AW destiny

Amelie,

Cub of Junior Member

Played by phish

---

In a hole, in the ground, there was a tiny scrap of fur that had two watery blue eyes and a soft pink nose and who was perpetually hungry. This little scrap of fur, curled into the tightest ball it could manage, had not eaten for days and her mewling cries had been eaten up in the calamity of the rainforest and when they had gone unanswered for so long, she grew weaker and thus her cries became feeble. She had slept, a dreamless wandering through pastel colours and swirling patterns that didn't make any sense to the babes conscious thoughts. But at least it was a break from her aching body. Amelie did not have the understanding of the world to know that she was dying - that her body had gone without food or water for so long that she probably wouldn't make it through the night if something wasn't done. But as twilight began to colour the forest around her a deep blue, the tiniest scrap of a cub felt her chances of survival slipping away.

Kilian,

Lion of Junior Member

Played by vae

---

Everything about this place was new. Kilian had taken a few days to get his bearings (and, in truth, he was still in that mindset now), but he was beginning to have a better understanding of the world around him. The lack of familiarity was exciting in many ways. He was adventurous to a fault, which ensured that he thoroughly enjoyed himself as he became acquainted with all of these territories. Today, he found himself in a rainforest - a biome that he had, at the very least, experienced before. The humidity was a welcome respite from the drier heat. He would always prefer a wet heat to a dry one.

But, he digressed. As he wandered through the trees, eyeing the various foliage and taking note of any sounds he heard, a scent poured into his nostrils. Blinking his mismatched eyes, he glanced around, somewhat befuddled initially. The smell was unexpected, particularly in such a dangerous place. Parting his jaws, he drank it in further prior to deciding to pursue its location. Kilian trotted briskly, fear mounting at what he might find.

At first, he didn't see the source of the scent. The smell was permeating his senses, leading him to swing his massive head left and right. Where are you? he thought, fur prickling along his shoulders. He sniffed again, lowering his head closer to the ground as he did so. That was when he saw them: a cub, nestled in a hole, with no parent in sight. Anxiety tore through him, and he edged carefully toward the small child.

"Hey, there," he spoke softly, lowering the volume and lessening the severity of his naturally low voice. "Are your parents around, little one?"

Harper,

Lioness of Junior Member

Played by Nova

---

The berry woman was quiet, just as she was careful. She followed as silently as she could behind Kilian, still quite uncertain of herself in this new world they'd found. Without her mother it felt freeing but she also had never known life without her. This was all brand new but mother trusted in Kilian and trusted her, so Harper wanted to do the same.
Harper had noticed a scent but not just the one that Kilian had locked onto. This smelled of multiple lions having traveled through here and she knew what happened to those that trespassed. It was hard to dictate where they were in relation to where a pride might be but she didn't exactly want to be without Kilian either.
So she shuffled forward to break the distance she'd put between them in her hesitation. Following the scent of what very much smelled like that of a child and, perhaps, fear. Darkness was creeping in soon and as they neared, she strolled to Kilian's right flank and tried her very best to seem as comforting as possible. All while not knowing how she felt or how to act.

TABLE BY NESLA/RABBIT

@Amelie @Kilian

Amelie,

Cub of Junior Member

Played by phish

---

In her dreams, she was warm and cozy against a belly that provided all the milk she could want for. In mirror to this, the girls dreaming face twitched and her tongue sucked the roof of her mouth in mimicry of the suckling motions she had instinctively known, once upon a time. But there hadn't been milk for a long time, any masticated meat long since digested and she was empty. In her slumber, she frowned. And then, a low voice that interrupted her dreaming and the tiny scrap stirred slowly, groggily. She didn't really want to wake up, but the voice was warm and inviting and some semblance of survival told her that she would have to wake up to help herself.

Peeking out from the duck-down fur, puffed up to keep her warm, her soft blue eyes blinked slowly and without comprehension for a moment. Looming over her, a large male came into view and her heart hammered stronger in her chest. "Dun know." Amelie sighed, a world weary sigh for one so young. She almost missed the arrival of a second lion, the uncertain step of the Lioness not immediately catching her attention. "Ma say wait here." She whispered, chocolate tipped ears flattening briefly - that had been days ago and no one had returned for her.

