Pekee Pamoja Pride from Ukumbi wa Paradiso

[Tiger♥Bear]

D15 : Generate a random first line OR random quote, and write a short story with it. (300 word minimum)

Line : She had made a poor job of hiding the damage.

Naigh had spent most of her afternoon organizing her bundles of herbs. Lavender. Sage. Jasmine. Mint. The baskets of fruits were also moved. Lemons. Bergamots. Cocoa. King Imamu had found a nice location for Naigh to use as a place to house her medicinal things. One of the trees not far from the royal den actually had a nice hole in it. It had natural shelves in the large hollow that would be perfect for storing the many bundles of herbs and small woven baskets that held fruits. Naigh had the help of the King along with Tendaji and Khamisi when she was moving her things to the tree. Currently, it was only her and the newest knight still at the tree. The king and his royal adviser returned to their duties. Khamisi offered to stay and help in any way he could. While she had appreciated the offer, Naigh declined but did say she didn't mind his company which was why he stuck around.
At the moment, she was reorganizing her things. She just couldn't get them organized in a way she liked. The healer sat back with a sigh and looked at the tree. With a tilt of her head, she got a new idea of what to do. Naigh took a breath and got up to place the herbs on the highest "shelf" in the hole. It was easy enough to tell which plant was which since they all had different looks. She had to split all the herbs between two shelves. Toward the bottom would be where she placed the baskets with more useful fruits and such. Half of the baskets were already placed inside and Naigh was now trying to push in another basket. Both of her front paws were pressed against the protruding basket trying to shove it into the space. There was a soft crack that had her wishing she wasn't pushing so hard. She couldn't push off lest she cracks the tree more but there wasn't room to just drop down. Taking the risk that the tree was stronger than she was assuming, she pushed off the basket and tree. CRACK!
The tree broke and the contents she had placed spilled out to the floor. Trying to gather the things up, she heard soft footfalls coming up from behind her.
"Everything okay, Naigh?"
She had made a poor job of hiding the damage. Not only had her items fallen splayed out around the ground but the tree was also bent at an odd angle, broken open. She turned to face Khamisi. "Oh. Just... pushed a little too hard, I guess," she stated with a soft sigh.
Looking behind her, he noticed the mess that had been created from the accident. He gave the healer a sweet smile. "I'll help you clean up."

(470 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

C4 : Does your pride have a healer/herbalist of any sort? What role do they fill within your pride? (200 word minimum)

Pekee Pamoja does have a healer role though it is a new rank added specifically for Naigh who requested the position upon joining the pride. Her parents were both healers and she learned a lot from them, wanting to help others in any way she could. She had taken it upon herself to aid others or care for lions in a healing or medicinal manner. On a day-to-day basis, her role is situational. Members are welcome to come to her should they need relief in physical or mental states. Should they require physical needs, it would depend on what it was for. She could fashion a splint for fractures or wraps for sprains. Cuts and bruises received salves of sorts made up of various herbs and plants. Mental problems were a bit harder to attend as her practices were just theorized aids and not scientifically proven solutions. Most often she will provide herbs as a way of aromatherapy to help with things such as anxiety, depression, or perhaps just to be calm. All of these things would depend upon the current needs of the member that was requesting her services. Should the pride go to war, however, she would be stationed nearby to help with any injury the fighters obtained.

(210 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

D15 : Generate a random first line OR random quote here, and write a short story with it. (300 word minimum)

Line : She'd only given in because she was lonely.

