Ukulwa already guessed that she would love her brothers mate to be, but only time would tell.
With the full moon on it's way she was prepping herself for the typical ceremony, one that often meant getting updates - any news was good news since the previous King was relieved of his duties and Kimondo had taken over. Already the pale lioness had given the pride something to delight over and work for - the whole pride and not just some dark followers. So with all of that on her mind she made her way to the ceremony to hear about what may be going on and what might be available news wise.
Upon arrival the silver lioness sat and wore a patient smile on her face - she figured her mate and perhaps even her sibling would be around eventually.
The blue lion was approaching what would be his first true ceremony following his bowing down to the new Queen. Each day was a struggle, not many had known of his involvement, but most knew that he had favored Shangyue and the changes. Those changes, along with the King, was in the past and the gradient maned lion tried to remember that. Today he looked forward to the ceremony, gatherings like this would be his chance to spy that female he'd spoken to quite some time ago. He'd have thought that in a prides lands like these he'd have come across her at least once or twice, perhaps he had.
No, the interactions would have been memorable. If she was going to be here he hoped he would find her sooner rather than later. Upon arriving in the midst of all the lions gathered already he didn't dare glance towards the important parties involved with delivering the ceremony - there was no need. Belial, admittedly, didn't feel a connection to the whole ordeal, not in the slightest.
Orange eyes looked, taking a quick scan of the individuals. "Where is she." He wondered out loud, still looking, but decided to drop his rump to the ground. Once his rump hit the ground he looked forward, finally realizing that the indivdiuals leading the gathering weren't the usual individuals. "Huh?" He wondered, out loud, and was suddenly a little more curious. |
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 8:38 pm
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When the gathering had been called, Hodari had no idea what to expect. Recently she had plunged herself back into the management fo the pride and the role of being a mother. She wanted to make sure that all ofher little ones (though heavens, they were adults now!) were safe and sound and happy. They certainly seemed happy, for all she could tell, except... Well,
Yoru was having some trouble fitting in with the pride. He had always had problems socializing, but recently, she could tell something was really bothering him.
He must be her son, she thought amusingly, given how much he went out hunting when he was feeling particularly moody. Hodari recalled how much she went out "patrolling" when she was an angsty adolescent. She shook herself, bringing herself back to the present and sat close to where she suspected the front of the audience to grow might be. When her sister, Kimondo, made her appearance, she would move to join her. She may be a Guard, but she was still of the High Class and she was the Queen's sister!
That ought to make her entitled to sitting next to Kimondo, though Hodari's reasons weren't desiring popularity, so much as showing her support for whatever Kimondo had to say. Above everything, her sister would come first to her. Besides, with her sister doing queenly things and Hodari taking on her own responsibilities, they rarely got to see one another very often these days. It would be nice to sit with her again.
Glancing around the area, Hodari noticed her son, lurking as usual, in the background. She smiled when she made eye contact with Yoru and beckoned him over with a paw, but frowned when he looked away, pretending not to notice her. What was going on with him? Her eyes continued to drift and she soon spotted Liuhe, the fire-maned former prince of the pride and a close friend of her sister's. She had once inquired about their relationship, but evidently there was nothing above-platonic between the two lions. Hodari was unable to meet the second lion sitting near Liuhe. Come to think of it, they weren't sitting very far from where Yoru did. Maybe they would strike up a conversation together. Hodari hoped they would, her son was in need of more friends.
Yoru had come because he was curious about the announcements and he felt a duty to come to the gathering. Besides, it made him feel like he was apart of something, even when he spent so much time on his own. Recently, he had been spending more time with his siblings,
at his mother's bidding, but it had given him some company. Kasai had been the trickiest to handle, with her spitfire attitude and her quick judgments. He tried not to shudder at the memory of when they had gone hunting together. He had also been informed that he and Galdric would be meeting soon, again by his mother's organization, but that had yet to come around. Hopefully, he thought, it wouldn't be too soon. After all, Yoru was still trying to come to grips with his most recent discovery.
Well, you couldn't call it a discovery, really. In all honesty, he had just been having peculiar dreams recently. Dreams that could sneak up on him whether or whether not he was actually asleep. In these dreams, he sometimes saw the rebellion his mother fought in, in other's he saw the life of random lions under the rule of the tyrant Shangyue: Slaves being proud to step up and become Royal Guards, the rebels plotting to overthrow them using inside and outside forces alike. He even dreamed of Kings and Queens before Shangyue, though these dreams were fleeting and he didn't know anyone that he saw. It was all very confusing and it all felt so real.
