Under The Sun

Maliki had left early in the morning, so early that mist was still covering the ground in the early hours. The dew however felt nice on his coat and feet and he savored it while he made his way towards a place he had firmly found was his favorite in the entire kingdom of the Shadowlands, Kopje. It was still odd feeling for him to be apart of a pride finally, the day that Ni had found them and offered them sanctuary had been a tumultuous one for him but a blessing all the same for them all as a whole. Ni had been kind as had his son, they had both welcomed the small pride with open arms and Maliki couldn't help but accept their offer, the younger members of their pride needed a pride and stable home.

He still couldn't say he knew how to feel about it, mostly because he didn't know what to do with himself. Without having all of the responsibilities he'd had before he felt a slight emptiness, it had been his purpose until now to take care of everyone, granted he still checked in with all of them and kept an eye on them but it wasn't the same as before. They all answered to a King now, Maliki was grateful however that Ni was a kind and fair King, he hadn't forced any of his pride to do anything outlandish and kept the peace like a good King should or so Kiasi had felt the need to remind the golden adolescent before. Maliki wasn't sure what he and the Prince currently were, they had talked before but Maliki had felt a slight tension for the other male and he wasn't sure if it meant that Kiasi disliked him or if it was simply because he hadn't been around another male his age besides his brother. It was a mystery.

Today he tried to push his thoughts to the back of his mind, along with his worries, and simply enjoy the day. He had found everyone in the pride and checked in on them before he'd left, though he hadn't seen Kiseki unfortunately when he'd stopped by and it bothered him but he'd let it be. She was her own lioness and now she didn't have to listen to him if she didn't want to, he was sure that took a load off of her since she'd always appeared rather annoyed with his reminders. He scaled the granite outcropping easily and took his place on a wide flat rock, long enough for himself to lay down comfortably and gaze out at the grassy field that spread around him. He felt more at home here in the sun, he still wasn't used to how dark the Shadowlands were, they were a large contrast to the pride that lived in them that was for sure. He had yet to meet a nasty one in the whole bunch but he of course hadn't met everyone just yet.

He yawned loudly, his pink tongue curling and glanced towards the borders, perhaps he could relieve some of his boredom by becoming a warrior or at least a patroler. Ni seemed to take most of those himself and the youth really didn't mind doing something of that sort, it would at least give him something to do besides laze around and sulk over his current boredom, he so did despise sulking.

Kiseki hadn't slept very well, that much was usual, as she was so used to sleeping with no more than five lions that it was unnverving for her -- she never truly fell asleep, and although she knew Nis' pride was loyal, she couldn't help but feel nervous around such a large group. Having nearly no sleep, every night, gave her time to think, and she knew she'd drifted away from her family - as Maliki had once called them - but she was trying to fit in the other lionesses in the pride; after all, Kuubi and Adia had had no problem fitting in.

Huffing softly to herself, as she'd gave up any notion of a restless sleep, and she was too awake to even think of sleeping, Kiseki hoisted herself to her paws, slipping out of the sleeping mass of lionesses easily, barely paying attention to anything around her. Not that it mattered, but she missed her family -- the boys more than the girls, because she still saw them every day. Limbs moving on their own accord, she barely caught Malikis' scent with the mist disappating everything around her; head rising, she sped up quietly. She wanted to see Maliki, wanted him to suddenly tell her that everything was fine, and would continue to be -- because for once, Kiseki wished she'd let him father her in a way she had never allowed him to.

Scaling the granite cropping quietly was harder than it looked, and pretty soon Kiseki gave up any notion of sneaking up on Maliki. Settling herself next to the golden coated male, Kiseki grinned lightly at him, "It's so strange, you know, not waking up to you and Kusubiri drooling. Feels surreal. Strange." She remarked, before frowning, "And I'm not sure I'll ever fit in, you know. Adia and Kuubi fitted right in, because they're girly-girls. But I'm not, and some of the lionesses seem to dislike me,"

It felt nice to get it off her chest. "And I missed you, Mali." She murmured, dropping her head and looking over the ledge. "Not sure I like not seeing you and Kusubiri all the time, even if I did wander off a lot, and cause you to have nearly weekly panic attacks," She murmured, refusing to look at Maliki, because, well it was rare for her to speak to him like this; she was always pretending she didn't need his fatherly ways helping her along -- but now, she needed them, and she would make no bones about admitting it. Yawning slightly, she let her side recline into Malikis', before allowing her chest to rest against the outcrop. She missed this, she missed his warmth.

