#lioness's lair

[mask-of-prime]

VG: Something in the Water - PART 1

One month into Simba’s Reign… In the long-abandoned Lion Guard Lair, Rafiki was refining an old painting of his just before being called over by Simba for a very important ceremony. In the rush to get ready, he had forgotten his Bakora Staff, and therefore without the pigment he needed for the ritual.

The rattling sound of the gourds roused a certain toddler’s attention.

The toddler, along with her brothers, mother, and close pridesisters, had been residing in the space as an exclusive hideout ever since Scar's Reign. It had been and idea of her mother's as a way to feel superior to the lionesses who resided in the main den above.

Vitani squirmed and mewed nonstop in the arms of a younger Zira. Zira, deep in a talk with a fellow close lioness of hers, ignored the infant cub's mews for a good while. Eventually, Zira gave into Vitani's squirms, and let her free. If it meant Vitani would stop disrupting her important conversation...

The toddler waddled over towards the wall. Not knowing her small size, Vitani tried to reach for the pretty gourds with her paw, but missed. Instead, the entire staff slid down the wall.

Suddenly, something on the wall began to glow. Vitani looked to see that the painting on the wall had come to life.

The animation showed four creatures flying away from a roaring creature. The roaring creature seemed to resemble someone she vaguely remembered. A scary lion who was unsettlingly quiet, or frighteningly loud. The lion that Mother said was gone, now.

The toddler watched the pretty moving painting play over and over again in absolute awe, babbling in entertainment.

Vitani’s vocalizations got Zira’s attention. The mother looked up to see her daughter watching Scar lose his Roar, over and over again.

Taking offense to the visual of one of Scar’s humiliating failures that Rafiki dared depict, Zira pulled her cub away. She would not let her children watch these lies. She ripped Vitani away from her focus, grabbing her by the scruff, with just enough room in her mouth to still be able to speak.

"Put me back..." Vitani quietly and feebly protested, a slight speech impediment from few teeth growing in.

"We don't go over there." she deadpans, "We don't look at that monkey's propaganda..." ____

24 lion years later, present day... Zira's words echoed in Vitani's mind was lost in thought, staring into Rafiki's cave paintings. She had looked the frescoes of Scar's loss of the Roar many times before, swearing every time that she had seen them much longer ago, long before volunteering to lead her very own Guard.

She gave this painting in particular another look today due to a dream featuring the image, a dream she'd jolted awake from. Last night, her subconscious had given her more clarity on this mystery: She must've seen it before...

She sighed, still not quite knowing. Hearing Zira's voice for the first time in a year after her passing viscerally stuck with Vitani the past few hours she'd been up. She was awake hours before the rest of the Pride, admittedly rather shaken up from the ordeal.

Thunder roared outside the cave, drawing Vitani's attention away from the wall. She sighed again and promptly made her way out into the pouring rain. ____

Hours later, Tiifu hummed as she made feline stretches, hoping to spot a heavily sleeping Vitani next to her.

No luck. Again...

Tiifu huffed, perplexed. Vitani had been getting up early for weeks, now. Instances of this had been happening since the recent enemy of the Pridelands, Ngurumo, lost his life in a fatal fall. This time Vitani was gone.

Looking all around the Ponya, then the remaining sections of the Lair -- careful not to wake the rest of the Guard -- Tiifu went up Pride Rock and searched the Royal Den, until she spotted Vitani outside on the lintel. She was soaking wet and seemingly in a daze. She also seemed to be talking skyward, as if in full conversation with someone.

"Vitani..." Tiifu called.

The Fiercest heard her, but she took a long time to turn around, struggling to get out of her trance.

"What are you doing...?" the spotted lioness scrunched her face.

"I don't know, really, just... wonder if she's out there..." Vitani trailed off, "Ridiculous, I know. But... I sometimes wonder if she's trying to talk to me..."

"...Who?"

"My mother."

"Oh..." Tiifu looked at her love, "Have you ever done this before? Talking to her? Do you know if she might even be up there?"

Tiifu bit her lip awkwardly, she wasn't trying to say Zira didn't belong in the stars and the clouds, but what she got to know about Vitani's mother, the little time they had coexisting in one place, chances looked pretty slim. She didn't like Zira, from what she saw from her. But she knew Vitani lived with her, and likely knew more about her, being her child.

"Wouldn't hurt to try, I guess..." Vitani stared onward.

"You know, I didn't think you'd be one to really talk to the sky, I never see you do it. Usually a leader can talk to the Lions of the Past if they have the Roar..."

Oh, she had no idea. Vitani thought to herself. She hadn't yet told anyone she did have an advisor in the form of Nuka. She feared revealing sacred knowledge would revoke her privilege to speak to spirits -- let alone one of fire who's in purgatory. But she internally digressed, and suddenly shrugged.

"I don't know," she answered aloud to Tiifu, "It just feels like she's here every time it rains. Like she's fighting for revenge, even in death..."

"Vitani, you lost her in the rain. This time of year, too. Rain is thought to bring back pain from old injuries, y'know... Maybe it's doing that to you, but like, emotional pain."

"It has been a year, hasn't it?"

"Think so. I remember the trees losing their leaves like this, and the air smelling kinda moldy, too."

"But it hasn't rained this much. This is weird." Vitani fretted, "Hasn't stopped since I made that raincloud to put out those fires..."

"I mean, the Pridelands hasn't got a good rain like this for years, not even when Simba was king. What's wrong with quenching the earth a little with your Roar?"

"Well, this might be too much rain. As much as I like the rain, I'm starting to see why Kion never made the clouds do that again out of fear of breaking the Circle of Life. Sinkholes, mudslides, and mosquito overpopulations have been crazier than they need to be."

Tiifu was blown away. In all this time she knew Vitani, she remembered a time when she saw the leader treat non-lion animals as something other than alive, but now she spoke like Kion, with regard over the Circle of Life, something she almost never talked about. Vitani was growing, and Tiifu could see it.

The spotted lioness brushed her cheek on Vitani's shoulder, "All storms eventually have to pass, Vitani. I'm sure it'll stop soon."

She wasn't only referring to the literal weather, but Vitani's mood.

Vitani sighed, "We'll see..."

"...and while the storm is still going, we should head inside. Might catch something out here."

Vitani gave the clouds one last glance as she turned to follow Tiifu.  ____

The pride had spent yet another night cooped up in the den.

Vitani stealthily padded her way through the Lion Guard Lair. Sporting a subtly energetic demeanor. She entered the Ponya and happened upon a curled up Tiifu. She lightly tapped her arm and head.

"Tiifu."

Stirring, the straw-colored lioness groggily awakened, only to have a boost of energy shoot right through her as she was jumpscared by Vitani staring directly at her, their faces close together.

"The rain stopped."

...

Tiifu followed Vitani's lead out the den, the latter seemed unable to contain an eager smile. Tiifu gasped at what she saw.

"A rainbow! Oh, how pretty!"

Vitani smiled all the way, happy to please Tiifu with the things she loved. She knew Tiifu was all about beautiful mornings, vivid cloud colors, things like that.

The two found a ledge on the side of Pride Rock to sit and gaze at the rainbow on the other side of the sunrise.

"Didn't know these happened after rain. I've heard about them, but I've never actually seen them."

"Really?" Tiifu looked up at her.

"Didn't rain much in the Outlands. There's like, always an awful drought there."

Tiifu nodded. Vitani never saw much hope in dark times, if she's never seen a rainbow...

She then pressed her head against Vitani's neck, "There's a rainbow at the end of every storm, Vitani..."

Tiifu, again, meant more than what literally happened before them. Vitani admittedly took a bit, but it eventually dawned on her.

Out of nowhere, feeling a sudden urge to express affection, Tiifu began to groom Vitani’s jaw. Vitani still hadn’t gotten used to the sensation of grooming, at least, nothing as gentle and organized like Tiifu’s. Tiifu did not form a wall around Vitani, nor press down on her. There was pressure in her licks, but in a massaging manner, and she seemed to be careful not to let her comb-like hairs in deep enough to scratch Vitani's skin. Vitani never truly groomed for years since no one had ever reminded her to do so, growing up in a conquest-oriented pride, and the only kind she ever knew was a tedious burden to endure. Her fur only started looking cleaner and feeling less dry and itchy once the Pridelander lionesses were all over her. It's like they had some sort of radar when someone had the slightest case of bedhead. But, anywho, it was time to tilt her head a little. Tiifu needed to reach the other side of her neck.

They continued to gaze at the rainbow until it faded along with the moisture in the air. Vitani squeezed her eyes shut, feeling total security with Tiifu.

...

Throughout the remainder of the day, excited buzzing made its way throughout Pride Rock. Talks of Kiara and Kovu's coronation made a return, now that things seemed to be drying up for good. The imminent arrival of some valued guests could not be more perfectly-timed...

Vitani slept better that night. ____

Meanwhile, at Msingi Falls... A ghastly glow illuminated the steadily-flowing river. The flow was suddenly disrupted, spinning into a small whirlpool. The riverwater seemed to defy physics as drops at the epicenter of the whirlpool began to rise. Humming filled the air, turning into a cadence sung in a siren-like matter.

A nearby animal -- a lone buffalo -- had picked up on the enticing noise, breaking its grazing. He found himself staring off absentmindedly as he felt himself being pulled to the source of the singing.

A drink sounded nice. Yes, in this beautiful pool of water... 

Before the poor bovine knew it, a strong wave forcefully pulled him in. He could've sworn it looked like a large paw of a lion.

The last sounds he made were prolonged, suffering moos as he tried to pull away. The water soon stopped bubbling. ____

((Author's Note: Celebrating Wet Beast Wednesday with some Wet Beasts in the form of a sulking Vitani and Tiifu lol. Also age reveal for Vitani 👏. I headcanon her to be the equivalent of a 24-year-old in the post-TLK 2 timeline. As for other characters, like Tiifu, Zuri, and Kiara, they're, like, 21 or so.

Fun Facts:

Many poses and compositions were considered for the first and second thumbnails, I'll post the unfinished sketches/unused assets at another time.

I would like to make future art/name reveals of Zira's closest followers. Another thing I'll post some other time.

I learned about the word "lintel" in my Ancient-to-Medieval art history class. A stonehenge, for example, is comprised of a arch system of posts and lintels, the posts being the vertical reinforcement while the lintel is the horizontal stone topping the structure. Come to think of it, Pride Rock is reminiscent of a megalithic structure since it seems to posses posts and lintels.

I headcanon Tiifu to be a master of metaphors, you're gonna see this a lot this season.

