[PRP] So let's talk about... (Mzu, Naji & Fae)

[Kimaria]

The white female with mottled ginger fur across her face was agitated. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't relax. She just wanted to close her eyes and forget. She knew this thoughts were bad thoughts and as such she couldn't tell her sister. She already knew what Faeqa would say:

"It's none of our business. There's nothing we can do to change it or stop it."

And she was right, of course, but that didn't stop Naji from worrying. She cared deeply about her pride and about the members of the harem, and that love extended to those outside of the harem too - which was probably why she ended up in so much trouble!

With a sigh she cast a look across to where her sister was sunbathing - completely out of it. She'd been up early to tend to her duties and was now taking a well deserved rest. Which was good, because that meant she couldn't overhear a conversation not meant for her ears.

Yes, she'd find Mzu and she'd talk with her. Mzu would understand.  

[xo -- k a i r i]

Mzuka'hila was having a relatively relaxing day. This morning she'd woken up late, having been up late the previous night with Faiz, and since then she'd merely been wandering - having a drink, catching herself a rat for lunch, and finally no, she was sunbathing in the pride's best sunbathing spot. Most of the lionness' could be found here this time of day, when the Pad's were working and the cubs were off playing with each other. In the safety of the female population, Mzu tended to relax just that little bit more. They weren't being judged. They weren't being watched, or not over-ly so. Occasionally a male would stroll by to check all was in order, but nothing else.

Purring softly at the wonderful feeling of the sun on her fur, Mzu rolled over onot her front, closing her eyes as she started to drift off to sleep. A nice nap was just what she needed...  

[Kimaria]

Except the problem with that was, Najiyya was seeking her out and had set her eyes on the blue female lying in the sun not too far away. She quickened her pace, stepping over a couple of other females in order to reach the dozing female. Then, when she was close, she lowered her head and whispered.

"Hey, Mzuka. Mzuka? Are you awake?"

A step closer, she lowered her head further, eyes darting from side to side to check that no male was looking in their direction. "Mzu?"  

[xo -- k a i r i]

Mzu groaned as a familiar voice reached her ears, paws reaching over to bat the younger female away. She wanted to sleep! She growled softly, flopping onto her side, thinking for a moment that Najiyya had left. Yeah, like she'd be that luck. She hissed into the blue female's ears gain, and mzu found herself forced to open her eyes, and watch the other with a mildly irritated expression. "What?" she asked tiredly, maw stretching open in a wide yawn, snapping shut again before she watched the younger sister, trying not to look as annoyed as she actually was.  

[Kimaria]

Oopsie, was Mzuka mad, now?

Najiyya shifted from paw to paw, unsure what to say next. Growling was never a good sign and yet...if Mzu didn't wake up, then who was she going to talk to?

Oh...and then the other spoke and she did all in her power to keep her eyes from lighting up with joy. Instead she dipped her head and ears and gave a little whine. "Mzuka. I can't sleep."

And then, as if realising that wasn't really much in the way of conversation, continued: "So I was wondering if you wanted to talk. I've had something on my mind and I don't think Fae would understand..."  

[xo -- k a i r i]

Mzu watched Naji with a blank, rather bored expression, just staring at the younger female as she shuffled from paw to paw in a rather awkward manner. She didn't care, to be honest. Najiyya had woken her up, and she was gruuuumpy. But the small whine, instead of causing Mzuka to growl as she'd expected, caused her to frown, ears flattening against her head as she lifted it from to rock to watch Najiyya.

Couldn't sleep? Sighing loudly, growling softly as she did, Mzuka rolled onto her front, pushing her front up so she was in a sitting position, looking down on the younger sister from her elevated position on the rock. Wanted to talk? Mzu rolled her eyes, but managed a smile, "Well, you've woken me up now," she stated simply, before continuing, "So we might as well. What was on your mind?"  

[Kimaria]

"Well...um, you see." Actually, Mzuka probably didn't see, because Naji hadn't even started explaining yet. She seemed to realise it and hurried herself along, glancing somewhere to the blue female's left, as if trying to picture exactly what it was she was trying to say.

"The other day I bumped into this female. Her name was...was O'tep, I think. Pretty girl. Friendly enough. But, um, she was..." And now she lowered her voice and leaned closer. "Wounded. Like...scratched up." She drew in a quiet breath and seemed to struggle to continue.

"She said it was her...her male who did it to her." His name? "The one called...Tariq." She was getting shaky just talking about this.  

[xo -- k a i r i]

Mzu watched Najiyya with a bored, absent expression to begin with, before her forehead creased into a frown as the younger female continued. O'tep? She'd heard that name before...wasn't she...? Naji spoke his name and Mzu shuddered a little, remembering exactly what had happened when she'd been left alone with him. That really hadn't been pleasant. He was...weird. It didn't surprise her that he hurt his females, and she was eternally grateful that she'd been given to Faiz.

"Yeah...he's the other Vizier," Mzu mumbled, her voice slightly shaky as she thought about him... She hadn't told Faiz what had happened, 'cause he'd just get angry. Next time she would, though. It wasn't right to just...just watch her like that, when she was all vulnerable. "He's...not right in the head."  

