[[AIM Log]]
Poi
Mel sighed in relief as she slipped into the cool water of the river. She'd joined in a romp with the cubs of the pride, and had managed to get plenty of dust and dirt in her fur. Really...she didn't mind being dirty if it was something that happened while she was with the cubs. But she had a few scratches from those same cubs that weren't much liking the dirt. The river water flowed past her and carried the dirt from her and she used her paws to scrub the dirt out.
She rather enjoyed the recent days. She'd found herself with an apprentice, from the very litter she'd watched, too! Risasi was such a wonderful student, she'd decided. And...it was wonderful, passing on her hard-earned wisdom to him, so he might use it one day.
Seaki
Nuru had had a long day thus far. She had begun her training as a Mmoja mpaka Halisisha. She didn't know if training was the proper word, however. The pale lioness' mind was still adled, trying to learn all the customs of the pride.
Shifting her red eyes towards the river, she thought back to the pretty female she had met earlier. Mel was her name. Nuru moved forward - perhaps she could seek her out. He guided herself towards the river - warm spots and around cubs, she had said.
Hopefully seeking her would not take too long.
Poi
Once her fur was free of dirt (mostly), Mel hauled herself out and flopped onto a flat rock, warmed by the sun. She likely would have stayed there, content to let the sun and gathered warmth of the rock dry her out...
But she caught a somewhat familiar scent. She perked up...and smiled. Oh. Now that was a scent she wasn't going to forget any time soon. Mel shook herself to dislodge some of the excess water, then called out. "Good day, Nuru!"
Seaki
Ah, there. Nuru gave a soft smile and made her way to the tan female. Pale ears flicked foward and she made her way to Mel, "Good Day to you as well, Mel." She offered back. She noticed the wet fur, and quirked smile.
"How was your day?" She question in a friendly tone. Sure, it was small talk, but Nuru was genuinely curious.
Poi
Mel chuckled. "A good day, indeed! The cubs of the pride had a huge game of tag, and I ended up joining in with the other Mlisha." She smiled brightly. "It was a great deal of fun, but very dirty. And cubs have sharp little claws, so I thought it a good idea to wash the dirt off before it could dig into any scratches."
Seaki
Nuru gave a small nod. "I can see that," Nuru gave a small laugh accompanying her statement. She moved a bit closer and sat by the slightly damp female. She hand't played tag as a child, but still knew it's wonders.
"Ah, cubs do have sharp little claws. You are not terribly injured though, yes?" She asked in a bit of concern.
Poi
Mel shook her head. "Oh no. No harm done!" She stretched a bit. "They just don't always remember to sheath their claws when they tag. I don't mind, the scratches will heal soon enough. And they're small." As if to emphasize, she looked her front legs over, before finally finding one hidden in the fur. "Ah! See! Tiny little things."
Seaki
Nuru eyes the small cuts and gave a satifyed smile. "That is good," Nuru told her. She had to remind herself that this pride was not as her pride when she was young. She looked over the female once again, before looking back towards her eyes.
Poi
It was...odd, having someone she barely knew care about her wellbeing. But it was also nice. It helped Nuru was pretty, and kind, from what Mel had seen so far. "So, what have you been up to?"
Seaki
Nuru smile at the female and looked to the sky for a second. "I was trying to figure out the structure of this pride. It is a far cry from the pride I was in before this. And figuring out my rank," Nru gave a soft chuckle. It sounded a bit odd how she put it, but that's how she did things.
In fact, her mind was at a small loss, unknowing of how to act in the presence of each member, though she avoided some of the members at this point.
Poi
Mel nodded. "It can seem odd, for someone not born here. But...for the most part, we're like a rather large family. We have to be, to survive. Everyone has their role, and each role brings peace of mind to the others. It's why my brother and I took the ranks we did. He wanted to be a Mfuma so that the pride members who don't fight know their loved ones are in good paws. And I wanted to be a Mlisha so those who fight and hunt know their cubs are safe and sound and able to enjoy their cubhood."
Seaki
The pale yellow female thought it over a bit, and gave a nod. "I can understand that." Nuru revealed. However, she still didn't know how to react around the others. She supposed that didn't matter at the moment.
"You and your brother sound very noble," Nuru stated. "This pride is very interesting. It is not what I expected it to be... But then, I really did not know what to expect."
Poi
Mel felt the skin beneath her fur flush. "I...uhm..." She ducked her head a bit, embarrassed. "We're not really that noble we just...we grew up among these felines. They're our family, and we love them very much. Every smile we can give them...it gives us a smile." She smiled slightly, embarrassment still showing as she met the other female's red eyes. "We've been called odd, I suppose. But no one ever said 'odd' was bad."
Seaki
Nuru smiled at the small smile at the other female's embarrasment, but she wouldn't change her opinion on the fact of the matter. She thought the two were noble, even if she didn't know Mel's brother. However, she didn't push the subject.
"Odd? Well, odd cannot really mean anything bad, could it. It is like saying someone is unique, in a way. Uniqeness is beauty, is it not?" Nuru gave a small tilt of her head.
Poi
Mel nodded. "Indeed! And we have a LOT of unique creatures in the pride." Her embarrassment faded now, a warm look replacing it. "Like our Mwezi, Moto'nyota. She's been through so much...and yet she still smiles for us, and still has this...belief in the world. And then there's our Maji, Uhuru...he's actually a bard, as well a the Maji. He has this wonderful voice you could listen to for hours."
Seaki
Nuru could only smile as Mel spoke of the pride, her home for so long. It make Nuru warm inside that she found such a wonderful place to live, and she decided she would do all she could to keep everyone, especially this noble Mlisha, smiling. It was the least she could do, she thought.