Vitani staring right into Tiifu's face after waking her up is very much based on a cat owner experience lol

IMPORTANT: If you see a change in the storytelling style, like full, proper fanfics or simple, short descriptions contextualizing the art between uploads, it's because I've thought long and hard about how I want to present VG. After an epiphany, I've come to terms that I'm not some corporate animation studio who pushes out full episodes of a show I desperately want to see exist, I originally made VG to jot down concepts of what I wanted to see, and I realize now that I work better when I draw concepts sporadically rather than gradually, slowly telling a suspenseful story in order. I realized this when I've been looking back and realizing how much I wanted to add to the story after releasing art. If you see me going out-of-order with my art at any point, it's because I'm adding bonus content. Yes there will still be a continuous main story and there's a subfolder for that, but there'll be extra sketches made randomly, which has its own subfolder. Lastly, I'm actually fiddling with the idea of maybe releasing art and concepts, and then releasing full fanfics on Ao3 or FF.net or something. But... I'm not a big writer so again, just fiddling with that idea for now 😅

EDIT: Extended the literature for the first and third illustrations/scenes))

[themuseofmilkandhoney333]

Why hello there…

Can you do me a big, big favor? You can? Wonderful! Get nice and comfy. Take a deep breath. Now, pay attention. That’s a good pet.

❤️‍🔥 Welcome to the Muse’s Lair ❤️‍🔥

Allow me to introduce myself. They call me The Muse. Oh yes, I know. It takes a bit of getting used to, but you really don’t mind jumping through a few extra hoops for me, do you, sweet thing? No, no I didn’t think so.

I also love to be called:

🖤Ma’am

🖤Madame

🖤 Mommy

🖤Mistress

🖤Princess

🖤 Goddess

I do have my certain preference that especially please me, but I’ll leave that to you to find out. Do you think you’ll be brave enough or will I need to coax you into talking to me like a lioness stalking her willing prey?

Awwww, look at you. Wet for me already. You precious thing. I can already tell that you’re going to be easy to break. No? Prove. Me. Wrong.

Now that you’re listening let me give you a small taste of my near feral appetite. Some of my Favorite Kinks are:

🌟Femdom

🌟Lactation- I do produce

🌟Orgasm Denial

🌟Chastity; long term & short term

🌟Female Led Households

🌟Impact Play: floggers and paddles mostly

🌟Bondage

🌟Sissification

🌟Overstimulation

🌟Milking

🌟Sounding

🌟Gaping

🌟Strap-on Play

🌟MD/lb

🌟Pet Play

🌟JOI

🌟Sensory Depravation & Play

🌟Intox Play

🌟Erotic Hypnosis

🌟Predicament Bondage

🌟Much, Much more…

Ah…I see I really have your attention now. I bet you’re squirming right now, desperate to touch that thing between your legs. Are you imagining all the things I could do to you? The endless torturous and delicious possibilities. All your deepest, darkest fantasies fulfilled. You’ve been searching for someone like me. Someone who truly deserves your devotion and worship. Come to me.

Here you will find an amalgamation of my deepest desires and wildest fantasies. You will also find lots of art in many different mediums. I am called The Muse because my passion is to inspire. Whether it is inspiring you to stay hydrated, get back to work, get back to your favorite hobby, or reduce yourself into my pathetic, desperate, drooling pet…yes, I even want to inspire the hours of endless gooning you do in my name. I bask in it. As you stay and become more and more addicted to me, I will reveal myself to you and blossom like a garden before you…an endless harvest ahead.

Just to tempt your salivating taste buds, here’s the tiniest nugget into my world:

🖤Height: 5’2

🖤Shoe Size: 9 1/2 US Women’s

🖤Bra Size: 34 G

🖤Favorite Color: Carnelian

🖤Favorite Place: The Ocean

🖤 Sacral Witch specializing in Divination

🖤 Love Music & Singing

🖤 Love Nature & Outdoors

🖤 Love Animals & will walk you on a leash any day

Now, darling,a few final reminders. This is a sacred space where you are accepted, loved, and respected. Please treat my space with that same respect. I do not respond to demands. I WILL block you if you are disrespectful in any way towards me or any of the other guests here. You will also immediately be blocked for unsolicited pictures and blogs with empty descriptions, no profile pic, and/or no age.

Keep those requirements in mind and have fun. Get lost in it. Give yourself over to it. To me. And welcome…I do so love fresh meat.

With Lustful Intentions,

The Muse

[sleuth-draws]

LOVESICK (part 4) - Close to You < prev | next >

Vitani has been acting strange.

Well, she always acts strange; that's kind of her thing sometimes. But stranger than usual.

Kiara has noticed that her friend can't quite keep eye contact anymore, often darting away quickly. When Kiara comes close to nuzzle her, groom her, even just to chat, she's been insistent on keeping more distance than usual, scooching away with an awkward and very unsubtle clearing her throat. On top of that, she's being leaving the den at night more and more to pace and grumble. Vitani might think she's being discrete but Kiara knows her enough to be able to tell when something's wrong. She's started to worry that her dear friend has started to lose sleep.

She's more than familiar with the old Vitani -- the quiet broody lioness who most times couldn't stand to stick around the pride, more out of habit than preference. She's reminded now of that Vitani.

There's no one she's enjoyed seeing come out of her shell more than Vitani. Except Kovu, of course. But she loves getting Vitani to crack that crooked smile of hers, getting her to loosen up and see that there's no immediate threat to look out for anymore. Kiara never bore witness to the atrocities Scar inflicted upon the Pridelands but she thinks witnessing how her new friends have been affected by Zira's tyrannical reign is the closest thing to it. The lack of food, the lack of support, the lack of love. She can't imagine what that's like.

Kiara does realize her privileged position; she's the Princess of the Pridelands for gods' sake. She knows she could never come close to knowing what it's like to suffer this greatly or to feel the after-effects of cruelty. But it's all she can do to check in on those who have.

So when her training lets out at the first sign of sunset, she spares Kovu a halfhearted nuzzle before going off in search of Vitani as she always does.

She's not at the watering hole, nor the fields, nor in the shady spot where they play-fought just a few days ago.

Hm. The Guard must have finished late today.

Kiara heads back to the Rock to visit the lair and approaches just in time to see Vitani exit with Imara at her side. The two are speaking with hushed tones and standing rather close. Vitani ducks her head in laughter and Imara nuzzles her side.

A pit forms in Kiara's gut. Huh. She must be hungrier than she thought. Yeah. That must be it.

Before she knows it, she's trotting towards them, calling, "Hey, Vitani!"

Her friend perks up instantly, those big ears of hers at attention. She looks hesitant but smiles at her nonetheless. Kiara grins as she makes her way over.

Imara nudges Vitani with her shoulder almost smugly, before bidding her goodbye and offering a respectful nod in Kiara's direction just as she comes face-to-face.

"Hi," Kiara breathes, only a little winded from her hurried journey over.

"Hi," Vitani breathes back, though she doesn't look tired at all.

Kiara tilts her head at her tall friend. "How was patrolling today?"

"Eh, it was fine. Imara just left to report to your old man. Had to chase off some mangy rogue who thought he could flirt with me and the Guard. Unfortunately, he was stubborn enough to let things get violent."

"Ugh, he sounds awful."

"Oh, he was," Vitani barks out an amused laugh, "But I knocked him flat and he ran away scared."

"Ha! You sure showed him," Kiara chuckles, finding herself circling around Vitani. She does things like this sometimes, stalking around Vitani as if hunting -- and at one point, Kovu as well -- and she doesn't quite know why. At this point, she's reasoned it's simply a natural habit. "How lucky we are to have you to protect us." She leans in to brush their sides together, nuzzling her cheek to Vitani's. "I missed you, y'know."

Vitani tenses but that's never been atypical. Touch has always been something her friend found hard to get used. "Oh, I, uh --" She clears her throat, thrown off her game. "I-I missed you too." She shakes her head. "But you just saw me yesterday, Princess!"

"I can still miss you!"

A snort. "Yeah, right."

Kiara is about to shoot a retort back when her nose starts to itch and a loud sneeze interrupts her, startling them both.

"Yeegh," Kiara exclaims, shaking her head and licking her nose, "Vitani!"

"What?"

"There's so much dust in your fur! No doubt from that fight. You seriously need a bath."

Vitani bristles. "Ugh, no way." She shakes herself out, ears flapping almost aggressively. "Look, I'm totally fi--" When she takes a step forward, her foreleg buckles and she stumbles, catching herself with the other foreleg.

"Vitani!" Immediately, Kiara is moving in to assist her.

"I'm fine, Kiara." Vitani grits. "It's just a sprain, nothin' I can't handle."

Kiara looks back towards the fields. Her mother won't be back with food a little while. "Come follow me."

"But --"

"Don't argue with me. Come on." Kiara headbutts Vitani's shoulder and though Vitani grumbles the whole way, they walk up Pride Rock together. There, several lionesses are resting out at the entrance of the den, grooming themselves and each other and sunbathing while they still have a sun to bathe in.

There's a round of greetings when the pair ascend, including Tiifu, Zuri and, surprisingly, Kasi, who are dozing in a pile together. Vitani stares as they pass; Kasi looks away in slight embarrassment.

They find a spot somewhere nearby, still warm from the sun, and Kiara gives a look that makes Vitani sigh loudly and plop down. Kiara settles in beside her.

"Hmph, good. Now..." Kiara leans in and starts grooming the fur on Vitani's neck; immediately Vitani jerks away. "Oh, come on, Vitani."

"I-I-I really think I can do this myself!" Vitani stutters.

"Don't be ridiculous," Kiara huffs. "You couldn't reach that neck of yours if you tried!" She leans in again and when Vitani dodges once more, she reaches with both paws to ensnare her head and hold it securely to her. Vitani struggles but doesn't go so far as to kick at her with her hind legs -- a great sign. "Ha. Good girl."

Vitani goes ramrod straight. Kiara pays her no mind and starts to groom the tuft on her head. Slowly, her friend starts to relax, though she maintains the tension in her shoulders, claws digging into the dirt. Eventually, that too leaves her, pressure rolling off her shoulders till even her claws, trained to be out at all times in attack position, start to sheathe themselves. She breathes a sigh and closes her eyes.

Delight fills Kiara's chest. There's something precious about this. Being able to just lie here in peace with someone once considered her enemy and relax together. To see her realize there's nothing to fear, at long last. Vitani has been scared for so long. She might not like to admit, but Kiara knows. Kovu has told her the hardships they all had to face at Zira's paws, Vitani in particular. He'd been blind to it, at first, giving in to Zira's hate-filled rhetoric and training. But the months after the war had allowed the siblings to open up to one another, where they'd previously been emotionally standoffish.

Vitani was the one keeping their family together. Her closeness to their older brother as both of Zira's neglected children and her admittedly enforced love for Kovu was bridged by her need to do right by her mother. She amplified the admiration for her younger brother among the Outsiders, she kept her older brother in line, and, greatest of all, she was the perfect soldier. Savage and wild and bloodthirsty, eager to fight and, lucky for Zira, eager to please. Because, however small, that was the closest she would get to actual love from Zira.

A transactional, militaristic relationship.

And when at last she defied her mother, she was quickly cast aside.

Where Vitani had loved Kovu superficially, as taught by Zira, there was also the real love of being the only sibling who truly cared for him. They're twins, after all, as easy it is to forget, uniquely linked. That love was smaller, unfostered, buried away, but it was there. Her betraying Zira was what made Kovu realize there was more that needed to be talked about. How could they leave things the way they were? After they'd lost their only mother and Nuka, after not even knowing their supposedly shared father, how could they go on not truly knowing one another?

The months of healing did them well. While Vitani had been reclusive at first, there were times where she was seen with Kovu and she looked truly happy. Now, they're closer than they'd ever been, and Kovu happily recounts their visits together to Kiara.

