[PRP] Punctual as Ever... [ Adia / Sheng ]

[PhiferWolf]

With the Dukes and Duchesses finally born and about, with a few members roaming the House, it was safe to say things were on their way of getting in order. Mwana, known as Fu Ren in the House, has taken care of the cubs in regards as manners and their duties. He had left their guard over Shu, the Royal Guard and his own Adviser. Hopefully things are safe from this point forward and all that was left with his own duties as Lord to find and recruit more members to the House.

The House consisted of eight members, Sheng as the Lord, Fu Ren as the Lady, the three Dukes, the two Duchesses, and Shu as the Royal Guard. This is all excluding the meerkat that acts as the Lord's eyes and ears of the pride and, to some of the cub's displeasure, a rat. Their numbers were slim which meant that the pride's main strength force was weak. They needed to recruit more members and assure that those who are there are strong enough to make up for the lack of power of numbers. Sheng would allieve a few of their duties and take it upon himself, but how long?

After long days of teaching his cubs how to hunt, how to do this, how to do that, patrolling the House's territory, the paths to the other houses were clear, and the other duties of a Lord, he get tiresome and frustrated. Those in his family understood what happens when that happened. Since Mwana was the only way to resolve that and in most cases, she isn't with him, he is found himself alone in his ... suffering. Some places among the high mountain ranges have remnants of his tantrums of where claw marks scarred the rock faces.

A little frustrated, he came down from the rocky mountains and decided to hunt for the House. Surely Shu would do the same, but he cannot always rely on the main source of his family's safety. Someone had to watch them. Silently, he walks across the savanna in a quiet frustration. Unbeknown to him, he was walking on familiar turf.  

[PhiferWolf]

Adia'dafina had grown quite used to life with only her growing cubs for company. Their life had been peaceful, for the most part, but Hatia, Jazi and their brother, Baha had grown bored of 'country life' and left the little group. Adia didn't know for how long, or if she would ever see them again, and it took some swallowing to get used to the fact that they were grown cats now and she couldn't keep them close forever, no matter how much she wished to. Liza and Ash were her only remaining companions, though she supposed that she might survive if she were left along again. After all, she had been alone for sometime before they were born, hadn't she?

All the same, she knew that her children had alot more growing up to do and so was worried at their disappearance. All would be well, she had to promise herself that.

At the moment, she was wandering in search of a suitable kill. She had been led here once upon a time by an old friend who meant to keep her safe, but sometimes the hunting was difficult. Maybe the preybeasts had discovered just how many lions were invading their space. Instead of stumbling upon a gazelle or other herbivore, however, her ears pricked forward at the sound of pawpads. "Liza?" Was the automatic response, her brows arching before she ventured, "Ash?"  

[PhiferWolf]

Sheng roar split the air, sending flocks of birds into the air and the dying cry of a poor preybeast who fell victim to his might claws. He did not wast time as he pulled his body from the tall grass and boldly walked with his kill in maw. No idiot would dare attempt to attack him, though he was hoping someone might so he can get some frustration out. Behind him was another kill, one that was far too destroyed by devouring that it was not worth taking back home. After all, how would the others think of their Lord to know that he had brought back his leftovers. Xun and the others were growing quickly and what bothered him was that their trials will be soon and being afraid that they were ill prepared for it.

It was then that something caught his attention. The presence of another pissed him off. Was it an intruder in the pride's territory? Was it the to-be maimed idiot who was going to challenge him for his kill? It was the voice that made that paranoia go away.

"Adia?" His low, bass gruff voice echoed out, turning his head slightly over his shoulder. He was surely hoping it was the female he had met on his journal getting to the lands with a very pregnant Mwana. Was it her?  

[PhiferWolf]

Admittedly her steps had quickened at the rumbling roar of a large male, knowing that it wasn't her sons and irrationally worried that they were in some sort of trouble. They could handle themselves, she was sure, but a mother's worrying dies last. She hadn't expected to see Sheng again, knowing that his own cubs must have been born sometime ago, so imagine her surprise when she rounded the corner of rock and heard her name called from the very familiar figure. He was bigger than she remembered, and she pulled up short as the manners that had been ingrained in her sense cubhood came winding up her throat like a tornado.

They couldn't be stopped, she had been groomed too well. Her pink eyes darted over his figure and the two carcasses before her lips curled upwards in an honest smile. Manners or no manners, she was estatic to see someone who wasn't her cubs. She loved them, certainly, but sometimes it got lonely. They didn't know any better, but she did.


Tossing the fur out of her eyes, she laughed, "Sheng!"  

[PhiferWolf]

"You remembered!" He chuckled as he shrugged off the carcass and made his way to her side, looking her over. Noticing that her belly was no longer swollen, it meant that her litter has been born. Seeing her excitement, she was either alone now or just happy to see him again. Either way, he was glad she was safe. Nuzzling her with a low, rumbling purr, he shifted himself into a sitting position that just exploded, exaggeratingly, with regalness. Did she really remember him or just his name? He wanted to ask her but he had other things on his mind.

