The Lyons Saga: Episode III: The Mandalorian Menace
@kovu-blackwell, @curiousxrr, @lou-bonfightme
When Kovu had come to him on the heels of his rejection from the Council with a mission on his lips, Simba had felt uneasy. It was hard to say why. A mission was the perfect thing to get the young Jedi’s mind off the defeat he felt at what had been told to him in the council meeting.
And still, Simba worried. He worried as he arranged for a ship and sent for Toulouse and Alice o accompany them. They would need back up, he had told a put out Kovu. They had no idea what they were about to walk into. As they were preparing, the Senate received notice of an unregistered ship dropping out of hyperspace near Hoth. It was as good a place to start as any, so they all dressed warmly and piled into the cruiser and Simba set the coordinates for Hoth. The ship jumped easily into lightspeed and as they cruised smoothly through the stars, Simba swiveled his chair to face the rest of his team.
“Now, we know there were at least two Mandalorians that kidnapped the queen, however we could be falling into a trap of more of them. Or, they were clearly hired by someone powerful and wealthy, so there could be any number of things that await us.”
“We should stay together and stay alert when we arrive,” Toulouse nodded in confirmation. “There is a possibility that they’ll be waiting for us.”
“Though, we can hope that we have the element of surprise on our side, eh?”
ZIRA:
Kovu had done as he had been tasked, as they all had been tasked, and Zira was both unsurprised and pleased. She stood now, just behind where Kovu sat on the couch in one of the rooms deep within the manor. Her hand was on his shoulder. In her other, she held the grimoire gently in her arms. Cradled like a child.
"As you know, your brother as succeeded in the mission that I had sent you all on." She let this comment hang in the air for a moment. "But, do not be worried. There are plenty chances at redeeming yourself. It seems that dear Merlin did not make breaking this spell easy." In fact, it was the most edited spell in the entire grimoire. Morgana trying over and over to break it.
"There are many objects that will need to be collected and people who will need to be discovered. I trust you are up to the task?" Her gaze flicked between Nuka and Vitani.
VITANI:
Vitani barely bit back her glare as her mother rubbed in that Kovu was clearly the Chosen One, yet again. God, it was exhausting. Of course the gimoire was in the Pride U library, of course Kovu found it because he was the one Mother had planted at the university.
That wasn't special. Vitani would have found it if she was the one at the uni, or Nuka.
She didn't hate Kovu and she didn't even hate Zira -- she could never, Zira was more than a mother, she was a god to Vitani even hundreds of years since being turned. What she did hate? That their mother had to rub in that Kovu was her favorite, shiny, new child.
She imagined she'd grow tired of that in a couple centuries. Vitani could tolerate that.
"Of course, Mother." Vitani said, in the spirit of powering through two hundred years of Kovu coddling.
NUKA:
There was irritation in Nuka's clenched jaw but other than that he was beyond relaxed. He didn't want to give Kovu anymore to brag about. Good for him. Just made him want to kill him even more and it was fun to imagine throwing Kovu through a couple walls and out a window.
As usual those thought just made it seem like Nuka wasn't mad on the outside.
"Of course Mother, surely we're at least capable of this small task."
KOVU:
Kovu sat comfortably on the couch in front of Mum, looking all too smug. Yes, he could see the irritation in Vitani's eyes and the tense way Nuka's jaw tightened. He'd learned to pick up on those habits over the decades. Which didn't take much, because it happened quite often.
He didn't blame them for clearly being jealous though. Maybe if they worked just as hard as him, they'd get the attention he got.
"Of course!" He leaned his head back on the couch to look up at Zira. "What all are we looking for and we'll get right on it." He looked back at Vitani and Nuka, smirking. "Right, guys?"
ZIRA:
"Of course, you are," Zira said, her voice confident. It was just enough to smooth Nuka and Vitani's ruffled feathers. She squeezed Kovu's shoulder gently before moving around to perch on the couch. Reverently, she opened the pages of the grimoire. The spine cracked deliciously and it fell open precisely to the page that she needed it to.
