take me as i am

kovu morake. lawyer. rightful heir.

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

KOVU LYONS MORAKE

"we're the underdogs in this world alone, i'm a believer, got a fever running through my bones. we're the alley cats and they can throw their stones; they can break our hearts, they won't take our souls…”

Nicknames: N/A Pronouns: He/him Sexuality: Bisexual Magic status: Mundus Nationality: British Ethnicity: Black Accent: English (London, sorta posh, but some Liverpool sneaks in there sometimes) Height: 6’1 Build: Lithe and muscular Skin tone: Dark Eye color: Very dark brown Hair color/length/style: Black, close shave to the head, but he grows it out sometimes Tattoos/piercings/daily jewelry: None. Occupation: Lawyer at InterPride; Master's Student at Pride University in Magick-Mundus Law Relationship Status: Single What would you find if you Googled them?: Socials, nothing much else. Maybe some Oxford articles mentioning him due to his student government work/sports. What natives would know about them: Nothing, as far as anyone in town knows, he's brand new and has no connection to Swynlake.

biography $ character sheet $ instagram $ inspiration

[roasty-toasty-morake]

In another life | Nuvu

[roasty-toasty-morake]

What the fuck was that?

Nuka had talked about these dreams with Drizella and figured that was just that... and then this insane one happened and Kovu died! Actually died! Did these dreams manifest horrible thoughts? Did his anger before slipping into this dream cause... that?

Nuka stumbled out of his bed and threw on a tank top and some sweats before he stormed out of his apartment to go find Kovu's. He needed to just quickly confirm that his idiot brother was fine.

It didn't take him long, he was in the same building after all, but he made it to Kovu's floor and knocked on the door rapidly three or four times. "Open up Kovu!" He called out, stepping back to wait for the door to finally swing open.

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

This wasn't Kovu's first Swynlake dream.

That had been whatever that dragon thing had been earlier this year. Not that he had complained, really. He'd been a dragon rider and that had been cool. For the most part, he'd stayed out of the drama. In that dream, he'd just wanted to escape.

In this recent one, he'd just...wanted to prove himself.

Ever since the crash had happened, Kovu had felt conflicted. Part of him wished that he was more like his brother and sister. Hardened and focused on the goal. They were clear-minded. Whereas, the longer this went on, the more confused Kovu felt. The people in this town were...kind. He was friends with some of them. He liked his coworkers.

What would people think of him when he usurped Simba?

And then he felt guilty for thinking that at all. His mother hadn't raised him to be a scared kid. He had been raised a soldier and he had to toughen up or he was going to ruin everything his family had been fighting for. It would be pointless without him.

When he'd woken up from the dream, he hadn't, really, been surprised how it ended--though he still felt empty in his chest. For a few moments it hurt to breathe, like his ribs were really broken. Then, he remembered, they were bruised from the car accident. He rubbed a hand over his chest and wanted to fall back asleep. Nightmares on weekdays were a specific kind of hell.

He had just drifted back to sleep when there was pounding on the door. Kovu jumped up, switchblade he kept beneath his pillow winking in the early morning light. It took his sleeplagged brain a moment to realize--

It was his brother.

Part of Kovu didn't want to open the door. Was Nuka here with another lecture? But, then again, if he was so panicked...maybe something had happened. To their mother? Their sister?

Kovu pulled on sweatpants and grabbed a t-shirt, pulling it over his head as he made his way to the door.

"What the fuck is wrong?" Kovu bit out. "It's, like 5am."

[june-von-drake]

By The Hour Of Nine || Juvu

[june-von-drake]

Yeah, she got it.

She didn't bring up those last few seconds of normalcy to hold Kovu to his half-hearted plea for... June didn't know what to call it. The question had pissed June off anyway. She remembered that. She remembered the anger, red-hot, she remembered the feel of the pedal bending under the weight of her foot, and she remembered the unicorn most of all-- how it had turned its face toward the car and looked right at her. Right at her.