It makes Kiara wonder: does Vitani fear being cast out again? Is that why she's been so aloof? Is she afraid that the peace is delicate, that it'll all fall apart one day and her value will be reduced to nothing once again?

Kiara will do anything to keep her from feeling that way.

An easy rumble in Vitani's throat draws her from her thoughts. She's nearly clean now, her usually unruly tuft smoothed into a funny-looking cowlick, but Kiara is reluctant to let her go.

"Something's been bugging you lately, hasn't it?"

Vitani's eyes open and, regrettably, a small amount of tension comes back to her. She's quiet for a long time, as if calculating her response.

"It's nothing you gotta worry about, Princess. I'll be fine."

Perfectly calculated, in fact. Something that says she shouldn't press or pry, even jokingly. Something Vitani wants to sort out herself. And as much as Kiara wants to help with this, to get her sleep and ease again, she has to respect it.

"Okay," Kiara settles on, "But if you want to talk, or need help in any way, you know I'm here for you, right? I always will be."

Vitani tilts her head and looks earnestly at her. Her violet eyes are soft, softer than she's ever seen them. A thumping erupts in Kiara's chest.

"Yeah. I know, Ki."

"I-I really care about you," Kiara finds herself blurting, "You're my best friend."

"What? But I thought Tiifu and Zuri were your best friends," Vitani says, surprised, "Or, Kovu? I can never keep track."

"No -- I mean, well, yes, they are -- but I can have multiple!" Kiara sputters, suddenly nervous and not knowing why. "The point is, I...I feel so close to you. I couldn't stand it if you were hurting a-and there was something I could do to help you."

The whole exchange gives Vitani pause and she's quiet for a long moment.

Then, miraculously, terrifically, magnificently, Vitani allows herself to nuzzle the side of her face into Kiara's chest.

"You're my best friend too, Kiara." Vitani smiles that lovely, crooked smile. "I...really care about you too."

It feels as though a storm cracks through her.

She's shaken, almost vibrating in her pelt. Her fur is warm, her mouth is dry -- what is this? She prays -- oh gods, she prays -- that Vitani can't hear her thunderous heartbeat. It would be awful of her to ruin this moment.

But what is it that's afflicted her?

And where did the air in her lungs go?

[werelioness]

Intro

Hey there,

Name's Essa, she/her, 24 years old.

A lioness nonhuman, transspecies, mustelid ambihearted.

Demigirl, asexual, demiromantic.

Neurotypical, anxious.

Live in Eastern Europe, Ukraine.

I made this blog to share my worldview, experiences with those who are interested in such. Also English isn't my native language, in case I make some mistakes, I'm still learning and practising.

DNI: those who love imposing their opinion on others, teaching how to live. I hate it, go somewhere else.

It's a safe space for alterhumans and nonhumans, also for the ally orthohumans if you came here with nice intentions.

Welcome to my werelion lair.

[alinalioness]

Security Breach Chapter 19: A bot attack.

Meanwhile, with Alina's group.

The girls watched their friends who managed to save Glam-rock.

Puppet: It remains to free the others. But they should be aware that they need to save Vanessa, find Freddy and his friends and defeat William.

Helpy: That's it, now we can tell them to save Vanessa.

Alina: With the help of slot machines, you can free her from William's influence. (She took the microphone) Attention my friends!

Meanwhile, with the others in different places.

Others: Alina?

Alina: You need to play on each of the three slot machines so that you can free Vanessa from William. She is probably now in the form of a rabbit with red eyes, who was watching us to kill and Helped William.

DJ: That's right, we forgot about it.

Vanny: Oh, right?

She pressed the button and the broken robots immediately went to the heroes where they were.

Glam-rock Freddy: They are coming.

But what's worse, Vanny has thrown burning matches in every place and the fire is slowly starting to appear.

Puppet: Vanny started a fire.

Alina: Put it out!

Helpy wires turned on the signal and water appears from the flashing lights, causing the lights to disappear.

Vanny: No!

Mario: We must not delay. We need to act.

Alina: The first machine "The Princess's Quest" is located in the cabin. The second one is in the Fazcade. And the third one goes to Vanny's lair in the Fazer Blaster.

Meanwhile, with DJ's group.

DJ: That's right, I have one. Then we'll have to go back.

Leo: And in Vanny's lair, when I, along with Emma, Max, Irina, Yuri, Haoyu and Cass, were crawling through the ventilation.

Sundrop: Bots!

Animatronics in the form of a spider began to attack bots.

Krash: May I please do more?

Chiko: Are you sure you can handle it? I'd rather be with you.

Krash grabbed Chico and jumped into the ventilation.

Meanwhile, with Glam-rock Freddy's group.

Glam-rock Freddy: We have to split up who's where. We're going to Vanny's hideout. While we're dealing with the bots, Gregory and Cassie go to the vending machine.

Others: Good.

Meanwhile, with Alina's group.

Puppet: Vanessa is about to leave the pizzeria. Close the gate.

Tricky pressed the button and the main entrance of the pizzeria is closed.

Alina: Griffona detain her.

Griffona: There is.

Negabosses in the form of a griffin immediately headed for the main hall to Vanny.

Vanny: Again?!

Griffona: Not again, but again. (Blocked Vanny with iron feathers) Well, will you show your face?

Vanny:(Going to get a knife) No... (Griffona's beak and eyes turned purple) Why are your beak and eyes turning blue?

Griffona: From suspicion.

She threw her gun with her tail and Vanny grabbed her arm. Landing on her head, Griffona pushed her into the elevator with her paw and she flew up to her becoming a humanoid lioness. When the elevator closed and went, the Rabbit decided to kill her with a knife, but she dodged and took it away. When she pushed Vanny, Rabbit noticed that the elevator opened and she pushed her with her foot, causing her to fall.

Vanny: Well, no... (Leaves)

Meanwhile, with Alina's group.

Puppet: Failed. But ours have begun to act.

Suddenly, Ella, Lan, Yara, Donut, Seeder and rainbow heroes entered the office.

Ella: Guys, we've finally found you.

Fire: The bots are coming for you.

Lan: We won't last long.

Donut:(He noticed Puppet) Who is it?

Puppet: We'll talk about this later, child.

Alina: Okay, we'll go to the vending machine in Fazcade, and you rainbow heroes delay them as much as you can.

Rainbow Heroes: Good.

When they saw the bots, they immediately left, until the bots had an idea of something worse.

In the Glam-rock salon.

The characters of SpongeBob, the rest of Disney, Alla, Kayna, Boog and Eliot watched as SpongeBob and Patrick played in the slot machine and they managed to pass.

SpongeBob: Hooray! We won!

Alla: The others have already figured it out. Go to the main entrance immediately.

But they were prevented by the whole army, so they had to fight them.

In the Fazcade.

Alina's group were playing a slot machine and they managed to win.

Alina: We teleporting to Griffona.

Sparkle teleported to the hall with the help of magic with her friends.

In the Fazer Blast.

Freddy's Glam-rock band managed to get to their destination before they saw their friends with purple eyes.

Glam-rock Freddy: Run, we'll distract them.

Gregory and Cassie: Good.

Two children ran while the others tried to smash the purple lamps. But they were strong, while Vanny looked at it and followed the children. Gregory and Cassie are already playing Princess Quest.

Gregory: We have to make it before Vanessa finds us.

Cassie: She's almost there!

This makes the boy play fast, until Cassie noticed that Toy Freddy was approaching Glam-rock Freddy on the bridge.

Toy Freddy: Hehehe.

Cassie: Glam-rock Freddy!

Toy Freddy pushed Glam-rock Freddy and the rest of the infected animatronics break him.

Others: No!

Monty: Hands off!

Monty attacked one of the animatronics while Pikachu turned off electricity to each infected animatronics, and Marina, Lilo and the Street Cat broke the lamps.

Happy: Oh, I still found it!

Gregory and Cassie: Guys!

Laughing, Vanny went up to her hiding place and prepared to attack. This scared the two children, but she was prevented by Krash and Chiko from ventilation.

Krash: Hurry up, you're almost done!

Gregory quickly reached the last station of the game while the others approached the broken Glam-rock Freddy.

Others: Freddy.

Glam-rock Freddy: That's all right... You're all doing great. Thank you, Monty, and you for coming on time.

Vanny picked up two round animals and threw them to the human children.

Gregory: Hurry up!

As soon as she took one step, the machine screen turned off and all the bots turned off. The kids from Kikoriki stood with their eyes closed until they heard a familiar voice.

Vanessa: How are you kids?

As soon as they opened their eyes, they were surprised to see Vanessa holding a rabbit mask with a worried face.

Krash: It's true.

Gregory: So you really were in it.

Vanessa: Yes, but I didn't want to kill and make your animatronic friends evil. Even when I was under the influence, I didn't want to do it.

Cassie: We forgive you. All the same, Alina knew that William was to blame for everything.

Chiko: What about the others?

They walked over to the others who were helping Glam-rock Freddy stand up. Suddenly, the other animatronics opened their eyes and looked at their friends.

Glam-rock Chica: Glam-rock Freddy, do you still feel good?

Glam-rock Freddy: Yes... It's a little damaged... (To the others) Thanks you.

Cassie: Look, your friends have become themselves.

They watched their animatronics friends get up no longer angry.

Toy Freddy: Oh my God, I will remember this terrible moment. (He noticed that someone was missing) Where are Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy?

Doc: We don't know, but we'll find them.

However, not everything was as smooth as they thought when Glam-rock Freddy noticed how the bots came to life.

Glam-rock Freddy: They're alive!

All the broken bots were ready to attack, but suddenly they heard someone's explosion.

Lilo: What is this?

Street Cat: I think it's even worse...

As soon as Roxy looked closely, she was scared.

Roxy: Dynamites!

Glam-rock Freddy: Let's run!

They run away while the bots catch up.

Meanwhile, with DJ'S group.

They heard explosions when they went to their friends and noticed how everything started exploding.

Wander: Save yourself who can!

They all ducked while the DJ covered the living friends with his hands.

In the hall.

Everyone stood in shock from the explosion while Alina's band and Glam-rock Freddy joined them.

Alina: What's going on here?

Fire: Everything starts to explode!

Pink: But there are no others!

Doc: We need to find it immediately, while-

Everyone fell into the pit and only Griffona, coming out of the elevator, was scared behind them.

Griffona: No!

She noticed that cracks were appearing under her and she fell into the ground.

To be continued...

[writerkatsblog]

☾ - sleep headcanon - Chase

In normal circumstances, Chase goes into a full and proper sleep once every 1-2 weeks. In the innermost sanctum of his lair where he's guarded by a regiment of lioness who keep watch over his door.

In the meantime, he can elongate his time for needing sleep via deep meditation. He's still aware of the world around him to a degree, but his body can rest even while his mind is aware.

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

i've decided kopa is a trans lady lion with a beautiful mane and vitani loves her very much

just to get it out of the way- how can lions be trans?

