[ORP] The Mwezifichika - Of Myth and Legend

[Baharimtoto Pride]

A phenomenal turnout was not expected, if Shui's estimates were correct than those who were truly traditional would require some coaxing to come out of their dens. The time when the moon wasn't visible was something that they in particular regarded with fear and as he gazed up at the ink black sky, he did have to purse his lips. There was something eerie about it, while the stars remained crystal clear and ever beautiful... they seemed cold without the soft light of the moon.

Without it's rays to bathe in, the sands took on a colder and more foreboding appearance. Sharp shells that may have been visible before were now a slight hazard and inconvenience, while none dared swim for fear they got into trouble and couldn't be seen.

...It came at no surprise to him that the older lions warned the younger ones to stay on shore. Even those who weren't entirely convinced of the more ominous undertones simply did so in order to secure the safety of their kin. Suffice to say that it wasn't a bad idea and now the young leader appreciated why his father had wanted to take small steps towards removing the fear while maintaining the pride's safety.

Nevertheless Shui wasn't entirely sure as to how popular it would be, the pride remained unconvinced by him at this time and anything that might require them to gather was no doubt regarded with trepidation. Who knew what he would say, eh? What new announcements would he make today, what balance would he upset this time.

"That face is unbecoming," A voice spoke out from the darkness and the blue lion strode forward. Shui gave a start, though upon recognising the voice of the guard who had sworn fealty to him, he shrugged his shoulders.

"Everyone is entitled to be pensive now and then," he replied.

"Perhaps, but if you are pensive and clearly unwilling to be here then why would you expect anyone else to step out into the fray?" Auberon shook his head as he regarded the young lion. Suffice it to say that the boy had spent all of his time surrounded by sycophants, and when not with them, he only kept to those circles he had deemed trustworthy; this amounted to his newly formed guard and well... Those who created weapons of destruction.

Not the best of images to portray.

"Is this not meant to be an event to encourage warmth and companionship?" he continued and glanced over his shoulder to see a number of the pride loitering nearby. While not necessarily convinced, there were still some who strived to remain a community even in what were considered trying times. "To provide security to those who feel uneasy?"

"It is..." Shui agreed and pursed his lips.

"Then how can they feel at ease if you have the face of a child who has been dragged off to see distant relatives?" Auberon clucked his tongue as he slipped passed the King and towards those who had gathered nearby. They were still wary of his rank as well, though he sought to end some of the animosity where he could. They were here to do a job, but he accepted that the job they did could become rather unpleasant at any given moment.

Shui could do nothing more than stare after him, after so long, he'd almost forgotten how to socialise with those who didn't speak first. He grown used to listening unless he had to negotiate with an outsider... This didn't make for the most adept individual when it came to conversation.

Worse still, he couldn't really recognise friend from foe in the dark.

Was this why they had once been so frightened of the dark; beyond the foreboding nature of the ocean and what might lurk beneath it in the darkest of waters...?

"He is not inaccurate in his observation," Another familiar voice, yet one he couldn't see, save for the glint of ruby eyes. "You would do well to smile, they are your pride," he reminded him. On this occasion however, this particular lion preferred to remain unseen and he was helped by the lack of the moon's watchful gaze.

He was curious; he'd never had the opportunity to hear of myth or legend within territories other than his own and he did have to wonder what stories might exist. Would they be the same as his, would they be nearly as violent and divisive, or would they be the sort to tell a moral tale that even a child might learn from?

He would soon find out, but for now he'd lie in wait.

To the credit of those who had fallen into the umbrella of the Bahari, those from the islands had taken it upon themselves to make the journey to the mainland before the sun had set and thus, for the first time, they had genuinely taken the opportunity to take part in the 'festivities'. They weren't large in number, but then again, they never had been... But this would at least be something that Shui could take credit for. Ram might have found them in the mists, but it was Shui who embraced them.

Thus it wasn't just 'Architects' that came to this gathering; it was those who had been a part of the Bahari for much longer and had largely kept to themselves as well...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OOC Information:

Basic Rules of RP:

• Only certain people will be able to see Lucivar for IC reasons, the most important of those is Tarni who is owned by Syrius Lionwing.
  
