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1. Who is the lion that is linked in the 'The Girl and Her Mate' post? no I dont mean his name. (quick clarification... also dont mean Namir) Aali, the Emir
2. Who is not permitted to leave the pride's land? Females of any age
3. What happens if they leave against the Pad's wishes? Her male goes after her and brings her back dead or alive, or doesn’t waste the effort and loses some of his social standing.
4. What is the pride religion? They do not worship any gods or goddesses, and they would treat them as normal males or females, maybe with more respect for gods, at least.
5. How many Beybanus and/or Banus are permitted to Eunuchs? 2 females
Name: Umoya’Enqena
Meaning & Origin: "Anxious Soul" in Zulu
Beybanu or Banu?: Beybanu
Personality: Umoya is warm, caring, and kind, but incredibly anxious and indecisive. She doesn’t trust her own instincts, and needs someone strong and calm to rely on, who can reassure her. She is loyal to a fault and guards her family with her life, and always defers to males, believing they know better.
History/Background: Umoya grew up in the rogue lands, but her father left the family when she was very young. Her mother always spoke warmly and respectfully of him, though, and waited for him. But when a drought hit, her mother started to take Umoya and her younger sister on a journey to a new land, but died along the way. Umoya tried to make the best decisions for she and her sister, but her sister also fell ill and died. This led to Umoya’s insecurity about decision making and the way she blames her mother's decision for putting her in the position she was in.
Prompt Number(s): Pretty much all three, haha, but mostly the third prompt.
Prompt Response: Umoya had been sitting in the middle of a crossroad, unsure of where to go next. Her tail twitched back and forth as she considered her options. Both paths looked dry and parched, and seemed to stretch on interminably. One or both could lead to water, fresh lands, and relief, or more drought and hunger. She started to step onto one road, but withdrew her paw quickly. 'What if...' Although, it wasn’t really as if it mattered whether she lived now or not, now that her family was gone.
As the late afternoon wore on while she still sat there, unmoving, Umoya turned her head at the sound of an approaching lion. It was a young, bright blue male. He smiled at her and sat down. Umoya nodded at him and managed a small smile. “Deciding which way to go?” he asked in a friendly voice. “Trying to,” the lioness sighed forlornly. “Well why don’t you come with me?” the lion offered. Umoya looked him over, and, determining he seemed nice enough and confident enough, replied, “It would be my pleasure.” She had nothing to lose, anyway. She was relieved someone had come along who offered to help her make a decision, and a male at that.
As the two walked along the path on the right-hand side, the lion introduced himself as Namir. Umoya gave him her full name and the two spoke for a little while. Umoya avoided the topic of her family, and asked him about his instead. She listened carefully, eyes widening as he described his pride and their beliefs. It sounded like paradise to Umoya! Males there to make all of the difficult decisions, a strong support system, and so much family! She wished she had grown up somewhere like that. Her eyes shown, but she frowned at the slightly cautious look in Namir’s eyes. “Why do you look like your traditions are embarrassing? It sounds wonderful to me!”
Namir looked at her curiously. “Really? Why is that? Most lionesses dislike such restraints.” Umoya shook her head. “They don’t seem to be restraints to me at all. Living in that way would give me great peace of mind.” “Why is that?” inquired her companion. Hesitating, Umoya looked up at the darkening sky. “Perhaps we should stop for the night. I’ll tell you once we’re settled.” Namir agreed and the two found shelter for the night. Resting her head on her paws Umoya began to tell Namir her story.
Umoya had been born Umoya’Enqena in the distant rogue lands. A year later, her younger sister was born, and her father disappeared shortly afterwards. The two girls were brought up happily by their mother and Umoya always believed her father would return someday, they just had to wait, which her mother seemed content to do. She always spoke highly and reverently of their father, and Umoya grew to believe he was a great lion with much knowledge and great judgement. The two sisters depended on one another greatly, and there was nothing in the world as important to Umoya as her sister. But one day a couple years before Umoya reached adulthood, a terrible drought came. It killed everything in their area, and Umoya and her family grew weak. Her mother took them out of that area, with Umoya protesting all the way, wanting to wait for her father. She tried to trust her mother, but as conditions grew worse and worse, she began to blame her mother for making bad decisions.
The three wandered for some time, nearly starving, and her mother eventually died. It was left up to Umoya to take care of herself and her sister, who grew weaker and sicker by the day. Umoya kept the two of them going for as long as she could, and she chose many different paths at many different crossroads, but everywhere she turned, there was no relief from the drought. Her beloved sister died with Umoya watching over her, leaving the lioness alone and heartbroken.
These events solidified Umoya’s beliefs that males make better decisions than females, because she believes her mother’s decision to leave their home, even in drought, is what caused her family’s deaths. She blames herself for her sister’s death, and knows that her father would have been able to guide her properly if only they had waited long enough for him to come back. She is now terrified of making any decision, believing she doesn’t know enough to make the correct one, evidenced by how she killed her sister.
Namir looked at her sadly when she finished her story. “I am sorry for your many losses,” he said quietly. “I appreciate your concern,” she murmured, smiling sadly. Moving closer to the lioness, Namir looked at her closely. “I have something to ask you, Umoya. You can think about it for a few days, if you’d like. I’ve met many lionesses on my journey, but none as captivating as you. You are clearly strong in both mind and body, yet docile and obedient to males, despite having known few. Would you like to come back to the pride with me as a banu, and perhaps someday, the beybanu of my harem?” Shocked that she was being offered such a thing, something she could only ever dream of, Umoya could only nod. “That would be more than I could ever ask for.”
Other: Thank you for taking the time to consider me! I really enjoyed coming up with Umoya's character and background.
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