@Kilian @Harper

Kilian,

Lion of Junior Member

Played by vae

---

Kilian completely missed Harper's presence behind him. He startled slightly when she manifested but very quickly settled once he realized who it was. A smile was offered, as well as a gentle bump of his head to one of her shoulders. Though he didn't say it, he was glad she was here, for more reasons than one. He hoped that she had more experience with cubs than he did (which was to say that he had none at all). Turning his attention back to the small cub, he blinked as she began to stir. He was extremely conscious of how large and intimidating he must look to a child so young. So, he tried to keep his voice low and his posture and expression as non-threatening as possible.

When the girl-cub answered him, he regarded her curiously. Aside from asking her himself, Kilian had no way of knowing for sure how long she'd been here. Going off appearance alone, though, he was concerned that she had been here far too long. She wasn't gaunt by any means, but she showed signs of hunger, perhaps thirst. If she had been alone this long without a parental figure...

"Well, my name is Kilian, and this is Harper," he gestured with his muzzle toward the lioness at his side. "Maybe we can wait with you until your Ma comes back. How does that sound?" A warm smile stretched over his maw, and he made an effort to show as few teeth as possible. "Do you know how long she has been gone?" he asked, after a moment. "I bet you are pretty hungry, huh?"

@Harper

Minerva,

Lioness of Prideless

Played by Ivy

---

Scents were all around, they mingled and swirled creating a plethora of colors for the gargantuan woman to follow. Her curiosity led her forwards, mane rugged and blocking her visage for a mere moment before she tossed it out of her line of sight. Amongst the many scents was a different scent, one that smelled vaguely of mother's milk and youth. A cub. She hastened her steps, lumbering through the forest, snapping twigs the whole way. Her strides lengthened, heart pounding in her chest as she moved with urgency. It was only when she came upon the gathering that she paused, her eyes landing directly upon the child before flickering from the man and to the woman. She wanted her, needed her. She had always wanted a child and the possessiveness, the yearning to protect her blossomed within her. "Oh little one.. you need some food, somewhere dry to rest and lay your head.. What is your name sweet girl?" Minerva moved forwards then, standing off to the right of the male that hovered above the girl. Her plum eyes locked onto that blue gaze of hers, softened with immediate longing as she waited for her response. The woodlands can keep you safe child. She yearned to tell her. But for now Minerva remained silent, she did not want to overwhelm the girl and it seemed that these two strangers were together. But Minerva had a home, a safe place that she could take her, something that possibly the others did not have.


@Amelie @Kilian @Harper

""

Harper,

Lioness of Junior Member

Played by Nova

---

Perhaps it was a good thing that she often tended to be rather quiet as it gave her some extra thinking time. That was best spent analyzing the situation and attempting to figure out what was best to do or say. As she sidled up to Kilian she could sense his surprise but she smiled, mostly to comfort herself in the hopes that she was reading it correctly that he was happy she was there.
Luckily, Harper had a good amount of cub experience due to having been surrounded by them for most of her life. Home had always had children no matter what month or season, not to mention her mother's newest litter who was just about the cubs age that sat in front of her. Hello, she gently addressed when Kilian introduced her while already getting the idea that the child was hungry and thirsty. Two things that would need to be fixed regardless of the situation.
How about I go get you a meal, hm? Just as she was about to turn to leave, she noticed another woman approaching and did her best to smile. She didn't know who it was and that made her a little uneasy but she trusted Kilian while she disappeared to go fetch a rabbit or something close. It took her a little while to find something substantial but she was a lot quicker to return than she was to leave. Picking up her pace as she returned.
Instantly she dropped the rabbit down and scooted it forward with her nose. A light snack while we wait for your Ma. She wouldn't want you to be hungry. If she were still around, that is. They could've gotten separated but Harper was quite familiar with how some mind's worked when it came to children. Some just didn't want to be parents and didn't see the responsibility behind them.

TABLE BY NESLA/RABBIT

@Amelie @Kilian @Minerva

Amelie,

Cub of Junior Member

Played by phish

---

Soft, chocolate dusted ears flickered about her head, trying to listen and to understand what was being said to her. In her groggy state of mind, the information was slow to permeate her brain. But slowly, the introduction of the pair began to make a bit of sense and the girl turned wide blue eyes on first Kilian and then Harper. Another soft sigh, heaving her little body, was her only answer to the pair. Wait until Ma came back. That is precisely what Amelir had been doing, but it did not seem to have worked. "Dun know how long." She murmured, limbs shifting to hug tighter to her body. "Some sun's." She concluded, eyebrows pinching slightly as she tried to recall exactly how long she'd been on her own.