That was the last thing she remembered.

She hadn't demanded Kovu meet her so they could replay it. She wasn't holding Kovu to anything. Whatever had been going on in the car before she crashed it had been crushed on impact. Obviously.

She just wanted answered to her questions.

"Don't worry Kovu, I didn't text you because I wanted you to sign my cast," she said, letting all her pent-up frustration bleed through the words. Her cast hung limply at her side, like the arm was already dead.

She took a step forward though. "I want to know what the hell-- no, I deserve to know what's going on with you. That man you handed me off to practically threatened me on the way to the hospital, which, by the way, is the second time I've been threatened by someone you know, if we're counting your insane brother cornering me at Pride U. So now I'm lying to my sisters, I lied to the doctor-- because you asked me to. So-- why? Why am I lying, who were those men-- who are you?"

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Kovu's eyes flickered to her cast when she mentioned it, outfit in bright yellow. It was hard to miss, but Kovu had been purposefully avoiding looking. Seeing it made something drop hard into his stomach. His guilt, physically manifested. That wasn't her playing arm, was it?

(He knew it was.)

He glanced away again, out over the lake. If he had kept looking at her, he would probably fall to his knees and beg for her forgiveness. He knew it was pointless. She wouldn't forgive him. He didn't deserve it. And, at the same time, he was the son of Zira Morake. He still had his pride. Even if it was very much in tatters at the moment.

Kovu drew it around himself like armor to stay standing.

"It's complicated," Kovu said, taking a breath and holding up a hand--he could see on June's face she wanted to argue immediately. "And it is dangerous for you to know the answer to that question. So, I am going to tell you what I can, without putting you in danger. Again.

My family is--"

Kovu had never had to explain it. What was he supposed to say? Justifiably angry. Seeking revenge. That felt better than the truth, which was that they were drug dealers. Criminals. Scratching at the dirty underbelly of the world, trying to get out.

He just wanted to see the sun. And he couldn't do that until the Lyons were dealt with.

"They're complicated. There are people in Swynlake who...have wronged my family. And my family has spent over a decade trying to...get justice. They haven't always...done so legally. And they won't hesitate to...dispatch anyone in their way. Okay? I wasn't...exaggerating when I said it was dangerous to keep this up. My mother doesn't take kindly to anything she sees as...a distraction." Kovu's eyes flickered, unknowingly, to June's lips, then back up to her eyes.

@june-von-drake

[june-von-drake]

By The Hour Of Nine || Juvu

[june-von-drake]

June wondered if there was some word out there for a moment like this-- when the last time you saw someone, they'd been covered in blood and you didn't know if it was your blood or their blood and they were touching your cheek and you were crying and looking at them like they were the edge of the cliff-- and then all of a sudden, that moment had turned into now, and they were in jeans and you were in your favorite trainers, and they were scoffing at you because they couldn't take a joke you made, like you were back in their kitchen goading them about their picky eating habits.

There was probably a word for that, right?

There must be. Writers had words for everything, but June wasn't a word person-- she didn't even consider herself much of a book lover. She did like reading-- but the only books she bothered with had been written hundreds of years ago. She believed that most important thoughts had already been thought and written down by then. Why bother with Emily Henry when she could be reading Shakespeare?

But she hadn't found a word in any ancient philosophy text to describe how she felt right now... like she had found herself in a movie and Kovu was scolding her for not knowing her lines, when he hadn't even sent her the script.

"I am serious," she said, eyebrows twitching up. "Is that not what this is? You're the one who wants us to sneak around like this in the first place. Wasn't that what you asked me to do before--"

Her sentences ran right into that edge of the cliff.

"...You know." She tossed her hair.

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Kovu sighed harshly, running his hands over his hair and then down his face. He looked up at the sky, contemplating asking God what the fuck? But he knew the big man wouldn't answer. Kovu wasn't even sure there was a god. Or gods. Or whatever.

