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 Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2016 8:55 pm
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It had taken Hodari a great deal of self-control not to throw herself into another tantrum once she found out her sister was to be Queen. Her sister, who planted flowers and acted as a pacifist, her sister who stole the glory of a kill that Hodari had believed to be her own, her sister who would now rule over them all.
Hodari may be young, but she was older than she had been when the war began and raising her cubs had aged her too. She had returned to the her before the war began, the loyal cub that wanted to train as a Guard in order to protect her family. Now, more than ever, Kimondo would need her support and protection and Hodari would gladly give it to her.
Amabala, her own personal support, remained at Hodari's side. His gaze slid over the gathering looking upon it with a look of appraisal. The maned wolf had found her during her first tantrum, the one she had after she found out that her supposedly pacifist sister had been the one to bring down the tyrant Shangyue, while Hodari herself hadn't gotten to accomplish anything but pulling some undecided lions into the rebellion and planted flowers. She had pulled away from her family and found Amabala... As well as the father of her cubs, not long after. She agreed to let the maned wolf stay, but Hodari considered Azhar as nothing more than another problem, making her life that much more complicated during her internal struggle.
Still, she tried to raise her cubs well and found them growing into wonderful hunters before her eyes. Upon this very night, Hodari's eyes were gazing upon her daughter, Miyako as she greeted her aunt as the new Queen of the pride. Hodari shifted and took a deep breath before exhaling in a long sigh, before standing. It was time to go sit beside her sister.
"Come, Amabala, but keep your eyes out for my little ones too." Said Hodari to her familiar, though they both knew her cubs were far from little, now that they had reached adolescence.
She approached Kimondo, but slunk around the pale lion, Yuehua. She had no intention of interrupting his bold display. She nodded to the Head Guard, Baba'nyota, before sitting on the opposite side of her sister, closer than one may usually, considering that she was now Queen, but Hodari didn't budge. She would snarl at anyone who tried to tell her to move away from her sister. Oh, how she had truly grown.
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 4:02 am
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Kimondo smiled as some friendly faces came up to congratulate her.
"Thank you, Caritas," she said brightly, "And you, Miyako."
Her sister's children had gotten so big. They were ready to start hunting now, too! A small part of her heart ached knowing that she wasn't able to really join them, she did really enjoy her job as a huntress and would have been content to remain one for her entire life.. but that wasn't how life had worked out for her, she needed to do her best now for the pride. Maybe.. she would be able to sneak in a few hunts now and then. Dangerous as it could be, she had her doubts she'd get much hunting it.
The smile wavered a bit when approached by the distinctly bright purple and orange of a lion recruited by Shangyue. She knew some of his story during the fighting and honestly wasn't sure what to expect from him even as he walked up to her... but then he bowed, and she felt a surprising feeling of relief. Being shown such respect was strange, but it truly was the reassuring sign she had hoped it would be by asking that certain parties approach to make their loyalties known.
"Welcome, Shor'ame," she said brightly, "Consider this a fresh start."
She offered her cousin Janus a smile when he refused the offered permission for slaves to depart freely, nodding politely.. and she was abruptly distracted by one of Liuhe's brothers approaching. He was so eloquent and noble, it was surprising that he had not gained more attention in the aftermath of his father's death. Her trust and love for Liuhe and Yueyun prevented her from immediately assuming his .. generous? offer was anything but sincere.
Strange, but sincere.
"Thank you, Yuehua," she said with a small, ever-so-slightly awkward smile, "I'm glad to know I can count on you."
Her eyes wandered when she saw Hodari arrive, shooting an appreciative smile over her shoulder to her sister before turning back to try to focus on the flood of lions.
AstoriaFallen ((eek! totally need to finish that other RP xD ))
I Lady Kiya I (( ... I knew that *cough* xD It was inevitable I make a mistake in this wall of text I prepared and then didn't proof-read ))
Truly, Orion had been looking forward to the announcement of their new ruler. That it ended up being a cousin was not surprising, though he could never have picked Kimondo herself out as the one it would have been. He was happy, everything seemed to be coming back together.. life could be normal again. And then the queen announced a world-changing decision: slaves could depart if they were unhappy with their place in the pride. The very idea itself had stunned him, the idea that it was possible .. and he knew it would mean so much to Halili. They had been caught up in the mess Shangyue created for the low class, seen both sides together and separately.