[Kimaria]

Najiyya settled, letting her eyes flick across the sleeping forms of others, hoping that they really were sleeping. This probably wouldn't look good if they were caught talking about such things...

"I agree..." She murmered, again thankful that she had Faiz and not that scary guy. She didn't think she'd like to be treated that way. "Faeqa said I should mind my own business." She continued. "That we can't do anything about it. But..." She shook her head.

"It's not right, is it, Mzu? Why should he get away with hurting his girls when other males keep us in our roles with kindness? It doesn't always take a clout to put us right, does it?" Even a stern word was normally enough... "I keep thinking about O'tep and...and showing that male he can't do what he's doing." She sighed. "This is the first time I wish I'd been born a male." But even then, was there anything she would have been able to do?  

[xo -- k a i r i]

Mzuka watched Najiyya carefully, a little confused by her reaction. Mzu had grown up in the pride - she'd been born here, raised, she'd seen first hand how different some of the males are. Naji was younger, more impressionable. And it seemed that this, in particular, was worrying her. Sighing softly, Mzu pushed herself forwards a little, to butt her head against the younger lionness' in a reassuring, somewhat fond manner. "It's not our place to say what's right and what isn't, Naji. It's the way of the pride - some males are kind, some aren't."

She paused, sighing softly as she cast her mind back to her own meeting with the dark Vizier, "Just be grateful that you belong to Faiz, and not Tariq."  

[Kimaria]

But even as Mzuka spoke those words of wisdom, it could not help but be noticed that Najiyya's eyes had hardened, gained a sort of thoughtfulness about them.

"And what about those who don't belong to Faiz? It's not fair. Yes, males are better than us but that doesn't give them the right to treat us badly? I don't know O'tep all that well, but what if she does something...something bad." She shook her head, not knowing what that might be. All she knew was that if she was unhappy with her situation she'd do something to try and change it.

She felt movement behind her and stiffened, afraid they'd just been found out.

Luckily, it was only Faeqa, still looking slightly bleary-eyed. However, despite that she recognised her sister's guilty face instantly and her expression cleared.

"Oh no, what have you done?" Her heart fell. What mischief was she going to have to get her sister out of now? Her eyes darted to the blue female, questioning.

She hadn't realised the two were so close.  

[xo -- k a i r i]

Mzu watched Naji, sighing again as her eyes were cast over the younger sister, full of pity. Najiyya needed to learn, and learn quickly. Mzuka didn't think the things were right - Tariq was a freaky, scary male, but even that didn't give him the right to strike a female. But you couldn't be caught thinking such things, and especially voicing such opinions. You just had to help heal the wounded and help them carry on. It was just...how things worked.

Opening her mouth to voice this opinion, Mzuka frowned a little as Najiyya suddenly stiffened, before her sister appeared. Mzu's soft gaze faltered, becoming a little harder, and a little more bored as she cast it over the older sister with a small, polite incline of her head. "Afternoon, Faeqa," she spoke, eyes darting to Naji before back to the larger female, "Najiyya hasn't done a thing - we were just talking. You're...welcome to join us?"  

[Kimaria]

Najiyya nodded, moving to shift so she was sitting beside Mzuka, facing her sister. "Yeah, Fae, we were only talking." But the guilt didn't quite leave her features. "I would have woken you, but you looked so peaceful so..." So she thought she'd come and bug Mzuka? Well, at least it gave Fae a break, right?

"Well, thanks for caring." Fae replied, deciding that she would join them, if only for a minutes. "Afternoon, Mzuka." Her smile was polite. "Maybe I will join you for the moment." And after letting her brown eyes flick back and forth between the two, she continued. "So...what were you two talking about?"  

[xo -- k a i r i]

Mzuka watched Najiyya with slight confusion. Why was she so afraid of her sister? She looked guilty...but Mzu wasn't entirely sure what about. Oh no, wait. Hadn't she said Faeqa didn't like her voicing such opinions about the dark Vizier? Maybe she should keep the conversation private, then. Forcing a smile onto her features, slightly irritated that her nap had been well and truly interupted now - she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep - she sat herself down, shifting into a more comfortable position.

"Nothing, really," Mzuka spoke offhandedly - she was obvious quite good lying, or twisting the truth, "About the cubs, mainly, and how they're growing."  

[Kimaria]

Najiyya nodded, thankful that Mzuka was quick to cover their tracks. She would have stumbled over her words and gotten in a right tizz! She would have sent the blue a thankful look if that wouldn't have been so obvious.

"Uh huh. They're growing up all the time! Every day they seem bigger. I want them to stay cute and small so I can play with them all the time." She had to admit that she was sad to think of them growing up. Soon the girls would be going to other harems -- ohpleasepleasenotTariq's!!! -- and the boys would soon be thinking of starting their own.

It was a sad thought.

Faeqa seemed to brighten at the topic, nodding. "Time passes quickly, but there'll be more cubs, Naji, you don't need to worry about that." She smiled. "At least when there are cubs around you generally stay out of mischief." Which could only be a good thing.

Her eyes settled on Mzuka. "Has Naji been bothering you?" There was something wrong here but she couldn't quite put her paw on it. The look on Najiyya's face - which was gone now - certainly had looked guilty.