#thelxonkcng

[rolliesmuses]

Now, Simba wanted the pride to know he was no crybaby, that he was tough like Mufasa… but he couldn’t put weight on his back left foot; the pad in the center of the paw was cut and bleeding a little. It had bled more before now, but that was a while ago. It had taken some time for him to limp unsteadily back to Pride Rock. Muscle memory had more than once made the cub put his paw down, which had, each time, caused it to sting terribly and make his eyes water. But now that he was home and saw Zazu fluttering nearby, towards the den, the prince sighed and lifted his head up high. “Hey, Zazu! Can- can you c’mere, please?” His voice held no indication that he was going to trick the hornbill or brag about anything he’d done today, and Simba hoped Zazu would believe it, because any kind of fun was out of the question right now.

@thelxonkcng

---

Zazu had been noting down the tally of animals in the Pridelands. It was his daily task, but one he quite enjoyed. Just him and the numbers. But when he heard the young prince's voice, he dropped that task immediately. " Ah? Hello, Simba," he called with a friendly tone.

The hornbill was in a rare good mood and had a bit of pep in his step. He fluttered over and bounced closer to the cub. No fear showed in his posture or behavior. Despite the fact that the lions were more than capable of pranking him and often did it, he trusted them.

Perhaps more than he should.

" Is something wrong? I would be more than happy to help with whatever you need my assistance with," he looked down and gasped at the prince's foot. " Oh no! Are you hurt? What happened? Who did it? I'll tell your father immediately and have them punished. "

[multiiplied]

@thelxonkcng asked: “You ever think about frogs?” to Mufasa! Simba you can’t just wake your dad up because YOU can’t sleep-

It was a nice momentary bliss, the silence, the warmth of a cave shared with the love of his life— It was all perfect. . . Seemingly TOO perfect. . It was a paw, and then another, and then another— And just like that, a perfect night's rest was interrupted. Senses muted, he could hardly sense much beyond the irritation or a slumber broken. He knew his son was saying. . . SOMETHING. What that was however, was not getting to the father.

Frogs ??? He's bugging him over. . . FROGS ??? Whoever was up there, please bless him the strength he very clearly NEEDS it.

              ❝ Simbaaa. No sunlight, these games can wait. . . . ❞

[beneaththedunes]

@thelxonkcng / cont.

   𝓛ike an array of arrows , questions at the wrong time could be painful . Pressure that makes the already moldy heartache grow thrice its size . Masked One's subtle surge of empathy for the little one had him kneeling with focus , and a flickering tail .

At the request for a promise , he gave a gruff nod and a serious huff . Deciding his silence was the best proof he wouldn't overwhelm the cub with words .

[coffeemusings]

"Nala?"

Silence.

"Nala!? Come on, where are you!?"

The lioness grinned to herself as she remained quiet and hidden within the tall grass, her eyes trained on the prince - on her prey - as he called out for her. The cub stalked towards her best friend and anytime he looked in her direction, she'd come to a halt and lower herself to the ground in hopes to avoid being seen.

She'd been training with her mother and the other lionesses as of late, bettering her hunting and stalking, and who better to practice on than her best friend? It wouldn't be the first time, much to Simba's annoyance, but Nala was supposed to practice as often as she could and so here she was doing just that, silently stalking the prince as he continued on and continued calling out for her.

Only when he came to another stop, his back to her, did Nala finally 'attack'. She leapt from the grass at Simba and with all four paws at the ready, she pounced right on top of him, causing the two to take a bit of a tumble and once they came to a stop, the lioness was on top of the Prince, giving him a victorious and proud smile. "Gotcha!"

@thelxonkcng

[rolliesmuses]

ask answered

Simba was on his way to deliver the gift he’d told his father he’d be giving Zazu and Iago- even though he didn’t know if they were actually married yet, as assumed they were- when he paused mid-step. The two birds were perched close together, and they seemed to be pretty relaxed. Should I… come back later…? Simba wondered, an ear twitching. He came to the quick conclusion that he wanted both birds to be there to get the flower in his teeth. One of the lionesses had told him it was a symbol of love here in the Pridelands! So, with the African Lily in his possession, the prince padded closer and lifted his tufted tail in greeting. “Uh, hey, guys!” he greeted them, suddenly feeling embarrassed. He thought romance was stupid, personally, being a child… but somehow, Iago and Zazu were different. “…I found this flower for ya, ‘cause… y’know, it’s cool! I, ah-… hope y’ like it…!”

