#Khalfani

[pastasick]

DJ Manny x Please x Khalfani "Man Down"

Via Issa Party’s Youtube.

[leopardsealz]

[image ID: digital art of a lion guard OC, a bearded vulture. it is a halfbody drawing, and the background is a dull peach. end ID]

my beloved vulture boy

[avoidingcertaindoom]

Whumptober Day 16

No. 16: NECROSIS | Swamp | Wound Cleaning | “No, I can’t feel anything.”

~

“Sorry, I need you to hold still.”

Tangled up in his robes, Khalfani had little choice but to obey as the lady leaning over him pulled the fabric away from the wound at his side to get a better look. Her black haired friend has gotten a decent sized stab at him, and even breathing hurt as his chest muscles tugged at the ragged edges. 

She uncapped a black flask and made a tugging motion, a rush of water joining the motion and turning into itself in something similar to a heavily dense cloud. She flattened her palm and held it flat, the water doing the same, and it followed the path her hand led it through as she hovered it over his injury.

Water manipulation wouldn't have been particularly high up on the list of fears he'd seen as of late, but he couldn't pretend the display didn't leave him a little awed. He watched as the water rippled over his skin, and then began to sink into the area around the stabbing. The cool, soothing feel of it made his whole body relax with a sigh. 

Another one of the intruders got down on a knee next to her, still towering over the both of them. Khal tried not to be so obvious about glancing at him, hoping to catalog both features for leverage in case they let him go. The girl was a lot more odd, silver eyed and light freckles that almost seemed shiny. Outside of his height the man--he thought anyway--almost looked a lot more average. Something with his eyes though, one seemed flatter, duller. “Need a hand?”

“Nah. She missed anything major.” The girl shifted, wiping her cheek with the back of a free hand. “Any luck?”

“Not that I was told, they sent me to follow up with your new friend.”

Khal couldn't help but snort, and suddenly both their eyes were on them. “You don't seriously think I'll help you?”

“I was hoping you'd consider as much,” She pouted, lip trembling like she was genuinely hurt. “We just wanted to find a friend of ours, last we’d heard he was last seen with one of you.”

“Right. I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“He's a little shorter than you, freckles, red fringe?” The other offered, staring into his eyes as he did so. 

And that did strike a bell. Hanson had found a boy with what he called “charmed blood”, and was working on leading him away for a ritual. They weren't so stupid as to keep him at the main house at least. “Nope, can't help you.”

A head tilt. His eyes didn't blink. “Are you quite sure?”

The intensity unnerved him. He opened his mouth, a burning temptation to answer honestly, before snapping his jaw shut. 

“So you do know something,” the girl prompted.

He weighed his options. “And what if I did?”

The pleading look in her eyes vanished, and suddenly the wound at his side ruptured into something excruciating. Whatever relief she'd originally sent rippling through his veins was now replaced with needle point pinpricks of ripping, tearing agony.

It stopped as quick as it started, and as he slumped back to the ground gasping and nursing the hole he'd unwittingly bit into his cheek, he almost missed her turn and whisper something to her friend. He got up and hurried away, and she turned back to him with a saccharine smile. Her eyes were like ice. 

“Again, do you know something?” 

He didn't get a chance to answer before pain shot up his body again, this time shredding it's way a lot further than the wound had stabbed, even clawing its way into his heart. She continued, not minding the way he was starting to groan from the pain.

“And be very, very clear, because I find repeating myself quite annoying.

[intothetlkverse]

Decided to challenge myself by drawing every single TLK character out there, up until this point in time, and post it here. You can see the finished project on my main account, though I figured to post it on my tumblr just show I could proudly show off my work and a few of my head canons.

Here are all the mandrills across TLK:

Starting top right we have the OG drill, Rafiki(friend) himself. Current majordomo of Simba's reign, previous to Mufasa/Scar's reign, and friend to the Ndona Pride, Rafiki is the old, wise mandrill we all know and love. A baboon-mandrill hybrid, his story about his parentage is explained more here, as well as his tutelage under the previous majordomo(and mjuzi based off the Broadway Rafiki) Tawfiki here. As Simba's reign begins drawing to a close, Kiara's upon to horizon, and Kion and his friends, including Rafiki's apprentice Makini, finding their way towards the Tree of Life, Rafiki senses his own time as mjuzi is drawing to an end as well, so he searches for a new apprentice, finding it with his nephew Nefu. By the time Kiara has ascended the throne and had her cubs, Rafiki is on the sidelines witnessing his successor present the future heirs, and he feels content in his final days.

