[EVENT] Opening Ceremony (Wrap-up/TBC, p.6!)

[Bronze Coffee]

(( Beyond late. >> ))

Late, late late. The blind male was always late to gatherings. However, he was determined not to miss it. Following the voices, the dark blue male had finally arrived to the ceremonies with no help from family or friends. He was feeling a bit proud of himself. He'd never done it without help before! His chest puffed proudly as he made his way to more voices.

Would he meet family here? This was the one time he wished he had his sight. He could see what was happening and who was speaking. That was one of the man reasons he tended to stay away from gatherings.  

[Meepfur]

Hal-shikasta stumbled a little after bumping into whoever-that-had-been, glaring and grumbling as she regained her balance. She'd already had enough of this stupid crowd full of stupid lions, and now that she'd had something to eat, it was high time to get out of here. The small lioness flattened her ears, hunched her shoulders, and rather than working her way quietly through the mess of lions, decided to shove past anyone who happened to be in her way instead.

It was much more satisfying to do it that way, as evidenced by her self-satisfied smirk.

((Anyone who wants their lion to be shoved is welcome to react.))  

[Mogami]

Iddo watched his surrounding with a faint smile. There was that funny blue frog, lions talking happily, cubs playing and… eeeek! He jumped out of the way of a pale lioness who seemed to be shoving her way around the crowd like she wasn’t seeing properly. He managed to stay unscathed but it was still somewhat unsettling to have been nearly stepped on by an adult.

“Excuse me?” it sounded like a strange confused apology more than anything else. “Are you okay?”  

[Tanakako]

Her cheering made him chuckle and in a rare display of affection he sat back on his powerful haunches and wrapped both front legs round her, dragging her up against his furry chest. Holding her close he burrowed his face into her mane tuft and blew warm breath over her sensitive ear. The deep rumble of his soft laughter felt more tan heard where they ere pressed against each other. "I am sure you could cheer even the slowest, weakest lion here to victory...." He rumbled, holding her a moment more before reluctantly releasing her and settling back onto his paws, though his smile remained as he regarded her fondly. "Maybe not the frog-catching.... no one wants a lot of flat frogs laying around." His muzzle quirked in an almost playful grin.

It felt good to joke and tease with her... maybe he should do this more often....

Epine de Rose

 

[Meepfur]

Hal-shikasta was less than pleased that the cub, who'd very nearly tripped her, then had the audacity to talk to her. She growled, the sound low and unhappy, and fixed him with a nasty glare. While she noted the familiar colors of family, she didn't particularly care. She disliked pretty much everyone equally, even family. Even cubs.

The lioness scowled and swiped at the youth, though at least her claws were sheathed. "Don't bother me!"

Mogami

 

[Mogami]

Iddo's eye widened as the pale lioness scowled and he dodged out of the way of her paw, turning on the spot in an instant and not stopping until he was a good distance away from the lioness. If he noticed the familiar blue of the lioness, he said nothing about it and instead the cub made a run for it.

“Sorry!” he said quickly, before making a quick escape. Most adults were pretty kind and indulgent when it came to cub so Iddo didn’t know how to react in this situation. She had even made it sound like it was his fault – maybe it was…? Well, if someone asked, he’d just say they were confusing him for his twin. Yeah, that always worked.  

[Meepfur]

Mayve it was because of the crowd, but Shika was feeling considerably more grumpy and unpleasant than usual, which was saying something. The lioness continued to growl, eyes narrowed and ears flat, but before she could move to pursue the cub, a larger paw struck hers and a darker form blocked her path.

"Hal-shikasta." The snarling voice was louder than it needed to be, but Piliroho kwa Kwini had no compunctions about causing a scene. "You will behave, or you will remove yourself."

The paler lioness did no such thing. Instead, she drew herself up to her full height - which was considerably less than the former goddess', and mouthed off. "Make me." She left a slight pause before continuing, "Oh, but you can't, can you? You're just a good-for-nothing, washed-up old-"

Whatever creative tirade would have followed was interrupted by a swift strike to the face from the noble, who did not leave her claws sheathed. "You will be silent, child. Your attitude has been forgiven for too long, and you have worn my pity thin. You. Will. Behave."

The blow took Hal-shikasta by surprise, and she staggered back a step, trying to blink away the blood that flowed from a deep gash over her eye. Her lips peeled back, baring fangs. She had just been pushed one step too far, and by the wrong person. By one of the ones who should have protected the pride when it needed it most, and hadn't. By someone she had despised quietly for a long, long time. She coiled back, and sprang at the Queen's mother.  

