A mid-day nap was a great time for adults to talk while cubs were distracted. Dongo padded over to Huong, watching her relax while the four juveniles slept in the den. "Huong... Love... We need to talk about something..." This wasn't going to be easy, and he knew it. It was getting to be time that Huong stopped the delusion, and see Rajeev as a boy, not a girl. With the cubs nearly adolescents, and growing every day, it was getting harder and harder to NOT tell! Soon Rajeev would be... Well, not a cub. Dongo had worked hard up to that point to make sure his son wouldn't have an identity crisis, and had even been pleased when the boy had started to insist that, no, he was NOT a girl, he was a BOY.
One dark ear flicked, before gold eyes turned towards blue. For some reason, Dongo looked troubled, like he had something on his mind. Shifting so that she was facing him, Huong kept her attention on the gold male. "About what...?" She tilted her head, frowning just a bit. With their cubs getting older, they were needing less attention from their parents as they became more independent. It was starting to make Huong sad, as she watched her babies grow up. One day, they'd be leaving home and finding their own families, starting their own lives.
The male let out a sigh. Once again, he thought of the fact that this wouldn't be easy. Going over to his mate, he sat down. "It's... About Rajeev..." He glanced toward the den, where their children slept. His gaze soon returned to Huong. "I think it's time that something about our youngest one is cleared up..." Huong likely wouldn't take to the idea that their son was a son, not a daughter, very fast. It'd take some convincing.
The lioness's frown turned into a smile, as Dongo mentioned their youngest child. "Oh, she's growing up quite well! Though her mane's getting a bit far down her neck... I think if we find a good sharp rock, we can get that off..." How hard could it bee to do that? After all, there were PLENTY of sharp rocks in Africa, maybe there were some things to make it much easier to do. What could make a mane easier to cut, though, besides the sharp rock? "We'd just have to find a way to convince her to keep cutting it when it grows back in..."
He squeezed his eyes shut. "Yes, that, that right there. There's a REASON Rajeev's mane is growing in like that!" He leaned down, frowning just a bit. "Huong, Rajeev's not a girl, he's a boy! He's growing his mane in just like I did!" Though there was, admittedly, a lot more hair involved. Maybe it was just the region. "He's going to grow up with an identity crisis!" It was a miracle to Dongo that he didn't ALREADY have an identity crisis. Between having three sisters and his mother being convinced that he was a girl...
Her ears went back as she glared slightly at Dongo. "We've been over this, Rajeev's a GIRL. We were blessed with four beautiful little girls!" She crossed her paws, lifting her chin a bit. How could anybody mistake Rajeev for a boy? It was preposterous! Granted, she had longer hair than her sisters, but still! It made her prettier! "I think the only identity crisis she'll have is thinking she's a boy. What happens if she brings home a boy, when she's older? What will you do then?"
"I will seriously question my son about that... Huong, Rajeev's not a girl!" He lay down next to her, pressing his forehead to her shoulder. "I can see why you think he's a girl, because of your upbringing... He's what most young male lions his age look like! Soon his full mane will start to grow in, and it'll be as big and fluffy as mine... Will you still deny it then? Or will that be what it takes to realize he's a son, not a daughter?" He hoped that she would. What if Rajeev DID bring a boy home? That would be... VERY alarming, and require a whole new chat with his son.
She gave Dongo a dangerous look at first, but slowly relaxed it. "So... What do I do if Rajeev IS a boy...? I mean, it's not like I'm used to having a son... Well, Luyu IS a bit rough and tumble, but she'll either grow out of that or find a boy who's just as rough and tumble." She let out a sigh, resting her chin in her mate's mane. "Now I have to rethink what I say and do with... HIM..." She was just so used to the idea of Rajeev being a girl! It was hard to refer to what she'd believed to be a her as a him.
Dongo chuckled, moving and licking his mate's cheek. "Oh, don't worry so much... He should be fine... As for Luyu... Yeah, I think at this point, the best we can hope is that she finds a boy as rough and tumble as her... And if worst comes to worst, we still have two more beautiful daughters!" As his tail flicked, it dawned on him... Three daughters... Soon to be adolescents. Soon to be old enough to look at boys and start to want.. Oh gods, his daughters were going to go after boys...
Huong noticed the worried look on Dongo's face, and leaned over to lick his cheek. "Oh, Dongo, are you worried about our little girls? I think they'll be fine!" She rubbed her face in his mane, rumbling against it. "If need be, you can chase any boys you don't like away! Then they can try again, until you approve!" It made sense to her, at least. He could play protective, and guard his baby girls from evil boys. "For now... Just relax, enjoy the moment when we can nap and relax."
Dongo let out a sigh, smiling. "Okay..." He nuzzled her, before relaxing next to her. With the sun shining, it was a perfect time to relax and nap. Closing his eyes, he soon felt the pull of sleep overcome him, causing him to doze off.
