#cloudcalling

Leona: It's ancient stuff we're talkin' here, and I'm just as bored by it as you, so no complaining. The Sunset Warriors are guardians that protect the savannah and all who live there, namely the royals. Fiercest strongest, swiftest, "bravest", all that junk.

Shriek: You guys got your own army of a hundred beasts?! 😃

Leona: Basically.

Shriek: *immediately fluttering up to Leona* How many sieges have you held back? What kinda weapons do ya use? Do ya use Muay Thai? Lethwei? Pencak Silat? MMA? FMA?? Triple A???

Leona: Does that last one stand for "Triple Annoying" because that's what you're being right now. 😒 Not like we do much fighting anyway. Since we're in peacetime, all the usual duties have gone by the wayside.

Shriek: Aw, what??

Leona: Nowadays it's just a fancy title given to the winners of the tournament.

Lilia: Well isn't that nice? 😊 It's like the title is a symbol of peace.

Shriek: Ain't no such thing as a warrior that doesn't fight! That's an oxygen idiot!

Vil: Oxymoron, dear.

Shriek: Say that to my FACE, String Bean! 😤

Leona: Doesn't matter what ya call it, even if it doesn't have any purpose now, the title still conveys a great honor. Which is why you get hardy folks from all over the land comin' every year to add their names to the list.

Jack: I get you now... You want to be a Sunset Warrior, right, Leona? So you're gonna enter the Bead Brawl tournament!

Mahina: That's... surprising.

Leona: Nuh-uh, not me. Couldn't even if I wanted to. I'm not allowed.

Vil: *dryly* Pity. Whyever not?

Leona: It's customary for the younger sibling of the heir to the throne to be the Sunset Warriors' leader. So as the secondborn prince, that duty falls to me.

Jack: Gah! No way!

Grim: Leona's their top banana?!

Lilia: Ah, now it makes sense why you'd be barred entry. Any team with you on their roster would have a criminally unfair advantage.

Shriek: *high-pitched gasping as her wings and ears droop and her eyes bug out*

Leona: Kid, ease up. You're gonna pass- OW!!!!

Shriek: *pouncing on Leona* YOU WERE A LEADER OF A BATTLE BEAST CONVOY THIS ENTIRE TIME AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME SHIT?!? WE COULD HAVE BEEN GOING INTO BATTLE TOGETHER AND STORMING THROUGH THE GATES OF VALHALLA SHINING IN CRIMSON!!!

Leona: GET. OFF. *literally tosses Shriek up into the nearest palm tree where she continues to scowl at him like an irate little gargoyle*

Shriek: We coulda crammed in WAY more lethal takedowns in all our spars! We gotta make up for lost time! Show me the drills! C'mon!

Leona: That's exactly why I ain't advertising the title, bat brat. 😒As leader, I have the majorly boring job of giving the new members "guardian lessons." Rules and best practices for guarding king and country. Even gotta cover etiquette of all things...🤦

Jack and Mahina: Rules and best practices?

Vil and Lilia: Etiquette??

Grim: Leona???

Everyone except Shriek: *snickering and laughing uproariously*

Grim: Myahaha! You're the LAST person I'd ask to teach that stuff! 😆

Jack: *laughing before noticing Leona scowling in his direction* Erm, sorry, Boss.

Mahina: I'm not.

Leona: Hmph. Yeah. As you geniuses managed to work out, I'm ill-suited to the task.

Lilia: And I suppose the option to politely decline is off the table?

Leona: Oh, if only. 😑I blew it off last year. And I was planning to say I forgot again this year. But this morning a royal pain in the rear called to make sure I remembered. If I still refuse, there's no telling what they'd do. No more easy excuses for me...

Mahina: Wait, you blew off one of your royal duties? And you were going to just do it again this year without batting an eye??

Leona: Nothin' gets by you, huh?