On his left is his cousin Biba(live-Igbo) from the comic "The Baboon Problem". Biba is the clumsy and stuttering, yet cheerful and good-hearted son of Rafiki's uncle Khalfani and father of one of Rafiki's students, Babu. The comic displayed him as being a more rotund version of Rafiki, though I decided to interpret that as thick muscles and body fat, making him one very strong, but often uncoordinated mandrill. He lives in the troop lead by Jelani.

Left of the two are their respective fathers: Kwashi(Born on a Sunday) and Khalfani(Shall rule-Egyptian). The same age, both brothers were rambunctious, adventurous, and bold growing up, thick as thieves, yet good-natured enough to keep them, mostly, out of trouble in the Grass Walls. Growing up Kwashi found a knack and interest in the ways of herbalists and shamans, and so went off to a known shaman school to learn while Khalfani stayed back in order to learn the reigns from their retiring father in how to lead the troop. Kwashi would learn the basics of becoming a shaman, though his studies were interrupted by a chance meeting with the baboon Nyani, which lead into a relationship resulting in two hybrid children, Rafiki and Matwana. Kwashi would cut his studies short to return back and raised his children within the safety and security of the troop, now lead by his brother, and entrusted the secret of their other parent to his brother and a close friend. Kwashi lived long enough to see the birth of his grandson Nefu and his son become the Pridelands royal mjuzi before passing due to a stroke.

Khalfani was the dutiful and loyal brother and leader of the Gras Walls troop. After Kwashi approached him with the twins, he allow both his niece and nephew to stay and grow, vouching for his nephew during his more aggressive outbursts, and allowing Rafiki to later take on a role as an apprentice after pardoning him after a fight started by him resulted in an injury. In addition to keeping his troop safe and happy, he also was the proud father of Karibu, Tonga, Biba, and Jelani's father Mkongo, with several grandchildren. Unfortunately for Khalfani, he passed in his middle-age after defending his troop from a leopard, the injuries sustained unfortunately getting infected. He sent word to get help from Rafiki in the Pridelands via Haraka the ostrich, however he passed not shortly after this, bestowing the role of leader to his strong grandson Jelani.

Kwashi is based off the deleted character of the early drafts of TLK while Khalfani is the unseen character mentioned in the TLK 6NA book "Follow the Leader". Khalfani's design was also heavily inspired by GreenCharisard's version, though the shepherd staff idea went down to Jelani in my 'verse.

Speaking of "Follow the Leader", here's several more characters featured there. Karibu(welcome) is the sibling of Biba, Tsonga, and Mkongo, elderly cousin of Rafiki, and aunt of Jelani. She's the troop's shaman, deciding to follow after Kwashi and learn from the school , though Kwashi still served as an assistant and herbalist up until his pasting. An extremely kind and selfless person, constantly putting other's wellbeing above her own, including asking to be left behind when he is unable to continue in her troop's migration to a new land. This display of selflessness and fragility help break her nephew out of his self-loathing and stubbornness, getting his to help carry her the rest of the way to their new home and fully take on the reigns as leader.

