Although they weren't hiding amid the dwarves with the weather past, the small band of creatures was staying in the area. Nasa had mentioned business, so business it was, and the small group was out in the sun relaxing. Angaza had fallen asleep guarding Dulce, who, to her credit, was curled against the older hyena, sleeping herself and enjoying the sun. This left Adhari and Tencho out alone in the sunny weather exploring the area, and the pair readily danced and bobbed about playing chase as they moved about, laughing eagerly. The day was simply perfect, and they saw no harm playing.
Mauji looked out over his area idly, ears flicking in thought as he mentally roamed back to the other night. Such a strange band of animals he'd met, but the hybrid stuck in his mind. He'd never met a hybrid before, and the entire experience was curious to him. Still, she'd been a rather nice hybrid, but he supposed that was her family - Upenzi and Tencho were alike, he knew, but Tencho was far less aggressive and hostile than her mother, perhaps because of the sibling that visited or travelled? He wasn't sure? - with her group, and the leopard lay his head on his paws, tail swaying. The lions suspected him, but they usually did. The only good lion was - wasn't around to his knowledge. Was Mioyo alive? Was she dead? He wasn't sure and he was hopeful the kindly lioness was. Then again, his godmother had been a lioness too.
But they were exceptions, and Kabichi died because of lions, and so to that end, lions were terrible animals. He didn't regret killing them for taking the good ones who for all he cared were lions.
The last thought left him to pause, frowning to himself.
Was it revenge? What would his mother say? Or the female she'd befriended?
Mauji's thoughts were interrupted by Adhari and Tencho darting past, and Mauji's head shot up, watching in silence before he got up, jumping from his branch to pad after.
"...Hi." He said quietly.
Tencho heard him first, looking up when Adhari tackled her, grinning and mouthing at legs and paws as she looked towards the bewildered leopard, grinning.
"Hi!" The female called eagerly. Mauji smiled a bit when Adhari rolled off, padding over and headbutt him playfully, the large leopard raising a paw and pawing back idly.
"I thought you guys left the area." He admitted softly. Tencho shook her head, Adhari mouthing his paw gently.
"Nah." The Hyena giggled. "Nasa's off with 'beeznees', so we're hanging around. Dad's off nappin' with Dulce though."
Mauji chuckled, assuming a veruy awkward play position before he pawed the hyena cautiously. Maybe...
Tencho grinned, giggling and joined the play, pounching the leopard suddenly and he felt his muscled go rigid briefly before relaxing, and he rolled on his back, managing not to bite when Adhari jumped on him, tugging his ear like a pup. Tencho giggled, and he smiled a toothy smile at them, a real looking smile, and the male pawed the pair warmly, chuckling a bit.
"Babies." Mauji finally rumbled. Tencho giggled, grabbing his other ear and tugged, giggling and pawing again, and Adhari planted her bottom on him, earning a startled noise for her efforts before her mop-tail began flopping happily. Mauji grunted, pawing at Adhari to push her off as Tencho giggled, Adhari's mop going flip-flop-flip-flop as she sat, just a few minutes more, before she got up, giggling as Mauji rolled over, rising to his full height just a moment before he pounced, mouthing Adharui's ear. He wasn't sure how to admit it, but the carefree innocence was fun, and the male was surprised he didn't mind the play. Instead he gave in, yelping as Tencho pounced both, nearly biting through Adhari's ear. The female yelped, and Mauji jumped back, freezing as ashe shook her head, then grinned.
"Hery, it's cool, we're all good here." Adhari giggled. Mauji paused, looking to T4encho with a lost expression. The hybrid nodded, grinning before she pad over, patting him with a paw.
"Relax." Tencho giggled. "Caaaalm."
Mauji paused, then nodded, getting himself moving again slowly, Tencho giggled, nosing him back and Adhari pounced again, the male squeaking as she did, the hyena biting his ear again playfully before he smiled, alowing it and flopping again. This time the girls flopped next to him, and after a moment of consideration, Mauji settled to watching for strangers attentively when Adhari looked over, ears flicking.
"So why're you always so uptight about lions and strangers?" She asked idly. Mauji blinked, aware of it when Tencho looked to him as well, and his ear flicked before he looked to his paws.
"Oh, well, ah..." He swallowed awkwardly.
"I... Had issues with both lions and strangers before." He shrugged. He couldn't tell them he'd killed a lion. Not them. Not now. He wasn't sure he could tae it if they rejected him. Adhari, however, shrugged.
"Weird. Dad was forced to chase and bully lions before." She noted idly. Mauji blinked, earts pricking. "When I was a puppy. Dad's old pack was trying to eliminate lions. Ended up leaving because they also tried keeping every hyena who came by."
Mauji nodded, blinking and looking towards the trees. The male had chased lions too?
Odd. Tencho shrugged.
"Some creatures are like that. They bite and claw... Some are mean and some aren't, though. It simply happens." She stretched, and rose, looking to Mauji. For a moment, he blinked, then shook his head.
"Me? Not... It's not that simple. Mama's best friend was a lioness." Mauji swallowed. Two pairs of eyes turned to him, and he sighed.
"We went to her pride when I was a cub. Your Mama was there." He motioned to Tencho shakily. "They took me in, but what I didn't know was Mama tried protecting me from bad lions. The kind who enslave their own kind." Mauji scowled. "She died later of old wounds. So... I began to hunt them. I'll never live under a lion if I can help it again."
Mauji knead the ground, scowling.
"I killed over it. A lioness. There were cubs, but they bolted. I probably-"
He cut off but the point was there. Tencho blinked, ears pinning, butAdhari shrugged.
"Dad chased a cub when he was younger to kill her. She was basically an orphan, or at least alone. He would've done the same. But we can always get better. And do better." Adhari smiled, tail flip-flopping about, and both Tencho and Mauji blinked, looking at her before Tencho shrugged.
"Yeah, that sounds right. Anyone can bexcome a better lion." She grinned. "Or leipard, or anything else." Tencho admitted. Mauji raised both brows, blinking several moments before tilting his head, and shrugging, flopping.
"Still not fond of lions." He admitted. Adhari shrugged.
"Nobody expects you to be." She noted. Tencho nodded, flopping as a sunbeam crossed over, yawning.
"Yeah. Mmm, Adhari, the sun moved."
Adhari nodded, and lay out, yawning. "Mmmm!"
Mauji blinked, suddenly surrounded by sleepy females, and looked around briefly before laying down himself, stretching and settling to doze.
Maybe a nap wouldn't... Hurt.
