Welcome to Gaia! ::

Avalbane joined the growing crowd below pride rock, fashionably late as she would say. The lioness moved with the grace of a queen and seemed more or less bored with the entire occasion. Someone else was the center of the pride's attention, and while that irritated her, it would have been highly improper for her to remain at her den with such a big event. Everyone was talking about it. The prince was born in another pride, brought in as a cub to learn their ways. There were some that didn't like the idea, others that didn't mind the fact, and even more that either were uninformed or indifferent. She wanted to see for herself, and perhaps form her own opinion on the matter. Perhaps worse than being stuck on the sidelines was being uninformed at the latest gossip.

She sat herself down after finding an acceptable spot and took a short account of the crowd around her. Augh, so many...

"I can't believe daddy's not here." She grumbled as Dalziel begrudgingly joined her. "I mean this is kind of a big deal."

--
Dalziel took a seat and sighed. It was 'kind of' a big deal. It was a huge deal. Their king was getting older and with his injury, he wouldn't be able to maintain his position for too much longer. As it was now, he rarely left pride rock. It was very rare to see him out and about, and when he did go out of his way it was a difficult thing to observe.

The mute lion made a face as his female companion blabbered on. She'd been talking their entire walk over... at this point, she was more or less white noise. A constant sound, always there, never really saying anything worthwhile. At least he couldn't comment... it might have been a blessing that the gods saw fit to strip him of his voice prior to his birth.

He diverted his attention away from 'Bane and looked instead up to the towering rock formation that marked the center of the pride's territory. He smiled a little, sad that he didn't actually know the royals personally but hopeful that their line would continue, strong as ever.

---

Tawala joined the two white lions shortly after they had seated themselves. Beside him, his elderly father prowled his way forward, sucking up the pain in his joints and the discomfort in his lower back. Tawala, the eldest of his father's most recent litter, watched the elder as he took his place and settled himself down. He laid down, rather than sat, as it was easier on his back. Tawala sat himself down, but easily dwarfed his more prideland-blooded neighbors. Mwali's size had bred true into much of his litter, as did his fiery coloration and the telltale symbol he bore proudly on his shoulder.

Tawala looked up over the lions in front of him and frowned. It was...very odd. They were bringing in a prince born on the outside. He wasn't certain what he thought of the whole affair. "Apparently, we share blood with these guys? How come we couldn't get a better seat!"

---
Mwali grunted. He looked ahead with his one remaining eye and folded his paws out in front of him. "We don't share blood with them. Some of your siblings do, but not us." He corrected his son in a deep, firm voice. "Koho, my first mate, was the half-sister to their early king, Mufasa." He glanced over to Tawala as the youth raised a brow.

"I knew him only in passing... he was much older than I was. Koho passed not too long after that. I don't expect these youngsters to remember any of that. It would make no difference, anyhow."

He looked ahead. That seemed so long ago... how many new rulers had he seen? How many had come and gone? It was difficult to reflect back too far. Things changed here so often... it was growing harder and harder to keep up to date on the pride's affairs. Perhaps his mind was finally failing him.

---

Tawala frowned and looked ahead. "...still. It's going to be weird. A prince from the outside. Everyone's kinda torn on the issue.

---

"Good enough reason to be. Back in my homeland, such a thing was unheard of. Breeding with an outsider was taboo, sometimes even conversing with one was- unless you meant to take them as a slave." Of course, those times were well gone by now. He had fought on the losing side of the civil war. His family had been replaced as the royal family and those that weren't able to tolerate the new rule had scattered to the wind. It had been the last he'd seen of Malik... of course, a reunion would not be an easy affair either. He had fought with the new order, and had taken his own father's eye in the process.

Frowning, Mwali put a paw to the scar that ran down along the side of his face.

[[Word Count: 842 ]]

Guarin's ears perked up. Had that been his brother around here some where? If only he were taller! Then he could look above everyone's heads! "Brother?" He belted out curiously not taking into account others ears from the loud yell. "You there? Where are you?" He certainly had been blessed with a good pair of lungs and if he had been paying attention he would have noted the other cub that was about to run into him, "Oof."


Guaire paced back and forth while chanting, "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!" Guaire shook his head in frustration and somewhat fear. He had wandered too far away from his mommy again and now he couldn't find her...at all! He was working himself up into a tizzy and forgot to pay attention like his mommy had been teaching him. He ran right into another and was knocked to the ground. Guaire layed there stun for a few minutes before his eyes began to water. He sniffled, "Owie." He whined out to the older cub imploringly. Whenever he did this look he got cuddles and he wanted cuddles...and mommy...and daddy. He sniffled again at the thought of being lost forever. He was a bit of dramatic so what? It could happen! The sound from above caught both the older cub and himself. It was a bird... "I want mama." He spoke plaintively.

