[PRP] Little blessings [Emm and Taabi]

[Yin-Bug]

Emm was not doing much this morning, she really couldn't. She was having one of those extremely tired days. She wasn't that happy at the fact that the day that they planned to go to the watering hole she wasn't feeling good. She sighed and laid her head down on her paws and panted quietly. She knew staying here was the best idea, she was really wanted to be out there with their cubs but she knew Caius and Xixi was going to do a goo job taking care of her cubs, well then again... they were their cubs too and she was glad to have them.

She was glad to have them out though, they were probably going to go get food afterward and brining some with them. She sighed and started to crawl toward the front of the den so she could get some fresh air. She smiled slightly and closed her eyes. She couldn't wait for her family to get back, she got lonley in moments like this.  

[Talencia]

The waterhole was one of her least favorite places to trot off to, family and all. Inevitably it was a jolly, socialable affair, and often involved meeting others that had come to the same place. While she didn't especially mind being around new lions (and other creatures), she had found that for some reason, whether it was their age or how beautiful the cubs themselves were, these strangers could not help but pat them on the heads, or nuzzle their topfur, or even pick them up. And that was Taabika's bane.

So it was that as the family group left, before they'd gotten very far, Taabi had crept off back towards home. Considering her personality, there was no question where exactly she was going, so perhaps the other adults just didn't bother to check. Either way, very soon Taabika was bounding towards the den, tail waving happily at seeing her mother sunbathing at the mouth of the den.  

[Yin-Bug]

Emm closed her eyes for a few moments, she was really, really enjoying the feeling of the breeze right now, being tired and hot the sun wasn't that nice but yet at the same time the breeze was making up for all of it. She was relaxing some She hated not being there with her children. She loved her children so much and she was enjoying being a mother a lost even though she couldn't always keep up with them. She was glad to have that lovely male wander up to her that night, she loved her little blessings.

Speaking of them something caught her attention. The sound of footprints heading her way, small foot prints and she could smell something. She looked chuckled very quietly as she saw one of her cubs heading her way. "Hello little one! What might you be up to? She asked curiously with a smirk on her face. She was wondering why the little cub was already heading home, she was hoping that everything was okay. But she knew the little cub was a little iffy at times so she was okay with the visitor coming back. She wiggled her toes in front of her as she waiting for the little one to get closer. "Is everything okay Taabi?" She asked curiously, she really did hope the little one was okay and everyone else too, but she had a feeling that everything was fine.  

[Talencia]

Ah, there was mother, greeting her with love. She bounded right up and bumped her under the chin. "Yes Mama," she said sweetly, if a little softly. "I just missed you." She threw herself down between her mother's paws and curled there, throat vibrating softly. She rather enjoyed having mama to herself. With so many siblings, it wasn't always easy to get time with her. Add in the frequent naps and breaks that her mother needed, and there was very little time indeed for one-on-one attention.

She flipped over on her back and stared up adoringly at her mother, whom she resembled strongly. This wasn't a fact Taabika was aware of, but she did know that her mother was beautiful. "Mama, why do you glow?" She reached a paw to softly pat Emm's cheeks, first one, then the other. It was an endearing gesture, and a question that was a good part awe and a large part of admiration, with no little wish to please her mother thrown in. For the little cub, there was noone as lovely and luminous as her mother.  

[Yin-Bug]

Emm smiled as she saw her cub wander up to her and the bump her chin, she purred quietly before nuzzling the cub. She too knew the time that she had with her cubs was limited, sure she could see all of them at once but when it came to seeing them one on one she couldn't do that as often. It was always a bit of a worry. She had her two mates that they could spend time with but she also knew that as their biological mother (and she explained how their "Father" wasn't their father and just a rogue) and such that they wanted to spend a little more time with her. They had a different kind of bond. She loved her cubs. "Well! I missed you too Taabi."

She laughed and licked her daughter's fur before pausing and thinking for a moment. "Why do you glow?" She asked with a chuckle picking up one of her paws and gently touching the jewel making on her cub's forehead. She would have to say herself her cubs were quite beautiful and she was glad for that, she was so proud of her cubs. "I don't know why I glow." She chuckled quietly answering a little more seriously. She just always remembered looking like this. She didn't have anyother answer for her daughter other then that, nothing could pop into her mind. Sure she could have made up a story like most other lions did but Emm was a very truthfull lioness with her cubs.  

