[Private] Kiarasmate and Kivuli

[Baya]

Ayari was just about ready to tremble again when the scary lioness looked him in the eyes, a bit too close. He almost lost his composure when she pulled away. It was way too close. She spoke to him in that cold tone of hers, telling him of the weight he must pull. Ayari was all for pulling his weight since he despised charity, but she made it sound a bit gruesome. When she left him, he let out a huge sigh of relief, and wiped the blood that her paws had left under his chin. Ayari took her advice, and continued to eat the meat, knowing that the scary lioness wasn't making a threat about not having anymore food, but a promise.

Meanwhile as Nuka picked at the carcass, he noticed his younger sister walk up to the rib cage. He chewed his current mouthful of meat and his ear twitched in annoyance at his sister's comment. He looked over to her with a glare. "Shut up and eat." Nuka said bitterly as he flicked Vitani's forehead. He then leaned his head towards the carcass again and began to eat. He was indeed jealous. Jealous of everyone around him. Vitani, Kovu and now this little cub. His mother paid more attention to all of them over Nuka.

[KiarasMate]

Growling in a bothered manner, swiping her small fore paw towards her older brother but missing him by a few inches, Vitani continued to eat her meal, making sure to have her fill of the rich meat as it probably would be quite a while before The Outlanders would be treated to such a delicacy such as this again. Feeling full and content now, Vitani moved off, letting Nuka have his way with the almost bare boned zebra as she made her way back over to her bed, climbing atop it and laying down for a much needed rest, her eyes drifting over to Ayari once more as she licked over her muzzle in a satisfied fashion.

Rolling onto her belly, the young lionesses interest seemed to fall upon the young male once more as she observed him eating the last of his stolen meal before she built up enough nerve to address him from across the den.

”If I were you ayari, I’d find a place to call your own for the night, preferably one above the floor, unless you want to look like Nuka there in the morning. Maybe the termites will carry you off if you fall asleep on the ground though.”

Flashing Ayari a sly smirk, Vitani rolled back onto her back as her fore paws massaged her full belly, her eyes gazing up at the cracked ceiling of the termite mound, trying to make out the time of day between the small amounts of visible scenery that could be detected.

[Baya]

"Hah! It would be a blessing for him to look like me!" Nuka pointed out grudgingly from where he was sitting by the carcass. Ayari raised an eyebrow at Nuka like he just said the stupidest thing. Probably because he did.

"I could leave some meat out for the termites, and distract them while I sleep. Not everything can be solved by moving away." Ayari murmured, knowing he was contradicting himself. He's a rogue, and all he did is move away from his problems. Well...He WAS a rogue. Now he's in this pride of savages with a rogue like leader. He truly wondered why Zira didn't leave this terrible land and find a better one a little further from here. Ayari figured it had something to do with those pride landers.

"Hey." Ayari said quickly trotting up beside Vitani. Ayari looked around to make sure no one was listening. Not one of the lionesses cared enough to listen. "What is your grudge with the pridelanders?" Ayari asked. Nuka snorted from where he was sitting.

"The pride landers banished us from the pride lands after killing my dear old daddy." Nuka muttered as he turned his head towards Ayari. Nuka never loved his father, and frankly he wouldn't mind speaking ill of him if it weren't for Zira.

"Oh really? That doesn't sound very fair." Ayari pointed out. Nuka thought about it for a moment.

"Actually the REAL reason is because mother killed the dear precious prince. Peh. Only friend my dear little sister ever had." Nuka said with a blank look on his face and sarcasm on 'dear'. He didn't usually bring up the topic of Kopa, in fear of making Vitani upset. It was one of the few things that really made Vitani ignore him for days on end. He went mad the last time she did, since no one else paid attention to him under normal circumstances.

"Oh..." Ayari said looking over to Vitani remorsefully but quickly back to the ground. He realized by now that she was a very proud lioness, and wouldn't want his pity.

[KiarasMate]

Seeing Ayari making his way towards her, Vitani figured that he was going to ask her if he could share a spot on her bed, as it was large enough for both of the small felines to comfortably situate themselves on if they so wished to, although Vitani herself wasn’t about to give up some of her sleeping quarters to a mere stranger, even if she did have a secret fascination towards him. About to speak up once Ayari had reached the base of her bed, Vitani fell silent as the question posed to her was completely unexpected.

Letting her older brother field the question, as if she even had a say in the matter, Vitani nodded to everything he mentioned, up until the words regarding her deceased friend managed to slip out from Nuka’s muzzle. It was as if her heart was being squeezed to the point of feeling like it would burst at any moment from hearing what Nuka stated and remembering the memories that she tried so hard to suppress. Feeling her bottom lip beginning to quiver, Vitani shouted back towards Nuka in an enraged voice.

”Shut up Puke-a! At least I HAD a friend, unlike you! It’s no wonder why you’re not The Chosen One!”

Glancing back towards Ayari, refusing to let her emotions get the better of her, Vitani quickly rolled onto her side, her back being the only part of her little frame that was visible to the young male as she covered her eyes with her fore paws and sulked silently.

