[MySpoons]

To adopt you must either have a founder and be level 1. Or, you can adopt this one as your founder!

The mask is necessary. It is for them, and for everyone else. This lion loathes to take off their mask. Whispers follow them everywhere. The metal of the mask gives their voice an eerie echo, a strange reverberation.

What is underneath?

Give me 500 words or 1 art piece on what you think this lion is hiding underneath their mask! The mask will be removed at the end of the competition when they are welcomed by a new pride. Ends on the 23rd of OCT at CS rollover!

*this lion's black eyes glow white c:

Username: irockwaffleking
Lion name: Makanui (a hawaiian name that means "great eyes")
Lion gender: female
Pride: Forum/viewtopic.php?f=103&t=4186402&hilit=DNP
Pride status: second in comand or general

event thread | main thread I prompts/leveling up I artist search

[Ravenshadow17]

Username: Ravenshadow17
Lion name: Tajna
Lion gender: Lioness
Pride: Soul Pride
Pride status: Sorceress
Why the mask? 500 words OR 1 art piece

Tai was wary as he traveled across the savannah. There had been reports of a strange lioness wearing a mask wandering the pride's territory. The general had been sent out to chase this lion off, however he had no idea what to expect. Why would a lion cover their face with a mask? Scars? A secret identity? His mind was abuzz with possible motives, each more dangerous than the last. Coming over a hill, he spotted the intruder lounging on a rock.

"You are invading upon Soul Pride territory. State your name and business hear. " He ordered. The lioness jumped and whirled around. Tai waited for a response as the lioness looked at him with wide eyes.
"Well?"

"I'm Tajna. I was just passing through, please, I mean no trouble." She said, stepping backward warily.

Tai's eyes narrowed. "I find it hard to believe that a lioness that hides her face has no ulterior motive."

Tajna flinched. "I don't wear the mask for anonymity."

"Then why wear it?"

"I'd rather not say." She refused to meet Tai's eyes.

"You do realize that makes you even more suspicious, right?"

"I do."

"Are you going to tell me an actual reason or am I just going to have to chase you out of our territory?" Tai questioned.

Tajna sighed. "If I take off my mask, will you let leave peacefully?"

"Only if you truly have no ulterior motive."

"Please don't freak out." Tajna begged, confusing Tai, until the lioness took off her mask.

Tai's eyes widened and he hid his best not to stare. But Tajna's face kept drawing his gaze. The lower left side of the lioness' face seemed to not line up with the right side. If it was if the two sides were attached at the wrong angle. Tai's eyes softened with sympathy. Such a severe condition must be difficult to live with.

"May I ask what happened?" He asked quietly.

Tajna seemed surprised at his change of tone but nodded. "I was born this way. No other reason."

"And you were truly just passing through?"

"Yes. My pride chased me out some time ago. I've been wandering since."

"They chased you out? Why?"

"My face. They said it was a bad omen." Tajna admitted, choking on her words.

Tai's heart went out to the lioness. He came to a decision.
"I'm sorry for treating you so harshly. Come to my pride's den. We don't normally take in strangers but I think my Queen will make an exception this time.

"I don't need your pity."

"You don't have it."

"What?" Tajna asked in confusion.

"You have my respect. You have been dealt a difficult hand in life and yet you haven't given up. We could use that inner strength. Come join our pride."

[Meekins12345]

Username: Meekins12345
Lion name: Sonoma - "Reflections of Fear in Her Eyes"
Lion gender: Lioness/Female
Pride: The Pride of Wikimak
Pride status: TamaTama
Why the mask? 1 art piece - with a bit of a description below.

[PolarizedVertigo]

Congrats

[Cinxer]

Username: cinderpelt20
Lion name: taka
Lion gender: male
Pride: savannahs
Pride status: defender
Why the mask? a permanent scream face

[Mercuré]

Username: irockwaffleking
Lion name: Makanui (a hawaiian name that means "great eyes")
Lion gender: female
Pride: Forum/viewtopic.php?f=103&t=4186402&hilit=DNP
Pride status: second in comand or general
Why the mask? Makanui sobbed quietly, her fur pressed against cold stone. She closed her eyes, scared of the many stone lions around her, all of their faces angry or fearful, all looking at her. They surrounded her and they felt suffocating, they looked as if they could move any moment. If they moved they would kill her, she was sure of it. They would show no mercy to her. But did that make it right? She had killed them all. The stone lions replicas of their past selves. She didn’t mean it. That had to mean something right? That she wasn’t a wretched monster? Yet every lion she saw they turned to stone quickly after, their expressions contorted into a twisted pain. Her mother was the only one who had a different expression, sorrow. She had in those final moments known that the curse had been real, and she had known that she had brought a monster into the world. That’s what she was right? An awful monster, a living, breathing curse. Her sobs grew louder as she pressed against her mother’s back. It was as cold as ice.

