Lavish

Theme Song
Taxi Cab


Customization:

Cub sex change: (0/1) {1GB}
Base changer: (0/1) {5GB}
Opacity Changer: (0/6) {12GB}
Eye Changer: (0/1) {3GB}
Total: 21GB


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Thanks to the amazing Cervine (#17720) for writing this for me!

The sun had just barely begun to rise over the savanna when DapplePaw emerged from her den. Soft snores of other lions could be heard as she quietly paced across her pride’s encampment, not entirely sure what she was looking for. Although the young lioness had been robbed of her sight months ago in a brutal attack, she still knew her home like the back of her paw; she still could exactly visualize the cozy den where mothers would slumber with their cubs, the spacious den housed the brave warriors and huntresses of the pride, the den where the ‘paws rested when they weren’t training….but the most impressive of all was the den where the king resided, ever vigilant of the pride which he led. She found herself in front of it, King Mor’du’s snores painfully loud to her sensitive ears, and the softer murmurs of his queens.

DapplePaw puffed out her chest, standing proud as a king would. Although born a female, she had no desire to be a member of a king’s harem, despite the multiple compliments that she had been given regarding her beauty. The life of a huntress had never appealed to her either. Oh, she was good at it; she had been praised for her strength and endurance more times than she could count on all four paws, but whenever she heard Mor’du’s roar shake the lands, the roar of a mighty king who stood unchallenged in his rule over the savanna, her heart beat with longing for the life of a king. Although a blind female, the pride still almost unanimously agreed that she would be a strong, fit ruler. Furthermore, after she drank the waters of the Oasis, her strength would only grow as she transformed into a male. She didn’t like to be arrogant, but she knew that she would be able to lead the pride to even more prosperity than any previous king had ever attained. There was only one slight problem…..

“You know he’s not taking us out for a couple more hours, don’t you, DapplePaw?”

DapplePaw flattened her ears at the sound of a carefree voice drifting through the air that she knew all too well.

“Then why are you up, SparrowPaw?” she retorted with a flick of her tail.

She heard SparrowPaw sigh, but even though she couldn’t see him, she knew he was smirking. “I went to sleep early last night, so I would be well-rested for today,” he crowed, shaking out his mane. “But I know you stayed up late to patrol the camp, didn’t you?”

“Someone has to do it,” DapplePaw hissed. “You can’t protect the pride while you’re sleeping, after all.”

SparrowPaw was never bothered by her biting remarks, or anything, really. Did he even care about being king? Did he even realize how lucky he was to have his birthright to the throne as a male, which had plopped his lazy butt right into the line of succession?

DapplePaw heard him yawn and had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. She rose to her paws, intent on leaving to go someplace without an annoying submale, but she stopped when she heard SparrowPaw speak again.

“I don’t understand why you’re trying so hard for this, you know,” the male called, seeming serious.

"Well, you don’t understand a lot of things,” DapplePaw snapped, digging her claws into the earth.

"I’m serious, though. One, you’re a girl-”

“Mor’du has already said that he will take me to the Oasis to become a male before I become an adult," she replied calmly. He wasn't the first to question a female's ability to rule or her willingness to undergo such a drastic transformation, and he wouldn't be the last.

"Going to the Oasis is pricey! You need to fork over one whole golden beetle! Old Mor'du doesn't like to part with his money-"

"With you as the alternative, it really isn't surprising that he's willing to 'fork over one whole golden beetle' to get some other options," the young lioness retaliated with a smirk. "And besides....he thinks I'm worth it."

"And you also can’t see anything-"

"And somehow, I can still fight better than you.” He was making this far too easy. As much as she respected Mor’du, she couldn’t understand why he was having such a difficult time deciding who to crown his heir. The decision seemed obvious…..

“Want to test that?” SparrowPaw growled, a rare gesture for the usually laid back male, but DapplePaw had never backed down from a challenge.

“Gladly,” DapplePaw growled in return, tensing her muscles. While other lionesses her age lived for the hunt, she lived for the fight. A chance to put SparrowPaw in his place was never unwelcome either.

Suddenly, SparrowPaw stopped growling and sat down once more. She smirked; the male had never really been keen on fighting anyway.

“Backing down, are we?” DapplePaw crowed, but SparrowPaw didn’t answer her.

“Good morning, King Mor’du,” he called pleasantly. DapplePaw’s blood froze as she quickly retracted her claws and turned behind her. She would recognize the scent of the king anywhere, and she could tell he was unimpressed.

“Hm,” Mor’du grunted. DapplePaw’s could feel her cheeks growing hot as the king stood silently for several moments, presumably surveying the two. “Let us try not to kill each other before I’ve had the chance to test you both, shall we?”

“Of course, King Mor’du. My apologies,” DapplePaw mumbled, respectfully bowing her head. The king grunted again as he began to move, his heavy pawsteps shaking the earth.

