[ORP] A New Chapter [closed]

[ShinosBee]

Saharan and Saoiraed let the news roll over them in a placid fashion. Change was common for Saharan—she'd once lived beside the sea, after all—and she accepted the news with the lack of impact felt by any real non-native. Her thoughts instead had turned to how very busy she and the other historians were going to be. Codes to be rewritten, accounts of the day to take. The way of life for the Firekin was shifting, and more so than what was usual with a change in leadership. Oh she was going to be SO busy!

Saoiraed continued to look on in calm, contented detachment. His half-lidded pink eyes were, for a moment, far more bright than was to be expected from the perpetually relaxed fellow. His ears nearly trembled as he focused, listening desperately to those around him. So many changes...all good ones, he thought, but he was smart enough to know others would feel differently. Surely not everyone would agree with all this. They'd go along with it, perhaps, but the Firekin had never been known for their diplomatic attitudes or unwillingness to come to blows over their opinions. Like his mate, he was going to be quite busy in the coming moons...just in an entirely different way.

Khaluun felt mostly along the same lines as her father. These changes would mean she'd be tasked well with listening in for any malcontents. The thought of a matchmaker did catch her ear...she was newly adult, and had always been rather...amused, perhaps, but also charmed by the depth of feeling between her parents. She knew their case wasn't how it always went in the Firekin. Many bred for strength, or on a whim, not for deep affection of any kind. Her mother had come from someplace far away, but her father had a long lineage. It'd be better to be informed. And who knew? Perhaps someone like that could be swayed to give her information. Even things like whom was seeing whom could be useful, if one of them was...of interest.

Lumt'vena and Thema were well and truly non-plussed by most of the news. The both of them had been outsiders before joining; such matters as the pride's change of name, the services of a matchmaker, those things didn't matter a lick to them. Thema's breath had caught for a half-moment at the talk of letting those in yellow or orange fur return, and Lumt had, in his silent and stoic way, known to lean towards her when that item was moved on from. They'd had several huria born to their litter...but none that would be allowed to return. It'd been a flicker of hope, but one they both knew to tamp down before it could grow too large and become painful. Lumt, at least, was certain things were fine this way. He and his siblings had gone from their parents when they'd neared adulthood too. He hadn't seen a single one in well over a year. As far as he knew, it was the way of things. That some of his children had remained was a bonus, not a regularity. Thema simply yearned for all her children to be close, in the way most mothers did. She would move on from it, he was sure. The shaggy lion had been rolling around the idea of another litter in his mind, but thought perhaps not for a while still. Any more cubs destined to be driven away...he would not hurt Thema like that. Not yet, at least.

Lumt'bakar was more or less underwhelmed by the entirety of the spectacle. He was not a huria, and had no returning huria siblings. He was not here for the civil war, and he was young enough to not feel too attached to the 'Simo' name. His blood was strong, potent, but outlander in stock. He could take any female in the pride as a mate without a thought for any shared ancestry. In fact, having a matchmaker around might even make his pickings slimmer, as lions learned who they could rightly woo. Not that he'd been up in arms to find a mate. For now he was more bothered with rising in the ranks and earning a few new scars. All in all, this was looking to be a big waste of time, if you asked him.  

[Kimaria]

Kidondo continued to quietly observe but his daughter, it seemed, had decided the time for silence was over. With some swiftness, she rose to her paws and looked about - as if she, too, were trying to figure out what everyone else was thinking.

Reactions were subdued, but what else were the Firekin expecting? Change had to be slow and slow it was. But with each new leadership that would come would bring more and more of it, transforming the pride so that they could continue to go from strength to strength.

There, of course, was a huria he thought of almost immediately. Ripuka's golden son, Uddhava. That had been a long time ago now and his heart pained to think of sending that one away on his own, as quiet and timid as he was. Kidondo hoped that the rogues had been kind to him and that he had found a home. He didn't dare hope that he might someday return to the sands of his ancestors.

Fia curled a lip, quietly growling.

"What were you expecting?" Kidondo asked.

"Less flower. More fire."

He smiled, "your want for vengeance belittles everything else."

---

"Did you hear that, grandpa? A tournament?" Kerra was practically bouncing with excitement, shoving up against his elder as if he were pushing him to the front of a queue that didn't yet exist. "You have to enter and win! This is your chance for the glory that you deserve!"

Azar'bijan gave a low growl and gave his grandson a shove with a paw - almost as if he were a little cub again. "I might."

