[ META ] The Troupe from the outside - OPEN!

[Thalion]

Farce ||

Oh he hadn’t been serious! The young male raised a paw and waved it dismissively. “No, no need for rules and…guidelines. I just…it was…I’m not very good at this.”

Defeated, he took a seat beside his new companions and straightened himself out to see over those settling down in front. The play was already under-way. The announcer spoke loud enough for his voice to carry to those seated further away. It was impressive- especially with the sea roaring behind them.

“Seems to be a story about another pride.” He observed cautiously. Though…what sort of lion would want to rule over other species? It didn’t seem…right. They each had their own rules and standards about how they existed. At least….he thought so. It would make sense. Not all creatures were built the same way.

The sand shifted as Zeph plopped herself down. It was comical, hardly befitting of an adult. Well… she certainly was her own personality, wasn’t she?

Riddle-Mouth ||

Riddlemouth’s dark eyes followed the cub away towards the front where the performers were beginning their act. It would be the cub’s first ball. At least the entertainment was something that could keep little ones occupied presumably. She would be safe, hopefully. There were eyes in the rocks, lurking behind every shadow and crevice. Thankfully, it didn’t seem as though the Dreamers were terribly interested in emerging to a great extent. Farce’s family had all taken to the life but the young male didn’t seem keen on that. Good for him.

He glanced to Fireheart and shook his head. “Three days. Allow them some rest. They arrived just today and they’re performing already. A day to collect themselves after the fact and a day to prepare for departure seems fair.” He raised a paw, knowing a protest was soon coming, “But they will be watched. Firedog has already agreed to keeping his eyes on them full time.”


___________________________________________________________
Atieno ||
“And so it was true.” The male continued, “For months prior, the tyrant had sent his armies into the otherwise peaceful lands belonging to the canids and had devoured their ruling class. The common dogs had been too terrified to fight back and had easily submitted to their new ruler. Their newly-appointed leader bowed her head freely as a representative of her people- the wild dogs and the hyenas.”

Anubis ||
Pleased, the dark king raised his chin and glanced to the next creature standing before him: the dark-pelted leopard. “Representative of the tree-stalkers- Speak.”

Vartej||
The leopard stalked forward, his head held low and his eyes averted down to the sands near his paws. His posture screamed submission, but there was an undertone of raw tension still. “The rebels, sire, are almost all wiped out. Some still resist but they will be silenced quickly. I, and those of my coalition, bow our heads in submission.”

Atieno ||
“And so it was.” The narrator cut in, and the actors on stage froze in place, “The war lord had sent his armies, now with the canids in tow, into the dense jungles of the land to forced the leopards into submission. The leopards put up a resistance, but between lion and dog they were soon broken. Their proud race now stood bound before the new ruler.”

Atieno stepped back and the players on stage continued.

AstoriaFallen

Rennekae

SilverLutz

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

|| Solomon ||
Solomon's expression was one of delight as the shy lioness opted to take up his offer. While she may not have said anything, she gave enough of an answer for him to be reassured that a nod in the general direction of some of his kin might be advantageous. Consequently, he motioned with his head for her to follow and moved towards the collection nearby - if there was anyone who could make someone feel welcome it was Zephyr; and fortunately for Paranoia he even knew Areo!

Such a strange and small world he lived in that he had encountered the Pridelander just before returning home. Ah, but a tale for another time, at least now his mother wasn't embarrassing him in front of strangers.

"Come on then," he murmured encouragingly. "They even have a decent set of seats for this performance," he said gently...

|| Shimmer Smith ||
She had been watching the start of the play, her gaze fixed on the actors which she had been regarding with curiosity. However, as the introduction progressed she wasn't entirely sure of how the story was going to go. She wasn't terribly inclined towards the idea of subjugating others, it just wasn't done here!