Jelani(follow me-Hausa) is Rafiki's third cousin, once-removed and current leader of the troop. A stoic and strong leader, his life before had been rough. Having lost both his parents to a leopard attack, he was raised mostly by his grandfather, aunt and uncles, with Khalfani also encouraging him to take on the role of leader someday. The loss of his parents has made him very afraid and cold towards others, though the notion of leading one day helped bring out a more confident side of him. Unfortunately for him, after the death of his grandfather due to infected leopard wounds, Jelani grew cold and distant once more, beginning to neglect other and become lazy and apathetic to his troop's needs, despite being capable of defending his role as leader due to his strength and size, just generally being a jerk to everyone. When Rafiki returned and the troop began moving elsewhere to a new place, he begrudgingly followed, though grew more guilt-ridden and sullen, seeing his own troop struggle to survive, until finally his cousin Mosi is attacked by a leopard on their journey and his dear aunt Karibu collapses on the journey, then snapping him out of his state and helping guild her and the rest of his troop to a new home where he starts to become more respectful and considerate to the troop ponce more. In spite of his earlier attitude, Jelani has learned to show more loyalty and kindness towards his troop, now able to lead them the way his grandfather had intended him to. His staff is gifted in part by Rafiki, since Khalfani himself had one and Rafiki believed it would help Jelani by serving as a more physical reminder of his grandfather. Rafiki also bonds with his second-cousin by showing him some staff fighting moves, to help keep any more leopards away.

Next up are Jelani's maternal aunt Dalili(gentle) and cousin Moshi(smoke). Gentle and motherly, she tried to be there for her nephew after his parents death, though his attitude after Khalfani's death made it hard for her to sympathize as her own son Mosi was beginning to suffer due to his inaction. Though not shown here, both she and Mosi have claws and bite marks respectively from a leopard on their journey, and Jelani feels very ashamed for not help then. Jelani begins to repair their relationship with them after they reach their new home, and Mosi later learns herbalist/shaman craft from his aunt Karibu shortly before her passing, becoming the next healer of the troop.

'Bahati'/Hati(document) is the last of the mandrills mentioned in the story, stating that he was an old friend of Rafiki, so I decided to make him Rafiki's brother-in-law via his marriage to Rafiki's sister Maana(meaning) and the father of Nefu(breath). Hati was one of the few mandrills Rafiki grew up with who he could consider a close friend, as Rafiki was very temperamental and hostile growing up, usually getting into fights and being aggressive. Hati was much more timid and shy then the others, though found some sort of connection with Rafiki and his sister Matwana, the latter which developed into romantic feelings down the road. Like her name implies, Matwana is sassy, feisty, and witty, though early in her childhood in might've been more apt to have swapped her and her brother's names. Though Matwana was playful and fun-loving, she was also shy and solitary, until she befriended Hati who they both helped get out of their shells. Matwana grew up unknowing of her mother's identity and species up until her brother got into an incident where he was almost exiled from their troop, in which their father revealed their baboon heritage to them, which she later would disclose her bother her future husband and son. While Rafiki went off to atone for his behavior issues and actions by taking on a mjuzi apprenticeship, Matwana stayed and not only took on a husband, but also a role as mediator and messenger for the troop. Her feather is curtesy of Haraka the ostrich, whom she sent to the Pridelands to get her brother after Khalfani's attack, though he unfortunatelty didn't make it in time. She also is a very caring, yet protective mother of her only son, though is very happy to allow him to see his uncle and even allow his uncle to take care of him, perhaps even with a small mention of all the things Rafiki did during his youth that the troop doesn't known about, and probably don't need to know, eh brother dearest? She is very ecstatic when Nefu is selected to become to next mjuzi. And speaking of, Nefu is formerly very lazy, snarky, and rambunctious. seeing his uncle's role as a mjuzi as a pass in life for free respect and resources, although several misadventures involving him misusing his uncle's status for his own benefit backfiring has since humbled him and caused him to become more cautious and respectful, although he keeps some snark. He later become Kiara's mjuzi and strikes up a friendship with her young daughter Nkeri.

Jelani, Mosi, and Karibu all had canon designs which I modified so they looked more unique and not just off-brand Rafiki clones(like the majority of mandrill designs). Karibu was described as elderly and Jelani mentioned to be bigger and stronger than the mandrills in his troop, so I tried to accentuate those features by adding more wrinkles a frailness to the former and giving Jelani more confident and non-nonsense posture and youthful features. I want to say he's a young adult here while Karibu and Rafiki are elderly. Young mandrills have very pale faces, so I gave Mosi more pale features as he is a bit older now, still a child, though he'll get the more brightly-colored features when he grows up. Nefu is primarily based off his T&P show counterpart, while Dalili, Hati, and Matwana's designs are entirely my own. Dalili was just meant to look motherly and kind, though Matwana and Hati were meant to bridge the family gap between Raifki and Nefu, so Nefu gets most of his colors from his father, though I really wanted to do more exotic, beautiful dreadlocks for Matwana. I can definitely see her hair being a source of pride for her and her son, and they help each other with styling it. Matwana mostly wears the feather to signify her role, though I can see her having a multitude of other hair accessories, including wooden bead, porcupine quills, flowers, and twine. Also Nefu's facial features are more toned down here since he's a kid, though he gets really bright ones, plus a healthy, thick mane when he's older.

