Oddity Pride [Valley of Kings Writings]

[ToxicShadow]

[Lions: Vaal]

"What is... that?" Her birth mother, a soft, tan colored lioness with beautiful green eyes looked upon the small scrap of strange, blueish fur with disdain. The tiny blue furred cub, her eyes still closed but seeking out the affections of her mother, mewled desperately, frantically, but she received no such thing. "That cannot possibly be my child."

"She is definitely your child," the old den mother, whom helped to raise all of the cubs of the pride, as well as accompanied and helped the mother's during the birthing process, tried to assure her. The old den mother had a decent heart. If nothing else, she adored cubs.

---

From the very moment that she was born, Vaal was unwanted. Unloved. Her own mother wanted to disown her for nothing more than looking different. Different from the rest of her siblings, the rest of which looked similar to their mother. It was only the old den mother that prevented such a thing from happening, and insisted that her mother at least feed her, if nothing else. But Vaal received much less nourishment than her siblings, and didn't receive any warmth or comfort from her mother. She was left with the old den mother at any other time.

Once she finally opened her eyes and started getting around, she started calling the old den mother, "Mother," for she did not really know her mother, nor was she ever permitted to call her such, in the first place. The old den mother cared for Vaal like she might have her own, had she even been able to have them. She even gave the young cub her name.

However, as Vaal grew up, things became more complicated.

Her birth mother still wanted nothing to do with her, and the rest of the pride were becoming wary as well. During her first hunt, though it had been a clear, sunny day, once she roared, crying out to announce her hunt, as was the prides' tradition, the sky darkened and the rain began to fall. But it was not a nourishing ran. It was a dreadful rain, that lasted for days. That came down harshly with thunder and lightening, often causing destruction. And it happened with each hunt after that, leaving her unable to complete the "first hunt ceremony," that would mark her as an adult within the pride.

Eventually, a rumor began.

"She's cursed, I tell you. Cursed!" One lion had said.

"I always knew something was wrong with her," Vaal's birth mother had agreed, rather than attempting to deny such an awful thing, nodding her head. "No doubt about it."

But everything was still... alright.

That was, until she lost the only thing important to her.

[452]


[Submitted toward level 17]

[ToxicShadow]

[Lions: Vaal]

"No, please don't leave me!" Vaal cried out, warm tears streaking down her face. "Not yet!"

"You're old enough now... to take care... of... yourself," the old den mother replied through labored breaths. She had wanted to believe that. And it might have been true, were it not for the rumors. The old den mother was actually terrified of leaving Vaal alone with the rest of the pride that misjudged her, but there was nothing more she could do.

She was just too old.

"I'm sorry. That I... can't stay... with you... any longer," she continued on. "Stay safe, my Vaal." Even tears welled up in the old lioness' eyes, but they only fell down once she closed her eyes, unable to keep them open any longer as her vision began to blur.

"Mother!" Vaal called out, rushing forward to close the small space between them, gently bumping her head against that of her mothers, nuzzling into her fur affectionately, until the old den mother finally stopped breathing altogether.

And Vaal was entirely alone.

---

"Hunt her down!" a lion roared.

Her body was trembling, it felt like her legs would give out on her at any time, but Vaal still pushed herself forward. Away. She had to run away.

But she was being treated like nothing more than prey.

Another terrible storm had arrived when she tried to hunt, and the lightning set fire to the savanna. She was finally deemed a threat to her pride. And, as such, for endangering them, it was decided that she would pay with her very life.

Vaal was hardly any match for the seasoned hunters and warriors the pursued her, and it was not long before she was backing up toward the short cliff side that loomed over the river, surrounded by a total of five lions and lionesses, her ears pressed back against her skull.

"Please. Don't do this," she pleaded, but she knew it would not be of any use. Still she had to try.

"There is no where left for you to run," one of the hunters spoke out. He was one of the strongest.

"Just accept your fate," another one said.

No one. There was no one on her side.

Peering behind her, she was only a single step from the edge of the cliff, and as she turned back to face the lions surrounding her, she felt every muscle in her body grow weak, like her entire body was about to give out, to accept her defeat. And... she did.

Or so she thought.

When two of the lions lunged at her, though, she tried to fight back, clawing and biting, doing anything she could, but she was outnumbered. Before she knew it, Vaal's hind legs were injured and the other members of the hunting party sent to deal with her tangled her up with various vines, making it difficult to move. She roared, growled, mewled and cried at her predicament.

"Why?" she asked. "Why do you all hate me so?"

She never got her answer.

Instead, she was mercilessly shoved over the cliff side, they leaving the river to do their dirty work; leaving her tangled up, leaving her to drown.

[534]

[Submitted toward level 17]

[ToxicShadow]

[Lions: Zralok, Vaal]

There were legends of the Shark, a lion that more resembled the predator of the ocean with his appearance, behavior, and strange abilities. Zralok hardly thought himself worthy of all the stories about him, but there weren't entirely wrong.

As it happened to be, he was more at home in the water, able to breathe under water and swim with incredible ease, than he was on land. And one this day, he was putting such talents to good use, hunting by swimming and catching fish in his mighty jaws. Even with one bad eye, the God of Water was able to hunt well within the river.

He dropped another fish, the fruits of another successful hunt, onto the river bank before jumping back in and diving below the surface. He resumed his quiet hunting, his body swaying strangely back and forth as he propelled himself through the water with his limbs, seeking out his next prey.

Zralok had spotted a fish, which he intended to catch, when he sensed a horrible disturbance in the rushing waters. Frantic splashing. Something abnormal; not the sort of flailing that would belong to water going creature. The peculiar lion rushed toward this disturbance, in time to see a very blue lioness, tangled up in vines, being swept away by the river. After first, she was thrashing about desperately, but then, finally, she must have ran out of oxygen and will, for she stopped moving and let herself be carried away.