Well in the movies, very easily- they are a society with gendered social norms, re: Scar in Lion King 1 "It's the lioness's job to do the hunting..." and the fact that's it's always the great KINGS of the past, with Kiara in Lion King 2 the first time we hear of a Queen ruling the pride lands. If you want to dip into the Lion Guard (i don't, but) you've even got the idea of the King's brother guarding the pride lands as a tradition.

If a society assigns social roles based on things people (or talking lions) are born with and can't control, there will eventually be someone who doesn't vibe with that

i've gonna headcanon kopa as one of those. bc it's makes me feel !!! inside~

The start

"Just can't wait to be king, huh?"

-asked simba one day

"Nope! Queen or nothing."

-said cub kopa, running away forever, or at least until a badass lesbian saves her life and brings her home again

(there are no gendered social norms when you're a rouge wandering around on your own)

(there's a chance you might meet a terrifying lioness who pins your heart to the ground and smirks at it and thinks you're cute tho)

(maybe once upon a time when you were a cub running away from home you were found and chase by outlanders who wanted you DEAD-)

(you tried hiding Scar's old lair, but another cub was already there, skinny and with more of a mane tuft on their head than you had, not at all scared of the fire geysers or old bones- and they looked at you, scarred and bleeding and terrified, and they hesitated, and told you "Run" before turning away to join the other outlands, and you ran and ran and ran....)

the reunion

(Maybe you recognize her, years later, running from other rouges this time.)

(maybe her slightly deranged and very bloodthirsty grin scares off the rouges but leaves you staring and out of breath all over again)

kopa stays at the edges of the outlands

(vitani's little mane fascinates her. that's all it is, she tells herself, staring wistfully into the sunset as vitani walks away)

kopa fell first, vitani fell harder

vitani won't share her mom's plans-

kopa's not much of a fighter anyway, wouldn't be much help

the outlander's war has got nothing to do with the rouge it is NOT vitani wanting to keep her safe-

(she doesn't recognize the terrified ball of fur in the lion in font of her now, and kopa has so many new scars the ones from that day don't stand out)

but kopa has a nice big fluffy mane and that would look like a threat to kovu in zira's eyes

so she keeps kopa hidden from her murder mom, for SOME reason-

(vitani growing up surrounded either by power hungry lions- her mom, nuka- or ones preparing for power- kovu- or the ones desperately relying on this power grab plan to WORK- the rest of the outlanders and herself-)

(then one day she meets a rouge who doesn't care about that. about being in charge, or if anyone is, or anything but being herself, a lioness without a pride)

(even if it's stupid, even if it means living a hard and dangerous life)

(a lioness who's starving but likes being kind, is hurt and hunted and chased away and fine with that, not resentful, as long as she can be herself)

(and some part of vitani wakes up like)

Oh.

(so you can just... want things for yourself, huh? you can just BE yourself. you can just do things that you feel are right, even if it's stupid, even if your pride doesn't think so? Thats..... kinda badass)

vitani turning against her mother and her pride bc it's stupid and dangerous and it's who she wants to be

it's who Kopa makes her want to be

lion king two but meanwhile-

one day she comes to find kopa while all scratched up from fighting

(kopa is terrified. nuzzles her all over, checks every scrape)

(vitani pretends not to care)

but suddenly Kopa realizes- Vitani's talking about how Simba's still king BUT his daughter's waaaay better at ruling already and she can't wait for Kiara to actually be queen.

And. The hunting's better in the pride lands. More water.

It'd be more comfortable for Vitani to visit if Kopa lived there too-

and Kopa's heart leaps

bc if a lioness can rule the pride lands like one of the kings of the past, then maybe a lion can live in the pride lands like a lioness

maybe she can go home after all

....maybe she'll can find the nerve to try, with vitani pacing along besides her

going home...

it takes a while

But

"What've you got there, sis?" Kovu askes, staring at the whole entire lion Vitani brings home

"A girlfriend" says Vitani

"KOPA!!!" yells Nala and Simba, running over and dogpiling the all grown up cub they'd thought got eaten ages ago

vitani's lioness guard instantly adopting kopa and nearly mauling to death any rouge who tries challenging her

them all giggling whenever kopa gets distracted grooming/playing with Vitani's tiny mane tuft, until vitani leaps up and chases them off roaring and snarling while they laugh harder

a new old life

"princess" going from vitani's favorite way of insulting / teasing kopa-

"I'm a lioness, not a-"

"Well then you've gotta be a royal one too, princess. A normal lioness wouldn't think she's so special, wandering around on her own without her pride."

"...oh. okay" O///O

to a nickname, to actual real title

(oops kopa maybe forgot to mention that)

then finally to an endearment bc she's gay and kopa is p r e t t y

she tacks on a "my" sometimes when feeling extra sappy (and pretends its to tell Kopa apart from the OTHER princess, Kiara, but no one's buying) (especially not Kiara)

everyone freaking out at vitani "murder is my fav emotion" smiling SOFTLY while looking at her gf

kopa bonds with kovu over being maned lions who go off hunting and cub watching while their gfs do the ruling and guarding of the pride lands

"Listening to people talk is so BORING"

"I'm getting antsy just thinking about it"

"How do they not lose their minds, having everyone coming to them with questions and problems? I think I might eat half of them just to cut down the workload."

"I'd be tempted. Imagine not having time to go hunting"

"Blegh."

Hunting

nala having the time of her life out hunting with her son-in-law AND her miraculously still alive daughter who finally came home

"Mom...? Can I, come hunting with you and the lionesses?"

"Oh Kopa, of course you can. I'm so proud..."

"T-thanks mom."

"...Your father never learned, and your sister is worse. You've broken the family curse~"

"Uh. Thanks mom?"

"Hmm... Maybe I should try abandoning them in the wild for a season or too. Maybe that would work."

"M-mOM NO!"

"Kidding. For now."

(simba was lucky he only had to hunt grubs while growing up with his gay dads)

vitani very proud of her big buff beautiful gf <3

vitani also very worried and forever trying to teach her gf to fight bc kopa can hunt sure, aaaaaand that's about it

kovu feels her pain

(kiara's ok in a fight and GREAT at climbing- like her dad, like her gandfather- but hunting.... she's at the shallow end of the gene pool there - like her dad. like-i like to think- her grandpa)

tangent moment sorry

(PLEASE IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT the great a powerful mufasa trying to flirt with serabi by going hunting with her only to realize he's an absolute epic fail at it, being honestly flummoxed by this as he keeps trying again and again, not getting angry just more and more confused, and serabi looking at him being an idiot hunter like that one i want that one-)

anyway, nala gave up on teaching simba how to hunt ages ago (or fight) and is just glad he grew into a tank

(ohhh u say but simba fought nala- and lost- and he fought scar- thinner, who'd been lazing around on his butt for who knows how long AND almost got simba in the end anyway)

i will die on the hill that the only things simba's family is good at is climbing stuff and looking Hot

simaba and The Talk

simba proudly redoing kopa's presentation when she comes back so he can show the pride lands what a cool daughter his cub grew into

"You're not angry? About me, not wanting to be king and... running away..."

"Kopa, I thought I'd lost you. And I know something about running away, and not wanting to be king... but you don't have to be. I'm here. Kiara's here- and you belong here. Just... promise not to leave again?"

"I won't, dad. ...probably."

"Probably?"

"Well if Vitani ever asks to, I'd-"

"KIARA! Can you come here a moment, please!? I need you to have a talk with Vitani for me!"

vitani smirking @ her brother bc now she is also marrying a princess HA

speaking of princesses-

kiara vibrating with delight at having a SISTER

A SISTER!!!

kiara FURIOUS her sister can actually do the pouncing thing and catch stuff

revenge pounces kopa at every opportunity

yes even during the morning report

she never misses bc kopa always holds still for her little sis

(kopa is the first one kiara really opens up to about all her pain growing up under the weight of being future queen- Kiara is the first and only one who really UNDERSTANDS why kopa ran away)

(kopa's scared kiara will hate her, for leaving to carry all that instead)

(maybe kopa hates herself a little for it after meeting her little sister who she almost never got to know and who had to become so wise so fast)

"Thing's would've been easier for you if I'd stayed, huh?"

"No. I would have watched my big sister being miserable. That isn't easier."

"Dad might have been less... dad, though."

"Maybe. Orrr maybe we'd have run off together as cubs, just two sisters sprinting across the savana! Kiara and Kopa against the world!"

(kopa would die for kiara)

(short of that though, of COURSE she'll always hold still while her sister pounces on her oh-so-stealthily)

inspired, kovu tries this on HIS big sister!

bad idea

he spends the rest of the evening terrified and hiding on the top of pride rock while vitani hunts for him

someday big fluffy aunty kopa uses her mane to hide one or more cubs from their boring circle of life lessons and aunty vitani knows exactly what her wife's up to, but just smirks and pretends to be groggy and grumpy so she can snap at zazu when he comes poking his bill around

[amuhav]

So bar the doors and thrash the hooves, let’s teach a dog new tricks... ♪

It was fascinating watching Havoc work. She was cute, in a way, a petite little thing with a network of tattoos that crisscrossed under artfully placed cut-outs and revealing hemlines, provocatively inviting the eye to wander with little subtlety. When she spoke, it was with an easy smile and a playful air that suggested she never took anything seriously.

Until she did. And like an unexpected drop off a cliff, the careless and the unprepared walked right in, leaving them floundering against the rocks of their own ignorance. Those that believed they had encircled an easy prize with their charm and wit found themselves drowning faster, weighted down by their honeyed words. That smile, now as cold and sharp as a knife, offered little in the way of escape, especially for those naïve enough to have underestimated a lioness in her own lair.

How easily people forget the cat enjoys the game as much as the feast.

[ilions-end]

I'M GONNA CRY AT HOW SWEET STATIUS MAKES THETIS AND ACHILLES' REUNION IN THESSALY

The bloom of youth is not yet changed by new-springing down, a tranquil flame burns in his glance, and there is much of his mother in his look [...] By chance too he is in joyful mood – ah, how joy enhances beauty! – beneath Pholoë’s cliff he had stricken a lioness lately delivered and had left her in the empty lair, but had brought the cubs and was making them show their claws. Yet when he sees his mother on the well-known threshold, away he throws them, catches her up and binds her in his longing arms, already violent in his embrace and equal to her in height.

notice how there isn't a single reference to his father, only how he takes after thetis and has grown to the same height as her... he's turning into a man with peach-fuzz on his chin but when he sees his mother he still runs to hug her like a boy... i'm gonna explode

[miss-bvnny]

Okay fine. MY re-write for Kion.

The lion guard has not existed for several generations. There was never a replacement guard inaugurated after Scar killed his. And while Simba had many friends, he had no siblings. When Scar took the throne after murdering Mufasa, he forbade a guard from forming, fearing that all the younger and stronger lions would form a coup and overthrow him. When Simba returned, he didn't feel the need for one either. Sarafina and Sarabi explained the tragic fate of Scar's guard to him when he returned, and Simba didn't want more stress in the middle of his busy term rebuilding the pridelands. The guard as an idea died out, and perhaps it was for the best. The royal family had enough of a rule over the Pridelands, and did not need to micromanage every little detail to an almost fascist extent. Everyone was shocked but content to see the new King Simba ACTUALLY fully retire the idea.

...And it might've been best if it had stayed that way.

