Kisoni, Thalion, DFA --- Mishenka, Kizuka, Maji, Ushaufu, Taban
Grandmother had always said that a nice girl didn't call on boys. While Mishenka put a lot of store behind the things her grandmother had told her, she wasn't wont to agree with such things. Besides... this was innocent wasn't it? It had been so long since she'd been in frequent company of others, though, the female was not sure her judgment of the situation was... accurate. No matter how innocent her time spent with Maji ultimately was, there was still the bothersome fact that she was going to an awful lot of trouble to continue meeting with him. Today the sun settled warm upon the rocks as she made her way down into the rejuvenating valley.The heat of the day made so that there was little in the way of mists, as most water was absorbed by the soil around the river rather than hanging in the air, and for the first time Mishenka was able to see the cliffs beyond. They were riddled with caves, though she saw no lions lounging there, and Mishenka approached with hesitation. Today there were no arguing voices to lead her along... in fact there were no noises---no. That wasn't accurate.
The butterfly female's ear tipped to one side and her paws began to follow the soft sound of childish shrieks and laughter. "Stop." A low, grave-like, broken voice said from.. somewhere. At first, Mishenka did not see the lioness, but when she did... Kizuka was practically face to face with Mishka, proof of how well honed her skill was.. and how amazing her natural camouflage. Her eyes narrowed. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
Maji looked down into the puddle building outside his and Suli's cave. There was a steady trail of rainwater that would collect in a small dip in the ground. The constant dripping had become simply background sound by then, during the night it was strangely comforting sound. In the morning it provided a few mouthfuls of water and avoided a trip to the stream if either he or Suli wasn't in the mood for a morning walk. This morning it served as a mirror. He'd been grooming himself a bit more, using his claws to comb out the knots that had gathered. Suli helped but made a point to complain about it. In the larger male's opinion, a wild appearance was perfectly fine, even desirable in their situation. Maji wasn't quite sure he liked what he saw. It was still a far shot from the handsome, silken beast he'd been in the past but it was better than the raggy 'b*****d' that had been his more frequent look. "It'll do." He mumbled quietly as he lifted his head. He, too, was conflicted in his desire to see the female. It was nice to speak with someone that wasn't constantly complaining or growling about this or that...and it was refreshing to speak to a female who didn't seem intent on filling every word with venom.
The mistweaver pulled himself to his feet and shook his mane out one last time before walking himself away from the cave towards the cliffs.
As it was, Ushafu was happy now-a-days. Never had the large male figured such a simple thing as ... children would make him happy, yet here was the proof. He lay within the cave he and Kizuka used a nursery and home, his large form blocking the entrance so as to keep the cubs from slipping away, his back to the outside, his head to the inside as he watched the small forms play this or that game, say this or that silly thing. He couldn't help the small smile that flickered his maw now and again as he watched. That is, till his well-trained ears picked up his mate's voice; as far as he'd been concerned, the brown female had been either hunting, or taking a stroll, probably using the time to get out of the stuffy cave. Thus her voice just beyond and outside, sounding less than pleased was enough to warant him to look away from the cubs. He rolled in the entrance so he was still blocking the inside effectively with his large frame, his head watching what was going on just beyond the den. A brow arched as he spotted the other female; he'd never seen this one, "Take care what you answer," he smirked from his perch, "Mothers tend to be rather wary of strangers near their den," he hoped that was enough a threat to drive away anyone with evil intents, and an explanation enough for those that had no such intents.
Mishenka's first reaction had been shock, but that had fled quickly. Anger and indignation came next... but a male's voice saved her from acting on them. Her brilliantly violet eyes glanced up to see...... well. THAT was certainly the most unusually built lion that she'd ever come across. She could only see half of Ushaufu's form, but it was enough to know that not only was he massive, but his build was strong and bulky, and his mane short and tousled. And his fur was the colour of death. Her gaze shifted back to the unmoving lioness still staring at her, and Mishenka bowed her head in deference. "Excuse me. I didn't realize I was getting to close to the children; I was merely looking for a friend of mine. Maji?"
"maji?" Kizuka's ears swiveled into a more passive position. Her own eyes glanced up towards her mate, and then she backed off a step or so. "I haven't seen him about here... but I think he's been staying with Kisuli off away from the others. I'm not sure where." Looking up again, the female raised a brow towards her mate, "Do you have any idea, Ushu?"
"I can vouch for her." The cheetah's voice chimed in from just a few yards off. He was already halfway up the cliff with a dead hare at his paws. Earlier that morning he'd done a bit of hunting for himself. The hare had been a fortunate find, and a fine gift for someone with cubs. "I've seen both her and Maji together in the last few days- both inside and outside of the valley." He glanced to the female and tipped his head a bit in a semi-formal greeting. "I make it my business to monitor the boarder these days."
