[IC] Stormtime Shenanigans [Misae & Hadithi]

[LadyPipen]

The rain was coming down in torrent by the time Hadithi found his way back home- stepping into the maw of the cave soaked through and dripping, shaking out his waterlogged mane as he shivered, the sudden lack of raindrops on his pelt was welcome in the stillness of the cave.

Though perhaps not near so welcome as the pale dream that waited not too farther into the cave, past the gentle dripping and water sprayed furiously from his soggy mane as Hadithi shook out best that he could- though perhaps not so well as he might have should, settling with a sneeze before padding quietly, with great purpose, as if the water dripping from his waterlogged pelt didn't make the softest of dripping as he moved.

It wasn't long before he saw her- the wind in his mane, the stars in his sky, his one and only in all her unsuspecting- but almost definitely suspecting- glory, pausing for just a moment to crouch, wiggle, and pounce- "Gotcha!" He rumbled, purring at his surprise attack.

Should all go as planned, she'd soon be just as soggy as he, and all the better- two halves of a pair should be in just the same miserable state, should they not?

.... Besides, no one groomed him quite so well as Misae.  

[Daffupanda]

There was a storm brewing out in sea, Misae could tell, from her position within the safety of the den her maate had gifted her oh so long ago, when she’d been new to the pride and their ways. The winds had picked up that morning before Hadithi had left to make his rounds... despite the fact it’d been a long time since he’d been a king of any sort, old habits died hard. She’d watched, or rather, felt, the way the wind had swirled from sea, and she had know that it would not take long for her constant companion in life to bring the storm to the shores of their pride.

It had not been a strong one, but rather, the constant putter patter of water droplets as they descended from above, the waves crashing softly in the near distance, and the sound, for whatever reason, reminded Misae of when there’d been a different sort of litter patter in her life. Perhaps the storm would bring good tidings, or it was, in a way, a literal manifestation of the turmoil they had somewhat managed to avert within the past, recent moons.

She heard her mate’s return before she ever saw him, and a soft smile graced her maw as she turned both head and body away from the entrance she’d been watching for a while. Her eyes turned towards the back of the cave, but her ears remain facing the entrance, to let him know that despite the show, she still could, in fact, hear him.
He didn’t make her wait long.

Soon enough she felt his form cover hers in a mock pounce, and she allowed herself to be rolled to the side by his frame, ”Ah, yes,” she whispered up at him as he gazed down, ”And now that you have me, what will you do with me, then?” the smile never left her maw, tender as the day they’d met, and her head came up slightly to bump against his cheek before she flopped it back down on the cavern floor.

From her position on the ground, she could still hear the wind and the rain, and as her red eyes looked off into the distance, into the storm, the lioness grew momentarily serious, ”You know... I’ve decided, Hadithi, that I want more.”  

[LadyPipen]

His clever wife- the rumbling in Hadithi's chest was accompanied by a familiar warmth of affection, even if she allowed herself to be attacked by an overabundantly fluffy, waterlogged mane, his tongue rasping affectionately against the fur of her neck- the only benefit to the lack of children in their den were the moments of intimacy such as this, so beautiful and treasured as they were.

Perhaps he was caught in a deep tide of love and affection, but the implications of his mate's tone certainly hadn't escaped him, and the rumbling of his purrs grew tenfold as he bent in to press his muzzle lovingly against Misae's, "So the winds must be as wrought with passion as the sea tonight, if I'm to be blessed with such a choice...," he rumbled, eyes drinking in her tender, sweet graze, soft smile on his own maw as he appraised the radiant creature within his paws- words such as beauty could not begin to describe, but he would never tire of trying to find the words to capture some sliver of the treasure that he had married...

Chest seized with love, and mind preoccupied with suggestion of things not entirely unrelated, he had almost missed her next request.... Though perhaps it might have been better if he had, as it left him cocking his head in confusion- more? More what? He'd hardly have a complaint..... He had, however, yet to commence with the ravishing, and so.... Was entirely at a loss.

Rolling to the side and releasing his lovely bride for the moment as he huffed, paw batting idly and playfully at the fluffy, feathered fur of her cheek, he began to unravel the puzzle, "More? More storms? Well, I'm certain we could try, dearest, but I feel we'd have to discuss with more than Wind and Sea to make it happen...."  

[Daffupanda]

The rumbling intensified and the smile upon Misae's maw grew somewhat as she returned his nuzzle with one of her own, her tail lazily whipping the ground behind her. She was well aware how lucky she'd been to find him, so early on in her life. She had been blessed very early on, given Hadithi had been her first and only mate; she was no longer naive or young enough to believe that her relationship with him was nothing short of a blessing from the muses. After all... many lions never found a good counterpart, and there were more evil souls out there than she liked to admit even to herself.

She was no longer a young child. She was well aware, with hindsight, of the luck she'd had with her adoptive father, Nyota. She now saw the signs, and when she looked back, could see the cunning in his eyes; the fact he had decided against his initial plans was a miracle - Nyota had grown to love her, dearly even, but history could have gone in an entirely different way.

