Just like that, the deed seems to be done. @Jewel welcomes him into her home and his large skull dips, a pleased smile curving his lips. Truthfully he hadn't been expecting any hang-ups, but he's clearly delighted at just how well this was going. Not everything in his life had to be hard - and one day, he might just remember that. They ain't too far, if ya don't mind? A little meet and greet might help 'em adjust. Two of the three were little weenie hut juniors and seemed scared of their own shadow, and joining a pride was gonna be a big adjustment.

Ears tip forward, stealing a glance at @Tosca, before his head turns - glancing from the direction he'd come from. The cubs, all three of them, had been stuffed in a little den, not too far from here for safe keeping - Iz was loathe to let them out of his sight for too long. Especially with Tessa gone, being away from 'em made his skin crawl. So he chuffs low, hoping to beckon @Cassidy, @Ida, and @Toro forth - hoping they remembered their manners.

He wasn't gonna hold his breath, though.

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Papa had told him to stay, so he did. Hunkered down until he was just a little ball of fluff - underweight and underdeveloped. Time ticks by, slow as anything, but Cassidy has all the patience in the world because leaving here meant disobeying - and he didn't want to do that! Finally Israel's call comes and the piebald boy picks himself up, and trots dutifully across the sands - just like Papa had told him. His nose itched as he approached the Cove's borders with all it's new scents. There's a new woman too, one he doesn't recognize, and he wastes no time in shuffling in behind @Tosca - using her as a hiding spot, until he was sure that the only thing @Jewel could see was a sliver of his face. He's not as good of a hider as he thinks he is, but he steals glances at the sovereign nonetheless - unsure, exactly, why they were here.

toro.
ooc; I'm afraid these are the best manners Toro's got XDD

It was hard to hear what was going on from the distance where he lay crouched alongside Cass in the undergrowth. Impatiently kneading the earth with his big vanilla paws, the youth willed Tosca or Pa to at least glance his direction just once. No such luck. Hot headed as the youth was, he knew they were likely kept aside as a means of staying safe...the world was a big and dangerous place, blah blah. Toro had discovered plenty of that of his own accord, spending most of his days playing alone (or with random new friends, from time to time) from sunrise to sunset.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting for something exciting to happen, the familiar, low voice of his pa beckoned them. Cassidy was the first to go, and Toro stood up, shaking out his thick neck fluff in the hopes of appearing even big and older than he already was. Regardless, Toro was quite the burly eight month old. The faintest little vanilla hairs were already starting to come in right smack on top of his broad head, one day to fill out into a proper mane like Pa's. Long, girlish lashes swept lazily over his sunset eyes, hiding the twinkle of mischief.

Toro followed shortly after Cassidy, standing at his full height and walking with what he was sure was a confident, manly walk. Truth be told it was really more of a childish swagger, an attempt to look bigger than he was. Toro marched right up to stand next to Pa, staring at the black lioness. His gaze dropped to her tails and his jaw fell open. "Holy shit," he gaped. "You got two tails?" Lucky!

""

The talk would progress nicely, with @Israel seeming to approve of what he'd heard from @Jewel and the Khulani matriarch finding the piebald man quite agreeable. The obsidian-pelted woman's playful wink would be received with a smile, and the teasing of her father would earn a faux-scowl. It was all going swimmingly, though, and inwardly the brunette would heave a sigh of relief when things seemed to wrap up. Of course, introducing the kids was the only thing left to do. Tosca would tilt her head with a smile as she thought of her sister, Ida. The tell-tale rumble of her brothers paws rumbled in the distance, and the freckled yearling would take the opportunity to get in two words before the dynamic duo descended. "Ida's a little shy - much more so than my brothers; she'll be around, though, and we will bring her to you when we can." And then, all of a sudden, @Cassidy was hunched up behind her, attempting to hide. @Toro, however, would waltz in with the easy confidence of a growing boy. What came from his mouth next would have Tosca gasping audibly, brows furrowing in outrage. "Toro!" She would swiftly slump herself in front of her Pa, reaching out him and seeking to lift a paw and box the youths ears, holding back most of her strength on account of his age and the fact that they had company. "Language!" She would shoot an apologetic glance back at her Queen, hoping that her generosity would extend just a little further. "Forgive him, Queen Jewel - my brother gets excitable...."