[Talencia]

Taabika gave a snort at her mother's retort. "I don't glow!" she protested, looking down at herself. "Or only a little here." She set a paw down on her brightly colored tailtip. "Very little here." She put her other forepaw on the ring of sparkles on her tail. "But nowhere else, not like you!" Her eyes traced all the swirling, glowing patterns on her mother's pelt.

As yet, she was unaware she had other markings that were not visible to her own eyes. Reflection on still water wasn't something she'd experienced yet, so she had no idea that her neck and face weren't just as black as the rest of her body appeared to her to be.

She scrambled up and began pointing out where her mother glowed. "Your hair," she said, teetering up onto her hind paws to swipe gently at her mother's head. "And your cheeks," she mimicked the goofy, googly expression adults took with her and rubbed both her paws on her mama's cheeks like an adult cupping a cub's face. "And here," she added, dancing sideways on her hind paws to Emm's shoulder, very nearly tripping over her own tail to do it. She slid her soft paws down her shoulder, sinking into a sitting position. "And here and here," light pounces indicated Emm's hind legs. "And here too!" This las was with a flying leap for her mother's tailtip, which she grabbed in her teeth before flipping on her side, froepaws wrapped around it as she pretened to kick it into submission.

"Mush mur 'lowy" she said around a mouthful of tailfur, her eyes glowing happily at her mother.  

[Yin-Bug]

Emm'ahlie looked at her small cub then chuckled slightly and then nudged the cub once more. "Don't worry hun." She laughed and then watched the cub as she stood up and started to walk around. She couldn't help but to smile and watch the cub carefully, she enjoyed watching and seeing what the cubs did. She laughed as she watched the cub point out all of her markings and she chuckled as she listened to her cub.

"I really don't think you understannd little one" She smiled and laughed as her cub pointed out her makings, she flicked her tail around for her cub to play some and then she curled herself around differently so she could look at her daughter. "I really don't think you understand little one." She laughed and then nodded. "You really do have some beautiful markings." She pushed herself forward and extended a paw to trace the markings on her neck and her face. "you have a lot of pretty markings." She giggled again and nodding as she did. She really did think that her young daughter was a beautiful little thing.  

[Talencia]

Taabika shrugged with a flip of her tail, swiftly losing interest in the topic in typical cubbish short span of attention. Instead, a jumping bug leaping past her mother caught her attention. She crouched down, 'hiding' behind her mother's forepaw, a look of deep concentration on her face. She crouched lower.. lower... and her hind end wiggled as she dug her hind paws into the earth instinctively.

With a little growl she tried to leap over her mother's paw and after the juicy jumping bug. She made it most of the way, but caught a hind paw and was sent tumbling, nose over tail. She came to a halt, sprawled on her back and staring up at the sky. She blinked in confusion at the clouds above. What had happened? Where did the bug go? For several moments she simply laid there, paws every which way above her.  

[Yin-Bug]

Emm looked at the cub surprised for a moment that the cub had no reply. She paused and settled down on her belly watching the cub interestingly. She was curious at what she was doing. Some of the things that the cubs did confused her but did interest her a lot. She wanted to know what was going through her young cub's minds some times but at the moment she was very happy just to be with the cub.

"What are you doing silly?" she asked as she watched the cub lay there she stood up and walked over to her before nudging the cubs belly. "Hmm?" she asked curiously before sitting next to her. She was learning as she went on with the cubs she found herself watching them doing things like this and being more confused. Was she liked this as a cub? She wasn't really too sure she didn't remember that much.  

[Talencia]

"I wanted to eat the bug," she answered her mother obediently, leaning up to give her mother's nose a lick when she was nuzzled. "That's what bugs are for, aren't they mommy?" She stayed on her back, gazing up at her mother adoringly. Mother knew everything, she was convinced. If anyone contradicted what mommy said, they just had to be wrong, and that's all there was to it.

"Bugs look funny," she commented further, pondering what the jumping bug had looked like. It had backward hind legs. She waved one of her own hind legs in the air and pondered if she could make it look like the bug's leg. "They have no eyes," she added matter-of-factly. "But they see you anyway." And they squished so satisfactorily beneath her paw!  