"I.. never thought about it," he said honestly, allowing a long silence before continuing, "I'm here by choice, I chose you. If you want to go, I'm with you."
A terrifying thought but the only answer he had. He'd be scared to leave but he'd be worse off without her.
Neema was too far back in the crowd to notice Nina addressing the queen or the sad expressions they each wore as the lioness stepped away. Ultimately, that would be for the best as far as the party was concerned because she would absolutely make a scene over how broken up her family was. She had spent some time being so very smug about Lailah's selection, trying to tell anybody who would listen that she had known this was the right choice.. but nobody seemed to believe her, so she had stopped bothering. When she spotted Yksivarinen, she headed right for him-- and sighed dramatically at the sight of his damned necklace.
"Varinen, you're going to be sending mixed signals if you try to say you want to stay but you're wearing that," she said.
Liuhe sighed heavily as his mother continued piling on the guilt, but Xiyang cut in before he could think up a way to reply to why he had done what he did without being a smartass. He was trying to make things easier, not worse. Unfortunately, Xiyang seemed to still be on their mother's side. On her own side. He was extremely grateful Yueyun was there to help him be the voice of reason, and he didn't bother adding to his brother's statement.
The angry mother was bolstered by the support from her daughter, the one that she would have chosen herself to take over had Liuhe not sabotaged their family. Yueyun's remarks drew her attention from her oldest son to the one that had been Shangyue's favorite, the one who had looked so much and so little like him. She immediate response was to snarl, primarily at his tone.
"Your father was a rightful king," she said, "He was a good king!"
"Until he wasn't!" Liuhe interrupted angrily. He hadn't been able to avoid his mother the entire time the pride had been waiting for a new monarch to be chosen, he had been through this argument before and it never changed his mind. He wasn't going to be another usurper king and while he knew Lailah would never have considered his siblings, he had wanted to make it his fault. His mother would always have more luck yelling at him, it would have been his fault anyway. At least this, maybe, helped keep some of the yelling away from the Shaman and Queen.
Rahim's pales eyes moved back and forth from mother to brother to sister to brother.. and still he didn't say anything. They were, of course, being watched because they were all making a scene. If he hadn't grown up with his mother, he might have been put off by it all. Part of him was embarrassed by it, didn't want to be associated with any of this, but his identity had always been so hard to grasp with a dead father who some still supported and others utterly denounced.. while being raised by an overprotective but rather chaotic mother.
He sighed.
He was ready to walk away and just make his own decision without any of them but he needed to know his mother's fate. Was she going to relent and make peace with the pride and their new queen, was she going to loudly accept her exile and curse them all on her way out (and would she try to make him and all his siblings go with her) or was she going to refuse to make peace and refuse to leave, making it necessary for her to be chased out? Or would the new queen even give such an order? He glanced off toward the real action. |
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 12:39 pm
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Father and son sat together, off to one side, people-watching quietly. The pair of them had not said much since gathering. Yavin was mostly curious about what was going to happen. Endor, perhaps, was nursing his disappointment about Meshach not rising to claim the throne (though he already knew this to be the case, it still saddened him). The returned-rogue had been something of a hero to the young lion and it seemed anti-climatic for him not to succeed.
"I don't see your mother here." Yavin broke the silence, shifting his weight, "do you?"
"She'll be here somewhere. It is rather crowded."
"Hmfph," The elder snorted, "all here to see our new, young queen. Such a pity, really."
"A pity?"
"History has never been too kind to our monarchs," Yavin said in a voice barely above a whisper. It was true, of course, but probably better that it not be overheard on a day like today when they were supposed to be looking ahead to new things.
 
"Not too much further," Charon encouraged softly, offering his mother a shoulder to lean on if she wished it - she didn't. The pair of them were moving slowly through the crowds to get a better view of the new queen. If anyone was a little too close, politely, he would request that they would make room so that she could breath a little easier.
Ivie'lingwa lived practically as a hermit these days; joints beginning to cease with age and her eyes not quite what they had once been. She'd always been viewed as a little 'mad' - her seer visions long having affected her ability to build relationships with others.
"There she is," Charon breathed, admiringly. Their new queen was beautiful.
