Msaliti's Links
Akilia confuses Msaliti. On the one hand, she speaks with the ancestors, so if they do exist, she should know the truth. (She isn't sure if she subscribes to the pride's beliefs, or if she agrees with Mzatamo's line of thought.) In that case, Akilia would have covered for her and lied on her behalf, but Msaliti can't figure out why she would do such a thing. On the other hand, perhaps even the ancestors didn't realize it was she who committed the crime; perhaps her father's spirit had not gone up yet, or perhaps the ancestors simply don't exist, and Akilia just decided to agree on a whim. Whatever the case, Msaliti certainly feels indebted to Akilia, not that she'd ever tell the Oracle that. Besides, if she does know the truth, Msaliti knows she should stay on her good side, or risk having her crime exposed to the pride. After all, they all eat out of Akilia's paw, and if she were to tell them the ancestors had revealed a truth about her father's murder, what was to stop them from turning on her? Would they hate her even more than they currently hated her brother? It's something that Msaliti is not eager to risk.
Msaliti owes Akilia, and Akilia intends to make sure the Learner Healer never forgets it. The moment they reached the scene, Akilia had her suspicions about the situation presented to her, and her mother only went to confirm those suspicions, able to speak with the lingering spirit of Msaliti's father before he disappeared. Akilia wasn't sure whether or not she should tell the truth, sensing an opportunity to have someone be indebted to her, but officially decided to assist Msaliti at her mother's urging. Since then, Msaliti has been especially grateful to Akilia, and when it is time for Akilia to stage her coup, she fully intends to cash in on the debt that is owed to her. After all, what's the point of having someone's back if they don't have yours? As it stands, Akilia will often talk with Msaliti, though she has never revealed to Msaliti whether or not she knows the truth of her crime. Akilia and her mother agree that, as of right now, the Learner Healer is more useful if she is kept on her toes.
Msaliti loves her brother. In some strange, twisted way, she loves him, even after she's done to him. They did everything together as kids, but when push came to shove, Msaliti could not let herself to be blamed for the crime she committed. She blamed Kifo instead, despite her love for her brother, because he was right there, and why should she be blamed for the crime? She was distributing justice, and if that made her a hypocrite by then avoiding justice, so be it. When she attacked Kifo later on, she again convinced herself that it was out of love. Kifo poses a threat to Msaliti's future, and she doesn't want to have to hurt him; she has deluded herself into believing that this is the only way, to remind him to keep silent, or even better, leave. It's the only way she thinks they can both be happy.
Though Kifo is, in a sense, harboring bitter feelings towards everyone in the pride (come on, they turned on him just like that?), but they are relatively small, especially when compared to how he feels towards Msaliti. He loved Msaliti; they did everything from the time they were cubs together. There were plenty of times when Kifo (Zawadi at that time) had wanted to good off, and it was Msaliti who kept him in lie. He never expected those roles to switch when their father's affair with a rogue came to light, and when her pregnancy was discovered, Kifo should have known there was no stopping his sister. And yet, he never expected her to murder their father, let alone frame him for it. Suddenly, everything changed, especially after Msaliti attacked him again to try and ensure he didn't attempt to expose her. He will not allow her to get away with this, even if he has to die to do it.
If Laani pities Kifo, then she despises Msaliti. Laani cannot believe the horrendous actions that Msaliti took, because no matter what they may or may not have done, how could you do that to your family? When the ancestors confirmed the truth to her, she was shaken to her core. Not only did she kill her father, her own father, but then she pinned it on her brother, who had only been trying to protect her. However, in spite of her righteous fury over Msaliti's actions, Laani also fears her. If the lioness was crazy enough to murder - and, if Laani's suspicions are right, attack her brother afterwards and scar him - then she does not want to risk her ire. Instead, Laani stays away, trying to find a way to expose Msaliti for the crime she has committed but so far coming up dry. It doesn't help that Laani essentially committed the same crime Msaliti murdered her father for; if Msaliti knew what Laani had done, would she try to murder her too?
Mzatamo does not like Msaliti. He always felt like she was a little off, even before her father died and her brother, Kifo, was forced to become the pride's Witness. However, after that point, Mzatamo viewed her through a very skeptical lens. This is a large reason for his refusal to take her on as his Learner, instead allowing Cuore to do so, since he bought her story. He was reluctant to even allow that, but he had no grounds to accuse her on besides his hunch and disbelief in Akilia and her talk of ancestors, so that was the best he could do. After that point, Mzatamo generally did his best to avoid Msaliti. He does worry whether she will get smart to his suspicions of her, but if she has, she has yet to confront him on the matter. At this point, they are at an impasse; Mzatamo cannot expose her without more proof, and Msaliti cannot do anything to him without exposing herself. Thankfully, Mzatamo knows how to interact with those he doesn't like while pretending he has no ill will for them, and he does his best not to be too blatant in his distrust for Msaliti. For the most part, he even keeps up that pretense when it's just the two of them talking.
Msaliti's feelings for Pango are the epitome of love-hate. On the one hand, Msaliti adores her ex-mate, and desperately wishes to get back with him. She would do anything to accomplish that goal. Anything. It would not be off the mark to say she is obsessed with the lion, and she probably will be till she finds a new lion to bestow her affections upon (and who is foolish enough to believe the initial act she will put on of being sane and normal). However, due to Pango rejecting her and choosing to become mates with another lioness, Msaliti also hates him. Their break-up was...not a mutual one, to say the least, and Msaliti was enraged that he would leave her. The fact that he then took one of their daughters from her, and the one that reminded her the most of him on top of that, was the tipping point. She constantly fluctuates between adoring and detesting Pango, and it is probably safer that he just avoid ever interacting with again, or else there's no telling what she'll do.
Msaliti detests Kataa. If it weren't for the fact that it was really happening, it would almost be humorous. Msaliti wanted to keep her daughter, Cleo. She was the one who looked the most like Pango, and from the moment the two were born Msaliti preferred her to Kataa. However, Pango took Cleo away, and Msaliti was left with Kataa, who she literally named "reject" due to her harsh feelings for the girl. Msaliti has done nothing that a mother should do for Kataa, viewing her as a disappointment and a disgrace. She is never impressed by anything Kataa does, and very obviously wishes to have as little involvement in her daughter's life as possible. No one in the pride really understands their dynamic. Msaliti could care less if something happened to Kataa; honestly, she would likely be quite pleased if something happened to Kataa, as it might give her the chance to see Pango and Cleo again, and would also get rid of the daughter she detests so deeply.
For the longest time, one of the only things Kataa wanted in life was Msaliti's approval. Growing up with not just a lack of a mother's love, but with a mother's burning hatred, did a number on Kataa that she is only now beginning to overcome. No matter what Kataa did, it was never good enough, and when she was little, she could've given her mother a run for her money in terms of who was crazier. However, Kataa has finally reached a turning point in her life; she is beginning to realize that if her mother doesn't love her for who she is, she was never a good mother in the first place. Msaliti made her decision about her feelings for Kataa before Kataa had even opened her eyes, something that Kataa still doesn't understand and cannot forgive. However, Kataa can move on and allow Msaliti's toxic parenting to have as little effect on her life as possible, and slowly but surely, Kataa is undoing the damage done to her because of her mother.
Msaliti is Cuore's Learner, though both Mzatamo and Cuore are a part of her training, especially since Mzatamo currently does not have his own Learner. However, Mzatamo still generally rejects teaching Msaliti, something Cuore cannot understand. Despite what the pride has generally agreed on about the death of Msaliti's father, Mzatamo still doesn't seem to believe that Kifo is really the one to blame. Mzatamo never seems to fully trust Msaliti, as if he is still suspicious of what role she had to play in the matter. Cuore, however, does not agree. He believes Msaliti is a sweetheart, one that has suffered a horrible tragedy but who obviously cares about her pridemates. She also is advocated for by Akilia, who the ancestors told that Msaliti was innocent of the bloodshed. Cuore believes that this clears his Learner's name, but Mzatamo does not believe this. It is one of the few things the two have ugly disagreements over, and for the most part Cuore just tries to avoid the subject around his partner, even though Mzatamo refuses to agree to disagree on the matter and often tries to bring it up when Msaliti isn't around and he sees an opening. Msaliti, however, shows a strong dedication to her practice and a natural knack for it, having switched to that role after her father's death. Furthermore, she is very open with Cuore and the two often talk, causing Cuore to wonder if perhaps Mzatamo is merely jealous and anxious that his pupil with take his place as one of Cuore's closest friends. Msaliti is just too sweet to have done what Mzatamo thinks she's done, right?