Next on our list we have Tonga(build-Lingala), Rafiki's cousin mentioned in the graphic novel "Bad Omens". Unlike the others of his troop, he's more solitary and quiet, eventually choosing to move out and settle in a tree in the Pridelands alongside his cousin Rafiki, whom he sometimes visits. After the destruction of his tree due to underground burrowing by hyenas, he decides to take a more active role in life by helping assist in the aftermath of disasters by helping bring back plants and restoring habitats, including helping bring back the Grass Walls back to their former glory. His staff is taken from the remnants of his old tree home. His design was based mostly off of 2019 Rafiki.

Next up is Babu(grandfather), Biba's son and one of Rafiki's pupils from "Spots and Stripes" with two other mandrills featured in that. Though Makini and Nefu were taught as Rafiki's successors, both following the roles of mjuzi in their own rights, Rafiki also did offer classes to other mandrills, especially those in his own troop, to help them learn how to be responsible and prepared if they need to patch up wounds, provide healing aid, or need spiritual guidance, as well as more fun activities such as foraging, poultice and paint-making, weaving, and storytelling. Babu had a bit more mischievousness than his father, though is very kind and a bit clumsy like his dad, though well-meaning. Babu currently resides with Jelani's troop, helping teach the next generation of painters, weavers, and herbalists alongside Mosi. His design remains mostly the same, though I decided to add in some yellow fur for some youthful elements. Rafiki took on a lot of students during his time, even six at one point, making him a sort of unofficial uncle for many both a mandrill and other creatures.

Going into more familiar, newer territory we have Makini(with dignity/discretion) and her family, Kitendo(think, consider) and Fikiri(thought). Makini's birth was somewhat of a unique case, as on the day she was born Rafiki received a vision of her becoming his apprentice, while Fikiri and Kitendo were none the wiser to the potential their daughter had. Makini seemed to grow like any other mandrill would, adventurous, curious, sweet, and excitable, until one day as a child she began getting strange dreams which she shared to her parents. Dreams of her helping out a bunch of animals, facing fiery foes, experiencing wonderous, almost unbelievable things. At first her parents thought it was normal, then she began speaking the names of several well-known figures that her parents were sure they had never mentioned to her before, people such as Mufasa, Scar, Kion, Janna, and Rafiki. Feeling uneasy by this, they decided to seek guidance for their daughter's incredible dreams by heading to the Tree of Life, and who so should they meet there but Queen Janna herself and the royal mjuzi is the Pridelands, Rafiki. Makini immediately greeted Rafiki as if she had known him her whole life and Rafiki reacted in kind, before explaining the situation.

The Great Kings had seen the potential in young Makini, with her curiosity, wisdom, and excitable nature, and they had suggested to both him and their daughter that she would become his apprentice and a mjuzi, sending the tentative start of the link between them by presenting visions to the both of them. Both her parents were stunned and more then a bit put off by the idea of their daughter being student to one of the most well-known mjuzis and shamans across the lands and later servant to the royal family, though both Rafiki and Queen Janna assuaged their fears. They would allow Makini to grow up and be raised by them as usual, though when she got old enough, either when the spirits guided her or them to her first, he would take her on as an apprentice. Makini seemed ecstatic by the prospect of being a future mjuzi, though seemed more inclined with staying with her family until then, and so both Kitendo and Fikiri agreed to the proposition, raising their daughter and then sending her over to the Pridelands to Rafiki when she was older. The parents now reside at the Tree of Life while their daughter is a mjuzi to the Night Pride there, though also makes frequent visits in-between the Nightlands and Pridelands.