"I certainly hope it has a happy ending," she murmured quietly to Farce and wrinkled her nose. "I'm not sure I would like a story that ends in tragedy," she confessed and released a sigh. Still, rather than being rude, she kept her eyes focused on the troupe. Despite her discomfort, she would give hem the opportunity to clarify where their tale was going and hopefully it would become less grim in the process!

After all, it was hardly a pleasant tale to tell the visiting pridelander, was it?

|| Zephyr ||
"You know in hindsight," she pulled a face and regarded the group with a comical expression. "I probably should have picked up one of those fermented fruits in advance," she confessed and then leaned to one side. She tossed Asker a doubtful look, though her eyes were clearly teasing - for the time being she was simply going to assume he wanted a trophy wife, whether he liked it or not! He'd dug his own grave and for now it was fun to hold the shovel to ransom.

"If I knew I was going to be watching a tragedy the giddiness might have drowned my sorrows a touch," she mused and returned her gaze to the troupe. "Maybe this'll turn in to a comedy soon where the King starts to go bald or something..."

|| Ram ||
A Tragedy? Riddle Mouth hardly seemed to type to have a taste for that based on his previous antics. Colour him surprised, Ram hadn't anticipated that the Kizi ruler would go against the grain on that one!

Nevertheless, he cast his gaze away from the performance and towards the lioness again. He did have manners, he remembered what those were, and it was in his best interests to use them. Suffice to say that if he spurned the lioness now it could cause insult and it would end in unnecessary headaches. In his view it was simply better to behave, and then escape later, no one need know he had no real time for them.

Ahem.

"No more silly than some of the traditions we might have, I assume," Ram replied, referring to the Bahari with a mild shrug, He did have to consider her question carefully though, and pursed his lips in thought. "Define 'like'," he said finally. "Are we referring to the weather, crop yield, food sources, water sources, scenary or gossip?" he enquired.

Ah... always one for the specifics.

show spoilerhide spoiler

Thalion

SilverLutz

AstoriaFallen

Rennekae

 

[SilverLutz]

Fireheart opened her mouth to protest but Riddle Mouth's paw silenced her before she could speak. She grumbled quietly as he went on and, once he was finished, gave a little snort.

"Yes, well. We'll see. If this turns into another debacle like last time we're switching titles and I'll be in charge of who comes in and out of this pride and you can chit chat with the pride members and make sure they're happy." She was joking, of course, but the expression on her face didn't hint at it at all. She glanced towards the stage, her brow still furrowed as she watched the performance for a bit.

"What in the gods name are they doing?" she asked. "This isn't a very uplifting experience." She scanned the crowd for Suluhu but the starry girl was nowhere to be seen, blending in with the shadows. She was still very young and while Fireheart knew Suluhu would need to become wise to the ways of the world one day, she felt that her daughter was still a bit too young to be hearing about wars and overlords.

Hima had to chuckle softly at the reply the male gave her. Oh, he liked specifics, did he? Tilting her head a bit she shrugged, rolling her shoulders and digging her claws into the dirt just a bit, making herself comfortable.

"Oh, I meant in a general sense, but if you'd like me to narrow it down I can. The way the pride runs, I suppose is a good place to start. Here there are many lions that enjoy spending their time talking to flowers or the sky. I'm quite tired of being passed up by someone so they can speak to a bird. I prefer a place where lions work together and are social rather than where lions creep through the trees and sing songs all day."

She paused here, giving him a slightly flirtatious smile. "Oh, how rude of me, I forgot to give you my name." She paused for a moment, wondering which to give. She'd never really liked having two names and had chosen one just because she had needed to.

"I'm Hima."

Epine de Rose

Thalion

 

[Rennekae]

| Zuni |

Paranoia smiled shyly as Solomon led her toward the crowd. Her smile brightened considerably as she noticed where he was headed, and who was there. While she didn't know a few of the lions in the huddle, she did recognize others from her pride and was excited to see Hana and Asker. Her happiness only inflated when Nelly padded up to take a spot next her dark sister. While she wasn't exactly outgoing with these friends, they were definitely friends and she at least wouldn't be among a group of strangers.