Ubatili sighed heavily as she gazed at the water in the pond, her reflection rippling with the cool wind. The season was almost over which she was grateful for but she also felt a small feeling nagging at her. Winter was never her favorite time. She hated the cold and celebrating with the pride wasn't always her favorite thing to do. She was currently the only lion who didn't hold a rank, except the cubs of course. It didn't really bother her. Much. She wasn't really good at anything. She could hunt but definitely not well enough to be assigned as a hunter. Being a guard was a joke. She was not capable of defending herself, let alone anyone else. That meant she couldn't be a knight or a royal guard. While she was sure she could be a queen, the pride already had two: the founding queen and the ruling queen. The special ranks were something she couldn't hold either. She didn't possess the ability to see the future like the seer nor could she heal like the healer. This left her being a civilian. But that meant more time for herself. She liked to make sure she looked good. Her image was important to her. After all, her name literally meant vanity.
More than the holidays, the pride also had their Msimu wa Upendo tradition which was when lions started to pair off. Usually with that special lion they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with. On occasion, lions will instead just have a fling for the season. It doesn't happen often, but it does occur. She'd only seen it happen once since she'd been here. Now as she looked at herself in the water, she started to doubt. She was a young, attractive lioness so how come no one had seemed interested in her? Regardless of the reason, she was starting to feel alone. She didn't have anyone to really call a friend here in the pride.
"I don't think I've ever seen you so dejected."
She didn't immediately look up but didn't have to when she noticed the second reflection beside hers in the water. It was one of the newer members. Sefu. He had been assigned as a hunter. It was practically his families calling. He was maneless and often boasted about his sharp claws, both features he claimed helped in being a better hunter than most. Forcing a smirk, she tilted her head to glance at him.
"I'm not dejected. I'm reflecting."
"Obviously." He gestured toward the water with a playful smirk of his own. Ubatili scoffed and shook her head, unimpressed with his joke. "What are you thinking about?"
"How I can't wait for the season to be over."
"Not a fan of the chilling winds?"
"Among other things."
It seemed Sefu was about to question further when she had looked up to notice the King and Queen with the prince, now grown. The way the couple was cozying up together only reminded her of how she didn't have someone. The hunter took notice and commented, "Seems the royal family has plans to expand."
"Yeah..." She didn't mean to make her tone so wistful but it was too late to cover it up.
"You ever think about doing the whole...mating for life thing?" She turned her attention back to Sefu, sizing him up. He was attractive though she definitely preferred the lions with manes. His coat was almost as immaculate as hers. He seemed nice enough. Perhaps a little too into himself.
"Maybe. If I ever found the right guy."
"How do you know you haven't?"
She narrowed her eyes. What game was he playing? "I'm pretty sure he would've approached me by now if he existed."
"Why do you think I'm here?" It was honestly such a smooth line she wasn't sure how to respond. With a grin, he leaned in. "Think about it." He stood up and left her side.
"Wait!" She turned her attention to him a few feet away. He had stopped but his back was still facing her. "Meet me here. Tonight."
"It's a date." Even though he wasn't facing her, she could hear the smile in his tone. She watched him walk off and decided she'd only given in because she was lonely.

