mizimugrove

[mizimugrove]

Shenzi decided to take the long way back to her boys after her talk with Cheezi...she just wanted time to think and she still knew the outlands like the back of her paw. She felt like she was doing everything wrong somehow after reuniting with the fuzzball...but she wasnt sure how to fix it. Taking a deep breath and rubbing a paw over her face, she paused, one ear twitching as she looked over her shoulder. "You're not as sneaky as you think kid. I'm downwind." (For janja from @cunning-matriarch)

Huh? How'd she figure him out? We was being so sneaky! ...Oh right, the wind, like she said. Janja would have to take note of that for later... learn how to be sneakier.

"What..." he starts slowly and unsure of what exactly he desired to say, "...What are you doin' around here? Who are you? I ain't seen any adult hyenas since—" since he was just a pup, "— what'd you want? This is my territory, you know, and I don't take too kindly to trespassers. Hyena or no."

[mizimugrove]

It was nearing the end of the rainy season, and honestly the Matriarch was starting to tire of the constant downpour. It made her old injuries ache and they were an unpleasant reminders of years gone. She patrolled her clans part of the backlands and the outlands with her favored male and one of her grown cubs regularly but where she was now was new....maybe someone forgot to remark their boundaries. The large hyena chuffed and lazily scanned the area until she caught sight of the jackal watching her from a ledge overhead. "Its rude to stare without introducing yourself, you know." (From Nyota to reirei from @worldclassmenageriie)

Ah! So she was spotted afterall.

Reirei had been interested in this newfound... intruder, and as such decided to tail them for quite some time. An adult hyena, hm? Interesting. She'd hardly had the opportunity to encounter one of those, just those runts that Janja calls his 'crew'.

Taking a moment to relax with a stretch before hopping down her ledge and greeting the hyena a little more personally, Reirei trots over gracefully and with tact as she smiles ever so sweetly.

"Forgive my bad manners." Reirei says rather suavely, "My name is Reirei. And you are? We don't see many hyenas around here. Many adult ones, anyway." that last line is whispered somewhat.

[mizimugrove]

Mizingo rolls his eyes, "...Good grief."

[mizimugrove]

"HAPANA!!"

[mizimugrove]

"...Hapana."

[mizimugrove]

...I do think that if anyone were to figure out Makini & Cheezi's friendship, well, it's probably Ono

[mizimugrove]

BODY SLAMS HIMSELF INTO JANJA BECAUSE WHY NOT. (to Janja from @spottedmischief)

"Woah, woah, woah!" Janja exclaims but it's too late, Cheezi full force collided him before anything could be done, kicking up a dust cloud as the two of them land onto the dry, cracked ground below.

Once the two of them settle Janja huffs, frustrated.

"Watch it, furbrain!" he snarls, "Thought you grew outta this stuff already."

[mizimugrove]

"Didn't think Cheezi had it in him. Come on, Nne, we oughta watch this go down somewhere safe. Let Janja sort it out."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, it's about to blow. We've got a chizi hyena on the loose, code red, Janja, Tano I repeat - code red. Take cover."

[mizimugrove]

He's saying he saved you some of the best ones.

[mizimugrove]

Okay but why is this one of the best songs in the show though

[mizimugrove]

Nobody here writes them, but I do wholeheartedly believe that Chungu & Tamka would be friends. It's only right

[mizimugrove]

"Heads up!“ He is kicking with full force and full speed a pangolin who rolled itself together towards Tano. Look, he’s found a plaything. But heads up before it slams in your face. Don’t say he didn’t warn you. (from Nne to Tano via @handfulofmuses)

What— woah!!

The pangolin's spines just barely scrape by Tano's ears as he dodges at the last possible second (he's pretty sure he lost a hair or two). As he stands, watching it roll by, he's prepared to give Nne a stern talking to, but then he struck upon a much more entertaining idea instead.

So that's how he wants to play things, eh? He's game.

"Your loss, Nne!" Tano's quick to catch up to the discarded pangolin and quicker still to use the motion of his head to launch it onward and upward to Nne's direction. Ha! Try avoiding that one!

[mizimugrove]

Funny it indeed was. The two leopards continue to watch as they enjoy their meal, content with its taste and substance that none of it was becoming scraps for their uninvited guest.

While technically his was in the territory of their leader, Makucha, neither of them were in a hurry to chase the little hyena away in his absence. Not when they were preoccupied with a fresh kill. Besides, the thing looked gangly and more bone than meat. Not worth it.

Its Fahari's question that has him thinking on the presence of this hyena further. When did they start living here? And would they eat into their prey?

"...Perhaps after all that smoke?" Jiona theorises. Their so-called neighbouring 'Pridelands' had fallen into ruin for as long as he could remember, but whatever had happened there recently... it must've been the biggest wildfire ever because the smoke could be seen from the Backlands with ease (granted, Makucha's range just so happened to border theirs rather directly).

"Fleeing the fire, were I to hazard a guess." not that it gave them the right to suddenly move in on their turf.

Fahari merely stares down - amusing indeed. As if a hyena can climb trees. It's not the first one to stare up but really, can't a leopard eat in peace? That's the what, third one so far?

"Let's wait a bit - let him keep trying. He won't succeed but it's funny at least."

Dinner and show. Let the little nuisance struggle some more before scaring him away. He takes another bite - not breaking eye contact, more or less to let the young predator know that he won't be getting any of it.

"Since when did hyenas start to live here anyway?"

[mizimugrove]

Janja, how do you feel about Scar? Is he like anything you imagined? (from anonymous)

"Oh yeah, Scar's great! You're talkin' about a king who ruled the Pridelands and made it great for us hyenas! With all his schemes and smarts we'll finally be on top, back in the Pridelands, kicking out that Lion Guard." oh sure the vultures, crocs & jackals are here too, but really it was the hyenas who were the ones benefitting the most. They're Scar's favourites. Obviously.

And yet, Janja hesitates for reasons he's unsure of.

"He's, uh... not what I expected." were the only words he could muster. It wasn't like his tiny cub mind at the time could really recall what kind of lion Scar was beyond... well, lithe in figure and dark in mane.

[mizimugrove]

Tano, did you had to deal with the fire too when you were a cub? How did you end up in Janja’s clan? (from anonymous)

Ah, the fire. Now there's something he hasn't really cared to recall for about... well, years. Probably because he didn't like to think about it. Wasn't exactly a fun time for him. Or any hyena, for that matter.

Tano puts a paw to his chin and considers his words carefully. He speaks slowly and without his usual sass, "...Yeah, I was there. Nne, too, because our moms were friends, see, we all ran away together." their moms were smart and quickly recognised how south things were going, "They took us and escaped the fire. I could see a lot since she carried me in her mouth. Fire. Hyenas. Lions. Her and Nne's mom, they... we got cornered. By lions. Next think I knew I was on the ground alongside Nne and—" he stops suddenly and all that's heard is a deep gulp.

Claws, teeth, blood, roars, grunts, cries of pain of hyena and lion alike.

It was a horrid mess his eyes were forced to witness. Last thing he remembers were shouts of 'run away' and 'save yourselves'. And well, his mom was a pretty stern lady, so of course he listened to her. Nne, too.

Nevermind. He doesn't want to tell this story anymore.

"...Janja!" Tano exclaims rather loudly, "Nne and I found him, Cheezi & Chungu in the Outlands when we were cubs. What idiots. Don't know how someone like him became leader, but we were having none of it. Well..." and he was loathe to admit this, "the three of them had us beat. Physically. Oh trust me we tried overthrowing him, but it was three stronger hyenas against us two. Didn't stand a chance."

He stifles a laugh, "We don't get along, obviously. But we stuck around because..." it was terrifying to be alone and it was just the two of them and they had lost everything they'd known and they didn't want to be scared anymore and—

"Strength in numbers."

[mizimugrove]

i think about this zebra on a daily basis

[mizimugrove]

Interesting to me that Fahari & Jiona were created considering that these three leopards show up under Makucha's command in an earlier episode, albeit only ever once

Shame they weren't used again, I like their designs!