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 Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2019 10:16 am
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Taj was still a newly transplanted lion here in the Pridelands, and while normally this sort of thing wouldn't have bothered him in the past... things had changed and shifted deep within himself. He was not the same as before, exiled from his home by his own father he joined Bel here in the Pridelands. Why would he ever try to fit into a place that he didn't belong? His mind was made and heart set. This was his home now.
Pity though the second he came back home with Bel everything fell apart. The sky fell, lives were lost, nothing felt secure anymore - well, nothing besides how he felt about her. She was his focus. He knew the pain she now carried was a heavy one and wanted to be her champion now more than ever. Slowly the red eyed lion made his way over to where his lighter companion stood, speaking out in a familiar tone.
"Bel-" his voice turned into a whisper as he approached the lioness he had affection for. "I came to support you."
It took him a moment to notice her mother was standing beside her. This caused the lion to bow his head in respect as his eyes found the ground. He wanted to be worthy of Belkane, he just hoped he could prove himself over time.
As soon as Taj lifted his head back up a familiar pelt caught his eye. In the distance stood his youngest sister, Aja, alone and silent. "What is Aja doing here?" he questioned aloud as a frown danced cross his maw. For a long moment the lion stood slightly perplexed before his sight moved back to Bel, who he was now standing beside. He gave her a slight smile, doing his best to bring her some comfort during this chaotic time.
As the King approached and allowed Vitha to continue to speak Aja found herself lost within the heat of the moment, completely invested in what this darker female had to say. There were truths littered all throughout her words and though she didn't know this lioness personally Aja could relate to the anger she felt.
She would definitely stick around to see how this played out. The pale lioness took a moment to scan the crowd, stopping only when her eyes landed on her brother Taj, who was standing just a few feet away. A soft frown crossed her muzzle as she starter over toward him, unaware of why he was here. He was an Outlander still, right? "Taj?" she called out as she approached, eyeing the females that stood beside him. "Brother, why are you here?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2019 10:41 am
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Pausing in listening, Madaha looked over to Iva, humming. "They have no patience for King Tau. He was thrust into his position as heir because his uncle went who knows where... And lions have distrusted him because he had to be brought in from another kingdom. So the idea that they think he's ineffective as a king because he's struggling to be accepted and listened to, while having never meant to be here in the first place when he was first born, is complete bullshit to me. You can't force some things." She looked back at the gathering, then huffed, "And besides, I don't think either one of them called on anything from outside. That one lioness, Tziporah, with the scars and the face mask marking, said that gods will do as gods will do, and there's little we can or can't do to make them or stop them."
From the ground where he was still laying, Kushindwa said, "It was inevitable." He looked, too, at the cream lioness. "And gods have been coming to the Pridelands for many generations, so it was bound to happen that one with less-than-pleasant intentions would eventually come around. They can't all be like Ms. Zimran, can they?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:32 pm
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J'B noticed the stranger standing beside her daughter. In the past, she would not have been concerned by his presence, but considering recent events she was a little worried. He had just joined the pride, but her daughter seemed to place a great deal of faith in him. Belkane was young, but always had a good head on her shoulders. Either way, J'B would keep an eye on the male for now.
J'B nodded her head to Taj, returning the gesture he had given her. She accepted his presence, but that hardly meant she trusted him entirely.
The concern was that they were still allowing rogues to join the pride despite the troubles at their borders. It was something that she was beginning to feel they needed to re-evaluate. There were murderers out there, and it was all too easy for them to slip amidst their ranks now. Lions were disappearing all too often now, and while she threw her support behind Tau it was clear that something needed to be done.
Vitha's presence was troublesome, but she hoped that perhaps she could knock some sense into their king.
She frowned, realizing that perhaps that thought was wrong. J'B herself should have done something more for the sake of her pride. Never should she place it upon someone else's shoulders to burden.
"Another friend, Belkane?" J'B spoke in a low voice, not wanting to disrupt the on-goings as now Aja approached.
---
Bel did not realize she had been holding in a breath until she released it at hearing Taj's voice. She turned her head to see Taj walking up behind her. The relief she felt at seeing him was not something she could hide, and for a moment the dark expression on her face disappeared. They had spent some time together, and though the days had been hard Taj's presence made them just a little bit more bearable.
"Thanks," was all she could say for a moment. She felt her mother's gaze land on them for a moment, but it seemed like J'B had more important things to focus on then who her daughter was involving herself with.
"Who's... Aja?" Belkane asked, confused for a moment. She tried to follow his gaze over the crowd, but could not pick out the lioness he was referring to until the pale creature began to make her way over towards them. "I did not realize you had friends," she cleared her throat, realizing she may have spoken a blunder there in more ways than one.
"Uh, besides me I mean. And here, I meant here in this pride too." She did not dare speak up to correct the other blunder. Belkane gave her mother a helpless shrug, because she too did not know who this lioness was.
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:49 pm
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Post 3 of 5
As the crowd around them grew, Matope could sense the mixed opinions going around in the whispers. It was all in the tone, it wasn't hard to tell that the pride was conflicted on all of this. It was right of the King to come and hear their concerns.
His eyes wandered the crowd, pausing at each of the council members. Soren. Djuro. Madelhari. Jamii'binti. They were missing more than a few and he suspected Simi was purposefully absent but it was a good showing. All the eyes on them mattered but the council was particularly influential. Perhaps they would be finding out if the council was becoming more important than the King... it would bring with it so many other problems, but it would be interesting. Maybe Tau would decide today, with how he responded.
Iva turned to Kushindwa when he gave her a lengthy answer. She had always agreed that some of the pride was unjustly critical of their young King, so many of them came from outside the pride now, it was rather beneficial to have a ruler who had that, too. It should have been a good thing!
"Wait," she said, looking back and forth between them, "So we accept that there is a malevolent god causing mayhem in our pride, but Vitha and her cult are the crazy ones for suggesting the King allowed it to happen?"
Perhaps she had picked up more of the propaganda from the cult than she realized, it was strange to admit something terrible was happening and laying blame could be tricky but.. if anybody was responsible for the safety of the pride, was it not the king? This cult had been around for a while before the night the stars fell, could something have been done differently to prevent it? They had a right to be skeptical now!
She still looked uncertain but now she also looked like she was ready to fight about it.
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 7:16 am
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Kanoro's crimson gaze turned towards his half sister, breaking the stare he had going with her full brother. His ears flickered under his white mane as Aoife spoke, the resistance to roll his eyes strong. While Kanoro felt the urge to speak out, he remained silent, but his lip rose slightly. He'd let Vitha speak.
Soren glanced towards Aoife as she approached, before his eyes fell upon Tau. He remained standing, bobbing his head slightly in greeting towards their King, before he shifted sight towards the cult members.
While Tau spoke, the cream male took a step towards the group, towards his brother in particularly. . "Kanoro" he said quietly.
"Hello Brother." The toothy grin plastered on the darker male's maw.
"We need to talk."
"I think we more so need to listen." Kanoro countered, looking from his brother back to Vitha.
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 1:16 pm
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The male shook his head a bit, "Anybody who blames either side is crazy. Vitha's cult didn't call any gods upon the pride, nor did King Tau. They just..." He waved his paw, shrugging. "Came of their own accord for personal reasons, and it bled over to effect everybody." The way he saw it, it was nobody's fault, directly within the pride's boundaries. As Madaha had said, gods will do as gods will do. There was no sense blaming either side, and both sides were crazy if they thought they could blame each other.
Watching the gathering again, Madaha flicked an ear toward Iva, then Kushindwa. She let out a sigh, then looked at the lioness, "Kush is right, blaming either side is crazy. Again, there's nothing we can or can't do to encourage one god over another or to stop another god from coming in and messing with things. King Tau didn't allow it because he's a mortal lion against something that can kill us with a thought or motion." She paused. "Or a meteor shower..." She drew in a breath, letting it out slowly. She hadn't personally known any of the dead, but it didn't stop it from hurting, and knowing how, by chance, she was incredibly lucky to have not died. "He no more let it happen, than any lion would have let it happen had they been in the same position. Playing the blame game gets us nowhere fast."
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 2:59 pm
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Vitha had expected some change of heart from Aoife, after learning that the cream-coated lioness had gotten injured herself. Even now, that perfectly groomed coat had a scar, the edges of it catching the sunlight as Vitha let her crimson eyes glance over at the nay-sayer. She may attempt to continue her denial, but the proof of her own level of participation would never be forgotten. Anyone that was there that night, that watched those lions die and would still refuse to believe her were unfit to call this place home.
Her eyes scanned some of the other spectators, her own thoughts beginning to tangle as she judged friend from foe. She had grown bolder since her cubs were born, a different level of urgency fueling her actions. Mkate took notice of her distraction and bumped her gently on the shoulder to bring her focus back to the present. Tau was taking his time coming down Pride Rock, thankfully giving her a moment to straighten herself out before speaking. This was probably the most important moment for her and her group; she would not fail them.