Kanata tilted her hair curiously and peered down from her perch. "What's all this then?" She watched as the two youths collided. "Ouch, you two should be more careful!" Minty green wet eyes and brown ones looked up. The one open his gob and spoke, "Oh sweetheart you lost? Maybe I can try to find them from the skies. That usually helps. What do they look like?" Kanata watched as a cute contemplative look cross his face and then be began to describe the best he could. "Um, alright I will see what I can do! Try to stay around this area okay?" She watched as he nodded. "You-" She used her wing to point at the older cub. "-make sure you watch him now." Kanata could tell they weren't family but youth needed to learn responsibility. "I will try to be back as soon as I can."

When Pandra with her children she noted how business it was already and the ceremony wasn't even starting for another few hours. Good thing she had put the little ones down for a nap or they would have been cranky as all get out. Pandra used her nose to nudge all three cubs to get moving once she found the perfect spot to settle down. It was quieter here and less populated.

Hari was no more or less jealous than your typical youngster would be. Not near enough to warrant accusations about it, he felt.

"I'm not --" What he'd planned to say never made it beyond intention; he was cut off by the lioness' summons and his sister's fleeting attention span. Hari shook his head and searched for the whereabouts of the friend he'd first arrived with. Alas, a quick glance around determined Kopano was now preoccupied as well.




Kopano couldn't distinguish his brother's calls over those of the others around him, but he recognized the familiar form rushing his way. The collision was all but inevitable and left him with his face in the dirt.

"Oof!"



That anyone could treat their elders in such a lofty manner was hard for Amira to come to terms with. What was initially nothing more than justified wariness gave way to an incredulity so mind-boggling all the lioness could do was stare. She could tell at a glance Eris was young, still with much life ahead of her and so much to learn; however, Amira couldn't recall a time she'd have been so uncouth, no matter her age.

But there certainly had been a point in her life where Mother would have done more than shake her head and chide, "You need to learn some manners, little one."

Having said that, Alake turned from Eris and to the array of juveniles. Where there had once been only two, now there were four.

Konja felt as uncertain as he looked about how to handle the sudden additions. Were they all siblings?

Given Kopano was a scrawny thing without much heft to him ,it was an easy task for Alake to lift him by the scruff of the neck and set him back on his paws beside Guarin. She lowered her head to all four of them (the set of brothers, Biyu, and Hari).

"Konja here will take to you back to your mother," said the lioness. "If you're afraid of getting lost, ride on his back."

"I want to!" Hari piped up.

Usiku giggled a little at the adult. She always wondered why they were so serious about everything, how come they couldn't be as fun-loving as they likely were as cubs?

Usiku guessed she would never know.

Inuki smiled at her and tilted his head to the side. She tried to look as patient as lionly possible as her conversation partner turned his attention to the younger lion. She was not too interested in him until she glanced his way and noted that he had a handsome pelt color, and an innocent looking face.

Probably useful things to note.

"I'm sure everyone is just fine," she said evenly, though an impatient swing of her tail indicated that she was tired of the distraction. She wanted to focus on the male she'd met first, then move on to other members of the pride at first, just to get her bearings. Test the waters. See where she might be comfortable, and who might help her get that way. Friends who would be willing to help cushion her life.

Or give her the things she wanted, and needed. She didn't think about the male beside her, the one she had come with. She knew he was aware of what they were doing now. What they always did.

Potewa smiled at her leisurely.

"If either of us wanted cubs, I'm sure we could settled down and have some eventually. But her life is her own, as mine is, and I am not in a hurry for it. At least, not until... well." He shrugged, either playing coy or actually bashful of the idea of making a family, with or without Inuka. He looked at the dark pelted lioness from under his eyebrows, and though he was a larger lion he looked like a little cub talking about the same thing.

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Oh. I think this will be a nice place to stay. I'm sorry if I'm... intruding. I mean. I just realized... " He glanced over at the other male, then back to Hviske meaningfully. "I don't mean to intrude," he said again.

How comically alike these two were, in their own subtle ways. It made Calypso wonder if they had come here together; and in that regard, she envied them. They would have someone to experience not only this moment, but acclimination in general with, which was something she would always muddle through on her own.

She waited patiently for the female to finish her thought, and when it seemed she had been stalled, she jumped into the fray. The looked she had been given was starting to creep her out. "Seeking a new home is hard enough on it's own, when one doesn't feel right in their birth lands, but to lose your homes...for that, I am very sorry." How long had she wandered, aimlessly trecking land, just because a few higher ups in her home pride ruined it all?

"Jicho, Rekhet, I would like to welcome you to the Pridelands." Calypso stood proud and tall. "My name is Calypso, and if there is ever anything that I can do for you, please, let me know."