Haraka

Name: Haraka
Meaning: Swahili for "swift"
Gender: Female
Rank: Huntress
Status: Alive

Parents: None
Siblings: None
Mate: None
Cubs: None

Personality: If there is one word to describe Haraka, it is volatile. You can never be quite sure what will set her off, but there are plenty of things that will. Her tongue is just as swift as her paws, and she is always quick to retaliate with a quip if someone is talking to her. While it is generally meant to be teasing and fun, Haraka's attitude does get nasty when provoked. If you get on her bad sign, she will not hesitate to pick on you and give you a tongue lashing whenever she's upset. Luckily, Haraka doesn't hold grudges for all that long: if you give her some time to stew, she'll eventually calm down and act as if it never happened. While it is not the most healthy course of action, it's how Haraka chooses to handle her emotions. She tries to run away from her problems, no matter how many hoops she'll have to jump through to try and avoid them. This causes her plenty more problems, but Haraka does her best to ignore them. Sooner or later, she'll encounter a scenario where that doesn't work anymore, and that is when Haraka will have to experience some actual growth. Despite her flaws, Haraka is incredibly passionate in what she believes and her relationships; she loves fiercely and that love will spur her forward. Sometimes this proves to be an issue, like when she acts recklessly, but she often proves her loyalty to her friends and the pride in these moments, even if the way she was acting only a bit prior made it seem as if she couldn't care less.

three positive traits: loyal, quick-witted, passionate

three negative traits: hot-tempered, ignores her problems, reckless

History: Haraka was not always the reckless, angry lioness that she is today. Once upon a time, the red and gray lioness wasn't completely closed off to the rest of the world, though she always was rather stubborn. However, all of that changed when the Coalition attacked her pride. There wasn't any warning; all of a sudden, they were there, and though many of her pridemates escaped, Haraka was not so lucky. They took her back to their territory, but Haraka was certain her family, her pridemates, and the boy she was pledged to wed would save her. Even when the Coalition tried to change her name to Spirit, tried to insist she would marry one of the leader's sons who was interested in her, and imprisoned her for not bending to their will, Haraka had faith that her loved ones would come back for her.

They never came. It when she heard some of the guards the Coalition had stationed outside her prison discussing the pride's plans to force her to become one of them that that finally clicked. The realization crushed Haraka, though she would never admit to it. In those moments, realizing she was alone with no one coming to rescue her, Haraka closed herself off. She went to the small hole she found in the prison, following it into a nearby cave system that, thankfully, had a way to the surface, running till she eventually was found by Nasaba and Mzatamo. Seeing she was wounded, they took pity on her and brought her back to camp, despite Haraka's attempts to get them to leave her.

Playlist:

Please Don't Say You Love Me by Gabrielle Aplin - Haraka doesn't want to love anyone. She has been through hell and high water, and it shows in her general distrust and aversion for others. After being kidnapped by the Coalition, she already came to believe that prides were of questionable integrity; despite voluntarily joining the Isle of Roses for reasons even she isn't quite sure of - perhaps in hopes of getting the protection a pride provides - she still seems hesitant to rely on anyone else. Instead, she pushes everyone away, and often acts recklessly and impulsively, doing her own thing. Even if she does feel something for someone, she tries to snuff it out, unwilling to admit those feelings.

Scared to be Lonely by Martin Garrix and Dua Lipa - Haraka doesn't want to love Cuore; she doesn't want to love anyone, and will deny those sort of feelings till the world itself collapses. However, no matter how hard she tries to keep away, she just keeps coming back to him, and he never pushes her away. She doesn't know why she keeps going back; they fit together so well at first, but now it's like the puzzle they were a part of changed, and now they are incompatible. Haraka knows she is afraid of being lonely, but she doesn't know if that is what keeps bringing her back to Cuore's side. If she's being honest, she doesn't know if it'd be better for it to be that instead of her loving him, or if it would be worse.