Kion never took anything seriously. He could always be found fooling around and shirking his responsibilities. Simba worried about himfor this. The cub was adopted after he'd been found alone in the grasslands, and having a hard time fitting in with the royal family. Simba was the king. Nala led the hunts. Kiara was to be Queen one day. So...what was Kion? The spare? Royal only by mere adoption? He didn't seem to have any sort of importance to his name like the rest of his family. As a child that had always seemed nice. He would tease his older sister for the responsibilities she would be burdened with. Ha! He had none of that! He was free to play and goof off with the other cubs his age as much as he pleased! Such wonderful golden days! Nothing but a life of Hakuna Matata as far as he could see!!

...The ignorant bliss only lasted until Kion realized what it REALLY meant.

He stumbled across the abandoned lair of the Lion Guard by chance one day while playing. These days, the pride occasionally used it for privacy when lionesses gave birth, but not for much else. When he asked his father what it was, Simba felt like explaining the Guard and its controversial level of control over the pridelands was a good idea. Kiara had learned the dangers and true story about it not so long ago, after her adventures with Scar's heir that fateful day. Kion deserved to know as well. Simba cautioned him that the guard was a gateway drug. An open door to a lust for power that would eat him alive, the same way it had eaten Scar alive. Even a royal lion was not meant to have that much power. Kion seemed to finally take this seriously, and vowed to never become like his great uncle. But....in a way, it was always out of his paws.

The truth is...Kion was almost always destined from the start to follow in Scar's footprints. Despite being adopted into Simba's family with no idea of his own parentage...the evil red lion haunted his family tree far closer than anyone else might've wagered.

Kion was in a hurry to get the Lion Guard out of his head and go back to his normal life. And yet...it didn't leave him alone as easily as he wished it would. He kept thinking about how the guard would give him a purpose. Something important to do in the family. It would be just like being a king, wouldn't it? Keeping everything in check, and ensuring no harm befell innocent pridelanders. A lot of Kion's best friends were prey animals! And he wanted to help his friends! Simba always acted so calm about it in front of mixed company, but Kion heard his father's whispering about the hyenas, when no one was around. There was still a hint of resentment and distrust for the creatures. So...someone had to do something to keep the scum out of their lands, right?

It was a game at first. Something for Kion and his little ''Guard'' playing pretend as they went all over the pridelands. Being heroes and helping where they felt their help was needed. In reality, they were a bit of a nuisance. But the children didn't quite see it that way. The guard interrupted hunts, important ceremonies held by other species, and nearly got other animals killed with their interference. In an attempt to catch the eye of the beautiful Tiifu, Kion thought to show off by trying to fight Janja, the direct descendant of Shenzi herself. Had it not been for Nala interfering, the entire ordeal might've ended much worse.

The king and queen had to do quite a lot of cleaning up to fix the mess Kion and his friends seemed to leave wherever they went. Kiara wet along with them, dutifully trying to prove herself a proper princess in the wake of Kion and his chaos.

They were children. Children playing with something bigger than they could comprehend. Kion saw it as his rightful place in the circle of life, and his infatuation with his ''destiny'' blinded him from the truth. There even came a time when Ono, Fuli, and Beshte grew tired of the game and no longer wanted to play. Their parents had explained the gravity of things to them, and they understood. Kion refused to give in. Surely this was HIS destiny. HIS calling. His so called ''friends'' didn't believe in him. They were just like everyone else! They thought he was a useless spare! Bunga was the only one who stood at Kion's side, but...arguably that was just because Bunga was the only one fool enough to go along with it. Kion broke down in a fit with no one but Bunga to talk some sense into him, and...''talking sense'' was simply not Bunga's strong suit. With what he perceived as his purpose on the line, Kion decided he would have to show them all that this was what he was meant for.

He was so consumed and inconsolable about the idea, that he failed to realize the very familiar path he was walking down. But how COULD he know? He was only a child, seeing things from a very one-sided perspective. A perspective that was bound to get him in bigger trouble with other pridelanders one day....

[dreadfutures]

Ooh, what was your inspiration? Music, aesthetics, plot points, etc- anything you feel like sharing! I love hearing about what inspires artists ❤️ Dead Pasts and Dread Futures has such an interesting Lavellan journey and I’m wondering where you get your ideas - ty and have a lovely night ❤️

Hi thank you!! that means a lot. and thanks for indulging me.

For DPDF, the whole origin of the fic was surviving a series of really bad friend breakups that affected me more than anything else in my life and really shaped my worldview, and Ixchel often grapples with similar things. DPDF is very much about depression and isolation inextricably, from different angles.

Beyond individual relationships it keeps popping up in the form of "inspiration" as I think a lot about being mixed race, about being second generation, about clawing my way to positions of leadership and privilege and how best to open doors and empower my peers and those who come after me, about being both afforded privilege but also being marginalized in those spaces too, about building community and coalitions... They're just really central to a lot of my daily existence and the spaces I move in and there aren't clear answers or narratives so I like to write them when I can. And imagining the world as I wish it could be, where sometimes just saying "it shouldn't be this way" loudly enough will give people pause, is important work to keep me hopeful and motivated to live and do the hard work in my relationships and communities.

On more fun notes, some of my biggest inspirations:

Music

These songs make me incredibly emotional, they all have a lot of personal meaning to me about friendships that I've had and lost, and they also have directly inspired a lot of ixchel's relationships with the people closest to her. just listening to agnes these days is enough to make me cry my eyes out.

beige (yoke lore) - unburdened

bad dreams (faouzia) - stripped

running up that hill (placebo) - x

i found (amber run) - ft. London Contemporary Voices

agnes (glass animals) - stare into his eyes **(see below)

Plots, Language, Storytelling

I find myself drawing elements and plots from lots of my favorite books growing up, such as:

Riddlemaster of Hed (Patricia A. McKillip) (ideas about magic, identity, collectivism vs individualism, pacifism, betrayal and love comingling)

Chronicles of Prydain (Lloyd Alexander)

Earthsea (Ursula K. LeGuin) (magic, accepting darkness within you, collectivism vs individualism, other things)

Thirteen Clocks (James Thurber) (whimsical language, poetry, a different way of writing fairy tales, fridge horrors)

Scarlet Pimpernel (Baroness Orczy) (lifted some of it for Wycome)

The Dark is Rising (Susan Cooper) (shoutout: golden owl eyes)

Song of the Lioness (Tamora Pierce) (man. really complicated and nuanced friendships and interpersonal relationships.)

A version of the Robin Hood story whose author I don't know :(

El Cid

The Bartimaeus Trilogy (Jonathan Stroud)

Specifically themes relating to loyalty, chivalry, doing what's right even when it means you lose or life is harder or it's lonely.

Honorable mentions to Peaky Blinders, Pacific Rim, all the Studio Ghibli films (especially Spirited Away).

But also a lot of fanfics I read growing up were really formative.

Elecktrum's Chronicles of Narnia fanfics, and Tonzura123's Chronicles of Narnia fanfics, were especially impactful with how they treated platonic devotion and loyalty.

** a note about agnes

this was originally in the youtube description but I think Dave removed it. But it means a lot to me so I'm copying it here:

dear friends…nervously excited to share with you the video for Agnes. it’s hard to explain exactly how it feels inside a human centrifuge. you sit in a small egg-like pod about the size of a horse which hangs off a 50 foot steel horizontal frame. It looks like something out of a bond villain’s lair. it’s claustrophobic and uncomfortable and also incredibly hot. slowly the whole thing starts to rotate like a helicopter blade. Faster and faster until every part of you becomes crushed under the extreme gravity. its like being slowly sat on by an elephant, or like your whole body being punched in slow motion. you have to flex every muscle and use every ounce of strength you have to keep going. breathing requires serious effort. movement becomes incredibly strained and almost painful. everything that once weighed 5 kilograms now weighs 50. its difficult even to keep your eyes open. it hurts in places you really didn’t know existed. veins and capillaries burst under the pressure and bruising begins. its a rapid physical overdrive. the blood rushes from your brain making it impossible to think rationally or focus. your eyes are also drained and you get tunnel vision…only able to see small circles of the world directly infront of you and your sight goes completely greyscale…no more colour. your balance and spatial awareness goes and the world begins to spin like you’ve had way too much to drink. but the most striking thing is the way that the machine pulls on your heart. you can actually feel it struggling to beat and changing shape…flattening inside of your chest. Its similar to that horrible sinking, tugging heartache that comes only with complete and overwhelming sadness. and then you pass out. we ran the centrifuge 18 times while i tried to sing along to a song which i find difficult to listen to at the best of times. this was probably the most intense video-making experience I’ll ever have. But its the only way that we could just about begin to simulate for a moment what happens within Agnes. speak soon, dave

[mask-of-prime]

VG: Added Pressure

Vitani got back onto her feet. She knocked at the side of her head with a paw to shake Nuka's fiery spirit from her ear, coughing out remaining smoke from the big Fire Roar she'd unleashed. She blinked drearily, taking in her surroundings...

The last of the flames had been put out by the Guard, the galagos and other Ndefu Grove residents cowered from the wreckage. They didn't even thank the Guard, uncharacteristic of how they used to treat the lionesses when they'd first met them. She could see that Tazama saw that too. The Keenest of Sight hadn't even tried to converse with them, or anyone. She was turned away with her head and ears low, ashamed of the chaos she'd allowed to happen. The leader hadn't decided on what to do with Tazama yet. Whether or not she'd let her go or give her one more chance, she opened her mouth as she inched closer towards her. Before Vitani could get a word out, however, the step she took caused a large gash she'd obtained in the fight to send an intense stinging sensation up her foreleg. She gasped through her teeth. "Vitani!" The Fiercest snapped out of her pensive gaze at Tazama and turned her attention to Kasi.

