[LOG] Man of the Year (Mirsajadi & Aylin)

[Princess_Feylin]

Aylin

She'd been feeling odd for a few weeks now. Of course, Aylin was never really concerned about it. With the drama happening between Mirsajadi and Zoey, she didn't know what to think anymore. Mirsajadi had never been harsh to her, never said a harsh word or given her a bad look... She wanted to believe that Zoey didn't cheat on him, but she had no say between them. Zoey was the Beybanu and she was just a Banu. She didn't even know that much about either of them. She was just here because Mirsajadi offered her a home and a form of protection. It wasn't as if she loved him.

There were fond feelings, yes, but it wasnt close to love. Either way, she had talked with one of the other Beybanu's around named Afsar and figured out that she was pregnant. Nervousness didn't wash over her as she looked around for Mirsajadi because she had a feeling he knew she wouldn't cheat on him. She barely left the area surrounding the den. And certainly most males would find her too odd to waste their time on.

So, here she was, yellow eyes looking about for the familiar stripes of her Pad. "Mirsajadi?" She called out, voice gentle and questioning like always. She poked her head into the den and peered inside. "Are you there?"

Mirsajadi

"For now," Mirsajadi answered. "But I was just leaving. Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

He thought he knew what she would want to say to him. Having already gone through Arezoo's pregnancy from beginning to end, Mirsajadi was familiar with the signs of its onset and progress. He had been waiting to see how long it would take Aylin to approach him with the news.

He didn't blame her for waiting, given the treatment Arezoo had received from him, but it was different with Aylin. She was not a lioness who seemed given to particularly strong passions, and so he could not imagine her falling so deeply in love with another pad that she would break the agreement they had formed before he brought her back about her fidelity and allowing no other lion but him to cover her. And he doubted she loved or hated him enough to find another pad either to spite him or please him.

No. The cubs from this litter would be his, he was certain of it. Not that he could do anything like raise her to beybanu and demote Arezoo. That would draw attention to Arezoo's failure as a beybanu and thus his failure as a pad. That truth would come out eventually, he supposed, but he would be gone by then.

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Aylin

"I'll be quick about this then," she said, nodding a little and sighed. She sat down just outside of the den, watching her Pad carefully. "I believe I'm pregnant. I had a talk with Beybanu Afsar and she believes I am as well."

Her voice didn't waver from that gentle tone she always talked with. Why be nervous? She had a feeling that he wouldn't be harsh with her. They had a different sort of arrangement than he had with his Beybanu. They weren't supposed to have that same relationship. From what she understood, anyway. No one really told her the sort of thing she was expected to do. All she did was follow what other Banu's did around here.

"I'm sorry if this comes as an inconvenience, but I thought to tell you as soon as I found out. I know I hadn't been feeling well, but I hadn't known why. I didn't much help Zoey with her pregnancy, so I didn't know the signs. Sorry it came so late."

Mirsajadi

"Banu Afsar?" Mirsajadi repeated. He would have been better pleased if Aylin had restricted her inquiries to his family, and not one of Ilyas' banu, but what was done was done.

"You couldn't ask. Well, no. I suppose not."

Asking Arezoo probably would not have been the most politic move on Aylin's part, and although the pale lioness was not the most socially adept creature Mirsajadi had ever met, she wasn't stupid or deliberately insensitive. Even she must be aware that matters had changed between him and Arezoo since her litter was born.

"It is something of an inconvenience," he admitted.

That there would be a litter of his own, trueborn cubs left behind when he departed galled him. Particularly when they would be raised by some other lion. On the other hand, what difference did it make, really? He had told Arezoo that he would leave, and he could not go back on that now. Perhaps he could offer to take Aylin with him.

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Aylin

She knew he wouldn't like this being told to another family, but Banu Afsar, she knew, wasn't one to go blabbing about gossip and rumours. Afsar seemed far more into playfulness than anything else, and that's why Aylin had went to her about it. She'd say the same thing if he'd asked her.

When he agreed it was an inconvenience, her chest tightned just a bit, but she'd seen it coming. Aylin knew that Mirsajadi was not the most romantic, nor did he even attempt to be the most civil at times. He was a Pad that did things his own way, that took the pride rules seriously and, with Arezoo, a little too far. She was in no position to complain or bring up the way he was acting towards her wasn't good and certainly not what she expected from him. Honestly, what should she expect from him? He'd done nothing to prove her otherwise, but Aylin thought she'd been good at sensing other lions and what they were like. Her experiences here had shown her how wrong she was.

"... If you want, you can take the cubs with you. Though handling a whole litter of cubs by yourself would be taxing. I know you're leaving... I... overheard. I didn't mean to. Honestly, the only reason I came to this pride was because you offered me protection when I was young and smaller than I am now. There's no love between us to keep you here. There's no reason for me wanting to stay here, other than I've grown rather used to it." She gave him that airy smile and shrugged. "Should you want to take a cub with you, from what I understand, it's your right. I wouldn't try to stop you."

Her tone had taken on a nearly hollow one at this point. She had no real positive emotions here. The cubs would be born, he'd no doubt take one or two, leaving her here with the rest. She didn't love anyone here. How could she? No one in this pride understood her, not even her own Pad. So why did she want to stay so badly? She'd have to find that out on her own. Something told her that he life was about to change drastically.

"Sorry. I tend to talk to much," she just grinned at him and shrugged. "I'll let you go. You were just on your way out, weren't you?"