Mahina: *feathers beginning to flare* Of all the...! You said foreign dignitaries show up to these things! How did you not cause an international scandal?!

Vil: Do your job, you cretin!

Leona: Do you have any idea how long and boring the lessons are? Makes me want a nap just thinking about it. But this is where you all come in.

Jack: You mean...

Leona: That's right. You jokers are going to win the Bead Brawl tournament for me. If students from far-flung Night Raven College win, we can pretend I did the lessons and no one will be the wiser, as long as we get our stories straight.

Jack, Vil, and Lilia: You SNEAK. 😲😲😲

Leona: Let's call it clever. I just hate wasting my time.

Shriek: Ohhh, I get it! You're gonna say you'll give us the regular lessons, when really you'll be giving us bonus secret premium lessons! 😀 Hell yeah, I'm in!

Leona: No, that's not what I-

Mahina: *feathers and wings all the way flared* YOU SLOTHFUL SANCTIMONIOUS SACK OF FECES!!! 😡😡

Grim: MRAAAH!!*gets flung up into the palm tree, knocking Shriek out of it and onto the ground with a squeak of shock*

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deuce + layouts

Thank you for your hard work, it's been very fun connecting to tumblr every day and getting all those twst goodies!

Hey!! No worries about the request, I'm happy you checked Alchemivich first :3 That's all I ask! Thank you <3 I'm glad my work is appreciated!

Grim sat on Kalim's lap on the way back to the hotel so that Shriek could sit in the car seat and rest for a bit. She was all set to fly back, but Leona didn't want to risk her nodding off and falling out of the sky.

That’s so cute, I’m sure Kalim is holding Grim steady so he doesn’t get car sick again too.

Here’s what I think the seating chart looks like;

We don't talk about Liongarb Kalim enough as a society

Kalim: *heading up the path with the others* Whoa, is this big building your house, Leona?

Shriek: It's solid stone! 😃 This ain't a house, it's a full-on fortress!

Leona: That's what it served as in centuries past, so yeah, it was built to be strong.

Kalim: So your family's in there? We should pop in and say hello! 😁

Leona: Don't. 😒 We ain't stickin' around either. I just gotta go and-

[[A little red-haired lion cub beastman comes barreling down the path]]

???: UNCA LEOOOOOONA!!! 😃😃😃

Leona: *immediately knocked off his feet by the flying ball of fluff* GAH!!! 😖😖

Vil: What the blazes??

Mahina: Wait, isn't that-

Shriek: CHEKAAAAAAAAA!!! 😃😃😃

Cheka: *looking up from where he's hugging Leona* SHRIEEEEEEK!!! 😃😃😃

Shriek: *squeal-laughing along with an equally giddy Cheka as she lifts him up and spins him around mid-air in a hug*

Kifaji: Young lady, your happiness is evident but I must insist you put Prince Cheka down!

Charles, Lilia, and Vil: Prince???

Shriek: *landing on the ground with Cheka* Yeah, Leona's brother's Cheka's dad!

Vil: So then this boy is...

Leona: My nephew. Real genius, you are. 😒

Cheka: Shriek, you and the other grownups I don't know are wearing a lion garb just like Unca!

Shriek: 'Course I am! We're all decked out for the Bead Brawl! 😁

Cheka: You get to Bead Brawl with Unca? Lucky! *smiles at the sight of Grim who he reaches out to cuddle* Griiiim! 😀

Grim: Ah ah ah! I can remember ya just fine without the huggin'!

Kalim: Oh, how cute! Hi there. I'm Kalim Al-Asim. I'm a friend of Leona's. 😁

Leona: Just gonna let that slide... 😑

Lilia: You can call me, Lilia! It's a pleasure to meet such an adorable little royal! 😊

Charles: Hi, Cheka. My name's Charlie. 👋🙂

Cheka: Unca's friend! Hiiii! 👋😄

Charles, Lilia, and Kalim: So cuuute!! 🥹🥹🥹

Cheka: *giggling as he latches onto Leona's leg* Unca, I'm so happy you're back!