[Baya]

Nuka growled slightly at Vitani's retort. He had been ignored before, but never lashed out at like that. "Was that supposed to hurt Tani? I hear reasons why I'm not the chosen one everyday from mother, it really doesn't matter what you say." Nuka murmured, but his voice shook slightly. The words Vitani spat at him shimmered through his mind. Though he said it didn't hurt him, it really did. It hurt more then dipping a deep wound in a salty ocean. Nuka walked off to his corner, not even itching himself and plopped down onto his side, back towards everyone.

"Uhm, sorry to have brought that up. I didn't know." Ayari said quietly, hating the fact that he had caused a dispute between the two siblings. Too bad he didn't know fights were so often for them. Ayari looked around the den for a place to sleep, trying to take note of any really good spots. He noticed a small ridge half way up the den, and he noticed the holes in the walls. His ear flicked slightly as he made his way slowly towards the wall, below the ridge. He stuck his claws in the holes of the wall and began to try and climb up to it.

"Well aren't you a smarty?" One of the lionesses said as she grabbed Ayari by the scruff and placed him down to the ground. This lioness was unlike most of the outlanders. Her voice was kind, but very uncaring. She sounded as if she was in a world of bliss. Her fur was a tawny color, and her eyes were divinely shaped with a green color. Ayari was confused by the action of this lioness but wasn't about to speak up. "I am the cub caregiver here. They call me Masa." The lioness said quietly looking at the agitated Vitani.

"Are you ok Vitani? Are you in need of a bath?" The lioness asked as she laid down behind Ayari, forcing him to lie down as well. Ayari looked at the paws of Masa. They were mighty and looked as if they were made for fighting.

[KiarasMate]

Hearing the familiar voice that belonged to Masa, Vitani hurriedly dried her eyes with her fore paws before rolling onto her opposite side so that she was facing the mature lioness, replying to her inquiry with a shake of her head as she spoke.

”No, thank you Masa, but if you want to go strangle Nuka, I won’t have any objections.”

Showing her distain towards her brother clearly in her facial features, Vitani did what came naturally to her and started to confide in Masa, as was typically the case, seeing as Masa herself was much more open to heartfelt discussion than even her own mother was. Looking up at Masa with a hint of sadness in her eyes, Vitani addressed the tawny lioness.

”Why did Mother have to do that. He was innocent and she knew He was my friend Masa. It hurts. It always hurts whenever I think about Him.”

Before any response could be given, another lioness made her way over towards where the trio of felines were situated at. Glancing over to see who had come to visit, Vitani’s eyes fell upon Mara, Masa’s twin sister. The two lionesses looked strikingly similar, from their body builds, to their tawny coats and appearance. The only visible difference to distinguish the twins was the fact that one of Mara’s ears had been disfigured, due to an unfortunate hunting mishap. Personality wise however, the twin lionesses were worlds apart from one another. While Masa was more passive, Mara on the other paw was very aggressive and never let her position within Zira’s horde go unnoticed, as she almost commanded just as much respect as Zira herself did, being the lead huntress for their leader after all, took a great deal of skill and nuance that Mara just assumed she had been born with. Knowing this fact as well as anyone else did, Vitani quickly bowed her head in respect as she greeted Masa’s twin in a duteous tone.

”Thank you for the meal today Mara.”

Merely nodding to Vitani, not bothering to vocalize a response as her business wasn’t with the young cub, Mara turned to face her twin as she spoke in a commanding voice.

”Zira has informed me that you are to take Ayari out tomorrow and begin his training Masa.”

Gazing down at the young male, Mara’s judgmental eyes scanned the weak little cub as she saw him making brief eye contact with herself, evoking the short tempered lioness to quickly reprimand the insubordinate cub’s actions with a swift paw across the face, not hard enough to injure the young male, but definitely forceful enough to get her message across as she verbally lashed out at the youngster.

”Show some respect Runt!”

Turning to face Vitani, who still had her head bowed, Mara continued to speak to her sister as she scowled.

”And Little Vitani here is going to be his sparring partner by orders of Zira herself. Is that clear enough for you Masa or need I repeat myself?”

[Baya]

Masa sighed quietly, looking to Vitani with a blank look. "She did not kill him because of anything he had done, or the fact that you had befriended him. It was because he was the unfortunate soul that was born to Simba. The pain of loss must be of some use to you. Turn that sadness into anger, that depression into hate. If you want to blame anyone, blame Simba for killing Scar in the first place" Masa said in a monotone. Ayari looked up to the lioness with complete confusion. How could she say such things? Ayari's father once told him that hate,anger, greed and pride is the downfall of many of the greatest lions. When the other lioness came by, Ayari noticed Masa's facial expression change.

When she spoke to Masa, Ayari gazed up at her. When he was struck across the cheek with the paw, he felt the wind get knocked out of his lungs. He was never struck by another creature in his entire life. His eyes stung with tears, but he dared not let them spill. He was a rogue! Rogue's didn't cry!