Mirsajadi

Mirsajadi was startled. He was not often surprised by people anymore, particularly when they were people he had spent a great deal of time around. Arezoo had surprised him when she first turned up pregnant, but it had not taken him very long to figure out what had been going on in her head, and so the pregnancy was less of a surprise after that. It was not even a surprise to him when the cubs came out looking more or less like they could be his.

There was no point in saying anything about her eavesdropping. Aylin had already told him that she hadn't meant to overhear and he couldn't exactly make her un-hear what she had heard. It would be easiest simply to accept that she knew what was going on and to work from there. At least it made explanations for his departure unnecessary.

"That's an interesting offer you make," he remarked. "But I don't particularly want to take an entire litter of cubs with me when I leave. By your leave, I would like to keep at least one of my cubs with me."

When he spoke his last sentence there was a slight emphasis on the word my, as though to draw a distinction between the cubs Aylin would bear and those Arezoo had already borne. In his mind there was a clear distinction. One litter was truly his brother's and the other litter would be his. The first such litter he had ever known about. It almost made him want to stay.

"I apologize for breaking the agreement we made, regarding the arrangements for you. Before I leave I will do my best to see you settled with another pad, if that is your wish. Otherwise I expect you will either be assigned to the harem of one of my brothers or allowed to accompany Arezoo wherever she ends up."

His tone speaking of Arezoo was flat and it was obvious that he did not particularly care where the adultress ended up.

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Aylin

Aylin could only shake her head when he offered to be in his brother's harem. No, Arezoo was being accused of bearing her brother's cubs, so why even risk that? He'd no doubt made his siblings made with that accusation. That kind of thing would hoenstly hurt someone's reputation, male or female.

"Take a cub if that's your wish. I'm going to be sad when you go. You're a good listener," she smiled as she said that but shrugged again. It was up to him. Aylin had no place asking him to stay. "If you could place me with another Pad, it would be most appreciated. I hope you'll be happy wherever you end up. I know that even though you're born into a pride, it doesn't mean the pride is for you. I hear the stories the newer Pads tell the pride." Her soft eyes watched him as she settled down where she was. She was getting very tired and it was showing.

She would hope Arezoo ended up with someone kind. Aylin would have to go check on her when this all happened. It would seem his trip would be delayed until she gave birth and the cubs were weened, otherwise it would be a difficult trip for him.

"I wish you a safe trip, Pad Mirsajadi."

Mirsajadi

Mirsajadi read something of Aylin's thoughts in her headshake and he could not help smiling somewhat.

"I would not place either of my banu with Raja even if he asked for you by name. But I do have other brothers, some of them less odious. I believe my youngest brother, from my parents' most recent litter, may even have hope of someday being pleasant. But if you wish to be quit of my family, I certainly would not blame you."

Actually, the idea of giving both his banu to his littlest brother, Shadan, had merit, but Mirsajadi wasn't sure about it. There was another option, of course, and Mirsajadi felt obliged to mention it even though it did not quite fit in with the plans he had already conceived of.

"You could come with me, you know. I could still protect you and our cubs in the rogue lands. It would make my life pleasanter, too, I think. Cubs are not brilliant conversationalists."

Neither was Aylin. But she was a good listener, too. Perversely, it cheered Mirsajadi to learn that she was sad to hear of his imminent departure. He had no illusions about whether he would be missed by anyone else in his family.

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Aylin

The offer made her want to say yes. It really, really did, but at the same time, she knew she couldn't.

"I feel a calling here," she started, brows knitting. "I feel a much larger calling here than I did out there. I was born and raised out there, I know what it's like, but I don't know if I want the cubs to grow up there. While it wasn't the worst cubhood in the world, it's not very stable. It is full of crazy species and cubnappers. At least in the pride the other males would stop that from happening. Or at least put up a good fight. I can't go with you."

She sighed as she said the last line. Clearly she wanted too, but for the sake of the cubs, she couldn't risk them out there. Yes, lions had cubs out there all the time, but she felt a bad vibe when she thought of bringing the cubs out there. Her instinct was telling her to stay here.

"I'm sorry..."

Mirsajadi

It occurred to Mirsajadi to be affronted by the implication that he would not fight in her defense and in defense of their cubs, but he knew that was not what she had meant. Aylin wasn't much for innuendo. Her plain speaking had always been refreshing to him, even when it annoyed him and made him wonder occasionally if there was something not quite right in her head.

"I understand," he told her truthfully. "But I had to at least make the offer."

A noise from the front of the den arrested his attention momentarily. That could well be the sound of one of Arezoo's cubs stirring and waking, which meant that it was time for him to be off. He had been thinking about which of Arezoo's cubs he would take to punish her but had not quite decided yet. He was torn between a pretty girl cub with unusual green eyes and a male who looked a great deal like himself.

"I'll be heading out now." There was some censure in his tone as he added, "I would appreciate it if this bit of family news did not pass beyond this den. At least not until I have left for good."

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Aylin

She nodded as he talked and then rolled to the side, tail swaying slowly. Sighing a bit more, she looked towards the noise and couldn't help but smile a little. Whoever's cubs they were, she enjoyed cubs. She wasn't biased towards either of them, right now. She could understand both sides of the stories, so Aylin chose to stay out of it completely.

"I'll let you leave then. I am sorry that dragged on for so long. I won't talk about this. Don't worry," she said, giving a soft chuckle. "I should go see to that little thing wriggling around, whimpering. I'll see you tonight, Pad, Mirsajadi." She got up on her paws and shook herself off before heading into the den.

She knew Mirsajadi wouldn't want to see the cubs. He always left when they woke up. He had no emotional connection to them, or physical, so he honestly was uncomfortable with them, she felt. Ah, well. Not everyone was a cub person.