Ivie'lingwa lifted her head and gave a soft grunt of approval. Then, with shaky hind legs, eased herself into a sitting position. "What did you say her name was?"
"Kimondo, mother. Her name is Queen Kimondo."
 
"It's finally all over, then," Nissa sighed, settling herself down amongst the crowd and craning her head to see better. "I came here for peace and safety. So that vicious rogues couldn't hurt me or my family." It had seemed, for some time, like pride cats were not much different. Perhaps this was a turning point, though.
Perhaps her decision to join this place wouldn't be a mistake.
Her daughter nodded carefully, "everything will be fine, now. But...but what about Taini? Will she be allowed to stay?"
Nissa's ears drooped. She wasn't sure what would happen if her daughter was forced to leave. It wasn't Taini's fault that she had been looked upon as a low-class. "I won't let that happen," she replied.
Shesha purred, rubbing in against her mother.
 
[members but not updated certs, yet!]
Tu-Bana and Juno moved together to greet the new queen and pledge their allegiance. Though they had joined as rebels with Meshach they were still new to the pride and therefore felt it best to agree that they would stay. They had not had the time to seek out the family they believed to be living within the pride but now that they had a new ruler, it was time to start that particular desire once more.
Well, after addressing the queen, of course.
"Your Majesty," Juno began, bowing her head, "we offered our aid to the rebels in their time of need and now, during this momentous time, we'd like to offer our services - again - to you, just as we did to Meshach at the borders."
Tu-Bana gave a more awkward bow of his head, his eyes darting from left to right. So many were gathered here today. Surely if there was family here they would be close.
[feel free to approach any of my lions, if anyone needs someone to play with ^_^ ]
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 6:15 pm
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 Having said her piece, the Midwife bowed and retreated back into the crowd. It was so good to have the pride together for such a positive event! And so many of the lions present were people she hadn't seen in social situations for some time now. Why, there was Yavin! And one of his sons too, by the fur color and build.
The black lioness made her way through the crowd towards the former Prince.
"Yavin! It's good to see you!" she called out as she came near.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Tseva gave her mate an exasperated look before turning to her son. She was still stunned that he'd followed her here, but she did appreciate his presence. He might not have been rasied in the swamp, but he understood the beliefs she'd been raised with, as they were the same he'd known as a cub.
"That's true enough, Mot," the lioness replied. "And she certainly is lovely. I wonder if she has a mate in mind...?" the Huntress' words trailed off as her eyes lit with speculation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Avahk merely offered Tseva a sheepish glance in response to her Look. It was an old, well-worn path in their conversation, and they both knew that neither would change the other's mind. So their failure to agree became an expression of love, and he was quite glad that love had allowed her to come home with him. He hadn't expected Mot, hadn't expected that they'd had kids when she left the first time, but it was somewhat intriguing to have a fully adult son present long before the younger litter had grown up.
Speaking of growing up, he was distinctly nervous about that gleam in Tseva's eye.
"I'm not sure the Queen will need any help making any match she chooses," he offered, gently trying to dissuade his mate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 "Yes, she is that," Lailah agreed with her daughter. She was glad that Inenekazi was here standing by her side. It might have been most correct for the younger lioness to stand by her own mentor, Upenzi, the Host. But Lailah was perfectly content to have her here. She might not be able to mentor her own children, but at least one of them had chosen to follow a similar path, making the white lioness proud.
"Do you see your father or siblings around?" she asked. There were so many lions everywhere, Lailah couldn't easily spot her immediate family. And she was looking closely at each group, slowly and carefully, so as to not miss anyone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 'Nene grinned at her mother. She was so excited to be here! Even if she wasn't doing anything Official, this was still probably the most exciting night of her life! The purple lioness wondered if she was going to hurt her face, grinning so much.
Of course, it wouldn't be nearly as wonderful a night if she didn't have all of her family to celebrate it with. Prompted by her mother, Inenekazi began looking for the distinctive brown fur of her father, sister, and brother. If the rest were nearby - wonderful! If not, well, at least these were the easy ones to find.
"Over there Mom!" she finally announced, spotting her father and Endor standing next to each other. 'Nene also saw the black lioness joining them. "By Caritas!" she added.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The lioness turned away from people-watching to face Orion, pale purple eyes wide. She knew he loved her and that she loved him, but she had never suspected that he would love her this much, especially after all they had been through the past two years.