Leona: *shaking his leg* Tsk. Quit clingin' to me like that! Knock it off! 😠

Vil: He pays no mind to Leona's scary demeanor and simply keeps running around at his feet. What an innocent child. I can hardly believe they're related.

Mahina: Yeah. It's almost surreal seeing them side by side.

Cheka: Unca, let's play!

Leona: *pushing Cheka back by the forehead with his fingers* We have to practice for the Bead Brawl today, then tomorrow's the tournament. After that we're going right back to school. Really, I wish we could play, but time's just not on our side. Tragic, I know.

Cheka: Whaddaya want to play first? Tag? Hide-and-seek? 😊

Leona: *blinking* Did you hear me, Cheka? I ain't playin' either of those. Why would I play such childish games anyway?

Shriek: That's fine. There's way cooler games we can play than that! Like Butcher Ball and Shaftlands Roulette and Coroner!

Charles: Those last two sound they lead into each other and I am not about that. 😥

Cheka: Hey, I know! I can come with you guys! 😃

Kalim and Shriek: Yeah!! 😃

Kifaji: Prince Cheka, you are forgetting yourself.

Cheka: Huh??

Grim: Ya just said he was Prince Cheka. 🤨

Kifaji: Exactly. *to Cheka* You are next in line to the throne of this country. You are not free to gallivant around a tourist destination.

Cheka: But I never get to go outside! 😟 And I never ever get to see Unca Leona! Please, please, pleeeease, Kifaji! 🥺🙏

Kifaji: Now, now, you know what happens to children who don't listen. They have to sing!

Cheka: Nooooo!! 😱Anything but that!

Kalim: Sing? 🤨 But that sounds fun.

Leona: You'd think so, wouldn't ya? It's a punishment. He makes you sing the most boring and irritating songs over and over again. For a kid who just wants to play, it's enough to make ya cry.

Vil: Sounds like you're speaking from experience.

Leona: Not like you'll ever find out.

Shriek: *whispering to Cheka* I can teach ya a trick to get around that... * fluttering over to Kifaji* Look, man, if Cheka wants to go with us than he should go! If you're worried about him, don't be. I can watch his back!

Kifaji: *hearing rapidly approaching heavy footsteps* I assure you that won't be necessary*

[[An extremely tall and muscular lion beastwoman with a large brown curly mane vaults over the nearest wall and flips in the air before landing in a crouch by the group, kicking up dust and leaving some cracks in the pavement]]

Grim: MRAAAH!! WHAT THE STARKISS?! 🙀

Mahina: The hell?!

Kifaji: *coughing* Halisi, have we not talked at great length about these needlessly dramatic entrances?

Halisi: *straightening up and chuckling with a big grin* Sorry, Kifaji! Just seemed like the quickest way up. 😅Hey, there he is! Jahi! Carla! I found him! He's over here by the front gates with... well, everyone!

[[A shorter, leaner rock monitor beastwoman with long, wavy black hair and a swampy green and yellow striped tail turns a corner, holding a spear over her shoulder ]]

Jahi: Told you he was gonna sneak past the substitute attendants first chance he got. Always something with that kid, I swear- oh damn, they're like here here. *sighs and braces herself* Alright, let's get this over with...

[[A tall and muscular hyena beastwoman with an auburn death hawk and a more ornate spear than her companion comes jogging up]]

Carla: Cheka! Cheka, sweetie, I know you're excited, but you can't go running off like that without telling anyone!

Cheka: *smiles and waves at the girls* Oh, hi! 😁

Leona: Took 'em long enough...

Mahina: *utterly speechless as she looks upon these three women, all of whom are wearing the same uniform she saw on the royal guards in the city*

Carla: *gentle sigh* What are we gonna do with you? *looking towards the other prince and bowing her head with a smile* Prince Leona, welcome home. 😌

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