Her new friend Kilian mentioned food and that certainly perked the girls head. She managed to lift it out of her little hollow for long enough to flap her little ears. "Yums?" She asked, a desperately hopeful expression on her face. And then the approach of another, causing the child to tuck her head back down, suddenly shy. The gentle, soothing sounds that came from the giant lady registered just as slowly - Amelie didn't even register that Harper had moved away from the area.

Another question, from the big dark lady and the child felt anxiety and fear bubbling in her chest. Not of the woman, but all of these questions (that were undoubtedly important but overwhelming none the less). "Am - Am - Amelie." She hiccuped, wide blue eyes welling with tears of exhaustion, hunger, anxiety. When Harper arrived with a small rabbit and the reassurance that they could wait for her Ma, the tears spilled over. "Sh'not coming b-back." The cub knew it, in her bones. She had been abandoned. Inconsolable, her tears streaked as she gazed at the rabbit hungrily. Still too young to Chew her own meat (and with tiny milk teeth only just having grown in), Amelie did not yet know what to do with the rabbit to make it tasty mush like Ma gave her.

@Kilian @Harper @Minerva

Kilian,

Lion of Junior Member

Played by vae

---

Once again, the appearance of another took him by surprise. This time, however, it was someone he didn't know. She was massive -- a behemoth of a lioness. It didn't matter she was only one inch taller than him; her size was the first quality he noticed about her. He had never seen a lioness so big in his life. Even he was comfortable admitting that he was intimidated. Kilian wasn't known for his fighting prowess. So, if this encounter came to blows, he wasn't certain if the outcome would be in his favor. He could only hope that she wasn't confrontational. Judging by the way she spoke to the cub, it did bolster some hope in him. He was a little confused when she only spoke to the child, but part of him understood. The cub was the most important lion here and required the most immediate attention. Kilian wasn't going to pass any judgment on the unfamiliar lioness for that.

"I suppose you have not seen her parents either, then?" he posed the question to Minerva before shooting an appreciative glance to Harper. His eyes held the gratitude he did not voice in the midst of this sensitive situation. Kilian glanced back to Amelie, watching her carefully as she seemed to sink back into herself. He backed off slightly, not wanting to add to the cub's stress. "Perhaps we should give her some space," he suggested gently to the other lioness. "She seems as though she has been through a lot." The latter observation was softer, hopefully only loud enough for Minerva to hear.

"You're alright, Amelie," his heart broke for her as she began to cry. He couldn't imagine what she was feeling. "No one here is going to hurt you." Kilian only hoped this was true, as he did not know the still-nameless lioness' intentions. Around this time, Harper returned, and he was grateful. She brought a rabbit with her and laid it in front of the cub who - even in her wailing - only eyed it. He furrowed his brow as a memory returned to him. Back in Italia, he remembered parents chewing the meat for their young cubs.

"Here. Let me help," he smiled at Amelie and cautiously tore into a fleshy part of the rabbit. He chewed the meat down into softer, more malleable portions which he then placed in front of Amelie for her to reach.

@Minerva

Minerva,

Lioness of Prideless

Played by Ivy

---

She watched as the woman moved to go fetch the girl something to eat. These two were both so helpful, and hopefully they could see that she did not intend any harm here. Minerva simply just wanted to help them. She was a protector after all, she didn't want to hurt others. 'I suppose you have not seen her parents either, then?' The man asked her and she shook her head before turning her plum gaze upon him. "Unfortunately no.. you two are the only ones I've seen about." She informed him, tones soft as she spoke. She watched as Amelie shrunk back, obvious nervousness across her face. Minerva took two steps backward, pulling her haunches beneath her to sit and hunching her shoulders slightly so she didn't appear so huge to the girl but even she knew that would be a difficult task to accomplish. 'You're alright , Amelie, No one is going to hurt you.' The man assured her and Minerva's heart practically broke when the girl spoke, saying how her mother wasn't coming back. She was a smart girl, and they couldn't lie to her. "I can offer you all somewhere safe for the night.. if you intend to keep her." She offered, her gaze moving from Amelie to land upon Kilian and then Harper. Minerva would not pry the girl from these two if they sought to raise her, however she could provide a roof over their heads, a safe haven if you will. "I can protect all of you in my home." She assured them then, tossing her mane out of her visage once more as she waited for a response.

@Amelie @Kilian @Harper

""