Amahl demands an explanation for this ********!

[Shomoro]

Involved:
Elimnyama, Tyne King
Waset, Huntress
Almasi, Tyne Princess
Nyala, Tyne Princess
Amahl, Tyne Prince and the Face of Dissatisfaction. Like this:

Tyne - Pridal Cavern

It's dry, it's hot, and if he stands still long enough Amahl can practically /feel/ the grass shrivelling up under his feet. It may be much worse in other lands, but it's quite bad enough in Tyne as far as he's concerned. There /is/ one change from the by-now usual weather, though: a strong, stifling wind whips at his fur and growing mane as he makes his way across the savanna towards the familiar shape of Tyne rock. His eyes are squinted shut against it; it's blowing around an amazing quantity of dirt and dead grass, and also seems to be doing its best to blow /him/ around. Fortunately, even he's a little too heavy to be swept away in the breeze. Padding into the cavern, he barely makes it to the back of the cave, where it's cooler, before he collapses onto his stomach. No finesse, he just /sprawls/, and his chin hits the floor as soon as his belly does. He's a lot healthier than he used to be, but the heat can still get taxing; at least he doesn't have darker fur on top of that.

Yes, well, for those who have been cursed with fur many, many shades darker than Simba-gold (tm), days like this are nothing short of abominable. Elimnyama makes his way slowly toward the main cavern. In fact, he's been traveling for about an hour, but with as many times as he had to stop and rest in whatever shade he could find, a short jaunt to the waterhole has become practically a day-long affair. Finally, exhausted and sweat-streaked, his black mane drooping pitifully into his squinting eyes, Elim' reaches the cooler shadow of the cave. He barely takes notice of anyone else as he stumbles across the room, ignoring the momentary blindness that results from moving into drastically different lighting, and crumples to the floor. The big king lies there, gasping heavily, then half-rolls and half-flops onto his back with a dramatic groan. Only then does he catch sight of Amahl, whose image is blurred by the perspiration that rolls into his eyes. Lacking the energy at the moment to greet his son properly Elim' merely grunts in the boy's direction.

No hunting until much later, no hunting practice with the girls scheduled - lack of success on recent hunts has made it more important to focus on those hunts, rather than training, the last day or two - so Waset is currently doing what felines do best: slumber. The form of the barbary female is found in the back of the cave, her body settled into a slightly worn area where lions of Tyne generations past have also snoozed away the heat of the day. Although Waset is not taken into the total sprawl that Amahl does when he enters the cavern, she is stretched out, rather than curled into a tight ball of fur and muscle. It's just too warm for that. Resting on her uninjured side, with one forepaw draped over her face as if to keep any light from filtering behind her closed eyelids, the lioness' chest rises and falls in a slow and steady pattern. It isn't until Elimnyama arrives that Waset stirs, the King's huffing and puffing reaching her ears. Even then, though, she only wakes enough to just stir, shifting

her forepaw so that she can peer in her mate's direction with one, barely opened eye. And, a moment later, in a voice still heavy with sleep, "You're not /dying/, are you?"
Having darker fur isn't fun at all at the moment! Not with all this sun and the breeze just bearly helps. Almasi is settled near the entrance of the cave keeping out of the glare of the sun and the coolness of the cave helps deal with the heat outside. She seems to be asleep, up until her brother wanders in and flops down making all types of noise. A half yawn escapes her an she stretches out before rolling onto her side, head lifting to peer over at her brother. "What was you doing out there?" Though hearing more movement and then seeing there father she just blinks as she watches him move into the cave and then drop to the ground like a wet rock. Shifting upwards to her paws she turns and slowly move over to her father to peer at him curiously. "Hey pa.. Are you alright?" Sure he is! His gasping for air bcause its FUN. Her ears twitch and she lifts her head to peer over at her mother, grinning faintly before looking back to her father and lifts a forepaw to mess up his mane a bit more. An't she a great daughter?

