{PRP}Adult Choices{Zakiya x Itsaso}

[magnadearel]

Whoan

Itsaso prowled through the shadows. The young adol was restless. Her mother had been asking her if she'd given any more thought to her future rank within the pride. She thought about it quite frequently, in fact. Unfortunately that didn't mean she had any better idea which rank she wanted. Quite the opposite. Itsaso had no idea what rank she wanted.

The young lioness prowled the shadows of the commons. She wasn't just pacing. She was looking for a particular lion. He'd joined practically as she and her litter had outgrown the need for a nanny. It was definitely the awkward stage of needing but not needing a babysitter. But he was an adult. She was hoping he could offer some sage wisdom that she couldn't ask from her mom. She was a teenage after all.





The vulture rode calmly on the shoulder of the rolling piece of ocean. Mochni had bonded to the young cub, and watched her grow. He understood the pressure being placed on the young female now old enough to start training. She couldn't train until she picked a path. For this though, he had no advice to offer no matter his age. First he wasn't a lion, and second familiars didn't have ranks. They took on the one their bonded picked.

He had his preferences naturally, but this would be Itsaso's life. He felt it was only right that she be the one to choose. Mochni kept his eye out for the lion he knew she to be looking for.
 

[Whoan]

Zakiya was busy cleaning out the den. it was a chore to keep him busy more than anything else. She fur color did not allow him the opportunity to hide in the shadows like the others, but he was a strong male. And one of his strengths was looking helpless to draw others in for a powerful strike. Now his partner, there were times he could barely make out her form in the shadows. She found him easy enough but following her back was difficult at best.

As he scraped out some bedding that seemed to have gotten wet at some point, his ears twitched hearing a very slight noise. He turned slowly to see a fellow pride member stalking towards him. He sat slowly on his haunches, his tail wrapping around him. She looked like one of the higher ups of the pride so he should show some respect. "May I be of service?" he asked in his low yet quiet voice, a gentle expression on his features.

Alvera seemed to appear at the pink lion's side, her tail swaying with curiosity. Her young age made her a little cocky and brash while the male she dragged in was level and calm. She sat beside him close enough to feel his body heat. She simply watched with alert eyes.  

[magnadearel]

Whoan

Itsaso perked up as her target came into sight. It had been a lot easier than she'd anticipated. Thankfully the pride was small. "Zakiya! I am hoping you can. I need to pick a rank to start training, but I have no idea what to pick." It all came out in a rush. There it was out. She felt a little better for telling someone. It still didn't help her current problem. The young adol glanced down, just now noticing the wet bedding he must have just pulled from his den.

"Oh, um is this a bad time? I can come back... or not." She felt incredibly stupid now. He probably was very busy and had much better things to do with his time and deal with an emotion adolescent. Life sucked that way.


Mochni flicked his wings as a young serval made her appearance. He watched her from one eye then the other. When she made no move to remove any of his tail feathers, he relaxed slightly. "What Itsaso means is that she needs help picking which rank she should choose. Her mother it putting pressure on her to pick." He eyed the male knowingly. Males never cleaned unless they had to.  

[Whoan]

Zakiya sighed and averted his eyes clearly embarrassed by having to clean. "Someone," he emphasized the point by shooting a glare at Alvera, "Decided to end a disagreement with raw eggs in my bedding while I slept. I am sorry you have to see this." His tail twitched with annoyance at Alvera's snarky chuckle. He stood, shaking out his mane. "Come. I have to clean my paws so we can walk and talk if you wish? Something seems to be bothering you."


"Well," purred Alvera, "If you would have just admitted you were wrong those eggs wouldn't have spent the night with you." Alvera offered the young lioness a toothy grin before falling behind the pink lion. It was a practical joke gone a bit too far, nothing more. There were no true hard feelings between herself and the large pink lion.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Whoan

Itsaso chuckled awkwardly as he let her on to the reason for the bedding change. "Kits will be kits won't they?" She could speak from her lofty vantage point of being an adol now. The young lioness gave a wink at the serval. It was nice to see so many young ones around. Several of the females had had litters. Itsaso hoped they would all bond with someone in the pride like this one had.

"That's alright. Mother makes us clean too." It was normal for her. She nodded and fell in line with him to head to a pool to clean up. The adol gave him a sideways look as he stated the obvious. Hadn't he just been listening to her? Or even to Mochni who'd spelled it out clearly to the male. She looked back at the serval. "What do you think I should do?"


Mochni let his eyes laugh silently at the lion's expense. Clearly he was learning what his little friend was capable of. Luckily for his lioness, he wasn't the type to waste precious bird eggs. He looked down star speckled serval. "I hope you got permission from the birds you took the eggs from."
 

[Whoan]

The pink lion found the pool and went to wash his paws of the dead egg. He looked back at the blue adol following him. He smiled gently."I think the role of Gacheru would fit since you are brave and straight forward. But as I fell into my rank, I am sure you will be great at training for whatever rank may suit you." Extending his claws, Zakiya began to wash his paws and under his claws.