Suddenly, he realized, his frustration was gone. This was no intruder, he had welcomed her. This was no idiot, though she may be after his kill, he did not care. It was Adia. When it came to females that he held close, she was a good second.

"I haven't seen you in many moons, Adia. I thought you had up and left to find another home, another place to be with others," the Lord spoke in his most gentle voice he could muster. She was the sort of female that any male could not help but hold and comfort. He would not last long in nuzzling her again if she continued to act cubbish as she has. If it were not for his own cubs, he would not have soften up as much as he has. Though, much of it was due to Mwana.

"... Sorry for being late."

If she knew what he meant...  

[PhiferWolf]

"Of course I remembered. You're a difficult lion to forget." She purred, eyes creased with amusement as she refrained from looking him over again. Perhaps she had missed him more than she had ever consciously admitted to herself, but raising five cubs on your own would definately make it difficult the think about anything else. She had been busy, surely she could be forgiven for that given the excuse. As for his kill, she had no intention of stealing his unless he offered it to her, and all the same she would be loathe to take it. They were old friends, certainly, but it was rude and she wasn't that desperate.

"It has been sometime." She laughed softly and shook her head, returning the nuzzle gently before sitting as well and curling her tail around so that it rested against her forepaws elegantly. She would match his regality and raise him grace. Adia honestly doubted she could drop her born manners in Sheng's presence even if she wanted to. "I had cubs to raise, I couldn't travel anymore."

At his apology, though, her brow furrowed for a moment before she laughed softly, "Sheng, you had family to attend to. No need for an apology."  

[PhiferWolf]

"Oh am I? Here I thought I would only be remembered by my enemies who wanted me dead," he laughed loudly with a smile. He took a glance over her once more. She still had her nice, slender body, surprisingly after having given birth to cubs. Her eyes were lively and happy, maybe motherhood has changed her from what she once was; a rogue. Sheng did not forget her, he remembered about her. He simply had forgotten exactly where he was suppose to find her again, unfortunately, other matters got in the way, not that he minded. Cubs. Family. Pride. House. "You know, you are welcomed to my leftovers... not as appetizing as it was before, but it is still food. My apologies if it is not to your likings."

"Well, it seems you and I were in the same tree," Sheng replied, smiling back at her head. His tail remained behind him as his paws planted down before him acting as rooted gates, a bulwark to his self. Adia was a beautiful female, he would admit it and it was a shame that she had to abandon her pride for her safety and those of her cubs. But now she was here closer to the Tianxia who would gladly welcome her.

"Well, I am here and I have a special question for you, Adia..."  

[PhiferWolf]

Her head inclined to one side as she shook it gently, "I'm sure you're enemies don't last long enough to want for anything, Sheng." She hoped that sounded like the compliment she intended it to be. She was out of practice. Where were her cubs? Were Liza and Ash nearby? Had they run into Sheng, too? Were they looking for her now?

She shook her head once again, smiling, "I'm not hungry, thank you, though. I was hunting for my grown cubs. Or at least pretending to." She laughed softly, dipping her head, "Thank you, though."

At the mention of a special question, her interest was piqued and she hesitated from responding at first. A special question? What might that entail? Her tail flicked nervously as she glanced around, to see if Liza or Ash were coming, before she looked back to him. "What is it, Sheng?"  

[PhiferWolf]

Sheng smirked. "You're right, not many dare stand before me and hope to last longer than a few moments," The larger lion rose to his feet and looked at her, she seemed preoccupied with other things and here she was talking with him. He got a little closer and nudged her roughly. "Shape up, if you got something on your mind, you can say it to a Lord. We aren't going to blab it to the entire savanna," he added, trying to get her to talk and to let her know his rank. He was quite proud of it, actually.

"Pretending to? Well, that isn't a very motherly thing to do. If they are grown, they should be hunting for themselves, otherwise, they should just sit around and be lazy while their mother grows big and strong from all the hunting she is doing," The Lord chuckled and sat down beside her with a slight groan. Sore back after chasing Xun back home from the waterfall earlier. The Duke was starting to get himself into trouble. He used to be so proper around those older and higher rank than him, but recently, he started to misbehave when he was in Zhi Ming, the North House.

"I want you to join my House. I am the Lord of the Zhi Ming, the nothern most den of the Tianxia pride. We maintain the strength of the pride with very strong and quick witted members. Seeing that you are alone out here with mouths to feed, it would be best if you and your cubs came with me to my House. You will be welcomed there and you will have a steady supply of food. I will have you around and you will see my cubs. Though... we'll have to think of a position for you," He smirked a bit, his tail flicking against her. Nanny? Hunter? Guard? ...  

