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 Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 1:14 pm
{When Two Become One}It was a day like any other when Haddi paid Taji a visit. The god of games had troubling news from the Sikukuu, an allied pride off in the more mountainous regions of Africa. A hoard of stinging bugs had taken up residence and chased the entire pride from their homelands. They were heading in the direction of the Kwa Kikombe with the hopes that the pride would welcome them in and give them a new home.
Taji, of course, was quick to say yes. The lands were plentiful and they never were lacking in food or water. He sent Haddi back to let them know they'd be welcome to join before setting off to spread the word through the Kwa Kikombe.
A feast was organized for when the tired Sikukuu arrived. Even Kikombe was put on hold so everyone could devote their efforts to bringing in prey, making new dens habitable, and making sure the pride lands as a whole looked presentable and welcoming. Now all that was left to do was wait.
-----
This ORP is to welcome the new Sikukuu members into the Kwa Kikombe! A few new ranks have been added to accommodate the new SoA which can be found in this thread, but they are welcome to pick any rank at all. This RP will mostly be a meet-and-mingle with a little exhibition of Kikombe for those who haven't seen it played, both IC and OOC. Anyone who plays in the game will get 1 point added to the stat of their choice provided they have at least 5 posts and 500 words in the RP, as well as posting the RP once it is finished in this thread. If your Player is interested in being in the exhibition, please make a note in your post.
If you don't have a Kwa Kikombe or Sikukuu member, don't fret! Rogues are welcome to partake in the feasting.
With the merging of the prides, the Kwa Kikombe are going to adopt some of the Sikukuu traditions in the form of quarterly celebrations. They can be found in the Pride Information thread. Hopefully we'll get this wrapped up in time for the April celebration, otherwise the first one will take place in
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 1:15 pm
{ R A F F L E }There are two SoA that will be given away raffle-style at the end of the ORP. Each post gives you one ticket. If you have no SoA in the Kwa Kikombe or coming from the Sikukuu, please make a note in your first post and you'll get two tickets per post.  Both are colored by pinchmonsterTickets
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 2:09 pm
Quote:  Today was they day. Taji stood on a rock that looked out to the east where the hoard of creatures would be coming from, trying to catch a scent or a glimpse of them before they arrived. Everything was set and ready to go: the Kikombe field was groomed and primed, ready for a showcase match, there was a pile of fresh meat near the river for the hungry travelers to feast on, and the whole of the Kwa Kikombe stood not far behind Taji, waiting for their new pride mates. Taji's ear twitched slightly as the wind changed, bringing with it a promising smell. "I think they're close," he murmured to no one in particular as he turned and headed down from the rock. With a swish of his tail he headed to the east, pausing a few paces from the rock he had been standing on. It wouldn't be long now, he was sure. Quote:  Among the pride stood Baridi, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new members of the pride. She had done quite a bit of hunting the past few days to get the feast ready as she could only imagine how tired and hungry they all must be. She hoped there weren't any terribly young cubs or pups making the journey. Her ears twisted back a bit as worry flickered over her face. Surely if there were terribly young children they would have been carried or helped in some way. Her own children - biological and adoptive - were all completely grown and she loved to dote on the youth of the pride, so while she was worried about the tiny paws that had to make the trek, she did hope there were some young ones to greet.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 2:41 pm
