Rolled Seer
Name: Haraka'majani
Age: Adult
Pride: Kuroi'Nera
Rank: Low Grunt
Colorist: Lithia_Brandon
Parents: ??? x ???
Siblings: ---
Mate: ---
Offspring: ---
Personality: Silent, save for when he has something important to contribute, yet not quite cold and callous, Haraka'majani is quick to act and not exactly the sharpest of the tools in the shed. He's not stupid, but his mind is certainly not as swift as his paws and he's definitely more of the follower sort. He had an envious streak as a cub and it never faded in his adult seasons. He's bold and brash to a point, as well as quick to anger when something doesn't suit him. He's not particularly large or strong, instead relying on wits, speed, and surprise to do his work for him. He's a hard worker, however, and when he comes to love and trust another creature, he'll devote himself to them wholly.
History: Haraka'majani's earlier years were brief and uneventful, to say the least. His mother, well, his mother was somewhat promiscuous, though that never particular bothered him when he was a cub and really didn't know any better. In layman's terms, she was the village bicycle and everyone had had a ride. It never particularly bothered him, at least not until he was slightly older and hybrid cubs had been born. It all seemed unnatural to him, but he shoved it from his mind and continued to grow, honing his skills in hunting and stalking, readying himself for his time in the wilds. His pride consisted of warriors and mercenaries, drifting here and there with the wind, taking on odd jobs. He trained hard and had a fantastic ethic, though he never intended on staying with them when he came into his prime. Still, he never shirked duties or training and such ethic eventually paid off. It was during his wanderings as an adult that Katapatan coerced him into following her to Kuroi'Nera. He was smitten, though he never quite knew if she noticed.
Prompt: Haraka'majani paced. His mind was a flutter and the chilled night air, which usually soothed the young male, did little to ease his mind. His bindings, which usually felt as though they were an extension of himself, felt uncomfortable and restraining against his dark fur and his maw felt as dry and rough as sand paper.
So many things were happening.
Of course, there was the situation with Hosoku and Seiji, which couldn't be completely ignored. He wasn't a complete fool and knew very well that simply aligning himself with Hosoku was dangerous, yet he was foolish enough to do so. The promise of greatness, of moving up in ranks and stature, was tantalizing and thrilled every fiber of his being, yet there was a healthy fear in him. He had to do what he had always done best, hiding in plain sight. This medley of fear and hope always gnawed away at the back of his mind, though his demeanor came off pleasant enough and his words were the right ones, but different matters bothered him on this particular night.
His sweet, dear Katapatan was still missing. Oh, sure, he was furious with her. He had seen so many things, heard so many things, and jealous envy tore at his heart like vultures did a carcass, but there was still a tenderness in the way he regarded her. There was the matter of that new fellow, the one with the sun kissed pelt and dappled markings, the one who had come abruptly with her, much in the way that he had come with her not too terribly long ago. Unlike himself, however, Sh'taka was rising and fast. Katapatan had sway, no doubt, and she had her paw in Sh'taka's gain in rank. At least that was what he had been told and he could definitely see it. It boiled his blood in a way that it hadn't been boiled, before. It was jealousy, yes, and envy. Sure, he had never made his affections obvious to her, but did he really need to? She must have seen something in him to bring him all this way... Unless she was just using him.
He shook that thought away, yet his mind continuously drifted back to her in a way that plagued him. He was waiting. Yes, waiting for her. He'd heard other unpleasant things involving her and... Well, not a cheetah. She'd been missing thus far. He couldn't ask her these things directly, due to her absence, but he hoped against hope that these rumors were just that, rumors. His sources rarely passed on false information, however, and the thought that the female he so admired had mated with-with-with... Not with him. He was young, handsome, sure-pawed, and skilled. Why would she throw her body to some other species? Taint it with filth? If it had been a cheetah, he'd understand. He'd not be happy with the outcome, but he could understand.
With a lion?
Never.
They were hybrids, abominations, filth that need not exist. It was just unnatural. They couldn't reproduce like other creatures. They were usually not as strong. Or as smart. Or as swift. Hell, half of them didn't live long. It was just laced with wrongness and that, along with the promise of ascension within the pride, was what had him completely backing Hosoku. He'd heard whispers of her heading back towards the lands that he now called home and he was itching to meet her before she joined the others. What followed, however, was not what he had been expecting.
"Hark?"
His ears pricked and he was forced out of his anxious thoughts rather quickly. Few knew him well enough to adress him by the shortened name that he had grown up with. His flame-like eyes quickly darted over the form that emerged from the shadowy underbrush. The orange of her pelt seemed like flickering fire beneath the moon's glow and he felt his breath snatched from him almost as once. His fury seemed to melt away, though a frown smeared across his thin, rubbery lips.
"Katapatan."
"Hark, I need your help." Her words were thin, strained, anxious and he knew he would help her, whether he agreed with what she was doing or not. He was her pawn, in a sense, though he didn't wish to admit it.
"Hark... I've... I've got a problem."
"Of what sort?" He knew. She knew he knew merely from the expression he wore on his features. He wanted to hear it from her and not his unnamed sources.
"Cubs, Hark. Hybrid cubs." The words that came from her were obviously ones of regret. "I can't keep them. I can't. I can't bring them back to the pride."
He stood stock still, ears and eyes pinioned on her trembling frame. She inhaled sharply, her expectant, teal eyes tracing over his lithe form.
"And you want me to help."
"I don't want to... You know. I love them. But I can't keep them. I can't. I just..." Her voice trailed off and he nodded his head.
"You want me to take care of the situation."
"Please... I know I haven't been here much, but... But you were the only one I could think of to turn to, the only one I can trust."
"Very well. Go on back."
Their departure was a brief and uneventful one. She told him where to find the cubs and he, well, he was vague in the manner which he responded to her. He mentioned trustworthy contacts, of course, and she had no idea of his allegiance to Hosoku. He knew what had to be done, but she probably wouldn't like him for it. What she had done had to be righted. He had to do it for her sake and his nerves were steeled as he made the trek to the small, rocky outcrop where the three cubs had been left in hiding. In a way, she would be indebted to him. Maybe this was the turn in his luck that he so desperately needed.
"Little ones~"
He called out, his voice as silvery and soft as the moonlight that bathed him.
"Little ones, it's Uncle Hark. Your mum sent me to find you and take you home." A lie, if he ever told one. It was when he saw those fearful, blue eyes that his heart and nerve wavered.
"Mamma?"
"Yep, gonna take you lot right to meet her. She just had to make sure you'd be safe." Lion was obvious in their strange structures, but they were so young, so soft... They hadn't asked to be born. It wasn't their fault. For a moment, he pictured himself in their paws and he felt a pang of guilt. They'd never be normal, however. He was doing the right thing.
One by one, the cubs followed him, leaving behind the relatively minimal safety the outcrop had provided them with. They weren't that far from a watering hole. He'd be back by dawn and there'd be no trace that the youngsters had ever existed, bar the extra weight that still clung to their mother. Cubs were a delicious treat, after all, for some of the water's denizens.
Stages: [
Adult]