[PhiferWolf]

Adia had to bite back her pride. He may be a Lord, but she had been a princess. She swayed with his rough nudge and turned her head sharply to look at him, managing to keep her expression softly interested. Clearing her throat, she straightened herself, "I apologise, my Lord. I'm wondering over where my children are." She was miffed at being called out on her distraction, but offered him a soft smile instead.

"Pretending, because I don't want to admit that they don't need me anymore." She mused, inclining her head again to one side as he sat beside her. "Three of them already left me, I feel like I should dote on the remaining two." Maybe she shouldn't have told Jazi, Hatia and Baha those stories about courtlife in Tete'boma. It had filled their heads with ideas of grandeur and now they were gone to look for it.

As he offered her a home in his House, her eyes widened almost imperceptibly. A pride? The idea sent chills down her spine. It had been so long since she had been a part of a pride, but could she stand to be alone much longer? Could she stand, in contrast, to always be as proper as she once had been? Still, he was right. It would be a steady supply of food for her sons (and daughters if they returned). At the mention of a position, she arched a brow, "Think of one? What positions need to be filled?"





"It is a constant thought in a female's life of where her offsprings are. Even for the father. Though they may grow up and be off on their own to start their own family, we'd still think about them and pray they are alright. If they are dead, well, then I'll have to find some skulls to break in, no cub of mine will outlive me!" he shouted, hoping to break the sudden cold comment. He smiled and looked at her wondering why females were so worried? Mwana wasn't so worried... that he also pondered some times. There were a lot of things about female behavior that he wondered about. No matter, they made him happy.

"I do not hope that day does not come for me. Leaving my House is rather a bad thing to do, you may be allowed back in but... one must have a good reason. Even I must follow this rule. Maybe I put it into place to hide the fact I never want to have my offspring leave us. As long as they are in Tianxia, I do not mind," he nodded silently. He looked at her quietly thinking. Three cubs have already left? How long has it been? ... he was really late. Punctual as ever, he was. "Well, spoiling I know all about, but it seems Mwana is the only one who gets it," Sheng shrugged. Only female available to spoil, the cubs were too young and needed to learn that not everything is given to them. Not to mention, some still needed mates.

"Any but Lady. Sorry, Adia, but that position is taken. We do need hunters for food, but I can do that just fine with Shu, our Royal Guard. If the cubs work together, they can too. As for guards, Shu and I handle that very well at the time. Nannies... well, Shu does that too," Having said all that, it just made Sheng want to thank and reward Shu for all the work he does do for him in the House. He was rather reliable in that sense. Needed a break... "Well, there is a position that I have thought of but never quite put it into place... though, I doubt someone like you would accept a rank as high as this in regards to what would be necessary."

She may not see it well through his dark fur. But he was blushing.  

[PhiferWolf]

Adia couldn't imagine searching out offspring for her children. She didn't want to think about the fact that they were old enough to start their own families now. Instead, she focused on Sheng's words and nodded slowly, "I will worry for them until I die." Her expression was solemn, but then she smiled and her nod became another one of agreeance, "I may have to request your assistance should harm befall my cubs, though I would do my best to avenge them myself."

It was a joke, if a poor attempt at one. Sighing, she shrugged, "My children are apart of no House, mind you. They made the decision to leave, I can't punish them for it. My mother would say it is because I had wandering feet before they were born, but Liza and Ash seem content to remain with me thus far." She shrugged again as well when he did, having no formulation on the matter concerning he and Mwana. She was envious, surely, but only because she longed for a sturdy relationship that had been stolen from her.

Dipping her head when he mentioned that the position of Lady had already been filled, she murmured, "Of course." Lifting her eyes to him as he listed off the positions that appeared to be filled by a lion by the name of Shu, she couldn't help the soft smile that curled her lips. He seemed like quite the individual to be able to multi-task like that. His sudden backtracking on the last touched position made her arch her brow with interest, "Don't speak for me, my Lord. Let me know what it is before I refuse it." She purred gently, curious.  

[PhiferWolf]

"Duly noted, I won't cross paths with you then," he replied with a chuckle.

"Well, if Liza and Ash intend to stay with their mother then they will be happily welcomed into our home. They are will be around for a while if I think right, taking care of their mother as they should. After giving birth to them, I would imagine one would be grateful for giving them life," Sheng smiled at her softly as the best he could. He hoped his own cubs were grateful to him and their mother for giving them life and for all the love and care they have gotten so far. Granted, they did put them into arranged marriages, but that was for the sake of the House and their own benefits.

