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You come out of your den to find weird markings drawn all over in the dirt. What is Leo Lunae up to? Is this modern art?
The sky is closer than it seems… • Leo Lunae • G1 Aegean Eye, 11m, Combo Factor, RP Stud https://www.lioden.com/lion.php?mid=117909
Leo Lunae's Encounters:
Angel. That was the name of the first lioness to meet Leo Lunae. She smelled strange. Like death. Like smoke. And yet, beneath that there was a hint of fresh water and sunlight warming the grass. In the moonlight Leo Lunae sat with Angel, inquiring about her pride. He was not the first otherworldly lion she had met. No, her entire pride was, in its own way, similar. She was the only mortal among them. Perhaps it was fortunate for him that his first meeting was not a lioness who would shy away. She didn’t shy away at his otherworldliness. It was… nice. Not what he expected. The two enjoyed the night, talking of mortal and immortal lions, sharing scary stories of monsters lurking in shadows, and otherwise simply enjoying the company of one another in their brief, curious meeting… but as the moon fell low in the sky, Leo Lunae bid his farewell and trotted off. When the sky turned pink with dawn, there was no trace of him - or was there?
———
Maan yawned loudly as she yielded to the cub’s incessant pleas to go play. She’d riled up her siblings too, and any hope at a good night’s rest were dashed. She plodded after the little cubs, sitting nearby as they tussled in the tall grass. Maan had certainly dealt with worse than cubs who didn’t want to sleep, but did it have to be on a rainy night?
How Maan missed him, she may never know. And yet, when she glanced at the cubs there he was. A large, strange lion with fur the velvety blue-black of night. And he had his head bowed down towards one of the cubs. With a snarl Maan leapt to her feet and rushed the lion before he could harm the cubs. She slammed bodily into him, sending them both tumbling to the ground. The lion rose and turned to trot almost leisurely away as the cubs scampered back to their den, and Maan gave chase. His pace hastened to avoid the wrath of the lioness and raindrops pelted Maan as she rushed after him to the edge of her pride’s territory where the pair slowed to a stop, staring down one another in tense silence. Maan hated the expectant, inquisitive look on his face. He should be afraid. She opened her mouth to hurl a threat and a promise after him, but what escaped her lips was not the vitriol she intended. The clouds above parted and moonlight peered through the dark sky, illuminating everything in pale light. The strange lion stood there, no longer just the hateful black she had thought, but glittering like the surface of a lake reflecting starlight. “You…” Her voice lacked the snarl, instead lilting in a plea. Now she recognized him. Angel had spoken of him. Leo Lunae. Their encounter was fleeting, as she gave a quick and abrupt apology for the attack and introduced herself as Angel’s pridemate and Leo Lunae graciously accepted and introduced himself. They exchanged pleasantries, sheepishness soon melting away to mutual amusement. But… He certainly couldn’t simply accompany her back to her pride, and the two soon parted ways.
As she made her way back to the den, though, Maan thought to herself that the sleepless cub made sense now. It was Angel’s. It was his. Of course she would love the moonlight. Maan wondered if her own would too…
———
Leo Lunae had followed the scent of death. He thought the lion’s passing must have been recent - the scent mingled with other lions’. Perhaps an interloper killed, perhaps an elderly lion or a cub who didn’t make it whose mother refused to give it up. When Leo Lunae came across an all-too-familiar den he snorted and shook his head. He sat heavily and looked up to the stars to verify what he already knew: that pride. Angel’s scent, lingering on her pridemates, always seemed to throw him off.
“Leo.”
He nearly jumped out of his skin, his fur all rising high when the brusk voice came from behind him. What was with the lionesses in this pride?! He flew to his feet and turned quickly, stumbling back when his blue eyes met those like embers. He recovered himself with a shake of his mane and a totally casual lick to his shoulder. He was fine. No problem.
“My name is Leo Lunae.” He corrected when he found his voice.