Yoru didn't know what to make of it and that bothered him. So, he spent more and more time out hunting. He was getting considerably better at it, too. It made him proud to be able to announce that he was getting better every time he went out, even on the days where he didn't bring anything back. There were few things that made him happier than the thrill of the hunt.
His eyes moved around the gathering space as he remained deep in thought. He saw his mother at the front and came to his senses when she beckoned him over, but no. He would not put himself where every lion could watch him. That was out of the question entirely. Though, he supposed he ought to talk to someone. He glanced around and spotted two Lords nearby. He shrank away, not wanting to bother them and in doing so bumped into a lion who he recognized almost immediately. This was the lion that Miyako had been courting, wasn't he? Yoru's ears flattened.
"Sorry." He mumbled, before realizing the lion had said something when he'd bumped into him. "Where is who?" He asked, having a feeling he might know exactly who this lion was talking about.
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 10:01 pm
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Lost deep in his attempt to understand what was going on ahead of him he nearly fell over at the sudden bump, more out of surprise than actual force. "It's okay." He mumbled back, sharing the same tone. Then he saw the pelt, a pattern that was unique and warmed him. "Miy.. no." He said as he looked from the pelt nearly right in his face to the face of a lion that was most certainly NOT who he though. "I.. am looking for Miyako." He admitted, stuttering at first and then finally composing himself before the male version of the lioness he was courting. Belial prayed quietly to the Great Lion that he would see the mistake and forgive him, it was unlikely he'd get off that easy though.
Where he had seated himself he flexed his legs a little to loosen up the immediate tension he was feeling. "You wouldn't have happened to see her, would you?" Finally taking a moment to look at the male he had to wonder if this was an older brother. The lioness he had met, so many weeks ago, had been much younger (in his eyes) and so he hadn't pursued her so readily. "I'd really like to speak with her again, if you don't mind." He realized quickly, after pleading, that perhaps her brother wouldn't look upon his requests so kindly, that and he wasn't her keeper. To top it all off.. if the male knew that Belial had mistaken him for his sister - well, there very well might be a brawl mid ceremony.
"I'm Belial, and you?" He asked. Miyako hadn't mentioned much about her family so this was new and exciting - not the kind of new and exciting he had been looking forward too, but that's often how family worked anyhow.
It were as though the Great Lion himself smiled upon her luck, as well as her families. There out in the open was her brother and as she stared towards him the appearance she had been waiting for happened. There, beside him, was the pink lioness she'd heard about. "Oh my word." She mumbled to herself briefly, not yet making a point to get up. Instead she took the moment to stare at the lioness and even give a funny look - how did her brother snag this lady off the market? She'd have to find out how they met one day. Today would not be that day.
"Thula!" She called out, ignoring her brother entirely. There was no way she'd let him run interference on her first meeting. She stood and basically bolted over there, directly towards her newest sister in law. "Thula, dear." She smiled warmly. "I hear there are congratulations in order." Ukulwa was absolutely overjoyed by the mating of her brother to another.
"If I'm being honest, I though he'd never find someone." She leaned in and whispered that last part with a chuckle that suggested she was teasing - the silver lioness knew her brother was a catch, there was no way a lioness should be turning him away - never. "I'm Ukulwa, by the way. I'm sure he hasn't told you a thing about me, he barely remembers to introduce himself half the time." She giggled, torturing her brother to no end. Then lifted a paw to shake it with her new friends. "It's nice to finally put a face to the name!"
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 10:55 pm
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Hodari was glancing back at Yoru, relieved to see him approach another male. Come to think of it, she recognized that lion from somewhere and while she couldn't place it that moment, she knew it would come to her eventually. Things often did. With Yoru put out of her mind, knowing he was likely in good paws (there were few in this pride that she disliked, after all) she glanced around to see if any of her other children had come to the gathering.
Suddenly, there was a voice at her shoulder and lo and behold, there stood Galdric! A purr rumbled in her throat and she immediately rose to her paws to greet her son.
"Galdric!" She purred, bumping her head against his shoulder. "Come, come, sit with me." She went on hurriedly. "Come to see what all the fuss is about, hm? I must say, even I haven't a clue what shall be announced." She paused for a moment and then looked towards the front of the meeting place. "I hope everything is alright..."
But there were more important things to be thinking about, she reminded herself as she turned back to look at her son, an eager look on her face.
"It's been so long since we've spoken, how are you? You mustn't neglect your family, you know. Especially your mother--Oh, I know! We can go hunting together, after this gathering! How does that sound?" Anything to get her back into his life, she thought. He had been so distant... Even more so than Yoru, who had at least sought out her company when he couldn't approach anyone else.