With it being so hot outside and so cool in the cave, where would expect to find Nyala? In the cave, of course. She wasn't asleep and with all the noise now present in the cave, well, it's a good thing she wasn't planning on napping any time soon. Ears perk up at the sudden sounds brough about by each family member and she grins slightly. "Yeah, daddy, you ok?" she echos her sister's question, turning to offer a smile to her brother, truely pleased to see her family.

The only response he can come up with in response to Almasi is a vague, wordless grunt--not unlike the one Elimnyama offers when he comes in and melts into a puddle of fur along with the rest of them. Runs in the family, you know. He makes another in his father's general direction, his eyes slitted, and watches with a detached sort of interest as Almasi leans over and raises her paw. Nyala is offered a twitch of his ear, those half-open eyes rolling sidewards to peer at her for a minute. Hasn't got the energy to go making more noise right now!

Lying prostrate on his back now, Elimnyama regards the members of his family as they all appear, as if by MAGIC, one by one around him. The first to get his attention, as she's the first to speak to him, is Waset. As the king is still gasping in an effort to catch his breath, he can only glare dagger-y love across the way at her. After a few more ragged wheezes, Elim' croaks, "If I am, /you're/ not invited to my funeral." Humph. That will show her. He grunts as he feels a paw at his mane, and droplets of sweat go scattering as Almasi musses the wet hair. Gross. He lifts his head just slightly and grins weakly at his daughters. "I'm fine, girls. Just pondering how nice it would be to be totally bald." Elim' replaces his head to the floor with a dull thud. "How's everybody else enjoying the weather?"

With the sound of more movement within the pride's cavern home, Waset is tempted further and further from the idea of continued slumber. Both eyes open now, and Waset even rolls into a lounging position, glancing in the direction of each of her children as they are noted, her smile growing a bit brighter at the sight of each one. Well, now! Not often they are all together like this for a bit of family time! Maybe all this hot weather ain't all that bad after all! ...No, it still is. But /this/ is nice! "Kids," The barbary greets the younger leonines, before snorting in the direction of her mate. "/Fine/. I didn't want to come to your crummy funeral anyway." And, with one of her hindlegs she stretches out to poke Elimnyama lightly at his flank. POKE. So there! TO his general question, she grunts.. glaring at the cavern entrance. "What I wouldn't give for some /rain/. Or that /snow/ stuff that we had around here when we were kids.. remember, Baba?"

Almasi grins while settling down on her haunches and eyes her paw before rubbing it against the floor. "Ew.." She states at the sweat still clinging to her paw. "Bet you could hunt like mom if you didn't have the mane huh?" This questioned as she peers at her father, her tail bapping against the floor. "I'm alright, glad to be in the cave and not out there in the sun an stuffs." Yes stuffs. Her head lifts an she peers at her mother. "What's snow?" She can't say she ever remembers anything like that..

Snow? "Snow sounds like fun... whatever it is." Nyala smiles, thinking anything has got to be better than this heat. Not that she didn't love sunshine, too much is too much. She glances over to her father, imagining him like their mother and bursts out into a fit of giggles.

Snow...yes, this a very different situation than the last time members of Tyne gathered here to escape a freak weather occurrence. And it's hard to say which is worse, really: this heat, or the biting cold of back then. Both can be just as deadly, just...different. Amahl just catches his breath for awhile, following the conversation with his ears moreso than with his eyes, which slip shut for a few minutes. "Rain would be nice," he wheezes eventually. "I'd like to see a big old downpour before we all shrivel up and melt to death." Not that he knows what a big old downpour would look like. But it would be hard not to recognise it if he /did/ see it! And probably go outside in it and get soaked to the bone and wouldn't /that/ be nice. He's not really a fan of water, but at this point he'd dunk himself in the lake if he thought for one minute it was still cold enough to do anything other than turn him into a lukewarm, soggy mess. "...Snow is cold white stuff that falls out of the sky," the prince adds a little while later, knowledgably. "Mother told me a little about it when we were younger." What's amazing is the fact that he /remembered/...but, then again, weird falling cold stuff isn't something you forget about easily.

