-- shoot me off into space.

Kiseki had grown once she'd distanced herself from the rag-a-tag pride she'd been included in as a young cub, but with acceptence into the shadowlanders pride came about a growth in Kiseki that had drawn her away from the pride she had been so fond of as a cub. She had grown, physically and mentally, and she had found her niche in the shadowlanders as she had aged. Kiseki was a beauty, now at two and a half years old she had matured into someone who was not afraid of anything.

She'd been accepted into hunting with the lionesses, albeit reluctantly at first, but she had proved herself, and now, she was a firm member hunting with the females who had been so harsh towards her at first. She, being so busy, rarely saw Maliki and Kusubiri anymore, but she knew how they were doing at times, because word in the pack said that the pair were handsome, and were quite popular with the girls -- though Kiseki always had a emotion running through her at these words, though she couldn't pinpoint what it was anymore.

She'd declined hunting this morning, much to the surprise of the others, but she wanted to travel up to the lake, and laze about instead of thundering after unwilling prey. It wasn't a long trip to the lake, but she was glad to arrive, as her paws burned from the speed she had travelled, and with a soft sigh, she padded into the water, almost groaning in relief as the water cooled her paws, and soothed her skin. Lowering her maw to the waters edge, she lapped quietly before a rustle caught ehr attention, and she jolted her head up, and spun, eyes already focusing on someone.

Maliki. She hadn't seen him for ages, but a single glance and a sniff at the air confirmed what her thoughts were, and she broke into a giant grin, already lurching forwards towards the maned lion. "Maliki!" She shouted, paws leaving the ground to tackle the male in sheer excitment. "Look at you! Where have you been hiding?" She laughed, eyes twinkling brightly as she grinned at the male.

No water ever tasted quite as good as the chilled waters of Usafi to Maliki and today with an uncomfortable heat wrapping itself around the chocolate maned lion he had decided that only it would hit the spot. He'd torn himself from his usual perch of atop the Elephant Skulls in the elephant graveyard in pursuit of the water to sate his thirst but he took his time, directing his eyes around the borders, his large golden paws making dry impressions in the ground. Sometimes he felt the urge to talk to Ni about his worries, his wants to help their neighbors, other times he grew so frustrated that he entertained the notion of challenging the King but he was happy here and he owed Ni a lot. Never would he turn on the King. At least never if he was in his right mind but that wouldn't stop him from helping if a time came when he was asked for it.

He snorted dryling, his light brown nose suddenly catching a scent that he recognized, a scent he hadn't been close to in a while. Kiseki. His little band had drifted so far apart, they had integrated into the pride finally and taken up their own identities and it would have been a lie to say that he didn't feel a hole where they had once been for him. He wasn't even sure how Kusubiri was anymore, the brown male had his own life to run and Maliki had been a little distant himself with his preoccupied thoughts. Now however they focused on following the scent of one of the females of his small bad, his large body surprisingly spry as he wound his way through the Shadowlands at a quick pace, slowing when he got close but unable to keep from rustling the brush.

She was deep in the water and he smiled gently, she had grown even more than the last time they had seen each other and he was now aware that she hadn't likely caught even a glimpse of him since his teen years. He took a few steps forward but she'd already noticed him and with her usual personality came sprinting towards him before flying through the air to land solidly against his bulk, as muscled as he was now he could have stayed standing but he let himself be tackled instead and rolled to his back so she could have the upper hand. He knew she enjoyed that, she had always been the independent one and he admired her for that. His navy blue eyes studied her tawny pelt and then looked up to the excited beryl eyes above him with a deep chuckle.

"I've been around Kiseki, nobody has been hiding but you" he shot back with a smirk before rolling so that she was flipped off of him and beneath his hulking form. He could stand easily above her and gave her a cheeky grin for once, it was nice to show that he'd grown up, "Speaking of that where have you been? I feel like we haven't seen each in ages" he said, tail flicking.

He had allowed himself to be tackled to the ground, and Kiseki was pleased with herself, evident by the grin on her face; peering down at the larger, darker male, Kiseki found herself shaking her head at his words, before she was pinned beneath him. A fake scowl plastered across his face, before she wriggled slightly, planting her paws on his chest. "Ain't been hiding, idiot. Been busy. You've seen the lionesses hunting, ain't ya." She chimed lightly,

His grin knocked the breath from her lungs, and she fought for a minute to catch her breath back, before grinning slowly. "I've been... around." She murmured, "No place in particular, just wherever we hunted." She remarked with a shrug. "Where have you been anyway?" She questioned, pushing her paws into his chest, before scowling. "You weigh a ton, Mali." She teased, "What you been eating? The finest grub in the pride?" She shuffled her body up, paws skimming Malikis chest as she slipped from beneath him.

Eyes wide and playful, she tugged on his mane. "When did this appear? Last time I saw you, you had a single tuft on your chest." She teased, prodding him lightly with her nose, before wiping a wet paw across her face. She smiled softly, pressing her body against the males in a sense of a hug, though they were both evidently more grown up than last time she had attempted to show the male her affection. "It's so nice to see you Maliki. I missed you."