[META] Paint the Town Red

[Shia bean]

Ndidi was a young primate, pretty on most accounts with white hair passed down from her mother; and absolutely not from age. She had grown tall and lean unlike the pair that reared her, but without their gracefulness; a klutz if there ever was one.

While she was often without words, a shyness mistaken for great respect, the baboon was never without curiosity. Nantale was what kept her parents involved, but the gourds were her main interests. Most of what lions spoke escaped her, despite the great efforts of her parents, but paint, music... those she understood with great clarity. As the lot began their trek to the wall, Ndidi snatched her selection up quickly and made way before those who might protest, could. And she would find Jeropope’s side coincidently, limbs dripping of the pink paint she so carelessly wielded, looking only once at the face of a pride-mate before leading her eyes to ground indefinitely. The older male was a member she found incredibly intimidating from afar, on any normal day. So as she would have expected, and given the circumstances, being up close was even more so.

Ndidi gave a hard swallow and lengthened the stretch of land she could cover in hopes to pass him by, but the sudden halt of the group would do enough to keep awkward greetings at bay. The Goddess at their head brought Ndidi to her forelegs, sitting upright with the gourd clutched to her silky chest-- somewhat in awe.  

[Talencia]

Siesha and Tari exchanged concerned looks when they rounded the wall and shortly were brought to a halt. Siesha's paws stopped their tapping, and her tail held perfectly still... not at all a natural state for the wild dog. She frowned past the goddess towards the small grouping in the distance. A scent of blood was drifting vaguely, and it worried her. Tari was clearly as worried as her companion, and the fur down her spine was fluffing faintly, raising a visible line down the purple lioness' back. The lioness set her gourd down carefully and stood taller, better able to see around them to sense danger than her wild dog friend. If something bad was going to happen, Tari was determined that this time she'd be able to do something about it. She refused to lose another family to tragedy. It would simply shatter what was left of her gentle soul.

Sucana noticed the wariness of her mother and Aunt Tari. It made her nervous, and she was quick to edge closer to them. She also set her gourd down and sidled yet closer to Siesha. "Mother," she whispered anxiously, tail tucking between her hind legs, "what's going on? Who is that?" Her eyes flicked to the intimidating goddess, and then beyond to the faint glimpse of others beyond. Something was definitely up, and it wasn't at all turning out to be the happy occasion the quiet wild dog was hoping for.

Goss was clueless, as ever. He gamboled along, though he was careful with his gourd. Even so, he nearly capered into the back of someone who had stopped due to the warning of the goddess. He put on the brakes just in time, tipping the container so the slosh of paint stayed inside. He put it down and looked around, finding himself beside a white-haired babboon. "Hi!" he yipped brightly. "Some fun, eh?" He wrinkled up his painted-green nose in a silly expression at the primate. "Hope we get moving again soon!"

Jamiri was not nearly so dense as the hyena-who-thought-he-was-a-wild-dog. He still tended to eye that creature askance, uncertain how any creature could possibly be so confused about their identity. But presently, it was the alarmed looks and strained voices that had his attention. He set aside his gourd and left it behind, moving forward to listen and observe. Something major was happening, and he felt the drive to experience it first-hand, to watch others do the same, so that he could wrap it in song later to share with younger generations as they came along. The scent of blood was troubling, causing him to shift his weight uneasily. He glanced around to see if anyone he knew was missing, but as far as he could tell, everyone he knew was here. Even that annoying wild dog/hyena that had grown up next door.  

[Quaji]

Misimu followed behind, but still looked back over his shoulder to keep an eye on his daughter in-between his glances at Mwokoti and the gathering group that was stopping in front of her. Of course he would help the goddess with this, but what could he truly do beside guard with what strength he had? His powers had not manifested themselves and even now his priority was first and foremost his daughter's safety above others.

The god of seasons approached the group, standing slightly behind Mwokoti but off to side to make himself visible to them.

His daughter on the otherhand was beginning to calm herself, many thanks to the two maned nudges she received. Uzimamto passed a glance over her shoulder, looking at the backs of their parents. Quickly her attention snapped back as Ja said help. There was a raspy breath and quickly the bright lioness approached Ja's side.

She wasn't knowledgeable about healing. She never had to hunt so accidents were few and the most she had even been hurt were scratches, bruises and one twisted paw. "Water." Uzimamto thought out loud as she turned to look at Ja. "Maybe drinking would help wake him?" Of course she could be wrong.  

[Shia bean]

A double-take brought Ndidi's attention to Goss, a less worrisome presence than her primate brethren; as backwards as it seemed. With him she felt more inclined to silence rather than be silent, over the short time of her life with the Nchi finding that their similarities were a cushion of comfort she subconsciously accepted; whether he knew of her existence or not.