"Vitani," the Fastest panted, "No rogues in sight. I scanned the whole perimeter." "They've retreated," the Fiercest scowled, "for now..." "We should retreat, too." proposed Imara. The Strongest wanted to comment on Vitani's condition, but she knew her leader didn't like that kind of attention. "You mean the mission's over?!" Shabaha balked, "We could've had them now, then it'd be over with!" "No." Vitani grunted, "They're already gone. No use provoking them." Imara could see the discomfort in Vitani's face. She had a feeling she knew what her leader really meant. Inside, Vitani truly wanted to go home, but didn't want to say it. A hard thing to express growing up in an uncaring environment. Imara's beginnings were slightly different, allowing for different influences creating her mindset, but she still shared a majority of her youth in the same place as Vitani. ____ Later that afternoon... Tiifu turned to the sound of panting outside the entrance of the Lion Guard Lair. She could see Imara carrying Vitani, who was covered in deep scratches, dark purple bruises, and a black eye. "What happened?" Tiifu whined, running over to the Fiercest. "Got in a little scuffle from that rogue who keeps coming back, I'll live." Vitani reassured. Imara didn't believe that for one second, and never did in all her years of knowing her younger colleague. "Here, put her on the healing table." The Strongest did as instructed, and placed Vitani down. She saluted with a nod before heading out. Pretty soon, Tiifu had healing herbs in her mouth, and an oil extracted from plants sticking on her paw. She was in full nurse mode. "Here, this might sting a little." "Wait, what'll sti --" Suddenly, the oil made contact with a deep scratch on her shoulder. It was an alarming cooling sensation at first, but it started to sizzle. Vitani winced, hard. ROOOOAAARRR!!! The Fiercest had forgotten her roar didn't behave like a normal roar, not for the past year. Pride Rock shook slightly, disturbing the residents inside briefly. "It's alright, Vitani. It only stings for a second. You'll be okay." Tiifu cooed. Vitani didn't know whether she loved or hated being talked to like a cub, sometimes. Vitani's child-like protests to the medicine eventually lessened. She began to cherish the loving care and attention, something she seldom received growing up. Observing Tiifu's work and feeling loved, Vitani relaxed. Trusting Tiifu. ____ The next day... It was early in the morning, Vitani was about to do her usual thing of stubbornly paying no mind to her injuries from the day before as she would head over to assemble her Guard for patrol. A rather reckless habit that worried Tiifu every day. Today, however, Vitani could feel that not happening. She tried to rise from her resting quarters, but was quickly held down by her aching, bruised muscles and scratches that were slowly fighting off infection. Vitani's injuries slowing her down allowed for her to observe her surroundings and put in some thought... When she looked at Tiifu, she couldn't help but think about how grateful she was that the native Pridelander took time out of her day to help her. The special care and attention made Vitani feel genuinely loved for once. However, it also made her wish she hadn't acted so stubborn yesterday. She was going to make up for that. She was going to rest for once. Imara, along with the rest of the Guard, spent several minutes throughout the morning awaiting Vitani's arrival. It was uncharacteristic for her to show up so late. Becoming rather worried, Imara took matters into her own paws by leaving the main section of the lair and heading to the healing section that Tiifu had recently taken up. Lo and behold, she found a weary Vitani glancing up at her, looking as if she were waiting for Imara to come this whole time. Vitani, with slight hesitation, remembering that Imara too had grown up in an environment where weakness was deemed unacceptable, told the Strongest that she couldn't help but feel that she should take the day off, and that Imara should lead without her. To Vitani's surprise, Imara smiled understandingly, proud of the young leader for knowing when to take it easy for once. She promptly marched back to notify the Guard that she would be in charge that day, allowing Vitani to sleep in beside her love. ____ "Well? Did you find her?" asked Kasi. "Yep. She's taking the day off." Imara replied, hopping to Vitani's usual spot on the podium-like rock. "Really? Thank goodness, she's growing up." Kasi half-joked. Shabaha grumbled, shaking her head to herself. "That Vitani's getting soft, I tell ya." she said. The Fastest scoffed, "And that's a bad thing?" "She's completely changing herself for that Tiifu-girl! I had a funny feeling she'd do this." Shabaha's voice grew more frustrated, "We missed a chance to beat those rogues 'cause she called the mission off!" "Keep it down!" Kasi hissed, "She's literally sleeping next door!" Imara cleared her throat loudly, which made the other two cease their bickering. "Because Vitani's out, she's appointed me today. Now, I'm not gonna be the cool substitute that lets you all goof off." The Strongest's eyes fixated on Tazama, who had sat in the back, having not spoken for almost an entire day. She hopped from the podium and got closer to the lioness. "But... I am cool enough to include everyone on this mission. Come on, Taz." Imara didn't know about Vitani, but she knew she wanted to give Tazama another chance. She didn't know why, but she felt she could see that the Keenest of Sight was still trustworthy. It wouldn't hurt to be sure. Tazama hesitated slightly, but she tagged along. She held back tears of joy. ____ "Hey, Imara!" Zuri beamed, "If you're not busy, I thought that maybe we could hang out? Please?" Imara briskly brushed by the slender lioness, shaking her head. "Paws are full. Couldn't have picked a worse time. Sorry." Zuri gasped, "But --" "I'm taking the lead patrolling today. Vitani's resting under Tiifu's care." "Still? --" Zuri cringed, "I-I mean, okay. I understand. Good luck today!" Imara turned back to give Zuri a lick on the forehead, smiling warmly. She quickly spun around once more to head out. While a little kiss was nice, it still didn't satisfy the craving for company. Zuri sighed, she knew better than to hold Imara back for no reason... ____ Meanwhile, back in the Lair... After Tiifu had woken up for the day, upon noticing Vitani's discomfort from her aching muscles, she had fixed up a nice, soft nest she'd found leftover from the former Keenest of Sight's occupation in the Lair of the Lion Guard. Gathering all the straw she could find scattered all over, Tiifu made the new makeshift bed big enough for an adult lioness such as Vitani. She guided the Fiercest to the new spot, using herself as support for Vitani to walk. "Now you stay here, okay? I'm going to get some flowers for the Ponya." "For healing purposes or to make the place pretty?" Tiifu paused a good while before an uncertain smile made its way across her face. "Yes." Vitani sighed, barely hiding a smirk. What a goofball. As Tiifu bounded for the exit, Vitani stretched -- carefully -- and dug herself deeper into the next to get herself to relax. Pretty soon, she was asleep. Unfortunately, about an hour into her sleep, a fit of uncomfortable stirring had woken Vitani up. Her wounds throbbed and radiated pain throughout her body. Essentially paralyzed from fatigue, she stared at the ceiling in a daze, blinking slowly as her surroundings spun. Before her eyes, a glowing, orange mass had taken form. "Vitani..." called the form. It was her brother. "N-Nuka...?" she croaked, "I didn't summon you." "I know, it's weird." the fire spirit, "But, I think it's because I got something important to tell you..." 'Weird' wasn't close to how Vitani would describe what was going on. She wasn't sure if this was real, but she was too lethargic to care. It felt oddly petrifying, still. "You should really be careful with the Fire Roar, 'Tani." Nuka frowned, "You shouldn't use it with the intent to kill, like you almost did with that guy. You could lose it, and me, and I don't think the old guys in the clouds will look at you kindly." "Am I being punished...?" "No, just warned. They're feeling generous, though. They want me to help you get better." Vitani wanted to ask one more question, but her lids felt heavy. She gave into the feeling. "Huh... So be it, then." she sighed, drifting to sleep. ____ The Guard had begun their patrol. Kasi was a little ahead of the step-in leader, frowning and looking down. Imara noticed. "Something wrong?" Kasi sighed, "It's just that... I always thought Vitani saw me as her Second-in-Command all this time. I thought I fit the role just fine! N-Not that I don't see why she'd pick you." "You are bold and quite the team-player, but you can be too cocky." "Well, so is she..." "Agh, good point, but --" "Why not me?" Shabaha pointed to her chest, "I could totally --" "No way!" the remaining Guard members shouted in unison, even Tazama. Speaking of which, they all turned towards her, expecting her own 'Why not me?' input. "Hmm? Nonono -- Don't look at me. I... I'm not leader material." the Keenest of Sight crumpled up, flustered from even being looked at. "That settles it." Imara smirked, "Now, we should start --" "IMAAARRAAAA!" "That sounded like Zuri," Imara charged to Pride Rock, "Till the Pridelands end --" "Lion Guard Defend!" ____ The Lion Guard followed Zuri's calls and wails. They traced back to a cool, dark section of Pride Rock. They braced themselves, preparing for whatever threat dared breach the very home of the royal lions. "Zuri? What's the matter? Rogues? Kelele? Aggressive herbivores?" Imara asked urgently, "They hurt you?" "What? No... I just needed a little help setting up this rock. I need to move it out to the sun, a very specific place where the sub could hit it just right!" Shabaha blinked, "...What..." "You know what? Maybe it is Kelele," Kasi glared, "Because she's clearly crying 'wolf'..." "Zuri," Imara's voice moved down an octave, "Our job isn't to help with renovation, we fight threats. And as you may have heard, threats have been getting worse and worse, lately." "I didn't call the Guard, I called you." "After I told you I was busy?" the Strongest huffed, "Look, I'll get to it later, but I'm booked. Please... don't call us for stuff like this again." "I'm sorry..." "Only call us if there's a real emergency. Understood?" "Understood..." Zuri sighed. A while after the Guard had departed from the cave, Zuri placed her chin onto her palm, staring off. The longer she went without validation, the more she doubted herself. She was honestly depressed as of late, alone with her thoughts, thinking badly of herself, with no one to tell her otherwise. The cycle was endless, and ever-worsening. As one last attempt to clear her head somewhat, she headed outside and strolled about the Pridelands, keeping in mind to give the Lion Guard their space. ____ At sunset... Vitani's insides felt like they were cooking. Her surroundings were arid, dry, and reddish. She moaned pathetically from the discomfort. Kings, almighty, it was hot... So miserably hot... make it stop... Suddenly, Vitani was met with the back of her mother's head. She had only reached the older lioness' shoulder. Her mother had been eerily silent, save for a dripping sound that made its way to the ground every so often. Growing anxious, she finally stepped forward to see her mother's profile. The dripping noise came from her freshly-wounded ear. She had pursed lips, a vacant stare, and suppressed breathing. Odd... Vitani was never this old when this happened... Desperate to get an answer, she spoke up. "...Mother...?" she said in a voice she wasn't sure was even her own, "Are... Are you okay? What are we going to do-" Suddenly, a scream of agony escaped Zira. The lioness slashed at nearby objects. Termite mounds were broken in half, the ground was given deep claw marks, and she found herself swinging towards Vitani, who barely ducked. Strangely, Vitani felt herself going from Nuka's size, to much smaller. She was suddenly looking up at Nuka, who was now a separate lion from her, ducking from the collateral damage. Vitani them found herself crying and mewing rather hard, realizing she'd now been the baby cub that she accurately was at this time. Her fright from the loud noise and violence was what she'd remembered most in reality. Everything that happened before was new information... Nuka sullenly looked down at her, appearing to be confirming this. His look was out-of-place in the midst of the violence. He was aware this was a memory, and he was showing her. The crazed anger and brokenness from Zira's voice seemed to be growing more intense. Vitani felt threatened by it. She suddenly picked up on the nonsensical nature of her surroundings, and made a quick escape... Vitani did not wake up gracefully. Her eyelids felt so heavy that she could hardly lift them. She couldn't go back to that nightmare scape. She had to open her eyes all the way. Seeing a blurry figure above her, she really had to jolt awake, now. With a deep breath through her nose, she slowly rose. A cool, wet leaf fell from her forehead. "Vitani, put that back on!" Tiifu urgently reached for the leaf. "Hmmwhat...? What happened...?" Vitani slurred, shaking her head groggily. She looked awful. Her eyes were sunken in, and her fur was matted from rolling fitfully in her sleep. "I don't know!" Tiifu nervously squeezed a bit of water from the leaf, "You just suddenly started feeling really hot. I really think that lion's claws must've been filthy. Bet my patching up didn't do much help. Come here..." Vitani was confused. Was her interaction with Nuka even real? Or was she deliriously mistaking her body's response to infection with possession? Those sensations felt the same, either way. There was just no telling... The healer lioness unwrapped the largest scratch on Vitani's wrist. Expecting discoloration and swelling, she found something odd. The claw marks had been almost completely closed up and healthily scabbed over with minimal swelling. She supposed the plant gel worked wonders. Vitani squinted. She was incredulous, she could've sworn her wound looked cauterized... ____ The night had been pitch-black. The step-in leader spent hours wrangling the rest of the Guard and responding to various Pridelanders' problems. She had a lot on her plate, promising everyone she'd get to taking care of their issues. She could do this... she was the Strongest... A major problem most animals seemed to have was an issue with the watering hole. Something had been scaring them off from it. No one told the Guard what it was. "What do you think it is?" Shabaha asked. "I didn't see any mosquitoes flying around yet, and no one's sick from contamination, I don't think. Still, why wouldn't anyone tell us?" Kasi noted. "What if it's a trap...?" Shabaha was known for her conspiracies, but that honestly didn't sound too crazy... Tazama, sporting the most exceptional night vision among most cats in the Pridelands, noticed subtle movements in the water. "Uh, guys...?" Before they knew it, a large, red hippo with grotesquely long, yellow teeth burst from the water as it bellowed. It was a very territorial bull. "I got this!" Imara charged, believing in her strength. She's been an even match for a hippo before, she could take this one, too. This bull hippo, however, put up a good fight. It matched all of the qualities the Lion Guard possessed. Alarming speed, keen eyes, bravery for taking on four lionesses, and great strength. It was unstoppable. Growing frustrated and increasingly agitated, Imara used all the strength she had in her to hold the hippo's jaws open, but it wasn't enough. Nothing was good enough, today. Everything suddenly dawned on Imara at that moment. She was failing at everything. She let Zuri down, she couldn't handle the Guard, she was doing a terrible job fighting off threats, and she just didn't live up to her promises to anyone, not even her own. She was supposed to exceed herself every day, pushing the limits so there weren't any, but now everything had gotten the best of her. In that moment, Imara shut down. She laid on the ground with her head in her paws, narrowly avoiding the snap of the pachyderm's deadly jaws. Her muscles tensed as her body pointed downward. She wanted to sink into the ground, almost. "Imara?" Shabaha turned, "What're you doing?! Get up! We need you!" "Imara, what's wrong?" Kasi asked urgently. The remaining Guard was left to their devices. Shabaha fought brutally, Kasi was swift and lithe, and Tazama looked out for opportunities to outsmart the hippo. It still wasn't enough power. On the way back to Pride Rock was a lioness that had been out for hours. It was Zuri. Zuri ceased her sulking and turned her attention to the commotion by the watering hole. She saw the Lion Guard floundering as they tried to fight off the beast greedily occupying the body of water. Worst of all, she saw Imara curled into a tight ball. She didn't look injured, but she looked pained inside, from what Zuri could make out. After a day of calling the Lion Guard for help she didn't need, she knew someone truly did need it. When all hope seemed lost amongst the Guard, they turned to a voice that taunted the hippo. "Get away from her, you ugly bag of blubber!" Imara slowly turned around. She couldn't believe it. "...Zuri?" The hippo turned its attention to her. It roared in her face. "Oh, was that supposed to scare me? The only thing scaring me is your breath. You ever let a bird pick your teeth every once in a while?" The creature was confused at this lioness' obliviousness to danger. Whatever, this target had to be eliminated. "Seriously, what's your thing, like, rabies? Come on..." Zuri with her sassy flare, went to lean against a tree. Little did she -- nor anyone else -- know, the tree was uprooted from the hippo blindly charging at anything in front of it. Noticing the tree tipping over, Zuri dashed out of the way. The tree slammed right atop the hippo's head. It sank in the water. Not once rising back up. The hippo must've been unconscious, and hopefully out for a good while. "Zuri... y-you saved us!" Imara blinked, astonished. "Didn't think you were the type." Kasi remarked. "Well... it felt good, heh, helping others. I mean... it just makes me feel like an even better person." Zuri blushed, fumbling. Imara chuckled. She knew Zuri had an ego, but she knew that's just how the native Pridelander rolled in this world, and the Strongest wouldn't change a thing about that. ____ The following morning... Imara took a breath. She was ready to start the day as she normally would; intense workouts, a hearty meal, and anticipating the challenges the day would bring. "Hey, Imara! Shall we now begin our date?" Zuri smiled in hope. Imara shrugged, "Why not? Been putting it off long enough." Zuri grinned, "Excellent!" Suddenly, Imara felt Zuri shoving her against a reclined, cushioned rock. The Strongest then felt slices of fruit -- that Zuri explained to be rejuvenating -- onto her closed eyelids. She felt one of her gargantuan paws being pulled away, her claws popping out with pressure on her palms. Her claws were being filed. Hopefully she wouldn't be needing them anytime soon... Throughout this spa session, Zuri gossiped about her latest goings-on, and she had a lot to talk about what with all the lost time between her and Imara, lately. Imara lifted a fruit slice from her eyelid and looked around, listening to her surroundings as Zuri talked. Not a single creature stirred or called in distress, the breeze was calming, and the flowing water was soothing. Perhaps there was room for a day of peace. Realizing this, Imara smiled, kicked back, and resting her head against the chair-like rock formation. ____ ((Author's Note: The series of drawings I made last year for Pride Month have been adapted into a full episode. Luckily a lot of the drawing for some main plotpoints was already done beforehand last year lol (and long before I considered making a continuous storyline). The other side of those stories have been turned into an Imara-centric episode to follow Tazama's story, and doubling as a Zuri-centric episode out of revenge for TLG not giving Zuri an episode lol The name of the episode has a double-meaning: "Add pressure" is an instruction given to stop one's bleeding in case of a large wound, which is relevant to the Vitani/Tiifu B-plot. It also refers to gradually building stress, which we see Imara deal with as she fills out for her leader, dealing with the Guard's antics, Zuri's attempts to get attention and seek validation, and unexpected, new foes. When thinking up an antagonist for this episode, I thought to look back to older concepts I had in my head during the early days of making VG art where I wanted to showcase a terrifying depiction of a hippo, seeing as they're almost never portrayed as fierce animals in media (with maybe the exception of those hippos that snap at Moses' basket in Prince of Egypt for like a few seconds). Also, I just thought a rampaging hippo would make for a great match against Imara's strength, and as a foil to her current Night Pride counterpart, Beshte. The visuals in this illustration are based on night vision footage, explaining the black sky, use of green, and terrifying inverted eyes on the hippo. Lastly, as you may have noticed in the Ponya (meaning "heal" btw, thought I'd give that section of the Lion Guard Lair seen in Eye of the Beholder a name), there's a rather familiar-looking crystal beside Vitani. It's a piece of those crystals found in the caverns in that one shot of The Underground Adventure. I like to think Tiifu kept some souvenirs from her visit to said caverns, personalizing the Ponya to her liking as she begins to get used to occupying it more))