"You...would do that for me? Throw away everything we've ever known and go off into the unknown if I chose it?" He would let her decide his fate - their fate - all by herself? That was probably the most terrifying thought she'd had all day.
And the most wonderful. To know how much he cared...Halili felt as if her heart was full to bursting with love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 It seemed that Liuhe and Yuehua had clear understandngs of what must happen now. But Parisa and Xiyang were trying to cling to the past and the power they'd once known. Blue eyes narrowed in a dark face, and Nyeusi took another few steps closer to the confrontation.
But...it was not yet time for interference. She'd permit the family to argue amongst themselves a little longer. Who knew, perhaps someone else would be touched by the Great Lion and compelled to intervene?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 "Ah, but the crowd is where the action is, Kotulo," Atz informed her daughter serenely as she continued to study the lions around her. Her daughter was very much the High Class Lady, and seemed to have done her best to imbibe all that could mean as far as what Was Not Done.
Apparently that meant not doing anything fun, which Atz'mayiy was constitutionally opposed to.
"There's a number of young males all around. Perhaps you should think about elevating one of them to the high class, hmmm?" the older lioness suggested lasciviously.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 "Mother!" the brown lioness cried out, heedless of the attention she must be drawing to herself. It certainly wasn't ladylike, but neither was what her mother was suggesting! How could Atz'mayiy talk so openly about -gasp- sexual relations?
"I will think about no such thing!" Kotulo Khoeli announced, drawing herself up to her full height - just a bit taller than her mother. "Honestly, Mother, it's no wonder that people call you a prankster, saying such lewd and crude things about people!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 "But...it's the only pretty thing I have," 'Varinen mumbled mostly to himself as Neema chastised him. He knew she was right, or at least quite probably right, but still, it was hard for him to give it up. It was the only special thing he owned.
"I guess...I should go up there and tell her I want to stay," he sighed glumly. There was no doubt that this was his desire, but Yksivarinen was nervous. He'd tried so hard to serve Shangyue well, and had failed in that. What if he did the same thing now with Kimondo?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 To be completely honest, Dwyllodrus didn't give two shits about his father the King. It had been an open (though unconfirmed) secret in the pride for almost all his life. But Shangyue had never acknowledged Dwyllodrus and his siblings until almost at the end. Hell, Mari hadn't even lived long after that!
It was kind of ironic. One of the last acts Tyfu had done for her children was tell them that their father was proud of them. Then she went and got herself killed by Orion, that backstabbing traitor. Dwyllo could see him here too, with his backstabbing mate. They weren't approaching the Queen for some reason - guilt, maybe? - but they were here, and staring at each other as if the rest of the world didn't exist.
Feh, it made him want to puke.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Xiyang sniffed loudly at her brother's outburst. She refused to acknowledge Yuehua's shameless groveling as well. What fools.
"Study some history, Liuhe," she replied stiffly. "A 'good King' is one who benefitted you and your friends. A 'bad King' is one who harmed you and your friends. It's all a matter of perspective." The added idiot went unsaid, but probably not unheard.
She hoped that her mother gained some control over her emotions, this was not the time to let loose with all the anger and rage inside. |
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2016 12:05 am
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Liuxing stood, quite erect, a few feet away from Liuhe and her mother. Though she had taken on the title of Guard over Princess long ago, she still felt that she should be beside them; at the very least, if only to watch over the actions of their mother.
She was a little nervous as she stood, with her head held high. She tried so hard to block out the arguing of her mother and brother, even though she sympathized a little with how her mother felt. Change was hard, especially for many in the Upper Class who had been raised to expect a certain life; but ever since they were cubs, Liuxing had always ultimately sided with Liuhe. Growing up seeing their father twist and get worse, her favor fell away from siding with him and his actions. She had only wished that she had more publicly supported her brothers before now. She stood by Liuhe’s decision to abdicate before, and she'd stand by his decision now.
"Mother, you know we'll always be here for you." She glanced at some of her younger siblings, hoping they weren't being negatively influenced by all of this. Liuxing and her littermates had had a choice - one that her youngest siblings never had. She knew it must be confusing for some of them, especially as this was all happening when they were still so young. Having to grow up without a father, and the only real memories being rumors and stories of the dark deeds he committed weren’t entirely conducive to family bonding. All this bickering among the eldest siblings must have only added to the tension they must have already felt by being there.
