Something had awakened the purple lioness rather early, when mist still hung in the trees. As she got up, she looked at the sleeping collective of lions and hares. This was her... Pride. Thus far, the cub, Najisi, had proven to be one of the only two out of the whole lot of lions she could touch and not have visions of their pasts, mostly since Najisi hadn't lived much life to be hurt in. Now... She wanted to know what she'd heard. Padding away slowly, she watched through the mist, listening to the silence. Somebody was here...
When he'd first known that a group was near the copse of trees and rocks he called home, Mkuki had taken interest. Now, as he slowly circled, he was prepared to question. They seemed to bear no ill intent, simply being... THERE. Just that fact bothered him, and now he wanted them rather... Gone. Or at least to obey him. Or something. The blue lion wasn't sure. He started to stalk around them, not paying attention to the number so much as the fact the dark mass of sleeping lions was still there.
What this stranger seemed to not plan on was one getting up. When Kumbuko found him, she stared at the back of the blue lion for a moment, considering just what he might be up to. He looked like he was... Stalking. "What are you doing?"
Though he gave a start, Mkuki let out no sounds that he'd been startled. Slowly turning around, he narrowed his eyes a bit at the lioness. "I'm seeing who is in my part of the seaside." It seemed simple enough, right?
"Your part...?" She paused, looking around. "Wait, seaside? We're near the sea? Really...?" She'd never seen the sea, not even the vast lake Xavier had mentioned to the west. They'd only been going east... Maybe they'd reached the end of the world.
"Yes, MY part. And yes, we're near the sea." He turned, stalking over to the lioness. As he loomed over her, he narrowed his eyes down at her. "Do you have a PROBLEM with this...? Or are you willing to.... Barter?"
She did NOT like that look. "What do you mean, barter...? I have nothing tangible to offer..." She sidestepped around him, trying to put herself closer to the sleeping god. "All I could possibly offer is a pride... You DO look strong enough to hold your own... And we DO need an able-bodied warrior... Like yourself..."
Mkuki eyed the lioness skeptically, then shook his head. "Until such time that I feel it necissary to change, I stand alone in the world. My brother and sisters left to their own ends, our mother stood alone... So I stand alone." His tail flicked. "Give me a reason not to attack you all right now."
Kumbuko motioned with a paw at Xavier. "See that sleeping lion? He's a god. Do you want to mess with one?" Surely every lion would fear a god. It made sense to do so, after all. "If you join us... You could have him on your side..." She just chose to... OMIT the fact he was the God of the Cursed. No need to say what his powers were. Or if they could do anything, for that matter.
A dark eyebrow went up, before the male let out a snort. "Thanks for offering, but no thanks. I can handle myself, and I'll do THAT in ANOTHER direction." Turning and padding away, the male spared no look back. "Keep the area, it's not worth it watching it alone." He'd come back, eventually.
Kumbuko shook her head, before heading over to lay with the rest of the... Pride... If they could call it a pride. Maybe a patch-work family was a fitting name. There weren't a whole lot of them, but they were at least traveling together. Settling down, the lioness soon slipped back into sleep.
Watching from a bush-obscured rock, Mkuki considered his options. They seemed harmless... Yes, he'd let them have this area... He'd come back later. Sneaking away, he headed for some random little... Adventure. Maybe he'd live out a bit of cubhood fantasy.
