KING'S ROAR.

drowning in a hopeless feeling / buried under deeper ground

[skarlr]

              “ riddle! riddle rosenhearts! ” voice quakes but it is tame , more dignified as it does not heighten above his typical decibels. he marches over , nearly gliding on towards the heartslabyul dorm head. tail flicks eloquently yet harsh and like a whip evident of his disgruntled aura. last step is taken when he reaches riddle , and arms fold in an uptight manner. odd for the usually slouched and laid back lion prince , he huffs as head jerks to the upper left and his voluminous hair does a light bounce while lips contort unpleasantly , “ i’m letting you know now you better get your little fresh baby in row before i do something about it. that punk has been getting on my nerves with the ‘oji-tan’ crap! ” // @heartshackle​ — starter call

[skarlr]

@fatedcore​ : 🔪 Where's my 100 billion in Batman and / or Superman Monopoly money ?

             “ you mean this 100 billion dc comics monopoly money? these big wads of cash? so much cash! you know , it’d be a shame if i just touched them like this. and when i touch them , it’d be a shame if they turned into DUST — oh! look it , they turned to dust! 100 billion monopoly dollars into DUST! what a shame , all that hard work! ” pause. blows the gold dust at your face , “ bye bye! ”  

[skarlr]

              “ oi , jamil. ” voice called out from across the courtyard , hand raised then lowers when the second prince catches the younger man’s attention. leona sat at an iron chair and table set , on the latter laid a chess mat and set. a lazy smile curls at the corner of his lips as he leans back in his seat. dark hair cascading from behind with a half-lidded gaze that twinkles a kind of spark one would typically suspect , “ care for a game of chess? you’re the only one around i know who could give me a good time. ” // @phiinae​ — starter call

[skarlr]

              “ i showed up today. isn’t that enough? ” coming drastically late , skipping classes , and sometimes sleeping in class . . . it was nothing out of the ordinary for kingscholar. neither did he seem to care about how his attendance is affecting his grades , obvious telling by the way he stared blankly as the meek and petite professor. leg crossed over the other , elbow propped on armrest as he rested his jaw onto his palm with the other hand lazily tapping at his thigh impatiently wanting this office visit to end already. but he stirs once again and began to drawl with a rather sharp articulation in his words , “ jeez , you aren’t very convincing either — what do you hope to get out of me? good grades? t’sh! ” 

@kleinemeine​ — starter call ( accepting! )

[skarlr]

               a low rumble writhes from his throat all by being in the younger boy’s company. once the others left them be in the infirmary only then did the prince come to note how defeaning the silence was. normally he was so good putting on a façade — being above all , being indifferent to any who did not benefit him. . .  being so unapologetic as pride stains the tongue and flesh. “ why are you still around , fresh baby? i don’t remember you getting as badly wiped out as ruggie and i did. ” normally he enjoyed silence. it let’s him nap comfortably , but he couldn’t feel the urge to do so with the ache that pulsated from his muscles ( especially his stomach after his nephew sat on it for who know how long ) and after his little fit at ace mocking ‘ oji-tan ’. and sooner or later , he had to talk to jack being the dorm head of savanaclaw after all. sooner or later , he needed to dispel the silence 

@unblot​  —  starter call ( accepting! ) 

[skarlr]

i’m alive? TERRIFYING! ahah , i said last week i’d be posting a starter call so hit that like button if you’d like a short starter! if you prefer plotting first ( be it minor or major ) feel free to let me know in the comments. i may get to these slowly , but surely! 

[skarlr]

risquees​.

      A voice rumbles, low and insistent, but he only stirs vaguely, curling tighter around the uniform jacket he’s using as a pillow. Another low rumble, and he stirs again as he’s being shifted aside, the sensation of contact sending signals to recently oft-triggered self-preservation instincts. (Even if he doesn’t always listen immediately.) Pushing to one elbow, he rubs at his eyes with the heel of a hand, trying to remember where he is and why it’s so warm. Only when the fingers of his other hand contact grass does he remember– the school, the greenhouse. Even in the winter months, still perfectly temperate, no matter what.        Right. So the person waking him… “Hmmwha…?” A slow, somewhat uneven blink, fuzzy eyesight resolving the familiar browns and yellows into… “Leona…?”        …of course.  Rose-tinged eyes squint up at the upperclassman, curious, only to be ignored as Leona shifts around him now that he’s up. “What are you… did you want something…?” Not ‘need’, because to imply that would certainly lead to trouble, and really? Yuu’s a little tired of that.