Masa growled defensively, not liking what her older sister had done. "Striking him was unnecessary Mara! You must build his hate for pride landers, not outlanders!" Masa snarled. Masa looked like she was going to attack Mara, but quickly regained her composure.

"Yes sister, I understand." Masa murmured. When her sister had left them alone Masa looked down to Ayari.

"Are you ok little one?" Masa asked as she inspected his face for injury. Ayari nodded his head without a word, rubbing the spot he was struck. "My sister was treated the same by our mother, hence why she is so brutal. That is how things are around here my dear, no mercy, no love, just survival." Masa explained to Ayari. Masa then looked to Vitani.

"If you would like, you may sleep close by me if you wish Vitani." Masa murmured as she moved Ayari over slightly, making room for Vitani.

[KiarasMate]

Not even acknowledging her sister’s remark about her actions as she felt as though she hadn’t done anything out of line, Mara made her way over to her usual spot in the cramped den, which happened to be near the spot where Nuka had flopped himself down for the night at as well. Sensing the male’s frustration, Mara smirked as she curled herself against the crumbling wall of the termite mound and spoke in a careless voice to Nuka.

”What are you all mopey for?”

Lifting her head now that Mara had departed, Vitani turned her attention back to Masa, reflecting over what she had said about her mother’s actions. Even though Masa wasn’t related to her, she still found solace in her voice and presence. Forcing a smile, Vitani replied in a thankful voice, her character returning back to its typical self.

”I guess you’re right Masa. Thanks.”

Always happy to take Masa up on her offer, as the nights could be quite chilly due to the horrible conditions of their home, Vitani wasted no time as she curled her small frame up against Masa’s soft fur, a low purr emitting from her little body as she closed her eyes, but didn’t fall asleep right away as the den was still buzzing with life. Things usually didn’t calm down until Zira herself was passed out.

[Baya]

"What is your name little cub?" Masa asked, looking to Ayari with her emerald eyes. Ayari took a moment to reply.

"Ayari." Ayari replied, looking down with fatigue. Masa chuckled slightly, and that made Ayari look towards the lioness in confusion.

"What's so funny?" Ayari asked in an annoyed manner. Masa sighed and looked to Ayari again.

"Your name. It means rogue. Did your parents name you that?" Masa asked quietly, out of curiosity. Ayari's eyes widened. He never knew that his name meant rogue. Were his parents planning on him having to travel the world alone? Why would his parents even think of such a thing as a precaution? Ayari sighed and closed his eyes, not really bothering to say good night to either of the lionesses close to him. He really wasn't in the mood for politeness today, especially towards these savages.

"Mmm. Sleep well Ayari, for tomorrow you must be ready for training." Masa said quietly as she lowered her head between Vitani and Ayari.


Nuka growled as Mara, one of the more irritating and violent of the lionesses, spoke up to him. Nuka opened his eyes. "I'm NOT mopey. Besides, who could be happy in a place like this?" Nuka pointed out without looking to the lioness.

"I could hear you abused a poor defenseless cub over there. Doesn't sound like you aren't too happy today either." Nuka murmured, trying to direct the topic to her.

[KiarasMate]

Feigning sleep for as long as she could, Vitani ease dropped upon the short conversation that Ayari and Masa upheld before sleep’s tug overpowered her own willingness to stay awake, the thoughts of the days events replaying themselves within her mind as the exhausted little lioness drifted off into dreamland.

Mara laughed openly from what Nuka had told her, staring over at him with a thoughtless expression as she remarked in a bold voice.

”And that’s somehow worse than tormenting one’s own sibling with the memories of their deceased friend? Don’t think I didn’t hear what you said to your sister Nuka. Let’s just say we both have our own ways of dealing with things, but you never answered my question.”

Mara knew that there was something bothering Nuka, although this was nothing new to her as it seemed like Nuka always had a chip of some sort on his shoulder. Figuring that the older of Zira’s siblings was most likely feeling betrayed that yet another new male was getting Zira’s attention, Mara did her best to ease Nuka’s troubles, even though she herself didn’t really fancy lending anyone support but seeing as Nuka was Zira’s son, she’d make an exception.

”If you’re worried about your mother taking a liking to that new cub, you’re sorely mistaken Nuka. She’s actually assigned your sister the task of sparring with him, starting tomorrow, just so that no feelings come between her and this new male, as well as testing just how far his loyalty will go. How many times have I told you, that sitting around and feeling pitiful doesn’t resolve anything. If you want something done, take action yourself. No one will take you seriously if you just play the passive role. Look at me and my sister. Masa let’s her soft hearted feelings get the better of her and where does she end up? Taking care of the runts, that’s where. She might like that sort of work but it’s below creatures like myself and you even. You’re the oldest of Zira’s kin, yet you stand idly by and let opportunity slip through your paws. If I did that, I’d be nothing, but I chose to take action and have proved to your mother that I’ll do anything to show my loyalty. Thus, I’ve earned her respect along with everyone else’s in this pride, for if it wasn’t for my efforts, we’d all starve.”