M***a

[Zoketi]

art (c) me.

Name: M***a

Name Meaning: "light" in Swahili.

Gender: female.

Age: young adult, about three years.

Alliance: none.

Physical Appearance: M***a is overall shaped distinctly like that of a Pridelander, relatively speaking. She is thickly-built, with strong muscles and a compact appearance. Despite this, she rarely used her strength in anything else besides hunting. She is also a bit short for a lioness, and she has rounder and more inset eyes and curved face. Her fur, being a light tan color, is good camouflage in the savannah. It is clean, as she grooms regularly, and of medium length. Like many lions, she has a lighter color--a light cream--as her subpelt and muzzle, and has this on her back toes as well. Her hind-toes are a few shades darker than her main pelt color, as well as the fuzzy insides of her ears and the tufted tip of her tail. She has dark brown as the top of her eye marks, and lighter cream adorning the bottom. M***a's most distinguishing mark is the double stripe that runs from her forehead to the very tip of the tail. It is a wide stripe of the light cream, with a thinner stripe of the darker, warm brown--which ends at the base of her tail. Lastly, M***a's eyes are a pretty mint green. They often catch the attention of those she speaks with, as they show up greatly on her face. They are usually sparkling with delight in her common contentment.

Kin: Amani (mother - deceased), Huduma (father - deceased), Vizuri (sister), Kidogo (brother - deceased)

Orientation: bisexual.

Love Interest: none.

Cubs: none.

Personality: M***a is a smart and sensitive lioness, but somewhat of an oddity. She is wise enough to use plants for healing, and is very knowledgeable about the land. She loves to discover things, and has a knack for doing so. M***a is also extremely kind, she will always lend a paw to anyone. She can't stand suffering, be it lion, cheetah, or wildebeast. This makes her an efficient killer, she lets the animal be in pain for the least amount of time possible. If any unhappy animal strays her way, even some wounded gazelle, M***a would do everything to help.

She isn't some "dainty" lioness, though. Make her angry and you shall regret it. Unfortuantely, and a bit strange, she is very short-tempered. She can be very titchy when annoyed, and often snaps when she's in a mood. It's quite a change from the sweet lioness she usually is. M***a usually gets upset when a friend is being troubled, or herself. Obviously, she is selfless, and rather get hurt than her companions. Another strange thing, she is somewhat of a coward--at least when she is alone. She can be fearful and trembling when danger is near and often flees rather than fights, unless she is angered. In situations where she is protecting others though, she loses her fear and stands up for her companions.

M***a has a playful side and is generally outgoing, still very cub-like in actions. She loves talking, and can strike up a conversation easily. She also wishes for a mate, like any typical lioness. She believes no one would be interested in her--low self-esteem, and chides herself often for even thinking about one.

History: M***a is a Slopelander through and through. Living in the Slopelands, obviously, they are a nimble and tough pride. Born as the second daughter to the couple Amani and Huduma, she had plenty of playmates in the form of her older sister Vizuri, a tough but kind lioness, and her brother Kidogo--born in the same litter as her. And although her gentle mother passed soon after M***a and Kidogo's birth, she wasn't tainted by lasting grief. She was barely old enough to recognize her mother was gone completely from her life.

Strengthened by a tight-knit family, M***a grew up a quick and curious youngster. Her best friend was her brother, and she became like a protector to him. He was little and often riddled with bouts of sickness and exhaustion. She was always careful to smooth out the thorns in his path of life, edging him gently into the real world. Vizuri was there to help, but she spent more and more time wandering by the edges of the Slopelands--it was no surprise to anyone when she left months later.

It seemed M***a was loosing her family around her. After her elder sister's departure, M***a's father Huduma died. It was a peaceful and expected one, as the lion was getting old, but sad nonetheless. M***a only had little Kidogo left, who she vowed to protect. As the siblings aged, M***a found herself becoming more distracted. She liked hunting, but it wasn't her favorite thing to do. She didn't want to kill more than they had to. She would occasionally skip hunts, much to the annoyance of the older lionesses, but she didn't mind the scolding.

M***a's most painful moment was hearing the pained shriek of Kidogo. Crumpled on the ground, his eyes wide and glazed with pain, and a snake slithering away into the grass. She reached her brother, but the snake's venom was beginning to take effect on her poor sibling, twitching and moaning at her paws. There was nothing she could have done.

Despite her grief, she was strong enough to pull through. She's put it in her past, and knows she has to live her life now without the burden of guilt. M***a's getting to her adult years, fledged and ready for the next chapter.

Status: living as a loner with the young male Shomari.

Participation: none yet.