It was not commonplace for him to use his powers while hunting in the river, it felt like he had too much of an unfair advantage if he used them for that purpose, but saving one's life was an entirely different story. Lunging forward through the water, he grew closer and closer to the drowning lioness, and with a swing of his head, the water all around her stopped, forming a perfect orb of water that the rest of the river flowed past, like it was a solid, unmovable object. And as he swam toward the surface, she was carried along with him, he lifting her out of the river by manipulating the orb of water surrounding her.

Only when he gently set her down did the water go free, splashing to the ground. He approached her limp body quickly, bumping her head carefully with his paw to look for any response. She didn't move with his touch, nor did she appear to be breathing. Her lungs were filled with water; he was all too aware of it. But he drew it out, carefully pulling the water from her lungs and out through her mouth.

As he did, she abruptly began to cough, forcing herself into a position where she was lying on her stomach rather than limp on her side as she expelled the rest of the water herself with her coughing. Once her fit ended, she frantically peered around, looking for any signs of the lions that were set on ending her life. She could smell their scent in the distance still, but there was no sight of them. But she was still tangled up.

Vaal locked eyes with lion in front of her, a look of panic in her eyes, until Zralok spoke, "I don't know what happened, but let me help you."

[552]

[Submitted toward level 17]

[ToxicShadow]

[Lions: Vayde]

With an strange appearance, unlike anything before seen within his pride, many of the elder members treated Vayde as a bad omen which, in turn, made other cubs treat him harshly and with caution as well. His mother tried to protect him from the worst of it and argue on his behalf against all others, but this put them even more at odds with the rest of the pride. Just as it seemed that their relations with the other members could not get any worse, Vayde ended up doing something that frightened them all the more. While confronted a trio of cubs that intended to bully him, Vayde accidentally stole away the shadow of one of the other cubs, causing them to lose consciousness. Though they were fine, eventually, as the shadow somehow returned to them, the damage was done. He wasn't exiled yet, but was dishonored, which meant all pride members were not allowed to converse or interact with him.

At first, understandably, he was terrified of his powers of manipulating shadows and this was made all the worse by the fact that even his mother, his only alley, was unable to speak with him or help him. He grew into adulthood mostly on his own. Though he, ultimately, still had the protection of a pride, he fended for himself, hunted for himself, trained himself, by himself. Rather than remaining afraid of his powers, he came to accept them, and utilized them for his own survival. In particular, he tends to get the most use out of his ability to literally vanish into the shadows, seemingly becoming a shadow, himself, which has done miracles for his hunting.

Once he felt he was capable of it, Vayde broke the rules of his dishonorment, finally sharing a last goodbye with his mother, when he told her that he would be all right without her and intended to venture off on his own. Though it also broke her heart that she would not be able to see her son at all anymore, her heart broke more for him, as he lived a life where he was not even able to interact with anyone, so she gave him a tearful goodbye and sent him on his way.

After traveling a great many distances, he heard a rumor of a very unusual pride that was forming within a presumed land of divinity, where it was thought that those that resided there could gain unique abilities and he thought, perhaps, he could fit in with such a group. That they would be able to accept him, as he was. And he sought them out.

[439]

[Submitted toward level 17]

[ToxicShadow]

[Lions: Konin]

"Always keep it safe. Don't ever lose it. Don't let anyone take it away." Konin's mother had once told him, as she carefully lifted the medallion, with an elegant engraving of a phoenix, in her mouth, over Konin's head, and left it hanging securely around his neck. He had only been a cub back then. "If you ever return to my homeland, they will recognize you with it."

"I will take good care of it, Mother. I promise."

Konin's mother had been a princess of her pride, but when their kingdom was threatened by one stronger than them, they had to choose between handing over their princess, to be with the other pride's new king, or to fight against them. While her parents were willing to fight, the princess did not wish to risk the lives of her pride mates and snuck away in the middle of the night, becoming a royal hostage and one of many partners to the other pride's king.

However, among all the females that the king kept by his side, Konin's mother was considered the lowest in rank and she did little to fight for power among them. She only wanted to live in peace and raise Konin well, and little else mattered to her. However, all of his half siblings, cubs of the king and other females in the group, often picked on Konin. It was often by their own mothers' encouragement, and, thus, Konin's mother had been roped into confrontations with the other females over it.

When she realized that she was growing ill and she knew she would not be able to protect Konin much longer, she passed the medallion on to her child ahead of time, and filled his head with stories about her homeland, family and pride. She was certain that, when her life came to an end and she no longer be able to protect him, he would eventually leave and return to her home, where he would be accepted as one of them, the medallion acting as proof of his royal status among the pride, as her child.

Ever since she passed away, Konin has kept the medallion close, as it is the only memento he really has left of his mother and it brings him great comfort, even today. As long as he has it, he is reminded that he is never really alone, that he is loved and, even in death, he is sure his mother would protect him.

[413]

[Submitted toward level 17]

[ToxicShadow]

[Lions: Makuvu]

When he was born, he had a coat with black and fiery orange patterns. His family praised him for his appearance, which they deemed very suitable for a noble member of the Demon Clan. However, Makuvu did not exactly live up to the Clan's expectations for him.

"End them! Kill them! Do it!" All of the words from the onlookers mixed together in a horrible cacophony.

Young Makuvu, whom had just reached a suitable age to participate in the pride's coming of age traditional, a battle to the death, stood within a circle of his pride mates, with another young, but battered, lion fallen at his paws. He stared at them with his fiery gaze, but shook his head. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Winning the fight had not been difficult, but he just could not bring himself to take the life of the lion he had been pitted against.

