[PRP] So Squirmy (Vtla & Gogv)

[Princess_Feylin]

The Sky Clan was migrating close to another clan, and mostly by accident Gogv'equani Ansoomse had managed to get lost enough that she was within sight of the other clan's cubs. This was not a good thing, she thought. The lions minding the cubs would not be pleased to have a lioness from another clan wandering that close to their young. She couldn't decide whether she should beat a hasty retreat or introduce herself to the lion she saw with the cub and make her apologies. So she sat like a dummy and stared.  

[Princess_Feylin]

Vtla

Vtla was having a good time giving the cubs a bit of a lesson on the workings of the pride. He was happy to teach the little ones, though he supposed it wasn't quite as fun as playing games with them. They seemed to especially enjoy using him as something to jump on. Probably because he was a lion on the larger side of the spectrum, and fairly fluffy to boot. But Vtla didn't mind- he loved the children and he loved playing with them, even when they were bouncing on him constantly.

He looked up from the younglings just in time to spot a female from one of the other clans. He offered her a faint, albeit slightly confused smile. "Hello," he offered, moving away from the cubs and other nannies to see if there was something he could do to help the wayward female. "Are you alright? You look a little lost. My name is Vtla." He offered her a polite bow in greeting.

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Hastily Gogv returned the lion's bow and introduced herself. "You can call me Gogv."

She didn't like the implication that she was lost, but she was. She didn' tknow how she'd gotten lost, but her sense of direction had never been as good as her brothers' so that was probably it. Or maybe there was some other force at work. Either way.

"I'm all right," she assured him. "Just not quite where I meant to end up. I apologize for trespassing."  

[Princess_Feylin]

Vtla

Vtla smiled. She seemed nervous to be there, or maybe just displeased. Either way, he imagined it was because she was in a different clan, and maybe talking to someone like him was a little out of the ordinary for her. He had no thoughts that it might be because of the cubs in the area, and that not every lion absolutely adored the young and free. How could such a thing even be possible? It made him giggle just thinking about it. Thankfully, he managed to keep a straight face this time around, watching her with a friendly, sincere look as he listened to her explain herself.

"oh, I see," he hummed," Well, gogv... I can't say I know for sure where you were supposed to end up, either, but I'm happy you found yourself here! Perhaps you would like to spend some time with the cubs? They would be happy to learn about another clan."

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Um. No. She most definitely did not want to spend some time with the cubs. Her parents had just had another litter of cubs and she didn't much want to spend time with them, either. Cubs were smelly and needy and clingy and just...ew. No.

"You are strangely happy," she observed. "Is that an all-the-time thing, or is today a special day?"

He seemed much too nice to be a danger, and so Gogv had lost most of the hesitancy and good manners that had been with her when she first realized where she was. Of course, he could still sic the rugrats on her. She would have to be careful.  

[Princess_Feylin]

Vtla

Well, he could see that idea had not sat well with the lioness, if her expression wasn't anything to go off of. Did she not like babies? But... but how could that be possible? Cubs were the next generation! They were everything! And so cute, too. But she looked downright disgusted at the very idea of spending time with them. Perhaps... perhaps he would not ask again. At least for a little while.

Vtla took an honest moment to think about what she had asked, a thoughtful expression passing over him. "Well, I suppose some days call for less glee than others, but I try to keep positive most of the time. Cubs don't really like being around nannies who are cranky, you know?" He didn't seem to mind her question, nor did he take it as anymore more than some kind of general curiosity.

"What about you? Are you usually lost, or is this a happy random sort of thing?"

 

[Princess_Feylin]

If she had been able to read minds, Gogv would've been horrified. She did not like cubs, in fact. She expected that when she had cubs she wouldn't much like her own, either, but she would do well by them. She came from good stock and her offspring ought to be given the best. No nannies for them!

When he turned her question back on her, his phrasing echoing hers, she grinned. Even if he found cubs cute and cuddly, she could appreciate a clever turn of phrase. She was in a better sort of mood when she answered him, "I have a great sense of purpose, but my sense of direction is less than perfect."  

[Princess_Feylin]

Vtla

Vtla had to laugh lightly at the response- it was a very good one. "I see! You do seem like someone who knows exactly what to do with herself. But I suppose this place can look the same from time to time, so it's easy to get some imprefection there." He looked around the place. Yes, it was all very similar. But he did love his home, no matter what.

"Why don't I help you find your way? I think I would be doing you a favor if I steered you away from the young ones. Once they catch sight of you, they'll be all over you." He chuckled, but it was a very serious comment. They really would try to play with her if she got spotted. Probably his doing, all things considered.

 

[Princess_Feylin]

"I would appreciate that," she said truthfully. "Trust me, you don't really want your charges crawling all over me. I ended up here because I was trying to escape younger siblings at home."

"Speaking of...is it safe to leave them to be my guide, or would it be better for you if you merely point me in the general direction of 'out of your clan's territory?'"

She wouldn't have minded talking with him longer, but the threat of being discovered by the cubs was an excellent deterrent to any thoughts she might have had about lingering. So Gogv would just have to find adult conversation elsewhere. Just as soon as she found her way home.  

