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 Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 2:09 pm
Buna could easily guess Baie's opinion about the new Inselelo since they were both raised the traditional way. She felt comfortable in the presence of her aunt and she leaned slightly against the other lioness for a moment. Baie might be younger than her, but having a large litter with Gakere had put them on more even ground. Becoming a mother had really made the orange Umzingeli grow.
"Who knows what it means," Buna said, "It could just be one of those names that don't mean a thing."
Like Buna's own name. She hadn't been given a traditional name, despite her traditional upbringing. Only her mother knew what her name meant, if it even meant anything. When she was younger she'd sometimes wished that she was called something more normal, but she wouldn't want to change her name now. She was used to it, and it wasn't that bad really. If Jasiri had been a new Busisa she might have suggested that they should come up with a proper name for him, but for a new male? No, he'd have to come up with one himself if he didn't like the one he had. Who knew how long he would stick around anyway...
"He is very bright," Buna confirmed, "Not in an unnatural way, but bright. He's right over there, in the middle of... everyone."
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Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 12:00 pm
Jasiri looked worried as Wodi suggested a flea check. Nothing like it had been mentioned when he was welcomed to join, and he really hoped that she was joking. All the talk about fleas was starting to make him paranoid. If Kamal had infected him somehow he didn't want to find out in a public and humiliating display. He glanced at Kamal. He wouldn't... Would he? The lioness Wodi wasn't a very large female so he doubted she could force a flea-check unless she teamed up with the other females. But she wouldn't... right?
Being questioned for something as simple as his name was easier to handle in comparison. It was a common enough topic, and he'd met creatures with the strangest names out in the rogue lands. Jasiri seized the opportunity to talk about anything but icky bugs. Names worked. Names were good.
"I'm pretty sure it's a male name," Jasiri said to the brown and white female, "But if you'd like to name your daughters after me I can't really stop you."
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Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 5:24 pm
“… pale.” Thuli finished her sister’s sentence with a tone that matched her expression. “Look at that mane. And those ridiculous swirls.” Thuli would rather not admit that she actually found the male’s markings to be quite pretty even if somewhat feminine. She could tell the Inselelo was going to have beautiful daughters though that didn’t change Thuli’s mind regarding her interest in the new male.
Surtak’s reactions to the Inselele and Wodi were what finally brought a smile to her face.
“It’s good to see Surtak keeping them in their place.” She added with a wicked grin. Surtak was by far the only male she would ever consider for fathering a litter and she’d have some of his cubs by now if she didn’t find him too short and annoying. She chuckled, wondering if Wodi might be considering a second liter.
--------------------------------------
Baie was quite content to listen quietly, comforted by her niece’s presence. Jasiri, huh? She supposed that was good information to have. She’d have to introduce herself at some point but she was in no rush to do so. The orange lioness carefully avoided meeting the new inselelo’s gaze lest he confuse it with any kind of interest from her part.
“Dust? So you didn’t really see much then.” Baie said with a friendly grin, not interested in giving Jasiri any kind of chance. As far as she was concerned, he could just lose his place to an outsider with a dark mane and she’d be immensely happy. For obvious reasons, Baie decided to keep those thoughts to herself instead of rudely pointing out her preferences once more to the pale Umzingeli. “I don’t see any serious injuries on our girly Inselelo. I’d like to see him fight…”
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 6:16 am
Mhisani waved a paw. "Believe me, I personally don't care if you have SOME fleas... So long as you're nowhere near the level Kamal was at!" Everything had fleas. They did a lot of personal grooming to get rid of the pests as best they could, and sometimes rolled in dust and mud to alleviate them.
As others mocked his name, the tan lioness turned to a more serious question. "You're not going to do anything to the pride's cubs, are you?" While she had her preferences about males, not killing cubs ranked fairly high in her opinion. And this was a strange male who came from who knew where, so who knew what his home pride was like, or if he lived by those incredibly old rules. Her birth pride certainly hadn't, but that didn't mean there weren't other prides who didn't. For all she knew, someone DID live by such rules.
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 9:36 am
Nguvu had learnt one thing upon his arrival to the pride, and that was to listen. His eyes widened as he moved back gently, just past Baie and Thuli.
"Me too. I wonder how he fights..." He grumbled gently. Something about looking at the male just made him a little twitchy. Probably just his competitive streak showing, but Jasiri made him a little uneasy altogether. Although he couldn't exactly say a lot for his social position within the pride.
Nguvu saw Mhisani and smiled. The colour of her pelt he found incredibly attractive, but he did not seem to possess the charms to be capable of talking to her about more than the weather or the goings on in the pride. "Hello, Mhisani."
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 10:17 am
 Word spread like wild fire on their dried savannah plain. In no time at all, 'A strange, new male' had reached her at the farthest point which she dared to travel. That, and his scent... a 'Strange... Light... Male.'