Her eyes shifted when she saw Yueyun approach; this can't be good she thought to herself. While Liuxing supported her brothers' unity, Parisa was still their mother, and the purple guard hated seeing her family arguing like this. Sometimes Liuxing felt like they were only widening the divide between them and their mother and sister. “Guys, please.” She tried momentarily to mediate, if only to show respect for the occasion; there was a part of her, too, that wanted to say something harsher to their mother for her sentiments.
Taking in a deep breath, Liuxing tried to mentally distance herself from her dysfunctional family. Her youngest sister, Laleh, sat very attentively next to her, her eyes focused on where the Queen was positioned. It was then that Liuxing noticed her palest brother approach the Queen - she held her breath for a moment, nervous about what he might say or do. It seemed to go well, and she glanced around the pride to see how others might react to this renunciation. Her pink eyes also stole a glance at their mother, wondering what her reaction to this might be.
Slowly flexing her claws in and out, Laleh sat very straight with her siblings. She had scooted a little more towards the edge of the group when the arguing had started, but she was still definitely part of the mass of royals. Every once in awhile, she’d glance around nervously to see if anyone was staring at their family drama. She adored her older siblings, but she was starting to feel embarrassed by the whole situation. Why couldn’t they just get along today? Why did her mother and Xiyang have to be so upset with Liuhe? She didn’t really get it at all. Family was supposed to stick together through thick and thin, right? They could still be a happy family together even though they weren’t going to be Kings or Queens anymore.
Of course, there was a decent part of Laleh that felt highly disappointed. Though she had spent a lot of time with her anti-Shangyue siblings, she was still her mother’s daughter, and had always gotten so excited when her mother told her that she was a Princess. Liuxing had helped her understand a little why this was all necessary, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still going to be a little sad for awhile.
She noticed Liuxing looking at her, and she returned her gaze, biting her bottom lip. “Liuliu, why do they have to fight like this?” Laleh spoke to her sister endearingly before she leaned her head out a bit, giving Liuhe a concerned look.
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2016 1:53 am
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Tired of being in the spotlight, even for a brief moment, Rashne turned and went to find his mother and brothers and... Really, any siblings. It was also an excuse to try and get away from Tama that, regrettably, didn't work. He found it surprisingly easy to find said family, though - He only had to follow the sound of Liuhe's exasperation and his mother's anger, soon joined by his sister's haughtiness. When he got closer, he went not to join the arguing, but to his litter brother, Rahim. "Well I've said my piece, I'm not sure Mother heard it. Which is louder, her refusal to abdicate her position or Liuhe's refusal to acknowledge our regretful birthright?" Truly, Rashne absolutely didn't care about being a ruler. He wanted to be left alone, especially by Tama. Who was, once again, all but plastered to his side.
 Close at Rashne's heel, Tama followed along. She was confident in her predictions of his future, and her own, still young enough to believe what her visions told her. Or so she told others. She'd already been told by an older seer lioness, Hagryphus, that visions of the future were possible at best. Every new vision was a POTENTIAL future, but none were guaranteed. So if the right lions pressed, she'd tell the truth - Tama was playing her part to make sure Shangyue's genes didn't try to lay claim to the throne. Rashne just happened to be the brother she chose, in part due to feelings for him. While she paid Rahim no true mind, her attention was mostly focused on Parisa and Liuhe, listening to the two argue.
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2016 4:16 am
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Kimondo couldn't hide her curiosity when Tu-Bana and Juno approached her to offer their service and loyalty, with a bit of their story. She really didn't recognize them, and their words quickly explained why. She only knew of a few outsiders who had joined Meshach, but she was grateful he had found support on the borders.
"Thank you," she said, smiling, "What are your names?"
If they had joined with Meshach, had they been initiated, she wondered? She almost dreaded the thought of welcoming new blood once again, they would have to sort out the absence of the nurse's guard.. and Kimondo was reluctant to simply hand away her great-grandmother's position like it didn't matter.
