[PRP] Long But Happy Days (Nanu, Amenophis) - FIN

[Mogami]

Nanu had never been known as hardworking or an overachiever. She did her duties for the good of the pride and herself as well as release the pent-up energy she tended to build up. Still, now she had seven – yes, seven! – little balls of fur that constantly drained her to exhaustion so hunting didn’t quite feel as rewarding as it once had. It provided opportunities to spend some much needed alone time with Obi but as she neared the temple where the nannies kept the young cubs, the tired lioness knew she would soon feel even more drained.

Without really thinking, she walked up to the temple wall but did not go in and instead plopped her body down with a soft thud. A little nap in the shade would probably be enough to replenish her energy and prepare her for another intense afternoon of playing and cleaning and teaching. She loved her cubs dearly, each and every one of them but anyone who knew her well would be able to tell she missed having complete freedom.  

[Painted Moose]

Amenophis loved games.

He loved every game imaginable, and some that were completely impossible. He loved brain games, games of chance, games of strength, and best of all, any game he was able to win. That being said, those games were generally practiced over and over with his siblings after hours so he could impress his friends at the temple.

The young cub bored easily of studies and any attempt the nannies had of keeping his mind on something other than talking. Why shouldn't he talk? Wasn't it better to speak his mind than to hold everything in? Speaking of trouble, he was going to get in a load of it when someone caught him outside.

"Mom?" Amenophis stalled his paws in the sand. For a moment, he just stood there, looking at her form sprawled out on the earth. When that was over he scuttled closer to her and started to paw at her face. "Mom, Mom, Mooooommm, wake up!"  

[Mogami]

Painted Moose

Sorry for the delay!

Unlike most days when a certain word could jolt Nanu awake in an instant, the deep sleep and the subconscious notion that she was close to the nannies caused a very delayed reaction from the patched lioness.

One eye opened slowly not just because of her obvious lethargy but also because she seemed to be under attack from a creature with very tiny paws.

“Ophis…” she said quietly, her voice like a long sigh. A smile quickly formed in her maw and her eyes narrowed contently. The boy had her husband’s color but her bright blue eyes. He would be so handsome one day. “Did you sneak away from the nannies?”  

[Painted Moose]

Mogami

All four paws tapped out a rhythm against his mother's fur as he walked across her. When he had successfully made it to the other side, Amenophis turned back to look at her, guilt all over his face.

"Sneaking is bad," He nodded, finally deciding that sitting down infront of her face was the best way to get attention. "So I just walked out." Oh yes, his plans were always perfect!  

[Mogami]

Painted Moose

Nanu purred quietly and slowly stretched her body in the sandy ground, taking in the weight of her son with something akin to surprise. He was getting heavy, she noted in silence. The cubs seemed to be growing too quickly for her to keep up at times and she feared that she might miss something important if only she were to blink for too long.

“Is that so?” She asked with an impressive straight face. Her head rose slowly and all the while Nanu gave her son an unblinking gaze as if she could see right through him. “Sneaking is indeed bad. It’s a good thing you weren’t doing it.” Her tone was equally devoid of any recognizable emotion but most adults could probably read the underlying humor in her words.

“So what were you going to do outside the temple?” Nanu asked as she pulled the little lion closer to her body, her maw finally breaking into a small smile that seemed rather approving in nature. She had to admit to having a certain amount of pride at the nerve he’d displayed by walking out like it was no one else’s business. The apple and the tree and all that.



 

[Painted Moose]

Mogami

He felt so proud of his accomplishments. Actually, Amenophis was more than proud; he was justified. After all, if he was bored, why should he stay? One of his nannies had told him to keep an active mind, and he couldn't do that inside.

Ophis was so jazzed up that at first he didn't notice the way his mother was looking at him. He just kept grinning, and grinning. "Really bad." He nodded, puffing out his chest like a warrior of justice. That is, until he was pulled into close contact with his mother. He struggled against her at first, then tapped his nose against hers. "Me? I was looking for you!" At that moment he chose to dive bomb into her and absolutely use all his cubish strength for cuddling. "I knew you would come for me; you always do. Why were you laying in the sand?"  

[Mogami]

Painted Moose

Nanu grunted dramatically as if she was being crushed by the weight of her son but her grin made it clear she was quite happy with the current arrangement. She chuckled when her son surrendered to the embrace, pondering on how to answer his innocent question with as much honesty as possible.

“I was waiting. To see who would find me first.” Well… that was a complete lie. But Nanu couldn’t really say she was tired of working and that she needed a few moments alone, now could she? Not only would she rather avoid making her son feel unwanted in any way but she had to admit, as she looked at the proud little lion and his cheeky bright eyes, that it was rather nice to spend some time alone with one of her cubs. “So I guess you won.”

She stood up abruptly and shook all the sand – and cub… - off before jumping back playfully.

“What are your brothers and sisters doing?” she asked with a grin, actively working to stay just out of reach from her son’s touch.

