shango

lion leopard man

gay?

gay for kestral?

idk ill explore that idea

shango was born to a male leopard and a lioness. he never knew his father, and when born into the pride he was the only cub with leopard spots. his mother claimed it must be a mutation to the Flare, but everyone in the pride knew about how his mom wandered and would go away from the pride for days. they knew of a rough leopard that tested their borders daily. they knew of his putrid scent and they knew that some nights his mother would return smelling of a mix of the prides and tainted with his own. but the Flare was merciful and let shango live. the Flare was a kind ruler to his pride and even though they knew of his mothers infidelity, they treated shango like another lion cub, as he was innocent in his making. but that did not mean that his mother wasn't treated roughly nor that the other lion cubs outside of his burst did not pick on his strange coloration. he was smaller than even the female cubs, but his speed was unmatched by any other cub. even though leopards are slower than lions, the wiser lionesses suggested that it was because of his thinner frame that he could reach higher speeds. the younger lioness claimed that it was because his blood was cursed. though, shango never saw his speed as a curse. while his upbringing wasn't the nicest compared to his siblings, he stayed with his pride and grew with them until the age of 16, the average age that male lions left their prides. his Flare wished him well and he left, not looking back at his absent mother or the now grown cubs that used to pick on him, but he showed his burst the love they deserved and promised, that if he could find them again, to visit. and then, shango was left to his own devices like all young male lions.