With New Beginnings (Baya & Malenga)

[Baya]

(OOT: I'm gone, don't want my work to be on this site.)

[Malenga]

"Oh of course you don't," Lesedi replied, poison dripping from her words. "You don't have to defend yourself because that's an excuse you use so you don't have to admit you were wrong and you're just a lying sack of--".

"Lesedi, enough." Usi, Salehe, and Lesedi all looked to the brother of the three, noticing that Badrani looked rather cross, not wanting to deal with the drama as it was all they were having right now. Lesedi stared at her older brother, simply commanded by his eyes as she slowly began to sit and let out a sigh, her paws separated dramatically whilst her head was positioned looking downwards. She was looking quite dazed; like she didn't know what to do with herself. Rani continued to sit where he was, almost like he had never said anything to throw his sister off track.

Usi took glances between the siblings before he drew in a breath and let it out once more. He noticed Chinja leave, and thusly looked over at the rogue lion's brother, listening to what he had to say. "Hmm," he looked up at Salehe, "reminds me of a certain lion I know, too."

Salehe paid one look down at his brother, before he pushed Usi's face with his large paw. Salehe walked over to Lesedi, in front of Baya. No matter how much they may have wanted to get along, thought about getting along, or attempted to find some common ground to attempt to get along, he still didn't trust Baya in the least. Nor did Usi. As Salehe sat down in front of the distant lioness, he looked over his shoulder at Baya and rose his brow. "You'll just have to keep wondering," he replied to Baya. Lesedi remained quiet, letting out a sigh. Almost like relief. Glad that Badrani had said something, giving her a reason to cool her head and try to think about something other than her anger.

~*~

Sethunya trudged through the jungle, cantering through the bushes and the tree branches looming over the ground at the height of a lion. She continued to breathe heavily as she ran, fully aware that she should have been keeping herself quiet. She pushed her head against many plants before she found herself tripping over the body of a brown lion. "ACK!" the lioness shrieked as she came falling, face first onto the ground, her tail right up in the air for a few moments.

Taking a moment, she regained herself and shook off the pain in her head thanks to the fall. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed a familiar lion. "Chinja!" Seth exclaimed, smiling widely.

[Baya]

(OOT: I'm gone, don't want my work to be on this site.)

[Malenga]

Lesedi began to settle down, her head resting against Salehe's paw. He didn't move it, only keeping his head up right, looking quite like a powerful matriarch. With a single sigh, Lesedi attempted to close her eyes but then looked over at her brother making sure he wasn't casting any harmful emotions onto her. No, he only laid down next to Usi, who was looking out of the mouth of the den where Chinja had left. "I think I should go after him," Usi said.

"Let him be," Salehe looked over at his brother. "He'll come back before the morning, I'm sure."

Usi nodded his head, and then settled down next to the more Outlander looking male of their little group. Rani flicked his ears, eyes closed, and head placed upon his crossed paws. Obviously, he was relaxed, despite the earlier outbreak.

"Rani?" Lesedi asked her brother, causing him to open one eye, looking over at her. "I'm sorry I made you mad."

Badrani closed both of his eyes once more, a small fluttering across his face. Almost like his silent way of saying that it was alright and there was nothing she should be upset about. This seemed to brighten Lesedi's face, her paw now nuzzling close into Salehe's toes.

~*~

Seth giggled, her head finding it's way underneathe her mate's chin in no time at all, a purr escaping her smile. Her eyes were shut tightly, enjoying the feel of Chinja's smell clashing with her own. Though at the mention of her family not being too fond of him, she had to loosen her feel against him and look up at him. "Why? What's been going on?" she asked. Do I even wanna know? she had to ask herself. "I'm sure they don't hate you. They're probably just stressed out, like you are. Come to think of it, your brother must be really stressed out? Is Baya okay? Are they treating him okay? I hope they are," Sethunya rambled, her eyes finding a spot on the ground to stare intently at, wondering all sorts of things that hadn't come to mind quite yet.

She then looked back up at him once he posed his question. She nodded. "Yeah, I'm in," she replied. Although she soon sighed, obviously stressed herself. "I'm scared, Chinja. I don't trust him in the least, and I know what his plan is... I just don't know if I can listen to Kakra's advice. She told me to tell him that I'm already with another male's cub, and that he'll leave me be for the time that it will take to get the pride on our side. But... what if he doesn't? I don't want to die without completing this mission."