(719 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

D2 : Write a 400 word scene/story of your choosing involving your pride members

After all the supplies were gathered back up, Khamisi gave a soft chuckle. Naigh looked at him curiously.
"What's so amusing?"
"It's no wonder that tree broke. You have a lot of things here." He gestured to the numerous bundles of flowers and herbs, the baskets of fruit. "King Imamu should've looked for two trees for you to use."
The healer gave a shy smile, noticeably embarrassed by her actions. Just moments earlier she had been trying to push one of the baskets into the tree when it had snapped and bent backward, the contents already placed inside now splayed across the ground. Khamisi had helped with transferring her items here. The king and the adviser had also helped but had returned to their duties leaving the knight and the healer. Though he had offered help with placing the things in their new home, she had respectfully declined but allowed him to stay and keep her company. So he stayed. He was a newly appointed knight, just barely a year and a half. Naigh was one of the newest members to the pride.
"If you'd like, I can help you move these things back to where you had them before."
"Oh, you don't have to do that for me."
"Please. I want to help."
After a moment to consider his offer, she nodded with a smile. "Thank you. You're too kind, Khamisi."
The pale lion flushed at the compliment. "Just trying to help."
Thankfully, Naigh didn't' seem to notice him getting flustered. The two moved everything back to the place she called home. A small hill on the opposite side of the pond. It took a bit with just the two of them, but they got it done.
"Thanks again. I appreciate all your help."
"No problem. I hope we can find something else for you to use. It must get cramped having everything here."
"It's not so bad." She gave a soft sigh then yawned. "Sorry. It's getting late. I should... probably get some rest."
"Oh! Of course. I'll, uh... see you around. Have a good night, Naigh."
"You too, Khamisi."
He smiled and nodded his head before turning to leave and head to his own home. Approaching the space he'd claimed for himself, he saw none other than his mother waiting for him. Her eyes were glowing brightly which meant only one thing: she was having a vision. He kept quiet as he approached not wanting to disturb her.
"Khamisi." He stopped when she said his name. She was having a vision about him? He waited for her to say more, but the glow in her eyes dimmed and she turned her focus to him. Her vision was over. "You're home."
"Yeah. I would've been here a little sooner but I was helping Naigh take her supplies back to her home."
His mother smiled knowingly. "Naigh, you say?"
"Yes. The tree King Imamu found for her to use didn't really work out. What was your vision about?"
"Oh. Just a possibility for your future."
He wasn't sure how to feel about that. It might be interesting to know but he was also worried that if he knew if he'd be locked into that future for himself. "Do I... want to know?"
"Only you can decide your future, sweetheart. Just know this possibility would be a good one for you." Nuru stepped closer and groomed the side of his mane in a way only a mother could. "I should be going. You know how the visions take a lot out of me."
Khamisi grinned and nodded, still unsure if he wanted to know. Perhaps another day. "Alright, mother. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Khamisi. Have sweet dreams. Oh, and be sure to tell Naigh hello for me when you see her again."

(630 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

D15 : Generate a random first line OR random quote here, and write a short story with it. (300 word minimum)

Line : They had to work together so they were going to have to learn to get along

The two male hunters couldn't be more different. Faraji had joined the pride as a cub, found abandoned. He was a bit smaller than most of the lions here but was strong and feisty. He could get a bit hotheaded at times and would take it out on things or others around him. Sefu had joined the pride a few months ago. He was average in size with lean muscle but lacked a mane. He took risks and liked to put himself in charge thinking he was best for the job. They both had their strengths and their weaknesses, different both useful to the pride. They had currently split off from the two girls that were also hunters on the days hunting trip. The group didn't have a leader so they kind of just followed the best idea that was suggested. Sometimes it came from the royal adviser or the ruling queen herself. They both helped with setting up the hunt for the day.
"You have to be quicker, Faraji!"
"Not all of us can be pretty-boy sprinters, Sefu."
The two were bickering as they chased after their designated prey. It was gradually slipping away. The girls were nowhere in sight which left this catch to the boys.
"You're letting it get away!"
"Not if I can help it!"
They had to work together so they were going to have to learn to get along. It was a slow process but the boys' relationship was changing from competitive rivalry to a growing camaraderie. Sefu pushed forward closing the gap and then latching on to the prey long enough to slow it down. Seizing the opportunity, Faraji sprinted forward to help bring it down with his strength. The two managed to bring it down just in time for the girls to catch up.
"Wow. I'm impressed, you guys. You managed to stop squabbling long enough to actually be successful," Marjani quipped.
"Jokes aside, I too am impressed. You guys did well."
"Thanks, Zuri." Sefu looked to Faraji with a smirk. "I guess we do make a decent team."

(347 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

D2 : Write a 400 word scene/story of your choosing involving your pride members.

