Our Future is Bleak

[Zorayda]

((first post guys! Oooooh I'm so excited! You ready?))

IC:


The small tawny cub looked out from under her shelter and gently sniffed the air. She'd learned that if one sniffs too hard, the smell of radiation and chemicals would linger in one's nose. She scented a faint wetness in the air...

Acid rain again.

At least it was nighttime. The sun's rays had blistered the young female's paws and burned her sensitive skin countless times. She was always wandering around with flakes under her fur nowadays.

Eeve, as was this cub's name, meandered out from under her shelter, her wide orange irises glowing along with the other splotches on her body. What was once the Sahara desert in Africa was now a barren wasteland of sand, metal, and radiation. The sun burned horribly in the day, and at night, it seemed the moon and stars were afraid to come out in the fog of poison, giving the animals no light to hunt or find food.

So they'd evolved. Eeve was a descendant of those lions that had developed bioluminescene--the ability to glow naturally. It gave her some kind of light to go by when the world blacked out at night. Her mother had died young from something that ate away at her insides, due to the poisonous radiation. It had given her strange lumps under her skin that kept getting bigger and bigger until they killed her.

Eeve shuddered with the memories, her tiny, skinny frame practically convulsing with the small movement. She stopped her train of thought and focused. It was time to hunt.

She padded out, hunting just as an adult would. This world had hardened her.

[Nakisisa]

(well here we go!)

It was night time, Odongo's favorite time of the day.

He had slept all of the day, which wile not unusual, Odongo rarely did it. he walked out of his cave, his home. the last memories of his parents and brother. the wounds of his loss were still recent.

Enough of the past... Odongo thought ...That holds only the bad memories, I must look to the future he started to walk, smelling the wind for food. Nothing. he decided he needed to run, so he did. he ran for a long time, more than any of his ancestors should have been able to, but he was able to as the radiation had affected all the remaining lions. They were all different and were all stronger than there ancestors. even some of them had powers... Mum had powers.... So did Dad. So where are mine?... Odongo was thinking again ...Where were Odion's? if he had them then maybe he wouldn't be dead now he was about to start crying when he saw a light in the distance. He stopped. Not a light, a glow. He knew exactly what it was.

He started to run again. he ran up the highest and closest rock he could find and he hid. his fur, like his fathers, was jet black. he love it as it helped him blend in. he saw a lioness walk out of another cave... ALONE... This was his chance. His first shot at speaking since his parents death about a month before.

he kept downwind and started walking towards the lioness, he could tell she was hungry. the way she was walking told him a lot. she was young and probably had no parents. They were alike in spirit and he knew it. Now then, how to approach a hungry lioness without scaring her? That's the Question. he started to chuckle, but kept tailing the lioness.

[Zorayda]

Eeve's super sharp hearing picked up the sound of someone or something following her. She twitched her ear slightly, but acted as if she'd heard nothing. If it was a predator, it was better that it didn't know she knew it was there so that the young glowing lioness had the benefit of surprise.

Her ears were on high alert, and she knew that her glowing body would be a beacon in the darkness, something that would make her easily spotted. It was the drawback to this power.

The not-quite-adolescent lioness felt the burn of the poison in her fangs leaking out in reaction to the adrenaline rush in her body. If needed, she would whip around and sink her venomous canines into the assailant's neck and let the poison immobilize and slowly kill them as they starved to death.

A quiet chuckle from the creature behind her set her heartbeat to overdrive, even moreso than it was before. She thanked whatever higher power there was for her ears. Eeve picked up her pace to a silent trot.

[Nakisisa]

Odongo watched as the lioness started to trot away more quickly than she had done before "No! Why are you running!" Odongo muttered quietly, And why do I care so much? he added silently in his mind. He started thinking about why she was leaving, his mind taking a million different routes to find the answer.
Finaly his brain kept coming back to one answer. "prey" he said aloud, slightly louder than he intended. He started at the lioness for a few seconds then caught site of something moving ahead of her, a gazell happens to wander I to view. Thats how you approach a hungry lioness without scaring her Odongo thought.

