01/09/09 - On the Cliff

Participants:

  • Kiini, lion, Mzohari and Nyunya's son
  • Kiokota, lioness cub, Kori and Nonceba's daughter
  • Mwaliko, lioness, Kiini's mate
  • Mzuhali, lioness, Mzohari and Nyunya's daughter
  • Nonceba, lioness, Mzohari and Kenta's daughter

Kopje Valley - Cliff Promontory
You climb up the small path on the side of the cliff and walk out to the edge of the promontory. Beneath you is a spectacular view of the waterfall. This seems to be the perfect place to relax, or to sit and think about life. The promontory juts out at an angle so that it can catch the suns rays, and can also stay cool during the hotter days of the year. Sound carries quite well from here, making it easy to talk to those below at the waterfall. This way animals can express their views, or make announcments to the audience below.

[Down] to the waterfall Farther up to the [C]liff [S]ummit
[Into] the Central Cave

You can see…
[IC ] Mwaliko
[IC ] Kiini
[IC ] Vikali
[IC ] Nonceba
[IC ] Kiokota
[ZZZ] Gadi
[ZZZ] Kori

The dark colored cub gives a little glance at her sleeping brother with her amber eyes, but otherwise doesn't move her head. When her mother smiles at her, though, the calm composure the girl seems to have melts away a little, her head lifting as she purrs, eyes closing. She doesn't even try to speak to respond to the words, but instead rubs her cheek against her mother's forepaw affectionately. Then, her curiousness getting the better of her, Kio lifts one paw up, and then the other, until her body is lightly straddling across her mother's paw. She looks up, as if questioning to see if it's okay to leave the safe circle of Nonceba's paws.

Kiini hasn't decided if that's good or not. If anything, he's starting to really wonder if his mate is pregnant afterall. He heaves a little bit of a sigh before giving Mwaliko's cheek a little kiss. "I'm glad." He answers, before adding, "You gotta meet the cubs, Mwaliko. They're really cute." Yeah, bonus points to win with Nonceba.

Mzuhali, summoned up from the waterfall's holding pond by the array of voices, picks her way carefully up the path, trying her best to remain quiet and non-threatening, mostly for little Kiokota's sake. She reaches a safe distance and sits calmly, ears pitched forward curiously.

[Mwaliko] She smells like a normal lioness, tho ugh the scent of distance lands can be found upon her.

[Vikali] Her scent is a mixture of a number of things, the first being the distinctive leonine aroma one picks up from being in a pride; the second a rather freshy and somewhat damp smell, as though she has recently been swimming; the third, a hint of blood; and the fourth, a hint of the smell pertaining to leopards.

[Nonceba] Nonceba smells of her many pridemates of the Kopje Valley, distinctly her mother, Kenta, and father, Mzohari. Otherwise she smells clean and healthy.

[Mzuhali] The prolific fauna and flora of the Kopje Valley is carried with this golden-furred lioness; the sweet loamy smell of the streams, the clean and inviting scent of hunting grasses, her many family members, and a faint trace of milk—probably picked up from one of her younger siblings, cousins, nephews or nieces. Her aroma is a pleasant one, conjuring up images of a close-knit and well-loved family.

Mwaliko purrs softly and noses Kiini back as she nods to Nonceba and smiles. "I see.. An yes they are adorable as all can be." As for herself being pregnant her dear mate will just have to wait a little longer, along with herself before she's sure of that. Her head tilts as she looks over at the new movement and offers a smile and nod to Mzuhali. "Evening Mzuhali."

"Of course they are." Nonceba murmurs with the frankness any mother has when discussion the perfection of her children. Looking down to her daughter, the scarred lioness reaches down to give the girl's fuzzy brown rump a soft, encouraging nudge with her nose. "Go on… meet your aunts and uncles, their roar is far worse than their bite, I promise." Looking up to the other adults, she says, "Come on over, it's alright."

The nudge to her rear is all Kiokota needs to scramble the rest of the way over her mother's paw. Then, she stands there looking around slowly. One by one, each adult is surveyed by her amber eyes before moving on to the next one. Her nose twitches just faintly, not seeming at all frightened, but with a calm sort of interest that is often unusual with children. She seems to give a long, thoughtful look at Mzuhali before starting a slow, toddling walk towards the pair of Kiini and Mwaliko, apparently interested in the couple, as the only bonded pair she knows so far are her parents.

Kiini forces a very weak smile at the 'roar' comment from Nonceba. Fortunately, or not, Mzuhali shows up from the same direction he came from. "That's right." He answers the little cubbies for a second. His litter mate gets a 'we need to talk' look, but he's not about to walk away with Kio heading up to Mwaliko and himself.

Mzuhali notices her brother's stern glance and immediately lowers her ears. Sighing lightly, she stands and pads over toward him, mindful of the on-the-move cub. As she passes Nonceba she pauses and touches the top of the other lioness's head with her nose, murmuring in a low tone, "Heya sis'. You've got beautiful children." She smiles and then begins her careful journey over toward Kiini. "Look at this little hunter," she grins down at Kiokota, attempting to distract herself from whatever it is that her brother is about to chide her for. It could really only be one thing, though…

Mwaliko chuckles softly as she lowers her head to look back at the cub that is toodling up to she an Kiini. "Why hello there." She says with a soft purr. A glance is offered to Kiini and then Mzu before she lays down in front of the cubs while purring softly.

Nonceba slowly hoists herself up to her paws as Kiokota leaves her sleeping spot to begin to wander, and the lioness pauses for a long and satisfying stretch as she flexes her claws. Smiling down to her daughter, she murmurs to siblings and sibling-in-law alike, "You guys mind watching her for just a bit? I wanna take Gadi inside before it gets too cool. I don't want him getting sick."