[Yin-Bug]

Emm looked at the young cub as she explained what she was doing, she smiled some as her daughter licked her nose. She thought it was odd to have her children be affectionate. She really never remembered what it was like to be a child or how she acted with her mother or what it was liked to be a cub. She loved Xixilli because she liked to play with the loving and out going cheeton it was exciting and she could be a cub. Which is also why she was enjoying her cubs. When she was feeling good enough she enjoyed playing with her children.

She nodded, "ah." She then looked around thinking about what the cub was saying. "That makes a lot of sense." She listened to her daughters explanation of the bugs. Even thought she thought it was a little funny she had to admit that she wanted to make sure that her daughter knew that all life was precious thats the way Emm felt any way. She wanted her children to know it was a good idea to teach her children to appreciate every thing even down to the bugs around them or even the prey that the cub would eat. "They do look a little funny." she nodded but then she chuckled some. "But they really just look different from you." She nodded again then chuckled again looking at her cub. "It's very nice to know that everything is connected in some way and even though something looks different they still look like you." She grinned and then looked at the cub nudging her gently.

"you wouldn't like it if you got called funny looking right?" She noted to the lioness before shaking her head. "I think you are the most beautiful thing in the world along with your siblings." She smiled thoughtfully before speaking again. "But if some one called you funny looking it wouldn't be nice right?" she asked curiously before speaking again. "I would kick anyone's butt if they called you that." She looked over at the female and then winked the cub and spoke once again. "But that buggy's mommy might be upset at you." She mentioned carefully she didn't want her cub upset but she wanted the cub to get the idea.  

[Talencia]

This was a new idea. Bugs had mommies? And feelings? She frowned thoughtfully, troubled by the ideas swirling in her head. No, she wouldn't like it if someone called her funny looking, but what if she was funny looking, like a bug? Then what they said would be true. Would that mean she deserved to be made fun of? Did a bug deserve it. She wasn't distracted from her thoughts by her mother's playful wink, but thought harder. What if... what if she was funny looking, and her mother did not love her? Did the bug's mother love it? Surely so!

"What if I looked like a bug?" she asked pointedly, raising troubled eyes to her mother's. "I would be funny looking for a lion, wouldn't I?" There seemed little doubt in her mind about that. Lions should not look like bugs. "Would you still love me?" Her voice wavered, and tears began to fill her eyes. If her mother said no, why... well, she wasn't sure what that would mean, but it was something horrible, she was sure! And if her mother said yes... that could mean she was funny looking anyway! Her little ears pinned back and her whiskers drooped in heartbreak. Wasn't she lovely like mommy said? Or was it just something mommies said to babies, no matter what?  

[Yin-Bug]

Emm looked at her cub a little confused at what she was saying. She thought the little cub's worries was amusing but she was glad that she got the point out to the little cub. she didn't really mean to scare the cub but she knew that she could make it better she watched the cub get sad and she shook her head pulling the cub close to her and nuzzling her lovingly. She watched the cub before speaking to her and chuckling some. "Hun, calm down." She smiled as she nuzzled the cub before she started to explain herself once again to the little cub.

"I don't think you would be funny looking and there would have to be others out there that agree." She nodded before speaking again. "You know I would love you no matter what you looked like. And so would your papa. I know that Xixilli and Canius would love you and even your siblings would!" she chuckled some again before leaning over and nuzzling the small female once again with a smile on her face. she let go of the cub and then looked at her with a smile still on her face. "No matter what happens I'll always love you." She nodded again at the cub and purred quietly as she thought about it. She had a family and she couldn't believe that she could love some onelike this.  

[Talencia]

That seemed like a satisfactory answer to her little cubbin brain. She stared at her paws for a little bit, thinking over what mother had said and calming down. Yes, life was good. She did not look like a bug, and her mother loved her. While pondering this, she suddenly gave a huge yawn, tongue curling and tiny fangs flashing in the sunlight. Mmm, that sunshine was nice and warm on her dark coat. Without any warning or other sign of intention, Taabika padded right up to her mother, curled in a little ball against her, and fell fast asleep, quick as a blink, in classic childhood fashion. All was well in the world in this moment, and she was going to savor it with a nap!