Welcome to Gaia! ::

The festivals going on were fantastic. Zuberi had never seen anything like it in his old pride, and it was a nice feeling to know that even though this pride was separated into clans, they were truly one large family. Old friends reunited during this time of the year, mates were found and made, cubs were introduced to the clans...it was all perfectly planned and executed. A large, but happy family, and now he was a part of it.

Sitting off to the side watching a few lions reunite, Zuberi flexed his claws in the dirt. He'd just tried his paw at the Sky Ceremony, but had failed in the first round. He decided he'd never try it again, as it had brought up some rather unwanted memories from his old pride. He had given the win to the female he'd been fighting before they'd run out of steam, not wanting to fight to the end since it was supposed to be a friendly match. Neither of them had sustained any wounds, just a bit of bruising from the more powerful strokes. Needless to say, now he had quite a bit of time on his hands, and he couldn't find the few lions he knew from his own clan.

Not that that was a bad thing, of course. He did enjoy being a part of the Wolf clan, but this was a time to mingle and make friends. The only problem was he was pretty bad at meeting others when it wasn't required. So he sat alone, content for now to watch rather than partake in the greetings.

Zuberi watched a few cubs play at the feet of their parents, their movements hesitant and unsure since they had never met the other litters before. The parents, however, seemed to know one another. Perhaps they had been in the same clan at one point and one had left to join another, and now they had reunited and had cubs to show one another. It brought a very small smile to his face as he made up stories for the two families. Perhaps the cubs were even cousins. The next time they saw one another they'd be fully grown, if still a bit wet behind the ears.

As his attention was drawn to the lions before him, he didn't hear the female coming up behind. He did, however, feel her bump into his back. Surprised, he stood and turned around in time to see the female backtracking and apologizing immediately. Tilting his head just a bit, Zuberi settled his ruffled feathers before moving forward very slightly, just a step or two. He lowered his head to try to peek at the ashamed lioness, giving her a tiny smile to let her know it was okay.

Reaching out with a paw, he lifted her head with it as he raised his own, bringing them both to an upright position. There. That was much better. "No harm, no foul," he said, his voice deep and a bit gruff - from disuse, not anger. He hadn't spoken in quite a while since he'd arrived here, as he really hadn't gotten to know anyone yet.

Zuberi tilted his head to the side as he surveyed the female. She certainly was twitchy, wasn't she? That wasn't a bad thing, of course. There were steady lions like himself, and jumpier ones like her. It helped balance things out in the end.

"I doubt you have seen me before," he said with a slow shake of his head. "I am new to these lands and the Wolf clan as of just a few moons ago." He had met or at the very least seen almost all the members of his clan, and he had never seen nor smelled her before. She was obviously from a different clan.

When she gave him her name he bowed his head in recognition, catching himself a bit too late. It was a tradition from his old pride when meeting new lions, to bow to their name when given as a sign of respect. Clearing his throat, he rose from the little bow. "I am Zuberi. It's nice to meet you. I was hoping to get to know lions from other clans during this festival, but it seems I've fallen a bit short of my goal."

He didn't count the lion he had fought in the first round of the game he had partaken in, for they hardly spoke at all during the whole ordeal. Now he had Haini, but she was just one lioness. Still, he had to admit, it was better than one. "Which clan are you from?"

Zuberi nodded in thanks at the greeting. He had been getting a lot of those lately. Apparently his appearance led others to believe he was from outside of the pride, which was true - his tattoos only covered a portion of his body, while those that were native to the pride were completely covered. It was interesting to him and he was glad to have taken part in the ritual, but he couldn't help but feel a little like an outsider looking in, even though he'd been here for so many months.

Still, the lions did seem friendly in earnest. Even Haini. Especially Haini. Zuberi could feel a small, rare smile settling on his lips as she continued to speak. The females in his old pride had been very harsh with their words out of habit, so to hear a female so gentle and happy was a very nice change. The females in his clan had always been more than happy to speak with him, of course, but they all lacked something that this rather bumbling Earth clan member had.

