#sunset savannah

𝐚/𝐧 : listen, LISTEN, i know i said i wasn’t gonna write for him but then i got heavily inspired and caved. i hope you enjoy this, precious person who has been asking about him! also let me know your guys’s opinions on my characterization and if you’d like to see more of twst!nala from me! :)

It's one of those places in TWST that gives me such a headache because how parliament and the economy work don't make any sense.

Like, how does SunSav survive as a country?

Is SunSav is supposed to parallel corrupt kingdoms in places like (apartheid) South Africa? Or the Congo? Because even corrupt parliaments have a modicum of order in how they're run. The government of SunSav just looks like a whole mess.

The WHOLE reason places on the Afrikan Continent stay corrupt and "3rd World" (which isn't even a real category mind you) is because their leaders are being paid off by 1st World countries like America, the UK, Germany, etc., etc. So like.

HOW do taxes work if all your people don't have jobs? How are you wealthy? How do you get things built if you hate modernity so much? Where is the money coming from? Where isit going? Is tourism the only thing keeping your country afloat if you don't allow factory extraction? If so, where's the commentary on gentrification? With there being such a horrid wealth gap, there HAS to be some level of extortion and slave labor. There HAS to be. You cannot have such a gap between Leona and Ruggie's realities without one abusing the other. It doesn't work like that.

Like.

A really, REALLY easy fix to this, because all the materials for all these cities has to come from somewhere, is:

You can have inside corruption with the Kingscolars being fat and happy figureheads of SunSav while there's another ring of politicians that ACTUALLY make the policy and sell out a specific area of SunSav to places like Pyroxene, the Queendom, and even fucking Scalding Sands. Places like Ruggie's hometown can then be Like That™ because they've been abandoned by the Royal Family because their neighborhood have literally been sold out as slave laborers that get paid pennies.

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. 😌

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here’s the post dedicated to the full outfit of my sona for the festival, I got inspired by a Liberian influencer style to create her outfit with a mix of Leona’s Lion garb outfit patterns + accessories plus some elements from Zira with the head piece placement. Also a hint at her culture with the choice of flower in her hair being a hibiscus flower. It was intended that she and Leona were to match for the festivities since they have been betrothed for the past few years now, it was Neji’s idea for them to match especially. Unbeknownst to him the two were actually not on speaking terms at the time lol.

Full outfit

OMG

OMG

I just realised why rook speaks french but comes from sunset savannah,

Certain places and countries in Africa speak French as one of their native languages

Rook is a character created for those people and also for white Africans