Truth.Be.Told
Asim stretched and rolled onto his back, enjoying the quiet that came with napping cubs. He was enjoying being a Nanny...he got to protect the little ones, and teach them about the pride, and play with them...And unlike SOME, he knew how to be gentle despite his immense size. And really...Asim wouldn't have hurt a fly if it hadn't hurt him or a pride member first. And then...there were moments like this.

Laying not far from small sleeping bodies, back against the cool earth while the grass tickled his sides and the sun warmed his belly...It was a good day to be Asim, that it was.


Manda
One of the cubs, though, was stirring slightly ... a bit disturbed by the strange dreams she'd been having lately. She didn't quite understand them, but they usually involved someone being hurt... whether physical or emotional, and she didn't like that. With a little whimper, the cub shook herself awake and looked around for her parents. She wanted to ask Daddy about the dreams... But they weren't there.

Asim was, though... and even if he might not understand, at least it was better than being alone. Wriggling her way past the other cubs, she fetched up against the larger male's side. "Where's Mommy and Daddy?" she asked first, blinking up at him.


Truth.Be.Told
Asim started a bit and blinked at the little girl...one of Primitus and Nana's girl, Najla...if he remembered right. "They're off doing important grownup stuff, little one. Is something wrong?" Usually, when one of the cubs had something happen, they'd want their parents. And even though he was young still, Asim wanted to try and be a good second-father figure to the cubs. That way, their parents needn't worry so much about them, and the pride could run smoothly. "I can at least listen."


Manda
Najla hesitated for just a moment at that, leaning against Asim's warmth. "I ... had a weird dream," she murmured then, softly. It hadn't exactly been -bad-, since nothing had happened to her in it. But she didn't like watching those kinds of things happening to others either. Even if she didn't know them.


Truth.Be.Told
Asim pat her head with a paw. "Was it a bad weird dream? Or just weird?" Was it one of the ones he heard god/mortal cubs had? The ones that showed what was, or would be, or had been? He rather hoped not, if it had been weird. "If you want, I can keep it a secret, Najla."


Manda
She thought about that for a moment, and then shook her head. "You don't have to ... I don't even know what it was about. Not really." Sighing softly, she tried to explain. But the dream was already fading slowly, and she wasn't doing a very good job of it. "I ... kept seeing these other lions... well, lions and other things. And things happened to them... bad things, sometimes. Or sometimes just things they couldn't do anything about, but it made them sad. I ... don't know who they were, or where, or anything. It was weird."


Truth.Be.Told
Asim frowned and rolled over onto his side, taking care not to squish her or disturb her too much. "Hmm...that sounds like one of those bad weird dreams." He shifted to nuzzle her cheek. "But...it does happen. Sometimes...bad things happen to others. Or they see things they can't do anything about. And it hurts them inside here." He tapped the area over his heart.


Manda
Najla blinked wide blue eyes up at him, and nodded. "I could tell... by how they looked that they were hurt somehow." Shifting her paws a little in the dirt, she frowned slightly. "I ... felt like I wanted to help them, but I don't know how..."


Truth.Be.Told
Asim nodded. "Well...there's lots of ways." He smiled softly at her. "You can be a listening ear, a side to cry into...There's lots of little things you can do to help." He chuckled. "I'm not really an expert though. My Mom though...she knows a little about stuff like that. She's a healer of the soul, as much as the body. I think it's 'cause she's a kind of priestess."


Manda
Najla thought about that for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "I guess..." she murmured. It all sounded kind of hard to her - since she was usually shy and didn't like to talk to a lot of the other cubs. Much less adults. And... anyway, she didn't even know who the ones in her dream were. "I didn't know anyone that was in the dream..."


Truth.Be.Told
Asim thought for a moment. "Hmmm...maybe you haven't met them yet?" He nodded. "Yes. Perhaps they're lions you'll meet. Or...they're made from those you've already seen. Sometimes, dreams mix all sorts of things together. And don't always make much sense." Yes. He'd had dreams where he was flying around by wings on his BUTT. That made as much sense as braiding honey into his mane.


Manda
Najla tilted her head just a little at that, and then nodded slowly. "Yea... I guess you're probably right. Anyway, if I don't know them now I can't help them. Though ... I feel like I should."


Truth.Be.Told
The blue lion grinned. "Well then...just keep an eye and ear out for someone who might need someone to listen to them." He moved to lick the top of her head. "And you can always talk to my mother. I'm sure she wouldn't mind helping you sort things out."


Manda
The little cub purred at that, and leaned up against his licking a bit. "Mm... I'll do that. Thank you, Asim... you're nice."


Truth.Be.Told
Asim felt rather proud of himself. He'd helped a little one with their problem! That made him not-girly, right? "No problem. If you ever need someone to talk to, other than your Mommy or Daddy, I've always got an ear open." Najla was such a sweet little cub too. Nothing like some of the other cubs. Yeah...he wouldn't mind being a Nanny so long as there were cubs like Najla.


Manda
Najla nodded at that and then pulled away a little. "Well. Hopefully I wont' have more bad dreams! 'Cause they're not fun... wanna play now?"


Truth.Be.Told
Asim nodded. "Sure. Let's go a little bit away so we don't wake the others, hm?" He carefully stood, mindful of his size, and made his way far enough their playing wouldn't wake the other cubs...again mindful of his pace versus hers.