              finger taps once , twice , and thrice on his bicep. emerald gaze aluminates within the blooming dark as it leers downcast at the ramshackle prefect ; a tinge of insult contorts the prince’s face as lips twitch in displeasure at his territory is overtaken by this little troublesome herbivore. he prowls from yuu’s sight , slow steps in leathered shoes before firming his ground. “ tut , tut , have you gotten so bold you decide to take up my favorite spot? ” his voice as airy and lazy as typically , but the haughtiness peeks. it was no secret leona loved taking naps in the botanical garden ; perfect temperature , sweet scents not overwhelming his senses. nature like his home , all nature. all green , pink , yellow , so full of life , so lack of sickening chemicals and smelly body odor. 

an ideal place to nap and yet not a single chance to nap for the day and night bloomed ever so quickly within wintry season. he breathes sharp , cocking his head to gesture at the other : “ move. i want some shut-eye. preferably without noise —— ” he paused , brow raised as lit eyes surveyed around yuu and above. “ ...huh. that noisy furball isn’t with you? well , that’s a pleasant surprise. ” 

[skarlr]

theshytigergirl​.

Noah wasn’t taken aback by the growl or his dismissive response, that was just a typical reaction from him. “Actually, I was trying to find a place to study quietly. Do you mind if I study next to you? I promise I will be quiet.” She asked, speaking in a soft voice as she showed him proof of her statement, pointing to a couple of books and a notebook under her arm. She knew the answer was likely no but it didn’t hurt to at least ask right?

               a single eye opened upon her request , head tilting at the books and the notebook she carried. quiet at first and then he let out a huff of air from his nostrils. he pointed to the bench near adjacent to his bush before mumbling , “ go study there — keep to your word , and , ” both eyes flutter open as he looks to the right and then looks to the left , “ if you see ruggie or anyone else looking for me , don’t let them know where i am. ” soon caught off by his own yawning , he takes a moment to stretch and a small pop could be heard as he did so. “ i don’t want anymore pestering for the day , grugh... ”

[skarlr]

okay , so what are the chances of leona also not only being based on scar but also kovu from the sequel? like a mixture of the two? i was talking with a friend and the topic of leona’s scar came up — that scar as we all know is located over the left eye as it was for scar and as it would be for kovu after the rising climax when one of the best musical sequences of the movie plays ( and even the lyrics make me stroke my chin: ‘ born in grief , raised in hate , helpless to defy his fate , let him run , let him live , but we do not forget what we cannot forgive ’ —  ). for kovu many of the animals reacted to the scar on his face in disdain. now granted , leona in one of his lines says a scar is a sign of bravery back at his home and that may very well be true because why not? each scar has a story to it , and naturally i would hope that we learn more about that scar on his face.

however , i wonder if he is really being honest here because not only do we consider how night raven college reveres disney villains as far as taking a revisionist route , but whereas scars may be a symbolism of bravery , the question of interest is where that scar is located. the same place as the king of beasts ( he even mentions the king of beasts in that line as well ). we know night raven college’s view point on the king of beasts , but we also don’t know afterglow savanna’s view point of the king himself considering the dude left a real negative impact as demonstrated by how others reacted to kovu in the sequel , even noting the scar itself and his resemblance to the villain. that in turn would also come to worsen or further affect how leona is perceived or treated back at home. maybe the story behind leona’s scar could be tied to cheka and why cheka looks up to his uncle so much , maybe the story is that leona got into a fight with farena , maybe something else that could’ve been an act of bravery and it is just an unfortunate coincidence to end up on his left eye of all places , or maybe just i’m looking at this too deeply and it’s just a shallow pond.  

[skarlr]

@unblot​ : jack enters the botanical gardens with the intention of tending to his cacti however he very quickly finds himself distracted from his task when he finds his dorm leader snoozing in a spot of grass not far from where he'd stored his cacti. leona is in his way & because jack has no fear whatsoever he moves to lightly nudge the other with his foot. "move."

            may have been tricky to catch , but leona’s ears twitched. not at the light nudge , but rather at the voice instantly recognizing it and prompting a mix of a yawn and a groan. his eyes remained shut , pulling away a little from the fresh baby’s foot and curling tighter into a ball. “ gruughh... don’t want to ... leave me alone ... ” he was too , too tired! ah , body sluggish , muscles not budging , and the grass smelled extra nice today—! all accompanied by the perfect temperature that the botanical gardens always had—!!! so perfect , this time within TWO SECONDS he beat his record : “ —z z z z z z z ~ ”

[skarlr]

@theshytigergirl : Oh dear, looks like a lion was asleep in the gardens again. At least that was what it seemed like with his tail sticking out of a couple of bushes. Noah sighed as she kneeled down, her tail swaying as she gently poked the tail. “Leona, your tail is sticking out, if you’re not careful it’ll get stepped on.” She warned.