"I refuse!" he bravely, defiantly roared once again, but he knew the price for his actions.

Hearing his refusal, the Demon King, the leader of the pride, declared, "Unable to kill his opponent, Makuvu is the weakest."

No other words needed to be spoken. Once he was deemed unfit for the pride, the bloodthirstiness of the crowd was redirected at him. Makuvu swallowed down hard, but he refused to cower or to beg for his life. He closed his eyes as several grown members of the pride rushed him, and tore him apart.

---

"What a pitiful thing you are," a crow remarked as it came across the partially unearthed remains of a young lion buried within a shallow grave. The rainy season had served to disrupt the resting place and the crow could sense the horrifying pain and despair that the lion felt in the very moment of his death.

After some long deliberation, the crow beat his wings a few times, carrying himself from the ground to stand upon the lion's remains, tilting his head as he stared at the lion's skull. "You wanted to be anywhere else, didn't you?" The conversation, of course, was still one sided.

---

The last thing Makuvu recalled was the pain of death, being mauled and torn apart, but he suddenly gasped, his body starved for precious oxygen. As the memories of the moments before his death flooded back into his mind, the lion frantically began to look about, only to find that he wasn't surrounded by lions, but a single crow stood before him.

"You... You're one of us now," was all it told him. "You're free."

---

With the crow giving up a portion of its own soul to return Makuvu from the dead and remake his flesh, the lion was reborn with the resemblance of a crow, the fiery colors of his coat gone. He is welcomed among the crows, even considered to be one of them, but average lions have little do with him. Which is just as well. He wants nothing to do with them.

[500]

[Submitted toward level 17]

[ToxicShadow]

[Lions: Chione, Nero, Makuvu, Kandra, Pandra]

Given all of the things she had seen, the Demon King was not at all alarmed when a strange portal appeared within the tranquil rock garden under Chione's care. However, that lioness had been reasonably alarmed.

"Nero!" she called, almost breathless, from having pushed herself as fast as her legs would carry her, all the way from her garden, across the land, and having ascended the stone steps to the main shrine room in their cavern home. She had been mid meditation, when something felt incredibly off, and her eyes flew open, just in time to see the swirling mass of blues appear before her. At first, she feared it something that she did, but she couldn't do anything like that. Even if it was new magic, it seemed... different. And it didn't feel like her magic.

"Chione? What is it?" Certainly enough, the red lioness had been there, at the shrine, and turned to face her companion when she called out to her. She could see the urgency in her face. "What's wrong?"

"A... A... I'm not sure what to call it, but something strange appeared within the garden," the brown lioness tried to explain.

"Another creature?"

"No, nothing like that. Well, I mean, it feels... like it might... Have something living inside? But, what appeared, is a strange blue, swirling... thing. Floating in the air." Really, she didn't know what it was, so trying to describe it was the best that she could do.

"That doesn't sound... ideal," a third voice spoke up, as the winged lion, Makuvu, made his way into the room from the depths of the cavern. He was shortly followed by Death, the crow, which was his near constant companion. Without the bird, he could not remain alive.

"Show me," Nero replied to Chione, before glancing toward the First Commander, and motioned for him to come, too. She didn't need to use spoken words for him to understand.

The trio made their way back toward the rock garden, the two lionesses in step with one another, and the lion cautiously flanking them. Death, however, took the skies, separating himself somewhat from Makuvu, for safety, while still keeping a watchful eye.

"That seems... familiar," Makuvu stated, when he laid his eyes on the portal.

Nero understood immediately why Chione had no idea what to call it, since she was certain it was something that the other lioness had never seen before.

[406 words above]

Still, even Nero had never seen one before. She had only ever heard of portals before. "Does it?" she asked Makuvu, glancing back toward him. He stepped forward, so that the three of them were all standing in line with one another, and nodded his head. "Yes," he answered. "That is, without a doubt, a portal."

"A portal?" Chione wondered.

"Portals are used for... travel. It defies common reality, as it connects places that are far apart. Often times, even seemingly impossibly far from one another. Possibly, even other worlds."

"Other worlds?!" Chione was, indeed, shocked.

"There is no telling where this one connects to, though," Makuvu pointed out.

"So it is as I thought," Nero said, after listening to the male's explanation. "Do you think it's from them?" That would mean this was a state of emergency.

Makuvu shook his head. "No. I'm sure you can even sense it yourself, but this isn't the work of demons. So at least there is that."

"I can sense life on the other side, though... A lot of it, actually," Chione commented.

"It feels as though it's trying to pull us in," Nero said, as she took a few, calculated steps toward it, given it an even closer look. "Almost like... Something inside is crying for help."

Makuvu growled quietly, seemingly anxious with the leader's words and actions. "Be careful, Nero," he warned.

"I know. Since I don't know where this portal will lead to, it's not safe just to enter it thoughtlessly. Though, I do not believe that we can ignore its appearance. In theory, it opened here for a reason, and we should find out what that reason is."

With that, all of the members of the pride were gathered together, to discuss the appearance of the portal. Although it was Nero's first instinct to go, herself, she knew that she could not act upon it. She did not want to subject any members of her pride to danger. She would rather put herself in danger than risk anyone else. However, if she crossed through the portal and left the rest of the pride behind, if those that were out to harm her learned of this, it was all too likely that they would use that opportunity to attack her newfound pride. They would do all they could to take the lives of those precious to her, while she was not there to fight back. Her pride was strong, she trusted them, but it was not something that she was so willing to risk.