[OP-Yuna]

Meepfur

Domevlo, who had been silent for a great while now - doing the silent protector thing he did oh so well - suddenly stood tall. Seeing over the crowd with his massive height he tried to get a better look at the fight between the angry lioness and the former goddess. Ever urgent, he leaped into the crowd and bounded over, but hesitated. Maybe his great, horrid, presence would make the tiny lioness cease her fight with Piliroho? Part of him doubted it.

He didn't have a strong voice - even when speaking his voice sounded raw and barely got above a whisper, but he did bare his fangs, making his intent to protect Piliroho clear if Hal-shikasta didn't cease immediately. Although he didn't want to harm a fellow pride member, he was sworn to protect. And he was pretty sure attacking a noble, the queen's mother, was nearly treason. Still, he waffled on what to do. Hesitated...  

[Meepfur]

In another life, Piliroho would have avoided the attack entirely, and not by dodging it, but by disappearing and reappearing elsewhere. In real life, mortal life, it was not quite so easy, but she still had infinitely more experience than the furious lioness. In one fluid movement, she not only avoided the rash attack, but turned it against her, flipping her poorly-balanced opponent so that she stood above her.

And then she smiled at the massive lion who had appeared so quickly. It was noble, endearing, and adorably chivalrous that anyone might think she needed defending, but she could be pleased and amused later, and turned her attention back to where it belonged. "That was foolish, child."

Before, Hal-shikasta had been too blinded by anger to notice who had come to back up the former Consort, but pinned on her back and stunned from her head whacking against a tree root, she lost her focus actually noticed something other than Pili. She noticed the monster of a lion who stood with fangs bared.

Despite this, she wasn't afraid. She had never met him, but she knew who he was. He was the one who had saved them, where the ones who should have had failed. She had been tiny, barely aware of anything, but she knew all the stories. Stories that had filled the hole of having no parents, and ultimately shaped bitter and snarling lioness she had become, because she hadn't taken away the bright spots of them. Most of them.

Coming face-to-face (well, in a manner of speaking) with the scarred lion shocked her into silence. And a fleeting look of a shame, quickly schooled into a less-potent-than-usual grimace crossed her features.

"Enough," La'u Khara'i declared irritably, making her way forward. "Let her up, m-"

Lightning flashed, and its peal of thunder followed half a moment later. The storm was upon them, but those who'd held hopes of rain to relieve the drought had been mistaken. It was a dry thunderstorm. And while it hadn't struck the gathering, but it had come perilously close.

Close enough.

Immediately to the south, a crackling sound began, and smoke rose.

The swamp was on fire.  

[Bronze Coffee]

Einar had stayed away from the crowd, much as his instincts told him to go and mingle. He listened to the sound of raised voices, annoyed words, some harsh words, to him. His brows knit together The blind lion didn't think a ceremony was supposed to be like this! Then it sounded like a fight or something had broken out and he wished he'd just stayed in the den with his father.

His ears caught the sound of crackling, and his nose caught the scent of smoke. Fire? There was a fire in the swamps? His brain couldn't wrap around it. Letting his brows knit tighter, Einar felt fear choking the breath from him. His fur bristled up. How could their possibly be a fire? His breathing was becoming ragged as he stayed in his spot, almost as if he were glued there. Crap, what was he going to do? Back up and run. Run the opposite direction and not stop until instinct told him it was fine.

That's what he began to do. He was starting to leave the way he came. Thought he'd just gotten here, he didn't want to stick around for the panic that was about to happen at any moment.  

[oo Ded]

The sounds of the feud drew Safi's attention. Lavender eyes raised towards the ruckus and his muscles tensed slightly, as if ready to spring if need be. The situation seemed to be handled though, more or less. The sound of Khara's sharp voice pulled his attention towards her, and he began to relax...

Until the flash of lightning drew his attention to yet another direction. The sound of thunder, too closely following to be good, cemented his fear. The sound of crackling and the sight of smoke chilled his blood.

"Fire..." His voice held fear. With the condition the swamp was in, this wouldn't be some small brush fire. His gaze turned to Chemankari with worry. "It seems as though your hunch was right," he said, just loud enough to hear, then followed with, "The cubs. The cubs need to be moved to where it's safe. Quickly."  