Nombuso was no where to be found as Awiki came from the South, drawn to the growing crowd like a moth to a flame. Awiki, who often walked in the Umzingeli's shadow, seemed strangely confident when on her own, her brisk trot quickening when the shift of her sisters revealed burnt yellow, and swirls. It could be assumed that Nombuso divulged the information and then sent the lighter lioness to investigate in her stead... outoflaziness. It would explain the Umzingeli's most unusual absence in a matter of undoubted importance.
... And it would be a good assumption to make.
She said nothing, coming upon the gathering just as it had fallen silent. It wasn't the tension that kept her tongue pressed against the roof of her mouth, but the uncertainty of what to say at all. Blue eyes dared to meet with those of their guest, glimpses of him, of Surtak, and even of their Inselelo caught... and questioned in secret.
Why had he not been chased off?
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:25 am
Shia bean Ahaha, fixing a name finally 8D;
Her gaze shifted as somebody new joined them. "Hello, Awiki! Look!" She motioned with her head. "We have a new Inslelo! We're rid of Kamal and his fleas!" There would be MUCH less scratching in their collective futures, and she was VERY happy for it!
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:44 am
Toboa's touch made Han blink out of her thoughts, and she cast the older lioness a warm smile of thanks. It seemed the male wasn't taking any of the things the other females were saying to heart. In fact, he seemed more uneasy about possibly having fleas than anything else.
Finding the growing crowd to be a bit oppressive, she stood and bobbed her head towards the gathered males before taking her leave. Her footsteps led her to her mother and the other females that surrounded her. She gave Baie a small smile before settling beside her, content to listen to the conversation here. She didn't want to overwhelm Jasiri, even if he was enjoying the attention.
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:32 pm
Baie looked over her shoulder towards Nguvu. She didn’t usually choose to associate herself with the pride’s males but she wasn’t going to keep complaining about the new Inselelo role - not when one of her sons had remained in the pride as an Ahluke, at least. She decided to go past civility and gave the pale Inselelo a truly friendly smile, purring softly as her daughter moved closer.
“Is that so, crocodile-slayer?” she replied to Nguvu, her expression slowly growing in mischief. It really was a shame that the strong male whose blood was already present in the pride had been born so pale. Such a shame. “Perhaps you would do us all a favor and offer Jasiri a… friendly duel?” She grinned, chuckling quietly.
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 2:18 pm
Nguvu dragged his eyes from Mhisani for a moment, but not before flashing her a huge smile.
He then looked to Baie, with his eyes growing wide in interest. "Perhaps... that is a good idea." Nguvu wasn't usually one for bigging himself up, but around Jasiri, and particularly with Mhisani watching, he couldn't really help himself.
"Maybe I should give him some time to heal first. He might need to be on top form." He let out another booming loud laugh, but his last comment may have loud enough to be within earshot of the new Inselelo. Was he letting his status, and the new arrival get to his head?
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 2:28 pm
Surtak's eyes were focused on Wodi while he pieced together the syntax of what the female had to say. It made his pupils dilate and his eyes narrow.
At last, he grunted.
"You may check him," came his factual reply.Matifa's head tilted to the side a few centimeters. Her tongue worried the back-side of her teeth as she looked at him. Apprehension could be seen in the furrow of her brow.
"He's unique," she decided at last. It gave him no more points for or against. Pale maned, ridiculous swirls, he looked a bit thin. . . or was that just because Surtak was a rock-hard assemblage of muscle?
"I don't know, Thuli, I--"
The sentence was cut off by the sound of Mishani. Matifa's eyes widened, she jerked her head over to the left. Even her mouth slightly fell open.
Had she really just flat out asked whether Jasiri was going to go after the pride's cubs? It made a ripple of distaste travel up Matifa's spine.
"Mhishani," she pleaded, in a low, quiet tone. Had lions been able to blush, she certainly would have with embarrassment from being so close to such an abrupt lioness. That just wasn't the kind of question you asked. Had it been one of the Umholi who had been replaced--well, Matifa didn't want to spend long on that train of thought.
-
"Nonsense!" The pale lioness' tail whipped the air as she responded to Buna. "Every name means something!" It was a matter of thought that the pale lioness would take with her to the grave.
Even poor Buna, whose name had no equivocal definition in common tongue, had likely been named with some meaning. Perhaps it was the name of her mother's first friend! Or the sound her mother had thought to pick from a gurgling stream. Or, it was a series of consonants, the sounds of which a lioness happened to enjoy. But it certainly did not lack meaning.
The long trail of thought was quickly cut off by Baie's voice. Nahmba's ears picked up, focusing on Jasiri. Then they shifted to Nguvu.
"Yes! Let's see who is stronger. Fighting a lion is not like fighting a crocodile!" No one had seen Kamal do either, so the personal strength of Jasiri was hovering in the air like a terrible unknown.
-
A bubbling rumble emerged from the back of Surtak's throat at the suggestion.
"Claws out," he told the Inselele, his tone amused and expectant. "We are not red-pelts."