          a low bestial growl rumbled from beneath the bushes and the tail immediately was yanked into it. the branches , stems and leaves rustled as leona emerged his head groggily. peeved eyes fixated on noah and he yawns , sharp feline fangs elongated and nose bridge scrunches up before contorting back. “ oh , no one in their right mind would step on it. ” a pause to mull over his choice of words. a look of doubt now flickers in his facial features , “ ...never mind , t’sh. better you than that rook guy or that old bat. ” he flicks his wrist , motioning for her to leave him be , “ anyways , my tail is in and it’s time for me to get back to sleep. off you go , tora-chan. ”

[skarlr]

i’ve mentioned this in the tags of my post about him and farena , but it really kinda haunts me thinking about how leona MIGHT just well want to be king for the wrong reasons. a major want being that he will get that ‘love’ , ‘admiration’ , and ‘acknowledgment’ for his hard work and talents he never received as a child. without a doubt it gnaws at him , it clearly has affected him negatively growing up to the point of ‘motivation’ stems from being belittled , talked down to and threatened ( as in not being allowed to nap ) -- that is what he thinks it is or is moved by which is pretty yikes in itself and very telling of how his childhood has come to affect him. if he were to be king all of a sudden , it is a high chance he will be miserable still -- being born first , or being next in line to become king is not a guarantee of happiness because :  1 ) it is not all you think it is to be with how great of a responsibility it is and the mental stress that will come of it.    2 ) depression just doesn’t go away the moment you get something you want , it will linger , it will haunt you. it can always be treated and there will be different ways to cope for different people , but it cannot be cured. 3 ) the future is unknown -- he won’t know what will come.

and maybe this next point that makes me think -- his dislike for his unique magic because of the drought-aspect to it , him saying he hates droughts which is haunting when you look back to the lion king movie how the state of the pride lands becomes under scar’s rule. it becomes a wasteland , a drought void of life and color. part of me wonders if there is another layer of complications with leona -- there is the matter of your talents never amounting to anything because of your birth , and the possibility of there being a matter of his own unique magic being a sort of thing that poses an ill omen of sorts. not only is he not next in line , but he wants it for potentially the most wrong reasons , and then there is this underlying fear of not even being enough still. maybe he knows he still won’t be loved because look at what a horrific thing he can do if it goes unchecked. but that latter point is more so rambling , not really substantial with how little of the game there is out now and i have a selective memory of a goldfish. if anything , it’ll be more of a headcanon thing depending on how leona develops throughout the game.

[skarlr]

doodlesuit​.

          “    leona!    ”   stress  blatant  in  how  his  brows  are  furrowed.   it’s  from  the  underclassmen’s  chatter  back  at  the  dorm  that  he’d  heard  of  problems  caused  to  those  in  savanaclaw,   enough  for  him  to  go  on  their  behalf  before  riddle  finds  out  or  anyone  else  makes  a  fuss.   “    i  wanted  to  apologize   —   i  heard  some  1st  years  gave  you  and  your  dorm  members  some  trouble.    ”   trey  laughs  out  of  habit  from  the  tension.   had  they  even  spoken  since  the  magift  tournament?   “    i  hope  it  wasn’t  too  bad…   you  know  how  things  can  be,   yeah?    ”

            the prince was feeling miffed that day . evident of the scowl tugging at the corners of his lips. at trey’s holler , he pivoted on his heel turning sharp with hair whirling soft and bright green hues locking onto the heartslabyul student. breath hitched in chest lessened and expelled through his nostrils. the sharpness in his eyes dulled as they eased into that lethargy not so foreign to the dorm head. “ oh , it’s you. ” he folded his arms , head tilting and no hint of tension from his end -- just an indifference as if what happened since the magifit tournament never did happen. or so it seems , “ t’sk -- it would’ve been harmless if the guys from my dorm didn’t get so riled up easily by your end. shouting and yowling at one another ; looks bad and disrupted my good shut-eye time. whatever , as long as the heartslabyul herbivores don’t mess around with them again , no big deal. ” and oddly enough , kingscholar was noticeable looking the other over. a hint of surprise on his end , finally something else other than surprise -- “ to think you went out of your way to apologize... ”

[skarlr]

tsukimyo​.

