Kabusha chuckled softly as she cocked her head to the side. Her cubs where all so very very odd. Tahki with her lizard obsession, tiny Tana with his strong stance against all the ickyness of girls....yes each of her children where very...unique.
"Dusan sweetheart...what are you doing?"
Dusan looked up from messing with some sort of soft egg he'd dug up from a swamp bed and then grinned up at his mother. They were so identical in looks, even their eyes were the same color. "I found an egg! The rest were hatched, so... This one's a bad egg, I think." The little male took the egg into his mouth and brought it over to her, trotting lightly to let her examine it. It was a turtle egg, of all things.
She chuckled again as she gently rested her broad paw on his back. He was her little mirror, a reflection of herself and of all the cubs her most tender little man. "It may not be bad, it may just be slow to hatch. Let me see it sweetling."
Lowering his head, Dusan dropped the egg onto the ground carefully, not wanting to crack incase it was still alive. "I wanna know if it's ok.." He was worried about all the swamp creatures that lived near them. It was obvious that Dusan didn't spend much time with his siblings, but that was alright. He had other things to occupy his time. Like chasing birds, or trying to get the swampy fish, maybe even pounce on lizards.
Kabusha smiled as she lowered her head to sniff at the egg. Her ears laid back faintly as she cast him a sad look. "I am sorry sweetling but it seems you were right, this egg will never hatch." She nudged him gently, nuzzling him before he could become upset, "I am sure the little one inside has already joined the great spirits and is happy."
When his mother confirmed the egg was bad, his ears flattened and he sighed a bit, a frown on his lips. "Poor thing.." He said, starting to dig up a spot right there. He felt horrible for playing with it, but he thought he could maybe get it warm enough. "I'm sure it's very happy. Maybe the little creature's hatched with the spirits and playing around!" Shaking his head quickly, Dusan licked at his muzzle and then nuzzled up against Kabusha's side. "...Momma, will we get a daddy?"
She went still, her ears canted halfway back. It took a moment for her to find her voice again, her mouth opening and closing a few times before she spoke. "Why do you ask baby?"
"I see other cubs with momma's and daddies, and their momma's looked happy," he admitted, watching her with his violet eyes looking innocent. "I want you happy, momma. I know you got us, but ...." He kicked at the ground, tail thumping heavily.
She smiled gently as she laid down, drawing him closer so that she could groom him. "I am happy baby. I have you cubs, I have your Uncle Unus that loves us. I have Aunt Ukosa to be by my side. You are all I need baby."
He twitched at the grooming, but didn't say anything about it. Sometime, he liked it, sometimes he didn't. Today, Dusan could tolerate it to an extent. His tail flicked again and he moved up, attempting to nibble at her chin. "Well... ....If I find you a nice guy, would you make him daddy and be happier?"
She chuckled, ducking her head to oblige his need to nibble at her. "No baby, that is not how it works. "
"....Would you give him a chance and get to know him?" He had no idea how the whole flirting and mating went, he just knew his mother could be happier. Flicking his ears a bit more, blinking carefully and then grinned, nibbling more.
She nipped at his belly laughing, "Baby what is all this talk of finding me a mate? Do I seem unhappy? Do I not do enough for you children?" She wasn't trying to make him feel bad, but if he felt neglected she needed to know so that she can fix whatever she had done wrong.
Dusan shook his head and looked to the side, slightly put off his mother wasn't cooperating with him. What it boiled down too, was Dusan wanted to do something so good for his mother, because she's been doing everything for them. "I wanna return the kindness, momma, that you showed me and them. ....Sorry..."
Kabusha began to purr softly, something she rarely did as she nuzzled her sweet, gentle son. "All I need is your love sweetheart. Never be sorry for your loving heart and kind nature, it will serve you well in this life."
Dusan beamed at the purr, grinning like mad as he nuzzled back against her. He'd finally heard the sound he wanted to hear from her. That meant she was really happy! "Alright... But I'll still look..."
She laughed rolling him over onto his back, pretend to eat his belly "Oh you will, will you? How about if momma just eats you up? What will you do then!?"
The boy actually let out a squeal at that and pawed at her face, leaning up to chew on her head tuft and tugged gently. "No, no! Don't eat me!" He laughed lout, back feet kicking carefully and gently. Dusan always showed his true nature in play fights.
"Oh no I must eat you up. " She laughed mouthing his stomach. She had seen other lioness act so with their cubs, and before she had always sworn she would -never- be so undignified with -her- cubs yet now...it seemed so right. Being silly and loving with them.