There was a rare fog over the valley, densest by the pond. It was the early hours of the morning and the two knights were patrolling together. Kibwe had been assigned as a knight shortly after joining the pride. Khamisi was still new to the rank just completing his run in the Kuja Kwa Uzee barely a month ago. The blue lion had taken to teaching the pale youngster under his mane so to speak. It was just part of who he was.
"How long have you been with the pride?"
"A while. Last season was my three-year mark.
"Wow. You've been a knight that whole time?"
Kibwe chuckled softly. He wasn't sure if Khamisi was making a gesture to the older lions age or simply how long he had been with the pride. "Not right away, but most of the time, yes."
The two lions continued walking around the fog covered plain. The sun was high enough now that the sky was a light shade of pink. There were a few herd animals grazing about. Some zebras, a couple of antelope, and even a lone water buffalo. They walked on silently for the next few minutes.
"Can I ask you something, Khamisi?"
"Of course."
"Do you suppose I could set up a time to visit with your mother? Have a reading done?"
"You don't need to ask me that. You're welcome to visit her whenever. I'm sure she'd love the chance to give you a reading." Kibwe nodded slowly. "Is... everything okay?"
"Hmm? Oh. Yes, of course. I suppose just wondering what the future holds for me. I'm not getting any younger and I have been thinking it would be nice to start a family. Just curious if that's in the deck of cards for me. If it is, preferably at the top of the deck."
"Ah. I see. Well, I'm sure she'd love to help. Just know her visions aren't a for sure thing. It's just a possibility that depends on you and your actions."
"Oh. I see." The blue lion sighed softly then smiled. "I suppose that's fair. I should be the decider of my own fate, even if it's told to me."
The silence grew between them. It wasn't uncomfortable or awkward, just there each lion in their own thoughts. Kibwe thinking of a future he could have for himself. Khamisi remembered the vision his mother had the night before when he had returned home. He was still unsure if he wanted to ask for more detail about what she had seen. It was about him but that was all he knew about it.

(438 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

In Character Breeding : 500 Words, Two Small Art Pieces, or One Full Art Piece
Pair : Asha and Imamu

It has been a month since Akida’s ceremony for being crowned the prince of the pride. The entire pride had been invited to witness the prince accept his place among the royal family, not just by blood. Asha and Imamu were watching Akida mingle with the knights from atop their royal hill. Neither parent had admitted but had hoped for more cubs with their first litter. They loved Akida, of course. It was just surprising to only have one.
“He’s really shown growth, hasn’t he?” Asha stated with a sense of pride.
“Of course he has. He’s almost as large as me.”
“I meant in his character.”
Imamu chuckled. “I know. I’m only teasing. You’re not worried his side that reflects me will be a problem for him?”
“Don’t be daft. I think you rule fine despite your childish behavior.”
The king feigned hurt but could tell by Ashas small smirk she was only jesting. It was rare to see her so relaxed. She was more prone to be serious. Perhaps having Akida helped loosen her up a little. The couple continued to watch their son, now grown. He still lived in the den with them but they had discussed the possibility of him having his own den or even allowing him to venture to one of the other regions to rule any lions who wished to live there. Their numbers weren’t large enough to really worry about expanding outside of the valley yet, but it had been something the two discussed with the royal adviser, Tendaji.
“Is it too early to feel like an empty nester?” Her sober tone returned.
“How do you mean, love?”
“Well...Akida hasn’t left our den. Yet. But I still feel like a part of me has left knowing that one day he’ll move on even if he hasn’t left the pride.”
He leaned against her for a moment in reassurance. “Now who is being silly?”
“I mean it, Imamu.”
“I do understand. I suppose I will miss the days of home being a cub that would snuggle and play with us.”
Asha gave a short laugh in agreement. “As will I.”
Imamu moved to look at her head on forcing her to focus on him. “The season isn’t over. There’s still time.”
“Time?”
“To try for more cubs. Perhaps we’ll get lucky with this next litter and have more cubs than we’ll know what to do with.”
“Goodness,” she chuckled. “That may be a bit much. I do, however, get what you’re saying.”
He waited for her to continue. “And?”
“And...I suppose we could. If you wanted.”
“What do you wish, my queen?”
“It would be nice to have young ones in the den again.”
“So it’s settled?”
“Don’t I get a say in this?” Turning their attention to the new voice, they spotted Akida a few feet away.
“Do you have something you wish to say?”
“I think it’d be nice to have siblings. Someone to share the burden of being heir with.”
“I think it’s been decided.”