"Mmm?" Elimnyama questions, roused out of a sleepy doze by the use of Waset's nickname for him. "Snow? Aw, yeah! I remember that stuff!" Seemingly energized by the memory - or possibly by the unprecidented presence of so many of his family members together at once - Elim' rolls back onto his stomach, intentionally thudding into Almasi's side as he does so, and grins around at his mate. "Man, I /wish/ it would snow again. Snow is so much /fun/ to play in. It's hard to describe if you've never had the chance." Lazily Elim' raises a foreleg and leans his chin into his paw. "Although that season had it's drawbacks too. Remember, Waset, how it was so cold sometimes we couldn't even go out of the cavern? The adults didn't want us cubs to freeze."

A quick glance is shot to Nyala, and Waset grins. "It IS fun to play in. It's kind of like rain.. only very cold. And kind of.." She pauses, nose wrinkling with thought. "/Fluffy/, almost." It's a bit hard to describe. Like the King, Waset finds herself thinking back - Great Kings, it seems so long ago! - to her youth, and the days of cold and snow. A nod is given to her mate as he continues. "It did. We had to leave Tyne, remember? The herds were driven out of the lands back then, too. Too much cold.. and too much heat now." What an interesting life she and Elimnyama have seen, to have actually witnessed these two extremes. Waset has to wonder just HOW hard things really were back then; from a cub's point of view, they wouldn't have felt all the strain the adults were going through. Did the adults then feel like she does now about the heat and the problems it has been causing? Or was it worse? They /did/ abandon the lands. But she chuckles, looking to Amahl and Almasi too. "Yes, I remember. Remember how often we tried to get out /anyway/?"

Almasi peers over at her brother and then from one to another as they talk about snow, she pouts some. "I wish I could see it.. Sounds like it would be nice to have with it being all hot like it is now an stuffs." She grunts and half moves to the side as her father bumps into her. "Hey.." She offers before playfully nipping out at her father's shoulder while pushing back against him. Har, she'll show him a thing or three!
The word 'freeze' didn't sound all that appealing to Nyala, nor does cold. "I don't think I'd like this snow stuff." the girl decides aloud. She steals a glance outside of the cave, the air seeming to be swirling in the heat. Shaking her head she looks again and this time it was as it usually was. She sighs a bit, looking back at her kin, "When is this heat gonna break? I'm tired of it."

"I don't think I'd like it either." Amahl would much rather see some rain, honestly. He doesn't know what snow would do to help the drought (hey, he desn't know know that it melts, just what it looks like). Really, he can't fathom what it's like to be /cold/. This unbearable heat is all he's ever known. "It's interesting to hear about, though." Watching Almasi and Elim', the boy considers for awhile before, slowly, rolling onto his stomach proper. After that, he inches forward on his belly, sliiiding up onto his father's other side. And proceeds to lean against him from /here/. Buaha! They've got him sandwiched! Though he's really too hot to do much other than that.

Elimnyama glances over at Nyala and frowns sympathetically. "I don't know, hon. I certainly hope soon. I don't know how much more I can stand of this." He grunts deep down in his throat as he becomes an Elim'-sandwich, and he thrusts his shoulder playfully against Amahl. Then he glances reflectively around at his kids. "Actually, now that you're all here.. I need to talk to you about something." Elim's eyes flick to Waset and he makes the slightest face that reveals a little concern. He's not completely sure how the kids will take what he's about to tell them.

