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There they were, staring at each other. Pink and black lunar looking down in horrified wonder and worry at a little red and gold cublet, who looked back up with a mimicked expression.

"No Mommy or Daddy? That... cuddles and cares for you? No one else?"

"You!" It was a gleeful exclamation, "You here, no one no."

If he was a human officer worker, Ilori would have considered hitting his head on the desk right now. They'd gone through this argument already, but he was trying again, "Is there someone else here?"

Phoenix Shelley gave him a bewildered look and looked aaaalllll around, very slowly and very carefully, eyes wide open and nose twitching as he tried to sniff for someone else, then he looked up again to Ilori and shook his head.

"No one?" His voice got louder in his bewilderment in concern.

Phoenix Shelley winced and he slowly shook his head, ears drooping. Oh, how he wished he could conjure up someone else so the other wouldn't get angry!!

"No, stoppit, don't cry! Ok, ok, I'll go find someone. It's ok. I'll find her for you." Ilori, despite being by himself, could not imagine that the little thing really didn't have a parent, and so now picked him up (he was too slow to let walk) and trotted off to try to find someone.

Several hours later he came across her. For once, Ilori wasn't shy, and instead came right up, putting Phoenix down and then turning to the new lioness with an imploring look, "I found it, I don't want it, and there's no parents around. Could you care for it?"

Phoenix was trying to regain his feet after the long journey in mouth.

Ilori's eyes widened, "It's not mine! I almost stepped on it, and didn't even have enough sense to move! I don't know what to do with a cub!"

"Mmwrr..." Phoenix Shelley immediately started purring, even as he had when Ilori had picked him up, at the nuzzle. He didn't quite understand what it was, put pushed back at her a little. He put a paw on her nose, lifting himself up so he could look into her eyes. Eeee---Big eyes!

"Mmm P'nix S'elley," Pheonix answered, forgetting to be very careful about saying his words correctly. "Eeh?" He came down so he could look into Dakota's nose, having felt the warm breath. Ah-ha! She had warm breath like he did!

"What do you think could have happened to his parents?" Ilori wondered, worry clear in his voice.

Phoenix's eyes definitely caught the tail. He looked and looked and stared at it, then looked at his tail, then at it, then at his, then started to waggle his as a mimic to hers. One of his paws twitched like maybe he wanted to pounce, but his mind seemed too preoccupied in observation for it.

Ilori's ears flattened at that thought. Anything. Anything... "But so many lions are alone," he said. He'd learned that in his wanderings, and learned it was an offense to ask them why they were alone most of the time. He frowned at her, "And you? Are you by yourself, or do you have safety in a pride?" To him, it was a great sadness and pity that it was lone females he seemed to come across the most. In his mind, they were the jewels that should be protected and cared for, along with the cubs.

"I'm Ilori," He spoke with preoccupation in his voice though, hardly seeming to register the introductions, "You can be alone and still be a part of a pride, even a small one." Ilori frowned. He knew that all too well. Living with Grinch... well, he might as well be alone much of the time. "Iii'mmm... not exactly alone. I-I'm technically a part of a pride, I think. I don't know---but I'm not alone where I'm living either. It doesn't matter anyway," he shook his head, "I'm an adult lion. You're a lioness, and he's a cub. You're more valuable, and he can't---do anything." Ilori looked down at him now, head immediately tilting in some amusement.

Play? Phoenix looked up at Dakota with big eyes, and then jumped back as the tail came to touch him. His head went down, and butt in air, to stare at it. When it came near again, he padded the air around it, but didn't touch. Finally, he ran to hide behind Dakota's other side where maybe there wasn't tail to tease.

Ilori looked relieved at Dakota's first words, but continued to look troubled, "Well... well, I live---" His nose pointed in the direction and he verbally very clearly detailed where he was, "If you ever need anything, if you get sick or...or something happens, you come up, ok?" He was concerned, but not self-confident enough to offer to stay around her. If she said she could handle it---Well, he wasn't so sure about that---but he wasn't going to push it either.

Phoenix was now mimicking Ilori, sitting in that same non-dominant posture and tail uncertainly, face scrunched up it what couldn't exactly pass as concern, but that's what it was supposed to be.

At Dakota's first nudge, Phoenix Shelley looked up with a question written all over his face. At the second, he nearly flipped over and instead turned, and lifted his paw to nudge her back. He tilted his head at her words and gave a vacant smile, obviously not comprehending.

He would stay alongside her though, as long as she encouraged it. Eee, other lion~!



Ilori nodded, "See you." He murmured, then stood, but hesitated as he watched Dakota walk off. He hated all these lions on their own!