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 Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:31 pm
This story contest is for an adorable little leopon boy from the Shadows of Africa shop! If you don't know what SoA is (for some reason) click the banner above!
Start time: tba
End time: Friday October 14, 1:30PM Pacific time
Rules
I - Thou shalt follow the rules laid out for the SoA shop. Period.
II - Thou shalt be polite to all in the thread. Begging/whining/othersuchthings will NOT get you chosen. It'll just annoy the frak outta us.
III - Thou shalt not make multiple entries using mules. It is grounds for disqualification.
IV - Thou shalt use the form provided to make thy entries.
V - Thou shalt leave thy drama at the door.
VI - This contest is for those who have NO LEOPONS. That means those who already own 1 or more leopons cannot enter.
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:33 pm
Family Info
This family (mostly) is currently in the lands that were once the Achana. (If the pride rebands, they will be STAYING in the Achana.)
Msimulizi (Mother, Red Lioness) - Outgoing and friendly, Muli is a sweetheart. She loves telling tales and singing songs, and teaching those songs and stories to others. Muli does have a bit of a short temper in some regards, but when it comes to little ones...she ALWAYS has the patience for them. She is a doting mother, a loving mate, and a protective sister. She misses her adopted sister Maluuni, but knows she is doing better where she is now. She is completely giddy about having cubs again. (Owned by Das Tor)
Chukua (Father, Blue Leopard) - Southern gentleman to the T; Chuk will go out of his way to help someone out, and would do anything to keep his family happy and safe. (Owned by Summer Rain 07)
Zelsius (Red Adult Leopon) - Eldest brother. (Owned by theKage)
Ekwueme (Dark Blue Adult Leopon) - 2nd eldest brother. (Owned by Chrystali)
Risasi (Light Blue Adult Leopon) - 3rd eldest brother, left to join the Binadamu in his adolescence. (Owned by Lithia_Brandon)
Mabaka'damu (White and Red Female Adult Leopon) - Eldest sister, lives in the Mwako'bi'Giza. Mabaka is a leopon who, even as a cub, always had an innate sense of justice. She was the one who often wound up trying to right things done wrong, and will defend anyone in need of her claws. Eventually, through exposure to a little demoness for a good portion of her early life, she took up tooth and claw against the demons. She still believes reason is a powerful weapon, but isn't willing to take a chance when those she loves are in danger. If there is even a hint of danger, she won't hesitate to unsheathe her claws and fight for the safety of her family and friends.. (Owned by Kitsune Mistress Nyoko)
Feleti (Starry Female Adult Leopon) - 2nd eldest sister. (Owned by Summer Rain 07)
Uhuru (Starry Male Adult Leopon) - 4th eldest brother, lives in the Mwako'bi'Giza. Uhuru is a strange one. A bard, through and through, who loves having an audience. He's a rather sweet, loyal boy who loves Mabaka a great deal. Uhuru is in the pride because he followed Mabaka and refuses to leave her. (Owned by Das Tor)
Orophin'Calmacacil (Light Brown Male Adult Leotah) - Half-brother through father. He's a hyperactive ball of fur who gets depressed at the talk of cubs because he can't have any. He's single and wants to stay that way because he has a feeling his heart will be broken by a mate who'll cheat on him for cubs. When he's not hyper, he's asleep. He'll play with the cubs all the time and help take care of them. (Owned by Peppermint Coffee)
Gyatso (Orange Male Adult Cheeton) - 'Cousin' through mother's sister-by-choice. Very friendly and outgoing, Gyatso always has some snippet of odd wisdom to share, just like the old Air Nomad cheetah he was named for. He's very playful, and loves jokes and humorous things. He's very family oriented, and has a great deal of respect for females of all shapes and sizes...His mother and 'aunt' were big parts of his life and both are strong-willed. He'll happily give his new 'cousins' all the love he can muster. (Owned by Truth.Be.Told)
???? (Light Blue Female Cub Leopon) - 3rd eldest sister, oldest of the litter. (Owned by Chi Sohma)
Ala'machai (Dark Red Female Cub Leopon) - 4th eldest sister, 2nd oldest of the litter. (Owned by Eranas)
Enitan (Pink Male Cub Leopon) - Younger brother. A bard, like his mother, but with a much more even temper regarding everything. Fertile, unbeknowst to all currently. (Owned by [ Hey You! ])
Libertas (White Female Cub Leopon) - Younger sister, youngest of the litter and family. (Owned by NovaCracker)
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 3:12 pm
Cub and Form
And here's the little bundle of joy you're going for! This little cub is a male leopon. Be aware that this contest is open only to those who have no leopons.