“Good. Since it seems you two are ready, we will be going out early. Be ready in fifteen minutes,” he ordered. DapplePaw could almost feel SparrowPaw gloating behind her, and she flattened her ears and slunk away. When she was king, he wouldn’t be gloating anymore. She was certain of that much.

In the meantime, perhaps she would take a few bites of the zebra carcasses the huntresses had hauled in last night. As she navigated her way to the pride’s hoard, she could hear Frostpaw, her fellow apprentice, laughing.

“Hey, SparrowPaw,” she giggled, and DapplePaw nearly wanted to vomit.

“ ‘Morning, FrostPaw,” he replied smoothly. “I must say, your coat looks so lovely in the morning sun…..”

DapplePaw decided that she wasn’t really hungry anymore.
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“Where are we going, King Mor’du?” SparrowPaw asked. As much she loathed to admit it, SparrowPaw was much more confident in the savanna. She didn’t need to see him to know that; it was evident in his voice, which proudly rang throughout the grassland.

“Patrolling,” Mor’du grumbled, not even stopping to glance behind him at the two adolescents struggling to keep us with his brisk pace.

“And then you will be testing us afterwards, correct?” DapplePaw queried, cocking her head. Perhaps a morning patrol wasn’t a terrible idea before “the test”; the territory was usually peaceful in the morning, and she needed something to calm her nerves.

“This is your test.” The gray king didn’t even pause as his two companions stopped in their tracks, visibly confused (most of all, DapplePaw). The test she had anguished over for days was a simple patrol?

“I’m afraid I don’t really comprehend, King Mor’du….” the young lioness murmured respectfully, still trying to keep up with the king.

Mor’du sighed gently before stopping. “What do you think is the purpose of a king, young DapplePaw?”

DapplePaw could feel the gazes of her two companions boring into her. She was a bit confused, but it wasn’t something she would readily admit in front of SparrowPaw. Taking a deep breath, she began to answer truthfully. “To protect his family….his pride. To rule with a firm paw while still displaying kindness and fairness. To ensure that the pride sleeps happily with full bellies at night. To father strong cubs and give them a safe place to grow. To ensure his pride’s prosperity, so that he will be remembered long after he has passed.”

She heard Mor’du grunt with approval, a rare sound from the grumpy king. “More or less. I’ve watched you both grow from cubs into strong, young warriors. I know that you both would lead well, and that the pride would be happy and prosper under your guidance. I know that you both are very capable in combat and would fell any enemy that dares threaten your home and your family. You would both make fine rulers. Otherwise, I would not even give you my consideration.” He paused, presumably to think. “But the truth is that patrolling takes up a very large part of a king’s time. I thought that I might take you two out here.”

“King Mor’du….is there a reason for you to doubt our ability to patrol our lands?” SparrowPaw ventured gently, still not quite knowing how to react.

“Not at all,” Mor’du grumbled, beginning to move once more. “Truthfully, we have a hyena problem. Two extra warriors would make my job much easier.”

“But….how is this supposed to help you decide who to crown?” DapplePaw called, not attempting to hide the shock in her voice.

“It isn’t,” the mighty king replied with a grunt. “I will discuss the issue with my queens when we return…..but after many months of pondering, I believe I know who to choose.”

The two adolescents seemed to be at a loss for words, looking at each other in bewilderment. DapplePaw thought about asking Mor’du his preference but knew by now that she would only receive a growl in return. She opened her mouth and then closed it, barely registering Mor’du’s fading footsteps until SparrowPaw disturbed the silence that settled over them. “Crap, he’s almost a hundred hare-lengths away,” the male muttered, breaking into a run as he pursued the king. DapplePaw smiled as she remembered Mor’du’s words; “You both would make fine rulers.” Yes, it had been directed at SparrowPaw too, but the crabby old king wasn’t one to be generous with compliments, so she would take what was given. Filled with a renewed determination, DapplePaw bunched her powerful muscles and leapt into a sprint, running with a light heart through the golden sea of grass.

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DapplePaw could the sun’s warmth starting to fade as the trio returned, signaling that dusk was beginning to fall. Although she loathed to admit it, she was exhausted. The panting coming from beside her signaled that SparrowPaw felt the same way, but Mor’du showed no signs of fatigue, striding over to the king’s den with his head held high. She heard his queens murmuring fondly as they licked his wounds and his own affectionate grumbles as he warmly received them.

“My queens and I will hold a council to decide who shall be crowned heir. Leave us,” Mor’du grunted, his voice powerful. “And if I find one of you eavesdropping….I will skin you myself.” With that, DapplePaw heard him retreat with his queens into the royal den which she hoped she might occupy one day. She knew that while King Mro’du would never harm any member of his pride to such a degree, his wrath was very rarely worth provoking.