He ran, streight toward the lioness, using her as a light, he kept the gazell in his sights. Just before he hit the lioness he veered to the left, and carried on running until he was right upon the gazell, he jumped.
He hit his mark, his razor sharp teath sinking into the gazell's neck. The poor creature didn't stand a chance and dropped to the floor almost instantly. He was pleased with himself, another perfect kill.
"Hey, Yes you Lioness with the Glow. You want some food?" Odongo shouted happily. However a new smell filled his nose, something he had never smelled before. Yet it was strong. No time for that now, I must honour my parents Odongo thought. He had been raised by giving thanks for every meal, blessing the animals life that had allowed him to survive.

He began to speak a small prayer

"Gods above, thank you for providing me with this animal, thank you for providing this lioness with source of food, thank you for all you have done. Bless my Mother Jata, My Father Nakisisa and my brother Odion, let them know I miss them and I will always hold them dearely in my heart. In the eyes of the gods, to the ones I have loved and lost, Amina."
he oppened his eyes and looked up hoping to see the soft Glow of a lioness.

(To the memory of all those that have left, and to all those who have died for any reason, I dedicte this post to their memories)

[Zorayda]

Eeve snarled and whipped her head around when she felt the presence behind her leap straight towards her after saying something about "prey". She wasn't going to be a meal today, not ever. Her poisonous fangs were poised and ready to pierce the predator's skin when, suddenly, the presence veered away at the last second to pin down and kill a gazelle.

Gazelle! Heavens above, when was the last time she'd seen a gazelle? It was a rarity, an extreme rarity, and in fact Eeve was awed at the sight.

"Hey! Yes, you, lioness with the glow!"

Eeve's tawny fur stood on end, the glowing lights casting shadows that she hoped made her appear much more fierce than she felt. A growl played across her lips, long and unbroken.

"You want some food?"

The young adolescent female immediately stopped growling, aghast at such a question. Share food? Someone wanted to share food? With her?

Eeve was instantly suspicious and cautious, but she was so hungry...her mouth watered with saliva at the sight of so much food in front of her. When was the last time she'd properly eaten? It had been months since she'd actually felt satiated by a meal. Maybe years.

So she cautiously, slowly wandered her way closer, all the time defensive, as she listened to the black lion murmur some kind of strange prayer of thanks for the gazelle. She snatched a hunk of the gazelle's haunch and sat a good ten feet away from the stranger, eating while warily keeping her eye on him. She didn't speak yet; it seemed strange to use her voice after years of silence.

[Nakisisa]

(Darkness and hope)

The lioness accepted his offer, she cam close and took a piece of the gazell, without a word of thanks. He slowly followed suite by taking a piece of the gazell, but didn't start to eat it streight away, "So, No thank you then?" Odongo said allowed, "..." he was goig to continue but stopped in before he started. He had a thought, this is the first lioness I've seen in my entire life, well except mum ofcourse, I wound if she's nice?

He took a bite of the gazell, it tasted just as he always remembered, sweet and juciy witha slightly tougher skin. Amazing. He looked up and saw the lioness his mind started to wanderig again, until a strange smell entered his nose.
"Hey you smell that, something different from all the chemicals around, *he sniffs hard again*, and it smells strongest from your area. You have any ideas what it is?" he didn't wait for the lioness to respond before quickly speaking again. "But where are my manners? Names Odongo, the second of twins. What's your name? And why are you that far away from the lion that just gave you some food he didn't have to do?"

[Zorayda]

((OOC: Okay this is the last post for a few days, I swear! I want others to join in, but I don't want them to feel like they have to read a novel, lol. Naki, please don't post for a bit! *loves*))

IC:

"So, no 'thank you', then?" The black lion asked her with a bit of an amused tone. She ignored him but kept watching him as she ate. He let her eat in silence for a few minutes before talking again.

Then he sniffed the air strangely and asked her if she smelled it too, the strange smell. Then he introduced himself as "Odongo".

Eeve swallowed her mouthful of fresh gazelle meat and opened her mouth to speak. Her voice came out as a crackly, high soprano voice, a voice that would be attractive if it was used more often.

"I'm Eeve. My parents are dead. That smell you're smelling is poison, my poison. My teeth are poisonous." Her sentences were somewhat short and broken, due to lack of communication with others. "And I don't trust you yet," she said rather sharply, in answer to his last question. "Being safe."