Now how are you trying to win this boy? Well...since his mother is a bard, and his father loves her stories...you have to tell a story! It can be anything: spooky, sweet, suspenseful...just make it interesting, and have it catch our interest! Perhaps you might catch the attention of his parents...
 Form [b]How much is that kitty, lady?[/b]
[size=11][b]Cub Name:[/b] NO preference for language, though most of the family bears African or Swahili names.
[b]Story:[/b] Tell us a story! You have to come up with one yourself. It can be from real life, or something totally new, or an SoA twist on an old tale! No copy+pasting Cinderella and replacing names, though![/size]
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 3:23 pm
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 4:20 pm
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 4:28 pm
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Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:18 pm
How much is that kitty, lady?
Cub Name: Wakale'hewa (Swahili - 'burn the sky')
Story: Ten years ago, my grandfather died.
It was his time, I suppose, although we were all loath to admit it. He'd contracted non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and while he fought long and valiantly, at last he succumbed. In a sad twist of fate, he lasted just long enough to watch the Twin Towers fall...slipping away from us three days later. He'd already lost the ability to speak by then, wasted away to a frail shadow of the man I once knew. He'd been strong and commanding for all of his life, and to see him so weak and powerless was a painful reminder of my own mortality.
My mother took it the hardest, for her own mother had passed in a violent crash when I was but a child. In a way, she felt alone in the world, even though she had a family and children of her own. For many months, she grieved for her father--wracked with guilt that she could not be there at the last. She'd rushed to the hospital when she got the call, but it had been too late. As much as it hurt for me, it hurt still more to watch her suffer.
And then...
It was nearly four months later, the night of my younger brother's birthday. My mother went to bed as she usually did, reading a book before drifting into slumber. However, she had a very strange dream that night, a dream that would shake our entire family's perception of what was possible.
In this dream, she was in a room. It was rather plain, unremarkable really. What made this room so special was the inhabitants. My mother was there...and so was my grandfather, sitting in his chair. He smiled at her, and suddenly peace washed over her--complete, overwhelming peace. Moments later, he disappeared. She never saw him again, but she was finally able to let go, and to heal. She was able to move on...just as he did.
Why was this so special? You see, my brother's birthday...was Grandpa's too. We can only assume that Grandpa was saying goodbye to his only child, before he traveled on to what lies beyond the pearly gates. Rest in peace, Grandpa Frank. We'll be okay.
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 9:49 am
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Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:15 am
How much is that kitty, lady?
Cub Name: Banjoko
Story:
How Shrike Came to Be
A long time ago, there was a young songbird who was very beautiful. She had silver feathers all down her back, and she never sang the same song twice. Sometimes she even imitated her neighbors, but she sang so beautifully that they did not truly mind. Because of this habit of hers, they called her Mockingbird.
It came to pass that Mockingbird saw Hawk one morning, circling high above a field. After watching him hunt for a time, she began to admire him and his graceful speed, and his ability to catch the snakes that often stole eggs from songbird's nests. "What a fine, strong creature Hawk is." she would say to herself in-between songs. What intrigued her even more was that, try as she might, she could not imitate his calls.
Mockingbird became so enamored with Hawk that she decided to make an effort to approach him. Her family warned against it. "Hawk does not only feed upon the snakes and mice," said they, "he will not hesitate to sup upon smaller birds if he so chooses. It is common knowledge that a union between predator and prey is doomed to fail, one way or another."
But Mockingbird would not have any of that. Disregarding her family's discouraging words, she sought out Hawk one morning at a flat spot on the river where many birds went to drink and bathe. Finding him perched above the water, she landed nearby and began to sing for him the most beautiful love song that she could muster.
Hawk was caught off guard by this display, instantly recognizing the songbird and her melodic voice, for she was well known across the land for it. That it was meant for him was even more surprising, but her song was so captivating that he could not keep himself from falling instantly in love with her.
