It had been a while since he was this angry. Sure he liked pushing people’s button, but maybe, just maybe, he had pushed Raia too far. She went too far in calling him a name. A name he was not! Even his siblings did not resort to name calling from when they got into little squabbles, and he and Astrea were sometimes at each other throats when they were together.

Tawi sighed. “I am not a snobby grump.” He growled, tail lashing behind him. He was NOT. Gray eyes narrowed as he let out a cublike growl. He paws scraped the ground, creating dust. The normally observant cub was so distracted he did not see the two pairs of eyes watching him.

The two adults, recently who had woken up from their initiation, had been walking down the same path the younger cub was on. They were quiet, listening to the boy talking to himself. He seemed quite angry. The female of the pair gazed to her mate, giving a curious look. The male beside her shrugged, watching the youngster again.

“You okay there, little one?” The white lioness asked. She sat before him, bobbing her head to Maisha to do the same. The star pelted male complied, his shoulder bumping the female’s, as his tail curled around his forepaws.

Tawi stopped abruptly. First it was Mstiri that had distracted him from noticing Raiatea, now it was Raia’s snobby grump comment that distracted him from seeing these two adults that approached.

“Uh…” he paused, balancing himself from the sudden stop. “I…” Tawi thought for a moment. Why should he explain himself to these adults. He closed his mouth, eyes narrowing. "I'm fine." He snapped, shaking his head.

The two adults, mainly the female, seemed taken aback by the little outburst of the cub. She tilted her head, stealing a glance towards Maisha. She was about to say something, but her mate surprised her. He spoke first.

"No need to be snappy with us," Maisha commented, nose twitching as his maw twisted in confusion. "She was just asking a question."

Navu listened to Maisha speak, deciding to take the back seat on this. Maybe this little cub could bring out something more in the lion. She'd intervene, if she needed.

Now Tawi was taken aback by the other two. How...How dare he! He shouldn't be saying that to him. The younger lion huffed, avoiding the hardening stare of the male lion. Why was he acting like this? All because of Raia? She wasn't worth it. The little comment should not have made him so mad, yet, it did. Here he was, snapping at two strangers, adults nonetheless! Tawi normally preferred the company of the older crowd over the younger ones, yet, he found the company today almost burdensome.

"Do you have any words for her now? An apology, maybe?" Maisha asked, still holding a no-nonsense tone with the youngster. Kids these days. Did they think they could act anyway they wanted because adults were not nearby?

"It's okay, Maisha. I'm sure he didn't mean it," Navu said softly. "Right?" The lioness avoided using the words little one. Maybe that angered him? Either way, she treaded carefully around the boy.

Tawi's light eyes moved towards the female. They no longer were narrowed, but instead held a bit of curiosity to them. He didn't speak however. He needed to know who these two were. The best way he would be able to find that out was just by watching. He tilted his head after a moment, moving the gaze from the female, to the male.

Now the adults were silent at the others action. While Navu turned a questioning glance at Maisha, the star pelted male instead watched Tawi. It was now a battle of wits who would turn away first.

In the end, it was Tawi who's gray eyes turned towards the ground. "I'm sorry." He muttered out, not looking at the lions again.

Navu shook her head. "It's okay," she repeated again, trying to garner the attention of the boy. "You don't have to apologize. Something has made you upset, and we" she paused, turning again to Maisha, "we just wanted to make sure you were okay..." she offered.

"I'm fine..." Tawi muttered again.

This time, it was Navu's turn to shrug.

"Well, you definitely don't have to talk to us to say what's wrong. But. take it from someone much older than you," Maisha started, "It's a bad idea to let your anger fester. It can hurt others around you, whether it is intentional or not."

The white lioness offered her mate a kind smile. She was so proud of him. This was the most he had spoken to anyone but herself since she had met. Maybe there was something with cubs that brought out the voice in the male. She would need to test that some time with other younglings.

Tawi just nodded. He still refused to meet the two adults' gazes again. "N-noted." It was the first time in his young life he had stuttered a saying.

"What's your name, kid?" the adult male asked.

This brought his attention up to the other. His eyes narrowed as he spoke. "You give yours first."

Maisha took a moment to smile at the boy. At least they were getting somewhere with him instead of the snappy attitude. "I am Awali'maisha-pya." At the strange look Tawi gave him, he shortened his name. "Maisha." He offered. "And this," he raised a paw to his mate. "This is Upepo Unavuma-ndoto."

"But you can call me Navu," the lioness interrupted, not wanting chance the strange glance from the cub that Maisha had gotten.

The cub frowned. These two had rather strange names. Ahwallemysha-pie ya? You-pepo-U-navuma-nnn-doe-to? Weird. "Tawi. And just Tawi for...short."

"Well, Tawi for short," Maisha said with a grin, "we will leave you to it. Remember the words I said," Navu and Maisha both rose to their feet, moving to get around the cub.

"Wait!" Tawi called after the two had passed. "She...she called me a snobby grump." He did not meet their gaze again when they turned around.

"Who did?" Maisha asked, walking up to the boy.

"Raiatea."

Not knowing her Raiatea was, Maisha did not prod about her. More so - why she had called him such. "Is there a reason why she called you that?" the male prodded.

Tawi was silent. He shook his head. Thinking about it just made him angry again. "No. I gotta go." He said, rather quickly, fleeing from the adults as he ran down the worn path.

Maisha sighed, shaking his head. He'd see a visit to Tawi again in the future. Maybe he could say a little bit more. This was probably the reason why the other had snapped at him and Navu earlier. "That was fun...?" He said, turning to his mate who just laughed.

"You and I have very different interpretations of fun, my dear." she giggled, walking over to him to give him a headbutt. "Come on. We best be going or else we are going to be late for the hunt."

The two lions continued down the trail, Maisha only taken a mere moment to glance back towards the now gone form of the young cub.



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