Kerra grinned.

"Don't be coy, father. You know you will."

"It depends on what positions open up."

"High ranking military officials." Kerra repeated Agni-pariksha's words. "You could lead us all into battle."

Azar'bijan snorted but didn't disagree. He had - after all - always fancied himself for greatness and was always disgruntled that it had avoided him. Perhaps a change in leadership would be good for him, after all.

"Not so sure on allowing huria back, though," he grumbled.

Heti sighed, shaking his head, wishing his father would keep his voice down.  

[magnadearel]

Akane/Que-ale

Akane came out of her rumblings when another lioness stepped up. No fancy words for this one. She rather approved of that. The dark red lioness rumbled her approval at expanding the name bases. There was too many similar names! It was so easy to get confused. Akane perked up at the mention of filling gaps within the higher ranks. Now that definitely interested her. She wouldn't mind a higher rank as long as she could still be active. No desk jobs for her! Sitting around talking something to death was not her style at all.

She would need to start more practices to be ready for the tournament when it came around. Already she was planning who to spar with. Her ears perked once more as a white lion took the center stage. Mmmmmm interesting. Akane thought it made since really as fire was bright oranges and yellows too. She wondered how the news would be taken to the hurias who had left. They probably had other lives already. Would they wanna come back? Time would obviously tell.


Que-ale flicked his tail against the dust. Certain none of that applied to him. Although he could tell Akane was most interested in the mention of a tournament for some of the gaps in ranks. Well he'd be sitting on the sidelines cheering her on. The jackal stiffled a long yawn. These things could go on forever.



Plamen

Plamen snorted with amusement. Some names were definitely overused! He could already see the rush to be the first to use new names. It would be a fun time for awhile. He considered the mention of gaps in the ranks. Those would really need to be filled as quickly as possible. He sighed at the mention of a tournament. Why did all the warrior types feel that trying to beat someone else's brains in was a great idea? The bright red male glanced sympathetically at the medic sitting beside him.

"I'll treat you to dinner after those tournaments." He could already imagine she'd need to let off steam. Something else caught his attention. More colors allowed? Still fiery, but he thought it would be a good change. Fire was fire.
 

[Andranis]

As the new Regents spoke, Ogon's eyebrow went up. Those were some changes, that was for certain. Not horribly huge ones, at least. "I wonder if it just took a change of power for them to realize the higher ranks had been filled with those no longer deserving." He’d observed a few lions that, in his opinion, had grown fat and complacent in their ranks. They did nothing to actually deserve having them any longer, offering not even advice. At least, not that he heard. Ogon, of course, didn’t hear much in the way of what happened with the soldiers and guards outside what his colleague's mate brought to them.

”The part that has ME interested,” Kiran said, “Is the matchmaker.” He shifted, smiling a bit. “Maybe now Arevik will be able to find a mate. She’s been missing out and it DOES make me worry.” Focused on the lions talking, he missed the side-long look Ogon gave him. He didn’t miss the bit-back laugh from Ogon, even as he tried to temper his own down, at Na-atesh’s words. “Always one to get to the point..” This time, Kiran was the one to give a side-long look, directed at Ogon and the bright gold of his back. How he’d managed to not get labeled a huria, when many others of gold like himself were, was a mystery to Kiran. But that was now going to be in the past.

Aurinko gave a wave of her paw. “I’m just glad we’re dropping the whole -simo thing. Safi, Simo.. Hongshan…” She paused, glancing just a bit at Ogon. She refrained from saying Nergui. “When you get down to it, on the outside… What ARE the differences?” She then held a paw up, covering Kiran’s mouth. “Don’t you even START, I know the things your uncle spits out and he’s going to get himself killed one day for it.” She wasn’t about to get into the fact that Kosuke was technically her brother-by-mating through her half-sister, Shula.

Aurinko didn’t like to think about the convoluted mess that was their family much.

“Still,” she nudged Kiran, smiling, “We can name one of our future cubs something like ‘strong’ or ‘might’ and not have to worry about them being rejected names!”  

[Puhterodactyl]

Ticket, please!