She walked along beside the large white lion, sometimes almost skipping, other times sort of slinking as she flip-flopped between the two personalities she seemed to have now - her old, terrified self and the new, developing self that liked to interact with others. She smiled up at Solomon sheepishly, half-hoping he didn't notice her opposite selves taking turns with her behaviour. As they reached the group, she positively beamed at Hana and Nelly, a slightly more reserved smile saved for Asker, and lowered her head by way of greeting.

| Hana |

Hana smiled as her sister cuddled up against her. She turned her head to respond to the question, but found herself unable to find words as Zuni approached with Solomon. The male was familiar to Hana but must have been a complete stranger to Zuni before now. Hana had noticed that Zuni was coming out of her shell a bit more with those she considered friends, but to come to a party - one where their neighbours and a few rogues would be present, let alone their own pride - and be accompanied by a complete stranger had Hana in total shock.

Fortunately, she had the tact to realize that acting like it was a big deal was likely to give Zuni a panic attack, so she composed herself and returned the bright smile.
"Welcome to the party, friends. Solomon, it's good to see you again," she said with a respectful nod. "I'm happy to see you've met Paranoia, and even become friends, it seems. Come join us; maybe the company will make this whole thing seem less depressing."  

[Epine de Rose]

|| Ram ||
"Talking to flowers and singing to clouds..." Ram repeated, his tone a touch strained as though he was attempting to find a polite way to express how he felt about this. He had always known the Kizi could be a touch odd, but he had been largely distant from the introduction of their new...guests... when they had arrived. He had known they were a bit 'off' but beyond that, he hadn't really been given any cause for concern, they had very much kept to themselves. Still, to know that this was the type of thing they were inclined towards did make him despair a little.

...The Kizi certainly knew how to attract the weird ones.

He elected to remain diplomatic.

"Well, I suppose if they're happy," he concluded and shook his head dismissively. He wasn't sure how anyone would be a useful member of a pride that way, but it wasn't his problem!

"I think it would be safe to say that the Bahari are suitably more constructive? There's a time and place for relaxation, of which we encourage, but each member has their part to play and they do so very well...whether they heal others or construct homes and play areas," he shrugged lightly and then pulled a face. "Or show up at festivals because it's a diplomatic obligation to be teased by an allied pride leader," he groaned.

"They call me Ram though," he added as she introduced herself.

|| Solomon ||
The white lion chuckled at Hana's reply and shook his head. He had caught wind of some of the dialogue and did have to admit that it was a bit dry. Nevertheless he was the positive sort and had hoped that eventually there would be a bit more excitement. For now though, he simply wiggled his eyebrows at Zephyr, who had finally turned to give him a curious glance.

"Aren't you looking as uh..." he regarded her posture. "Lady-like as ever," he mused and then chuckled, lifting his paw to motion to Paranoia beside him.

"Just as the lovely lady said," he motioned to Hana. "This is Paranoia and we've come to invade your fantastic seats so that we can enjoy the show," he paused and squinted at the performers. "Are we going with 'enjoy' right now, or are we all still in a state of bemusement?" he inquired curiously.

"Ah, this is Zephyr by the way, she's perfectly harmless, she just has a loud voice."

|| Zephyr ||
"One that everyone appreciates a great deal when they need to get attention," the pink lioness responded, a good natured smile on her lips as she motioned for the black lioness to join them. Like Hana, she was always one to be open armed and welcoming when she encountered strangers, particularly when they seemed to give off that air of uncertainty and shyness.

"As the big lug says, I'm Zephyr and the white lioness beside me is Shimmer (she's one of your folks), the big bulky black lion is Areo," she took a breath. "And then this is Asker (he's been saying so terrible things about us ladies), and then Farce (who's so cute, wouldn't you just love to squish his cheeks?)!" she then smiled and patted the ground.

