New Start, New Heart (Private for TheWhistlerify)

[LeopardessGracie]

[OOC: TW's fun fact for the day =P And no, I didn't, you learn something new everyday ^-^]

Gracie didn't expect the nuzzle to feel as nice as it did, even though she was the one who was doing the nuzzling. She didn't have any doubts about Mheetu. He was a genuinely nice guy, and Gracie thought he was handsome and kind, he had listened to her when she was finally able to speak out. She didn't know about his past, and would like to hear it sometime soon.

She gave a little smile before finally replying,
"Yeah, it is getting colder". She walked back inside and lay down next to her cubs, she looked at Mheetu and said softly,
"Goodnight", before putting her head in her paws and falling into a gentle sleep.

[TheWhistlerify]

[OOC: I've read / watched / watched and read the following: 'The Merchant of Venice', 'Titus Andronicus', 'Romeo and Juliet', 'King Richard II', 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'Julius Caesar', 'The Tempest', 'Macbeth', 'Othello', 'King Lear', 'Hamlet', 'Antony and Cleopatra'. That's just how much of an addict I am.]

Mheetu, after a few moments in which he felt lost for words, smiled and walked back inside as well. He went over to Tavu and lay down beside him, gently pulling the cub onto his warm mane upon seeing him shiver slightly. Even though Tavu wasn't his biological son, he still cared about him deeply as if he was his own offspring. "Good night Gracie" he said, closing here eyes and quickly drifting into sleep.

[LeopardessGracie]

The morning sun slowly warmed the cave and as the sunlight hit Gracie's eyelids, she woke up. She got up quietly, realizing that everyone was still asleep. She looked behind at her cubs, who were still dozing. She smiled, knowing they'd be ok. Gracie walked out of the cave and gave a yawn. She stretched out just like a house cat would and lay down in the morning sun.

[TheWhistlerify]

Mheetu, being the pride leader, was used to waking up rather early, and was therefore the next one to wake up. He noticed that Gracie was gone and that her cubs were still inside the den, but was soon able to see her lying outside in the sun. Not wanting to interrupt, the lion walked over to the two cubs and looked at them for a moment. It was a little harder seeing their bruises, which meant that they were already healing, but Mheetu still felt sick at Gracie's description towards Roark treatment of the three of them.

Just he was silently looking to two over, Shani woke up. Not seeing her mother anywhere and a male figure standing right next to her, she let out a squeak of panic. The figure brought his paw over to her and Shani closed her eyes in expectation some blow to come, but it didn't. The paw instead gently rested on her, causing her to open her eyes and look up, recognizing the male next to her as Mheetu, not Roark. Even though they didn't look the same, it took only her mother's absence and the fact that she was still traumatized by her father in order to cause such a misunderstanding. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you..." came Mheetu's gentle and somewhat soothing voice. He didn't need any explaining in order to realize what just went on in the cubs mind when she woke up. "I'm not going to hurt you."

[LeopardessGracie]

Gracie's ears twitched at the squeak, she recognized it to be her daughter. She got up slowly and padded back inside, to find Mheetu next to her cub. She went over rather quickly and looked at them both. Being the protective mother she was, she asked,

"Shani, are you ok? Did he...do anything?". Even though she had felt better about Mheetu last night, she had to make sure. For the cub did look rather scared. Chaka on the other hand, was still asleep. Like Alana and Tavu who were dozing happily.

[TheWhistlerify]

Shani stopped shaking after she was sure that Mheetu had no intention of hurting her. She stopped shaking and then her mother arrived. "No mom." she said, looking up and managing a smile. "I just got nervous because you weren't here, and I didn't expect him to be here..." Mheetu placing a paw on her was simply an attempt to calm the cub down, which worked eventually.

Mheetu smiled down at the cub. He never raised a paw on a cub before nor was he going to. "I guess I kind of startled her..." he said sheepishly, taking his paw off of the cub even though she seemed rather contented under the warmth it provided. "I didn't mean to though..." he smiled at Gracie, hoping she would soon calm down. He had no intention of hurting her cubs whatsoever.

[LeopardessGracie]

Gracie eventually smiled back at the two,
"Oh...sorry to accuse you of anything Mheetu. I can see the misunderstanding...". She stretched again and finally Chaka woke up, he gave a little cub yawn and got up. Noticing Mheetu was there, he hesitated before stretching. Gracie gave him a lick on the head,
"Morning little guy". He nuzzled his mother's muzzle in return and padded outside to get a breath of fresh air.

Tavu woke up next, he noticed his 'father' was next to Gracie and ran over too him. He pounced on him and clung onto his leg,
"Morning dad". Alana was still snoozing, but her mother had woken up.

[TheWhistlerify]

Mheetu chuckled, "It's alright." Seeing her brother pad outside, Shani smiled and ran after him. Mheetu looked at his adoptive son with a smile, giving him a good morning nuzzle. "Morning buddy." Amara, while appearing most peaceful while sleeping, was a very light sleeper when it came to vibration. As soon as her mother woke up so did she. She looked up at her mother, smiling at her and nuzzled against one of her mother's legs with a purr.

[LeopardessGracie]

Dalani smiled when Amara began to purr, she didn't have favorites, but Amara was a little more affectionate than her sister. Even though Alana was born first and was the 'dominant' twin. She gave her cheek a lick,
"Morning sweetheart". Soon enough, Alana woke up. She grinned at her mother and gave her a quick nuzzle,
"Morning Mom". Before Dalani could reply, Alana ran off to go play with Tavu and Chaka, who had began to wrestle.

Chaka had managed to pin Tavu, of which Alana was laughing at. Tavu quickly pinned him back and the two began wrestling again. Dalani looked down at Amara,
"Are you going to play with the new cubs today sweetheart? That Chaka seems like a nice male cub, and that Shani seems just as nice".

[TheWhistlerify]

Shani couldn't stare from the side for too long. Soon enough, she found herself joining in on the random battle. Amara looked at the four cubs who were playing outside and then up at her mother, "Oh, I don't know mommy..." she really wanted to, but her timid personality wouldn't allow it. Shani wasn't that much of a problem, but Amara just couldn't get herself to go near Chaka.