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 4:29 pm
Thuli’s head rose, a softer frown gracing her expression. She really did appear to be genuinely curious regarding what her sister had been about to say. She blatantly ignored Mhishani’s question. As if her brother would allow any male to kill any cub born under his rule. She’d heard horrible stories of the past but Thuli had absolute faith in Gakere.
“What were you…?” her head suddenly turned to Baie so fast that she actually felt her neck snapping. If she’d heard correctly, the orange Umzingeli had just proposed a duel on the spot and so far there were only positive responses to it. She was amused to find that the lions that usually annoyed her for one reason or another – Baie, Surtak and even Nguvu to some degree – were actually doing and saying things she could agree on.
“Don’t chicken out, Nguvu. I’d like to see that now.” She added her voice to the others, her frown gone after being replaced with an eager and amused expression. She chuckled at Surtak’s reference to the Firekin.
----------------------------
Baie remained silent this time, pleasantly surprised by the effect of her words. She believed that everyone liked to be heard and to influence others to some degree but she was starting to think she enjoyed it more than most. The fact that she’d given Gakere his first cubs still filled her with pride and confidence even if the litter hadn’t been as perfect as she’d hoped.
The idea that she – and the Abazingeli as a group – could greatly influence the actions of the Inselele made Baie’s chest tighten. Nguvu and Jasiri were the first to take the title and as far as she could tell these first few interactions might determine their position in the pride. She was curious as to how they’d react to the challenge now that more voices had joined hers. Would they bow down to the pressure or skillfully dance around the issue? Well, the real question was… unlike the Abaholi, could the Inselele be easily pushed around?
The fact that her expression became terribly innocent should’ve alerted those who knew her best to the fact that her emotions might not be matching her outer appearance at that particular moment.
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 4:30 pm
Toboa watched as Han padded away, not at all offended by the departure. She was about to pick herself up and follow, inclined to allow other lionesses a front row seat to greet the new Inselelo, when she caught the whispers. A duel? Well that could certainly be interesting.
Unfortunately, Nguvu seemed to be a bit hesitant. While Toboa was quick to admit that she didn't like fighting, this was a completely different matter. A mock battle just to gauge strength and technique, as opposed to an explosion of rage and aggression, was something she enjoyed as much as the next lioness.
She found herself hoping for a brief moment that Surtak might participate - she was willing to bet that he was an impressive warrior. As the moment passed, Toboa's pelt pricked with embarrassment, almost as if she thought the others gathered here knew what she was thinking. She shook the feeling off and kneaded the ground with her forepaws, anticipation running through her like electricity, then headed off after Han.
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 6:24 pm
"Ugh. Even if it weren't so soft, I wouldn't name anything after you." Ukuthula wrinkled her nose in distaste. Like she'd give any cubs of hers some weird, foreign name! That was okay for, you know, foreigners, but she wasn't one. Foreign-blooded, yes, but that didn't count.
The stocky lioness turned her head to regard Mhisani with a lifted brow. "Seriously? Even if he was going to, you don't actually think he'd tell us, do you? The Abaholi would kill him. And if they didn't, I'm sure some of us would." Thula raised her lip, flashing her teeth, but the expression quickly morphed into a grin when a duel was suggested. With claws. Goody. "Ohh, yes, claws. Blood will show up so well against their manes."
"I am not checking anyone for fleas," Wodi was quick to retort. That would require close proximity to someone who might have fleas, which generally ended in the sharing of said fleas. Her frown was short-lived, however, and she was quickly back to being cheerfully disrespectful. "It's your job to protect the pride, not mine."
Paying peripheral attention to her daughter, the splotchy Busisa smirked. She'd wanted fierce children, and she'd certainly gotten them, though Thula in particular could be...harsh. Not that Wodi had any intentions of reprimanding her for it.
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 6:50 pm
Andranis It's Awiki this time, not Nombuso! heart
New Inselelo... She'd have to remember everything about him, and about this gathering. Nombuso would demand no less.
It was hard to say just how this affected the lioness. On the one hand, she stiffened, peach hairs rising to hide her well muscled neck, claws exposed every so slightly-- but her pale blues would soon find the other Busisa who had addressed her, and a small grin would form deceptively. Once a rogue herself, Awiki understood the appeal of adding new blood to the gene pool. Yet, as the pride had long since become her home and those within it her family, the addition of another male made her edgy. Surtak certainly made the lioness feel safer in the presence of, Jasiri was it? But nonetheless her wits were about her now more than ever.
"Interesting." Was all she could mutter before talk of a duel rippled through the crowd. Her sisters were eager to test the newcomer, and it nearly convinced Awiki that if he proved himself he might be spared the gossip. The inevitable bad mouthing behind his back, and at times, to his face. Awiki's ears flattened against her skull, but she didn't turn her attention away. Instead, she watched, curiously, to see what the males would do.
After all, a part of her was just as eager to see Jasiri prove himself worthy of their ranks.
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