[424 words above]

The next option was for Makuvu to go. He and Nero were the strongest within the group, no contest. If anyone was to wander into the unknown, not knowing what to expect, chances were, Makuvu would be the one to come back unscathed, no matter what it was that he faced. But even Fallyn tried to volunteer herself. She was not nearly as strong as her mother or the First Commander, but she was Demon Princess, so based on that fact, it also made sense for her to go. She was Nero's daughter, so where Nero could not take action, she could take action in her place. Even though she was adopted, she was a true princess. She was, truly, Nero's child, even if they did not share blood. It made no difference.

But as much as Nero trusted her daughter, it also terrified her, the thought of sending Fallyn alone into the unknown. At the first least, they had to decide on another party to go with her.

The discussion carried on with the entire pride taking part, voicing their thoughts, concerns, and ideas. Since this was a decision hat would effect them all, of course it made the most sense for it be discussed entirely among them, instead of the Founder being the one simply to make the call, without any input.

"If you do not mind my saying it," it was Kandra, the colorful lioness that carried the nickname of the Witch, especially outside of the pride, finally spoke up. "My sister, Pandra and I, are also very good candidates for this venture."

Silence fell over the gathered pride, quiet, so that they could hear out their companion.

But it was her sister, Pandra, whom stood beside Kandra, that carried on. "That is, currently, Kandra and I do not carry any... vital roles within the pride. Yes, we have our titles, but we have not be further sorted into any unit or some such. We're... spares, so to speak. While we are gone, our roles within such a thing will not have to be replaced. And, aside from that, our powers make us exceptional when it comes to dangerous situations."

"Separately, our powers are strong. Together, we're even stronger. My affinity for magic, and the way that my presence enhances the abilities of others, make me a safe option. And Pandra, with her ability to turn enemies against themselves and others, also makes her a safe option, not even considering the fact that, with me, her ability will be even more powerful."

"We're strong fighters, together, and our abilities also give us the ability to escape, should something be too dangerous."

The twin sisters gave their reasons to everyone and, after further discussion, it was agreed that they would be suitable options to send through the portal. Besides, the fact that they were willing was also important.

[480 words above]

[ToxicShadow]

S16 - 2 Points
How does your lion feel about humans (or other, sentient species within your character world)? How do they interact with them? Are they scared of them or curious? What if one attempted to trap them? Would they hold one negative interaction against all of them? 500 word minimum

Denmark hails from a lower world, a world that was primarily dominated by humans rather than other creatures. Humans which hunted lions and other creatures of many shapes and sizes for fun, for sport. Of course, not all humans were like this, but those that he was raised up hearing stories about were the dangerous kind. It was less than ideal to teach young lions that there were some humans that were okay, as it would be nearly impossible to tell just be looking at them. Thus, as a cub, they were akin to a monster hiding under the bed or in the closet of a small child. They were something to fear. Something that he worried would show up in the dark. Something that made it difficult to fall asleep at night. He was scared of them and he hoped that he would never encounter a human in all of his life. He never really felt curious toward them or showed them any actual interest.

Fortunately, back then, he had never actually encountered a human. So, as he grew up, he felt much less concerned about them. Although there was no denying the existence of humans, with there being too many tales and warnings from other lions, he fell into the sort of mindset that nothing bad involving these creatures known as humans would ever happen to him. It was a risky mindset to have, but it happened, nonetheless.

That said, if a human ever attempted to trap Denmark, it is quite possible that the terror he felt as a child would hit him tenfold, but it would be roughly a fifty-fifty chance of him either freezing in his terror or fighting back.

Without a doubt, if such a thing happened, Denmark would be reminded of all of the warnings he grew up hearing and he would absolutely hold it against all of human kind. In his mind, they are lumped together as one. Even though he is fully aware that lions and other creatures cannot be grouped together like that, some are good, some are bad, and others are just somewhere in between, he would still group humans that way, as he does not see them as the same sort of creatures and himself and the others. They're just monsters.

On the other side of it, if a human somehow came to his aid, there is a good chance that he would lash out at them at first, and deny their help, if he was able to do so. It would be entirely unexpected and unbelievable to him that a human would ever help him. Monsters don't help anyone else. However, in the end, he would feel thankful toward them, and that would be where it ended. Toward one individual, he would be thankful, but he would still want nothing to do with them, or any other humans. A singular good deed from one human would not be able to change the way that he has felt about them for his entire life.

[506]

[ToxicShadow]

[Lions: Lee Ah, Kandra]

"Lee Ah," the more colorful lioness, her coat covered in seemingly shimmering pink, purple, and blue, gently called out as she approached the lioness with unusual heart shaped patterns on her coat.

As it was, Lee Ah was a lioness that tended to move toward a solitary lifestyle and Kandra was similar, in that aspect. That is, outside of her twin sister, Pandra, she was rather solitary, as well. Although the rest of the pride was kind, it was an ingrained behavior from her youngest years. Others tended to avoid Kandra through the majority of her life, so she simply came to avoid most others.

Hearing her name being called out, Lee Ah's dark, not quite red, eyes shifted toward the colorful lioness. There was a hint of a smile in her eyes when her gaze met with hers.

At some point, the two began to spend their time together, at random. There was hardly any particular reason that it occurred, it just did. Two strangers that preferred their quiet solitude began to enjoy it together. Kandra came to sit down beside Lee Ah, exhaling in a contented manner when she did.

Like that, the two sat for good, long while in silence, not exchanging any further dialogue.

That was, until Lee Ah broke said silence, with a question, "why is it that you prefer this solitude?" The two had yet to share their stories, and that had been perfectly fine for the two of them. Especially in Lee Ah's case, whose reason involved a great deal of heartache. She never dared ask Kandra before, as she was not yet prepared to share her own tale if the question was turned her way. In truth, she had been considered it for the last while now, but now, she finally made that decision that was ready to share her own story, so she was willing to ask Kandra.