[Mogami]

When the sounds of a scowling lioness turned into a noisy commotion, Iddo looked over his shoulder to see what was happening. The pale lioness was now fighting with the Queen’s mother and the cub gasped, worried that he had somehow been the cause of this entire situation. An angry lion quickly joined the group and soon after even the Queen was making her way to the two lionesses. Iddo froze, wondering if he was about to be accused of have triggered the fight, green eyes searching for a familiar face to comfort him. It had been an accident, he hadn’t meant to be a bother! He’d gotten out of the way of the pale lioness as quickly as he could…

He whelped as the world suddenly turned bright and the sky roared. He didn’t know why the crackling sound filled him with such panic but the cub froze in fear as a new hostile odor reached his little nose.

“Mom!” she called out in fear, lowering his body to the ground.  

[wooga Paes]

At least it couldn't be said Mteremo wasn't a dedicated hiding spot. Even though he was distracted by the sound of a commotion he couldn't see form where he lay, he stayed put. He wasn't involved in that, and could only hope, whatever was going on, it would be resolved without too much of a scene. And that seemed to happen, though he couldn't exactly see what it was. He could relax...

Until lightning struck. At first the thought of fire didn't occur to him. But then there was the sound, and the smell. Then he had to give up on the being a hideout; Mteremo had to draw a line somewhere. He glanced at Asami, still not knowing where her parents were. "Don't wander off now, stay close." Had to stay calm for the kids, right? He couldn't have her running off and vanishing, it might spell disaster.

Despite the fear growing rather quickly in him, Mteremo had to keep his cool as he made his way towards where the Queen was. He wanted to run off, and find his parents, and his siblings and nieces and nephews and Maeve, and make sure they were all safe. But La'u Khara'i might have some important instructions, and they needed to listen now.

-

As far as the commotion between the former goddess and a pale lioness went, Ani was at precisely the right age to be amused by it. She wasn't troubled at all, and wandered over closer to see what was going on. She was just old enough not to be scared, and young enough not to realize how immature it was to find fighting funny. So helplessly, she smiled when Piliroho properly showed Hal-shikasta who was the boss around here! Or sort of the boss. Or, well, she showed her.

The sudden lightning, however, startled her. It was close and so the resulting sound was just exceptionally loud, and the juvenile visibly jumped at the noise. She spent a few seconds after that just trying to look like it wasn't a big deal, even though no one was really looking at her. Then Ani began to smell something weird, and then a few others started saying 'fire'. "What's going on?" She piped up, finally beginning to realize something might be terribly wrong.  

[Quaji]

The large murky pelted lion has stayed in the background while much of the pride had been left to their own devices. He had never been one for chatter. He had chosen to avoid the others, nodding curtly to those who passed him as to not appear rude but nothing more. No one, not even those in his old pride or when he and his mate were in the rogue lands, had really ever cared what he had to say and that suited Niloticus just fine. These kind of things weren't for him, but to appease his mate and to at least make an appearance. This was his home now after all.

The sounds of the brawl caught Niloticus' attention, causing him to move forward slightly to see what the ruckus was all about. Keeping his head down and his mouth shut, he observed the conflict until a pale purple lioness stepped forward which caused him to snap to attention. It was, after all, one of his first times actually seeing the Queen since joining the swamp pride.

His head was one of the heads that turned towards the sound of the crash and boom of the thunder. A storm was nothing new but the lightning that struck the ground with a loud crackle was definitely something new. Niloticus' mind immediately went back to the night when he lost his first litter to a black lion and his company while he had been in the rogue lands. There had been lightning lighting up the air then too. The flashback was broken at the words of moving cubs faintly hit his ears. Quickly his golden eyes scanned the pride, looking to see if his mate or any his children were present. With the swamp ablaze and chaos amiss, the young needed guidance.

[[If you interact with Nilo, please quote me or I may be super slow!]]  

[OP-Yuna]

Thankful;y the fight dissolved, but now there were beigger things to worry about. Things that he couldn't fight.

The lighteneng sparked and the dry swamps crackled. The fire would no doubt grow quickly with all the dried up wood and brush the swamp held.

Domevlo could only but land of the very scent of the thought of what it might mean if the swamps were to be consumed entirely, and his sanctuary destroyed. There was something more important than that though - seeing that the pride itself was safe. He knew many by now would start to panic. He knew what they needed was to stay level headed and evacuate. Round up the cubs as quickly as possible and get away from the fire.

They couldn't stop the fire, obviously, so it was really their only option. It wasn't an option he liked - he was afraid of the outside world after all it had done to him - but it was the option they had to take.

"Don't panic. We need to find all the cubs and get out of here..." What he wouldn't have done for a more booming voice right then, however he raised it as much as he could, the sound raw and cracking as if his vocal chords were dry and too tightly strung.