 

[Painted Moose]

Mogami

Amenophis took hold of his prey by laying out across as much of her as he could. In her embrace, he managed to find a comfortable medium between his own space and cuddling that left him looking up at her. "Were you really?" Wow, so she must have known! She must have known he would be the first to arrive because he was the smartest, and that must mean that she missed him most. "I'll always be first, if I know you're waiting for me." He grinned.

Of course, just as soon as he was comfortable, it was time to play! He bounced up, trying to swipe at her nose only to have his mother pull away. "Sleeping, I guess." He bounced around her, not even trying to hide the fact he was going after her tail. "They're so boring!
 

[Mogami]

Painted Moose

"Is that so?" Nanu asked playfully, stepping back swiftly and turning so that her tail remained out of reach. She grinned, bright eyes gleaming with a hint of a challenge. "I’m not sure they'd agree.” She chuckled lightly.

“Are you sleeping enough?” Nanu asked with a hint of real concern while she tried to remember how much she slept as a cub. She barely remembered her cubhood anymore and the few bits and pieces that came to mind seemed to imply she’d slept just as much as her many siblings. Her expression, however, remained quite playful even through the small moment of motherly concern. “You know, you can’t even catch me…”
 

[Painted Moose]

He didn't think they would agree, either, but he didn't care. It was bad to lie, so of course he had to say how boring they were! When his maw only clasped down on air, the little cub gave in to another charge.

"What?" He scrunched his his nose. "Yes...No...I guess?" What did it mean to sleep enough? Amenophis hadn't even thought that there was a set amount you were supposed to sleep. In truth, the little cub slept very little compared to others his age. Most of his nights were spent chasing shadows.

Of course, when she teased him, he took it as a blow to his pride. "Yes I can!" Ophis huffed, flinging himself at her, all four limbs air born.
 

[Mogami]

Painted Moose

Nanu chuckled at her son’s confusion, grinning playfully as she kept her tail out of reach until his son was suddenly flying in her direction. She didn’t dodge this time and allowed the cub to “catch” her, huffing dramatically when he made contact.

“I stand corrected.” She said, her tone equally dramatic. The patched lioness purred and took the opportunity to snuggle her son fiercely in a mighty hug, holding him tightly for a few moments before releasing some of the pressure. He was so small. She’d always been surprised at how fragile they looked when compared to an adult.

“Let’s go join the others.” She said as she stood, shaking the sand from her coat. The huntress made her way to the temple, nudging her golden son softly along the way.  

[Painted Moose]

Mogami

Hitting his mother felt like falling in the ruins; a solid impact, except with more cushion and bruising. Well, maybe not, with her holding onto him as tight as she was. Ophis struggled dramatically for air, holding his paws to the sky while he tried in vain to free himself. "Mooooottthhhheeeerrrr."

When he managed to get away, he bounced to his paws with a heroic pose that was only tempered by his disheveled mane fluff. "Do we have to?" Ophis whined. The young cub drug his paws in the sand. "We can stay out more, can't we?"  

[Mogami]

Painted Moose

So sorry for the delay! I had a terribly busy week!

“It’s mom, not moootherrr. You’re making makes me feel old.” Her tone started off as playful but then turned suspiciously serious and, sure enough, Nanu was grinning quietly as she released the cub, looking thoroughly amused. Her head tilted slowly at his request as she considered it silently in her mind. “Mmm, no. I don’t want the nannies to find us.”

She paused, reconsidering her words for a few moments. Once she’d made a decision, Nanu was terribly stubborn in terms of sticking with it but she did feel for her son. She’d had a relatively large litter and it wasn’t always easy to spend time alone with each cub.

“Let’s make a deal. If you can sneak back in without the nannies finding out, I’ll take you for a walk later. Just the two of us.” Maybe Ophis would forget about the fact that he would never sneak, eheh. Perhaps this wasn't the sort of behavior she should be rewarding and the other cubs would surely complain a little so she’d have to make similar deals with each of them… perhaps this hadn’t been one of her best ideas.  

[Painted Moose]

Painted Moose

"But you are old." Amenophis stated with the bluntness of childhood innocence. He padded out closer to the temple with a look of obvious disdain. There was nothing he wanted more than to bail out, but just looking back at his mother let him know he wouldn't be getting out of this one.

He stilled, and thought over the proposition. At first he scrunched up his mouth in a suspicious frown, but just as fast he drug it into a confident grin. The little cub shimmied himself up into a confident trot that lead him to hugging the temple wall before trying to slip in. Naturally his paws caught on almost every stray pebble.  

[Mogami]

“Oh, you did not just say that, Ophis!” Nanu said in a tone full of attitude, grinning mischievously as if she was planning something terrible for the cub’s near future.

“I think someone is in dire need of a very long bath.” She added for good measure as she watched her son’s amusing attempt at sneaking back in unnoticed. He was as discreet as a buffalo stamped, the silly boy.

- FIN -