I HC that most successors for mjuzis usually come to them via spiritual connection, i.e. prophetic dreams/visions. Though not always the case, as Rafiki didn't know Makini would not be his direct successor in the Pridelands and he had previously known Nefu before making him his successor, mjuzis rely on mostly spiritual guidance and instinct when choosing an apprentice to eventually succeed them, sort of a Force connection between them, which is something they also rely on for different events. I mean if Rafiki was able to discover Simba's presence via seeds in the wind, help connect him with his deceased father via night cloud Skype, help play matchmaker via advice from the Great Kings of the Past, and help Kion learn more about his roar, I assume their has to be some deeper connection with the supernatural to qualify for the position.

Now moving to deleted/scrapped characters, starting off from TLK2 early drafts we have Fang and Claw, aka Mano(fang-Nyanja) and Kaso(claw-Hausa), cousins which hail from a far-away land and are here to cause mischief here in the Pridelands. They appear later, after Kiara has settled into her reign and her daughter Nkeri is struggling to find her place in it, when these two, having freshly left their home troop to see the world and find a purpose(and residency) in life, have mistakenly allied themselves with a less-than-wholesome gang of animals seeking to cause some changes to the local authorities here, hoping to acquiring resources and a cushy space in the Pridelands in exchange for helping him get onto the throne. However the two are pretty useless as minions and almost get themselves injured in a small stampede caused by Lion X in order to 'save the princess from harm', only to be rescue, surprisingly, by princess Nkeri, earning their respect and also helping her build her confidence in herself, then offering to be her 'bestest friends and bodyguards from now on'.

So yeah, initial goofy, comic-relief villains as I kinda assumed based off their names and what little concept art there is of them, that turn in goofy comic-relief allies at least by the end of the second act. Both are pretty young teenager, full of emotions, naivete, and often more meat then muscles in their brains, but ultimately folk you expect to be decent, if not a bit chaotic. Fang/Mano is the more meatheaded of the two, motivated mostly by food, fun, and pretty stuff like fluttering butterflies. He's really just a big kid and goofball with massive muscles, very silly, scatterbrained, much like a combination of Chungu and Cheezi with early season Patrick Star's voice and demeanor. Kaso/Claw is slightly more intelligent, slightly that he thinks that the evil laughing by the others of the group as they explain their plan of taking over might indicate that they aren't the good guys, but not mentioning this to their new friends after the group has already set their plan into action. He's more vain and well-kempt, using his claws to properly groom and even do some styling, though he too is also motivated by a good place to live, good food to eat, and good neighbors. You can read more about them here, kinda consider it stuff for the next gen future of TLK, though please forgive their abhorrent lack of manners and if they took your cantaloupes.

Finally we reach to Bobo(silly), featured in the depth of the archives of the drafts of TLK, the King of the Kalahari. This guy is the court jester and later mjuzi of the Kalahari Pride, and here he is introducing himself to the recently born prince of the pride, Rego, who is just absolutely amazed to see this strange, goofy creature suddenly hunker down and leer incredulously at him. His story I explored more both here in this picture and with this tentative script outline here in case you're interested.

During his youth, he saved a teen later-to-be-king Brond from getting eaten by crocodiles and earned both his friendship and a welcoming role as both entertainer and cubsitter in the pride in exchange for protection and occasional food from hunts. A charismatic, humorous, acrobatic, intuitive, and friendly fellow, he's more than able to entertain both the cubs and pride with his great stories and impressive talent for tricks, though his loyalty to them shines when he helps evacuate Rego from the pride when Mruki defeats Brond over leadership of the pride, and begins to frighten Rego, and then again helping him survive out there by finding him a pride of maleless lionesses to join. He later helps Rego return back home and take back his pride from Mruki, taking on a more serious role as officiator, orator and healer for them.

His design is meant to resemble a jester's, with five hair tufts forming a sort of jester hat on his head/neck, frilly 'sleeves',  a heart-shaped nose with a club-nostril, and his staff(not seen) having more card design motifs on it. He's also very acrobatic, think the gypsies from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, always cartwheeling, flipping, balancing on a singular limb or staff, etc. He's basically a clown, but one you would trust your kids around.