[dwellordream]

"What is she?" I thought. "Where was she a child? For she was not born on this mountain, like a fox or a bird. These savage rites, this fierceness, how deep are they in her soul? The lioness is noble, but only a madman walks into her lair She made a vow before the battle; but do her customs bind her? Did she even understand it clearly, in a tongue that was not her own? she is proud; she offered torches to light the ground. She is faithful; she stood naked before the warriors, to save her friend. But the lioness fights for her kind, yet is death to men. Have the gods sent her me to fill my life or end it? It is the one or the other, that is sure."

Mary Renault, The Bull from the Sea

[sleuth-draws]

LOVESICK (part 3) - She Can Never Know! < prev | next >

As the sun begins to rise, the time for morning patrol follows suit. Every morning, the Lion Guard assembles at the base of Pride Rock to greet one another a good morning and decide who should hit which part of the lands. 

Imara has to admit she's not entirely used to sleeping in a dark, cool den full of other lions; it's a far cry from sleeping in the dust of the Outlands, the rising sun hot on her pelt, tail and ears flicking away the termites that crawled over her. She can't complain though. There's an easy comradery in it that living in Zira's pride had never achieved, to be able to lean into the nearest warm, slumbering body when needed without worrying you'll be kicked away antagonistically -- kind, almost familial.

Since the migration to the Pridelands, Imara has come to like the lions in it, despite all her raising to despise them. It had taken quite a bit of healing and talking with the other lionesses -- from both groups -- to finally admit that. She used to be one of the skinniest of the Outlanders, something of a runt as a cub and always shoved from what little food could be scrounged up, the surprising generosity of the others allowed her to finally eat without worry to her heart’s content and build more body weight than she could've ever dreamed of having. She feels safe and supported here.

So these days, when she rises, bright and easy, stretching her ever-growing muscles and shaking her ears out, she's happy to pay it forward.

Today, she hops down the Rock and is the first to be at the base.

Next is Tazama, who greets her quietly yet warmly; then Shabaha, whose limp from the war has become hardly noticeable now; then, ironically, Kasi, who grumbles as they slink down the Rock.

"Nice of you to join us, Kas," Imara chuckles. "What kept you up so late last night?"

Kasi grouses, grooming a paw, "Noth --"

"I know what," Shabaha butts in, snickering, "You were up talking to Zuri last night, weren't you?"

From the way Kasi bristles, they can all tell Shabaha's right on the money. "...No, I wasn't . I can't even stand tha brat, let alone hold a conversation with her."

Shabaha laughs that wild laugh of hers, as if that's the funniest thing in the world. "Oh, please! I could hear you two giggling like cubs in the corner of the den! Who knew you could be such a charmer?"

"That -- you --" Kasi fumbles for words, their ears flattened in embarrassment, obviously caught. "Sh-Shut up, Shabaha! I-It was just…just idle conversation, nothing to gawk abou --"

"Yeah, you sure like gawking at her, don't you --"

"Why, you -- "

"Um, not to interrupt," Tazama says, distracted but clearly disturbed by their noise, "but it's past sunrise already; where's Vitani?"

The group falls silent as they realize she's right; they're far past their usual patrol time and their leader is nowhere to be found.

"Gosh," Imara says, "you guys don't think something happened to her, do you?"

"She might be sick?" Shabaha suggests. "Did you guys notice her looking strange yesterday?"

"Not me," Kasi says, shrugging. “‘Zama?”

"Hm," Tazama ponders, "I did notice something…odd last night at supper. Vitani looked quite anxious and didn't seem to eat much. In fact, she ended up giving the rest of the meat to Princess Kiara."

Imara's ears perk up at that. "Hey, yeah, now that you mention it, she didn't really say anything at supper. Neither of those things are really like her."

Tazama nods fervently, "Yes, yes, and also , I swear I heard her leave a little after everyone settled in to sleep. I think I could hear pacing just outside. It doesn't seem like she came back in."

Imara hums, then sniffs the air, then the ground. "Well, she's nearby. C'mon, guys, I think she's in the lair."

Sure enough, when they enter the lair, they find a lanky figure curled on the ground, breathing gently.

"Vitani?" Kasi calls.

No movement.

"Vitani, are you alright?" Tazama asks, as they all approach.

Still, nothing.

"VITANI! " Shabaha belts loudly, shaking her shoulder. Vitani bolts awake, eyes wide and growling, her stance defensive, fur standing on end. The four take an appeasing step backward.

"Whoa there," Imara attempts to soothe, "It's just us, Vitani."