"I'm going with 'bemusement' and 'I should have got some fermented fruit," she added and peered at the actors. "Maybe they'll have a war later, I hope it's co-ordinated well."

show spoilerhide spoiler

Rennekae

SilverLutz

 

[Thalion]

Farce ||
He settled himself in among his newfound companions and curled a paw under his chest, propping himself up slightly so he could see a little better. His ears perked as the play began but slowly began to sink. His father was the god of laughter, and perhaps part of his upbeat personality bled through to his siblings but Farce had more of a grip on reality. Much of his sisters and brothers had gone on to become Dreamers. It made them happy, if not ignorantly so. They were happy for the sake of happiness. In a way it felt…empty. If he laughed he wanted it to be a true laugh with a memory, a history, and a moment behind it- not just because. Still, he found a sour taste in his mouth at tragedy or anything…hostile.

“Does…this happen?” He nodded to the stage but kept his voice low as possible, “In the lands outside?”

Riddle-Mouth ||
Shandor snorted. Fat chance. He was chosen for this position by the pride’s own patron. A smart gypsy knew to stay on the right side of a god, or in this case a goddess, first and the right side of a pride second. If he rejected insanity herself, he would likely find himself in a world of hurt. The fact that insanity herself was his mate added only another layer of complexity. She hadn’t been around as of late, but a part of him knew that the rocks had eyes. Likely her eyes. If he crossed her, he would discover that the rocks also had fangs.

In response to her critique of the play he raised his paws in innocence. “I did not commission this. It’s their story to tell. But perhaps it will get the others to think. We are fortunate here in our lands where this sort of nonsense is confined to a stage.”

Riddle-Sight ||
The prince nodded slowly. That was true enough. It couldn’t always be Dreamer’s laughs and the seducing songs of the mummers. Still- what a buzz kill.

____________________________________________________________

Anubis ||
The king looked to each of those standing in submission. “I need not ask the kingdom of the lions for their oath of loyalty, for they were the ones who crushed the rebels among you. There is but one kingdom that remains-” He lifted his head and raised his voice. “Representative of the racing winds- speak!”

Zidane ||
The cheetah moved onto the stage flanked by a lion and a lioness, both with scowls warning violence against the lanky cat as he walked with his head held high, his tail held at a neutral level, and his eyes blazing. The others standing in submission glared, perhaps angered by the cheetah’s ability to retain some dignity where they groveled. The cheetah, however, had eyes only for the king. He stopped at the foot of the dias where the king stood and raised his chin. He said nothing.

Anubis ||
“I gave you a command. Speak.”

Zidane ||
The cheetah smirked. “Gladly.” He raised his voice. “The racing winds do send their surrender. Whimpering, begging, and bribes aplenty.”

Anubis ||
This should have pleased him. Instead, the king scowled and narrowed a look at the cheetah. “Then bow your head and join your kind.”

Zidane ||
“I will not. But I hope that the submission of every other kingdom under the sun is enough to please you.”

Atieno ||
The actors on stage froze and the dark-pelted lion limped forward. “One would think so. Every kingdom of cat and canine had bowed their head and had given into the king’s demands. In a single turn of the seasons, the king owned the world he knew. He had the best hunting lands for his kingdom, the finest mates to choose from, and all the power he could hope for. However, he did not have the submission of one lowly cat. A cheetah. Hardly a feline, hardly a bother. Unable to roar, the cheetah’s words somehow rattled the king more than an army of a thousand…and he grew furious.”

AstoriaFallen

Rennekae

SilverLutz

Epine de Rose

 

[Rennekae]

| Zuni and Hana |

Zuni faltered as Zephyr spoke, and subconsciously leaned against Solomon; a large part of her was in awe of this lioness' bold behaviour, which only heightened her dread of meeting her (not to mention the other strangers). She blinked and nodded her head to Shimmer and Farce, trying to convey the pridal affection the others showed so freely, but probably coming off super awkward. Her smile genuine and warm, if not fleeting, when she faced Asker, being quite comfortable with him - surprising, considering he was, well, a he. Her gaze fell finally on Areo, and with one look, she would have fled if her body hadn't suddenly frozen; a large, male stranger with a dark pelt was just enough to spark thoughts of her psychotic father.