"Hm," was the first thing that came from the colorful lioness. Of course, she had been vaguely curious about the heart lioness' story, but never felt that it was right to ask. She figured when she wanted to share, if she ever wanted to, that she would. "It's not... all that interesting of a reason, in my case," Kandra admitted. "Others avoided me all of the time, so I simply grew used to, and even comforted, by quiet solitude. I mean, Pandra has always been there to keep be company, too, but... She couldn't actually be beside me all of the time, you know?"

That sort of answered her question, but not... entirely. "As you were avoided, you adapted to a solitary lifestyle," Lee Ah confirmed, by repeating the details back. "But why were you avoided?"

"You've heard my nickname, haven't you? The Wtich?"

Lee Ah nodded her head. Although it wasn't a calling that she had ever heard actually being used, she had heard about Kandra's old nickname, since she had never been too shy about that detail.

"I've had these powers of mine for a long time, and I certainly appear all too different from a typical lion, so... others thought I was strange, I guess."

[535]

[Submitted toward breeding]

[ToxicShadow]

S7

Choose a song, and write or draw an in-depth breakdown of how it applies to your lion and their life, story, relationship,ect . You can break it up by lines, sections, ect

Art drawn for this prompt to meet the minimum must be at least a recognizably colored fullbody sketch with a simple background. Shading optional. Art drawn beyond the minimum can be any style, but won’t count towards additional points.

500 words / 3 art pieces = 2 points
750 words/4 art pieces = 3 points
1000 words/5 art pieces = 4 points


"Kings & Queens" by Ava Max

"And you might think I'm weak without a sword, but if I had one, it'd be bigger than yours."

Nero was never intended to be born, as she was. That is, her father, the former demon king, only ever wanted a son to carry on his lineage and rule. As such, when Nero was born as a daughter, he violently lashed out and, soon, after Nero no longer needed her mother in order to survive, ruthlessly took her life. With the death of Nero's mother, her secret was safe, taken to the grave. Only she and the demon king knew that she was female. Thus, Nero's father made the decision to raise her as a male. Of course, it was absolutely the thought of her father and everyone else of the Demon Clan that females were weaker than the males, that a female could never rule the pride. So, raising her as a male was the best solutions. Perhaps, if she too saw herself as a male, she would one day be as strong as one.

Her life was nothing short of horrendous. From the moment that her mother was gone, Nero was subjected to all sorts of abuse at the claws of her father, which he simply considered to be necessary training for her. It started off with methods such as intentional starvation, to see if she could survive without eating for extended periods of time, and dropping her off in the depths of the wilderness to see if she could fend for herself and return to him. The demon king fed his own child toxins, poisoning her food with an array of dangerous substances, and only giving her known antidotes when she was on the brink of death. He fought with his own child, and pitted her against others time and time again. She was beaten and battered, bones broken and flesh marred, all in the name of power. Anything the demon king could do to Nero in order to improve her strength and physical capability, he would. No methods were too extreme. He had long since decided that if Nero did lose her life through his rigorous, violent training, than she was simply not strong enough to carry on his lineage, so he never hesitated to make things worse for her.

One would think that going through so much that Nero would snap. Her father, certainly, wanted her to be like him. Violent and domineering. To believe there was no one in the world as great as a she was, and that all other lives meant nothing. The demon king was nothing short of a ruthless, cold blooded killer, and hailed over a clan that was nothing but the same.

In order to be accepted as a member of the pride, Nero had to complete the trial that all other members of the clan once had. It was a battle to the death. Two young lions were forced to fight, and only the survivor would be welcomed into the Demon Clan. Although she hated herself for doing it, Nero played her part, taking the young male's life without much effort. His life was a sacrifice, though not one that she took lightly.

Her harsh training only escalated, the older she became. Until, one day, she was ready to rise to the challenge that she was born into the world for. In order to take the title and the throne of the Demon King, one had to end the life of the current Demon King. Anyone could challenge the king, and many had over the years, but all failed to defeat Nero's father and take his life. Nero did just that. The fight was not faked, as even her father was still reluctant to die, even after all of the time he had put into molding his child for the very day. Nero was more than happy to take her father's life, and desperately fought to do so, before she succeeded. She did not do this to fulfill his wish, however. She had her own intentions.

Ending the former Demon King's life, Nero became the new Demon King, and only then was she able to reveal, after all the time that had gone by, that she was not the former Demon King's son, but his daughter. Taking her own father's life, she revealed that she was even stronger than the Demon King, and a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, all of the Demon Clan looked down upon her the moment they discovered that she was a female. Surely, the daughter of the former Demon King was not as strong as anyone else's son. That was impossible. They assumed the results to be faked, that the former Demon King had gone easy on Nero, and many rose to face her.

Opponent after opponent, seeking to take the status of Demon King from her, were struck down by Nero, but she vowed that she had no intentions of taking anyone else's life, unless she absolutely had to. No, instead, she greatly wounded her opponents, sometimes even leaving them partially disabled, but still alive. She demonstrated her power over and over again, until all members of the clan had learned the hard way. She was stronger than anyone else; male or female, it did not matter. In fact, it was all too possible that being a female made her that much stronger, because she was looked down upon from the very start, and was treated that much more harshly growing up.

From there, she was able to use her strength to enforce new rules. Nero made an effort to reform the senselessly violent ways of the Demon Clan, in the only way that they would accept: by force. That had been her aim all along. The reason she was willing to fight for her life, and take the life of someone that was innocent, as well as the life of the Demon King, was to change everything. It needed to end, so she intended to end it.

Nero never went by the title of Queen, which was viewed as weaker than the King by the Demon Clan. Male or female, it did not matter. She was strong. She was the King.