Waset smiles to Nyala and Amahl. "It was fun, the snow, for a while. But just like we're all tired of the heat now, your father, your aunts and uncles and I all tired of the snow. The cold was just as uncomfortable as the heat." Waset would give anything for a nice, healthy medium about now. Or even a /normal/ dry season. "Soon, I hope," Is the barbary's response to Nyala. "The weather is starting to shows a few faint signs of changing. The recent breezes, for one. Wind brings rain." And, in a brief flash of thought, looks around to each of her children.. Nyala, Almasi, Amahl. "Mind those signs. They're useful to know." Because, of course, one day they will be helping out with the pride.. and she and Elimnyama will no longer be here. Waset's gaze then seeks out Elimnyama as he speaks, and she gives him a brief smile of support.

Almasi eyes her brother and grins as he moves over to help pin there father in the middle it seems. She lifts a large forepaw to paw out at the lion a few times. "Hope the rain comes soon.." Ears perk and her head tilts as she peers up at her father as he goes about saying he wants to talk to them about something. Hum.. This could be something good or something bad.. "What you want to talk to us about pa?"

Nodding to both parents, Nyala sits up and looks at both parents with concern, "Is everything ok?" She hopes it's not bad news, tho she's never known any real bad news... but she's heard that it's really... BAD.

To his credit, Amahl makes an admirable effort at shoving back, even though it's hard to do when what his body /really/ wants is to just liquefy or something. Gah. What could they possibly be going on about, /cold/? He's starting to think it doesn't exist! "I saw some darker clouds a few days ago," he offers, "but they didn't stay. Maybe they will next time." After he delivers /that/ wonderfully frustrating piece of news, though, the boy quiets. He's lifted his head, though, to eye their father with expectant curiosity.

Elimnyama looks from Almasi to Nyala and smiles guiltily, suddenly aware of how his words just now must've sounded. "Of course, absolutely. Everything's fine." Again his eyes move toward Waset, and the sight of that supportive smile makes him nod resolutely. This isn't going to be easy, but they're great kids. They need to be told. "You guys all know that your mom and I aren't going to be around forever. I've got certain responsiblities that I need.. to see through before I can retire as King. Aitan and I both do. And time is really moving fast.. You guys'll be all grown up soon." Elimnyama stops and clears his throat, his ears falling back into his mane. He's rambling, but it's hard to find the right words at a moment like this.

Waset remains silent, watching as their three children - their three /teenage/ children - turn their attention on Elimnyama. She knows what's coming, of course.. but, though she knows that Elimnyama fears their reaction, Waset thinks that he's already gotten through the hardest part. Informing their /mother/. Her focus, too, remains on her mate.. and when he pauses to gather his thoughts, the faint thrum of Waset's purr fills the silence. Meant to calm them all, of course - she doesn't want her children worried that, you know, Elim is telling them that the two of them are dying tomorrow or something from some horrid disease - but, mainly, for Elimnyama.

Almasi glances to her siblings then over to her mother whom doesn't seem to worried, must not be anything that major then. She peers up at her father and frowns at the talk, geezs, his going to talk about DEATH? Great way to start a conversation dad! *ahem* She just blinks and listions quietly to what all he has to say.

For her part, Nyala stops cold. Something in the way their mother acts speaks volumes to her. She doesn't say a word, she merely moves overand nuzzles her father lovingly. Glacing over to her mother, she then moves over to sit beside her, offering support. "What can wedo to help, daddy?"

/Oh/. Well...this could be a lot of things. Good /or/ bad. Amahl's brows have furrowed, but he's listening quite attentively, because, positive or negative, this does sound /important/. He looks briefly to Nyala when she moves, but his gaze is soon back on Elim. He's certainly grabbed everyone's attention!

Aware of eeveryone's eyes on him, another lion might shirk at all the attention, but.. being a king, you definitely get used to others looking at you. Elimnyama blows out a soft sigh, more to himself than to anything, as he prepares to drop what he's worried will be a bomb on his beloved children. For some reason it was much easier for him to tell Waset - maybe because he's known her so much longer - but with her, he was never afraid she would stop loving him over it. He's a little nervous now, telling the kids.. maybe it will damage their relationship somehow. He nuzzles Nyala back and smiles weakly. "It's okay, I /promise/ nobody's dying or anything. It's just.. It's time for Aitan and I to chose our heirs, those who will rule after we step down. It won't be that /soon/ - your uncle and I are hardly geezers yet - but since so much training will need to happen, we need to get on with officially naming our heirs." He looks up under his brows, carefully watching all of their faces for their reactions.