She felt a tiny bit guilty for being so aloof to this lion, but her instincts screamed at her to be cautious. She didn't move from her place and continued stripping the gazelle's bones of the precious meat.

[Wacipi]

((RAWR! Let's get this show on the road!))

Shiriki's ears perked as the scent of meat filled his nose. He moved in closer to investigate. He heard talking. Maybe, he thought hopefully, they'll be willing to share. He approached the two cats, forcing himself to not be hostile to the strangers like he usually was. He stopped a few feet from them.
"Do you, perhaps," Shiriki asked, "have some to spare a small fennec?" The scent of fresh meat made his mouth water. "I don't need very much," he added, "just enough to keep me going for a couple days." He sat down, avoiding eye contact, awaiting a reply.

[Ushari]

Vizi close to the group, but out of their visibility. This was who she was, and she learned to live with it- even if she had laid on the gazelle, these fools would look right over her. But her power served her well, once, a time ago. It no longer served as well as it once had, but it still showed her possible talents, especially as a killer. Not the time to kill. You have to know when to kill, and when to sheathe your claws she thought. She knew what it was like to beg for food, and she didn't want to go back to that.

She put an unsheathed claw to the throat of the one that called himself Odongo, and showed herself to the small group. "You wouldn't mind if I had a bite or three, would you?" she asked menacingly

[Nakisisa]

(it's been a bit now, an thanks for joining us guys!)

"And I don't trust you yet," the lioness spoke,
"Ohh why not? Your the one with the poision, I've, got nothing." Odongo growled. "Knew we should have eat quicker, here come the scavangers."

you, perhaps, ... Hav some to spare a small fennec?... I don't need very much,... Just enough to keep me going for a couple days."
he was about to stand up an threten the fennce, all until he felt a larye weight on his back, closely followed by a single claw upon his throat. He turned his head slightly more towards Eeve than the fennce, but both would see Odongo wink slyily in their direstion.
"Ofcourse you can have something to eat my friend, take as much or as little as you need, Eeve, take another piece please." he quickly turned his attntion back towards he weight on his back.

You wouldn't mind if I had a bite or three, would you?"
"Ahh a panther. Brilliant." Odongo said a smile appearing across his face, this time there was no need to hide it, "unlike my friends, who I have said can eat, you have thretaned me and so I say you can't eat...." Odongoalso happened to love winding his attackers up, it was a gret feeling when they begged. "... Ohh where was I? Oh yes." his voice changes from the nice plesant sarcastic tone to a deep grovely thretaning tone. "there are twenty four ways for me to get you off my back, four will kill you, seven will break a/several bone(s) in you body preventing ou for attacking me or any of my friends, the others, while being in imense pain, you would atleast recover from more quickly. So what's your choice?" Odongo said, still smiling.

[Wacipi]

Seeing the cat who had appeared out of nowhere, Shiriki backed away. His tail sparked slightly, ready to go into battle. "Thank you for allowing me to eat," he quickly said. He tore into the dead gazelle's leg. His ears constantly moved, listening for an attack. He lifted his head, licking the blood off his muzzle. He sat down, with his head bowed.
"Thank you very much," he yipped politely, "I haven't had much in a few days." He watched each of them carefully.

((I hate writer's block...))

[Zorayda]

Eeve heard the fennec approach and immediately analyzed him as non-threatening, his size being small enough for her to forget about him for the moment. His coloring was quite unusual, however...something like a sunset with more blocky colors.

When the second one arrived, however, she could not see it. She hissed and whipped her head back and forth, following the sound of the invisible attacker. It appeared at her new acquaintance's side, threatening him with a claw at his throat. However, Odongo seemed nonplussed by the attacker, however, and made threats of his own.

Eeve didn't know how much she could take. She wasn't used to meetings with strangers, especially so many. She hadn't had real company in a long, long time, and the sudden atmosphere sparking with hostility was pushing her over the edge.

"ENOUGH!" She roared in a voice that sounded far too strong for her little body. Her venomous fangs were bared, her ears flat against her skull. The glow seemed to pulse stronger as her blood pressure and adrenaline rose. Eeve's orange eyes were alight with a frightening fury and panic at the threat around her.