Come fall they had built a nest together, and by the time spring came, Mockingbird had laid a single beautiful egg which both parents protected fiercely. Hawk, it seemed, was a wonderful husband, for he taught Mockingbird the fearless way in which his own kind protected their nests. It is said that this is how mockingbirds came to be so fierce during nesting season.
When the child hatched, the parents rejoiced, and were overjoyed to find that he shared characteristics of both of them. He had the small, agile frame and silver feathers of his mother and the strong, hooked beak and keen eyesight of his father. His song, it seemed, was a strange combination of both parents' calls, so they named him Shrike, which means 'shrieking song' in the language of the birds. They loved him dearly, and under his parent's watchful eyes he grew into a clever young bird who could sing and had a knack for hunting, much to the pride of his father. The three of them were very happy together.
However, this happiness was not to last, just as their families had foretold. For one day, Sparrow's wife darted through the forest, sounding her shrill alarm. "Help me, help me, my poor husband is no more!" she cried sorrowfully, and all of the birds came forth to see what had happened.
Who else could it have been but young Shrike, who was standing over his prey in a clearing with a look of great confusion as everyone scolded and scorned. "I have done nothing wrong, it is the way of my father and his father before him to hunt the smaller creatures." he claimed without guilt, until the Great Eagle came forth and everyone fell silent. Eagle was one of the wisest animals in the forest, the King of all Birds, and what he said was the law.
"Shrike, you have felled your fellow songbird, your own kin, and for this you must be punished. You shall be exiled, unable to fit in with neither songbirds, who you will always see as food, nor raptors, who may see you as their own prey and will never accept you as their own. Begone from this forest, my decision is final." His father cried out in anger, and his mother wept with a deep sadness, but no amount of protest or begging could make the great Eagle change his mind.
So it came to be that Shrike left the forest, and set out into the meadows and the deserts with a bitter heart. Being a resourceful creature, he quickly adapted to his new home, but his bitterness grew with each passing day. It is said that the way in which the Shrike impales his prey upon the cruel thorns of the bramble is an act of vengeance and rage for his lonely fate. The habit persists to this day, as he is destined to live in the thorn thickets, left to forge a new way for himself in solitude.
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 9:06 am
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 9:49 am
How much is that kitty, lady?
Cub Name: Basa Umlilo (Light a fire, Zulu)
Story: (For the purposes of the story I made up a fictional lion god to be the patron of this fictional pride. I hope that is alright.)
All those other prides like to boast about how they are blessed by their gods and how the deities favor them. This story it a little like that, but there is one big difference. Our god didn't favor us, he never wanted anything to do with us or anyone else for that matter. He is our patron now because he doesn't have a choice. Not anymore, any way.
This was back in the early days, when the gods that we knew about were few and far between, and nearly all of them had picked a group to smile upon. We weren't so lucky. We struggled and scratched out a meager existence without any help from them, and for it the other prides turned against us. They called us blasphemous, unbelievers, heretics, the whole nine yards, and they had decided we weren't worthy of the air we breathed.
For a time, we held them off. Since we had always been on our own we knew well how to fight and keep what was ours. But those other gods, the ones supporting the prides on their crusade against us, they didn't much like how we kept on beating on their little followers, and when they started pouring blessings on their heads we too started to fall in the battles.
Now, we're a proud bunch and don't much like asking for help from anyone. Maybe that's why we didn't ever plead with the gods before, but we were running out of options. One day after a particularly bloody battle, the leaders of our pride noticed a great winged lion sitting on the sidelines, watching with a smirk upon his face.
"Who are you to mock us?" The king growled, charging up to the massive being. "You take no action to aid either side, prove to us that you are worthy and aid our cause!"
The lion god burst out in to laughter. "Puny mortals, what makes you think that I care to lift a paw to help you? I care not for your squabbles, leave me be." And with that he turned and began to walk away.
Infuriated, the king let out a bellowing roar, soon echoed by his council and his pride. The pride chased after the lion god, determined to prove their worth by hunting him down, forcing him into submission, and showing that they were the stronger.