The lioness, russet-furred and black-maned, a shaggy creature, dipped her head respectfully in acknowledgment and greeting. “I am Devil’s Child. Maan’s mate.” Oh sh—
“I would very much like a cub too.” Wait, what? Leo Lunae had been prepared to apologize profusely. He hadn’t known—nevermind.
As Leo Lunae left with the twilight, he found himself baffled. This was not what he had been told the earthly lions were like…
———
When Leo Lunae found himself yet again face to face with one of Safi’jiiva’s pridemates he couldn’t even find it in himself to be surprised. Her dark fur was splashed with white and she bore large, delicate and velvety wings. He had confirmed that earthly lions were not like so many that he had met. He accepted that Safi’jiiva’s pride was an unusual exception. Still, he found himself staring at the lioness as she circled him, nearly pressing her nose to him as she sniffed him fervently. She wanted to know everything. Questions poured from her like a bubbling stream and it was all Leo Lunae could do to keep up as he sat there.
By the time the night sky begun fading to blue, Leo Lunae was exhausted. He laid out beneath the moonlight while his two rabbit companions kept a vigil. He would catch up on his work tomorrow night, he supposed…
———
Keeda and Cloud circled a patch of moonlight, curious. There were no cliffs, no trees, no termite hills, nor even clouds to explain why in this one spot it seemed so much brighter than elsewhere. It was almost as if the light had simply pooled there. And when a black-furred lion who sparkled in that moonlight appeared from seemingly nowhere, hopping down from a perch Keeda had not and still could not see, Keeda could do nothing but blink.
“Hello!” He greeted brightly with his head tipped and tail lifted in greeting.
“Hello…” Keeda returned as movement caught her eye: a pair of rabbits behind the lion. One white, one half-white and half-black. When did they get here?
“My name is Leo Lunae.” He continued in his warm voice.
“Keeda. And this is Cloud.” She introduced her bird companion, but her eyes still did not meet Leo Lunae’s. Instead they were fixed on the rapidly fading patch of moonlight. She glanced upwards. There were still no clouds.
Leo Lunae’s gaze followed hers before dropping again to fix her with his deep blue eyes. “I guide Whispers to the stars.” That made her eyes snap to his. She didn’t know whether or not to believe him, but if nothing else she thought his tale would be an excellent one to shape into new ones for the cubs of her pride. All at once her expression softened and she took in the visage of the lion before her properly. He was breathtaking, too. She thought it would be a lovely night indeed as she peppered him with question after question about the Whispers he had met.
———
Life was not always meeting beautiful and strange lionesses, frivolous tumbles, and charming conversation for Leo Lunae. Heck, it’s not even what he journeyed to earth to do. And he was reminded all too strongly of this when he followed a trail of Whisper after Whisper. Each one he found a bloodied mess, no natural death had come to them. He coaxed the frightened Whispers from their mortal shells, promising them serenity and peace if they would follow him. And while it was not his place to intervene in the deaths of lions, he could not help the curiosity that tugged at him. He wanted to know what had been causing it.
He finally caught up to it - or rather, her. A spotted lioness to whom the scent of blood, of death, of fear lingered. And something else. It took him a moment to place it: Safi’jiiva’s pride. That shared scent among them was distinctive. Otherworldly.
The lioness moved with fluid grace as she sidled up to him, brushing her body against his as she circled him, curling her tail beneath his jaw. There was one more scent in the mix. He hadn’t noticed it at first, at least not consciously. She was in heat. She was as beautiful as she was deadly, and she offered such an enticing invitation as she purred her name into his ear. He only half-wondered to himself if he could be killed, and if so, who would collect his Whisper as he followed her. By the time morning came, Strawberry was nowhere to be seen and Leo Lunae was still alive. His rabbit companions stared at him, surely judging with those large, dark eyes of theirs. He snorted and jerked his head beckoning for them to follow. It was time to go.