Their leader freezes and blinks, eyes clearing. Her muzzle unwrinkles and her jaw goes slack. "Oh...jeez, I'm sorry, guys. I thought -- um --"

"It's alright, Vitani," Tazama placates, and Vitani drops her stance to lay on the ground again, yawning. "You didn't show for patrol --"

"Shit, what time is it!?" Vitani jolts up again but the Lion Guard blocks her path. "We gotta --"

"Absolutely not, dude," Kasi says.

"Indeed," Tazama agrees, "Patrol can wait for just a bit."

"But --"

"We can tell there's something wrong, Vi," Imara says. "What's eatin’ you? You didn't have much food last night and Tazama heard you get up and pace outside. And now we're finding you slept in here last night? C'mon, fess up."

Vitani, caught, gapes at her former squadron. "I..." And realizing there's no sense in making up excuses, she sighs heavily. Gone are the days where they were emotionally unavailable with one another in order to remain tough. They can all admit that they need this vulnerability now to survive after everything Zira had done to them. 

She starts slowly and quietly, "Yesterday...when we were done with evening patrol, I met up with Kiara to hang out like usual. But it was…different this time."

She doesn't look at them, looking conflicted and frustrated.

"Different how?" Imara gently presses.

Vitani heaves a sigh. "I think..." She trails off before growling voicelessly. Her friends nearly back away again -- they know how she can get when angered -- but in an instant the anger drains away, leaving shame in its wake. She squeezes her eyes shut. "I think I...I'm in love with Kiara."

All their ears point sideways and they gape in astonishment.

"Ah." Tazama is the first to speak up. "That is quite the conundrum."

"Wait, I'm confused," Shabaha says, "How did that make you eat less and lose sleep?"

"Shabaha..." Kasi says exasperatedly, knocking their shoulder into her.

"She's my brother's girlfriend, that's why! Ugh, how could I be so --" She lays her head flat on the the ground and covers her eyes with her paws, looking humiliated. "I'm such an asshole."

"Don't say that," Imara says, kneeling in front of her. "C'mon. Tell us how you know."

"How I --"

"How you know you're in love. "

Vitani lifts her paws away, staring up at her Strongest. "I...Well...Sh-She's just so kind to me and -- and brave and strong. I think the war was the first sign. Her standing up to her father like that, standing between him and us, gods, I have so much respect for her. Whenever I see her, I just...can't help but feel happy." She softens entirely. 

The rest of the Guard are shocked. Vitani is not the soft type. Though she may have let her eyes linger, she has never once swooned over any lioness ever. They can tell that even thinking about Kiara has an effect on their leader. 

"Yesterday, we were play-fighting and she pinned me so quickly. No one has ever done that, not even an Outlander. That's what made me realize that -- that --"

Anxious fright floods her expression, the realization that she's in deeper than even she realized, and she covers her face again, groaning. "She can never know!"

Imara, feeling sorry for her, asks, "Well, why not?"

"'Why not? '" Vitani mimics, suddenly lost in her own head, "It's embarrassing, it's -- it's disgusting! I'm weak for this. How could she -- How could I feel this way for -- What would my mother think?"

The mention of Zira sends a chill through all of them.

"Your mother isn't here," Kasi reminds firmly. And thank the gods for it, goes unsaid.

"Vitani..." Tazama steps closer. "Kasi's right. This isn't the Outlands; there's no reason to feel ashamed for loving Kiara." 

They all know that it isn't loving Kiara specifically that's the issue; it's loving, period. In their childhood, Zira liked to instill the belief in their heads that love was a fickle, weak thing. Something that makes you soft and distracts you from the ultimate goal of overthrowing Simba. As adults, they now see what a hypocrite she was, obsessed to extreme ends with her past lover, and understand it was simply a manipulation tactic to get them to focus on being her soldiers full-time, giving more attention to their physical prowess with the added goal of stunting them emotionally.

Once upon a time, Vitani had let herself stray. As a teenager, despite her best efforts, she fell for another of Zira's followers -- a defiantly kind lioness named Kuuma who always, always shared her rations with Vitani and whose laugh sent a wave of butterflies through her stomach. She never got the chance to pursue anything with her; Zira had been observing her closely, saw how her eyes would linger, how they got lost in one another while together.

One less soldier was an easy price to pay for teaching her foolhardy daughter a lesson.

It was Vitani's mistake, her fault. How dare she, her mother's most loyal confidante, lose sight of their cause?

Maybe if she had just been stronger, kept her base desires in check, Kuuma would still be…

Vitani swallows, finds herself close to tears. She tries to bite them back, shoulders shaking. The four at last lie down beside her in comfort. Imara gently nuzzles her cheek. Shabaha touches her paw to Vitani's. Kasi leans their head on her back. Tazama leans a foreleg on her side.

The affection makes Vitani break, sobbing quietly.

They stay like that for a long moment, before Vitani's breathing evens out again and she's stopped shaking. The Guard wait patiently and occasionally groom her in consolation.

"I would never do anything to come between her and Kovu. Never." Vitani sighs. "He’s my brother. I promised myself I’d never hurt him again. And…even if she weren't with Kovu," she mumbles lowly, "There's no way she'd want to be with...someone like me. And what if she's disgusted? Then I'd lose someone I consider my best friend. I...I can never tell Kiara."

The Guard is quiet for a long time. Imara is the one who breaks the silence.

"Vitani, you know Princess Kiara better than we do. Do you really think she'd stop being friends with you over this?"

Vitani looks sorely down at the dirt between her paws. "...No."

Tazama smiles. "We all saw the bravery and kindness that ended the war. If you told her, even if she didn't feel the same, even if she doesn't like lionesses, I think she'd appreciate your honesty."

Shabaha and Kasi make sounds of agreement. Their leader thinks about it for a moment.

"I...I'm not ready to tell her. But I won't let it change anything between us. You all are right; I don't think she'd be that cruel." She lets out a final sigh. "I'm going to be mature about this. Thank you, guys, for listening to me and giving me advice."

Vitani rises from their emotional support pile, shakes the dust from her fur, and stretches, before puffing her chest out in determination.

"Now c'mon. We've got some patrolling to do."

--

i don't see much delving into trauma that revolves around zira's treatment of her kids and the other outlanders. i'm super into exploring that and showing how these characters are healing in their own ways. vitani's got some issues because of her mom's bs, especially because she seemed to be her number one grunt.

for timeline sake, at the end of tlk2, kiara, kovu, and vitani are young adults, equivalent to 18-year-olds, the rest of the guard being early 20's-ish. in this story, kiara, kovu, and vitani are about 21-22 and the guard are mid-20s, maybe 25-ish. much more mature and working things out. for further reference, kion is still age group behind, just now growing his mane out (and yet still married before kiara who has the sense to take things slow lmao).

and of course, the designs used here are from my older post which has them redesigned! >:P

[chachachachurro18]

I love that for a lot of ROTTMNT artists who have created kids for the turtles, it’s either one of two scenarios.

1) One turtle has one kid (maybe a partner too) and the rest of the turtles are just the best uncles ever.

Or

2) One turtle has a whole little family and the other turtles don’t.

Meanwhile I’m over here like:

You will all find love and create cute little families with at least two kids for each turtle. The Hamato clan will grow!

And I’m not exaggerating about it. Allow me to elaborate:

Raph is the last to find love. He meets a frightened lioness yokai named Maya in the hidden city. She has a young child, a son, with her. His heart goes out to her and brings her to the lair. Long story short, the son bonds with Raph and Maya falls for Raph. Two years later, he takes in a painted turtle mutant as his own.

Leo is the first to find love and marries his girlfriend Janet after four years of dating. With a mix of science and mystic powers, they have four kids together.

Donnie and his girlfriend Whitney, due to being a same turtle species, manage to have five kids in the more natural way. Two sets of twins and a singleton; they also consider Shelldon as one of their kids as well. They get married shortly after their first set of twins turn one.

Mikey marries his girlfriend, a dog mutant, Juliet, of eight years shortly after their set of ‘twins’ are born. Fours years later, they take in a fennec fox mutant.

So in the end:

Raph has two kids and a girlfriend.

Leo has a wife and four kids.

Donnie has a wife and six kids.

Mikey has a wife and three kids.

I love family dynamics where aunts, uncles and cousins are super close. I myself came from a big family but was never close to my extended family on either side.

So if I can’t have it, my OCs from TMNT and my own series will have it. :D

[thepaststillhurts]

@roarofancients:

He chuckles as leading the cub off to find others, after getting permission and finding those to fill the roles with them. "Simba, don't be disappointed. Rather, what you did to Shenzi at the graveyard to save Nala; you'd be Leader role of the Guard rather than Bravest. And your cub friends easily fill in the other roles; Malka the Brave, Tojo the Keen, Chumvi the Strong, and Mhiitu the Fast. You'd be the Fierce." The Lioness Nash was with them, and just knew when talk was friendly or not, which would help keep the young Prince safe. They found others willing to fill in the temporary roles; a Cheetah, Leopard, Hyena, and Cape Dog. The hyena a Brown, not one of the kind that caused trouble before.

Back in the Lair now, he started with the first ones. About Mufasa and himself, and how the tradition usually went with firstborn and secondborn, and the roar and about what happened to cause him to lose control at the time though there definitely was more to the story than was let on. Moving on to the others, "This wall here tends to have the paintings of each Lion Guard that once upon a time existed in the Pride Lands, however you might notice some are quite faded. Reasons for that. Anyways," to the next one - about Askari, and his time. "Well, he is called the First Leader of the Lion Guard but that isn't true; what happened before his is the first but something happened to change them. Askari defeated the original guard thus saving the Kingdom of the time. You might notice the original leader of the guard lacks a painting here, Askari was named after him as he had been legendary, Ascari before his downfall to darkness." Further in the lair, about the other paintings - what he knew of them anyways, until they reached the hole in the ground. He picked up the cub, and jumped down in - missing the slide and sharp rocks; the rest of the group proving able to get in without a scratch. Placing Simba down again, "Now, stay very close to us. There's cliffs around and other traps, and there is further in a maze puzzle and invisible bridge. And try not to touch any random seemingly innocent rocks, if it gets dark here that we can't see anything just wait then follow my voice."

“Really?” Simba asked with true joy in his voice. Him? The Fiercest? Wow, that sounded very inspiring to him. And maybe ... yes, he definitely fitted that role better. As Fiercest he was supposed to lead the Lion Guard - and as prince he couldn’t imagine other role for himself. “Yes, I am the Fiercest.” The cub laughed and jumped on a rock to show himself. “I have the Roar of the Elders, hear me!” He even got himself into a “ready-to-pounce” position before starting to roar, however it sounded more like a yowl. “Did ya hear it uncle Scar? Did ya...?” Words got stuck in him when he noticed the brown hyena behind Scar. Simba immediately went into a defensive mood to show he was worthy (and of course because Scar was with him now it was easier to seem to be brave).

“Hey! Hyenas are not allowed to be in the Pride Lands. Leave these lands now!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The little cub was amazed by all these stories. They were just as inspiring to him as the stories about the Great Kings of the Past. He would listen to them all day. 

As they got further inside, the place started to become more and more creepy but in an exciting way. Obeying the old male lion, he drew closer to his uncle, waiting to see where the team took him.