His nervousness over the idea of leaving his pride behind dissolved at the reaction Halili had. She couldn't have been expecting him to say that, truly he hadn't expected it to be what came out of his mouth either.. but he meant every word. Shangyue's reign had been hard on them, their family.. but, strangely, it ended up giving him a confidence in himself he hadn't had before.
"Of course!" he said, "I could give up everything else and be fine as long as you were there with me."
He'd tried life without Halili, they had both stubbornly dug in their heels when pushed.. and neither of them had been in a very good state when they reconciled. He couldn't forget what it had been like without her if he tried.
Neema smiled and shook her head as Varinen mumbled defensively, not catching whatever excuse he chose this time but knowing all of them well enough. If only such a thing were easily crafted, she could produce some replacement, a fair trade.. but she was useless for that. So they went in circles, as always. Despite how close she was to Kimondo, she couldn't guess what the new queen would think of the necklace. She didn't really know Varinen.
"Do you want me to go with you?" she offered cheerily, "I can put in a good word for you."
Liuhe snorted at the 'lesson' in good and bad Xiyang offered him, not for the first time glad she was not the new Queen. It hurt to think he might have been just as bad, just as selfish, had he not had a friend like Kimondo to set him right. Had the pride not been willing to fight for something better.
"Did our father ever really treat you well, Xiyang?" he asked, losing some of his exuberance but clearly unwilling to believe that Shangyue had been a good father. As far as Liuhe could remember, he was neglectful at best and suspicious at worst.. but his position had been different, Liuhe was his heir. A threat. One the usurper king recognized when his parents and grandparents had not.
Parisa was surrounded, but she was surrounded by her children-- and at least one was on the same side as her. She would never give up, even Liuxing's reassurance that they were there for her didn't help. Her father and sister were being exiled, her brother was facing exile.. and she was facing exile. She went from queen to outcast, her family from nobility to nothing.. and none of them cared!
She bared her teeth but said nothing as Liuhe's attention moved from her to his sister.
"I am not going to ask some huntress-turned-queen for permission to stay in my home," she declared to the gathering of her offspring in general, as nobody was talking to her at that moment, "I did the right thing! For my family and my pride. She can't take everything from me."
Rahim looked over when Rashne and Tama came up, and shook his head.
"I don't know if she can hear anything," he grumbled. He was curious about what Rashne had told the new Queen exactly but he didn't care enough to ask. He hadn't caused a scene like this, it had to be something akin to what Liuhe had asked.. something that Rahim had to get around to saying, too.
"Being here and not challenging the queen should be enough," he muttered, not fond of drawing more attention to himself by having to walk up, "Not even mother is saying any of the this to the queen. Do you think she'll actually let herself be kicked out?"
He looked from Rashne to their mother and older siblings, then over to where Liuxing and Laleh were.. and sighed. |
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:24 pm
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The end of Shangyue had shattered their family. It had left her mother a shadow of her former fiery self. Manyara knew she shouldn't, but she hated Shangyue for what he'd done. Unfortunately he was well out of her reach. That portion of their lives was now behind them, yet some sorrow still lingered.
Manyara was pleased and relieved when the new queen was decided. They had been without for too long. She, however, had a serious pressing matter. The young lioness nibbled her bottom lip nervously as she went to her mother's den. Nkosazana had been openly for Shangyue up until toward the end. She felt it would be better if her mother went up and swore loyalty to the new queen instead of mopping in her den.
She stopped and took a deep breath before venturing into the den. They had not parted on good terms last time. Manyara had no idea how she was going to be received tonight.
"Mother? Mother, the moon is full. There's a new queen being named. It would be a dishonor to our family not to attend." The young lioness knew she'd have to persistant.
Nkosazana was a broken lioness. She had been sunk in apathy and depression. How could she have been so stupid? Her low class born daughter had seen it. She secluded herself in her den; no longer interested in the social activity of the pride. Not even her job as a rogue guard, once her pride, could draw her out. Days and months had passed without much interest.
The lioness barely glanced up as her daughter entered. Usually if she ignored them long enough they went away. Not this time. It took several minutes before the words registered. A new queen? It brought back painful memories of Alcmene, but a king would have left a foul taste in her mouth. She stared into the darkness of her den as she mulled over her thoughts. Did she want to go? No. Nko shifted to settle firmly into her bed.