@thelxonkcng he’s trying lmaoooo

( brb crying.. )

---

Iago and Zazu were cuddled up together like they always were. They had become insufferably linked since the moment they finally confessed their feelings. It took Zazu much longer than Iago to accept that he felt something like that for another gentle-bird.

Iago noticed Simba first because of his heightened instincts. He never really relaxed, even with Zazu close by. He was too busy with thoughts of how he would protect Zazu if there was ever a time when he needed to.

" Oh, hey, kid," he said. Even when the prince was full-grown, Iago would call him that. He looked at the flower and instantly knew exactly what it was, thanks to his extensive deep dive into Herbs and botanicals.

His face shifted to a thoughtful look. He wondered if the kid knew what that flower symbolized or if someone had told him to bring that one. Or whether or not the kid just thought it looked cool.

Zazu was still asleep for a good few minutes, and Iago laughed softly. He carefully nudged Zazu. " Huh? Oh..." Zazu's feathers bunched up in embarrassment when he saw Simba.

"Oh... Is that flower for us? " Zazu asked, fluttering down to get a better look at it. Iago huffed and fluttered down, a bit less gracefully. His feathers were still mending from a recent incident. " What could be the occasion for this? "

[rolliesmuses]

@thelxonkcng :

I asked : [ Mufasa laughed softly as he looked down at his son. " Getting tired so soon? " he jokingly asked as he studied the cub. Concern briefly spread over his face. " We can take a break. " ]

The prince was panting a bit, and his legs were aching… but was he going to stop following alongside Mufasa as they walked around the Pridelands, just for some father-son time? Of course not!

He stopped short, acting dramatically surprised- but not entirely dramatically. His father was vigilant, as a king had to be. When it came to his son, Simba knew he was even more alert.

“I’m fine, Dad!” he replied cheerily, tail up and flicking from side to side. His back legs trembled slightly, so he sat down, but played it off. “I’m just not big like you yet… but I’m gonna be! I jus’ need, like… a couple seconds.”

Of course, a couple seconds went by quickly, and Simba hopped back to his paws. “Alright, I’m good now! Let’s go!!”

----

Mufusa chuckled at his son's antics. He was there to keep the young lion king safe, but he wanted to give the boy the opportunity to explore his new kingdom. A concerned expression briefly flashed over his face when the young cub's legs trembled.

He got closer and slowed his pace a bit. Sometimes he forgot how fast he could run. " Alright, Son. " he sighed as he broke into a wide smile. His eyes twinkled as he watched Simba recover. But he reminded himself not to rush on ahead. He needed to be watching the boy.

Zazu was not here with them. It was just a simple outing with parent and child. " Do you want to go see if Zazu is resting or working? " he asked, leaning down to look Simba in the eyes.

[rolliesmuses]

“Hey, Zazu, I heard that you an’ Iago are gettin’ married. Is that true?” Simba asked, no trace of mischief present in his eyes or expression. “Even if you’re not, do you like Iago? Y’know… ‘like’ like him?”

@thelxonkcng HE’S JUST A KID HE DOESN’T KNOW 😅

" Well, I certainly hope that we will someday. " Zazu huffed as he puffed out his chest. Iago was getting an earful about this later on.

The question made him fluster and gather his feathery hands together. " I... Yes, I do like Iago. Like you like Nala. And like your father, the king likes your mother. "

[coffeemusings]

shh.  i'm  right  here.

To cub! Kiara from @thelxonkcng because I want more of Simba being a regular dad lol 💙

It didn't take long at all for Kiara to wake from the nightmare she'd been having once she heard her father's voice and felt him nuzzling the side of her face. Her body stopped twitching and her paws stopped moving like she'd just been running from something. Her eyes opened with a start and she let out a soft, tired whine as she nestled against her father, comforted by his presence. "I-I'm okay, Daddy." Kiara murmured, nuzzling into her father's mane and closing her eyes again. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

@thelxonkcng