Jasiri had to see her father. She HAD to. She'd be leaving the pride, for however long it took to find Dahabu's mother. She REFUSED to let him go it alone, to let him out of her sight like that...He was HERS. And he would stay hers, until the day HE died. Hell...she'd probably HAUNT him if she died before him. But before they left...Well, Jasi had to tell her father. Daddy dearest had to know she'd be leaving, else she was certain he might hunt her down.

Loving he was...overprotective too. And she loved him far too much to leave without telling him. And the cycle of thoughts repeated as she searched for the splotchy male. "Daddy! I really~ need to talk to you!"


Stretched out across the branch of a fallen tree, the piebald lion napped away the early evening. It was a nice retreat, a last bit of shut-eye before the night fully began. As he stretched out, his ears twitched a bit. Somebody was calling him... Letting out a wide yawn, the lion looked down to see one of his two daughters. A smile crept across his maw. "Jasiri..." Tail curling under him, he let out a slight purr. "What brings you to my little stretch of jungle, my little dark darling?"


Jasiri smiled up at her father. "Rather...odd business, actually." She sat on the ground, tail curling around her legs. "I'm going to be leaving for a while, Daddy. As long as it takes to find someone." She did her best to look strong, to look every inch the beautiful, proud daughter she knew he wanted. Or...the daughter she THOUGHT he wanted. "Dahabu is going to go look for his mother...and if I let him go alone, he'll get himself killed, likely."


An eyebrow went up, before Toshiro carefully stood up, jumping down from the tree. "And when do you think you might be back?" He slowly circled her, before sitting in front of her. "I prefer it if you came back in one piece, Jasiri." He flicked a rock. "Dahabu can come back in any shape, but you must come back in one piece." He reached up, cupping her chin in his paw. "You're my little girl, after all..."


Jasiri nodded. "I'm not sure, Daddy. Neither of us are seers...but we hope no more than a moon or two." Jasiri hoped even less. SHE didn't want to leave...but Dahabu was HERS dammit! "I'll come back in one piece Daddy." She smiled again. "Nothing out there is too strong for one of US. And besides..." She chuckled. "What sort of vampire would I be if I couldn't get out of a scrape by charm or force?"


Giving her cheek a pinch, Toshiro smiled. "That's my girl! Now, if something happens, can Dahabu be relied on? I'd hate for him to come up missing if something happened to you..." Subconiously, his claws flexed, digging into the dirt beneath his paws. "It would be most... Unfortunate..."


Jasiri giggled and nodded. "Of course Daddy. I have good choice in toys~ He may be all smiles and light on the outside..." She grinned darkly. "But inside, underneath everything, he's just as drenched in blood as we are, and just as protective of me as I am of him...For different reasons, of course." She was rather certain he was falling for her. She...well, she owned him. Was simple as that. "No need for him to vanish into thin air, for certain."


"Good." Rising, the piebald lion butted his forhead against the lioness' shoulder. "Now, tell me again... WHY do you like him..?" It had continually baffled Toshiro. But then, he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact his daughters liked ANYBODY. After all, HE barely liked anybody, and they were HIS daughters..


Jasiri shrugged. "I...dunno. He's my toy. And...there's just something about him. Maybe it's because I wanna peel back the light and smiles, maybe it's because of the light and smiles. He's...a puzzle. I wanna solve him. And until I do...He's MINE. No one else can have him." She pouted. "I don't want some other lion scooping him up out there, where I can't keep an eye on him."


The dark male let out a laugh, green eyes gleaming with amusement. "You think of him as a puzzle! Well, that right there is a very good answer!" He smiled, a genuine smile. "Life is no fun without puzzles. They make you think... They make you wonder... And when you solve it, it's rewarding." He still had some puzzles to figure out, but those were his own, and in due time.


Jasiri grinned and nodded. "Mmhmm!" She purred, happy at her Daddy's approval. "I'll miss you, while I'm gone, Daddy. And I'll make sure to stay out of trouble, much as possible." She wanted to come home in a state to make her Daddy proud. No sense coming back in tatters. "I love you, Daddy~"


"That's a good girl, Jasiri." He rubbed his forhead to hers, a rumble in his chest. "Don't go counting crocodile teeth, and keep that boy in line!" He ran his tongue over her forhead, a rare show of affection. "Make me proud, my little blood sucker! And remember..." He pinched her cheek, a smile on his face. "Daddy loves you!"