Unsurprisingly, Haddi was the first to come into sight. He simply had been too excited to stay with Heim and Ester at the head of the caravan of creatures. He could have flown the whole way in much less time, of course, but he had confined himself to walking with the rest as a gesture of his trust in where they were going. When he came within sight of Taji, though, he broke into a joyous bound, flaring his wings each time he leaped, thus taking much longer bounds than should have been possible. "Taji, my friend!" he bellowed in characteristic enthusiasm. "We have come! I see you are ready for us!" Though he really didn't have to consider himself specifically of Sikukuu, in his heart he loved the pride and always referred had referred to himself as one of them, like any other member. His pace faltered for a heartbeat as he realized that would change now. He was of Kwa Kikombe now. His sunny nature reasserted itself immediately though, and he charged up to wrap a large paw around Taji's back and tug him into an embrace. He waved his other paw to the rest of the pride that was waiting and called, "Bless you all, for taking us in!" His smile was wide and genuine, because he knew he could trust this pride to give his old pride the comfort and welcome they sorely needed. The moment Haddi suddenly bolted out of sight, the former Queen knew they had to be close. He'd already been ranging far ahead, of course, so this gave her a little time to compose herself. She gave her mate a tremulous smile and sucked in a breath. It was time again to act the queen, to be strong and gentle and gracious on their behalf, even if it was for the last time. She swallowed the lump in her throat and calmed herself. This was the saving of her pride, after all, and for that reason alone, it was worth celebrating, not mourning. When she came within sight of Taji, Haddi, and all the rest, the smile on her face was sincere, and her heart was touched. They weren't just allowing Sikukuu to come join them... they were welcoming them with open arms. A rush of gratefulness and warmth pushed away what was left of the dark clouds in her thoughts, and she approached Haddi and Taji with more confidence than she thought she'd have been capable of. "I am Esteryti, and this is Heimdell," she introduced herself and her mate to the clear leader of the pride. "We represent Sikukuu," she continued, turning to indicate the others that came walking up behind them. "We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for offering us a home with you." She leaned to give Taji a sisterly cheek rub to show her affection and thanks. "We look forward to getting to know all of you, and learn about this game Haddi has been telling us about." She flashed the god an amused look, for he had been chattering almost non-stop the entire journey about kikombe. ((I would like to be excluded from the raffle, please!))
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 2:01 pm
 It had been a few days. Aldo had managed to wander into an area he hadn't recognized. It was nice though, the land looked green and full of life, and possibly prey, so he was feeling a bit happier than he had been in quite some time. He planned to stay here, at least for a little bit.
He had been staying in a tree near a watering hole though he had not managed to find any prey yet. Perhaps there was a safer watering hole that they liked to visit instead? He didn't know, but he was starting to get hungry.
What had woken him up today though was the smell of food. Lots of it. And it had already been killed. What was going on? He jumped out of his tree, stretched a bit when he hadn't seen anyone, and slowly wandered in the direction the scent was coming from.
Eventually he got there, however it looked like he had been trespassing onto a pride land of some sort, as there was never usually such a huge gathering, with such a great amount of food, in the rogue lands. He wasn't sure what to do at this point. It was hard to tell if a pride was friendly or not. However this pride didn't seem to be celebrating something violent or performing any ritual, so perhaps he would be okay here. He did not want to scare any of them though, and kept his distance for a bit.((don't have anyone from either pride))
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Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2016 4:17 am
 Heimdall nodded a greeting to the pride leader as Ester introduced them. According to their seasons, it was spring, and that meant the Queen spoke for the pride. Old habits died hard, and to be honest Heim didn't want them to die completely. They were still Sikukuu, even if he secretly doubted that they'd make the return trip and reclaim their old lands one day. He'd heard talk among the pride members, and some just assumed that this would be a temporary sollution. He hadn't commented on that.
Haddi had filled them in during the long trek, but even without the description it was easy to see who the leader was. Taji, he reminded himself, his name was Taji. And his title... Overseer? The lion would surely introduce himself to them, so he'd know for sure then. Heimdall had tried his best to memorize what Haddi could tell them about this pride, but he was sure there would be much more for him to learn. The unspoken beliefs and the culture could not be explained in advance.
