[ORP] The inselelo presents his cubs.

[Zosie]

((This is set before he is defeated and leaves, with permission from Kael.

Feel free to have your lions congratulate, or just plain gossip and nose about!))




The inselelo was feeling excited, and very proud. Mhisani had returned from her walk with four healthy cubs, two girls and two boys.

He had felt a pang of sadness as he watched the two male cubs walk unsteadily towards him. They too would know the sadness of leaving their birth pride, perhaps they would look at it differently to him. Perhaps they wouldn't become so emotional. It was like a disease that had crept up on the pale lion over time. Even as an adolescent he wasn't this bothered. Perhaps it was because he had gone and come back again. Now the fact that he could be challenged and overthrown hung above him like an axe.

Two dark boys and two pale girls, and a good healthy size too, although that certainly wasn't surprising given their parentage.

Now they stood in what could be determined as the centre of the pridal lands. They had the morning to bond and to talk and admire the little crocodile-slayers, and now they would be almost ceremonially passed up for judgement from the rest of the pride.



Kinga was a large girl with two jet black marks underneath her eyes. She had the lightness of her father and a few spots here and there, with his wide amber eyes. She was already quite steady on her feet and blinked up at her parents expectantly. "This is exciting!" The cub squeaked. She had heard much about her home and was looking forward to meeting everyone, even though she had no real idea of how the pride worked in her young age.




Kodoa was a different kind entirely from his sister. Dark in pelt, with white accents and his mothers bright blue eyes, he stood close to his fathers paws, his father was a big lion so he figured it was a safe place to be. He was a quiet boy, and was always looking at something intently, as if he was trying to figure out the very reason for it's existence. So he stood, blinking at the sun, and watching, carefully.

Andranis

 

[Andranis]

The pale lioness, so new in the pride compared to many others, had finally returned from birthing her first litter. On their tiny wobbly legs, they were awkward at best, but she was still proud of them. Her daughters had turned out paler than she herself was, but the boys had proven a point she'd made about Nguvu - The genes were there for strong dark cubs. Her daughters would carry this on, while proving that light didn't mean weak. She carefully ushered the four cubs into a group, before laying down with them, a happy expression on her face.

Following behind her brother, sister, and parents, Zola's eyes were, like her sister, filled with joy and wonder. Very much also like her sister, and other brother, she'd gotten their father's amber eyes. When Zola had discovered it, she felt proud. It was, like her markings and paleness, a legacy of their father. It was a reminder of him for when he would be gone... Something Mhisani had impressed upon them from the start. Father would not always be there, and his position in the pride was tenuous. She planned on enjoying his presence while she could, in her yet-short life.

A bug distracted her as she walked, causing her to trip on her own paws. Tumbling, Zola only stopped when she crashed into somebody else.

Bringing up the rear of the litter was both the darkest and largest cub in the litter. Gabadi, like his sisters, had their father's amber eyes. But on his dark brown face, they absolutely popped out. He didn't rush as he walked, taking careful steps so he wouldn't fall and roll like Zola. When Mhisani stopped and lay down, Gabadi went over and sat down, taking up a position that was... Rather protective. He was very small at the moment compared to her, but he gave off all the air of protecting his mother from some unknown threat.  

[Jovi of Shadows]

She wasn't away from her daughter and grandcubs very often as of late, but Dina had made a special trip this day to visit an unlikely occurrence. Mhisani had been heavy with cub, and Dina's curiosity burned inside her.

From above, floating lazily on updrafts, was the large white vulture, Bora. She'd grown use to living with a pride of lions, and had even given her chicks the same opportunities she now enjoyed. Remembering the 'ceremony' with mixed feelings, she'd been more a little curious about lion cubs lately, and was more than happy to come along with her partner. Sharp blue eyes spotted the pair and the cubs before Dina could make her way over, and the vulture slowly circled their position once, twice in the sky to show Dina the way before slowly floating downward.

She landed on a thick, low branch of a sparse tree not far from the little group, strong talons gripping the bark. White wings folded quietly back to her sides as the vulture bobbed her long neck and weaved her head from side to side, counting the little bodies. With a clack of her beak, she bobbed her head in the Inselele's direction. "Nguvu, there are four." Something akin to surprise matter-of-fact colored her tone, as if she hadn't expected as many. She called the male by name, as there were fewer of them and it was easier to remember which was which, though that did not spare Mhisani her turn of being stared at by beady blue eyes.

Dina arrived shortly after Bora's statement of fact, though she knew better than to approach too soon or too closely. It would be disrespectful to Mhisani to approach too closely to her cubs before being invited, and Dina had no intention of upsetting the new mother. "Congradulations, Mhisani, there are indeed four. And all of good size!" It was pleasing to see the dark color on the male cubs, and the light cream of their father was surprisingly beautiful on the little girls. She'd spent her days caring for many a litter, both her own and now her daughter's, so it pleased Dina to see the little bodies and brought a small smile to her maw.  

[Annchen]

Jasiri watched from a distance, making a point of staying well out of the way of the cubs and the new mother. He was interested, but he knew that the females could get touchy when they had small cubs. Any male could be a threat to a small cub, and he'd rather not get growled at just for getting too close. His face didn't betray any emotions, but his ears were perked forward with interest.

It wasn't a competition, not really, but Nguvu had bested him once again. He was the first Inselelo to produce cubs, and even if someone had missed the way Mhisani and Nguvu had spent time together it was still obvious he was the father to the four cubs.

It wasn't a competition, but it was extremely annoying.  

[Kaelyndra]

Matifa had been biding her time, pretending to groom in a nearby location. Pausing, tongue half out of her mouth at a spot on her back, she made a poorly disguised attempt at a glance towards Mhisani and her offspring.

There was an unnatural array of golden coats standing near where she'd saw the mother and the protective Inselelo go. As interested in his male cubs as he had been, even Surtak had never bothered to be present when the mother of his cubs first brought them home. Perhaps, though, it was not undue concern.

A second look at the golden coated lions confirmed that one was Jasiri. Though he'd made no aggressive motions towards any other children, there was a nagging feeling that any male so close to cubs was a bad idea. Call it culture, but curiosity wasn't the only reason Matifa rolled onto her feet and made her way towards the growing congregation.

The brown lioness had no set plan in mind if Jasiri did attempt to go after Nguvu's cubs. However, something compelled her to stand next to him regardless. Perhaps her presence alone would make him behave.

"What a lovely son." Matifa's eyes were on the dark brown cub as she said it. Perhaps it was kinship in shared colors, but the large cub was already her favorite. "He's all puffed up." She'd heard her half-brother had been of equal fire when he was young. Body bloated with pride, and squarely looking his father in the eye. Perhaps, like Gakere, this one would return to best his own father.  

[Annchen]

Jasiri turned his head when Matifa walked up beside him. He nodded a greeting, thankful to have someone to talk to. The dark female was fairly attractive, and he'd rather look at her than Nguvu's family. Unfortunately the first thing she did was starting to talk about the cubs... Well, as long as he stood here he probably had to say something polite about them.

"Hmmm..." he said and followed her gaze. Lovely wasn't the first word he'd come to think of, but whatever. Lovely. "Very lovely. Looks a bit like you. And he sure looks like a feisty little thing."

Feisty was a compliment, right? In his opinion lions were usually much more interesting when they stopped being tiny, and he hoped he hadn't insulted Matifa by saying the cub looked like her. He was getting along better with the females of the pride lately, but there was no telling what might set one off...

Kaelyndra

Omg, sorry if I triple-quoted you... Evil typos...