The whole world was just one big cluster fuck and you were lucky if you made it to old age without dying early or hurting other people.

Kovu had already fucked up on one count. And the way he was going, he was probably gonna be dying early too.

He didn't want to look at June. If he looked at June, he'd have to remember the last time he saw her. And if he remembered the last time he saw her, he might start crying.

Or he'd kiss her.

Both very bad options.

Instead, he looked off into the middle distance, out across the water.

"Yeah, but--things are different now. Obviously. I mean--you get it at least, right?" He hoped she'd just...figured it out and he wouldn't have to say anything to her. It could just remain this dark, unspoken thing between them. And made she'd drift away and that would be for the best. Or they'd keep sneaking around...

Kovu had no idea how this ended. The other half of the chessboard was shrouded in darkness. He had no idea how many pieces fate even had on the board.

@june-von-drake

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Time To Prove Yourself & [Kovoux]

[roux-clochard]

Message received, all across the board. Roux gave a nod. "O' course, mon frere. You're more dan welcome t' have a look." He gestured for Kovu to follow him. "Righ' dis way."

He headed back to the bar. The watch was safely in his pocket, but it would be easiest to slip it to Kovu from behind the bar. Though he continued to play along with the top shelf cover at first, pointing up to the rare vintages on offer there.

"So up dere, dat bourbon on de end is a recent acquisition. An' next door is a real fine brandy, one o' de best I've had. An' dere's even a high end sake if dat's more t' your taste." He turned back and glanced as unassumingly as possible at Kovu. "Unless you'd prefer me t' whip up somethin' special, jus' for you?"

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Kovu nodded at the other people at the table and then got up, following Roux toward the bar.

He slid easily into one of the bar stools. Nothing about the alcohol really made sense to him, considering he didn't drink it. It didn't matter either. That was not what he was here for. And they both knew it.

"Sure, why not?" Kovu said with a little smile, his eyes twinkling. "I'm willing to pay."

Besides, he wasn't gonna drink it anyway.

@roux-clochard

[perfectisgeorgette]

opportunity seeker | Kovette

[perfectisgeorgette]

“Oh I have to keep those bar crawl secrets close to my chest Kovu!” Georgette joked across to him. “Secrets like that stay safe with me!”

It was all a joke. If he did ask for real Georgette would let a little bit slip! Like how Crystal confessed her love for James right there on the curb!

The offer though was what she needed! Gossip could wait!

“Anything would work!” Georgette lied a little bit. There were specifics she would like to stick with but she didn’t want Kovu to label her picky just yet! “Is there anything to do with the Blue Caps? Is there an organization or something I could reach out to on their behalf? One of our partners maybe?”

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Oh yes, Kovu was very familiar with secrets. He kept plenty close to his own chest. But how true was it when Georgette said it? There was a difference between bar crawls and the kind of shit his family got up to.

Still, they needed allies everywhere they could get them.

"Huh, you know what? I'm not really sure," Kovu said, leaning back. "There are certain Magick Rights groups that have gotten involved. I don't know if the Blue Caps have anyone in particular. They don't really have much money, so people are raising funds for them. Hey, maybe that's an idea? You could talk to the grant department, see what is out there."

Georgette was the perfect, pretty kind of person to swindle money out of rich donors.

@perfectisgeorgette

[the-little-prophet]

Death of a Unicorn || OPEN TEXT

[the-little-prophet]

Charlie: i doubt that

Charlie: if swynlake is cursed and im like 99% sure it's cursed, that curse won't lift unless we do something. we should probably start making reparations to the forest now. OR catch the bastard who did this!

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Kovu: Reparations?

@the-little-prophet

[june-von-drake]

By The Hour Of Nine || Juvu

[june-von-drake]

Kovu had ignored her first few texts.

Which was extra rude, considering June had a concussion and she wasn't even supposed to use her phone.