———
Some Whispers were harder to entice from their shells than others, requiring incense to draw them out. It was due to one such Whisper that Leo Lunae met Greenfield. He had begun to find himself a welcome visitor to Safi’jiiva’s pride - and why shouldn’t he be? He was no threat to the cubs. After all, many were sired by him. He sought out the herbalist, hoping to convince her to part with a few herbs for his work but what had been intended to be only a short visit was drawn out by a magnetism between the pair. She was charming, gracious, well-mannered, and intelligent. They found themselves speaking of herbs and their uses, the lions they had helped before and after death.
The sound of early birdsong snapped Leo Lunae from his dreamlike trance where he laid beside Greenfield. The Whisper! He bid Greenfield a quick farewell, licking her forehead, and took the herbs he needed before sprinting off to collect the Whisper before the sun rose.
———
Leo Lunae had become a fairly common sight around Safi’jiiva’s pride by now, often showing up once or twice a lunar cycle, and he was always accompanied by his silent rabbit companions who tailed behind him. Still, his visits were often brief. Just a stop along his journey to offer a greeting should he pass one of the lions. He met Star on one such night. He had passed through Safi’jiiva’s territory, following an instinctual pull towards a troubled Whisper, and noticed what had looked somewhat like a horse. The long mane, tail, and feathering fluttered behind as the creature moved, but it was far too small to be a horse. Intrigued, he veered off his course to investigate. Indeed, she was no horse, but a dark-furred lioness. And a graceless one, at that. Upon his approach she turned to offer a greeting, already recognizing him from the words of her pridemates. But she stepped upon the long fur trailing from her legs and stumbled. She took it in stride though, sheepishly giggling and regaining her footing. She was… strangely adorable Leo Lunar thought.
She introduced herself as Star, and she had been trying to jog her memories. She had lost so very many, and some were just barely out of reach, she felt. Leo Lunae offered to walk with her, to hear what memories she did have, and to share stories of his own in hopes that perhaps something they saw, smelled, heard, or said might remind her of something.
Perhaps it helped, perhaps it didn’t, but the pair made new memories and shared stories as they walked. Finally, at the edge of Safi’jiiva’s territory the two bid each other a goodnight and a cheeky promise to remember each other, before Leo Lunae continued along his way.
———
Ice sat in her sealed-off cave, chanting in harmony with the cubs of her pride. The air hung heavy with incense and swirling smoke, flooding the senses and weaving a mystical aura in the sacred space. Alongside the living lions sat translucent echoes of those who had once lived, Whispers, only visible to the few trained to interact with them. A small cub suddenly squealed - but it wasn't with terror. A small creature had wriggled its way through the crack that led to the cave. A... a rabbit? The other cubs were soon distracted as well, surrounding the pale creature with fascination.
From outside the cave, a low chuckle sounded. "It seems that my companion was not as subtle as I had hoped. Deepest apologies for interrupting."
Ice rose from her spot, the Whispers fading away as the ritual was broken, and squeezed herself back through the crack of the cave into the clear, cool night air. A large black lion sat beside the cave, a black-and-white rabbit by his side. Leo Lunae. Of course Ice knew who he was. His name became more and more commonplace among her tribe members. Leo Lunae explained himself, that he was here to guide the Whispers who were ready to move on to their next home. Though... it seemed now he would have to wait for the ritual again, and the cubs were clearly in no mood for work now as they chased the rabbit and tumbled over one another playfully.
With a shrug Ice sat beside him and watched her little apprentices. One could hardly blame them for being so easily distracted; they only cubs after all. Instead, the lions called it a night on the ritual and enjoyed well-deserved time off. The cubs played until they wore themselves out, returning to their dens to rest, and Ice and Leo Lunae stayed up speaking about rituals, incense, herbs, paint, and Whispers. As he so often did, he left before dawn, and Ice was left with the hope of a new life to brighten hers so often surrounded by the endings of it.