[Princess_Feylin]

Vtla

She said she was trying to get away from cubs, and that only confirmed he had been right in his thought. Good. He didn't want to look like some kind of jerk who cared way too much about the cubs and thought others lions were suited to be near them.

"It's alright," Vtla assured the female lightly, "I'm more of the giant toy they play with than one of the guaridans. The others will be able to look after them without me, they just might find them a little more hyper." He chuckled. Normally, he was the one channeling their antics, letting them jump around on him. He wondered if they would be upset if he wasn't there, but it wasn't like he could spend ALL his time with them, especially if someone else might need a paw.

"I don't like pointing," Vtla teased lightly, "some consider it rude. I'd be happy to walk with you a little longer. Sometimes I forget what it's like to talk to someone who knows more than a pawful of words- It's very refreshing."

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Gogv would have been deeply surprised to learn that being relatively forthright about not liking cubs had actually caused Vtla's estimation of her to increase. Most of the time she encountered the opposite reaction. Other lionesses thought it was unnatural that she didn't have much of a maternal instinct and lions seemed to find it equally repellent. Somehow not being a cub person was taken as a personal insult not only to cubs, but to everyone who had ever been a cub. People!

"Far be it from me to deprive you of multisyllabic conversation. I feel that way among my own family sometimes. My parents were very loving, but after two of my brothers left they got clingy." And spawny. They'd had a new litter almost as soon as they were able. And she was talking too much about herself. Time to turn the conversation back on Vtla.

"How is that, being a cub toy?" she asked as they set off. It sounded messy and uncomfortable to her, but clearly he didn't mind that sort of thing.  

[Cajanic]

Princess_Feylin

"Haha," Vtla chuckled lightly, "being clingy doesn't sound like such a bad thing," he said thoughtfully, looking down at his paws for a moment as his smile seemed to sadden somewhat. But the expression was only fleeting, his eyes making their way back up to the female as they started to walk away from the other nannies. "I lost my parents a long time ago, along with my brothers and sisters, so I think it's nice to have family around, even if they aren't perfect." Or technically really yours, he supposed. Not having a family around much probably had a lot to do with why he liked having cubs around him.

It helped fill the hole.

When she asked about being a cub toy, he laughed. "Oh, well, I guess it's pretty fun. Though sometimes it can be a little crazy. They do so love to bounce." He bounced a bit as they walked, if only because it had been some kind of natural reaction to. "But it's fun, even when they're completely wild. Something about taking care of cubs... makes me feel complete. Maybe it's not the same for everyone, but I'm sure those of us who don't like cubs have other things that we do like, right?"  

[Princess_Feylin]

She really wasn't inclined to agree about the clinginess, but she wasn't really a clingy sort of lioness. Grasping might be a better adjective. She wanted to possess things and rule them, not so much with the snuggling and cuddling. But then, she was apparently talking to a lion whose past was a lot more tragic than her own, so from his point of view it might not be such a bad thing, as he had said.

That actually kind of sucked, what he told her about his family. Probably explained why he liked to play with cubs, too. She managed not to say either of these impolitick things and instead offered a mostly sincere, "I'm sorry to hear that."

Yeah. The bouncing. That was a large part of what didn't thrill Gogv about cubs. That and the shrieking, the tattling, and the really inane conversations. She had blocked her memories of behaving like that and convinced herself that she'd always been a somber, mature person from the moment she was born. 'Cause that's totally how it was.

"It's good, then, that you've found something to do with yourself that you really enjoy. Bouncing aside, of course." She smirked and then changed the subject without any transition, because transitions are lame. "You weren't raised in this pride, were you?"

Cajanic

 

[Cajanic]

Princess_Feylin

Vtla was a little amused. Her expressions as they spoke kept shifting, showing him what was going on in her mind. It was enjoyable, seeing someone who clearly had her own very prominent views on each and everything he talked about. She was nice enough to say she was sorry, though he didn't need her to. It wasn't like he blamed anyone in his lovely home for what had happened in his past, even if they were from another clan and he didn't often speak to them.

"Raised in the pride?" He chuckled softly, "no, I can't say that I was. I came here not that long ago, and I've been very lucky to have been welcomed as a member. Before this, I was living on my own in the rogue lands. It was pretty lonely." He smiled and looked at her again.

"what about you? Seems like you've been here your whole life." He envied that a little bit- he could have done without his time in the rogue lands. "Looks like we've caught up with your clan," he added absently, indicating a little further ahead of them.  

[Princess_Feylin]

"My whole life," Gogv agreed with a little wince to make it clear that this wasn't quite the blessing he might imagine. Of course, no one had killed her family, that she knew of, so the prided definitely had that going for it, but hers was a small clan and most of it was made up of her family. A girl could get very tired of that sort of lack of variety very quickly.

"Oh, you're right." She was somewhat chagrined that he had noticed the signs to indicate that they were returning to her clan's territory before she had. After all, it was her clan and she was a huntress. She really ought to be better at spotting these sorts of things. Oh well.

"Thank you for getting me back here," she said dutifully. "I'm glad I met you. Perhaps I'll manage to get lost again in your neck of the woods."

Cajanic