[rosebud-doodles]

Left to right (belongs to MutantFishy) Khalfani and Wyatt (Belongs to me) Based off this meme I found, I do not know who made it so credit to the og meme maker <3

[chasenews]

Fourth man charged in connection with Hounslow murder

Detectives investigating a fatal stabbing in Hounslow last October have charged a fourth man. Mahid Mumin, 24 (01.12.99) of Slough is due to appear at Willesden Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday, 27 March) charged with the murder of Naython Muir. Previously, Khalfani Sinclar, 22 (04.08.01), of Ashford in Surrey, Phillip Jones, 47 (18.08.76), of Feltham and Christian Braimah, 24 (12.03.00) of…

[atletasudando]

Récord ecuatoriano de Joyce Micolta en salto en alto: 1.84

Fuente: Fed Ecuatoriana En simultáneo con el Grand Prix Internacional R. Boroto, este sábado 17 de junio se inició en Quito el Campeonato Nacional de Ecuador. Y allí, en el marco del heptathlon, Joyce Beatriz Micolta pasó la varilla a 1.84 m. en salto en alto, mejorando en un centímetro su récord nacional, que había establecido dos años antes en Guayaquil. Las pruebas de velocidad tuvieron un excelente nivel. En los 100 metros femeninos, Angela Gabriela Tenorio parece ir recuperando su mejor forma y se impuso con 11.12 (viento de 1.1ms), seguida por las brasileñas Anny Caroline de Bassi (11.35) y Bárbara da Silva Leoncio (11.37). Entre los hombres, con viento de 0.5ms, el título nacional quedó para Anderson Marquínez con 10.51, aventajando por dos centésimas a Steeven Salas. Por el evento internacional se impuso el puertorriqueño  Khalfani Amir Muhammad con 10.37, quedando segundo el colombiano Johnny Alexander Rentería con 10.38. En los 400 metros femeninos, con las figuras ecuatorianas de gira por España, ganó la colombiana Nahomy Castro (54.49) y segunda, con título nacional, Evelin Mercado con 55.95. Entre los hombres, Francisco Israel Tejeda se llevó el título ecuatoriano con 46.87 y luego llegaron Lenin Suánchez con 47.26 y Steeven Salas con 47.94. En la prueba internacional el primer puesto fue para el brasileño Douglas Hernandes Mendes da Silva con 46.62, seguido por el colombiano Jhon Alejandro Perlaza con 47.14. Las mejores fondistas del país se dieron cita en los 10 mil metros, ganados por Silvia Ortiz con 35:47.76, delante de Rosa Alva Chacha con 35:57.22. En las pruebas de campo, Marcos Ponce se llevó el título de salto en largo con 7.57w, Stiven Cevallos ganó en disco con 48.47, Cristopher Ambato en martillo con 56.42 y el colombiano Johnny Zea en bala con 18.79. En damas sobresalió Adriana Catherine Chila con sus 13.21 en salto triple. Read the full article

[yasbxxgie]

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SANAMU

Family. Tragedy. Monsters and revenge

Follow the triplets, Bomani, Lumbani and Khalfani through a world full of mythology, fantasy, adventure and magic like you have never seen it before.

[lodgerthings]

Kifeda’s Breakthrough

Social interactions were far from Kifeda’s forte. It was the attention that made it difficult for him. Talking to people would not be so daunting if he was not constantly analyzing every little change in their expressions. Fear of judgment in their faces is what led to the development of his skill with computers. Making friends over the internet was leagues ahead of face-to-face contact, in his opinion. One could say it started him on the path to eventually joining this task force for his new pride. Soon after, it actually proved to be of even more value than anyone anticipated.

During one sleepless night, Kifeda sat at his desk at home, reflecting on how things were going for him in his new home. Strangely, at the same time, things were both better and worse than he expected. On one hand, he really only went three places: home, next door, and work. Despite his time here, he still hardly knew his own neighborhood. On the other hand, he had a job, a friend (his supervisor and neighbor, but it counted, right?), and...and… Well, he had a job.