[1023]

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S15

Explain how your lion would cope under the pressure of an emergency situation. What would they prioritize saving? Would they panic or are they already prepared in advance? Would they fight or flee?
250 word minimum, 1 Point



Under the pressure of an emergency situation, Zralok's absolute priority would be his life mate and love of his life, Vaal, and their two children, Ceres and Mercury. Of course, the God of Water believes all of them to be perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, if need be, but he is a mate and a father, regardless. Even if his children are grown.

Other than that, it deeply depends on the sort of situation they were to face. With the threat of a fire burning their lands, he would need not fear it. With his ability to manipulate water, he would fight the fires and do all that he could to quell the raging flames himself, and it is all too likely that he would be joined by his family, that inherited similar to abilities.

In the case of an attack by an enemy, he would not ever hesitate to fight. Although Zralok still suffers from amnesia, he is certain that he gained his extensive injuries by fighting, so it only goes to prove how much the male is unwilling to back down. He will fight tooth and nail to protect himself, his loved ones, his pride, and their territories.

Should something similar to an earthquake happen, he would be fairly out of his element, as one that highly prefers to reside within bodies of water, so he may go entirely unfazed, unless the quake somehow disrupted the waters.

In the event of hurricane or a terrible storm, as one that is comfortable with water, he would also be reasonably unbothered.

[263]


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S17

Explain your lion’s biggest insecurity and how they try to cope with it.
250 word minimum, 1 Point





There are a great number of things that Mitani is insecure about, but it is quite likely that what he is most insecure about is the possibility of falling in love again. The strange half snow leopard, half lion wasn't exactly the most welcome in that place where he had come from. At the very least, he felt like an outsider, for being different from all of the others.

However, when he met the one that he came to later fall in love with, as he fell for them, he finally more confident in himself and comfortable both in his own body and in his surrounding community. Even if everything else was difficult, finding one other soul that seemed to understand him was all he needed. It was a slow burning love, at first, but he fell deeper and deeper in love. When the goddess he fell for was most certain that he was madly, deeply in love with her, she asked a favor of him. He promised he would uphold any request that she had, and, in the end, she asked Mitani to take her life. She claimed that she loved him so very deeply, but she had lived too long and was growing exhausted by her eternal life. She claimed that only someone that loved her could take her life, that if Mitani was the one to take her life, because they loved one another, she could finally be peace. Dying at his hands would be okay.

Mitani, in spite of his own breaking heart, did as his love wished. He took her life, as tenderly as he could, and he stayed with her in her final moments.

However, it was not long after her death that he had realized that he had been set up. Her powers over ice and her eternal life became his own. The one to kill her would be the one to inherit her powers, and he wondered if her love for him was nothing more but pretty words, meant to ensnare him, and use him for a means to an end.

Unfortunately, he hasn't been coping well.

[355]

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Although he is not brave enough to say it, Makuvu's biggest insecurity in life is his own romantic feelings. Those that he feels toward the Demon King, and the leader and founder of the Oddity Pride, Nero.

The two have a complicated history. Nero was born after Makuvu, making her too young to participate in the Demon Clan's coming of age ceremony at the same time as Makuvu. When he was forced into the fight to the death against another of the clan, defeated his opponent, but refused to end his life, it was Nero's father, the former Demon King, that passed judgement and had Makuvu immediately sentenced to death. He was torn to shreds by members of the clan, there on the spot, losing his life.

After Death had resurrected him and he encountered Nero once more, he did not trust her. In fact, he even thought to take her life, to take his revenge, but she convinced him to give her a chance. She told him her story. That it was she that had buried his remains back then, after he had died, even though her father had deemed it a death sentence for anyone that helped him, even in death. And that, although she had taken her father's life and became the demon king, she left the Demon Clan behind.

At first, Makuvu joined with Nero to watch her, to see if she really was as different as she claimed to be. But after staying by her side, after watching her so closely for so long, he realized he was slowly falling in love with her.

Still, he is afraid to admit his feelings, and keeps them to himself, because he is afraid. He doesn't even necessarily believe that he deserves to love someone like her. Someone that takes on the world bravely, someone that puts others before herself. Perhaps, she is just too good for him, and he thinks too little of himself. Thus, his feelings are his insecurity.

[333]


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S13

Does your lion work well with others? Can they cooperate or are they bossy/conflicting towards others? Are they a lone wolf? What sort of personalities can they work the best with? Or clash the most with theirs?
250 word minimum, 1 Point


Although Nero was originally very much a lone wolf in her former clan, a leader that relied on no one other than herself, she is actually one that generally works well with others. Of course, given her status as the leader of the group, she is most commonly the one that ends up leading or giving orders, regardless of whomever the others are that are currently working with her, but that is not to say that she cannot take in the opinions of others. Where it is necessary, she is more than willing to step down at let others take charge of matters, as well. She is good at taking instruction, in spite of what others may first think about her.

Overall, she is capable of getting along with most types, be that introverted or extroverted, those that talk a lot, and those that hardly talk at all. Even those that are rash and those that take all of their actions into great consideration. She has the patience to deal with all of that. The only types she cannot really tolerate working with are those that are not motivated and do not want to work. Overall, she expects others to pull their own weight and at least make an effort to contribute to the group and the tasks they are working on together. If others are slacking off, she is not at all afraid to call them out on it, seeing it as unfair to everyone else that is actually making the effort.

[253]

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After being rather independent for as long as he can remember, Zralok may not always be the best at working well with others. He doesn't have any particular hang ups that he can think of at the drop of a hat, so it's not so much a matter of conflicting personalities. It is simply just that he is used to working alone rather than working with others, so he has the tendency to forget to rely on most other lions, even in a situation when he should be working together with them.