Flipping over, Dusan tagged his mother's head and attempted to squirm away from her, grinning and laughing. He liked not having to share this time with his siblings. That would just take the fun out of everything! "Momma! When can I see aunty and uncle again? I wanna get to know 'em."
Kabusha rolled over onto her side still chuckling, "Whenever you want baby. I am sure Unus would love to spend some time with you." Rolling back onto her stomach, she studied him silently for a moment before sighing, "Dus-sweetie...what brought up this talk of daddies? Really." She tilted her head waiting his answer
"Cause I seen all the other daddies..." he said wit a sigh, sitting down on his haunches and frowned. "The mommas looked happy, and you sometimes look like you're hurt... Did someone break your heart, mommy?"
Her smile turned sad as she gazed down at him, "My sweet, observant little boy...yes baby someone did, but not all the fault is his. Momma said things she didn't mean and drove him away. We hurt each other love. Sometimes it happens. " Nuzzling him she purred softly, "But if he had stayed I would have never had you and your brothers and sister. "
He nodded at her words, his brows furrowed and his shoulder blades sticking up. He still felt bad for her, she had no one to talk to about adult things, no one to woo her like he'd seem some other adults try to do. "Do you... miss him?"
"Sometimes, but I am happy here sweetheart and I have you cubs to love me. That is all I need." She chuckled licking his soft fur wondering how one so little could be so insightful and deep.
With a nod and a smile, little Dusan curled up against her and nuzzled happily. He knew his mother was happy now, but that doesn't mean hes going to stop looking for her a mate. He wouldn't tell her that, of course, because they'd have to start the whole conversation over again! "How come I see some of the older lions leave the swamps? They come back and.... I don't know what happens!
Kabusha laughed smiling down at him, he was so curious about everything. "When a lion begins to grow up, he will leave the swamp in order to explore the world a bit. When he comes back, he has gained knowledge and is ready to take his part as an adult of the pride. There is a ceremony in which that lion gives up his childhood name to take on one that reflects his new adult nature."
He listened intently and blinked a bit. It didn't make much sense to him, but he'd have to go through it. Momma said so. With a hum, Dusan thought this over even more. So... leaving the pride meant he'd get smarter? What if he didn't change from his child form? "But.... I like my name.."
"You will like your new name too sweetling. Someone you care for in the pride will give it to you. It may be me, or your Uncle Unus maybe even your Aunt Ukosa. She is who gave me my new name."
He didn't know his aunt or uncle that well, so he was still a bit skeptical. "...Can you give me my name?" He asked, his eyes looking into the twins to his own. Him and his mother looked nearly identical. Something only he shared with his mother. It made him feel so much closer.
Kabusha bumped her head gently against his and smiled ," If you still wish it when the time comes, then yes baby I will."
He smiled wider at that and pawed at her face before settling down against her with a happy purr. "Good... 'cause... I don't know my aunt or uncle well... They're never around." He snorted at that and puffed his cheeks out.
She laughed nibbling at his little ears, "Well baby they have lives too. If you want to see them all you have to do is say so."
A squeak left Dusan's throat as she nibbled his ears. He flicked them a few times and then jumped back, getting up on his hind legs and pawed at his mom's face again in a playful manner, tail swishing. "But I don't wanna.
"Why is that?"
"....'cause..." Was his only reply as he huffed. "Cause I don't wanna go over if they're busy. And they'd probably get annoyed with me."
Kabu sat up then shaking her head, "I can promise you, that your uncle loves you very very much. He adores all of you cubs and would do anything in this world for you. "
He huffed a bit more and laid on his stomach, head on his paws. "Well.... ...Alright. We should go see him then.." He agreed after a moment of thinking. He wasn't upset or anything, he just didn't know how to feel about an uncle he only spent a little time with.
"And we will sometime. I am sure he would love to spend more time with you baby. All of you cubs are precious to him and to me."
He nodded a bit more and let out a wide yawn. It was almost cub nap time. He hated being sleepy all the time; Dusan never felt like he'd actually finished a conversation. "Nap with me, momma?"
Instead of answering, Kabu gently picked him up by his scruff to head for the shade of one of the huge trees. Setting him down gently she curled around him, her chest rumbling with a low, heavy purr. "Sleep baby."
He would have protested being carried like that, but it did get him out of the sun. Nuzzling into her side, he pressed his nose just under her stomach and let those pink eyes slipped close. It wasn't long, and Dusan was off to sleep like most cubs were this time of day.
