Joining RP for Mashaka (played by nessiaing) with Moja (played by Honey Gee)
Mashaka moved slowly through the desert, he knew what he was looking for was somewhere around here, he just wasn't sure where. It had been quite sometime since the cub had been there, he knew that the pride he has seen was somewhere in it, and in that pride there was a girl. Mashaka smiled thinking about the girl that he had met.
The adolescent had his noes to the ground, trying to find the sent of many lions, to follow it. He lifted his eyes and saw the land he was looking for, a smile spread his across his face. His hard work and days of searching had paid off, he found the lands that he had been searching for. He hesitated moving slowly as he approached the lands, he had only been in one pride before and he had been brought there by a member, he wasn't exactly sure of the protocol.
It was a good day. Moja had fallen back into his old, familiar routine amongst the Kunanda'Nakhun lions with relative ease. With the exception of Bee's death and Adva's absence in his life, nothing had changed very radically for him. He was still a man in a land dominated by women, and he had not qualms about this fact. These were the lands of his birth and the ways of the people were wonderfully familiar to him.
The short time he'd spent away from the pride had taught him that he wasn't cut out for any life other than this one. Besides, he was far too old now to learn anything new.
Sometimes, he liked to sit at the border of the pride's lands and watch the outside world as time passed by. It reminded him of the mistakes he'd made, and made him feel repentant. Impressively large and naturally muscular for a lion that didn't do much all day, Moja resembled something of a warrior as he rested in the shade at the edge of the jungle that marked the beginning of the Kunanda'Nakhun lands, and the end of everything that didn't matter.
Home was where he belonged.
There was a figure heading straight towards him and, while Moja was most certainly not a guard, the orange-maned lion sat up a little straighter to make his presence known.
Mashaka saw the muscular like lion, he frooze where he was standing afraid that perhaps he had stepped over some boundry. He studied the male, he was certaintly colorful, he must belong to this land. Mashaka tried to smile, and look friendly but his nerves were getting the better of him.
"Hello" he said in a small voice. Mashaka wasn't a huge lion, but he was a fair size for his age, but he still had a great deal of growing. Standing in this new land in front of a strange, he felt like he was the size of a cub again. He cleared his throat.
"I hope that I didn't intrude.... I was... well I was hoping to make this my home." he said honestly, he didn't really see a point to beating around the bush. The violet lion had always known he would come back to this pride, since he stumbled across it while travelling with his mother, she lived here after all.
Of all the things he had learned in his travels, the one he had retained most clearly was the knowledge of how to defend himself. After the way he'd had Bee ripped from his life, Moja had made a point of learning how to fight. It wasn't customary for males in the Kunanda'Nakhun lands to be skilled in battle, and the tropically striped lines was by no means a warrior, but if push came to shove, he would be able to protect his home and his family when the time came.
This was not one of those times. This younger male was smaller than he was, and Moja did not consider him a threat. Still, he did not smile and did not alter his posture.
He cocked an eyebrow in surprise when the boy spat out his greetings and intentions, and then smirked.
Moja could respect a lion who didn't waste time.
"Do you know where you are?"
Mashaka looked down at the ground shuffling his paws somewhat. "I uh, I am at a pride. A pride that likes colorful lions, and women are in charge." Mashaka didn't know much abotu the pride, when he had come here he was just a cub, and the member he spoke to was a female cub, she gave him the general idea, bt really a lot of blanks where left in the young lions mind, all he knew was that he had to return to this place to her.
"I know I want to be here...." Mashaka offered trailling off slightly, he hoped that that would be enough for to help for him. "Am I allowed to be here?" he asked. He wasn't sure what to do say or ask, what where the steps of joining. He had barely had a chance to ask his mother about these things.... she had been busy with new cubs, and Mashaka didn't want to worry her with his problems, she was sad enough with is leaving.
The young male's vague explanation surprised him, and Moja's other eyebrow rose so that it could keep the first one company. Yes, this was the borders of a pride. Yes, that pride liked colourful lions. Yes, women were in charge.
Well, actually, it didn't seem that vague at all.
It was very apparent to Moja that this adolescent was a little uncomfortable and it also seemed, to him, that there was sincerity in his voice and in his expression. Inexplicably amused, a low chuckle rumbled from Moja's throat and he cracked a grin in response to the other, younger male's apprehension.
"These are the Kunanda'Nakhun lands, boy," Moja informed him with a curt nod of his great head, "Home of many lady warriors, and a good place for a man to be."
He considered his next words careful and then shrugged.
"It is not for me to stay if you can live amongst us or not, but if you live according to our ways and behave yourself, then I can't see why anyone would turn you away."
Moja himself had, after all, been allowed to return after his own foolish mistakes. The Adhi-Raj were right and honourable queens.
"Kunanda'Nakhun" Mashaka repeated quietly. It would be good to know the name of this place, for it was to be his home. He nodded as he listened to the other lion. He studied the striped lion as he spoke, he seemed happy enough living under the rule of women. Mashaka had been worried about how this would affect him but his mother had taught him well.
"What is you name?" Mashaka asked suddenly the thought suddenly springing to his money, he had been so rude in not introducing himself and asking the others name, "I am Mashaka" he said with a smile, he was quite fond of his name.
"It is nice to meet you, Mashaka," Moja responded cordially, according to his own personally selected set of gentlemanly mannerisms. "My name is Polemoja, but usually I am just called Moja."
He did not specify which one the boy should call him, because it did not matter. Moja had no preference.
"This is the beginning of the pride's lands," the big lion gestured at edge of the jungle, "I am a Parastar, like you shall be, and like all men here are."
He smiled reassuringly at the younger male, and the corners of his eyes crinkled upwards. "We are very honourable here and, so long as you share that with us, you will be safe and happy. Don't worry- the ladies won't bother you unless they need something, and even then that's usually worth it."
There was a smirk on his face now. Moja, who remembered what it was like growing up as a male in these lands, was only half-joking. It was not always the easiest thing, being ignored so often. Bee had helped him to see passed that, but Moja imagined that he would have warmed up to the idea of only being considered useful for mating and rearing children.
He adored children. They made him into teddy bear.
"Moja" Mashaka repeated... it was hard for Mashaka to always remember names at times, repeating names always did help trigure his memory. "I will have a title." Mashake mused, he had never had a title before and the idea was exciting to him, he was aware that the title didn't mean much, but it was still a title.
"Prastar, honor." the younger lion was trying to take in as much as he could from the adult that stood infront of him, it seemed like coming to call this home could be some work. His head was reeling already bt he was sure this is what he wanted.
"Mojo" he began in a small voice, he figured he might as well get use to using a small voice he had a feeling it would be an asset around her, "Could you help me learn?" he asked from the little he knew Mashaka had a feeling he wold need a teacher to help him figure it all out, "I do know a member, a girl Kissy is her name.... I don't know where to find her though." He turned his hopeful eyes to Moja.
"It sounds to me like you already know the most important things there are to know," Moja's voice was encouraging, but he wasn't about to refuse this young male's request. It was not a part of the agreement he had with Adhi-Raj to repair his Toh, but Moja figured it couldn't hurt. "I will help you find your way around, and your place amongst the people."
At the mention of the girl Moja's posture changed, and he shook his head sadly.
"I do not know who Kissy is," he informed the younger male kindly, "We are not permitted to talk to the ladies unless they address us first, and usually they only speak to us concerning matters of children."
Bee had been different. There had been love between them.
"If Kissy remembers you, then she will seek you out when the time is right."
Mashaka bowed his head, Kissy would have been the only familiar face here, though not a particularly friendly one. Mashaka wasn't sure what drew him to her, but he it was ultimatly the reason that he had come to this place, wanting to call it his home. He would have to wait and be patient, it would only be a matter of time till he saw Kissy, eventually she would want to have offspring, and who better than him.
He looked back up a new spark in his eye it was like he had a new adventure at hand. "Moja will you show me into the pride and tell me where I am allowed to be?" Mashaka was on edge excited to start his new life.
"I will show you the best that I can," Moja nodded graciously, pleased with the direction this little venture to the outskirts of the pride had taken. Once, long ago, the striped lion would have been too arrogant to speak to him. His past and the mistakes he'd made had humbled him slightly, and Moja was pleased to note that he actually quite liked Mashaka.
Friends were not a luxury that he possessed in copious amounts, and it made him feel good to think that he might have made one today. Mahaka was a decent and handsomely coloured youth. He complimented Moja's ideas concerning the types of lions he would like to be associated with.