There are a few exceptions to this, of course. After saving and eventually falling in love with Vaal, and then becoming a father to Mercury and Ceres, he is very much used to his family around him. Thus, he is able to rely both on his life mate and his children, and works well together with them. Its effortless with his family.

Aside from his most direct family, though, he works well within his assigned unit. As a member of the First Unit, the God of Water works under Makuvu, and alongside others, including the one hailed as the God of Fire, Domino. He takes orders from the First Commander, Makuvu, well enough, and pulls more than his own fair share of weight when it comes to completing tasks together in his unit. Other than his direct leader, of course he listens well to Nero, as well, given that she is the leader of the pride entirely. He is respectful of them.

[254]

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In spite of all of her shortcomings, Nika works surprisingly well with others. She is a bit notorious all the messiest of all of the members of the Oddity Pride, being the least organized of them all in her own private spaces. However, outside of this, she is actually the type that falls effortlessly into either a leadership or supporting role, as is needed. It all depends on whom she is working with, and what task they are trying to accomplish, in regards to which role that she will take.

When needed, she will take the lead, and she is surprisingly good at motivating others within the group to help in matters as she makes the plans and lays out what needs to be done. She is good at assigning work based on the strengths of others.

However, when she takes on a supporting role, she is very good at it. Really, her own strengths stay the same, as she is good at encouraging others, but she does all that she can to help others be the best that they can be by assisting them in any way that she can. She is especially good at more mundane sorts of tasks.

There are types that she cannot stand to work with, however. Those that have a tendency to talk too much or butt in when they shouldn't aren't too welcome in Nika's book. She just doesn't have the patience and capability of putting up with those types; especially if they are the types that also have the sort of air that they think they are better than everyone else.

[269]

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Vayde does not work well with most other individuals.

This is much due to his upbringing. As a child, the members of his original pride wanted to throw him out over a specific incident involving his powers over shadows, but his mother pleaded for his case. He was permitted to stay within the territory of the pride, but no pride member was allowed to speak to him. Even if he reached out toward others and spoke to them, even his mother, the others were not allowed to acknowledge him at all. They had to pretend they could not hear him.

Thus, Vayde grew up alone, unable to communicate with anyone.

Even now, he remains an individual of few words. He has the tendency to keep to himself and not express his thoughts or his feelings, and, so, doesn't always work well in a group with others, especially with those that are far more talkative than he is. If one has the patience to wait for him to process his thoughts, and make sense of his few words, than, perhaps they can get along, but that seems to be few, over all.

The one major exception to this rule is Nero. Vayde is a member of the Yokai, which is the unit that directly serves under the leader and founder of the Oddity Pride. He works well with Nero, able to take orders and express himself with the maned lioness that took him in after he fled his former pride. And, as such, he is generally capable of working well with other Yokai members, as well.

[265]


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Domino is the type that makes friends fairly easily and gets along well with others. As such, he has the tendency to work well with others in almost all situations. He is a talkative and outspoken sort, willing to take on a leadership role if it is necessary, but also more than willing to step back and let someone else lead if they are more qualified for it than he is. There aren't many folks that he does not get along with. In fact, though he talks a lot, he is especially fond of the more quiet types, but those also tend to be the types that don't always get along with him. Not because he dislikes them, but some of the more quiet folks tend to dislike him, simply because he talks too much or is just too excitable.

Regardless, he is the sort to try his very best when working on a task with others, and tries very hard to get along with everyone that he has to work with, even if they show signs of not wanting to work with him. Unfortunately, this also means that he may get taken advantage of in a group setting, since he will give his all to make sure the task is completed, even if others don't really do their fair share of the work, and leave him more to do. Still, this is just something that Domino seems to accepts, and goes along with it without making much of a fuss, the majority of the time.

[256]

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S21

What is your lion’s opinion on destiny? Do they believe fate always has a plan or do they write it off as silly? Do they think themselves in control of everything or accept things that are out of their paws?
250 word minimum, 1 Point


Among the Oddity Pride, Six holds the title of the God of Fortune. Thus, out of everyone, he possibly has the most direct ties with the concept of destiny. But, even then, he doesn't view it blindly.

He would never say that destiny is set in stone. It is very easy to dismiss the idea, and blame ones shortcomings or the hand they have been dealt in life on the concept of an unchangeable destiny. That it is all just something that they cannot control. He doesn't believe that. Although there are certainly some things that cannot be changed about ones life, such as whom it is they are born to or where they are born, these sorts of things do not always dictates ones life, and if they wish to change their lot in the life, than one needs to take matters into their own hands or paws. They need to do what they can do to change themselves, to change their lives. Even if it means changing all of the things around themselves.

Six believes strongly in both good and bad fortune, especially as one that is capable of bringing good fortune, and simply doing things to change ones fortune can change one's life, so, certainly, there are certain ways to change ones destiny. There is a balance to it, of course. One must accept matters that they cannot change, while they need to work toward things that they are capable of changing, and that is really all there is to it.

[254]

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S5

Your founder is informed someone is after them (or a member of their pride) with the intention of harm or assassination, how do they respond? How does the pride respond? Paranoia? Anger? Confidence?
250 word minimum, 1 Point



It would never come as a surprise to Nero even if it was announced to the world that someone was after her life. After all, it is already a known fact that the majority of the members of the Demon Clan are out for the Demon King's life. They tried to take her life while she still ruled over the Demon Clan, and they have all the more reason to take her life now that she has left them without a king. As no one else can take the title of the reigning Demon King without first taking the life of the current Demon King, thus, taking Nero's life, there are many that want to come for her.