With a gentle sigh, the young lioness walked to the opposite end of the clearing and turned her face to the heavens, wishing that she could see the light of the stars once more. Sometimes as a cub, while her mother slept, she would peer out of the den into the great, open sky and try to count the stars. “Each star is a spirit of a great lion who has passed,” her mother would murmur while she groomed her daughter lovingly. “They guide us in the darkest of times.” While sometimes she felt that such a wish was childish, DapplePaw hoped that she might shine brightly when her time came, guiding her pride for years after she had gone.

“Hey.” It was SparrowPaw again, but his voice was gentler than usual. “Mind if I sit here?”

“I don’t think I have a choice,” DapplePaw murmured, her reply lacking its usual sting. She heard a loud thump as he planted himself down beside her and noticed that his usually mild scent was mixed with blood.

“You did pretty well out there today.” DapplePaw blinked in surprise at the compliment as she turned her head to face SparrowPaw, who was now licking his wounds. “I didn’t know you were so good at killing hyenas.”

The young lioness smiled as she remembered their lengthy patrol with Mor’du that day. It hadn’t taken long before she had heard SparrowPaw roar and he barrel straight into a group of hyenas, true to his reckless nature. With her help and Mor’du’s, they had all swiftly been dispatched, but the younger male had hardly emerged with a scratch, and the superficial wounds he had sustained didn’t slow him as he stalked ahead to look for more of the scavengers to slaughter. She had killed her fair share of intruders as well, of course, but SparrowPaw had performed better than she thought he would.

“I suppose the same could be said for you.” While DapplePaw had a fierce rivalry with SparrowPaw, she believed that credit should be given when due. The male had complimented her first, anyway; it never hurt to pay a bit of kindness back. “That was a pretty brave thing you did there, diving into a cackle of hyenas like that.”

SparrowPaw snorted. “I thought you might say it was reckless.”

“Believe me, it was very much that too,” DapplePaw replied with a smile and a flick of her ear. She thought she could feel SparrowPaw smiling too. “Old Mor’du was grumpy today, wasn’t he?”

SparrowPaw chuckled. “Oh, he just wants the best for his pride. If it were up to him, he’d remain on Earth for an eternity to protect his pride, but that isn’t possible, so he has choose one of us to that instead.” The male sounded wise beyond his years, and DapplePaw couldn’t help but feeling the tiniest bit impressed. An awkward silence settled over the pair, before SparrowPaw decided to speak again. “So….why are you so devoted to being king?” he asked gently. “I’m not trying to offend you, I promise. It’s just….you’re going through a lot, chasing after this.”

DapplePaw blinked, and looked away. From the time she could walk, she had proudly proclaimed to everyone who would listen (and a few who wouldn’t) how one day she would be the greatest king the savanna had ever seen. The young lioness never had a doubt in her heart about that, but now that she was here, sitting underneath the stars with another lion awaiting an answer, she wasn’t completely sure of her motives; in all of her months of training, she had never stopped to consider it. Really consider it. So she spoke from the heart.

“Do you believe in destiny?” she murmured, turning her head back to face SparrowPaw. She heard the male grunt softly in confusion.

“Well, I-.” DapplePaw didn’t let him finish.

“I feel like my paws have been set on this path, even before I was born. As a cub, even before I could leave the den, I knew in my heart I wasn’t meant to be a huntress, or even a queen. My entire life, I had this feeling that I was meant to be king one day. I don’t think I could escape it, even if I wanted to,” she chuckled. “Everyone thought it was just a phase, especially my mother. But I feel as strongly today as I did as a fanciful cub. Even more so, I think.” She turned to look up at the sky again. “I feel that my purpose in life is to serve my pride. And I know I could do that being a huntress or popping out cubs to continue the pride’s legacy….but I want to do more. I want to be able to be able to lead my pride to peace and prosperity, and to protect them from any threats. And I just feel like I can do that best if I’m king, you know?” DapplePaw paused for a breath, listening for SparrowPaw’s reaction; he was completely silent. “Do you think that sounds silly?”

“No.” SparrowPaw’s voice rang loud and true as he gave his answer; DapplePaw could tell he wasn’t lying. “I think it’s honorable. DapplePaw. Um….” SparrowPaw’s voice grew quieter again. “I know you think I’m lazy and not worthy of the crown, and maybe I should do more….but I’ve lately come to feel the same as you. At night, you sneak off to patrol, but I sneak off to train. I know I’m not king yet, but I already love this pride so much. I want to be able to nurture and protect it, same as you.” She heard him snort, but she knew that he was smiling. “So know that I will fight you for the crown to the very end, DapplePaw, and I won’t back down.”

DapplePaw smiled. “You’d be pretty pathetic competition if you did, SparrowPaw.” The pair relapsed into silence once again, but this time, it was a comfortable one born of a mutual understanding.

She still thought she would make a pretty stellar king, but maybe her competition could be one, too. Damn it if she wouldn’t fight him for the throne; even if Mor’du emerged in the morning and proclaimed SparrowPaw heir, she wouldn’t stop following her heart. But maybe….just maybe….(ancestors forbid) if SparrowPaw was to be named king one day, the pride would be still be okay.