Zuni's fear was clear on her face - not to mention the scent rolling from her in waves - and Hana recognized an attack. But that didn't mean she was about to let it happen.

"Hey, Para. Over here. Look at me." she called, quiet, calm, but firm, until she had the panicked lioness' attention.

The alchemist turned her head to Hana, peeling her gaze from Areo after a small delay. Her eyes were wide and her pelt was beginning to spike. Hana shifted a little farther away from Zephyr so there was a gap between them large enough to fit another body.

"Come lie with me and Zephyr and watch the show. Look, it's just starting to get interesting - maybe we'll even get that war Zephyr predicted, as terrible as that sounds. Asker, could you settle yourself behind Paranoia? And, Solomon, please, join us."

As Zuni slowly slunk toward the newly opened seat and curled up between the two - comfortingly strong - females, all the while darting glances at Areo, Hana focused her gaze on Solomon. She had no doubt that Asker, with his familiarity with Zuni, would understand that his new position would offer great security to the terrified lioness and suspected he would gladly move. Solomon, however, was probably unaware of Zuni's 'condition', so Hana could only hope that he would accept the invitation to stay near her, as his presence seemed to be offering comfort to Zuni as well.

Thalion

AstoriaFallen

Please don't take her fear to heart, she's just terrified of dark lions because of her dad, especially at first. The fact that he isn't from the pride makes it worse. She'll eventually get used to him, with the help of people she trusts trusting him.

Epine de Rose

I can't find a way to slip it into the rp, but Zuni's mom (who didn't actually exist, but for ic purposes does) was white. That's a large part of why she's okay with Solomon - she has an innate comfort with white lions, especially females.

 

[SilverLutz]

Fireheart had to nod in agreement at that. Even though they had their rough patches they generally found a solution. Not always a conventional one but one that made the majority of the pride happy. Not once her in life had war ever come to the Kizi. She had no doubt in her mind that if something like what was happening before the pride did come to their borders the pride would react accordingly.

"They're...talented, at least," she said, trying to find a good thing to say since she had stormed in complaining about everything. "And it's nice for the younger members to see some creatures they don't usually have the importunity of seeing."

Hima snorted softly at the lion's reaction. Just as surprised as she had been, that was for sure. It was a nice pride for her sister, but after having been here for over a year she knew it was time to move on.

"Oh, they're very happy. I'm not," she said with a grin, showing more teeth than was necessary. She was ready to go and the Bahari was sounding like a gods-sent gift, especially if this grounded fellow lived there. She turned her forced grin into a laugh, one that was far more natural. Oh, this Ram really wasn't thrilled to be here...

"Ram," she purred. "I shall call you that as well, then. So, you're here on diplomatic obligations? Are you a representative of the Bahari then?" She tilted her head a bit and glanced to where the king and queen were watching the show, an amused look on her face. "Ol' Riddle Mouth gives you grief? That's a shame. He's not bad as far as the lions here go, although he is a bit loopy."

Thalion

Epine de Rose

 

[Epine de Rose]

|| Zephyr & Shimmer ||
Zephyr adjusted her position slightly so that Para had slightly more room to lie down and waggled her brows inquisitively at Solomon. Though he may not have responded to her, or even acknowledged her in those moments, she was sure that he would have understood what she was up to if, well, he had even been looking at her within that short period of time. Alas, he had his gaze turned towards the stage and frankly, after she caught the tail end of the dialogue, she did too!

"Ooooooooooh," she remarked and nudged Shimmer with an impish grin. "Cheetah's got game," she continued and grinned. Perhaps she was going to get a spark of war in this little piece. Was the tiny-tot cheetah going to overpower the otherwise bulky lion? She certainly hoped so, but would he do it in the middle of the 'throne' room where he would probably die (a-la tragedy style) or was he going to shank him in the back?