"It may not be so simple, little one," she told her youngest affectionately, appreciating his eagerness. "Some of these may, in fact, prove difficult. An Ambassador to the Underworld? The Fairy Queen. A dragon scale. The mythical knife sideris. There are simpler ones, too. Fairy dust is almost laughably easy to acquire these days. There is already an enchanted painting here in the house. A sorcerer's wand can be plucked with ease..."
VITANI:
Vitani cocked her head to the side and listened intently. Bloody hell, Merlin was a tosser.
“So are you delegating, Mother?” Vitani asked. “Or do you want all of us on everything?”
NUKA:
The ones that sounded difficult just made Nuka want to get them so much more. To be the one to show up Kovu. The younger vampire needed to be put in place.
"Or it's a free for all, whoever can get something easier just go for it." Nuka didn't want to plan even though he probably should.
KOVU:
Kovu could have laughed at these. For example - all he'd have to do is walk up to Tink and bat his eyes. Boom. He was sure to get some fairy dust that way. No compulsion even needed.
"I'm all up for a free for all," He said, smirking at Nuka and Vitani. "I've already got a few plans in mind since I'm so charming around town. Don't hurt yourselves keeping up."
ZIRA:
It pleased Zira to see them all so eager to carry out her plans. How patient she had been, raising these little soldiers. Now the fruits of her labors were finally beginning to play off. It was thrilling. It made her want to jump ahead, sink her teeth into the prize.
However, she had a thousand years of control, so she just breathed deeply, then smiled, ever so fondly at all of her children. "If you'd like to work it out amongst yourselves, I wouldn't be opposed, as long as everything is collected by the time we need it. Which appears to be...September 3rd, next year. So, plenty of time. I am sure you won't disappoint me." It was said affectionately, but there most certainly was the undertone of: or else laced through her words.
VITANI:
Vitani glared at Kovu but bit her tongue. She'd been alive centuries longer than him, knew her mother much better than he did, so she knew this was no time to put him in his place. Not in front of Mother at least. Give it a few centuries and he won't be such a shiny new toy anymore.
"We'll have it all before then." Vitani said with certainty she wasn't sure if she truly felt. "This is why you created us, it's the least we can do for what you've done for us, Mother."
NUKA:
Just under a year, for someone who had been with Zira the longest that felt so soon. Too soon. But that didn't mean he could get scared now.
What was the end of this, where would they be after. Their goal was so close and for a moment Nuka forgot all about Kovu until he zeroed in on his smirk and Nuka's own pride spiked. "I'm sure all your little connections will prove useful. Surely just as our more adult ones will be just as helpful as well."
KOVU:
Kovu's eyes darted to Nuka at his comment, his smirk falling. But only for a moment before growing back across his face, flashing his fangs. "I'm sure." He looked to Zira. "Don't worry, Mum. We won't let you down. We did learn from the best, after all."
He stood finally, an excited energy making his shoulders bounce now that they could get the plan really under way. He couldn't imagine waiting as long as any of them for this. Hell, even under a year felt too long to him. It was plenty of time.
"It'd be best to start with the easy stuff, get it out of the way and what not. Especially if its stuff that'll hardly be missed like pixie dust or even a wand. Stuff like that goes missing all the time. I think Pixie's is the best hunting ground, though the library is also a surprisingly good spot to hit too I think if you want to find someone alone and unsuspecting like young students."
ZIRA:
Zira stood as Kovu did, though she made a lap around the room. She touched Vitani's chin, lifting it so she'd look at her. "I created you because I was lonely and because I love you," she told her, her hand moving to tuck some of her pretty hair behind her ear.
She turned to Nuka next, moving behind the chair he was sitting on. Her hand trailed from one broad shoulder, across his neck, to the other. "You will all be necessary to complete our mission," she assured.