“   leona - senpai,   how   !   how d'you do that?!   ”      damn it   …   he’s so cool   …   every day i ask myself why i’m not in savanaclaw   …           

             “ ahh ~ ! calm down , epel , you’re not a child! ” but yes , do praise me -- leona would not visibly admit it , he was quite proud of that ‘impressive’ trick he successfully executed. maybe his lips twitched little in pleasure , but if maybe so , then the prince was all too quick to hide it. with confident laze laced over his tone , he continued: “ and it’s all about using your head. athletic skill is one thing , but you need the intelligence to think and strategize to make best use of it. think , plan , and practice. ”

[skarlr]

OLD BAT.

the truth is this: it’s basically some sort of energy drink. it’s an attempt at helping silver stay awake through his exams this year by someone with more magical experience than the boy in question.

but with leona’s reaction to the potion and lilia’s description of the taste, well… you can’t blame an old man for having a little fun terrorizing someone who only recently tried to harm him and his. “ why, it’s almost like you think i would be so brazen as to try to poison you publicly, leona. ” no last name. no title. no respect. just a pointedly-casual address to someone who is no more than an infant in lilia’s eyes.

eyes narrowed, his lips pull into a pseudo-sweet smile. “ it might help you stay awake to do things for yourself for once. ”

             emerald hues narrowed as well , but they were not followed by a feigned grin however. leona would not budge , not in the slightest , not wanting to drink suspicious potions from old bats with a pension of terrorizing whomever crossed them and their cubs. regardless if the potion was ultimately harmless , leona would not trust lillia’s cooking ability because . . . his nose wrinkled at lillia’s nonchalant demeanor and at the odor only a keen nose as leona’s could pick up with his heightened senses. he pinched his nose , scooting away further from the potion , “ as if staying awake is the real issue here , i don’t need anything from you to ‘help me’ in that department ; TRY HARDER -- ” he snarled under his breath , feeling the effects of his sensitivity , “ -- it REEKS , ugh , smells like sweaty socks right after gym! ”

[skarlr]

@heartshocked​ : “ i'll share the joke and we'll laugh together, then. ” something about the glint in his unmatching eyes coupled with that small, wry smile might make one uneasy.

             “ hou , are you that confident it’ll make me laugh? ” teeth bloom into a smile with feline fangs peeking so slightly. leona leaned forward onto the long desk , perching with elbow propped and hand nestling underneath his jaw. however , in spite of his mellow posture and demeanor , he was not expecting anything charming out of the eel. leona gave him the time of day because jade could not stop laughing hence could not let him sleep. “ go ahead -- i’m listening. ”

[skarlr]

@storyteller-prince​ : "Happy birthday, oji-tan!" Cheka ran over and hugged his uncle as best as he could. After he was done with his hug, he glanced up at him. "I'm sorry, oji-tan, that I didn't get anything for you right now but.." he seemed determined, "if you want anything, tell me! i'll get it for you!" Honestly, he just wanted his uncle to be happy.

             birthdays were peculiar holidays to him their purpose being to celebrate one’s birth -- maybe it was no secret of how he feels ; the abhorrence of second born scarring him since he could remember and begin comprehending what the difference between acknowledgment and neglect were. remembering himself finally comprehending the immovable weight from his head and shoulders , the pit in his stomach and how he becomes void of all emotion as it grows. as it aches and sting , sending ripples of heat up his abdomen. how almost all good memories just seem to fade from an existence leaving him caged and chained to pits of melancholia he never seems able to shake. leona offered no signs of irritability , no signs of annoyance , no signs of discomfort or a need to recoil. all he did was downcast his sights onto his nephew , the next in line for the throne , and stare almost emptily with barred pupils. 

it was not as if he hated his birthdays. far from it actually ; he likes the attention , whatever little he can get he never could before. it was an easier pill to swallow whenever he celebrated it at the night raven college away from his family ; away from any triggers that leave a bitter , acidic taste in his mouth refusing to even spare his own servants a glance in spite of perhaps knowing he was only digging himself in deeper. and even now he feels this sensation in spite of its shallowness. he never looked away from cheka as the little kitten hugged him -- hugged him as tight as he could as if leona would slip away if he didn’t. it was not off the table , that is , that maybe leona was aware of how much cheka looked up to him , of how much hurt he might have felt with his elusive uncle that he never seems to stop adoring.

all of which sometimes leaves a sort of guilty pang in his chest , and such guilty pangs he cursed as well as scoffed at with indefinite disgust. a disgust that was weak , choked and acidic , stinging the stomach and the eyes as he feels himself suddenly wishing to drift into sleep. “ ...maybe someday we can laugh together , ” cautiously he spoke , as if he was fearful , as if he felt like he was deluding himself , “ you don’t have to get me anything , ” -- he wanted that crown , but -- “ i don’t know what you could do for me , so just do whatever you think is best , ehn? surprise your oji-tan. ” careful now , before it all starts crumbling ( before if there ever is a day cheka would regret it all ) . leona breathed softly , deeply , letting the crisp cooler air of the savanna fill his lungs and mellow his muscles. his hands faintly quake as they relax on cheka’s head , caressing and patting the child’s head with a tenderness that takes a toll on his fatigue -- “ you’re a smart child after all , someday you won’t have to worry about such trivial things. ”