• I may allow more to spot him eventually, but it's important that Syr's girl sees him first!
  
• There will be no fights or drama in this RP, it's a peaceful gathering.
  
• Remember those Island SoA from freaking ages ago that were contest out including some very pretty non-lions? Yep, those lions are from the same islands that came to visit.
  
• ICly Shui has been making active attempts to bring them in to the fold properly and remind them they have value. There may still be some who resent the Bahari (even Ram) for ignoring them, if you have one, it's okay for them to frown upon how the Islands were largely forgotten.
  
• The Islanders have similar to traditions to the Bahari but not identical in regards to their superstitions regarding this period. Each island may differ, so you're free to tweak it to fit what suits you if you own one!
  
• Outsiders may join including Kizingo'zaa, if you have Kizi though be mindful that the Royal Guard will be watching like hawks. Please play nice if you would like to have someone come.

Some Prize/Contest Specific Stuff:

• This is a chance for folks to ICly tell their tales if they would like to (it's the Pombiki's time to shine)!
  
• You can use the story you want to enter with in the contest.

show spoilerhide spoiler

Syrius Lionwing

I know life is busy for you at the moment but this is the first official chance she'll probably have to see him. There will be plenty more though so don't worry if you're too busy! n_n

(Thyrmr will be in attendence/nearby if required.)

 

[Syrius Lionwing]

It had been some time since she had been truly social. The feelings of the pride were mixed and tumultuous she had abandoned the world she knew out of fear and returned just as quickly because of the fear of the unknown.

Her babies had been born on the sand she knew and she had watched them grow all too quickly. Her family had been on the waves for generations and the belief in the time of darkness was strong in them but the encouragement of their previous king and the voices that echoed round her ears as she stepped on to the shadowed beach.

The darkness enveloped her gaze but she couldn’t help but let her eyes drift to their king sat alone, or nearly alone. His royal guard and.. Shaking her head the teal lioness turned her gaze to her daughter. “Did ..” She trailed off a shiver rolling down her spine. Maybe it was a figment of her imagination, the shadows just seemed so much darker tonight. “Never mind. You should go and listen to some of the tales.”



Mawimbi trotted happily behind her mother her eyes dancing happily. She had never even out on such a dark night before but the sky was clear and the stars seemed to be dancing over head. There was a quiet rumble around her that was the whisper of stories being told, of tales being woven in to great knotty tangles. It wasn’t until her mother spoke that she snapped out of the trance that was watching the subdued celebrations.

“Arn’t you coming mother?” She tilted her head gently a smile lifting her lips.

“I’m going to wait here for a little, see if Thymyr decides to join us.” She smiled at her daughter, truthfully she wanted to see if the shadow she had seen was actually a shadow or not. Well it was a part truth she wanted to see if Thyrmyr would come he always made her feel safe. “Run along have some fun with the other youngsters.”

Mawimbi nodded and nudged her mother happily before hopping off towards one of the groups to try and hear the tales that were being told.

Epine de Rose

Chance to play Tarni yes please

 

[MangoMeow]

He hated this night.

Normally, Kumonryu would be taking advantage of the situation to cozy up to people, make a few allies or perhaps spin some influential tales, but the Mwezifichika... He had never liked the implication of the loss of the moon. It was like a black stain on the sky, polluting the sand and trees and turning everything a haunting shade in the night.

He typically kept himself deep within the jungle, in the hopes of keeping well away from that empty abyss, but tonight the pride had been called together, and he couldn't say no to a chance to mingle.

So, with a polite smile on his face, Ryu weaved his way through the crowd.



Vaughn was a little unsure about being here. Not that he was told not to, but more because, well, it looked like the rest of his family wasn't here. At least, not that he could tell. With everything that was happening, the family had opted to keep mostly to themselves, bar their duties to the pride, and it had left him feeling more than a little curious.

Plus, he'd heard from his father that the pride swapped around stories during this, and he wanted to hear them!