Shimmer could do nothing more than chuckle and regard the pink female, if anything she should have been up on that stage making a name for herself, Frankly, the white lioness was fairly confident that given a chance, Zephyr would be up there with them directing their every move like a puppet master.

"Are you always this bloody thirsty?" she asked in amusement and shook her head. "You would never know that the Bahari are peaceful the way you're talking right now."

"Well if it's going to be a tragedy, you gotta make it a good one at least!"

|| Solomon ||
Meanwhile, the lion could do no more than shake his head as he caught the tail end of Zephyr's conversation. Quite frankly, her antics were nothing new to him and her boisterous behaviour and declarations of death and destruction were completely harmless. Granted, on this occasion they probably could have added a little bit of a spark and perhaps, just perhaps it might have proved to be good sport in whatever story they were attempting to convey.

"This...does happen," he confirmed to Farce as he took a seat near Hana. He knew better than to invade too much personal space, so he kept himself at a polite distance. "Some prides and individuals are war mongering beyond these borders but..." he shrugged his shoulders. "For some reason they seem too focused on biting at each other than at us," he remarked wryly.

He counted his blessings on that one!

|| Ram ||
"Oh without a doubt, he's a unique, yet pleasant individual most of the time," the blue lion agreed, his tone mild as he regarded the king from a distance. At the moment he hadn't been seen and he would like to keep it that way for the time being! Fortunately for him, Riddle Mouth seemed preoccupied by his family and thus, was largely keeping his attention on them. Evidently small paws at large gatherings had their advantages, they may not be an advantage to Riddle, but they were to those who didn't wish to be seen by him!

"Largely harmless, but intent on getting me to 'lighten up'," he added and shook his head dismissively. However, when she asked exactly what he did, he settled his gaze on her for a long moment. It was refreshing to not be recognised immediately, perhaps only showing up when he had to was a good decision to make after all.

"You could say that," he said after a few moments.

"I lead them," he said finally, following a short pause to consider his options. He opted for the simpler response.

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AstoriaFallen

Rennekae

Thalion

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Hima waited patiently for an answer, an interested look on her face even as she let her eyes trail over the male's body. He was covered with rather regal looking furs that matched his pale complexion quite nicely. It almost looked as if he was used to a colder climate than this.

When the answer came her ears perked up in surprise. He led them? She was speaking to a pride leader? She had to admit she was a bit taken aback by that discovery, but in a moment the wide-eyed look was replaced with her usual suave and charming expression.

"Forgive me for my ignorance, then. It's an honor to meet you, Ram." She had to nearly bite her tongue to stop from asking if all the Bahari lions were as handsome and enjoyable to speak with as he was. For her sake she hoped not because then she'd be rather torn with which lion to pursue. Ram certainly had her attention now, though, and this newest bit of news had just sealed the deal for her. She was heading for the sea once this ball had come to an end. It had to be a sign, randomly striking up conversation with the pride leader himself.

"I suppose you're the perfect lion to speak to on whether or not you're accepting new members?" Hima went on, tilting her head a bit. "I feel as though my time here has run dry."

Epine de Rose

 

[Thalion]

Farce ||
The younger lion smiled weakly in response to Zuni’s smile and shifted himself a little to make room for the newer addition. Recognition sparked and his ears rolled forward. Paranoia? The lioness he had danced with the last Ball? Gods, she looked more terrified than she had before. Perhaps it was the influx of activity, the strangers, and the tight quarters the pride occupied to gain a glance at the stage.

He cleared his throat gently, trying to get Paranoid’s attention. He waved slightly. “Heh…m-maybe once the show’s all done…we could enjoy another dance? I hear the Bahari’s music isn’t as rapid as ours. I’ve…learned a few new steps?”