Yoru blinked in surprise when the lion in front of him began to address him as his sister. Well that certainly hadn't happened for a while. So caught off guard by it, Yoru's eyes took on a look of amusement and he even smiled.
"Don't worry, even our parents used to mix us up when we were cubs... And sometimes even when we were adolescents..." He said, rolling his eyes in mock-exasperation.
When he was asked on whether he had seen his twin, he shook his head.
"No, we don't talk as much as we used to. I thought she had her paws wrapped up in..." He looked at the male pointedly, but didn't finish the sentence which would have finished with 'courting you.' "Anyway, I haven't seen her here, but between her curiosity and these mystery announcements, I wouldn't be surprised if she turned up. It would be nice to chat with her again... It's been so long." Not allowing himself to turn to glum thoughts, he turned his gaze onto the other lion. "You don't have to ask me permission to talk to my sister... Though you may have just inflated by ego by doing so... Which is to say I'm happy you did." He grinned at the other male, wondering in the back of his mind if he was doing this socializing thing correctly. He had never spoken with someone like this before and he wasn't sure if he was making a good impression or not. He hoped he was.
"I'm Yoru." He said, nodding his head to Belial. "And as you may have guessed, I'm Miyako's twin. There's a reason we look identical, after all." He said, the amusement ever present in his gaze. "And what about you, Belial? Who are you to my sister?"
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 11:43 pm
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Kasai had heard the news, of course. Well, not the
news. Not the mystery announcement or whatnot, but she had heard that there was going to be a mystery announcement, which was just as exciting for the young lioness. She weaved through the crowd towards the front. She wanted to get the best view out of the lot of them! On her way, she passed Yoru who, much to her surprise, was actually talking to someone! And smiling!
She grinned at him and his lion friend as she passed them, she could catch up with Yoru later. Right now, she wanted to hear the announcement! Great Lion,
she hoped she hadn't missed it yet!
Now that Kasai had seen Yoru here, she suspected that some of her other family members must be around and sure enough, once she got to the front of the crowd, she spotted her mother and brother, Galdric, nearby.
"Heeeey!" She called, even though they weren't very far away from one another. She approached shortly there after, energy radiating off of her.
"How's it going? Have they made the announcement yet?" She nuzzled her mother's cheek and then launched herself at Galdric. She hadn't talked to him in forever!
"Heya broski, how's it going!" She said in the aftermath of her tackle,
grinning from ear to ear.
((And so, Kasai makes her entrance. xD ))
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 1:16 am
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While Hodari smiled at Galdric on the outside, on the inside, she was ever so worried for him. She wanted to tell him that she would always be there for him if he needed someone to talk to, she wanted to lean against him and tell him there was nothing that he couldn't face with his family backing him. She wanted to tell him that everyone loved him, even if he had drifted from the group once he hit adulthood. But now was neither the place nor time for that, she rationalized. She would tell him later, perhaps.
Her eyes lit up when he suggested a family hunt, not at all comprehending that he may have been posing it as a joke or sarcastic suggestion.
"What a wonderful idea!" She said, eyes shining. "You're so clever; this is just what the family needs! I daresay rounding up all of our relatives would prove ever-so challenging, but I'm sure finding your brothers and sister's can't be that diffi-" It was then that Kasai appeared. Hodari only at the time to purr as her golden daughter nuzzled her cheek and then leaped at her brother.
Standing again, this time in alarm, Hodari peered over Kasai's shoulder with concerned eyes.
"Kasai, dear heart, let's not get too rowdy before the meeting begins. We don't want to disrupt anyone." She advised her daughter, before her ears perked up. "Oh, but you know, Galdric just suggested that we all hunt together as a family after this meeting! You'll join us won't you?" While it was true that Hodari had originally been the one to propose the idea, Galdric had agreed that it ought to be a family outing and so Hodari was more than happy to give him the credit. Oh, this was turning into such a pleasant encounter; Hodari was just so pleased!
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 4:39 pm
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 "Kupa!" The black Hunt Leader maneuvered her way to her littermate's side. It seemed she hadn't missed much yet, the pride was still gathering and the steady murmur of conversation filled the moonlit night.
"How have you been?" Iki'renkli asked. She wasn't the biggest fan of small talk, but there wasn't much worth talking about lately. Thank the Great Lion for that! Even their crazy older sister seemed to have calmed down.
No, the only think Iki could think of to complain was a certain former rogue who seemed, well, intent on her. She hadn't yet decided what to do about him.
 Jitu moved slowly through the crowd, taking care not to push anyone aside or step on any feet or tails. He was getting used to such gatherings, but that didn't mean he was completely at ease within the group. At least, not yet. There was hope for the future however!