(505 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

D15 : Generate a random first line OR random quote here, and write a short story with it. (300 word minimum)

Line : He'd had a bad day and just needed something to make him feel better.

Khamisi was busy helping Niagh move her medicinal things again which left Kibwe all alone on patrol. Again. His shift wouldn't end for a while since he was practically working double duty. Nearing the boundary of the plains closest to the Kikoa cha Zamani region, he caught wind of a scent he had become all too familiar with being a knight. Hyenas. The blue lion grumbled. Just his luck running into some while he was the only one on duty. Though it shouldn't be too much of a hassle since Khamisi was new to his rank. Kibwe had been a knight for the pride for three years and had his fair share of run-ins with the poachers. He let out a roar. Hopefully, that would scare them off. He never liked dealing with them. It was hard to stay positive when the enemy was so...negative. Kibwe paused a moment to take in the scent, trying to determine if it was still lingering or if it was receding. Minutes seemed to pass. The smell was starting to fade and the lion let out a sigh of relief. The sun was starting to set which meant it was time to return home.
Getting closer to the pond central to the prides territory, he spotted his companion with the healer. Even from this distance, they seemed to be rather taken with each other. Or perhaps he was imagining things. Then again, turning his attention to the pond itself he spotted Sefu and Ubatili having a discussion. An intimate one if he had to guess from how close they were to one another. Kibwe sighed softly. It was unusual for him to be feeling so down. His rather cheerful attitude was being clouded by the weight of being alone all these years. Seeing a lot of the pride members finding love amongst other pride members did make him happy, however, it also brought sadness knowing he wasn't one of them. Maybe I should clear my head, he thought. Get some space. He approached Khamisi who seemed to be caught a little off guard.
"Oh, Kibwe! Sorry I couldn't come on patrol. I was just helping Niagh-"
"No worries, child. I know the king requested you to help yesterday and I had heard things didn't go exactly as planned."
The healer lowered her head, embarrassed. "Not exactly."
"It must not have been meant to be. I'm sure you'll find a bigger and better place to store your things, Niagh."
"I hope you're right."
"Mind if steal Khamisi for a moment?"
The two both seemed to get a little flustered. "Not at all! I'll, um... see you later?"
"Of course. I'll come to help you some more once I'm finished here."
"Thank you." The lioness smiled at Khamisi then looked to Kibwe a moment before walking away.
"I didn't mean to interrupt-"
"No! No, you weren't interrupting. There's... There wasn't anything going on. I was just..."
The older lion chuckled, though it sounded a bit forced. "No need for excuses, lad. I just wanted to ask if you'd mind taking the full shift tomorrow. I'm thinking of...taking a break."
The young orange lion blinked. "A...break?"
"Yeah. Just... clear my head a bit."
"Oh. Alright. Is everything okay?"
Before he could stop himself, he sighed but tried to cover it up with another soft laugh. "Yeah. Rough day, I suppose. I think I need some space."
"If it'll get you back to your peppy self, I'll do it."
"Thanks, Khamisi."

<--{:}-->

"Everything okay, Khamisi?" The knight watched his companion wander toward the Maeneo ya Kufa region. "What did Kibwe want?"
He turned to Niagh. "He said he'd had a bad day and just needed to do something to make him feel better. Not entirely sure what's going on, but I hope he finds something to return him to his normal self. I hate seeing him so down. It's so out of character."
"I wish he'd asked me for something. Maybe I have an herb that could help him destress."
"Maybe." Khamisi turned back to look at Kibwe off in the distance, his form melding into the dark that was setting in. "I get the feeling this isn't something medicinal herbs could fix.