So, with the eyes of someone who has never seen so many people in one place before, the adolescent made his way around the crowd.  

[Epine de Rose]

Thyrmr was here, though he remained bemused by the superstitions of the Bahari'mtoto. The traditions themselves were different than his own and he didn't entirely understand the reason for them, but he had no doubt they would have responded in much the same way as he had if they'd been privy to his own home's culture.

Still, the lion had opted to stay a while, if only to ensure that the wayward lioness he'd found in the Kizingo'zaa remained settled and comfortable. He was still baffled by the decision to banish her until such times as her children had announced themselves to the ocean and been accepted, but he'd been glad that she'd finally come around and gone home. With no viable alternative and safe options, he had seen no reason for her to be in self-imposed exile.

...Hadn't this uh 'King' declared that he would shoulder the burden until such times as they had other options?

Speaking of Kings, Thyrmr's eyes settled briefly on the young lion. They were almost the same age, Shui had several moons on him. To the outsider he seemed a touch uncomfortable and certainly out of place among the other Bahari'mtoto who had come for the 'festivities'. Even now the Al-Siq took note of the manner in which the King's eyes scoured the sands and looked for any who might be more favourable towards him. Suffice it to say that Thyrmr found this to be a somewhat sad way in which to live.

It wasn't long before his gaze did finally settle on Tarni though and he swept forward to join her, though in his usual fashion he did pause to follow her gaze. Ultimately, it led back towards Shui and he couldn't help but smirk.

"I was under the impression he was spoken for," he teased. "Even though their relationship may be as dark and foreboding as the water this evening," he added with a wry smile.

He was no father, but he'd seen the cubs grow and he'd have said that on this occasion Mawimbi would have done well to branch out and hear a tale or three. Admittedly he had naught but horror stories to tell which would service no one at a time like this. but he was sure there would be others.

"I hear the uh... Pombiki?" He paused, had he gotten that one right? He wasn't sure on this occasion but he'd have no doubt Tarni would correct him if need be. "Are going to be in their element this evening."

He hadn't seen what she had unfortunately, but if he had his demeanour might have been very different. For all intents and purposes whatever the lioness had seen was no longer in her line of sight.

Syrius Lionwing

Yesh, it's been too long and Mawimbi needs a walk too!

Shui on the other hand had been doing exactly what the Al-Siq mile had assumed. While he had noted Auberon's encouragement to socialise he was still smarting from those many moons ago when the pride had made their views known. They still didn't understand, they didn't understand that what he had done was necessary... And while he had been proven right on some things so far, they were not so quick to forgive and forget.

He had still divided families, a necessary evil in the eyes of the King who had received wind of nefarious plans from a deserter; but he'd also separated friends and stripped their neighbours of much of their dignity. To enter these lands was to surrender any keepsake, safe or otherwise, that you might have. Add that to the fact that the traditionalists were still clambering for a solution to the 'rogue' issue and he had yet to produce proper alliances for this and he wasn't feeling as sociable as some might have preferred.

There were plans in place, he was simply approaching them cautiously. He knew the diplomats were doing their best to scout out and source the necessary alliances... These things just took time.

Speaking of Diplomats, his eyes caught sight of Kumonryu the Koi male. Unsurprisingly, the traditionalist seemed unimpressed with the lack of moonlight and Shui couldn't blame him... But Shui had to concede it was impressive that he possessed the ability to put on the brave face and do his job. Uncomfortable as he might have been, there was still a smile on his lips and a bit of a swagger in his step...

MangoMeow

Surrounded by the younger cubs, one Pombuka found himself the principle source of entertainment this evening. He wasn't entirely traditional, his upbringing prevented him from becoming completely ensconced in the more controversial views, but he did have a healthy respect for what was expected of him in the pride. As such, he appreciated the fact that there were those within the pride who were decidedly uncomfortable and genuinely fearful - thus, his job was to be a simple one.

...He was to bring a little life and joy to their lives through story.

He had already begun to learn the bulk of the pride's myths and legends, but he'd also been keen to hear those of outsiders so that he might have more than just the predictable tales to weave. This evening though he'd yet to decide on which of the stories he would pick first, there were so many, but there was a part of him that thought it best to go with a mix (if that were even possible).

Those who were already here would have to wait a little longer, but it wouldn't be long before he began to weave at least one tale!  

[Syrius Lionwing]

Epine de Rose

Tarni didn’t hear his approach she was so focused on the shadows so when he spoke she jumped a little. The fur on her neck rose and a shiver rolled down her spine.

She turned her gaze on the pale male and a laugh rolled over her lips. He always made her laugh. He had been there for her. Her cubs had been born in the bahari and now they were growing up, ready to assume the mantel of members of their society. It felt, to her, like only yesterday that she had been shunned from the land she knew as home.

Thyrmr’s joke made her roll her eyes even though her first reaction was to laugh at his jibe “Thyrmr as if I’d have a crush on someone like him.” She sniffs and shuffles her paws in the sand “I thought I saw something in the darkness, but it was probably just a figment of my imagination.” She shrugs and nudges the big male with her shoulder. “The Pombuka are out in force tonight. I’m sure the youngsters would be happy to hear stories of your land. Many of them have never stepped foot across the borders, they know of no world other than this.” She blushes slightly, she was one of them. Her temporary exile to the Kizingo’zaa was as far as she had ever gone. The Bahari’mtoto was her home even if it was difficult for her to call it home properly any more.

Mawimbi glanced back at her mother and smiled at the pale lion that had wandered over to settle beside her. She thought of Thrymr as a dad-uncle. He had been there for as long as she could remember and her mother always spoke so highly of him. She waved a paw at the teal maned Male before turning her attention to one of the many storytellers that were out in force tonight.

She settled herself amongst a few other lions gathered around Mesa. She knew the male by sight though she had never formally spoken to him. She wanted to hear what tale he would tell tonight as the shadows danced around the gathered creatures.  

[Anderleit]

Vaughn would find at least one member of his family here, though it was by no accident that Baikal had yet to be noticed. The boy may not have understood exactly why the moonless night made so many members of the pride nervous, but like any impetuous teen, he was more than happy to take full advantage of it. And his mother's sable coat, unlike the pale grey his brother had inherited, made him all the more suited to skulking around in the darkness.

Baikal all but skipped up behind his brother, a curly mop of burgeoning mane bouncing in time across his shoulders. If the other male didn't turn around in time, the first he would see of Baikal was the pale glint of grinning teeth, leaping at him. "Vaughn!" The boy laughed his name with hushed urgency.

MangoMeow

Not too far away, a drop of the ocean's blue wiggled happily among the little ones nestled at Mesa's paws. There was something so thrilling to Katifah about being out tonight! Scary, yes - the cub couldn't think of a time when the moon hadn't hung irrepressible and bright in the sky. But also exciting! That she was out where older pridemates feared to tread...!

Of course, it had taken a lot of assurance from her parents that the moon would return. And of course, there was the draw of stories; tales of the Bahari past, tales brought to them by all the varied strangers that passed through their borders. All of it exciting! Katifah didn't see how anyone could stay inside on a night like this!

Epine de Rose

 

[MangoMeow]

So far, none of the storytellers had began their tales, and for the most part, everyone was just talking amongst themselves. He could spot a few cubs piled up by one of the Pombuka, a couple adolescents having shenanigans with each other, and he withheld a snort. The youth of the pride had no idea of what the lack of moon used to mean to the pride, and he wondered if they ever would.

At one point, he spotted Shui surrounded by his usual gaggle of guards, and he gave a friendly nod in the lion's direction, but for the moment, chose to keep wandering the crowd.

((I wasn't positive if Shui is approachable. xD So I kept him wandering for now.))

-----

Indeed, he hadn't seen his brother coming until the other was up close and personal with him. Vaughn's ear flicked to the side at the hushed whisper and he turned to look - only to jump in place at the sight of teeth.

"Wha-" He pulled back enough to get a better look and then sighed in relief, an exasperated look on his face, "Baikal, you scared me!" He gave himself a shake, trying to rid himself of his nerves. Maybe the nervousness of his pridemates was getting to him a little.

The adolescent raised an eyebrow at his brown sibling, "What are you doing, skulking about in the shadows?"

Anderleit

 

[Epine de Rose]

Thyrmr lifted a brow at Tarni's playful denial and shook his head, to be fair to Shui the lion wasn't a bad looking one at all... if Thyrmr had been his sister he may have even been less objective about it. Nevertheless it was still funny to tease the lioness who had otherwise kept much to herself since her return to the Bahari'mtoto. All in all she hadn't been treated badly when she'd come back but the Al-Siq lion had acknowledged that there had been situations when the atmosphere had been tense and all around awkward.

...Tarni hadn't been lying when she said there was a section of society that wasn't her greatest fan at the moment. Nevertheless, based on everything he had heard, once her cubs had taken their 'Rites' (whatever those were), they would be accepted and treated with more kindness. It all seemed a bit odd to him but given his own home's traditions he couldn't really place blame on them for holding themselves to a certain standard.

He did afford a glance in the general direction she had been looking though, if only to confirm that she hadn't seen anything. The lack of light had a way of playing tricks on an individual's eyes and he would prove no exception. Unfortunately for Tarni on this occasion he hadn't seen anything either - it seemed that whatever she'd seen may not even have been there anymore.

Alas, Lucivar hadn't gone anywhere, he had simply shut his eyes upon realising that the lioness had glimpsed him. Unmoving, he'd all but melded in to the shadows and made himself 'impossible' to see for the time being.

"Mmm, I'd say there's nothing there for now," Thyrmr mused thoughtfully before shaking his head. "Although I'm not sure many parents would appreciate stories from my home," he admitted. "They're all a bit uh... Violent?" he hazarded thoughtfully.

"I mean we have a pretty tame one about how everything started but the sequels are all a bit questionable," he admitted with a wry smile. "Not sure blood, gore and warfare are something the young should be hearing eh?" he teased.
That being said, if she had a genuine curiosity then he would enlighten her, she was entitled to that.

Syrius Lionwing

Kumonryu had acknowledged him, that much he appreciated, though the traditionalist male seemed to be intent on conducting himself in a particular way. Caution was to be expected from him, Shui would have been concerned if it hadn't been this way. Nevertheless a reasonably friendly face, or at least one who respected a number o his policies, was a welcome one.

It should have come at no surprise that the young lion had bowed his head in a small nod in reply to the Koi male as a result. With the Pombuka finally beginning to settle themselves into clustered groups of Bahari, it would afford those not inclined to hear many stories an opportunity to converse quietly if they chose... and to be quite honest, Ryu would have been more than welcome.

As a diplomat he was of particular interest to Shui who had been waiting patiently for several to return from their exploratory missions in other prides. Each seemed to have had an idea of who might be willing to discuss possible sanctuary, but each had also been honest in that it might take quite some time to explain (and then convince) those prides of why such an arrangement was necessary for the Bahari...and advantageous to them.

Had Ryu returned, or was he still in the process of placing feelers out for potential locations? Shui had been remiss in failing to at least speak with the diplomats more regularly and he really could stand to learn from that.

MangoMeow

He's open, feel free! <3 Let's get Ryu some proper RP.

[Pombuka response coming through mule for the pride members waiting on a story, had to sit and think about which one to tell first lol.]

 

[Baharimtoto Pride]

[OFFICIAL BAHARI'MTOTO MULE POST]

He had quite the little crowd of both young and old; it wasn't the largest by any means as quite a few had wandered off towards them ore experienced of the Storytellers. Still, this was an opportunity he wouldn't spurn as it would be the first he'd had to tell any form of story to anything other than a youngster. Quite frankly the stories he'd also told to the younger cubs had been quite tame and without much depth as detailed and complex tales were somewhat lost on them.