He was always there; like home, and like family. Something stable when everything else was collapsing around her, and uprooting her, and twisting everything upside down -- who knew lionesses could be so cruel in their words.

He was ever attentive of course and his ears swiveled back at the slightest tumble of pebbles from Kiseki's ascent onto the outcropping he was occupying. Her scent was a surprise however, he had expected Kusubiri to join him but instead it was the thick scent of the female who he had suspected to like him the most, he would quickly change that tune before the day was over likely. She settled next to him and grinned at him making him smile softly at her, a spark of curiosity in his eyes, "Good morning" he greeted only to recieve her line about his and Kusu's drooling.

He snorted at the jab but she was quickly frowning and he wondered if he had done something wrong but her next words revealed her real purpose for seeking him out. She was worried she didn't fit in, and never would, he kept his expression calm and his gaze focused on her face and its subtle changes while she spoke. She had never been one to come to him for advice or to relieve her stress, it was a rare occasion when they actually spoke like this and it had become even more rare as she had gotten older. It made this all the more serious and when she dropped her head to stare over the ledge of their perch his expression turned to sheer surprise, she had missed him?

He could agree, he had missed all of the girls terribly, he and Kusubiri were together just as often as before but the females were expected to learn things about being lionesses of a pride now and it limited his time with them. It was the thing about being in a pride that he disliked most right now, he had never had to be separate from them if he didn't want to and to have to be so now was terrible and irritating. He had heard it was probably his hormones but it had nothing to do with wanting to court the girls, it had everything to do with them being the only family he had ever had and his need to hold onto them with both paws.

Her side leaned into his and he leaned back, giving her a warm solid place to rest against. He stared down at her with a soft expression before speaking himself, "I know how you feel, I miss all of you so much that it drives me crazy anyways, I don't think I'll ever be sane again" he said with a chuckle trying to lighten her mood before glancing out at the distant savannah again. "But you know what, they can't keep us apart...I don't think they mean to, they don't understand how close we all are. And as for those lionesses...well they're just jealous" he nuzzles her playfully in between the ears with his nose. "They don't know you yet and all they see is a prettier lioness than themselves, but once they get to know you I know they'll love you as much as we do" he reassured her with a gentle smile.

He knew that it had to be daunting to suddenly be thrown into competition, Maliki had heard of female being competitive in prides, and for an outsider to come into the pride and be so pretty with two very available princes no doubt they were being snide to Kiseki. He had gotten his own looks since arriving, any time he was near a lioness the 'native' males seemed a bit more hostile than they usually were. It was unfair and Maliki made a mental note to keep an eye on her near the other females, he wouldn't stand for them picking on her simply out of insecurity. He lowered his head too finally onto his paws and let out a soft sigh that tossed his man over his eye closest to her, "This pride thing isn't so easy is it? At least the food is good" he was joking again, it seemed to work for Kusubiri and he didn't want to be a stick in the mud. She needed reassurance that it wasn't all bad and he wanted more than anything to give her that.

Maliki had always been able to take a job from Kiseki easily; she thought, as he snorted, but his expression changed when she started speaking, and she knew why. It was so incredibly rare that Kiseki sought him out to spill her stresses, and sometimes, like now, she just needed that person closest to her. It was like a massive bridge had overflown, with the way the words flowed straight from her brain through her mouth. He leaned back for her, giving her a literal and metaphorical solid rock to stay.