Hey, a mother's wrath ain't nothing to sniff at. And yet Waset let him live! Although the barbary /can/ understand why telling the kids themselves is so hard on him. It would be harder on her, too, if she were still the Queen and had more of an input in the chosen heir. She thinks he's worrying about /nothing/, though.. although watching him now, reminds Waset of why she fell in love with him in the first place. That big ol' dark Prince was a SOFTY inside. Smiling to Nyala, Waset leans over to bump her muzzle gently against one of the girl's legs.. but remains silent.

Almasi maw twitches while she sits there trying to keep herself still, well she's nervous! She feels like someone is in trouble and dad is here going to give it to them but at the same time she know there not in trouble. Her gaze drifts one to another then back to her father. A ear twitches before they both perk at the sudden talk of them picking a heir. She blinks and peers at her siblings then back to the lion, well she would have never expected this to be what he wanted to talk about, she can only wonder who it might be though.

Letting out her breath, Nyala smiles a bit with relief. She wasn't expecting to be named the heir.. or would it be heiress in her case? Purring quietly as Waset bumps her muzzle against her leg and leaning against her, she asks, "Who'd ya pick, daddy?"
Aitan is the uncle of Amahl.

/Oh/. Again. Amahl really doesn't know much about the typical heir selection process, or what sort of criteria his father and uncle are looking for, but whatever it is he's fairly sure /he/ isn't it. He's hardly fit to even guard, after all; he's little and he tires too easily, and as far as /he/ knows kings are supposed to be big and strong. Elim' is, after all! Maybe he ought to be disappointed...but if anything the thought comes as something of a relief. Takes the pressure off, you know. But that doesn't mean he isn't /curious/ about it even though, as far as he knows, there aren't really that many candidates to choose from. "Yes, who?" he echoes his sister.

Elimnyama gazes up at Nyala, tense and reluctant as she asks the question so directly. No more beating around the bush, then. The lion pauses another moment before deciding that an explanation should be given afterward and not first. He doesn't want to keep them all on pins and needles. Elim' lowers his eyes and swallows slowly. "Well.. I've picked Kamau." His jaw tightens as he grits his teeth, cringing without meaning to as he waits for their anger to assail him.

Almasi peers over at her brother an sister as they ask who, well it has to be one of them..right? Another unsure glance is offered to her mother before she peers back up at her father wishing he would just say whom already. While she was fully expecting it to be one of them she didn't think it would be Kamau. For the moment she's unsure what to say, she never figured she would be picked for that but does this mean she an her siblings arn't worthy or being heir? Perhaps she's the only one that feels this way. It does bring many things to her mind on why one of them might not have been picked. "I..I'm sure he'll make a great king.." Though she feels like she's let her parents down somehow about not being 'heir' material so to speak. Its not so much being picked or not, she can only wonder what she didn't do or could have done. She glances down at her forepaws an half bats a rock away before standing and turns making a beeline for the entrance and slips outside into the heat, most likely to find some place to brood over everything on her own.

Almasi has disconnected.

Feeling a little twang of remorse, Nyala was surprised to find herself being a little sad. She'd love to be a queen, but she wasn't surprised that he'd want another male to follow him.

[Shomoro]

There's a short silence before the youngest boy says anything, and when he does, it's almost painfully simple. "...Why?" Amahl is frowning again, more deeply this time--he wasn't expecting to be picked, but he /was/ expecting that one of his siblings would be chosen. After all, isn't that why their parents had them? To produce an heir? He looks after Almasi, his ears tipping back, then over at Nyala. "I thought it would be--well, one of us." His eyes dart after his retreating sibling again, perhaps indicating them moreso than himself. "I thought that's why you and mother /had/ cubs." Well...the reaction could have been worse, probably. At least he seems more bewildered than accusing. But he was always the one who asked difficult questions.