Did it really count as progress? Would his sisters be disappointed? At least there was that, in terms of progress. Lately, he proved how much more skillful he was in dodging their persistent calls. Texts and emails, he answered promptly and with well-crafted replies, but he was conveniently busy every time he was asked to FaceTime or even just voice call. On one occasion, he even enlisted Khalfani’s help, asking him to call out from a separate room to make it seem like some important breakthrough was about to happen. After every dodge, though, he felt the threat of one of them showing up unannounced looming over him and getting that much closer to realization. Lying awake and imagining the worst did no good, so Kifeda soon found himself in front of his personal computer again.

Visiting the same sites every time would result in burn out, meaning that tonight he needed to try and discover some new places to occupy his time. There were probably chat rooms or forums for people adapting to life in a new pride, right? One of them could give him some ideas for how to naturally find the courage to branch out. Now that Kifeda had an objective, he got to work searching.

Site to site, he moved. Some had out-dated posts that were not helpful, some had advice for people who were already naturally outgoing, and then he found one that sounded a little...troubling. Curiosity beat out the thought that this would only waste his time and soon he was scrolling through the latest posts. One from a couple days earlier caught his eye.

[[Yeah. Been arrested here too much, so I think moving’s a good idea. I never should have dated a cop’s kid. Now the guy finds any reason to accuse me of a crime. Shitbag. At least I don’t live outside the Pridelands. My cousin sent me this video the other day and I was like wtf?? DM if you wanna see. I’d probably be hunted down if I posted it in the open here.]]

Thought after thought fired through Kifeda’s mind as he folded a fist into his other hand and brought them to his lips. It did not sound like a trap. Sometimes bots used similar tactics to get nosy people to click links by making it seem like they are actually talking to a person, but this did not carry the usual signs of such a scam. Unfolding his hands, he rhythmically tapped the keyboard, still debating his next move. If this was real, and this person really was afraid of the wrong people seeing this video, Kifeda would have to prove he did not pose any threat. That was a nonissue. Over text, he was well-versed in conforming his personality to fit his environment.

No second-guessing. Diving straight in, Kifeda made an account and filled it with every necessary piece of information to make him appear as innocuous as possible. Then he started randomly replying and posting in various parts of the sight to build the character he needed. Contacting the poster only moments after joining the site would be suspicious, so there would need to be a window of time before that happened. After the number of weeks with no results in their investigation, what were a few more days?

***

Khalfani leaned over Kifeda’s station, one hand on the back of Kifeda’s chair to steady himself. The first few times Khalfani did this, it tensed Kifeda’s entire body, leaving him feeling like prey that narrowly escaped with its life. Now, however, he was used to the gesture. Khalfani was no threat. He provided more of a sense of protection.

“How’s it going?” Khalfani asked, his eyes scanning the screen.

Kifeda sighed, nervous energy coursing through his veins.

“I sent the first message a couple hours ago and we’ve been chatting since. I don’t get the sense he’s distrustful of me, though. I think he’s just taking long to cover his bases. I should have the link soon.” Anxious, Kifeda looked up to meet Khalfani’s eyes. “You haven’t said anything to the Princess, yet, right?”

“I’m not any less keen than you are to avoid getting her hopes up. Not that I don’t have faith in you. But if the video doesn’t tell us anything, I’d hate to see the disappointment in her eyes. She’s got enough going on as it is.”

Kifeda’s eyes turned downcast in sympathy. “First her dad. Now her adviser.”

“Rafiki and the King will be fine. Look. You have a message.”

Both men’s eyes glued to the screen while Kifeda typed. As minutes passed, they each drew closer until their faces were side by side and mere inches from the computer. And then it finally happened. Kifeda had a download link for a video taken by a member of the Outlands.

As soon as the video began playing, the rest of the team left their stations and crowded around the two. How could they not after hearing Zira’s voice booming from the speakers despite how low Kifeda’s volume was set?

On a platform in the middle of a dimly lit room, Zira stood above the crowd and orated. The video began mid-sentence.

“...weak they are now? Have you seen the effect our operation has had on them? Their king is locked away in a hospital! Their queen is too distraught to rule! Their failure of a princess is /scraping the barrel/ for ideas to keep the masses distracted from the truth! But we are not so easily swayed. We know what’s really happening. They’re crumbling. Breaking. /Weakening/. Soon enough, it will be time for us to attack again! Don’t miss out on your chance to be apart of their downfall! Join me! Paint yourselves in their blood!”