Thinking about all that, the chaos from the last months almost seemed childish in comparison, barely even a problem really, that would eventually resolve itself given time for wounded pride to heal over.

The thunder rumbled in the distance, and her head flopped to the side to watch it, "While the music your muse makes when it tangles with mine is lovely, the storm is not what I was referring to, love," the lioness chuckled as she lifted a paw, pressing down on his mane to bring his ear more down into contact with her maw "No, dear," she whispered, "I was referring to cubs - I want more, don't you?" she let go of his head to stare up into his eyes in the dimming light, with the song of the storm softly calling in the distance, "Don't you miss it? You're no longer in charge - not really, and nor am I. We're free to try again if we wish, though I'm unsure if I'm perhaps too advanced in age to make this a reality... there's no harm in trying, is there?" she paused and her eyes twinkled, "Fun too. Can't think of a better activity for the lazy, stormy afternoon."

Her eyes looked out at sea again, "That storm... I wonder if it means we still have unruly political climate in the future. What say you?"  

[LadyPipen]

The musing of his mate was, for the moment, lost on him- the flights of fancy of an old lion, for the moment, had stolen him away, so amused he was by the concept of singing up more storms, up until the moment she answered, pulling his head closer, a shift he complied with with a grin of amusement, right until the moment 'cubs' left her maw.

The.... Suddenness of the request was what shocked him most- their cubs had long since grown, married, had cubs of their own.... Even the youngest of them. They were growing old- and Misae was always so... small. Not quite fragile, but small. "Yai is a wonderful cub," he answered, mulling the thought over- their older children had all scattered to the winds- precious few remained close to their parents, and those who had... Well, they were caring for their own families now, and had precious little time or patience for their parents doting on them as though they were still toddling cubs.
It was..... Lonely, in the end. "Old age has done nothing to cool you, my minx," He purred in response to her playful suggestion, "I miss the sound of pattering paws in the den, but I'd miss an old minx more than I'd miss the sea- are you certain you could bear more?" it was a valid concern- she'd never been quite so hearty as other lionesses. He'd share no similar concern had, say, Matope announced she was bearing a litter at her age... She was born for it, it sometimes seemed... But Misae was small. Dainty.

The change of topic to politics was welcome, in the face of such troubling thoughts. "Storms can be cleansing, just as much as they can be trouble," He responded, taking a deep breath of cool air, scent of salt and sea heavy in the storm, "It dredges up the dead and debris of the sea, beats it on the rock until it's nothing but the fine sand of the beach- washes all the grime and dust from the trees and beasts of the jungle, and in the morning after such a storm, everything is clean and fresh- I'd think," He turned his eyes from the pouring rain outside to glance at his mate with a lop-sided smile, "That the muses are giving us a sign of a fresh start. Wash out the wound that's rent so deep into the heart of the Kizi, and it will heal. We just have to give it the attention.... And the time. A fresh start is overdue- it seems the muses are just as impatient as we old lions."  

[Daffupanda]

The lioness chuckled, she couldn’t really help herself, both from the mildly shocked look on her mate’s face and his later reply, ”I’ve been lucky,” she said, allowing some of her earlier musings to show as she spoke, ”I’ve always been lucky in life. Blessed, really, even from a very young age... things could have been horribly bad yet nothing ever really happened. The wind always guided me well, my love, and it seems to be whispering about the patter patter of paws so whom am I to refused? I think it would be a brilliant idea while we still can,” after all, Misae was not dumb, or naive; she knew the window of opportunity would soon close.

Many lions that meet her thought her naive, dumb, dim witted because she didn’t often speak up her opinions and when she did, she was soft spoken. What they did not realize was that in her silence, her observation of others, Misae learned and saw more than they would have likely wished from her. She did not, perhaps, have cunning mind she knew her adoptive father had upon meeting her, but she had learned a thing of two from the brown lion before she had left his side.

Her mate knew her better than anyone though, and when he voiced his concern, her head nodded, ”Now is a good time,” she simply said, ”We have time still, to decide what we want to do, but not much... the window of opportunity is upon us, and shall close within the next few moons I think. After that, we will not be much successful. I will not leave you before you do willingly.”

She was well aware that they had little say in when one left to join the muses, but the wind had yet to guide her in the wrong direction; she did not think it would start now, ”I agree,” she murmured, her eyes turning to the cave entrance, ”The Kizi healed once over from plague - this too, shall pass. We no longer have to look over it, and start a new. For some time.... I thought we may have to, but lately, I have hope again. We can heal.”  

[LadyPipen]

"Yes," Hadithi sighed in the stillness left by his wife's sudden quiet, after she was done musing in melancholy- He was not eager to look forward into a future that may or may not find her by his side. "We can. It's the nature of the Kizi to uncover confusion where we can- but we'll always find our path again. Perhaps there's no better time to bring little ones into our world..."