She wasn't surprised, of course. After he had shoved her into the getaway car (a literal getaway car), she had this twisting feeling in her gut that she might never see him again. She could blame that feeling on adrenaline, the concussion, her blood loss, or the trauma-- or she could look at the evidence. She replayed their conversation from that night before, circling over particular phrases Kovu had offered as explanations, but really only confused her more. His mum was "strict." She had "high expectations."

Was Kovu like...in the mob?

She should know if he was in a mob. Especially now, considering...what happened.

So, she threatened to show up at his apartment if he didn't answer/talk to her, and that finally squeezed a response out of him. She went on a walk around Atlantis, then lingered on the far side, waiting for Kovu to show.

Eventually, he did.

"Very impressive rendezvous point," she drolled. Her eyes drifted toward his arm, where he had been bleeding. Or, she thought...there had been so much blood everywhere. She wasn't really sure where the wound had been. "At least, considering Swynlake doesn't have any parking garages."

[outfit]

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Yeah, Kovu was ducking June's calls.

Not, necessarily, because he didn't want to explain this all to her, because he probably (definitely) should. It was more that...he didn't know what to say. How much to tell her that would keep her out of trouble, keep his family safe from the police, and convince her that this shit was serious and she couldn't keep fucking around.

He'd finally responded, told her they could meet up. No fucking way was he putting any of this in writing.

Then, he'd been jittery and anxious until it was time to meet. He paced around his office. Wondering what her reaction was gonna be. Not believe him? Horrified? Wanting to go to the police? Would she be afraid of him? Would she never want to talk to him again?

His heart panged at the thought.

There was nothing for it now, he supposed. He'd rather see her alive and hating him, than dead.

"Oh please," Kovu said, huffing at her remark. "Be serious."

That was one problem with June: she hardly ever was.

[outfit, but with the sleeves rolled down to cover his forearms]

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

It's Not What It Looks Like & [Shadow Princes]

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

@shadowofwynter

Kovu had been wound tight. And he was trying to avoid...well, everyone. His last few weeks had been absolutely shit. Between totally wrecking his brother's car (and his relationship with his brother.) Nearly dying and nearly getting June killed.

Then, actually dying in one of those fucked up dream scenarios.

He didn't know what that meant. If it meant anything at all. The information he could find on the subject was vague at best. Saying shit like "If the dream resonates with you, maybe Swynlake is trying to tell you something."

Kovu was half sure Swynlake was telling him to go fucking die.

He'd spent another night, sleeping restlessly. Which meant he'd gotten up early and gone for a long hard run, until his legs were nearly giving out. He came back to the house, quiet, so as not to wake up Dae. Showering, he wrapped a towel around his waist and headed to the kitchen, looking for something to snack on. He didn't think he'd be able to go to sleep.

It wasn't until he turned around, banana in hand, that he noticed Dae sitting in the dark.

"Jesus fucking hell," Kovu cursed, nearly dropping his banana in surprise.

[outfit is just a towel around his waist 😏]

[the-little-prophet]

Death of a Unicorn || OPEN TEXT

[the-little-prophet]

Charlie: maybe not technically but i feel like there's enough evidence... i mean, don't you think it's better to be safe than sorry??

Charlie: like it might have already started!! it felt like really weirdly hot today dont you think? that might be the start!

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Kovu: Hasn't it been really hot? Like...all summer?

Kovu: Either way, I don't think it'll be the end of the world...like...maybe it'll suck for a few days, but it'll blow over.

@the-little-prophet

[the-little-prophet]

Death of a Unicorn || OPEN TEXT

[the-little-prophet]

Charlie: I wish it wasn't. But just look at all the historical records. I'm sure you can even find testimonials of horrible events that affected certain communities. Like, I just did a Google Search and some people think this shit is biblical, mate, like tied to the plagues in Egypt.

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Kovu: Yeah, but people just think that. Like it's not proven.