He looked at Esteryti, admiring the way she held herself together. It couldn't be easy, but if she was feeling uncertain or scared she didn't show it. She looked, acted and talked like a queen and he was very proud of her. He'd done this before, even if it was a long time ago. She'd been born in Sikukuu while he had joined the pride and learned their ways. He'd made the pride his home, and he was sure he could do it again. That they all could do it.---  ---  Paean was walking behind the main crowd, making sure all stragglers were accounted for. The crowd had thinned a little bit since they set out, but those that had left had done so on their own accord. They hadn't left anyone behind for being slow or injured, but some pride members had decided they wanted to try their luck somewhere else. He'd talked a lot to the Criers coming and going, and asked them if they'd seen his friend Dortoka. She wasn't a pride member, but she'd said she'd come visit Sikukuu again. So far no one had seen her, and they'd started to say so before he even had time to ask...
He sighed and stopped for a while to wait while the very tired looking Vappu walked past him. One look told him now was not the time to bother her about Dortoka... A quick check to make sure that no one else had fallen behind and then he kept walking. The crowd started buzzing with excitement when Haddi took wing, and word spread that they were nearly there.
Paen was surprised to feel nervous about it. On the way there he'd had his self assigned "job", to make sure no one fell behind. He'd put off thinking about what would happen when they got there.((I would also like to be excluded from the raffle!))
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Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 9:32 pm
 Rather than being able to sit still with the rest of his pride, Hali had been pacing in the background. He was aware that they were accepting the Sikukuu pride into their home and the leopon was rather enthusiastic at the prospect. After all, he had been told that like his own pride, the Sikukuu didn't discriminate at against species. Maybe there would be a pretty hybrid whose eye he could catch. The thought had come so abruptly to him two days before that it had spooked him. Hadn't the Player already made peace with his inability to produce offspring and therefore the likelihood that he would ever find love had slimmed?
Still, he paced in anticipation as the Kwa'Kikombe waited... and waited... and...
And suddenly in a fluffy of feathers, he saw a large winged lion approach his father. Straightening, Hali began to make his way towards the front of the crowd, if only to get a better look at those who would be soon approaching. An older tan lioness was greeting his father, Taji, while more characters were arriving slowly behind them. As he looked out onto the oncoming crowd he found himself smiling and speaking to the first familiar face nearby. It just so happened that that face belonged to his mother, Baridi.
"Oh Mother, it will be nice to see the pride expand, won't it? There will be so many new faces... And I'm sure the new teams that come from this event will carry a new strength to the Kwa'Kikombe." ((Hali is the only one I have in either pride.))
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 12:41 pm
Quote:  Taji wasn't too surprised to see the first one to arrive was Haddi. The god greeted him as if he were an old friend and Taji returned it warmly, a grin to match the much larger lion's on his face. "Yes, we've been waiting all morning. We're so glad you have all made it safely," he added, looking around the god at the hoard of animals coming onto the lands. At the front of the pack were two lions, obviously the leaders, and Taji lifted his head and turned his smile to them. "Welcome, welcome," he said warmly, pausing as the leading female approached him. He glanced between her and the lion - Esteryti and Heimdell - and nodded a greeting, returning the nuzzle that Esteryti gave him. "Oh, you won't have to wait long to see Kikombe," he said with a chuckle as he pulled back to look between the two leaders of the Sikukuu. "I'm so glad you made it safely. I'm sure Haddi was a great help in leading you. I'm Taji, one of the leaders here. Howa, the other leader, is off in the rogue lands on a bit of a sabbatical. She extends her warmest welcome as well, though," he added with a wink. He turned with a sweeping gesture to the animals gathered behind him, his voice lifting a bit to carry across those gathered. "Our brothers and sisters have arrived," he said, a jovial tone in his voice. "Please, greet them as if they were your own siblings!" Quote:  Baridi peered over the heads of the taller animals as the Sikukuu arrived, led by a god with wings so large she was sure he could blow her over if he beat them hard enough. A familiar voice beside her made her turn and her eyes lit up when she recognized one of her sons. "I do hope so," she agreed