"I don't think you were sane in the first place," she remarked casually, "How you manage to put up with Kusubiri is astonding to me as well." Grinning easily, she huffed softly. "Of course they can't, they don't understand how close we are." she smiled, "They won't though, that's the problem -- they won't try to get to know me, everything is about Adia and Kuubi, because they're so beautiful," She grumbled, "I'm not sure I like being around so many people. I'm so used to being with all of you that now it's like being on edge." She murmured, refusing to look at Maliki.

"I don't think it's ever easy, unless your royalty." she replied softly, "But the foods brilliant." She agreed lightly, she missed this; missed the closeness that came with Maliki, and more than anything she missed the fun they had -- she didn't like the lionesses that were practically bullying her, after all, she'd always been closer to Maliki and Kusubiri than the girls; she just wished that rather than attracting the native males attention -- which seemed to cause the most problems -- she wished she'd been able to spend more time with Maliki and Kusubiri, because for as much as she liked to make them worry, she loved the fact that there was someone worried about her.

"I wish we could still have a wander, and not be watched so much." She grumbled, "Have you noticed how everyone seems to watch us to see if we do something wrong? Or is it just me? I'm sick of it," She huffed, before tugging on Malikis' mane, "Changing the subject; have you seen how pretty one of the lionesses is? She's always watching you when she thinks your not looking, I think it's cute." She teased, she hadn't even bothered to remember the lionesses name, but the jealous streak had ran through her; it was probably why she was so disliked, afterall, going up to the lioness and saying that he was too good for her was a bit rich. Grinning at the memory, Kiseki threw her head over Maliki, and grinned. "Your always so warm, like a portable pillow." She teased lightly, wriggling her body closer to him and sighing happily.

He smiled at her in a mock chastising way and bumped her with his shoulder when she said she had never thought he was sane and commented on his hanging out with Kusu. "I think it's you girls that drove me crazy more than Kusu" he teased before settling his gaze back out onto the Savannah in the distance again. The girls hadn't drove him crazy of course, he just worried about them more of course and nothing had changed since they had come to the pride. He worried about them more now, always wondering if they were going to meet a male and settle down, he wanted them to find nice mates if that were the case.

He snorted dryly when she commented about it all being about Adia and Kuubi because they were beautiful. She was beautiful too but he kept that to himself, he wanted to say it but he felt embarrassed just thinking it, how could he ever try to get that out his mouth. When they were younger it wouldn't have been so awkward but now that he was older it was a different story, things were a little harder to say but he cleared his throat. "I-I think you're just as pretty as they are, don't short change yourself" he said and glanced away and up at the tree shading them for something to look at that wasn't her beryl green eyes for the moment.

She tugged his mane while she was speaking and he looked down again growling playfully and batted a paw at her ear. He knew they couldn't wandering, it would get them into trouble now, well not just them but their pride, it came with being in a pride. You couldn't simply take the blame yourself, now it reflected on the pride that had taken them in and Maliki refused to be a problem causer for the kind King. True he hated not having the freedom but this was best, wasn't it? Sometimes he did wonder. He would have blushed if he could and his dark blue eyes widened to the size of plates, "I-I haven't really looked, m-maybe you're mistaken" he said quickly but truth was he'd seen a glance or two from said lioness.

He hadn't acted on them of course, he hadn't really bothered to actually look at the females in such a way. He wasn't sure if Kusu had or not, the male lion had probably, seeing as how Kusu had always been the one worried about falling in love. Maliki had never really thought about love. When Kiseki tossed her head over him and snuggled into his side he huffed sofly, "I'm so glad I'm your personal pillow Queen Kiseki" he mocked and looked back at her with a faked disgruntled expression. He actually didn't mind her closeness, he enjoyed it, it felt like they were cubs again. When they had all slept in a large pile, no matter what they pretended to think of each other they had all come together at the end of the day. That's what he missed most.

Her sigh flustered him but he settled his chin on top of her head for a moment before pulling it away again. "We should gather the others today, spend some time together, I'm sure everyone would enjoy it and besides what can they say? The worst that will happen is some of the boys get jealous of Kusu and I. We can take care of ourselves though" he said with a soft but deep laugh, this was nice.