"Goss, Shh!" Ndidi hissed out the side of her mouth, darting a wide look his way. "Can't you see? We are being visited by the gods! Today is a special kind of day!"

As it was, and like the hyena she so adamantly aimed to quiet, the iron in the air, the feel of the visit, and the tension of the group did not surmount the excitement of being so very close to a real. life. god. Instead, like a child seeing the stars for the very first time, Ndidi watched without blinking. Then her breath caught as another came up behind the winged one, and for Goss she swapped the gourd from two hands to one and pointed a finger ahead of her. Look at that!

((Feel free to have him not know of her at all, or be somewhat familiar with her, or know her well! Totally up to you biggrin ))  

[Talencia]

Goss' eyes got round at the scolding. He wasn't bothered by it, moreso impressed by the urgency and excitement that Ndidi expressed. "Visited by what?!" he hissed back, trying to keep his voice low and only halfway succeeding. He tried to peer around the gathered lions in front of him, all taller than he, to see what in the world the baboon was talking about. He caught sight of the goddess just as Ndidi's shaking finger pointed past his nose at.. wait, was that another one?!

Goss stared as much as his friend did. What in the world... gods? Really?! He sucked a breath and tried to stand on his hind legs, wobbling about unsteadily as he got his first good look at the two beings before the group. Well, they certainly were big! He dropped to all fours, nearly knocking over his gourd of paint. He saved it, mostly, just in time, splashing his dark green paws with bright green.

"What do they want?" he hissed again to Ndidi, leaning close and nearly knocking her gourd of paint out of her grasp. "Are they mad we're going to paint the wall?" It was the only thing his young mind could conceive of to bring forth the presence of deity. It wasn't as if he was experienced at this sort of thing!

Shia bean

 

[Kaelyndra]

Csoa stepped forwards, bringing his body closer to Nantele. His brows furrowed as he looked between Mwokoti and the approaching foreign presence.

Look at that, indeed. Even Jeropope had to stop scratching his belly to blink towards the great beasts. Aside from the feathery monstrosities that counted as wings, the yellow one was not so large. Her gaze and voice, however, commanded authority. Jeropope had seen her many times before; her lantern was a sought-after guide for the lost.

"Most are here," Csoa calmly informed, a few more steps taking his shoulder to Nantele's side. He did not dare step before the queen's paws, but Mwokoti's tone alone concerned him.

Hanyu remained at the back, his weight stamping very lovely purple paws onto the earth as he stood. Like most, he had no words, only a slack jaw and raised hackles.  

[Hopefolly]

Ja.

The wild dog didn't speak or cough again. His eyes were hooded and what color Ja could see was dulled. Was he blind, or was it blood loss? He's already awake, I think. The longer they waited, the more merciful it would be to end his suffering and be done with it. If their parents could take an interlude from their diplomatic nonsense for a moment, just maybe he stood a chance.

"We don't have anything to carry it in," he reminded her. But he'd heard the water in the lake was potable, and since he didn't throw his God given — correction: Goddess given — weight around, he may as well put it to use elsewhere. Lugging this poor dog should be easy enough for a lion his size. "Help get him on my back and we'll take him over instead."  

[Hopefolly]

Coincidence that when Mwokoti scanned the crowd for a second, more thorough look, her eyes lingered longest on Goss and Ndidi? That would be for them to decide. To Ndoto, she nodded, familiarity rather than confirmation or greeting spurring it. He had come with her to bring this royal family of theirs back, as she recalled.

"Nchi'mahadhi, it seems new enemies have tread on your land. They've left behind two lions and a wild dog." She lifted a wing and it flicked to draw attention to the scene behind her, to where Ja and Uzimamto were trying to move their fellow predator without exacerbating his condition. Even this far one could get the feeling it wasn't going well. A pessimist would have thought him dead already, limp as he was.

"The wild dog lives still." The others she didn't account for, and that was telling enough. "Do you want him brought in?"

"Yes, hurry," Nantale insisted, then she turned to her people. "Everyone! Everyone, listen. My cousin Talis, the late princess of the Mtaishi, told me of a special plant that grows there. We may need it. It's blue like the sky and round like the moon. It grows low to the ground, so with the grass high as it is we need to be careful not to step on it."