[Baya]

(OOT: I'm gone, don't want my work to be on this site.)

[Malenga]

With a risen brow hidden by her head tuft and her mouth frowning on one side more than the other of her face, she looked up at Chinja with those large golden orbs of hers. They were made even brighter with the dark red outlines around her optics. Although they were still skeptical. "If you're sure...," Sethunya mumbled, not too sure how she felt about her family and his being... more than unhappy with each other.

As Seth was brought into a nuzzle, she felt her discomfort being taken away slowly every time she felt his nose run its path across her cheek. With a sigh, Seth began to smile and she nuzzled him back. Whilst she listened to the male speak, she ran her own tongue across his cheek. She could only nod to him as she didn't know how to feel or say about the situation. Worst came to worse... Chinja wouldn't be there and Sethunya knew she could take care of herself. But if the others weren't on her side... they could murder her at the whim of their king. She couldn't bring it up though, otherwise she knew there would be tension going back-- for the both of them.

Suddenly her cheeks flushed red, and her eyes widened. They gleamed in the moonlight. "Chinja, I...," she gulped and her ears twitched wildly. Like a wind was blowing against them violently. "I love you too." She sighed, relieved to have her feelings out there and received. Finally.

The blush didn't fade as she turned her head away. Feeling her heartbeat increase, the lioness looked over to her mate in the corner of her eye before she drew in a breath. "Chinja," she began, "maybe I don't have to lie to Kubwa about being pregnant with another lions' cub if you and I..."

[Baya]

(OOT: I'm gone, don't want my work to be on this site.)

[Malenga]

Sethunya waited for his approval or denial of the idea. The suggestion alone made her quite nervous, but at least she would know that she wouldn't be a liar and she could actually pull it off for Kubwa and Kakra. As she continued to point her head down, her eyes drifting up through her red tuft, she watched his face seem to change. Little by little, Chinja seemed to be warming up to the idea. And sure enough, he was putting her at ease with his good energy and the response she wanted. Or, at least one that didn't hurt her feelings.

"I wouldn't be with you if I didn't want to be with you for the rest of my life," she answered him. She sounded much more quiet than she intended, which caused her to clear her throat as she wanted him to think she was only suffering a tickle in her throat and not the nerves in her stomach. Her stomach was actually doing back flips, but she thought herself a pretty good actress as she sat there, still, and looking as casual as she could. "Besides," she snorted and poked his side with her elbow, "How bad can you be? And, you'll have to put up with me," she attempted to lighten the mood, but her stomach was not having it as it continued to ache.

All joking aside, Sethunya sighed and looked up at him. "I'm going to be honest here," she looked away from him, "I want to be a mom. I want to give a cub what I didn't have." She was referring to her birth parents. Her mother and father didn't want her because of her heart condition, but they just passed it off like they couldn't handle it due to their age. Seth rolled her eyes mentally at the thought of the day she came to be Malenga and Cetshwayo's daughter. Her mind lifted from unhappy thoughts to happier ones suddenly, remembering how Cetshwayo walked slowly for Sethunya on their first way back to the Zawditu territory. But she shook her head and looked back up at him. "And I know you want to give a cub the same, too."

As Sethunya lay herself down, she awkwardly rolled onto her back and stretched her limbs out. Her belly was exposed, as were her large arms and legs. Also, her bright pink pawpads. She was mentally preparing herself for what she knew happened-- she listened to her mother talk about the birds and the bees.

[Baya]

(OOT: I'm gone, don't want my work to be on this site.)

[Malenga]

Sethunya's eyes fluttered open, noting she was still there. And not back at the pride. Jerking her head up, she noticed it was Chinja who was moving her. Or, at least attempting to. As she got to her paws, slowly, she felt her body rejecting her movements with the only desire in her to lay down and never get back up. Was this pregnancy? Or, was she just so unwilling to be a part of Kubwa's pride for a while longer that she didn't feel the need to wake up. But Sethunya had to remember: she was doing this for her pride and for Kakra's pride. With that, she continued to stay upright.

She took a look over to Chinja. "I don't want you to go," she sadly stated. She wanted to rub herself against him, and be locked in his smell for the rest of her life. "I wanna come back with you and see my sister and brother again." Sitting down, she perked her left ear. "I even wanna see Baya again...," she rose her brows, "Is that normal? Or is that a sign of...?" She couldn't bring herself to say the word. She just hoped Chinja would know what she meant.