———
Mittens he met while bounding after locusts through tall grass like a kitten. He’d leap, they’d scatter. They’d settle, he’d stalk, leap again, and watch a cloud explode from the grasses. As a clawless lioness, it was not often she would join the huntresses of her pride on proper hunts. More often she would stay behind and make herself useful tending to her pride mates instead. But like any cat, she yearned for the excitement of the hunt and even if she could rarely bring down anything large, she could stomp and smack rodents and beetles to bring back to the cubs of her pride. It was while she stalked and Leo Lunae bounded that the two collided - quite literally. He toppled into her and the two landed in a graceless heap on the ground before both scurried to their feet and feigned intent. They definitely, totally, without a doubt meant to do that.
The both glanced up from their preening, Leo Lunae breaking into a small smile and Mittens breaking into a laugh. From what her many pridemates said, he was a charming and mysterious lion! Not some- some overgrown kitten! They cleared the air, got their introductions out of the way, and spent the evening catch and chasing tiny critters through the grass to practice their hunting and pass the time joyously. When Mittens returned home, she had more than just a bounty of critters…
———
“You look cold.” A svelte voice carried on the whistling wind to Leo Lunae’s ears. Cold didn’t begin to cover it. He lifted his head, shaking a flurry of snow from his fur as he looked for the source of the voice. There. She lounged lazily on a formation of rocks above him, swishing her tail and looking at him with- well, he assumed it was mild interest. Her eyes were covered. “Come. I have a cave.” She rose to her feet and turned. Leo Lunae supposed he had tangled with worse in his adventures, and respite from the biting wind did sound good.
Titan’s Truth, as he had learned she was called, brought him to a dark but mercifully dry cave sheltered from the wind. She didn’t see many lions in these parts, much less darker furred ones. He explained his purpose for venturing so far from the warmer lands: he sought a Whisper whose presence sang to him. A lost, scared soul. Titan’s Truth thought she might know where to find a recently passed lion out in these mountains, she said, passing her tongue over elongated fangs. But first, she would demand a favor from Leo Lunae.
Later, Titan’s Truth upheld her own part of the bargain, leading Leo Lunae to a white lion nearly completely hidden in the snow, with only a few drops of red in his mane to mar his perfect coat. Before Leo Lunae could ask if she knew what had happened to him, however, Titan’s Truth was gone…
———
Leo Lunae futilely puffed himself up before Chill Bones. Perhaps he had gotten a little bold with this pride - but why shouldn’t he? The ladies seemed to fawn over him! And yet, despite his best attempts to impress the velvet-furred lioness, she was stone-faced. Her wings shone like fire, her fur looked like someone could bury their face in the softness of it. She looked warm. She smelled… well, she smelled an awful like some of her other pride mates, it was true, but beyond that! She smelled of herbs, of fresh water, and of something he couldn’t quite place beneath it all. It was heavy, not quite pleasant, but he wasn’t sure yet if he found it unpleasant. And yet, despite his pretty words and preening she wouldn’t look at him. Meanwhile, her sister Rift bounded around him. Like Chill Bones, she smelled of the pride, herbs, and water. Like Chill Bones, she had a scent he couldn’t quite place.
Rift butted her head up against Leo Lunae’s mane, nearly completely burying her face in his hair as she did so, and he returned her affection with a turn of his head to rub his face against hers. Rift had wanted to take him and her somewhere “secret” she had said. Leo Lunae suspected he knew her intent, but either way he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to discover something new. And if he could entice her surly sister into smiling for a bit, well, all the better.
At his antics, Chill Bone would’ve rolled her eyes if she could. This wanna-be peacock. This grouse. This- she felt teeth on her ear, a tug with the pinprick sting of fangs. “Come on!” His voice was uncharacteristically jubilant. He released her ear and she could hear him padding away. Very well then. If that was the game they were playing… she bound after him, claws extended and teeth bared with a wicked laugh. Rift’s lighter laugh joined hers as she ran ahead of Leo Lunae to guide him - and Chill Bones - to somewhere secret and private…
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