::OOC::

arrow Given they are now heading out into the field, members may have a better look at what Ja and Uzimamto are doing the closer they get. They can choose to assist / be nosy / interact with them. Please allow Quaji to post first, especially since they'd take some time to reach them even at a run.

arrow The "flower" Nantale speaks of looks similar to the Gotu Kola, only with a blue tint. It's been said to grow strictly in the former Mtaishi'Miele land and was a blessing from the God of Plants (neither of which is 100% proven). It's up to you whether or not your Nchi has heard of this plant. The most common rumor is it helps one to sleep. Some say it helps them to "sleep." As in, die peacefully.

arrow For your post, roll 1-10.
1-7: Your character finds nothing.
8-9: Your character found one of the plants, but stepped on it.
10: Your character locates one of the plants and manages to avoid trampling it.

arrow New people may join in at any point and play a non-lined species (especially baboons!) if they have no members.

arrow The next post will depend on how the RP goes, but at the earliest it will be Thursday evening. More likely, sometime next week to give people a chance to interact and search.

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Yin-bug

SilverLutz

Kaelyndra

Talencia

Quaji

Shia bean

 

[Quaji]

Uzimamto nodded quickly as she dipped her head down to try and get the wild dog's body over her neck. It was messy, there was blood caked all over the poor thing's body and the still drying blood began to smear over the lioness' bright pelt.

"One...two...three!" On the count of three she pushed her shoulders up and attempted to drape the canine's body across Ja's back. It was sloppy at best and hopefully moving him didn't hurt him too much... "Do you know the way?" Darting her head around, she looked towards the pride once more but with a much more hopeful expression. "Maybe one of them knows the way! Excuse me! Excuse me, we could use some help over here!" Maybe someone could spare the time to help them get this wild dog to the water's edge.  

[Yin-Bug]

Mawi's brow's arched as she looked forward at the commotion that was going on. Today was both exciting and strange for all kinds of different reasons. Mawi was just all kinds of excited but a little concerned at the same time. She had seen this pride through so much but this was a new thing. She listened to Nantale carefully, and lifted her head. "Hmm." She hummed simply, and flicked her tail behind her, causing her shakers to rattle behind her as she did.

"Mother? Kirja hummed as she approached her mother's side. She cocked her head as she looked forward unsure herself of what was going on. Whatever was happening confused her mother and therefore confused her as well.

Mawi raised her head and nodded in Kirja's direction. "Go look for the flower dearest." With that Mawi turned her attention back toward Nantale, and paced toward her side. As she approached she let out a soft laugh. "Well sweetie, my eyes don't work the same as she once did." She flopped back onto her haunches and then spoke. "Well this seems interesting, huh. If you need anything speak up."

Kirja nodded at her mother and turned around to look for the flower. The grasses were very tall and she wasn't even sure if she was going to be able to find one around this area. Her eyes grazed and she looked closely at the edges of the wall as she walked. she couldn't seem to find a thing.  

[SilverLutz]

Ndoto felt his heart lurch at the sight past the goddess: two lions struggling to get a very injured wild dog up onto the male's back. Once he heard the plea for help he took off towards them, leaving behind the yellow paint. Even though it was rare and he had stayed up through the night to make it, it was not nearly as important as what was going on.

He didn't bother looking for the flower as he ran forward, leaving the task to the other pride members. As he got closer the smell of blood hit him full-on, and he slowed to a trot, eyes widening at the sight before him. Not only was the wild dog injured, but two lions lay dead on the ground. His whole body trembled with sadness, but he couldn't dwell on the lost. The wild dog was alive and needed help.

"Yes, what is it you need?" he asked, looking from one lion to the other. "I'm no medic, but I'll help however I can."  

[Kaelyndra]

Like Ndoto, Uzimamto's holler for help spurred Csoa into action. The grey male broke into a hard lope, trailing well behind the cream-colored Nchi lion. He arrived, panting heavily. Unbeknownst to him, a blue flower had been brutally squashed in his movement.

The male had only intended to cast a single glance towards the event to assess what was happening, but the slashed, bloodly corpses startled him into a frozen silence. Csoa swallowed, feeling his head spin and his nose wrinkle. It stunk of stale blood, and the flies were whisking this way and that in a sick display of elation. "I..." the male breathed, forcing his head away and towards the wild dog. "I'll help," came his raspy breath, as he moved his way around Ja's other side. "Keep him stable." Not look towards the corpses.

-

They were unseen by Hanyu, who was practicing a thorough dose of avoidance. There were two lions over there, but if he could not see them, they did not exist. The leopon set his ghord aside to lower his muzzle and squinted between the grass. He headed in the opposite direction of the group, and was some way out before his head shot up as though he'd been bitten.

"Hey," he spoke at first, not loudly enough to hear. Then, Hanyu's front paws came off the ground as he hopped in exclamation. "Hey!" He was so overwhelmed by excitement that he did not say why he was yelling.