"We have always been raised with the knowledge that the great kings of the past live on in the stars," she began, approaching Tau with a few more steps before halting. She assumed that an overzealous fanatic would maul her if she got too close to Tau. "They are always there, always watching. The sun hides them during the day, but they are ever apparent when the moon rises, watching over us as we sleep. They see all." She kept her body language guarded, her muscled kept taunt so that she wouldn't betray her feelings to anyone watching her too closely. They were all stepping into dangerous waters, her cult braving the current, while the pride looked on from the shore. Vitha would be the one to cut through that current, to show them all the way.
"How can that night not be a sign that you are not fit to rule?" she asked, her red eyes piercing into Tau's violet ones. An eye colour that was not part of the royal line; it had come for that other pride, one only spoken of like a fairy tale. No one here except for Tau and his old tutor had ever been there. Who was to say it even still existed? Any Pridelanders that had left with the Tianxian captain had never sent word back.
“Step down. Let the council handle the issues, with Simi as the deciding vote. At least until a proper heir is secured.” She could hear the shifting of bodies, of some of her cult members nodding in agreement. The ice was cracked; now the flood of protests would begin. |
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:38 pm
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Itri looked on curiously at the events unfolding he considered what the female was saying and where he wasn't sure the stars falling had anything to do with the king being the right lion for the job, he was considering the king's lack of confidence being a factor if he did not stand up and defend his throne he would not have a throne for long with this crowd of cult members. He had heard a number of rumors about this cult and here it was a living breathing thing, not just a myth. He wasn't sure where he stood exactly.
Nyimak cocked her eyebrow the female called for the king of the pride to step down that was rather bold, she had not been a member for very long and she believed in the gods but she wasn't sure she believed in the kings of the past, but she didn't question the others believing in their ancestors. They weren't her family, she had no kings in her family line. She was very curious about gods, and still felt a pain in her heart that a god had attacked the prideland and made a very big mess. Least that's what she thought had happened not the kings of the past falling on the pride.
Kiko wasn't supposed to be at this meeting she had heard some other cubs talking about it when she was out playing and she really wanted to know what was going on. Her mouth hung open when she heard the older female demanding the king step down. Her family supported the royal family. This was not good at all, her grandfather was going to be really mad when he heard about this and her mommy too. Her whole family was gonna be mad, she couldn't get caught or she would be grounded for life.
Businge was in shock, the female had asked Tau to step down and to give Simi final vote with the council, she could believe what she was hearing, she was raised to believe in the kings of the past and her tail still hurt where the piece of sky had hit her. She didn't know what to do. It did seem like a sign that the pride had done something wrong, but was it the king's fault or the council's fault. They had not found the murderer or the daughter, they had faulted the pride so badly her heart hurt so much. |
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 4:19 pm
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Soren's focus changed from his brother to Vitha. Just after Kanoro spoke did the darker lioness begin to address their kind. That night nobody could have predicted. What if Simi was still King? What if Mufasa or the other great Kings of the past had the divine bring on chaos to their lands? Casualities happened, but compared to how large the pride truly was, it was a minor blip compared to true annihilation. Tau had helped the pride members where he could, death was prevented BECAUSE of him.
How did Kanoro not see this?
And she wanted him to step down? Soren's jaw slackened as his eyes narrowed. He turned towards the cult members, to his brother, with a look of disgust.
"You honestly believe this trash talk?" The seer found himself seething, uncaring if others would hear.
"Vitha is correct. Tau is unfit for rule. He has no mate, and has produced no heir. The Pride will die, and it will be because of his rule. That night was a testament of it. It's just a shame we loss our family, while he stands here and breathes another day." Kanoro sneered, a paw pointing towards the golden male.
"We have a proper heir. He is standing before you all." The councillor growled.
"A proper brat is more like it, but, let us listen, shall we?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 7:00 pm
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This was not good.
Jamii'binti sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping as the air left her nostrils. Vitha had called to question Tau's fitness as a ruler in front of a good portion of the pride. Her words would spread like wildfire, bringing doubt to blossom in the forefront of the pride's minds. While J'B herself had her reservations about Tau's rule, now was not the time to cast such doubt upon the pride. Now more than ever they needed to provide a united front for the sake of the Pridelands. Any member of the council who disagreed with her did not deserve to be on it.