All members of the Oddity Pride are well aware of this fact, and know of Nero's history, so it wouldn't be shocking news to them, either. They have confidence, both in Nero, and in the other members of the pride, so they are not angry, paranoid, or frightened by this news. It is simply just a fact, and something that they may eventually have to deal with more actively.

On the other hand, however, if Nero caught wind that someone was out for the life of one of the other pride members, specifically, she would react entirely differently. Her own life at risk is not a big deal to her; it's just how it has always been. However, she would push herself to her very limits to protect the members of her pride, whom are more like her family than anything else.

[260]


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S22

What was your lion’s biggest educator growing up? Other pride members, trial and error, their own failures? What motivated them to change and grow? Were they driven by their own ego or by what others thought of them, or their own desire to learn and get better?
250 word minimum, 1 Point


Trinity was always raised and educated entirely by her parents growing up, although it was not at all a pleasant sort of experience for her. She was born into the Demon Clan, a horribly vicious clan where only the strong were fit to survive. It was either kill or be killed. In fact, that was the exact nature of their coming of age ceremony. In order to be accepted as a proper member of the clan, young lions and lionesses were pitted against one another in a fight to the death. Only the survivor, the strongest out of the two that were forced to fight, was accepted into the clan.

So, nothing was ever easy. Trinity was not raised with love and care. Those sorts of things would have made her weak. No, her parents were harsh, and pushed her to her limits in training her in the ways of combat. Perhaps, that was their love, really, but it was certainly a twisted version of it.

Matters were made worse by the fact that, even once she managed to survive her first fight, and became an official member of the clan, her parents wanted nothing more than for Trinity to take over as the new Demon King. She was a distant cousin to the current reigning Demon King, Nero, whom was the first female king in all of the clan's history. But she was soft, and banned unnecessary violence. So, Trinity's parents became even more cruel in their training, and filled her head with the idea that she should be the Demon King, to the point of practically brainwashing her.

[270]


S24

What kind of sleeper is your lion? What position do they sleep in? How do they usually wake up? Are they a heavy or light sleeper? When do they usually sleep?
250 word minimum, 1 Point


Nika is a horribly messy sleeper.

The lioness idealizes a quiet, peaceful, unmoving sort of sleeper, believing that most suitable for a proper lady. However, she is nothing of the like. She is, without a doubt, the opposite of her ideal. She is capable of sleeping practically anywhere, in any sort of strangely contorted position. Once she is asleep, there may be the rare times that she sleeps without moving much, but, most commonly, she tosses, turns, rolls, and twitches in her sleep. She is very active. On top of that, she is known to even mumble and talk in her sleep. Those close to her might even be able to get her sleeping self to answer questions that they ask, although the results may vary. The quality of her answers are not always great, of course. Sometimes they are truthful, sometimes they are joking or nonsensical, and, sometimes, she ignores questions outright, even while sleeping.

That said, Nika is typically a very heavy sleeper, given that she can even sleep through quiet interrogations, and resists it greatly when others attempt to wake her up before she is well and ready to get up. Most things wont wake Nika up, unless she is somehow filled with a sense of urgency, so she is the type to get up whenever it is that she just wakes up. She doesn't really stick to any sort of schedule, either. She does not go to sleep for a certain time, nor does she ever sleep for a specific amount of time, or wake up at a certain time. One night, she may sleep only four hours, the next, she might sleep a good twelve hours. It's never the same with her.

[287]

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S12

Choose a lion and explain their value system. What is morally correct to them, what is morally incorrect? How did they decide right from wrong and how does it line up with the social expectations of their pride? What kind of situations are they morally conflicted about?
500 word minimum, 2 Points


Without a doubt, Nero is a complicated individual when it comes to her moral values and systems.

When it comes to herself, she believes that she is ultimately good and she carries good intentions within all of her actions, but others would likely view her as someone that is very morally gray, or even as someone that is not actually good at all, depending on their own personal values and what is and is not forgivable.

Nero is entirely unafraid of viciously harming others, or even taking the lives of others, without the slightest bit of hesitation, if she so deems it fit. At one point, she took the life of her very own father, whom, in her eyes, was the worst being imaginable. He took the life of Nero's own mother simply because Nero was born as a female when he wanted a son, not a daughter. He raised Nero in a cruel way, even going so far as to poison her frequently, all in the name of making her stronger. He took the lives of others and encouraged all of the members of the clan to behave cruelly and viciously, and had many more lives come to an end at his own hands, so, of course, he was someone that deserved to lose his life, as far as Nero was concerned. Those that would harm others, those with evil intentions, Nero does not even bat a eye at taking the lives of those sorts of folks. Especially if it means protecting someone else, someone innocent.

However, Nero could not dare to actually bring any harm to someone that she views as an innocent party. Someone whom has done no terrible evil, she could not lift a paw against. In her book, young children, whom have done no wrong, should never, ever be harmed, and doing so is one of the greatest crimes that one could commit and should not be forgiven.

As for smaller matters, such as lying, Nero may be more forgiving. Of course, there are times when it seems more appropriate to lie rather than to tell the truth. Those that are harmless lies are perfectly fine in her book. But she does not appreciate liars that lie about greater things. She does not tolerate those that fake having good intentions when they are really harboring darkness within them, and will deal with them as she sees fit.

Ultimately, harming one for no reason is unacceptable, but once she is given a reason, that is all that it takes.

Within the Oddity Pride, the other members generally share her views. In fact, it is something of a requirement. However, Nero's views are dramatically different from her former pride, known as the Demon Clan. They are so different, in fact, that even after she became the leader and implemented rules against senseless violence, she could not tolerate being there, still. She had tried to change the pride for the better, but when that failed, she could no longer take it and, thus, eventually formed the Oddity Pride, filled with like minded individuals that followed a similar moral standard as she.

[523]