She glanced once at her new...well, she wouldn't call them "friends", but Odongo and the fennec had proven themselves not to be enemies thus far. "Get off Odongo! We will share without such violence," Eeve barked, her eyes still blazing.

[xscar10]

In the year 2047
Moto awoke, he was spread across a table and his head hurt from being knocked out, but he knew he would live. He knew he was blind, yet he could still see the room he was in it was bright white, and was completely bare except a strange machine with lots of things coming out of it, it was in the shape of a circle and was laying flat on the ground.He could also see and hear a hushed conversation between two... Humans. he only picked up on certain words. He lay there listening.

"... its experimental...", "...Never work!...", "...Its That or..." they finally stopped there conversation by saying "...OK then lets do it."

An unseen force picked up Moto and placed him on the machine. One of the humans came up to him holding another machine, "this wont hurt a bit" he said as he placed the machine to his fur, and a searing pain flashed through his system. He stepped back. "Power it up" he shouted to the other human who flicked a final switch.

"3...... 2...... 1...... ACTIVE" said a synthetic voice as a bright light flashed.

Back in 3047

All of a sudden the group heard a loud Boom in the distance the ground shook and there was a bright flash of light.

Moto opened his eyes but he couldn't see, but at the same time he could in a way he couldn't understand. He felt horns portruding from his head, and as he walked his pawprints were scared into the land. As he lifted his head he saw the burned remains of the land.

"What happened here, what happened to me?" He said thinking back.
"I can't remember anything." He looked around and everything he had once knew was gone; he would have to make a new life from the bits and peices left.

[Wacipi]

Shiriki wasn't sure what to do. He backed away, not wanting to get hit if any attack was made. He barely knew any of these cats. That meant, to him, that this would not be his fight. He had his vow to himself. It was the only thing he could remember of his past.

At the glowing cat's roar, Shiriki froze entirely. A flash of pain went through his head. The images of blood splatters and dying and dead animals, raced through his mind. He whined in pain as he was taken by these memories. His legs gave out on him and he fell to the floor. He laid there, eyes closed, as the images came to a stop and faded to the back of his mind. His eyes opened.

"I see now," Shiriki muttered. "I dunno who you are," he muttered to himself, refering to the dying animals in his memories, "but I guess you want me to break it, just this once." He forced himself back on his paws and face the cats. Shaking the dust from his pelt, he focused on the cat who could turn invisible. A light growl sounded from his throat and his tail burst into a beautiful blue and white flame. He stood, prepared for any kind of attack.

"I agree with her," Shiriki barked, twitching an ear towards the glowing cat, "we should share in peace." I'll do it, he thought, I will do what I can to get them fully on my side.

[xscar10]

"With the size of that flash I wouldn't be surprised if some people came to investigate." Moto's feet burned as he walked on the burning surface.
"Speaking of which there are some people gathered nearly a half a mile away." He said looking off towards a group cats.
"Maybe they could give me some info on what happened here." Moto started to run to them so he could get to them before they left, and as his feet pressed harder into the ground his trail went from burning to small flames.

[Ushari]

Vizi simply smiled, retracting the claw. "You, young Odango, are far too cocky for your own good. Make sure you know who you're talking to before you make such threats. I may not be much of a threat, in my present state, but years ago, you would have all been dead the second you opened your mouth against me in retaliation" she said, standing over the corpse. "I promse you all I shall make no further threats" she said, tearing into the small of the calf.

[Nakisisa]

(Thanks Ushari, and its OdOngo not OdAngo. just for reference)

You, young Odongo, are far too cocky for your own good. Make sure you know who you're talking to before you make such threats.
"I'm not cocky, i was just testing the water" he laughed as the other lion got off him, "so how far away were you all when you smelled the meat?" he asked as he himself took a piece from the middle of the beast, sitting down near Eeve. "And what was that?" he finished, seeing a bright flash of light and feeling a rumble run through the earth around his paws, taking a rather large bite from the meat, possibly the last one he would get.

[Zorayda]

Odongo sat next to Eeve after the little verbal altercation that occurred, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The glow became less intense, but her muscles were tensed now until they bunched around her neck and made her move stiffly. On top of it all, she was getting a headache...

"Odongo," she mumbled. He was the only one who paid special attention to her so far, and therefore the one she could trust the most. "Too many, too many...there are too many strangers here," she mumbled. "I dunno if I... I dunno if I can handle it," she whispered.