Elimnyama's head snaps up as Almasi begins to make her retreat, and his whole body jolts a little as he starts and then catches himself and stops himself from going after her. He stares at the entrance to the cave for a long moment, blinking rapidly, then finally turns back to the two children who are still here. Elim' looks to Amahl, feeling utterly miserable at being faced with such frank, awful questions. "I thought it was the best thing to do - for Tyne - to look at all of you objectively. I tried not to take into account the fact that you're /my/ children. I needed to do what's best for the kingdom, and in the end.. I felt that Kamau was best suited. It's not like I'm picking a total stranger.. he's my little brother, your uncle. And because of your ages being so close, you're much more like brothers anyway. Since my father's death, I've had to raise him and Onaedo like they /were/ my sons." Elim' blinks sharply at Amahl's last question, but here at least there is no hesitation on his part. He sits up straighter, and suddenly his expression is hard. "Your mother and I had children because we /wanted/ you. We loved each other and we wanted cubs to raise and to love. We weren't /breeding/ tools for the kingdom to use. Amahl.. Nyala. I don't ever want you to think that that's the only reason why we had you."

Steel blue eyes watch with a pang of sadness as Almasi leaves, but Waset decides that the girl needs some time to herself before getting a motherly talk. Besides, there are two other children remaining in the cavern who need their attention, too. Pushing herself to her paws, Waset's gaze shifts from the cavern entrance to Amahl, and the boy is given a small smile. "We had cubs because we were in love, Amahl." She says, echoing Elimnyama.. and though her tone is nothing short of loving and motherly, there is a finality to it that suggests that there will be no questions of them - himself, Almasi, Nyala, the others - being a product of necessity. "Having cubs is the ultimate expression of love. No longer is that love you share something undefinable, it is something that you can see, and touch.. something that the entire world can see." Here, Waset looks to her mate, favoring him with a gentle smile, before glancing between their son and their daughter. "Your father was not originally the heir, you know. It was just your Uncle. Your father and I fell in love and courted and pledged to each other.. we knew that, should something happen to Aitan, we would need to rule in his stead.. but I know I certainly never dreamed that your father would end up King anyway. I was pregnant with you before that decission was ever made." She pauses, leaning over to nuzzle Nyala warmly. "You would be here even if your father and I had not been King and Queen." Again, Waset looks to each of her children, making sure to make eye contact with each before she goes on. "You father has made a very difficult decision. Lesser lions than he would not have been able to look beyond his heart. You should be proud to have such a strong and wise father and King. And lucky to know that the same strength runs in your own blood." Another pause, and a more tender smile. "It is not a question of what any of you have done.. or not done. You are all wonderful, and would have made good Kings or Queens. In the end, even if your father had chosen one of you, one still would have been picked over the others. This is not that different. And you will all still be looked upon to help Kamau.. and, if needed, to take his place as King should some misfortune befall him."

Nyala was surprised by her brother's speaking up, having never seen him react in such a way. She wasn't surprised by Almasi's racing out of the cave. She wanted to go hide somewhere herself, she was hurt, but she didn't. What was done, was done. As for how good Kamau was.. well, she's never seen him much, but she knew her father wouldn't have chosen him if he wasn't up to the task. "Then. how come you and daddy got to rule as well, if only Uncle Aitan was the heir?"