To break apart now would be what Vitha wanted, and would lead Tau to being unseated as ruler of the pride. J'B did not dismiss Vitha's concerns as being invalid, but there was a time and a place for such questioning and here was not it.
Besides, the fault could not be placed on Tau alone. Though he was proving to be inept as a ruler, he was also only as good as the lions who gave him council. J'B was as much to blame for the loss of lives that night as the King. Her own inexperience and naivete had resulted in the loss of her parents, and she would never be able to forgive herself for it.
"Mother?" When J'B switched her gaze back to her daughter, she could see the concern written upon her face. It was not like her child to show such vulnerability. J'B offered Belkane a quick smile before rising back onto her feet. The dark lioness weaved her way through the crowd, coming up behind Vitha and Mkate, though she kept a respectful distance between herself and them.
She was not the type of lioness to sit on the sidelines and watch the world change around her. "I stand with our King," she announced, her voice loud enough for those around her to hear. It was important, now more than ever, that the council supported Tau. "To call for him to step down as the rightful ruler of the Pridelands now would create a void that we, the council, could not fill." If the others did not appreciate her speaking for them, they could quite frankly shove it.
"Vitha," she addressed the lioness with a slight frown. "It would be wrong to ignore that we failed, and it would be just as wrong to give up." J'B could never stand beside Vitha and her cult, but she could not deny that they had been right to try and warn the pride. There was danger out there that they had willfully ignored, and J'B refused to make that mistake again. The pride had lost too much because of it, she had lost too much.
---
Belkane watched with growing concern as her mother left her side to address the pride. It hadn't been easy, growing up with her mother on the council during the pride's most tumultuous times. J'B had not been unkind as a mother, but she had certainly been distant. Regardless, it did not change a daughter's natural love for her mother. She was watching her mother walk into an opportunity to be ridiculed, and she was rightfully worried.
"This isn't going to be pretty," she murmured softly, distracted from Taj and Aja's reunion the moment her mother left her side.
Vitha's speech struck a chord with her, a chord she chose to ignore out of loyalty to her mother. Something was wrong here, but right now she wanted to support her mother. Her voice on the subject remained silent for now.
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 7:50 pm
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Post 3
Areo gave a frown. "Even with what us Seers were able to see, there was no way anyone could have known WHEN or WHERE it was going to take place. The pride was as precautions as it could be, it's not like everyone could just be forced to stay under lock and key for an unknowing amount of time." Really it wasn't his fault, there wasn't anything their King could have done to prevent the damage that befell their lands.
- - - - - - - - -
Hari watched as Areo spoke up and the Seer was right. He felt a pang of shame for the thoughts he had earlier had, it was just such a scary thing for him to have happened especially with new cubs now on the lands. What if such a thing happened again? It was true, no one was truly to blame for what had happened, it was all unfortunate circumstance.
The number of cubs that were around had him looking out for Otea and his brood, would she show up? Honestly if she did he wouldn't blame here, the roars that had echoed earlier had been quite loud and would make anyone curious, and maybe this was a monumental moment in their pride? It may do everyone well, including their children, to see the events unfold. Then again it could also scar them.
"This could have happened during anyone else's reign just as easily as it happened here. Our King did what he could to protect those he could as he was in the thick of it like everyone else. He was injured too and still did what he could to save those around him." He had even done what he could to get Otea to safety and he hadn't really been in the right of mind to even say anything to him except stand there like an idiot and also try and get her to safety.
Hari's gaze shifted focused towards two of Otea's sons who weren't too far away and they seemed to be in a rather heated argument, the way Soren stood wasn't exactly relaxed. Being too far away he couldn't hear what was being discussed between them, but assumed it was about the events of today.
Still, they were Otea's sons and if she were here she would go to them and since she wasn't he would have to do it for her. Moving closer to the two males he cleared his throat.
"Is everything alright Gentlelions?"
- - - - - -
Magdalena, despite her waving faith in the safety of the pride, was actually quite shocked at the outwards disrespect the female was showing towards their King and she really disliked how things were going. Yes, she was afraid for her safety, as well as that of her children, but that didn't mean she was going to OUTWARDLY say it was King Tau's fault.
She wasn't even really sure who would be at fault here, if anyone. It was just very unfortunate that it had happened during his reign and it could have happened to anyone.
Azurine looked up at her mother with pale eyes, "What is happening?" She was rather confused and there seemed to be a lot of aggression between a bunch of the members of the pride.
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AstoriaFallen
AstoriaFallen
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AstoriaFallen
AstoriaFallen
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 7:53 pm
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