with a smile as she gave Hali an affectionate nuzzle to his shoulder. She glanced over to the crowd of animals that was gathering behind Haddi and the two leaders of the Sikukuu and, at Taji's call, she turned to pace forward. "Let's go greet them," she said, her voice soft but happy. "I'm sure the poor things are exhausted." belloblossom Did you want Hali to take part in the exhibition of Kikombe? He'll get a point to add to any stat you'd like~ Quote:  Wing had to admit, she liked the area the Kwa Kikombe had settled in. The grass was lush and alive, the trees were a bit sparse in the area but she could see a bit of a jungle in the distance, there was a river not far from where they had come onto the lands...but it wasn't home. She already missed the lands she had called home since she was born and for the first time in a long time her chest ached for her lost son. She knew he was long gone, but at least back in the Sikukuu lands she had felt like he was there. Now...now she wasn't sure. She put on a smile, though, knowing being sad wasn't something she should be if she could manage it. Everyone was sad for different reasons, but the welcome they were getting was more than enough to lift her spirits after the long walk. Quote:  Anga trotted behind her mother in much better spirits than the vast majority of those walking with her. She was always eager to see and do new things and she wasn't all that torn up about leaving the lands she had grown up in behind. Her father had been a roaming leopon and a bit of his wanderlust had been infused in her, so the prospect of starting over somewhere new was exciting. "Oh wow...look at them all!' she said, trotting forward past Wing as she saw the Kwa Kikombe members moving forward. "And that smell...there's food somewhere."
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 11:12 pm
Quote:  Sano had been working hard to make sure he caught enough prey to help contribute to the new members that would soon be flooding their prides lands. It was most unfortunate that they had to go through such an ordeal as uprooting from a place they had called home for generations. But at least they were here to welcome them with open paws. With a satisfied nod he went to go find his father and join him to help welcome the newcomers into the pride. It appeared to be that he was a little behind as there were already some new faces to greet! He gave a small nod to his father as he spotted his brother Hali not to far away with his mother. He gave a small smile to Baridi and greeted his brother happily. "Hello Hali, all these new members is exciting isn't it?" He said to him looking at the feline's that have arrive so far.
Quote:  Bhumi had heard the sad news that a neighboring pride had lost their home, but the good news was they were opening their arms to them. Pleased to know there were new members joining their ranks she had helped dig out more dens with Sienna and the duo had decided to make their way to where the rest of the pride was to greet the newcomers happily. As she approached she spotted Sano not to far away with his brother and Taji not to far away from them. It seemed to her that there were already members from the pride present, being welcomed to the pride by Taji. "All the new faces! This is as sad as it is exciting wouldn't you agree?" She said turning to her female companion. She spotted Baridi not to far away and remembered fondly when the leopardess took her brother and her in when they had been left without any parents to fend for themselves.
Quote:  Sienna accompanied her feline friend after helping dig out a few dens for the incoming party of members from the pride that had tragically lost their homes. She hoped that no lives had been lost in the process. Though she wasn't sure if anyone was allergic to such bugs? There was always that one though. She just hoped that everyone had relocated safely to their pride here. She looked over at Bhumi and gave a small nod. "Yes, it is sad and happy all in one." She said looking around at the new faces. She put on a happy smile and greeted any that passed their way with kind words and an offer to show them around.
Quote:  Aquarius had been traveling for what seemed like days when he saw a number of creatures wandering in the same direction. After talking with one or two of them he found out that they were all homeless and heading to a place called the Kwa Kikombe. He figured he'd give it a look and see what he thought of it. He wasn't one for large groups but he figured it wouldn't kill him or anything. He noticed a very large lion with wings and realized that one must be a God. He had never seen one before but he had heard stories. Looking around he spotted Taji and figured he was in a leadership position since others were approaching him with greeting. He figured why not do the same. He approached the lion and gave a smile and a nod of his head. "Greetings, my name is Aquarius, is this the Kwa Kikombe?" He asked him.