Then there was a flash of light and a strange noise. Another stranger, probably. She subconsciously moved closer to Odongo, her body stiff and frightened and her glow becoming more pronounced. "Not another one..."

[Nakisisa]

"Odongo," she mumbled. "Too many, too many...there are too many strangers here," she mumbled. "I dunno if I... I dunno if I can handle it," she whispered.

"Hey Eeve, come here. Don't worry, I'll take care of you, and I know it's hard even after all this time..." he said shedding a single tear "...But what would your mother and fathe think if they saw you doing this in this situation, ey?" he said caringly, the lioness seemed to trust Odongo and that was something he didn't want to lose.

Part of his words were taken seriously, as she did move closer at the flash of light, a small *purr* escaped his throat without him thinking, "sorry." he said looking guilty, "I guess I wasn't expecting that,..." he said jokily moving closer to Eeve "... And whatever that flash was, don't worry, I'm here for you." he said,

their boddies almost touching

[xscar10]

Moto was getting closer, but with the heat of the new land he has come to he was getting tired. Moto came to the strangers and, before he could say anything he collapsed.
"Can anyone tell me were I can get some water?" He asked, in a raspy voice. As he looked around he saw that some looked like extreme versions of animals he knew long ago, a white lion, an extremely thin lioness who was glowing, a panther, and what seemed like a fox.

[Wacipi]

Sensing the tension begin to fade away, Shiriki relaxed and force his tail to return to normal. Turning his attention to the newcomer who asked for water, he said nothing and waited for the actions of the others.

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

Tuweni opened her eyes, but all she saw was darkness. She could not move, no matter how much she tried. CRACK! Her eyes opened wider. She felt the fluids around her begin to rapidly drain. Suddenly, the glass shattered. Tuweni slumped to the floor, laying there until she could see and move. She pulled a shard of glass from her paw-pad, licking it until the bleeding stopped.

She stood and examined what she remembered to be a lab. It was all in ruins. The container holding her had been among the last to be destroyed. Something was wrong. The scents of the humans weren't just long gone, they had disappeared entirely. It all came back to her. She had attacked the humans who had experimented on her, but had been captured again. Her last memory was of being placed inside the container.

"What..." Tuweni whispered to herself, "What happened? How long has it been?" She heard a small clicking. Investigating, she found a Geiger counter, still working, but barely. It was going crazy. Radiation must have been everywhere. She weaved her way through the rubble of the building and emergered outside. She followed paw prints, looking for anyone who was still alive. Her search led her to a dead body.

She sighed and tasted the air for other scents. She managed to lock onto a scent consisting of a few different scents. Tuweni followed it. The trail led to a group near a kill. She stopped a couple yards from them and sat, watching them.

[jacinda003]

Yagi yawned and stepped closer the the group of big cats, she could smell the left over meat but wasn't interested in it. She just wanted someone to talk with for awhile.
"Hey." She said simply and twitched her tail, she turned her head to look at Moto on the ground.
Yagi shook her gourd and the cork popped off, a thin ribbon of sparkling water twisted around Moto's head.

[xscar10]

"Thank you stranger, what may I call you?" Said Moto trying to stand without his legs shaking.
"Do you mind if I ask where I am? Everything is so different from where I am from." He said lifting his head. Before they had a chance to answer Moto noticed something, approaching behind him.
"It seems we are being watched." He said hinting to the others about the stranger.

[Zorayda]

Eeve allowed herself a tiny smile at Odongo's caring demeanor towards her, thinking that maybe, just maybe, things would be okay again.

But then several things happened--two horned strangers appeared, looking tired and weak, and a third creature was watching them from afar. She knew this because she could hear its heartbeat thudding against its ribs with her super sensitive ears, and because that new...lion thing...mentioned something about it as well.

"We are in the middle of Africa," Eeve said to the first horned lion. "And as far as I know, everywhere looks this way now...Where were you from that was so different?"

For some reason, though she was extremely frightened, Eeve felt...excited about these new strangers. A flash of a thought formed in her head--what would happen if they joined and formed a permanent group? Sort of a twisted, messed up pride... full of creatures that were mutated into beings with incredible powers... perhaps they could search for more fertile or clean land together...