It is said that the pride chased the god for days on end. Not once did the god take to wing and escape, instead he always remained just a few steps away from capture. Eventually though, he was caught, and the pride attacked in force. The battle between the god and the pride was long and harsh, for his strength was such that he easily flung lions off of his body and scattered his attackers with a swing of his mighty paw. All said and done, however, the lion god was finally brought down, overwhelmed by the sheer number of his foes and their brutal ferocity and determination. The king laughed and ordered that his subjects leave him be, striding up to the god with confidence.
"Who now is unworthy?" He spat, "Have we not proven ourselves? Aid our cause so that my pride, our pride, may emerge victorious."
The god stood, looking around him at the crowd of bloodied lions and lionesses who had worked so hard to bring him down. "I still do not care, don't you see? You and your pride are weak, and I have no reason to help you."
"You should care!" This statement came not from the king this time, but from his daughter, heir to the throne. She lay on the ground, injured more than any of her companions and near death. What better time to chastise a god? "You are the one who is weak, so-called god. It is not weakness to need the bonds of a pride to sustain us. It is not weakness to love, or to fight for those we love. Who do you love, who do you fight for? Nobody. You are weak because you are arrogant, you are lazy for being unwilling to help those who clearly need it, and for this you should be ashamed."
The god looked down at her broken body with the slightest look of pity. "Your words are wise for a mortal, and your determination is fierce."
"There would be none who could destroy our pride if you were to aid us." She coughed between her words, clearly struggling to breathe, but the determination on her face did not falter. "You are concerned with weakness? Let us stand together and ensure that none witness our weakness, or yours, ever again. We will protect those we love, and those who love us, no matter the cost. What do you say to that?"
The god gave a solemn nod, his heart softened by her loyalty to her father and her pride, even in her dying moments. "Swear it to me, wise mortal. Swear that your pride will do as you have said and bind our agreement for eternity."
"No." She growled defiantly, "You swear it first. You are the one who has done wrong by us, and so you must swear first." Her eyes began to fade as she spoke, and at last her voice weakened, this demand being her final words in life.
Startled, the god hesitated for a moment before leaning down to her lifeless face and whispering in her ear, so that none would hear his admission.
"Well?" The king snarled, rage overpowering his sorrow, "What say you?"
The god lifted his head and placed his paw upon the princess, a look of sadness in his eyes. "I say that it is now your turn to swear in her place, father of the wise lioness."
So there you have it, that right there is why we're the strongest, you see? While the rest of those prides have gods who just felt like having someone to take care of, we bound one ourselves. That's why we're still around to this day, that is why we ought to be proud of our heritage and our history, because the blood of that king, and more importantly, the father of the wisest and strongest of lionesses, flows through us.
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 11:53 am
Im hoping to enter!!!! -has been struggling with a story for days now-
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:23 pm
Since there's been so few entries (and I wasn't paying attention to the time), I'm going to extend this until 1:30PM. That's a little over another hour.
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:47 pm
How much is that kitty, lady?
Cub Name: Kweli'damu (honest blood in swahili)
Story: (Since I can't think of a single thing from my childhood that would make a good story, Ive pulled out an soa one instead.)
The day had been mild with a stiff wind blowing, nothing out of the ordinary for the pride of peaceful cats. The morning hunting party had left at dawn, a collection of lionesses with a cheetah scout and two leopards, all of whom were talented and expert hunters. He had risen with them, seeing the dawn warm the skies before tending to his various early morning duties. Once those were done he checked on Aaliyah, and once assured she was safe and still asleep, he started on restocking her supplies. By the time he had finished and had a mental note of the things he needed to look out for that day, she had woken and left their small den, bleary-eyed and adorably grumpy.
They had visited the watering hole and then shared a couple of desert hares that had been caught by the night patrol. After that it was a case of following Aaliyah around, making sure she didn’t overdo it and strain her constantly weakened body. It would have been a good day, Aaliyah was not needed to perform any of her services, it would have been a day of rest but Fate, it seemed, had other ideas.