Well, this /is/ the first time Amahl's had such significant news to react to. And 'why?' has always been one of his favourite questions. He's never content with the parental fallback of 'because I said so,' especially not where something /this/ important is involved. But although he listens as both their parents answer, he's got a look on his face that's--doubtful, almost, like he's picking apart their logic as they explain it, and trying to put it back together into a reasonable whole. This, it seems like, is a nice way of saying that none of his siblings are good enough to rule, but they're still loved anyway. And the adolescent...can only shake his head. Maybe they never intended for their cubs to rule, since they were never supposed to be rulers themselves. And Waset...isn't queen anymore. Maybe that's it. Kamau's parents, after all, were the late king and queen. Maybe that counts for more. Maybe he just needs more time to chew it over and figure the whole thing out. Whatever the reasoning, it's hurt Almasi and probably Nyala, and he dislikes that. "Well," he says eventually, "you've got your reasons. We aren't privy to any of the discussions you've had about it with mother and uncle Aitan. You know Kamau better than I do." He's pulled away, though, to stand; he shakes off his windswept coat even as he stares out of the cave after his sister. She ran right out into the blistering heat; maybe someone should go after her.

Honey-green eyes wander slowly over to Waset, and Elim' begs her with his gaze to help him, to make everything better. And gods if she didn't rise magnificiently to the challenge. He listens to her, and as he does again he is confronted by a strange emotion - he felt it the day that he told her he'd chosen Kamau. That awe-struck speechlessness, the wondering when was the exact moment that Waset grew into such a wise, mature woman under his very nose. They were just stupid kids yesterday, weren't they? He still IS a stupid kid. What's this transformation that she's undergone without him? He loves it, there's no doubt about that, and he loves her with all his heart. But something about the way she speaks nowadays, when confronted by a tough situation, how breathtakingly eloquent she can be, that makes him feel.. left behind. Elim' turns his head and smiles soberly at Nyala. He knows she feels hurt now -- he certainly would've if he hadn't lived most of his young ife knowing that Aitan had already been chosen to follow Fuadi. "It was because.. When your grandfather knew he was going to die, he knew that he hadn't had enough time to train Aitan properly to be king. But he thought.. that Aitan and I made a good team, we balanced each other out, and where one of us was weak, the other couple compensate for it by being strong. He wanted to do what was best for the pride." Just like Elimnyama does now. He frowns at Amahl and his mouth hangs partially open for a while as he debates whether or not to say something to him, to try and convince his son that this really is the best decision. But.. Eventually he closes his mouth, and sighs quietly to himself. He can't force Amahl to understand. And Elim' knew this was going to be hard for them. He can only hope they'll understand in time and not hate him for it.

Waset's gaze lingers on Elimnyama for a long moment, although it moves quickly to Amahl as the young male speaks. The barbary forces herself not to walk over there and cuff Amahl upside the head, shouting into his ear that can't he see how hard this is on Elimnyama? But, because she is now wise and mature - and because she can understand that, from their point of view, this news probably does hurt a little - she stops herself. And then, Waset has to bite her tongue again when Amahl looks to the cavern entrance, Almasi clearly on his mind. She wants to tell him to leave her be for a while, and then it will be Waset who speaks to her. After all, she doesn't want her children to talk amongst themselves and strengthen any feelings they have thinking that they are unworthy somehow. But, again she does not. Maybe there is something to that sibling bond that can help them accept this.. and understand it, and not feel negatively towards their father. Sighing, Waset finally moves, coming up alongside her mate and brushing her side lightly against his in support. But when she speaks, her words are directed at their son. "Amahl. If you speak to your sisters before I do, remember this: your father does not mean to hurt your feelings or your sisters. In fact, I know that if there were any other way, a way that would make everyone happy and cause no one a broken heart, he would have. He has a very difficult task, being King. Leading a pride and all that goes with it is very difficult.. even I could not handle it."

"It's not /my/ feelings I'm worried about, mother." The boy's ears are folded back, still, and his tail has started a slow, almost lazy tick behind him. If it weren't for the current situation, it probably wouldn't look agitated--but it does, mildly. "I didn't have any expectation that I'd be picked, since Tyne doesn't need a ruler in ill health." There's no bitterness in it; Amahl's never particularly /cared/ about vying to be the next king of the pride. "...But it does surprise me that you picked Kamau over Almasi or Nyala. And I think they'd appreciate an explanation beyond vague assurances that father's doing what's best for the pride." He does look over at them now, and his brows are arched up. "Actually, I would too. For curiosity's sake, if nothing else. I know what sort of ruler Almasi or Nyala would be, but I don't know Kamau well. I don't know what sort of ruler /he'll/ be. If wanting to know the whys of your decision makes you angry, or disappointed in me, so be it." Well, they certainly don't seem /happy/ that he wants to know.

Maybe this has all been a little too much on Elimnyama's nerves. Maybe it's the fact that the girls - in front of whom he would've been more observant of his temper - have left the room. Either way, Amahl's next words agitate the lion more drastically than anything else said until now. In one breath calling attention to the weakness of Amahl's health, which his father has always been especially sensitive about, /and/ all but shouting that Elim's done something cruel to his daughters on whom he has always bestowed so much doting affection - Elimnyama gets to his paws very suddenly, his face drawn into a thunderous glare. "I'm trying to do what's best for this pride. I'm not saying Almasi or Nyala - or any of you - would've been bad rulers. I just thought Kamau's personality was better suited to handling all the stress that comes with this job. It's not as /easy/ as you seem to think it is, young man. I love all of you, but I love my pride too and I'm going to do what's /right/ over what would just pamper my own vanity and every father's belief that his children are the best. If you stopped for one minute and thought about the pride more than yourself, then maybe you'd understand. It's not about /us/. It's about everyone else. You're talking like a spoiled little child."

Waset eyes her son a long moment. "Perhaps you---" But she has no more than said that, than Elimnyama goes on his burst of rage, surprising even her. The lioness blinks, staring at her mate, unable to come up with anything to say, even, to interrupt him. The last line causes an ear to twitch - did he just call her little baby boy SPOILED? - but Waset forces herself to remain silent. She can understand what has sparked Elimnyama's temper, she knows it comes from concern and that SOFTY sensitivity and stress and fear that his children will hate him for this decision.. but she's not sure Amahl will. But she doesn't jump to the defense of either male; yes, Amahl wants to know /why/, which is perfectly resonable and she belives their children have a right to know why. He could have gone about asking in a more polite way, however, instead of sounding so accusing of Elimnyama. This is something the two will need to work out between them, without motherly intervention. Waset waits a beat after Elimnyama has spoken, before lightly clearing her throat, and standing with sudden, almost regal poise. "Amahl. I suggest that if you wish to know what sort of ruler Kamau will be, that you spend time with him. Your father can give you every reason in the world for his decision, and I hope he will share his reasoning with you, but you won't believe any of them until you get to know him yourself. I," And here she glances to her mate as well. "Am going to speak with the girls." And with that, Waset takes her leave, brushing up against Elimnyama as she does so, both in support.. and to quietly remind him to keep a hold of his temper. Amahl means well, after all.

Maybe he could have gone about asking it in a slightly less confrontational way...but he didn't pitch a tantrum, he didn't demand to know why /he/ wasn't picked. Certainly he's not /happy/ with the explanation they got...but he just wanted a better one. And judging from the look that crosses Amahl's face, this was /not/ a better explanation. He's not sure if he ought to feel hurt...or angry...or just shocked. Or all three. It's like the older lion slapped him across the face and then /spat/ on him. His eyes narrow, but the deep breath he draws in to try and steady himself is a little shaky. "I didn't know," he says eventually, "that wanting to understand your decision so that I could be happier with it made me a /brat/, father. I'll be sure to refrain from questioning you in the future." It's terribly stiff, but he wishes he could make it sound /angrier/ and less like a poor cover for his upset. His mouth compressed into a thin, flat line, the adolescent takes a step back and then turns to follow Waset and his sisters--he looks back only once on his way out, and that's to make sure Elim' isn't following him. Angry parents /and/ that hot wind buffeting him? No thank you!

[Elimnyama]

Nice title this this. XD