@the-little-prophet

[the-little-prophet]

Death of a Unicorn || OPEN TEXT

[the-little-prophet]

Charlie: Did you see the news???????? The UNICORN? Oh my god this is so fucking bad so so fucking bad this is it

Charlie: this is how the end of the world starts!

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Kovu: I'm sure that's not...really a thing. Right?

@the-little-prophet

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Grab a Beer and Tell Me Your Troubles & [Konny]

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

@poor-princejohn

Kovu had had a very, very shitty two weeks.

First, he'd killed a bloody unicorn. Got his friend hurt. Totaled his brother's precious car. Had to cover all that up so it didn't ruin his mother's plans. Got chewed out by Nuka. Got told it would be better if he fucking died.

And he was starting to believe it.

Maybe he wasn't meant for all of this. Maybe he was just the thing that set his mother on her path. He wanted to fade into obscurity. He wanted to grovel at the feet of his mother, ask her for him to do anything else, be anything else.

But he wouldn't do that.

So, instead, he stared into his club soda, wondering what would happen if he exchanged it for a vodka soda. Or a whiskey on the rocks, like his father used to drink.

He sighed as his stool was jostled, Johnny climbing up next to him. They had agreed to meet at the Court after work. Kovu didn't want to party. He wanted to mope. And what better way to do that to some beautiful, jazzy live singing?

"Hey," Kovu said, sourly, when Johnny sat down. "Whatever you want, just put it on my tab."

[outfit]

[headless-bram]

A Tale of Meredith || Brovu

[headless-bram]

A hospital visit.

An ass chewing.

Two things he did not expect to happen because what the hell. Sure destruction of property was bad…provoking a ghost when he is untrained…also bad. Still…the story he uncovered sounded most plausible.

Kovu was not like his friend..nor the Holmes to his Sherlock. They did tackle the first part of this whole thing and Bram needed someone to run all this by. Explaining this to June…nah or April? No way.

In a quick text he asked if Kovu had time to meet up after rehearsals.

They didn’t need to go to the cemetery. Bram wasn’t sure he was ready to even go back in there after what just happened. Shit…he didn’t even know if Kovu had heard…fuck.

“Aye man!” Bram said with a toss of a two fingered wave. “I think I uncovered some more shit about Layla I was hoping to run it by you.”

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Kovu was wondering what Bram wanted to talk to him about.

The whole situation with Layla's ghost had had him shook. He constantly glanced over his shoulder, paranoid, so sure that she was gonna pop right up in front of him. He was equal parts terrified and intrigued. An annoying characteristic of Kovu's.

He wouldn't count himself particularly smart, but he did love a mystery.

So, he hoped that Bram needed him for something else. That Layla had settled down as a ghost and run back to the mausoleum to await her eternity. But Kovu's luck was never that good.

"Oh? Really?" Kovu didn't have to feign interest. He was genuinely concerned about what was going on with that bloody ancestor of his.

@headless-bram

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Keep Up & [Henvu]

[ifonlysomeoneloved-henry]

It had taken a few trips back and forth to get everything there, but Henry was ready now, and even had time to straighten his tie a little before Kovu walked into the room.

"Ok," Henry said. Timekeep? He could do that, right? How hard could it be to keep an eye on the time! "I can type quickly enough," He said confidently, even though he'd never had to take minutes like that before. But how hard could it be, right? Just type down what was said, or near enough that he could remember the rest to add it later.

He wasn't about to allow Kovu an excuse to go off and find someone else to do this, and get the (admittedly very see-through) meeting room door shut in his face again.

"If you'd like I can also make sure I get some recording, so I can transcribe it later?" That seemed smart, right?

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

"No, we don't want the meeting recorded. Company policy with our law cases. There have been leaks before."

Or maybe it had something to do with the fact that Rodmilla Tremaine had something to do with Mufasa's death. Kovu had found that out via the grapevine that went: his father > his mother > him. She hadn't worked for InterPride, but she worked directly with them for many of their most high-profile cases.

Her reputation had sank with InterPride's. Only difference was InterPride bounced back.