An excited voice in the crowd shouted, “How did you do it, Zira? How did you get him?”

“Easy,” she answered, her sudden calm weighing on the room, bringing a hush over the crowd. “They are not as clever as they like to think. There are holes in their security. Flaws everywhere. All we had to do was find the right one and just like that we had our hands on their schedule. Then it was just a matter of finding the right people for the job. Our numbers weren’t what they needed to be for our own to pull it off.” Her energy amped up again quickly. “Which is why we need you now! Let it be our own hands that take back the Pridelands!”

The video ended as soon as the crowd roared with cheers.

Everyone stood in stunned silence. Khalfani’s rumbling voice broke it.

“I want every one of you to analyze the faces we can make out in the crowd. Try to find if any of them might have more information out there on the internet. Go!”

Though Khalfani gave the order to move, he was the only one who stayed in place there by Kifeda.

“At least we know for sure now,” Kifeda offered innocently.

“It wasn’t her.”

The words were not what shocked Kifeda, but Khalfani’s certainty. He pointed to a specific time in the video.

“Bring it back there. And lower the volume. Watch.” Kifeda followed through and Khalfani explained while the clip played. “Her face when the question is asked. You’d expect pride, wouldn’t you? Arrogance? She looks angry. If the ambush was her plan, she would want to brag. That’s how Zira is. But she’s not bragging. She’s guessing. This is what she /thinks/ led to the attack. They’re taking credit for someone else’s move.”

Heaving a heavy sigh, Khalfani stepped back and stood tall.

“This is still valuable to us regardless. Zira isn’t confident in her people.” Clapping his hand down on Kifeda’s shoulder, Khalfani shed the tension in him and smiled warmly as he said, “You’ve done a great job. We’re lucky to have you. Let’s get a concise report together and make an appointment with the Princess.”

An appointment with the Princess sounded immensely intimidating, but Kifeda could reflect on that later. Right now, he was swept up in the euphoria of being so genuinely appreciated and having made Khalfani proud. Next time one of his sisters called, he would tell them all about that moment. And the next time he was surfing forums he would seek help for what to do when you realize you have developed a crush on your superior.

[khalljordan]

Happy #blackoutday! I started modeling this year, I’m half way through my second year of college, debt free 💸, and let go of a lot of depression/trauma I faced earlier in life 🙏🏼 God is good and I can’t wait until next year so I can do even more #blackexcellence

[leopardsealz]

sorry for thinking abt my lion guard ocs it will happen again <3

thinking abt my birds in particular...khalfani the lammergeier is v respected among birds & is considered a leader of sorts! hes taken 3 other birds under his wing & is p much like their dad, their names are elewa the jackal buzzard & mrengo & mdomo the white-necked ravens

theres also sindiswa the secretary bird & shes the gf of mpishi (the canon harrier hawk). lastly samaki the african fish eagle & aina the marabou stork. i want to make more birds too <3

[nouru-vi]

most of my characters are born out of a cool backstory concept or a particular aesthetic, but sometimes, it’s just 90% Thirst,,

(I will introduce him properly later I just wanted to show him off)

[dawnofdarknesss-blog]

Lucy texting the squad about Jasper

[03:32:42 PM: Kath 🐱: is he drunk or what? 

03:32:47 PM: Lucy ✨: drunk af 

03:33:11 PM: Lynn 🍸: nah bitch I took all the booze with me

03:33:20 PM: Lynn 🍸: he’s not drunk] 

[xjelani-archive-blog]

tag drop :/

[netflixpaused]

[a-girl-must-have-a-new-name]

Episode 9: Real Thoughts

I will post my live reaction of tonight’s episode later on in the week. ( I had friends over tonight so we ended up talking over the episode a lot especially in the beginning.) But my over all thoughts for this episode were that the other contestants handled the situation at the beginning very well.  Especially when the judges were treating them like whiny divas. (especially how Michael was made to act like it was his fault and that he was being dramatic) They all stood strong in their beliefs and convictions. And I applaud them for that.  I haven’t been this disappointed in the judges in a long time, and thank God that Tim finally took the accusations seriously.