He shrugged a shoulder very slightly. "This is the most I've spoken with someone outside of the Wolf clan. Everyone is very nice, but they find others to speak to. Friends from other clans they don't often see."

He hadn't really made any friends in his clan yet, but it wasn't from a matter of not trying. He had gone out of his comfort zone to talk to lions, but no one had ever really clicked. Haini's embarrassed posture finally clued Zuberi in, and he shook his head just a bit. "And...no, please, don't apologize. I enjoy hearing about other lions and their livelihood. It's why I came here."

Zuberi gave a quiet snort. That was no reason not to be friends with someone. "You are also very kind and happy. Those that cannot see past your faults don't deserve to be your friend." Everyone had their downfalls, after all. Some lions thought him strange for not speaking often, or for keeping to himself, but those that did get to know him found a loyal and kind soul beneath his somewhat gruff exterior.

The statement made him nod, though. He was enjoying himself here so far, much more than in the pride he grew up in. "I do enjoy it here. I cherish family as well, so hopefully once I have one it will be easier to be accepted into the pride completely." He wasn't so sure about getting to know the other lions, though. If they kept away from Haini just because she was bashful and clumsy, then what was to keep them from doing the same to him? "Honestly, I wouldn't mind if I had you to talk to and no one else. You're very good company."

He glanced over his shoulder at a few lions not too far away, the ones he had been watching earlier. They still hadn't turned to give him the time of day, and even though Haini's conversation had been started on accident, he was glad she had walked into him.

Zuberi nodded to confirm her question. By the point, most of his other conversation partners had wandered off or ended up staring at him, waiting for him to say something. Haini spoke enough for the both of them, which was nice. She didn't seem to hang off his every word which put him at ease as far as keeping her interest went.

He rested a large, gentle paw on hers by way of accepting her apology, even though it wasn't needed. He knew what she meant, but he honestly hadn't minded being bumped into. It wasn't as if it had hurt or done any damage to her, either. Perhaps her pride was a bit bruised, but Zuberi found it rather endearing.

"Yes, I do hope so. Although I'm not sure how that would be possible, considering our clans," he said very quietly, a frown on his face. Hm...well, he was sure he could think of something. Perhaps there were birds that could carry messages between the clans.

Zuberi gave a thoughtful 'hm' as Haini confirmed his thoughts. There were so many lions it was no wonder they had split up. Seeing old friends and new ones meet like this made him wonder if they all really had to go months without hearing from each other. That was rather sad...what about families? Did everyone mate within their clan? Surely that would prove rather disastrous after too long, everyone would be related to everyone else. Keeping a father from his cubs for a year wouldn't be fare, though. He'd leave not knowing if he had a family, and when he saw them for the first time they'd be adults. That couldn't be how it worked...

"How does the system work here?" he finally asked, removing his paw from Haini's. "Surely families are in the same clans together...but wouldn't that make the breeding pool much smaller after a few generations, with everyone being related in some way?"

There had to be an explanation. "Are there messenger creatures to take notes to friends within the clans once the festival is over, or is this really the only time for friends that are in different clans to speak to one another?"

Change clans? That made Zuberi's ears perk up. He had found the Wolf clan when he had joined, and that was the clan he had ended up staying in. He knew if there was a request for a clan it could have been made, but it seemed to him that the Wolf clan was a nice enough place to be. Now...well. Now his new friend was going to go away for a year and that didn't sound very good at all. He had no loyalties to the Wolf clan...perhaps he could switch?

"Well...it's something to look in to before the clans go on their ways," he murmured, the gears turning in his head. "I do enjoy talking with you," he added, deciding to voice his thoughts. "I hope it wouldn't be too forward of me to change clans just to continue this..." He trailed off, waving a paw between them. It was far too soon to call it a friendship, seeing how they just met, but something about Haini made Zuberi want to know her better as quickly as he could. Perhaps it was how different they were, or her bubbly personality, or even her clumsiness. Whatever the reason, he didn't want to come off as desperate lion clambering for friends.