SilverLutz totally forgot if hyenas were allowed lol. I just got him and thought i'd throw him in here for character development
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 2:51 pm
Hali was pleased to have found some company to stand with. Surely he would have sat, but that may impair his vision to the oncoming pride... Er, former pride. His eyes were scanning over the crowds when they fixed on a handsome dark-coated feline. He couldn't make out much besides the navy--or was it purple?-fur, but he wanted to get closer. To introduce himself.
"Yes, let's." He agreed with his mother, wondering if she would take interest in going with him to meet the dark newcomer, or whether she would go her own way, perhaps joining his father. He was just beginning to surge forward when he was stopped by another familiar voice and he turned with a happy grin. "Sanosuke!" He butted his head against his brother's shoulder. "Oh, definitely! I was just telling Mo... I was just telling Baridi that I'm looking forward to seeing who comes forward as new Players for the pride."
Turning his eyes back to the advancing group, he nudged his brother with a shoulder.
"C'mon, let's go introduce ourselves!" And with that he went into the fray, ready to introduce himself to the first new member of the pride that he came across, whether it was the dark-coated feline he'd seen earlier, or someone else entirely. SilverLutz I'm not quite sure what that would entail, but yes! heart
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Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 9:21 am
Quote:  Ekundayo patently waited as she eyed all the Sikuuku marching towards the Kikombe on the horizon. She couldn’t help but to hover between some sort of bittersweet feeling that all these lions had lost their homes and were coming here to seek refuge. Still, it wasn’t entirely horrible. The pride had busied themselves in the last few days in preparation of the newcomers. Even she had helped bring in some more food for the feast and made sure the Kikombe fields were clean and all the shells were polished in preparation of the first few games the newcomers would be seeing. It would do no good if they got the impression they were a downright filthy pride after all! Quote:  Aka was late. He was always late. Always perpetually delayed in some manner or another which caused him to run late. Nnn. He really, really needed to get better at waking up on time. The hybrid was panting as he raced across the Kikombe lands in his effort to reach the spot where they were supposed to be receiving all of the new Sikukuu members. Honestly he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he slept through this. He really wanted to be able to meet all the new folks who’d be joining the pride. As he neared his destination Aka slowed his pace to a slow trot. A large grin swept over his face. Oh, this was grand! He hadn’t missed them arriving after all! In fact it looked as if he had shown up just in time! SilverLutz Aka is here to help with the exhibition!
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Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2016 1:42 pm
As the prides began to mingle, Taji was confronted by a blue hyena. He didn't recognize him and from the question he had a hunch he wasn't with the Sikukuu either. "This is the Kwa Kikombe," he said with a wide grin. "Welcome, Aquarius! I'm Taji, one of the leaders of the pride. Are you a rogue or have you come with with Sikukuu?" He wanted to make sure things were straightened out before he dove in to too strange of conversation.
---
Baridi watched with a smile as Hali and his half brother greeted one another. She gave her son a little nudge to let him know he had her blessing to go on ahead. She was content to stay here and remain a spectator. She removed herself from the main crowd, not wanting the newcomers to feel overwhelmed at all, and decided she'd meet the new faces once they had settled.
[ooc: last post for baridi]
---
"Ah...there's so many hybrids here," Anga said with surprise as she looked out over the crowds. A few of the Kikombe were starting to make their way over to them, and there was a hybrid among them. She trotted forward to say hello, smiling at the large lion that was with him.
"Hey! I'm Anga," she said, looking between the two. They almost looked like brothers despite the species difference. "Thanks for being so welcoming. I was hoping this place would be hybrid-friendly...I've heard some prides are a little weird about it."
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 12:33 am
Quote: "Yes, let's go introduce ourselves!" He said following his brother towards the newcomers. "Let's go say hello to that male there." He said motioning towards Paean. His colors made him think of his brother. Pehaps that was why he was drawn to him. When the female hybrid approached them he was pleased and gave her a warm smile. "Hello Anga. I'm Sanosuke and this is my brother Hali. We're glad to welcome you to our lands." He said giving a bow of his head to her. He wasn't aware that some places weren't so friendly towards hybrids. "I'm glad that you've been able to find refuge in our home then."