A nudge at her shoulder made her crack an eye. Oh her daughter was still here. It didn't stop there. Manyara kept at it insistently. Nko finally sighed and heaved herself to her feet. With continued prodding, she plodded her way out into the moonlight and toward where the pride was gathering.
It took concentrated effort to keep her mother moving. Manyara knew her mother would stop, or worst head back to her den if she stopped. Finally they arrived. Manyara waited for their turn to approach the new queen. As they stepped up, she smiled heartfeltly. "Greetings Queen Kimondo. My mother and I come to offer our congratulations. May your reign be long and fruitful."
This was the happiest night of his life in a very long time. The purple lion approached and gave the new queen and elegant and formal bow. "My Queen. My happiest best wishes for your rule." He straightened up, and sombered slightly. "I realize my presence here might be awkward for you. Do you wish me to stay?" He would leave the decision in her paws. If it would make it easier for her for him to leave due to the role he played, then he would bow out gracefully. |
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2016 11:13 pm
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Liuxing briefly returned her gaze to her youngest sister. “Maybe the Great Lion was bored and wanted some amusement.” She managed a smile, trying to return some spirits to the happier occasion this was supposed to be.
Cocking her head towards her mother, she couldn’t keep her thoughts to herself. “Mother, we all had to make sacrifices. And I hope you’ll keep your youngests in mind when opening your mouth today,” her voice lowered and her eyes intensified for a moment, “especially considering what’s at stake.” After a moment of holding her gaze, Liuxing’s expression softened. Though she was a guard, she hated being this forceful with her mother, but she hoped that her pleas would finally be heard. If Parisa didn’t want to behave for Liuhe or Yueyun, maybe she’d do it for her youngest litter. “You know none of us would want to see you exiled.” Her gaze shifted back towards the front of the gathering, pink eyes tracing the paths of lions that would approach.
At Liuxing’s comment, Laleh couldn’t help but giggle a little. It all seemed like a bit of a cruel joke, though, to throw their family into such turmoil.
Rolling her eyes at the continuing conflict, she came to her feet, moving over to where her other brothers were. “Do you think mother will end up exiled?” Laleh sat on the edge of Rahim and Rashne, keeping her voice low so her mother wouldn’t hear. It was an honest question, and part of Laleh feared that it would come to that with how things seemed to be going so far.
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Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 1:51 am
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Yueyun refused to shrink back from his mother's snarl, though he looked stricken, some of his anger deflating. She was being utterly impossible and it was beginning to look increasingly likely that she'd practically demand exile. And if she kept carrying on about how Shangyue had been a good king, the pride would happily oblige her. He couldn't help but feel distressed at the thought. How to convince her to see reason?
He was grateful for Zuri'zola's presence, even if he regretted that she had to see how fractured their family had become. Might further become. He would be the first to admit that his fling had been ill-considered, but at the very least he had gained a friend in her...and perhaps his own small, less-troubled family unit. Time would tell, but at least he could have hope in that.
His eyes flickered to Fasrin as his uncle bluntly laid out what Mother would face if she remained set in her path. He saw an opportunity in those harsh words, and siezed upon it. "Which do you want more, Mother? Your claim to a title that nobody's going to give you, or your home? Your family? Be angry at us if you need to," he gestured at himself and Liuhe, "But Liuxing's right. Don't punish the rest of your children by getting yourself thrown out." The more he spoke, the quieter his words became.
"Don't make them lose their mother, too." |
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Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 4:17 am
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Kimondo saw Manyara and Nkosazana coming a mile away- and she very nearly rose to meet them. Instead, she fidgeted in place and waited for them to come to her. She was supposed to stay right here until everybody was done talking to her, this was how she wanted to spend her first night as Queen, listening to her people.. but her reclusive great-grandmother was concerning.
When she managed to pull her focus back onto the task in front of her, she was surprised to realize it was Meshach who was now before her. Her stomach twisted anxiously, though he sounded perfectly happy with the decision the Shaman had made. He ought to have been in her place, and he would have been had love not taken him down a different path.
"Thank you, Meshach," she said, smiling sheepishly, "Don't go! We're really here to celebrate our successes in reclaiming our pride, and to welcome the changes to come. I may be queen but you did a lot to make all of this possible, everybody should be here to see you."