(703 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

D15 : Generate a random first line OR random quote here, and write a short story with it. (300 word minimum)

Line : The fire was getting closer.

Kibwe had just crossed into Maeneo ya Kufa. The sun had set about halfway on his journey and he could tell there were clouds in the sky. Not a single star could be seen. From the way the air felt, he would guess a storm was brewing. The smell of rain to come also lingered on the red dirt that made up this region. He shouldn't be out in a storm, but he had just begun his journey. As he pressed on, he started to feel the lightest of rainfall on his pelt. It didn't bother him, really. The blue knight had been to this area a few times though it wasn't one he knew well. It was easy to get lost if you didn't know where you were going. The rain fell a little harder and the dirt started to get soft as it slowly turned to mud. The air felt hot despite the precipitation. This region was notorious for being hot and dry no matter what time of year. Or the weather, apparently. The rain poured making his now matted mane stream water down over his face. Despite the warm temperature, the rain was rather refreshing. It was like it was washing away his problems. The one, in particular, he was having trouble ignoring. He was trying- and failing- not to dwell on going another year mateless. A loud crack of thunder pulled him from his thoughts just long enough for him to catch a rather large flash of lightning ahead of him. The light had him shutting his eyes and turning his head away. Another crack of thunder followed by a smaller cracking noise. At the second crack, the blue-coated feline turned his head back around.
Red and orange flames were starting to spread over a broken tree. It wasn't unusual for fires to start from lightning strikes, especially in this particular region. He could just go around it. Veering to the side, he continued walking. But the fire was still spreading. He tried seeing past his wet mane, not really noticing the rain had suddenly lessened. It was no use. With a grunt, he brushed his mane back with the back of his paw. The fire was getting closer. And hotter. He had to get out of here. Now. Before the fire surrounded him. He took off moving again, running in any direction that didn't have fire in his path. He had lost his direction and couldn't tell where he was or even what direction he was facing. The rain had stopped, but the thunder and lightning continued clapping and striking occasionally. His paws were having trouble finding traction in the shallow mud, slipping about. But that seemed to be mildly better than when his paws would get sucked into the soft mud. He continued running as fast as he could muster, the heat of the fire still faintly felt behind him meaning the fire was close. Closer than he cared for.
Just... a little... further.
Kibwe pressed on till he spotted a lake. Pressing himself a bit more, he ran to the lake and jumped in. The fire couldn't cross the water, but he would have to before stopping. He was no doubt lost. This was uncharted territory for him. His muscles started to ache as he paddled through the dark water, the sky still starless. His limbs slowed, starting to give in to exhaustion.
Almost... there...
The flames might have been behind him, but there was a fire in his muscles making them burn. The land was so close now. Just a few more strokes. His paws started to make a purchase on the shore as he dragged himself out of the water. Shaking and trembling, he stumbled forward. On his fourth step, his legs gave out. He couldn't hold his body weight anymore. Shuddering breaths. Fluttering eyes. His conciseness was slipping away, his final thought hoping he would be found or at the very least wake up unharmed.

(665 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

C26 : Do your lions celebrate any sort of wedding/joining ceremony? Is it a private affair or something that involves the entire pride? (150 word minimum)

At the end of the year, during the last month of the final season, the pride has what is called Msimu wa Upendo. This is known as "The Season of Love" and is a time for lions who wish to be joined together to have a ceremony celebrating this union. Any couple that wants to be joined for life would consult with the king and queen for a blessing. The ruling king presides over each ceremony. To keep a union special, they're done one at a time rather than all at once. The king will say a few words and signify their bond by tying a blade of grass around one of each of their wrists. The couple must wear this for a full twenty-four hours. It may be removed after and the couple is recognized as being officially mated together. The ceremony is often attended by the couple, king and queen, any other couple wishing to be mated, and occasionally family and friends will also attend. Special unions such as an heir being mated might require the attendance of the entire pride.

(183 Words)