Myth, Legend and Parables weren't something that the young could grasp as easily as an adult, especially if there was a lesson to be learned from them. Thus he'd avoided them entirely in favour of fantastical tales of witchcraft, wizardry and pure fantasy.

Heroes, villains and mythical creatures aside...

Mesa cleared his throat.

"Some of you are probably a little scared tonight and some are probably a little confused," he mused as he gazed up towards the ink black sky. The moon had departed a number of nights ago but he had been assured that it would be back, this was simply par for the course and bizarrely it was only cause for concern because it had been gone for more than a single evening.

But you see, there's a reason we're all a bit wary of the time when the moon decides to leave us for a little while," he continued and returned his gaze to the little group that had gathered near him. "You see when the moon leaves us for too long, it seems we forget what we are and who we are," he murmured and lifted his paw to tap gently at his chest.

"It was said that a long time ago, long before we existed as a pride, their existed a single lion who found peace and calm upon these very shores," he began and placed his paw back into the sand. "His existence was a lonely one for few, if any, passed by and he was without company. With no one to speak to, with no one to embrace him and to show him love, he was but a shadow of what he could have been."

"At first his solitude was a willing one, one that he had chosen so that he might find peace within himself... but isolation has a way of corrupting the mind and though you and I both know that he chose to be alone it wasn't long before he conveniently began to forget this and bitterness began to seep in to his heart."

Mesa paused and glanced towards where the crags lay, those cliffs that all Kings had throwned themselves off before in order to ask for the ocean's acceptance of their leadership.

"At first his bitterness was naught but resentment towards all that avoided coming to see him, but it soon transformed itself into something that neither you or I are particularly accustomed to."

"...He forgot how to share and this land soon became his and his alone."

Mesa paused again as he continued to gaze off towards the crags.

"Do you know how the rocks came to be so dangerous and why we came to see it as so important?" he queried the crowd.

At first it appeared that there were few brave enough to speak out, but he'd been taught to give them time to mull over their own thoughts first before pressuring them for an answer. Some might very well know the tale from someone else, or they may simply have had ideas of their own that could end up very similar to the 'truth'!  

[Syrius Lionwing]

Epine de Rose

Tarni took one last glance over at the king before letting her thoughts turn back to Thyrmyr, if the male hadn’t seen anything she was certain it had simply been a trick of the light, well, more a trick of the darkness. It was easy to become spooked by the deep shadows when you were thought from a very young age to fear the darkness, to fear the black waves. A shiver rolled down her spine as she thought about it but she shuffled herself a little closer to the blue maned male and turned her eyes up to smile at him.

“Maybe you can cut out the really gory bits.” She queries a tilt to her head as she heard Mesa start his tale. It was a tale she had heard before, she was after all not that young of a lioness, certainly she was naive in the way of the world but here on the sands she knew many of the old stories, still she left one ear open to listen tot he tale being woven by the young Pomithi.

“I’m sure everyone would appreciate a completely unknown story. It is nice to hear the old tales retold, they are our history after all, but new tales teach us new things.” She smiled at Thyrmyr, in truth, she wanted to hear his story but she wasn’t sure if he would tell it any other time. “Who knows maybe you will decide to become a Pomithi yourself.” There was a slight note of hope in her voice, though Thyrmyr had never said he would stay forever, he had another life after all, another pride, part of her hoped he would stick around but she had never really found the courage to ask him.

—-

Mawimbi sat with the gathered group her eyes wide and entranced. Perhaps her mother had told her this tale at some point in her young life, she couldn’t really remember, Tarni had always told her cubs fairy tales. The tale that Mesa wove was starting to sound a little scary but she stayed glued to his words, listening carefully as the young males voice washed over her.  

[MangoMeow]

He wandered for a time through the crowd before, at long last, one of the Pombuka began speaking. He paid very little mind to the tale (it was one he'd heard before) but perhaps it would teach some of the younglings why they should be wary.

Instead, Ryu found his paws moving back towards the hub of the gathering once more, and he cast a look over at Shui as he neared. Ah, he'd found his way back here.

