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The afternoon was crisp and clear, the burning sun high in the sky, beating down on the yellow sands beneath it. The green shoots of grass twitched now and again from where they stood on the dunes. There were no clouds that day, and though it was hot, the breeze off the water was cool and inviting.

Motee smiled at the shoreline, teal-tipped paws moving carefully over the sand dunes of the bay area as he made his way towards the shore. He was the oldest in his litter, and the only boy, and he was quite clever. He loved to collect things, and make things, and explore what the world had to offer. He wasn't a cub anymore, but he was still young. While some of him had matured, he was still quite the little boy. And all he could think about as he padded near the water was shells, shells, shells.

Shells were beautiful, colorful, interesting things that the ocean left for the lions of the Bahari'mtoto. They could be made into things to wear, woven through hair and tangled in dried seaweed as bracelets and necklaces. Some lions collected big, shiny ones and set them up in their dens simply as display items. Seashells were beautiful, after all. Why wouldn't you want a bunch sitting around your den? Motee loved seashells.

Gold eyes scanned the seashell-littered sands. Motee hardly knew where to begin. Maybe it wasn't that he loved seashells so much...Maybe it was that he loved discovering new things? Like a treasure-hunter...

Grinning boyishly at the thought, Motee stumbled closer, tail swaying wildly behind him. He began scratching through the sand, flipping things over and searching for choice shells. All the while being careful not to get too close to the water. Mommy always worried whenever he got too close when she wasn't around...But that was okay. He didn't need to go into the water to find shells. There were plenty right in front of him. There were other lions all around to see him, anyway.

But the adventurous side of him did wonder how many shells he could find in the ocean...

Nahhh, it didn't do anything to wonder. Maybe one day, but not now.

So the juvenile continued his search for amazing shells, unaware for the moment of his approaching little sister.