"I do not know if I have told you this, but I am a rather unique individual. Rather, my breed is," he started, his ears disappearing under the waves of mane. "I am a Firekin, my blood runs thick of their cursed blood. So from time to time when I get frustrated or angered, it elevates quickly into rage and then into a rather... uncontrollable tantrum. From what I learned, I would attack any who would stand before me, which is far too dangerous for a Lord to be in when in the House where there are cubs and females about. However, there are ways to stop me from doing this, as juvenile and rather ridiculous as they are. Not many know of the ways to stop me, I don't even know why they do, but it works and that is what matters. That is what this position is for and I suppose a name that would fit it would be..." he paused and looked at her. "A mistress."  

[PhiferWolf]

[17:11] yousaid ithought: "I wouldn't recommend it." She chuckled as well, eyes falling a bit downcasted before she realized it was a flirtatious gesture she had used on Bavu and other members of her pride once. For a few moments, she felt inwardly awkward before she raised her eyes to him and barely missed a beat with her smile.

"I would hope that they do. They haven't spoken much of leaving, and their siblings were more concerned about grander things in life than simply surviving. I would not be shocked should they return." She couldn't imagine a life without arranged marriages, as it was what she had grown up knowing. Still, it seemed to her as if arranging the futures of her own cubs would be easier done by a male without so heavy an attachment.

Inclining her head, she listened to him accutely as he explained. She had heard of Firekin, but only as if they were a myth. She was mildly surprise to learn she was speaking to one, but her facial expression betrayed nothing. Indeed, it wasn't until she caught on to his line of thought that her eyes began to widen and she found that she had to look away from him for a few moments. When he actually gave it a title, she started a bit, but then looked back to him with barely a moment's hesitation, "Would it entail only that? Or does the title come with more responsibilities?"


[17:26] PhiferWolf: "I am sure they will. I will send Fukuaji out to find them. If they knew that their mother was in a place safe with so much more grandeur, as you say, then they will come flocking back," He assured her. He never had an arranged marriage. After being told that he would hold a high position within the Tianxia, Mwana jumped onto the train, persuaded he would need heirs, and the rest was history. He was happy with the results.

To his knowledge, the pride had two ex-Firekins, those who left that pride were never allowed back in and were attacked on sight. The Emperor. And himself. Their race was barbaric and traditionally strict lions who enslaved others for their own amusement and idiotic ideals. The place was horrible and should have been completely erradicated by the plague. Even he loathed his bloodline but cherished it because within it laid the calm, loving blood of the Pride Landers from his mother. "It is a ranking, yes, the same as a Royal Guard, I would say. But it is a high rank from what I am currently thinking. You can stay in the Royal Den, if my mate does not mind, if she does, there are others nearby. Your welcomed to be near me, something she cannot really say no to, and be around for when I do have my tantrums. Otherwise, you can do whatever you would like until such cases. Watch the cubs. Hunt. Guard. Spend some time with Mwana talking about your male being a brute and being dumb and a horrible father. I suppose I could spoil you horribly. Um... well, I suppose I am all yours to do with to an extent."  

[PhiferWolf]

[17:31] yousaid ithought: She laughed softly before the laughter died and the smile persisted, shaking her head gently, "Oh, they would return only if they could climb. I won't lie to you, Sheng. They are ambitious. Perhaps they will return only after they have fallen low enough to knock such silly notions out of their head. Then it would be good for them to return."

All while he spoke, however, she watched him carefully. He was honest, she could tell that much and already knew as such about him. This wasn't some ploy, and she had heard enough of the Firekin to know that the story fit. Flicking her tail, she tilted her head to one side for a few second and then the other for another few. It would be good for her children if she took such a high position - or, at least, high in regard with the Lord. She didn't know how his Lady would respond, but perhaps she could win him over. She would have to learn how to calm Sheng's rages, that was for certain. "I will take the position, if you'll have me and my children."





[17:37] PhiferWolf: "Ah, so you have this all planned out don't you? Planning for their downfall and watch them crawl back to their mother to be spoiled and loved and to be "dotted upon"," he laughed in jest as he nuzzled her once more. If his cubs ever did that, he would have to do the same, but he could never... Mwana wouldn't let him. He would have to silently bite his tongue and watch them grow on their own until they do return with cubs and make them grandparents. Now that is something Mwana would hate.

"Honestly?" he asked skeptically. He wouldn't think that she would even accept the offer but she has. Sheng would respect her but felt a bit strange. He blinked at her a few times, his larger tail flicking against her lightly. The kills were rotting at this point and may have been carried off during the deep conversation by some scavenger. He wouldn't have cared anyway, he would just get more. At least someone was eating it. He looked at her more, blinking still. She did say yes. She was going to be his mistress. He would have to tell Mwana still and would have to clear the den before the yelling and fighting starts. But at least Adia would be safe in the House with her two remaining offspring. "Well... I am glad you will have me as your Lord," he replied licking her cheek roughly with a smirk. "I suppose I should tell you what it is that does calm me down, huh?"