Now that he was close enough to actually speak, Kumonryu bowed his head in greeting and then looked back at the crowd, "As much of a turnout as you'd thought it would be?" He envied the ones who stayed home.

Epine de Rose

Well, in that case~

 

[Epine de Rose]

Thrymr pressed his lips together as he considered her request and then released a sigh. He supposed he could tell a top line, very vague version of the stories he knew. It would avoid the gore and the unnecessary politics that more often than not, simply went over the heads of those who were listening. Not that he'd blame anyone for that, politics was incredibly trying and one might be so bold as to say that even he could spot the gaps in the tales.

...If these had been used to define his home then he could see several flaws in them and frustratingly, no one who lived there was prepared to acknowledge them. He found himself as an outsider looking in more often than not given his own circumstances!

"Well," he clucked his tongue. "I could tell you where my pride came from? The mythos behind us and how our founding fathers came to be what they are today?" he hazarded. It was probably the safest option to go with. He'd be able to skirt around the more controversial parts of it and provide a fantastical story of dragons in the process. Suffice to say that it would seem more like a fantasy than a lesson in history and on a night like this, he much preferred to opt for that particular route of storytelling.

Maybe in the future he'd go in to more detail.

When he was ready.

...When even he understood what on earth his own history meant; and just how much of it was true.

Syrius Lionwing

"Greater, if I am honest," Shui glanced towards Ryu and gave a nod of his head. He made no secret of the fact that he was aware of the discontent within the pride, particularly towards him. The fact that the pride still respected this part of their traditions and had gone so far as to honour them brought him some comfort. At least they still acknowledged some of the more important parts of their heritage, even if they had elected to conveniently ignore others.

...Not that there had actually been any mishaps as of late.

"It would seem that despite grievances the pride is still prepared to honour what it needs to, tentatively, but still prepared," he hazarded a wry smile towards the orange lion and shook his head. "Would you have preferred the turnout was smaller?" he queried.

He knew that his father's decision to bring the pride together during this cautious time hadn't been highly controversial, but it had certainly ruffled feathers among those who were particularly traditional. Fortunately, Shui had adopted his father's approach to this evening and hadn't forced anyone to come out. If they wanted to hide in their dens they were more than welcome to do so, but if some traditionalists had come out (much like Ryu), then he found some comfort in that. That being said, if Ryu did feel the need to leave again, Shui would hold it against him!

"Or maybe in a less open area?"

MangoMeow

 

[Epine de Rose]

The black lion had remained close to the boy king, had there been but a sliver of light he still would have been difficult to see, shrouded in the depths of the undergrowth he had chosen to lie in. Nevertheless, he knew the scent of one of his own when it was nearby, the smell of the warrens was distinct, even if it was too subtle for an outsider to detect.

Sweet, scarcely a whisper, but there.

...The Bahari'mtoto had an unusual visitor and one he hadn't been expecting. They were not within the realms of his machinations and it was with a raised brow that the lion opened his eyes and turned his head in the general direction of whomever had chosen to lurk nearby. Stealth was a part of them, a core element of what they were, and his visitor had proven themselves as adept as any other.

"I know you are there," He remarked nonchalantly. His tone was deliberate, designed to acknowledge without causing stir or suspicion from those who were nearby, but largely unconcerned with what he might be currently up to. After all, only a small number of individuals might have seen him and in this current 'weather', they were few and far between!

AstoriaFallen

 

[MangoMeow]

Kumonryu grimaced inwardly at the question, though he looked simply contemplative on the outside. If he were to be honest, he would have rathered this new tradition just not existing, but he knew better than to question it so brashly.

Instead, he answered back with a stilted, "Yes and no. It's good that the pride can come together like this," and it served to show who honored the old ways and who didn't, "though I... would prefer being less exposed during this time of year." He clucked his tongue, "You never know what could be lurking about in the shadows."

The red lion shook his head then, turning his gaze back to Shui, "Are you happy with the turnout being what it is?" He was genuinely curious. What did their leader think of those who showed up and those who didn't?

Epine de Rose