Alvera sat beside him with her tail tightly curled around her. She faced Itsaso staring intensely. "What do you want to do?" she asked, her ears going back a little, "I found Zakiya and bonded with him. I had choices. But I chose this soft pastel pacifist. It was what I wanted to do. You might have some idea. Bounce it off us." She murred softly when Zakiya bumped her to get her to stop.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Whoan

Itsaso sat quietly to the side and tucked her tail against her haunches as he cleaned his paws. No one liked the smell of dead egg and she wasn't going to rush him. She opened her mouth when he suggested being a Gacheru, but then she closed it as she thought about it. Was there anything really wrong with that? Being away from her family and friends mostly, but she'd get to see more of the world. Who knew what she'd get to meet while she was out. That really appealed to her.

"No, and that was the problem. Mom was wanting an answer and I didn't have one to give, y'know?" She shook her head sadly. "You make it so easy." Now that he'd said it, she felt that it was decided. She tilted her head as something he'd said struck her as funny. "What do you mean you "fell" into it?" It was nice the kit was able to choose someone who she liked. "I'm happy you found him."


Mochni fluttered to a branch as Itsaso sat down. Perhaps when she was an adult it would be easier to perch on her shoulder when she sat. As for now it wasn't; she had refused to allow him to sit on her head. Complaining about bird droppings or some such silly thing. "I think Zakiya's suggestion is good. I wouldn't mind a good flight and I can quickly cover a lot of ground from the air." In truth he sometimes got restless wings, but he didn't want to influence the young lioness.
 

[Whoan]

Zakiya laughed, a deep laugh that somewhat ended in a snort. "I am not the most sneaky with my bright pelt. Even though I have been wandering for a long time it was not really by choice and I tired of walking for long distances with no real purpose. So the rank I am kind of picked me.What I am is strong and patient. Perfect for tussling with little ones and protecting the pride here," he explained grinning. His paws were cleaned and with it his mood felt a little better. He shook out his mane and moved to sit close to her. "If that is the path you go down I am sure you will be amazing. If you go down another path....well...you are determined so I think you will do amazing at that as well. Wherever you go, I will stand behind you."


Alvera snorted and flopped out on the ground. Sometimes Zakiya did nothing but exhaust her. But she found him and liked him well enough.So...she would have to suck it up. "I did not get permission to take from a nest with no mother in sight. I waited a long time to make sure," she finally answered the other partner.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Whoan

Itsaso eyed his pelt. It was true it was bright, but in the dark it would be less noticeable. Still, she supposed, it would be lighter than everything else around him and thus easy to "spot" him. "We could always give it a test. I know there's other ones who are bright around here. Or we can find some way to hid your brightness. Mud maybe?" It'd be a drag to have to wash his pelt free of the mud every time though. She wasn't sure he'd go for that. The young lioness nodded with his explanation. He'd picked the rank that best suited him. It made sense for him.

She smiled at his confidence in her. "If I try something and find I really can't stand it, I can always change. Thank you Zakiya. You've been a great help. And you too Alvera."
No one had ever said she needed to be locked into whatever rank she chose now. That gave her a bit of relief to realize that. Now she could move forward with confidence.

Mochni ruffled his wings when she said she didn't get permission. "Maybe she didn't come back because she saw you there? How long did you wait?" Of course if the mother stayed way long enough, it would have killed the chick inside, and that made him sad. "Maybe next time you need something from a bird, you ask me hm?" At least this way he could ensure she really did get a dud egg.
 

[Whoan]

"There will not be a next time, will there Alvera?" Zakiya growled lowly. It was rare to get this rise of the almost unnaturally peaceful male, but having stinking, raw, possibly rotten egg inbetween his paw pads and stuck to his fur was just that unpleasant. Alerva's ears went back and she slowly nodded not wanting to seriously pick a fight with the larger male. She wanted a rise from him but not that kind of rise.

Satisfied that she knew that eggs would not be tolerated in the future, he WOULD get her mother involved if he had to, he focused back on Itsaso. "No matter which path you take, put your all into it. I am certain you will be great at whatever you do. I believe in you and your partner's abilities." He offered her the warmest smile he could.

Shaking out his mane a little, Zakiya yawned. He hadn't got much sleep due to the serval's misplaced antics. "If you do not mind excusing me, I am exhausted from cleaning and waking up to that ordeal. I'm glad we had this talk though...I just hope I helped you as much as I think you helped me. I feel a little...at ease."

magnadearel

We can call it done now if ya want.

 

[magnadearel]

Whoan

Fin!

Itsaso chuckled softly as the serval meekly let the matter drop. "Thank you Zakiya." His confidence in her and her partner filled her with confidence.

"Of course! Thank for you taking the time for me. Have a good sleep you two!" Humming she turned to pad off down another path.


Mochni bobbed his head in appreciation at the other lion's confidence. He was pleased they had all appeared to help each other. "Sweet dreams," he bid the pair.