They had been walking along through the sparse trees of a boaboa thicket, enjoying the sparse shade and each other’s company. Day’s like this had been rare and they took every opportunity to relax and just be another regular couple, not the Shaman and her Guardian. Neither of them had been aware of the trouble brewing until it was too late. The first crack of gun shots sent panic through everyone, no one knowing what was happening the pride suddenly dissolved into panicked paws and high-pitched cries of fear from the females and youngsters or deep growls of rage form the males. Kenan had thrown himself on top of Aaliyah, driving her to the ground in an untidy heap. The sounds exploded all around them and bits of bark rained down against their fur. Knowing they couldn’t stay where they were, Kenan had grabbed her ruff and half dragged, half pushed her further into the trees. They had lain there briefly, catching their breath, trying desperately to find the safest route out, then made a run for it.
Kenan had felt a sudden lance of pain in his side, his paws going out from under him several strides later. His brain screamed at him to get up but it was as his strength had been drained out of him. He could barely haul himself along and within moments, was flat on his side panting harshly. He watched helplessly as Aaliyah was taken down several trees away, seeming to trip over nothing before she too crumpled to the ground in a heap.
For a while, he had no idea how long, the world came and went in a blur, whole clumps of time lost to him as he struggle to remain aware. One moment he was struggling to get to Aaliyah, the next he was surrounded by those weird two-legged monkeys that walked upright and carried black sticks that shone in the sunlight. He felt them poking and prodding him, then he was floating, the world tilting drunkenly. When he came back to awareness he was in a small, dark space, bars of light filtering through to blind him in one eye. His periods of awareness slowly increased and the missing patches grew shorter and shorter. The drug that he had been darted with wearing off though he didn’t realise it. The wooden box, for he eventually worked out that was where he was, made terrible rumbling sounds as it moved along in a kind of jerky sideways motion that quickly made him feel sick.
There was one thing he did recognise however, the scent of Aaliyah. She had to be close! After several minutes of frantic sniffing, he worked out that she as behind him and twisted round to press his cheek against the wooden slats, calling her name franticly. Only when she answered in a weak and dizzy voice did he calm a little. At least she was still alive and not in a great amount of pain. As the hours slid past and the strange jerky rolling motions continued, he gently coaxed her into talking to him, and between them they worked out that beside themselves, there were two other lions with them in crates beside their own. The four tried to make sense of what had happened but it had been chaos and no one really knew. One of the other lions, a female by the name of Mawali, was far sicker than the rest of them, her words disorganised and slurred. She eventually went quiet and Kenan felt dread crawl its way up his spine.
Soon enough it wasn’t just the silent female that he had to worry about. Thirst started to burn at his throat and make his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth. His coat was prickly with sweat and his stomach threatened to rebel t every jerk of the crate. Suddenly there was a terrific grating noise and the world tipped, sending him and all three of his companion’s crashing into the sides of their boxes. They hung there for a single, brief moment then everything went crazy, his crate tumbled end over end only to suddenly smash into another, bits of twisted metal and wood showered him, and a fierce, burning pain struck him across the face, forcing an anguished roar of pain to explode form his throat. Just as suddenly as it had happened, everything went still, though it was far from quiet. The monkeys shouted wildly at each other though he had no idea what they said. Bright sunlight poured in from one corner of his box, revealing solid ground outside, the hint of patched grass and churned earth.
Without thinking he attacked the shattered wood, claws scrambling wildly, a fevered panic driving him on as blood streaked the wood. Then he was through, body burning with fresh pain as he tore his skin against the splintered wood in his effort to be free. Blind instinct drove him on as he searched each of the crates for Aaliyah. The first was the silent lioness, he didn’t have to look twice to know she was dead, her spine snapped. The second crate held his mate and one side had half-come away. With a few violent bites and some hard paw swipes the rest of the lid came free and he tossed it away before tugged Aaliyah to her feet and out. She was disorientated and scraped up but otherwise she was alright. He quickly checked the last crate but its occupant was past his help, though he did try and break the wood away it was clear the lion would not last much longer.
His mind numb with total disbelief, he tied to get Aaliyah away, but such was her shock that he had to bite at her rear to get her moving. Finally the pair of them fled, the angry shouting continuing behind them until that too, faded into the distance.
*These two are real soa, so if soa backstroies can't count, discount this entry. I have just failed to think of anything else. ;o; (It is all my own writing and stuff)
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:31 pm
The contest is now closed, and shall be judged by Monday evening, at latest. I'm leaving for Steamcon this evening, and since I'm not the only judge...well, I can't exactly announce a winner all by my lonesome!
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