"It'll be good practice for you note taking skills. Those can be important in courtrooms. C'mon, I see a few other people headed this way. We can talk more after, if you want."

@ifonlysomeoneloved-henry

[perfectisgeorgette]

opportunity seeker | Kovette

[perfectisgeorgette]

"I will never understand why people avoid the law offices. Its not like any of you are working cases against any of us! Plus maybe its because my father is who he is.." It was not a name drop at all. Thomas Midler was a huge lawyer in New York and had a reputation - Georgette did not want to us him to help her get anywhere here. This was all going to be her! "..I just think lawyers give some of the best advice!"

Also the best networking buddies. Always want one in your corner!

Which seemed to be exactly what was happening here! They had been working on their little relationship. Feeding it just enough chit chat to keep them both engaged where it wasn't random. Also knowing Kovu may come to her for something...like gossip or the know was such a compliment.

Georgette knew everything about everyone - or at least tried.

"How do you think I get my information though darling!" She laughed a little. "Have to make my rounds! If you want to know about who is dating who or who got a little too twisted at the last bar crawl I have it all saved in my notes app!"

This was not a gossip trip around the office though!

"Up to your eyeballs?" Georgette playfully gasped. "You have to let me help with something! I have put out a few press releases but I can do just about anything." It was more than a beg or just offering to offer. Georgette was going to get herself more involved...even if she had to be pushy. "Lay it on my Kovu darling. What can I do!"

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Kovu smiled, finding Georgette genuinely delightful.

And, he was intrigued to hear her father was a lawyer. Midler? The name sounded somewhat familiar. A lawyer in the States perhaps? Kovu hadn't put that together until now, when she clarified what her father did.

Interesting.

He supposed, for once, his intuition led him to the right place. Georgette could make a powerful ally.

"Well, now I kind of want to know who got drunk at the company bar crawl," Kovu teased. That wasn't the kind of thing he'd ever attend. Not just because he was sober, but because he hated a bunch of drunk people asking him questions about his sobriety.

"But--yeah. We can find you something, I'm sure. The law department has a decent amount of interns...but lemme think about it? What kind of stuff would you like to do? More office work or outreach or--?"

@perfectisgeorgette

[boointhenight]

Catch You on the Rebound || Boovu

[boointhenight]

There was something almost gentlemanly to the touch in a way that would have made her laugh in another moment. There was none of the inexperienced fumbling of the newbie, nor the frantic hunger of an impulsive hookup trying to rush to the main event. He teased and kissed and asked her questions that were just a little proper.

She deeply wanted to hear him swear, just see if he could fall apart even that little bit. What would it be like if he let himself let go?

Wet and breathing hard, she still grinned into the kiss. As if she needed much more than him agreeing to hook up to be ready these days. "If you don't have a condom on hand, I've got one in the drawer. I'd be happy to help you with it."

Deliberately, she reached in between them again and slid the zipper down until she could pull his hard cock free of the fabric to run her hand up and down it.

@whereforeart-thou-kovu

[whereforeart-thou-kovu]

Kovu did not have a condom on hand. He didn't hook up as much as people might think. Not that he minded it, he was just a relationship person, at the end of the day. He fell fast and hard. If he was in a relationship, he kept condoms on him, but otherwise, if he had a one night stand and didn't replenish--he might go a while without.

It was good to know that Mary was prepared, though, because at this point, Kovu didn't want to stop. Or even be that responsible. He wanted to fuck Mary and forget about all his other mistakes.

His answer to that and her touching him was to shudder, breathing a little harder. He tilted his head to bite at Mary's lips. She knew what she was doing, with a condom in the drawer it wasn't surprising, but it was delicious. He sucked on her lip before letting it go.

"O-okay, yeah. Let's--do that."

There was a bit of shuffling as they grabbed the condom, but then they were back how they'd been. Kovu's cock was still hard and aching, ready to be inside her.

@boointhenight