The children tumbled out of the background where they'd been hidden and she found herself amused - for she had often done the same with her own children. Hidden them within earshot. When the first arrived, she found him adorable - and shifted to settle to her haunches so she could try to make @Cassidy feel a little better about being around a stranger. Then the second came swaggering into view and Jewel had a moment where she wasn't sure if she was going to laugh, or give him the respect she would another adult. That is.. until @Toro's words came out and she gave up trying to hold it in.

The sovereign laughed out loud, her eyes sparkling with the amusement that only the innocence of youth could bring. "Oh yes, all the better to beat the unruly children with.." Not that she ever would do such a thing. Still, the lioness was chuckling as she returned to her feet, giving the family a grin. "Welcome to the cove, you two. There's a lot of dens to claim.. just make sure you check with your noses first before you go sticking your head in .. might wake someone up!"

She smiled, her amusement evident. "@Israel, @Tosca, I hope you can enjoy the Cove for some time to come." She was proud of Tosca, and was working on exactly where the girl would flourish the best in the ranks of the pride. A head would tilt as she gave the four another smile, stepping off so that she could give them space to get by, and to return to her path on the borders. "If you need anything, just ask and if it's within my power to do so.. I will do my best."

Jewel shifted, moving around the gathering and she might have swung her tails lightly towards Toro's hind quarters with an amused snicker as she would move to pass beyond the newest cove members. Jewel would normally have stayed to give them a tour - but figured Tosca would like that honor.

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he doesn't doubt that they'll come, and they do - aside from ida, of course, who is currently inactive #rip. cassidy approaches first which is surprising, but the way he hides behind tosca isn't. israel chuffs quietly to the little guy, knowin' to just give him some space. hopefully he'd settle in okay, and maybe they'd even manage to make a friend or two. toro comes next, and toro... well. he does exactly what israel expected from him. fortunately @Jewel don't seem too fussy 'bout his language or lack of manners, and tosca's quick to reprimand him.

alas, if only they had some soap to wash his mouth out with....

attention shifts to the queen as she tells the boys to be careful of waltzing around without paying attention. we'll be sure to do that, he says - shootin' a Look to toro. cassidy and ida he didn't worry much about - so maybe it all evened out in the end. thank you, queen jewel. he says to her before she can depart, shootin' her a grin to boot. he meant it, truly. adjusting back to pride life weren't gonna be easy, but he was only trying to do right by them. he looks to tosca then, quirkin' a brow - ya mind showin' yer old man around? he'd let the kids pick out their new den, but maybe tosca could show them the best digs.

exit to cc?

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toro's hot on his heels - a strange switch of position that does nothing to settle the runt's nerves. fortunately tosca is here, and he presses against her back leg as if it's the only thing tethering him to the earth. there's a flutter of activity when toro says The Bad Word and cassidy hides his face even more, peeking out only when jewel laughs. he hadn't noticed her two tails and he steals glances at them, then her face, then back to her tail. wow, he thought, she really was lucky. "queen" meant nothing to him but two tails? now that was something he could get behind. he doesn't quite come out of hiding by the time jewel readies herself to leave - and when papa, too, seeks to head out he chirrups. a soft sound to both pa and this stranger - his own little thank you! scurrying from tosca to israel, cassidy sticks close to him as they head further into the cove - not wanting to risk being left behind.

exit?

toro.
Almost as soon as he had spoken, a big gasp startled him and suddenly he was cuffed about the ears. He blinked up at Tosca grinning impishly, followed quickly by a frown as she scolded him in front of this cool two-tailed lioness. "Hey," he muttered saltily, before catching a stern look from his dad. Toro fixed his gaze on his paws for a second, though his eyes were quick to trail back up to examine the black lioness again. She busted up laughing and his brows shot up on his forehead, the grin creeping back onto his face. He stared at her with wide, eager eyes. "Do you really beat lions with your tails?! Aw-" he thought better of his word choice, and finished with, "Heck." Toro decided immediately he would have to do something that warranted getting beat by a two tailed lioness, because that sounded like a worthy adventure to him.

In a flurry of adult, businesslike comments that completely went over his head, Toro realized they were now leaving. Toro followed his family, eager to get on to the next thing.
-exit-

""

[OOC: Patrol the borders 2/2]

Jewel paused just long enough to make sure that they seemed to be heading in the right direction before she would start once more on her path of walking the borders. The ebony queen knew that with new cubs - they would need to make double sure that no others simply decided that they could just waltz through the borders... again.

The queen paused to both rub her jaw on a tree, and scratch an irritating itch before she moved on, stepping back into the well worn path and making sure that she did at least two passes before she would retire for the evening with her family.

//Exit//

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"Speech"

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