The skies opened up and rain fell gently onto this graveyard of lions. Her tears mingled with the drops as she was drenched, shivering. Eyes shut she heard it. Movement. They were going to get her, they were going to seek revenge! She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for them to strike. The rustling stopped a few feet in front of her. Unable to take it anymore she opened her eyes. In front of her stood a white lion, his face covered by a black mask with (glass?) something covering the parts where eyes should be. And it stared at her cursed face. And it did not turn to stone. She waited for the fur to turn white, for a scream to be let out from its solidifying throat. Nothing. It did not turn.

“The prophecy is true.” The lion mumbled. “I am Iekika young cub, I have come to help you.”

“Help me?” Makanui asked confused.

“I have been sent to stop you from causing more harm,” The lion looked around and Makanui winced, “I have made you this.” With it’s paw it nudged forward an identical mask to the one it was wearing. “You cannot turn lions to stone if they have a glass film in front of their eyes, and if a glass film is placed in front of yours they cannot turn. You can cause no harm with this on.”

Makanui reached for the mask and slid it on. It felt cold and damp but oddly comforting, she breathed in its earthy scent and stared through the tinted glass.

“Makanui,” Iekika said solemnly, “You must never take this off.”

[legolas the elf]

Username: lucifer morningstar.
Lion name: makaslan
Lion gender: lioness/female
Pride: here
Pride status: speaker of earth
Why the mask?
skelm watched makaslan hunt, her movement's languid and swift as she took down a gazelle with ease. how she did it without using her jaws was a mystery to skelm, who always felled his prey with a bite to the neck; but makaslan refused to take her mask off.

skelm watched the lioness trot back to their 'camp', her eyes bright beneath her mask. she dropped the prey at skelm's paws and bowed. "here, my king." she said, her voice echoing from inside her mask.

skelm leaned down, and ate his share before pushing the rest of the gazelle towards makaslan. "take the rest." he rumbled. the lioness bowed her head and trotted off to wherever she ate prey, out of sight of the king.

needless to say, skelm was curious what was that lioness hiding under her mask? the most obvious answer he could come up with was wounds - scars that showed her bone, perhaps, or just scars she wasn't fond of. with the thoughts of bone, skelm's mind wandered to the possibility that her entire head was that of a skull - and he couldn't help but chuckle at that thought. it was impossible.

the king decided to ignore the fact that he had thought the headless lion a myth, yet had heard his howling only days ago - just before he had found makaslan.

but back to the former question - what was beneath the mask? it was possible she had an underbite, or a crooked jaw - something that made it hard to eat, or something she was embarrassed to show. it was plausible, and again, most likely.

it could be a pattern the lioness was embarrassed of, perhaps.

but why a full metal mask? where had makaslan gotten it? so many questions with unknown answers - she most likely was hiding the fact her entire head was only her skull.

skelm's curiosity finally got the better of him. "makaslan," he said, "i think it is time you showed me your face - the face under that mask you wear."

[338 words]

[leafless willow]

x. reusing my art for smth in the future.

[ToxicShadow]

Username: ToxicShadow
Lion name: Rui
Lion gender: Female
Pride: Oddity Pride
Pride status:
Why the mask?

"There is... nothing that I cannot see."

The metal mask that Rui wears is to keep herself in check. That is, some time ago, Rui was hailed as a good omen, a young lioness with a lot of promise and was even blessed by the heavens. Some even called her an angel.

But, once when Rui was out on an evening hunt, she grew very dizzy and lost consciousness. When she awoke, she found that she wasn't herself, at all. It was like there were whisperings in her head, someone telling her to do bad things. And when she returned to her pride, they were terrified of her, telling her that she had become a monster.

Looking at her reflection, Rui found that she possessed a third eye, centered in the middle of her forehead, and strange, black scarring that seemingly cracked her flesh around the eye. She was possessed by a malevolent spirit and the metal mask forces the eye closed, preventing the spirit from taking control of Rui's body.

[MySpoons]

Username: irockwaffleking
Lion name: Makanui (a hawaiian name that means "great eyes")
Lion gender: female
Pride: Forum/viewtopic.php?f=103&t=4186402&hilit=DNP
Pride status: second in comand or general
Why the mask? -snipped-

congrats, she's yours! Poor thing, your story broke my heart D: