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 Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 1:27 am
The sun was heading toward the horizon as Mpenzi found her way to the males. She had eaten, relieved of Gakere by Nahmba, and had allowed herself a brief leisure time before approaching the edge of the pride to find Matifu, as he had requested.
It didn't take long to spot his dark, large form, so much more striking than the others, she thought. He probably liked being so dark. He seemed the type to think about his appearance, as all important males did.
"Umholi Matifu," That slow, secretive smile she had as she requested his company. "Shall we walk?" Perhaps it was presumptuous of her to ask, but she doubted that he would mind.
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Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 1:49 am
Call it a bit sappy of him, but Matifu's favourite time of the day had always been the sunset. There was something about the glaze of colors as the shadows grew long and blended everything together the moment before sundown.
He was lying down, having found a spot in the shade, and he had not noticed Mpenzi until she was almost upon him. The flick of his ears announced that he had heard her.
"Hello, Mpenzi." He greeted her with a smile. The source of his aggravation was not there, and he could risk a little affection.
Accepting her request, he fell into step beside her, letting her lead where she desired. "Are things to your liking here?" He may as well start with the idea that intrigued him most.
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Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 2:02 am
"Moreso than anywhere else I have found, Umholi." Her answer was as ambiguous as the long look she gave him, before she broke out into a relaxed run, heading toward the setting sun. Let them break away from the group and speak on more even terms. The run would warm her muscles and help her to relax.
Slowing after only a few minutes, she picked her way through some bones to pause, sitting back on her haunches to watch the sun melt away into pure color.
"Am I to your liking here?" She flicked an ear, briefly, but did not look to him, her smooth pure more amused than anything. Most males seemed to talk to females for two reason. Either they did, or did not, like them. Therefore, it was a question she could spend a month asking, or one she could be forward about.
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Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 2:14 am
Although Matifu was not in a particular mood to run, he broke into a jog and allowed her to have quite a bit of distance in front of him. He assumed he would catch up in time. She had, after all, come this distance to see him.
When he arrived, he was taking in breaths fairly heavily. Out of shape, or, more likely, not designed to take a gate that was a faster speed than a walk.
Her question received a chuckle from him as he lowered himself onto his stomach. Claws kneading at the ground, he answered simply, finding no reason to do otherwise. "Yes."
It was no secret that his gaze was on her. Matifu did not attempt to be polite about it. Family trait.
"Quite a few of the other females seem to trust you," Matifu commented after a time. "Why do you suppose that is?" He was looking for anything in her personality that would set him off. A tick, an ulterior motive. So far, he could find nothing. It was, however, his job to check just the same.
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Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 2:25 am
Purring in response to his answer, Mpenzi continued to watch the sunset, both of them in companionable silence. It wasn't until he spoke again that she looked over her shoulder to him.
"We females need to do the opposite of you males. We have to trust one another. You, on the other hand, thrive on distrust." A smile. "I am familiar to them. We have similar goals. Family, security, community." Mpenzi was strong, and others liked to trust that.
She moved to stretch out beside him, shifting her jaw to rest it on one of his large paws, her eyes glancing up at him. The one thing this pride was missing was cubs. It was too bad they disliked males so much, Gakere was growing well. Still, that was the way things were.
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Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 2:34 am
While Matifu should have been with enough women to have heard the statement before, he certainly had not. Perhaps it was what made Mpenzi interesting, for now.
"Figured that out all by yourself, did you?" Despite the sharpness of the words themselves, Matifu's voice was a relaxed, rumbling sound and he smiled as he said them.
It turned deeper and louder when her chin rested on his paw. As affectionate with his women as ever, he set to nibbling and washing the back of her neck.
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Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 2:39 am
Highly amused, and more than receptive to his affections, Mpenzi returned the grooming, her rough tongue moving over the fur of his paw as she relaxed against him.
This had worked out as well as she had hoped, and it was definitely reflective of her new title, Busisa, that she had already garnered the attentions of one of the males, so new to the pride. She was prepared to enjoy herself, and would be pleased by the cubs this would bring to herself and her new home.
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