As the male lion came within speaking distance, since he didn't want to turn away from the female that approached he called out to him was he grew near."Greetings, I'm Sano and this is my brother Hali. Welcome to the Kwa Kikombe!" He said with a wide smile. He was going to sound like a broken record by the time this was over.
Quote: Bhumi spotted Baridi and motioned to Sienna. "That's the leopardess that found my brother and I!" She was going to go and say hi to her. "Baridi!" She called out as she approached the Leopardess, her Wild Dog friend close behind her. "It's been a while since I've actually been able to talk to you. How have you been?" She asked her with a warm smile in greeting to her 'adoptive' mother she could say. "This is Sienna" She introduced the female dog.
Quote: Sienna hadn't been aware that Baridi had raised Bhumi and her brother, though she hadn't ever asked either. "I'd like to meet her." She said wanting to know who raised her friend. She gave a smile and a nod of her head when Bhumi introduced her.
Quote:  "Its a pleasure to meet you Taji. I'm just a rouge." He said looking around at the other animals that must be from the Sikukuu and the Kwa Kikombe. He listened as the Lion told him about the lands and he was curious about what they did. "What is the pride like? I'm interested in finding a home." He was feeling optimistic and they seemed like the type to accept him among their ranks.
Gah sorry for the triple quotes. Found a post where someone was taking to one of mine and edited it in/ belloblossom Just wanted to let you guys know I haven't forgotten. Well, I did forget. >.> But now I'm posting lol SilverLutz His named changed from Aquarius to Alpheus since Aquarius was too american I guess Annchen Sano is going to talk to your boy)
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 4:10 pm
Heimdall felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Not only had Taji greeted them as old friends, he had also encouraged the pride to take them in and treat them like brothers and sisters. And from the meetings going on around him that seemed to be what was happening. Happy, curious members of the Kwa Kikombe welcoming their new friends and neighbors. Heimdall was content to watch and listen while he leaned against his Ester, or was she leaning against him? No matter what, they had each other, and they had managed to push through this hurdle too.--- Vappu looked around, and since the only movement in the crowd seemed to be people mingling and meeting others she decided to have a bit of a lay down. Ah, it was good to get off her feet! She didn't see much from this position, but her nose and ears worked just fine to tell her what was going on. There was food somewhere, but for now she wanted rest more than she wanted food or water. Her ears moved as she listened in on the conversations closest to her.--- Paean did a final head count before he was satisfied that all the stragglers were there with them. Well, he knew some had left during their long travel there, but those had left willingly and with nothing but well wishes. He wouldn't have wanted to leave someone behind by accident. It was time to relax! They were here, and they were safe.
"Hello Sano," he called back, and went to the little group to talk, "I'm Paean."
He almost continued 'Celebrant of the Kaskazi clan', but that was no longer useful information. They'd probably try to retain some of their customs, but there was no Sikukuu anymore. It was a bit scary to be a part of something new. He was born and raised in the pride, and had never truly left it before.
He nodded to Anga. One familiar face at least.---  Baridi'nje observed what was going on, but didn't move to greet any of the animals making up this new pride that they would join. She liked what she saw, however. It was a good mix of different species, just as she was used to from home. She was interested to finally see the game she'd heard so much about. Food would be nice too, her nostrils moved as she scented food on the air. From what she could tell it had to be just as good as any Sikukuu feast. Time would tell if they were as good at partying.
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2016 8:51 pm
"I do hope that you find your stay in our pride just as, or almost as good as your pride was." He offered towards Paean. "If you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask." He said warmly with a kind smile. He wanted all their new members to feel as welcome as they could and he would do what he could to help accommodate them, he had no idea what they must be going through.
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