-

Slow was ever, Jeropope looked between the movement of lions and baboons around him. He set his ghord on the ground when many others abandoned them. Then, lowering himself onto all fours, he slowly marched forwards. He found himself next to Ndidi, and gave her shoulder one, brisk pat before entering the tall grass. His movements were mostly a product of parroting, and he was unlikely to find anything.  

[Shia bean]

[I'll fill this in in a bit/possibly tomorrow! But Ndidi's thoughts are basically:

"Watch where you're wobbling, Goss!" "Idk why they're here, but-- omg one of them is looking this way. One of them is looking this way. Act natural." "Oh no, enemies! Not exactly the news I was hoping for!" "Omg Jeropope touched me did you see that?!" "Come on Goss, let's go find this flower".

Of course she finds nothing, hopefully Goss has more luck. LOL ]  

[Talencia]

Siesha and Tari watched things unfold with wide eyes. Neither spoke (obviously Tari wouldnt) as they took in the fact that two gods now faced them, and that there was tragedy in the works. At the instruction to begin looking through the tall grass, both turned without complaint and began padding away from the others. It didn't matter whether they went towards the Nchi's lands or into their departed neighbors'. All that mattered was finding that plant.

So focused was Siesha that her tail and paws were no longer beating a rhythmic tattoo on the ground. Instead her tail was high and straight, and her nose was glued to the ground. Her ears still flicked and listened to the sounds around her, but her intent gaze and quick mind were only for the ground before her. She was drifting away from Tari when she heard the lioness inhale sharply. Siesha's head shot up, turning towards her friend to reassure herself that the lioness wasn't hurt. The rueful look on her friend's face, though, told her all she needed to know. "Found it by paw, huh?" the wild dog asked, moving to comfort her friend. Two steps later, she stopped dead and looked just as guilty. "Me too."

Sucana went off at a very different angle from her mother and aunt. She kept casting looks towards those helping the injured wild dog, but she wasn't assertive enough to walk past the gods and offer her help. Instead, she just kept looking for those plants. She was having absolutely no luck, however.

Goss gave the baboon an apologetic look before listening with open jaws to what was being said. Enemies? Nchi? He blinked owlishly, unable to put the two ideas together. Why, they were terribly peaceful! Who could want to hurt them? And if someone wanted to hurt them, why had they hurt these strangers instead? Unless... they weren't strangers? He became genuinely concerned then, hearing that it was a wild dog that needed help. One of his own kind! He dearly hoped it wasn't one of his sisters that wasn't in direct line of sight!

So anxious was he that he flattened his ears in rebuke at the young baboon when she got squealy over an aged one of her own kind touching her. "Pay attention! This is serious!" Maybe she couldn't understand. It wasn't one of her kind that was hurt, after all. Taking a deep breath and giving her a kind look, he turned and went bounding into the deep grasses, trying to get beyond the ring of searchers. By the time he'd stopped leaping along, though, he realized he hadn't been careful enough. A crushed blue flower was beneath his paw, ruined. He folded his ears in consternation. Here he'd been scolding Ndidi, and he'd gone and ruined it himself! What help was he if he couldn't do this right?!

Jamiri debated internally. Would it be better to be part of the search for the much-needed herb? Or to go and help those assisting whomever it was that was hurt? His rolling stomach decided him. Blood was not for the likes of he, it seemed. So instead he gamely began to pace outwards. Rather than just randomly setting a course, though, he began to circle. He began small and worked outwards. Granted, this meant he was behind pretty much everyone who was searching, and thus was unlikely to find any, but at least he was being thorough.

Shia bean

 

[Hopefolly]

Yin-Bug

Kaelyndra

Nantale.

Nantale didn't want to say Mawi should be grateful for her poor vision, though she certainly thought it. She could barely make out the indents in the grass up ahead, the faint sight of red. That was more than enough.

"Just be careful for now," she instructed. The safer everyone stayed, the less she had to fret over. "I'm going to go search." She called to Ja, Ndoto, and all the others helping with the collapsed wild dog, "Clean his wounds then get him across the borders!"

Hearing Hanyu's shouting, she hurried over to him, looking rightfully distressed and exasperated. "What is it, Hanyu?"

Kaelyndra

Quaji

SilverLutz

Ja.

Ja appreciated the aide, as futile as he felt it was by then. If they didn't stanch the flow of blood, the wild dog was done for, and they had no means with which to do that. Some fancy plant couldn't possibly decide the difference between life and death...

"Just keep on either side of me," he told Ndoto and Csoa. "Keep him from falling."

They'd reached the water, so... now they had to get him submerged without drowning him. "Help me get him down."