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Moja, with some of her kin in tow, listened to the news. She descended from the original monarchy (though by now, who didn't in some way?) but had been born in the rogue lands, so the name change didn't affect her much, but would probably make it a little bit easier to teach to cubs she nannied. She was glad about the matchmaker, though. She and Canicus were something like second cousins once or twice removed. It was hard to visualize, but they were as closely related as could be allowed. It was a very difficult situation, for sure. And so far, neither her grandson nor her most recent litter had found anyone to mate with. Hopefully this would help them. It's not like there would be another big influx of outsider blood to help them. The lioness' mind wandered to her huria daughter who had left the pride. Her belly was the color of sand. She wondered if word would reach her, and if she would be welcomed back. If she would even be interested. If Moja cared about anything on this earth, it was about her children.

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Abidemi, Moja's grandson, was near his grandmother while listening to the announcements. He had never really had any options for having cubs, so the naming of them didn't seem especially important to him. He had noted long ago the repetition of Azula's, Azar's and Moto's and the like, but for times when he was ever in doubt of whether he properly remembered a lion's name, it was a pretty safe bet you could guess it was something like that. Maybe mumble one of them to see if the lion looked. But the soldier-to-be tensed with excitement about news of the tournament. Finally, he could prove himself to be worth something!

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Jahina'jua closely followed her mother, closely followed by her brother. She glanced around the gathering at the news of the matchmaker. Yes, it had been quite a burden to be so closely related to so much of the pride. The Firekin had contact with a plagued pride, so gods forbid something like that afflict them and their lack collective lack of genetic diversity make them all fall ill. Disease was the one thing the soldier could not fight.

The lioness had been so focused on her career for so long she had never really considered having cubs, though she knew how much her mother loved them. Well, there wouldn't be any harm in meeting with the matchmaker... right?

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Kuchoma sighed with a slight smile. Tournament? Looks like he'd better get prepared with salves and herbs and the like for those who didn't fare too well. He wondered if his sister would be interested. She wasn't much the type to seek glory. No, Moja had grown quite the line of descendants that took family very, very seriously, and put it over even the pride. But as most of the pride was family (re: needing a matchmaker to keep from inbreeding), it wasn't too big of a problem anyway.

 

[Kimaria]

"My want for vengeance is natural. Do you forget Nur'yu?" Fia retorted sharply, her eyes flitting from one regent to the next and then moving on to the magistrates; her gaze perhaps slightly vilifying.

"Of course I do not, but it would be unwise to risk further lives. Nur'yu would not want anyone to put themselves in harm's way for his sake." He knew it was true. She knew it was true. Both of them also knew that Fia would never admit such. The Nergui had taken family and she had voted based on the knowledge that the new regents had fire in them, too. She hoped to have seen more of it today.

"They are finishing up here, how about we go and find your siblings?"

---

"Seems like it's over," Azar'bijan noted dryly. "There'll be no rest for the wicked now. I was vying for Captain but perhaps something better will come up."

"I'll help you, grandpa," Kerra replied.

"Hmph,we'll see about that."

Kerra smiled on, unfazed by Azar's grumpiness - unlike Heti who took his father's critisism to heart. Heti gave his son an affectionate nudge, turning back to his father with a serious look.

"This is a good opportunity for you."

"Stating the obvious as always." Azar replied, getting to his paws and shaking his fur vigorously.

---

Tapana threw Agni-pariksha a grin; her formal mask starting to fall into playfulness now that the speeches were done. "Neither of you did. I'm very proud of you, dearest." She nodded briskly, casting an eye at Na-atesh. He was very gruff and to the point and she was a little wary of him after hearing how he had duelled and won against her fellow regent.

Her fellow regent who was now dispersing herself into the crowd.

She grinned toothily and, with a small shake, took a step forward to close the gathering.

"Thank you for coming. If you have any questions we are available for the rest of the day to answer them." And, with a slight pause, she moved after her partner, nodding politely to lions and lionesses she passed by.

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exclaim You may continue to RP here but new posters will no longer be able to request a raffle ticket. The raffle will be drawn shortly.

 

[Kimaria]

And time for the raffle!

The first tickets have been granted to those who applied to become an owner of the Firekin Pride in the contest that was held. The rest have been distributed to posters within the thread. If someone applied for membership and RPed here, they have been awarded two tickets.

If you have been entered for this raffle but are not interested in RPing a magistrate with Safi ideals, you are not obligated to do so. Let us know and we will reroll the winner.

Thanks for participating!

Tickets:
1. SilverLutz
2. NovaCracker
3. nessiaing
4. Tanakako
5. Das Tor
6. SilverLutz
7. Nuxaz
8. magnadearel
9. Excited Apathy
10. Puhterodactyl

nessiaing

Congratulations on winning the Safi-minded magistrate! Please see above information for brief explanation! (: