Mhina the Meretricious's Den

Currently killing/reserving lions with bad stats, please do not ask for cubs named "death" or "wait".
Please do not send any lions (with bad genes) to me either unless you want me to kill/reserve them.
As for cubs named "chase", these ones are going to be chased to spread the gene-pool and widen clean/short heritages, please dont ask for them. <3
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Feel free to RP in my comment box, I reply! :3


JOURNEY
You gently tumble down a dry, sandy rockpile, you WERE trying to get a better look at your surroundings but failing miserably. Dust and small pebbles scatter around you as you land in the brush beneath. For a moment, you lay there, feeling the rough, gritty texture of the ground against your fur, a bit embarrassed by your graceless descent. Quickly, you look around, hoping nobody witnessed your unceremonious fall.

But they did.

Unfortunately, the sound of multiple paws padding and soft giggling indicates otherwise. You turn to see three young lionesses approaching, their curiosity piqued by the noise. The first one, a slender lioness with a hesitant demeanor, steps forward, wide-eyed. Her voice trembles as she speaks, "You... you’re on our land. You need to get off." She glances back nervously at her companions, her eyes wide with uncertainty, and a desperate need of approval.

One of the other lionesses, a sturdier and more assertive figure, calls her back, scolding her sharply. They whisper and bicker, most of the conversation being made by the big one as the other cowers, the tension between them palpable. Finally, the assertive one shoves the first lioness aside and steps forward. "Ahem. What she meant to say is that you’re coming with us, whether you like it or not. She quickly turns her head to the first lioness, eyeing her as if to make a point, before turning back to you “You’re a trespasser.”

You consider the young lionesses for a moment. They are clearly inexperienced and you know you could easily escape from them. But you decide to humor them, rising off the warm, sandy ground and shaking yourself, a cloud of dust billowing around you. The young lionesses watch you intently, but the large one breaks the silence snapping at you to hurry up.

As you follow them, the landscape around you begins to change. The sun beats down from a cloudless sky, the heat shimmering off the rocky ground. The air is thick with the scent of dry grass and distant birds above. You can taste the faint tang of dust on your tongue. The lionesses walk ahead of you, bumping into one another cheerily, lost in a deep conversation of gossip, as if you aren’t even there. They giggle and laugh, one of them making a gross joke about another pride member that you don’t understand.

Suddenly, the assertive lioness, the one who had ordered you around, whips her head back to look at you. She puts on a stern ‘I’m mad at you because I’m a strong guard’ face, "Don’t think we forgot about you! When Meretricious claps his eyes on you, you’ll be sent to the pit." She smiles in what you can assume is a haughty way.

Meretricious? The pit? You don’t respond, mulling over the odd title. Why would they make an attractive lion their ruler if he’s just useless? You shrug, continuing the journey with the teens until the yappy one turns around again. “We’re here, look.” She points with her tail down into a shaded gorge filled with tall, winding trees, sun-warmed stones, roots to hide beneath, and shrubs to conceal it all. The territory is lush and inviting, yet surprisingly poorly guarded you assume after what you just experienced.
INTRODUCTION
The shadow moves towards you, revealing itself as much smaller up close. The light from outside filters through, highlighting parts of the figure. As your eyes adjust, you realise this isn't a lion, and it's certainly no adult, its facial features resemble those of a leopard. Just as you're processing this, the cub gently smacks your face. Ow.

“Hi, why're you staring?” they ask, tilting their head curiously. You open your mouth to respond, but the cub interrupts. “Okay, anyways, hi again. Hi, hi, hi! I’m Mhina! Or, as some of my stupid pridemates call me, ‘Meretricious.’” The name is said in a high-pitched, mocking tone.

..So this is Meretricious? Interesting title for a cub. Perhaps they call him that because he's cute? He is pretty adorable; you’d squeeze his chubby cheeks if you were sure it wouldn’t get you killed.

Meretricious swats at you gently, breaking your disassociated look. “Look, you can stay, but you gotta stop doing that, man. If it’s weirding me out, it’s going to weird everyone else. Oh, and also don’t eat all the food. That would also not be very helpful. But other than those two things, feel free to hang out. I assume that’s what you’re doing?”

You’re shocked. Their ruler is a cub? And a very friendly one at that. What the hell is the pit, and why were they threatening you with it? Maybe they made it up because you can't imagine this little puffball as a bloodthirsty killer.

Mhina turns and paces around as if you were never there, his small paws making soft thuds against the ground. The den is dimly lit, but you can make out the intricate patterns on the rocky walls, the smell of damp earth and faint musk filling the air. Mhina looks back at you with wide, curious eyes.

“Hey,” he says, “I bet you’re wondering why they call me Meretricious. It’s just a joke, you know? They think it’s funny because I’m cute and small.” He rolls his eyes. “But I’m tougher than I look! Here, I’ll show you.”

You nod, still trying to piece everything together as Mhina runs at you. The older lioness who brought you here emerges from the shadows. “Mhina, behave. Our guest needs some rest.” She scolds in a motherly tone, despite looking nothing like the little thing.

Mhina pouts but then grins at you.
“Fine, fine. But don’t forget what I said. And maybe tomorrow I can show you around! There’s this really cool spot by the river where we can watch the fis-”
“Mhina.”
“Okay..”

Some leaves are thrown on top of you like a very poor blanket, as Mhina scampers off with the big lioness, you’re left alone to contemplate the strange turn of events. The pit, the cub ruler, and the odd mix of hospitality and threats swirl in your mind. You settle down, the coolness of the den's floor seeping into your fur. As you close your eyes, you can’t help but wonder what other surprises this territory holds.