He paused as Solomon spoke up. If he could have gone pale, he would have. Instead his ears sank again and his maw twisted. Warmongers…blood thirsty tyrants. The things of the mummer’s songs were reality then? Fields filled with blood, lion fighting lion? It seemed…so outrageous that it had to have been an invention of the mummers. He curled his paws under his chest and glanced back to the stage. Was the cheetah going to die then? That wouldn’t be fair… suddenly he didn’t know if he could stomach to see how this play would end.

Shandor ||
The lion nodded at Fireheart’s observation. Talented, certainly, but honest as well. “The world is not as our pride knows. Outside of our borders, things are as you see on stage. Worse in places. There are lions who live as mad-beasts. Not the madness that some of us willingly embrace but a madness that wrecks mind, body, and soul. There are prides with a history so soaked in blood they can no longer read right from wrong.”

He flexed his claws slightly. Defiance. That was a value that his pride knew well. They spat in the face of common traditions and structures. They did not bow to anyone. Even he, as a leader, had never demanded any humility from his pride. They were a family.


Anubis ||
“Get this cat out of my sight!” He roared, throwing a paw out. His claws breezed close to the cheetah but Zidane did not budge from where he stood. His easy, sly smile remained on his features, even in the wake of the lion’s anger.

The dark pelted male was panting, his rage evident in the trembling of his massive shoulders and the ember in his eyes. Dario moved from beside the king and pushed the cheetah forward. With a smirk, Zidane passed from the stage to the safety of the curtains. One by one the other creatures departed, leaving Anubis on stage.

He began to pace, grinding his teeth and shaking his head. As he paced, the narrator spoke up once more.

Atieno ||
“He could not be satisfied so long as one creature refused to bow. Killing him would prove nothing, instead it would make a martyr for others like him to rise up behind. In order to find rest, the king had to see the cheetah lower his head.” He explained, “Slowly, the king began to go mad. He would conquer, kill, maim, and boast his authority and power. Every week, he would call upon the cheetah. Every week, the cheetah would refuse to lower his head. Every week, a part of the king’s mind was lost.”

Rennekae

SilverLutz

Epine de Rose

Epine de Rose

 

[Rennekae]

| Zuni and Hana |

As everyone settled in around the alarmed Paranoia, Hana nodded her thanks to everyone. The alchemist continued to shoot nervous glances towards Areo whenever her crowding friends would allow, scared that somehow he had become violent since the last time she'd looked. With everyone in place, their pelts pressing comfortingly against her from all angles, Para felt her heart slow and her breath ease back into normal pulls. Her tail tip still twitched in agitation, and her ears remained flat against her head, but she was most certainly calming down.

As Farce cleared his throat, Para's gaze flicked toward the noise, and her attention was caught. She knew this lion. He was her Solomon of last year's ball, and while they hadn't spent much time together, he held a special place in her heart - the first lion she had any actual interaction with aside from Dhoru and Nema, and he was a sweetheart.

Para tried to respond, but found her throat was still reluctant to open. Besides, if she had been able to speak, her voice would probably have been warped to some ridiculously high pitch. Maybe it was for the better. Instead, she offered the young lion a warm smile, a slow blink, and an emphatic nod. With her nerves a little more relaxed - and before she dared sneak another peek at Areo - she whispered to Hana and others surrounding her.

"Is he safe?"

Hana smiled and nodded, not wanting to interrupt the show with speech, and motioned Paranoia to try to watch the performance. Hopefully that would take her mind off of things, especially now that it was getting good. Hana really enjoyed and admired this cheetah's attitude, and she hoped he might be able to inspire her timid friend to face such tyrants as her father with defiance - or at least not to be afraid of those that looked like him. Doubtful.  

[Thalion]

Rennekae

SilverLutz

Epine de Rose

Epine de Rose

OOC

I'm going to be wrapping this up! If you guys need a few more posts, feel free! I just want to raffle off the baby before the new year. :3 Please PM me if you'd like to rp in the after-party, want to form a troupe,etc.