A small look is given over one shoulder to her mother, and while Kiokota surely doesn't understand her, she seems accepting enough of being left in the care of the strangers. They smell like family, and she's being left with them, so it must be safe. The two lionesses seem to get the majority of her attention. She walks right up to one of Mwaliko's paws and sniffs at it before nudging at one toe with her nose. Then, she toddles over towards Mzuhali, sitting right infront of her and looking up as if she expects something.

Kiini nods her head, "Of course, Nonceba. Go. If Kori shows up I'll knock him flat on his head before he can roar again. I promise." He winks to her here before watching the cub head up to Mzu. For now, he doesn't go about spoiling the mood. There's just nothing to gain. "Kio just wants to be a hunter like you do, sis."

Mzuhali blinks her eyes - a mirror color of Kiokota's - and smiles at the little cub. She lowers herself until she's face-to-face with Kio', fanning her whiskers out as she takes in her niece's clean, milky scent. "H'lo there, little hunter!" Mzu spreads her paws out on either side of the child, pads flat against the cool surface of the granite. "I'm your aunt Mzuhali." She breaks her gaze with Kio' briefly, looking toward Mwaliko and Kiini as if to acknowledge the fact that she isn't going anywhere; she will wait to talk to her brother.

Mwaliko glances to Nonceba and nods with a smile. "Of course." She offers while looking back to the cub that stops before her, a soft purr escaping her once more while she wiggles her paw slightly before the cub at the touch. Mwal then watches as the cub moves over to Mzu and she smiles once more at the sight.

Sirima joins you from the waterfall
Sirima has arrived.

Tilting her head slightly, Kiokota doesn't seem to understand a word of what is being said around her, but everyone seems nice enough. When the face of Mzuhali comes in close to her, she blinks a little reaching up one of her paws to try and touch the top of the lioness's nose. Then, she leans in and tries to quite litterally go nose-to-nose with her, amber eyes going slightly cross-eyed.

Kiini doesn't bring it up with Mzu though. The evening is turning rather nice, so for now he settles down on the ground to watch lioness and cub interact. Naturally, he steals a look towards Mwaliko every now and again.

Mzuhali, though fully grown, giggles like a cub at Kiokota's antics. She allows her niece to come nose-to-nose with her, though she trains her eyes on Kiini's paw to avoid crossing her own eyes. After a few moments she withdraws and runs her tongue along Kiokota's forehead, careful to miss the cub's eyes. It isn't a wet, grooming-sort of lick but a dry one, a display of cat-like affection and tenderness.

Mwaliko smiles as she watches the pair, they make a rather cute couple. She glances off slightly, her tail swaying before it curls to her side while she takes in a slight breath before she looks back to Kiini. The lioness leans over to nuzzle against his shoulder.

Kiini chuckles a bit, a combination of the show in front of him and a mate at his side. "You gotta admit, they look like a matched pair, you know that?" He takes notice as the cub looks like she's about to drift off. Not surprising in the least.

Mzuhali nuzzles her niece lightly, taking care not to put too much power in her actions. After all, she is much larger than the little one - and, uh oh, it looks like she's now glued in place as Kio' snuggles up against her paw. "I'm stuck," Mzu grins up toward her brother and sister-in-law, ears up but relaxed. Kiokota has provided a beautiful distraction for the time being, but now that she's sleeping, Mzu obviously has to face the music. "…okay. What's up, Kii?" She doesn't look happy or even unhappy - just neutral.

Mwaliko chuckles softly and nods as she hears Kiini. "That they do." She says while tilting her head and slips quiet as the two siblings start to speak to one another.

Kiini takes in a deep breath now. "Dad thought that you and I should have a talk… You know, about the other night." Honestly, does he really even have to explain what about? "So since its only Mwaliko and us, its probably a pretty good time."

Mzuhali dips her head lightly, but she doesn't budge from her spot as The Revered Pillow of Kiokota. "I'spose," Mzu murmurs, eyes studiously examining Kiini and Mwaliko's paws. "I—I really don't know what else to say other than I made a pretty big mistake. I'd spend the rest of my life making up for it if I could."

"I'll make you a deal sis." Kiini starts, growing noticably comfortable with his mate at his side. "If you care for them with all your heart, then you'll make up for it completely as far as I'm concerned."

Mzuhali smiles a little at her brother; she was feeling a little nervous, unsure of what her brother was going to say. Now that he's spoken those words, Mzu feels a little better. "I don't think I'll have a choice," she laughs with a little laugh. "Cubs stick to me like magnets, and I love them all so much - I don't even know how my heart isn't going to explode when I'm a mother."

Mwaliko watches the pair and then looks up to Kiini smiling as she nuzzles against him while purring softly. She knew Kiini wasn't going to give Mzuhali a hard time over it all. A soft chuckle escapes her.

"They do seem to stick to you like that. I have a feeling your be a great mother Mzuhali. Sounds to me like we'll get a good chance to find out. Besides, sis, I promise I'll do my best to keep you and them as safe as I plan on keeping Mwal here." Kiini adds, leaning his maned head more fully against Mwaliko's shoulder.

Mzuhali yawns, jaw widening and tongue lolling out humorously. "All of this talk of cubs is wearing me out," she offers her brother and sister-in-law a sleepy smile. "I can barely keep my eyes open…" She lowers her head to her unoccupied paw, mindful of her niece. "I think I'm going to… fall asleep…" her eyes now close and her breathing slows and regulates. Off to dream land!

Mwaliko smiles as she hears Kiini and leans up to nuzzle at his cheek. "I know you will love." She looks over to Mzuhali and chuckle softly. "I get the feeling most of us won't get to much sleep in the coming days. Rest well Mzuhali."

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