He was busy, perhaps... Acting as leader of the pride, however, young Yai would soon be ready... And giving advice was not nearly the same as ruling in and of itself. Little Chi and Yai would have enough questions to wear his ears off regardless of what his own future held, anyway, of that he was sure.... Such were the dangers of young rulers, but they were bright young lions, with good hearts and humble minds. They'd be just fine, and fitting rulers to bring the Kizi into their newest age.

"Well, there's no better time," Hadithi purred, shaking himself out of his thoughts, "Who am I to deny the desires of the fairest lioness in the Kizingo'Zaa? All I ask, my lady, is that you be gentle- this old lion bruises like an overripe peach," He teased, placing a paw to his forehead as he rolled over in a dramatic pose, peeking at her from under his paw, "Oh, and I want dinner first. I am an honorable lion, I'll have you know, I deserve to be wooed!"  

[Daffupanda]

"The Kizi will prevail," this she said in a whisper - she'd know it would prevail, just like she'd know the storm would hit land that evening. It was part of the reason she knew deep in her gut that she was right in her assumption that she and her mate would not be parted. A feeling, just like the feeling that had made her leave with her new adoptive father as a cub, despite the greedy glint she'd seen in his eyes when he'd 'rescued' her. The same feeling that had made her leave her biological father's oasis as tiny child... and the same feeling that had eventually dragged her to the sea and her mate.

A seer, some had called her. Misae wasn't sure even now that this was the case; perhaps just good intuition, or simply a better connection to her muse than others managed to have. Time and maturity had taught her well, and the wind as a constant companion to guide her in a reliable direction had not been amiss, "I'm glad for it. One day, when we join our muses, we can be happy to leave this plane in a better state than we found it, but for now..." she purred at him, nuzzling the side of his face, "I have other ideas."

A laugh bubbled up her chest at his proclamation, and even as she remain laid upon his gaze, her head tilted back against the ground and she closed her eyes in mirth, "Hadithi, sweetheart... I'm literally the only full white lioness in this pride," it was chuckled softly as she leaned up to rack her tongue across his cheek, the movement broken as he continued to speak and she laughed again, soft, twinkling at him in her amusement, "I shall endeavor to be gentle, my sweet love. For you, anything," and interesting idea for sure, given she'd always been tiny, and even though Hadithi was no monster of a lion, he dwarfed her easily; a side effect of growing up with little to no care from her biological father, and even less food until she'd fled the oasis.

"What would my maiden fair like for dinner? I must woo you good, if I wish to have my wicked way with you, no doubt. What will make your mouth water, love? Tell me, and I will go out after the rain, wrestle the prey to the ground and drag it home, all to impress you," as he rolled off of her, the lioness pushed herself off the ground and they easily traded positions, with her leaning over his frame to place her nose against his, "I promise to sweep you off your feet, fair princess."  

[LadyPipen]

"Madam, I'm scandalized," Hadithi gasped teasingly in response to these 'ideas' "Your good looks are just a show, aren't they? You're clearly a mighty hunter of lions, and I, I am just your newest victim..." Any blame in the words were soothed with gentle purrs of affection that accompanied the teasing.

"And a lady of falsehoods, as well! You're not full white, you have something right here," he cooed, leaning forward to nuzzle her cheek, stained with green, "And here," he cooed, craning his neck to rasp his tongue affectionately over her other cheek, "And you are all the more stunning for it, my lovely lady most fair," he purred, even as she playfully shoved him away from her, falling back with a mildly amused huff as she went on her own wild declarations of affection, boasting of her to-be hunt.

He had no power to do anything but grin up to her like a youngling still without a mane, caught up in the wiles of some young thing that was particularly pretty- perhaps, at some point, he was supposed to have lost that attitude, somewhere along the paths of time as they grew older, as she bore more of his cubs, and lines found their way to her face and white hairs onto his.... And yet, it seemed impossible that it might ever happen.

"Ah," He grinned mischievously, reaching his arms out to pull her close into his damp mane, "But what might you do if what I'm hungry for is right here in my very arms, my ferocious huntress?"  

[Daffupanda]

At his words, Misae could not help the unladylike breath of air that escaped her nose as a snort, "No you're not, you scoundrel. You love it," her words were followed by another snort, this once softer as she made a show of rolling her eyes at him, not a difficult task from her position, hovering over him, "A veritable lion killer, that's me for sure, but I have news for you," she pressed and held her nose to his and lowered her voice to a mere whisper, "You were my first and only - too taken by your wiles, clearly. Mayhaps, you are in the end, the lady killer here," the position was only held until he crooned at her and licked and nuzzled her cheeks, causing her to laugh again.

She may no longer be in her prime, but as far as Misae was concerned, it was never too late to have fun.

He reached out and drew her to me, and as she snuffled his mane, taking in the scent that was uniquely his, the tone of her chuckles because like dark chocolate, "In that case, well... I'm sure things can be arranged."

-- THE END --