If any deserved the blessing of the Great Lion, it was Meshach and his family. She didn't get long to think on it, for then it was Manyara and Nkosazana before her.
"Thank you, Aunt Manyara," she said, looking from the younger lioness to the elder, hoping to meet her great-grandmother's gaze.
magnadearel (( I switched Meshach and Manyara/Nko's approaches around, Nko needs more attention than Meshach ;3 ))
Parisa shot her dearest brother a deadly glare when he jumped into the conversation, but there were too many voices, too many words. She was on the losing side of this argument and she had known that from the start but at least this shame was brought on by herself. It was infuriating that nobody would listen to her, that her children would, for the most part, give up their birthright with no question. Without them in any position of power, she would be no different than any other Lady.
The reminder that she had younger children to worry about, too, lessened her outward fury. But more rage simmered under the surface as she changed tactics and focused on Yueyun.
"I do not seek a title for myself!" she snapped, falling silent for a moment before giving a withering sigh, "If my children would each forsake their birthright, their duty to this pride.. I have no choice."
Liuhe silently watched as his mother gave in under the immense pressure of half of her offspring and her only remaining extended family member. He didn't say or do anything, just stared. Kimondo and Lailah would want to see that he and Yueyun believed in her before giving her a real second chance. His mother was selfish and dramatic, she had done harm as queen.. but would she be harmless now? He didn't know.
He looked over to Yueyun.
Rahim moved over when Laleh came over to him and Rashne, offering an emphatic shrug when asked the same question he had posed. It suddenly didn't look like their mother was willing to accept exile, but he sincerely doubted how genuine she was in accepting her fate regardless. According to her, he was supposed to be a prince and think like a prince and act like a prince.. but he didn't feel like a prince. And as far as the pride was concerned, he wasn't one.
"Maybe it would be better if she was," he said to Rashne and Laleh in a hushed voice.
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Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 3:45 pm
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Ecavi Lol no worries! He was thrown in there as an afterthought anyhow. XD
Meshach chuckled warmly. His half-founded fear that the new queen would be afraid to keep him around was completely washed away by her warm welcome. "Nothing makes me happier than to be back where I belong. Many happy years to you Queen Kimondo." He dipped his head gracefully then moved out of the way. It was going to be a busy night for her. The purple male moved off to the side where he could watch the pride under the eye of the Great Lion.
This is how it was meant to be, he thought to himself. His duty, his purpose had been accomplished. He could now live his life again.
Manyara made sure her mother stayed in line until it was their turn. It was a nervous wait. She was surprised to note the lion in front of them was none other than Meshach himself. She was pleased Kimondo allowed him to stay. The irony that her mother had been assigned to find him, and now here he was right before her and she hadn't the wit to notice.
Nudging her mother closer to the new queen, their wait ended with a bit of a surprise. The queen had called her aunt. Manyara blinked in surprise. "Um. Begging your pardon Queen, but I don't think I'm an aunt?" She knew her mother had had one other litter, but had relatively little contact with her half siblings. Nko never really spoke of her other low class born litter.
"Mother, please say hello to Queen Kimondo."
Nkosazana shuffled up until permitted to stop. She didn't want to be here. The lioness let her blank gaze pass over the white lioness in front of her. Why had her daughter brought her here? More importantly, why had she allowed herself to be brought? The words from the white lioness slowly sank in. Aunt? Why had Manyara been called aunt? She took a slightly longer look at the lioness. Was she familiar? No, not really. "She's no aunt."
Conflicting emotions warred within her. In the old days, she would have been smoozing up to the queen as much as possible. She would have been delighted to have been so close with personal attention. Now she wasn't sure. Nko gritted her teeth and got the pleasantries out. "Hello Queen Kimondo."
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Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 4:32 pm
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The young queen blinked when Manyara suggested she was mistaken. Had she really not noticed how far her family had drifted apart? She hadn't spent any time at all with them, really, but she knew their names.. their faces. She looked abruptly over to Nko when she, too, said she was mistaken. It hurt to be denied, even by accident, but her surprise was greatest.
"I--"
What was she supposed to say to that exactly? With a deep breath, she put on a slightly forced smile and shook her head.
"My mother is Imani's daughter," she said, "There's only one Imani in this pride that I know of."
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