"Hmmmm..." it was barely a word as he observed the situation play out bellow him. The god smirked mildly at the butterfly marked female, his red eyes flashing in the dim light. Smart girl, he though instantly as he watched the anger, at least, take a hind seat upon her emotions, replaced by something else he found much more fitting her survival chances, "Nope," he voiced down at his mate, "Can't say do; Maji seems to like his solitude too much for his own damn good, as far as I know," an ear flickered as Taban's voice entered the conversation and silently, Deception arched a brow at the new development. Shifting his form so he could get a better glance, he made sure his back was still blocking the entrance, or at least enough of it he'd know it if the cubs were to try and climb out. A pause as he listened, a smirk curling his maw, because after all, though he was a god, he was, first and foremost, male, "Oh, really?" it was drawled, and though the answer could have been to either the cheetah's statements, it was rather clear which he was addressing, for he looked rather amused.
Embarrassment radiated off of Mishenka's form, and her body quivered a little with that an retained anger. She did not like to be picked on, at least not by strangers, and that was how she considered this to be going. She also did not like cheetahs, and gave the one now 'vouching' for her a baleful look. "Well.. I suppose I'll be looking down there for him then. Unless the 'tacition' knows where he is?"
Kizuka looked.. well about as amused as her mate was, now that she knew the female was no danger--at least not at present. While the female didn't agree with allowing too many people into the pridal lands... well she could not object if situations were as they seemed. The embarrassment she could sense from Mishenka seemed to confirm it, as did the suddenly pissy attitude.Kizuka tried to school her features into impassiveness, no matter how difficult that proved to be.
Taban smiled cooly back to the female in response to her glare his way. He even made a slight purring sound at the word 'tactition'. "I do indeed." He said with a 'matter-of-fact' tone to his voice. "But I don't think that my directions will be nessicary." He slowly glanced off to the side. Sure enough, Maji's form was making its way slowly towards the cliffs. At the moment the prince seemed a bit lost in thought, his head was turned to one side, likely watching the river that flowed not too far off.
"I hope you don't find my intrusion rude. I had the fortune to catch a little something extra this morning and I thought it would make a nice gift to welcome our newest members." He reached down and picked up the rabbit. "Good for developing little ones."
A chuckle boomed up from above the cliff; amusing how the god's voice could roll like the thunder. Ushaufu had no doubt it was partialy due to the echo in the cave, but he couldn't have cared less. He was amused; that's all that mattered. The sudden way the butterfly-marked female had almost shrunk back, only to spring forth was all the confirmation he'd needed to know. Oh, he knew the symptoms well, "Been down that road and back," he called down to the females before turning towards the cheetah, aiming a swift glance at Kizuka before chuckling again, "Can't say I don't appreciate it," he did not give the final word though; as a mated male, he knew full well that it would be to his favour (and, oh, what favour) if he gave Kizuka the chance to give the final word towards anything that concerned the cubs and/or their home. The cheetah's access to the Den was Kizuka's choice, not his. Despite that, he turned to glance Maji padding their way, chuckling low this time before he turned to look at his children, "The plot thickens, eh?" he told them, though just loud enough to be heard below. Oh, he was getting a kick out of the situation.
Mishenka was decidedly not, though it seemed that Ushaufu's mate had quite decided that his attitude was the best one to adopt. Kizuka couldn't help a slight little snicker at the whole situation and when Mishka gave her a heated look, took herself up the cliff path to join her mate by the cave entrance. As she passed Taban she nodded her head to him, "We do much appreciate it. Rabbit would be wonderful for them, and hunting is still difficult."
Left below, and knowing better than to try and climb the cliffs herself, Mishenka wanted nothing more than to be out of sight of these laughing... hyenas! Oh, she knew very well her quarrel wasn't with them but..... she wasn't really certain who it was with, actually. Only that she was terribly embarrassed and ready to crawl into a hole. Yet she turned to face maji with her usual steady calmness... and if he looked a little better today than he had the day before, that could be put off to his bothering to groom himself.. could it not?
Taban chuckled quietly as he bent down to gather his kill back up and make his way calmly up the face of the cliff. He didn't dare enter the cave where the cubs currently played but he did stop at the ledge where Ush and his mate sat. The cheetah dropped the kill down at their paws then reached a paw up to wipe his mouth clean. "Mind if I join you in watching?" he dropped his voice to just above a whisper, "I must say, the turn of events has me quite amused." The cheetah paused and craned his neck upwards as the sky roared. "Hm...."
Maji paused in his walk and glanced up as well, a raindrop had plunked on the end of his nose- and quite a large one. A few more drops fell around him, and almost instantly there was water all around, pounding at the ground and sending mud flying up to spot at the fur around his paws and ankles. His mane started to fall heavily around his head and shoulders. He tossed his head to one side and made a break for the caves ahead of him. Damn it all, why now of all times!? If the storm king had a sense of humor it was a damn cruel one.
Up on the ledge, the parents (and Taban) were shielded by a small outcropping above them. The most they got was a soft spray from the water splashing aorund them... "Odd.. it hadn't looked like rain.." Kizuka snickered. She was used to the sudden storms by now, but that didn't mean that she thought it was at all that random in reality. The female rose to her feet to gather the rabbit up and slip over her mate's form in order to feed her children.
Down below, however.... It was very, very wet. Mishenka growled to herself, even though a good deal of her 'fire' had just been put out rather abruptly. After a moment, the girl ran up to Maji rather than wait for him to find her... as she'd been doing. "Come on, lets get out of this!" She snapped into his ear, so that he could hear her. He knew the shelter around here better than she.. and she wished to get away from those laughing eyes.