In the meantime, the large lion used his height to search for Ukulwa. She should be here already, as he'd come straight from their den and she'd been out and about previously. But his beloved was unlikely to miss a social event, so she had to be here.
Speaking of social, there was her grey pelt, talking to...a pink lioness? Well, why not? He didn't think he recognized the other, but it wasn't exactly a small pride. Still, at least the Hunter had a direction and he began gradually aiming his trajectory through the pride. |
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2017 12:52 am
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Things were looking up for the lion when his companions surprised expression softened into a smile that eased the whole situation quite a bit. "Well that's a relief." Belial said, relaxing his tense body significantly after speaking. "I mean, I hope that it wouldn't happen often now, I admit that your sister is much prettier." He chuckled softly at his own statement.
"That's unfortunate." The male grew flushed at the words and felt a slight twinge of disappointment that he couldn't pick up on how things were going through the twin brother he'd finally had the pleasure of meeting. "Well hopefully she shows, for both of us." Though he still hoped, just for himself, though family was eveything he hadn't even seen her that often. Perhaps there was more to courting then he was aware of, that or he was seeing her just the appropriate amount, either way it never felt like enough. "Ha, always happy to help inflating an ego." He grinned fondly at the male, he didn't have many friends following the episodes of Shangyue - so a new one was always welcomed, especially when that new one happened to be family of his future mate (or so he hoped).
"Yoru, it's a pleasure to meet you." Then the question that he hadn't been looking forward to. What was he to her? The question weighed on his mind briefly as he pondered that for himself. "I see a future between her and I, but as of right this moment.. I believe we are just getting to know each other." The male admitted, though he wasn't sure if he was wrong or not. "Or maybe we're more.. I mean.." Confidence was always the attractive pursuit, but he felt like he could be honest with the male. "Maybe I should just ask her. Women can be so unclear." He shook his head, tossing his mane a small amount at the slight confusion.
"What!?" If Ukulwa were trying to be calm, which she rarely tried to do, the look of shock betrayed her as she listened to her new sister in law. "Want you, my goodness, who couldn't want you?" The words were meant to be a compliment, but perhaps opened the lioness' door a little to wide. "I mean, any male would be a fool not to try and court you, silly things males are." She giggled to herself. "Ah, Jitu?" Dark ears swivelled as she listened to the surrounding sounds, though he hadn't made a peep she simply felt the urge to sweep the area with her golden eyes. It were as though he had been summoned from the sudden question of his where abouts.
"How about that." She said with a toothy grin. "Well, Thula, here he comes now - my big, burly lion." Clearly in love she gazed at Jitu a moment longer before returning her gaze towards the pale, pink lioness. "Yeah, my brother and formalities haven't gotten along for ages." She chuckled fondly as they waited for her mate to toddle over - he was always so kind and aware of the space around him, it warmed her heart to see him like it. The surroundings would be unusual for plenty of time to come, but she felt herself adjusting rather quickly. Still they were waiting to do plenty of things, including holding off on a family, such a thing could be thought about when they were more relaxed.
"Not a clue." She admitted. "Though, it's strange that they aren't using the regular presenters." A foreign term she had to for those that ran the ceremonies, presenters. That was the first thing she thought of when she saw individuals up in front of a crowd.
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2017 4:41 am
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"Are those all Kimondo's niece and nephews?" Hivyo asked, recognizing a fairly loud portion of the crowd was very clearly related to the Queen despite all the unique colors and combinations of markings. Liuhe glanced around and shrugged, his eyes stopping on Hodari and nodding to her.
"That's her sister, they'd be her cubs," he said, realizing suddenly just how big they were, "It doesn't feel like it's been long enough that they should all be so big, look at the boys- they have full manes."
Hivyo snorted and gave Liuhe an affectionate, if rough, nudge.
"Life goes on," he said, "I'm surprised it been this long and we've heard so little. It's been a nice break, though."
This time Liuhe rolled his eyes and looked around, pausing at the sight of Kupatwa. Her strong resemblance to Uchanjaa standing out, and his mind began to wander.. but Hivyo gave him another shove and brought him back to earth.
"Don't stare."
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Kupa padded through the grasses and ducked under a few low tree branches on her way to the little gathering. She had caught wind of the news that there would be an announcement this evening and she was more than interested in what it could be. Now that the pride had a bit to settle down after all the commotion from the ousting of the tyrant and Kimondo had a chance to come into her own as the queen, the young lioness felt comfortable moving around and intermingling with everyone. She had grown up during the tense stage and now it was finally the time to be free and not worry about who might think she was for the 'wrong side'.