She noticed that the black and blue horned creature had pulled water out of a container it carried. It seemed the creature had power over water...water!

"How much water do you have in there?" Eeve asked, suddenly aware of how thirsty she was. It wasn't like there was water anywhere around these parts...and even if there was, it was surely contaminated with disgusting waste and sludge.

[jacinda003]

Yagi looked at her gourd and shook it, "I'm Yagi." She answered her name fast looking at the strangers.
"My gourd has about five gallons left in it." She closed her eyes and the ribbon of water slithered like a cobra towards Eeve.

[xscar10]

"Yagi... I like that name, and wait, you said this is africa? Imposable I come from Africa, this is not Africa." Moto stood up next to Yagi.
"And what are the rest of your names?" He asked the rest of them.

[Nakisisa]

Odongo was happy, all until his head started to hurt, he tried not to show this as some of the others spoke but he couldent hold it for long,

"ARGHHHHH" came the thunderous roar from Odongo, he had just seen a thin line of blue move towards Eeve, knowing she would be alright. 

But then something strange happened, his legs gave way and he fell onto his side. He started hyperventalating fir a few moments then completly stoping breathing, as a large gash appeared on his side. His breathing came back explosivly, but only in short unpredictable bursts. He did however manage to mutter some words, taking up most of his strength. "Please... Help... Me..." he turned to look at Eeve, his eyes filled with fear and pain "Plea...." was all he managed before he fell into a deep unconciousness,

His breathing becoming shalower, his heart rate slowing and the color draning from his face, 

He died.

(Just to clear some things up, While he appears dead, and I have just written him as it, I am NOT LEAVING the RP, it's all just part of a plan I've formed. Given a few more posts from you's lot (especially one lioness) I'll put in another post explaning all this. Until then, you'll just have to wait and see what I'm going to do. Naki)  

[Zorayda]

Eeve lapped a bit at the "water-snake" Yagi had formed for her, quenching her thirst. Eeve's courage was slowly building as she quickly realized that the creatures all around her were doing the same thing she was--surviving. And they could all possibly become friends...it had been so long since she'd had company...

"Thanks," she said. "I feel better now, Yagi." She turned her head towards Moto at his questions. "Yes, this IS Africa. Where have you been? It's only been this way for almost...twenty generations. And I'm Eeve. This is Shiriki, Vizi, and Odon--"

Suddenly, Odongo let out a terrible sound and collapsed onto the ground, his breath coming in pants. Gashes appeared in his side as if some invisible creature had slashed through him, and he began bleeding profusely.

Eeve stood frozen for a moment, and then her body scrambled into action. Her glow became blinding, she was so frightened. Her new friend--no, her very first friend ever, had just randomly fallen to the ground and started bleeding in front of her eyes.

"Odongo?! ODONGO!" she practically pounced on him, her own breaths rapid, shallow, and panicked. She knew how to take care of wounds, due to having to doctor herself up, but...Odongo's gashes were so deep...he was moaning in pain and asking for help, but Eeve couldn't give it to him, she couldn't do anything.

"SOMEBODY HELP!" she roared, her face contorted with frustration and panic. And then...

And then, he stopped breathing. He stopped moving. Eeve's pupils constricted to pinpoints, until all that was left was the orange irises that were aglow, literally, with her fear and anguish. Odongo...Odongo had died.

"No, no no no no...!" She moaned. She lay across his body, willing him to move, willing his heart to beat. The blood made a mess all over her tawny fur, matting it. Odongo's pretty black fur was matted and wet as well. Eeve could not believe it. She was in such shock...Odongo couldn't be dead...he couldn't be dead...

[xscar10]

"SOMEBODY HELP!" Eeve yelled over Odongo's body. Moto ran over to him.

"No, no no no no...!" She said laid across his motionless body.

"What happened to him? He looks like he was attacked." He said looking at his side.

"I'd say I could cauterize the wounds if it helps, but I don't know what else I could do. Can any one else help?"

[jacinda003]

Yagi frowned but didn't show another emotion. She looked at Odongo body and sniffed the air around him, the water slithered back into her gourd and she walked up to them. She didn't know any of them well but she felt like she had to do something to help. Yagi turned her head looking for help or something to use to help.