Finally, she came to a stop next to Kovu. Her youngest. Her most eager. The best of her, truly. She leaned in and kissed his cheek fondly.
"I don't doubt you will all do me very, very proud."
Simba was on his way to Chapter Three to grab Opal from Belle. Belle and Hades had an appointment for the twins and Simba had just finished a shift at Town Hall with Hades, so he’d offered to take her off their hands for a few hours. It was no skin off his nose. He adored Opal and hospitals were no place for a toddler as curious as Opal Acheron.
So, he’d burst into the shoppe behind Hades, who had said hello to his wife and then gone to the back to--Simba didn’t know...organize things--before leaving for their appointment.
“Hullo, Opal!” Simba bellowed as he bounded in. “Uncle Simba is he--oh!”
There was someone standing at the counter, chatting with Belle.
Simba blinked and the smile slipped off his face for a moment. Why did--
“Hello, Simba,” Belle said, much more evenly than his own entrance.
“Oncle!” Opal shouted, however, curling her little fists in the air, the same way Simba had done when he’d entered.
“Er, sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Simba apologized, his gaze sliding back to Belle as he shook off the odd feeling.
“It’s alright. Simba, this is--Kovu. We met at school. Kovu, this is Simba. He’s--a friend.”
Normally Simba would make some quip here--a family friend--but instead, he turned to this new fellow. “Kovu, you said? That’s funny. That was my great-uncle’s name. Is your family Kenyan?”
He knew there were other countries that spoke Swahili, of course, but--he was excited at the prospect of another Kenyan in town.
When one had endless centuries to live, certain rules must be followed. There was a decorum, an order to the life of a vampire, which separated them from less civilized Magicks--such as brutish werewolves. These rules were for the good of their kind. It meant that they had been bale to survive, flourish, even as other Magicks were mercilessly persecuted.
If you were a smart vampire, if you followed the rules, you were not in danger.
Zira knew these rules. She had written a few of them herself, they changed over the years to suit their society. For it was a society. One of the highest order.
Which was why she had come to Anthony Coleman’s door. She had known about him for a good while now, both in and out of Swynlake. Just as she knew about the Hauntleys (though, she would not expose herself or her family to them, as they clearly could not keep a secret. Their paths would cross eventually, but until then, Zira was not going to make the first move.)
The door opened to reveal a man, not unattractive (though, was any of their kind?) Zira smiled warmly.
“Hello, Anthony Coleman, yes?” She didn’t need an answer, she could hear the stillness of his heart. “My name is Zira Blackwell. These are my sons, Nuka and Kovu. We’ve just moved to town and are planning to stay a while.”
Interview with the Outsiders /./ [Simba + The Saudas]
@born-to-battle
@born-to-avenge
Simba had spent his first week at InterPride reviewing everyone’s personnel files. It was easy to skip over some of them--Zazu, for instance. That intern from New York, who’d simply transferred. But, it still left about twenty folders piled on his desk and left Simba feeling a bit cross-eyed by the end of the week.
The second week, he’d started calling people in to re-interview them. He knew he was going to have to let half of them go, at least--probably most of them and he hated it. Simba didn’t want to fire anyone. He didn’t want to distrust people for things that were not their fault.
He’d just gotten finished interviewing a man named Robert Parr, who Simba knew had three kids in town--knew that Kiara was friends with Dash, and Berlioz was giving JJ music lessons, and that they were good kids...and that was what made this so hard. He knew these people. He didn’t want to put Mr. Parr out of a job, because even with a severance package, where was that going to put his kids? One of ‘em was at PrideU, one of them about to start...
Rubbing his forehead, he leaned forwards in his chair and hit the intercom.
“Hey, Janet, send the next in please,” Simba told her and then leaned back, rubbing a hand over his face and then forcing a smile on his face as the door to his office opened and he stood up to shake the person’s hand.
