Setting: Just after the clans have disbanded following the Sky Festival
"I knoow you, I walked with you once upon a dream..." Luyu Kalisetsi moved with a light step in her paws. She twisted and turned in a circle, one paw stepping over the other. She gave a bow to the tattooed little bird who'd joined her. "I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam!" She moved around the bird, who fluttered up into the air. "Yet I know it's true, that visions are seldom all they seem..." She twisted and stepped with the bird, as if Adelida were a lion dance partner. "But if I know you, I know what you'll do - You'll love me at once, the way you did once..."
Huong had been looking for her daughter as soon as they'd stopped for the evening. She'd already pinpointed where her other three daughters were, it was just a matter of finding her oldest. The black lioness smiled as she watched Luyu, off in a secluded spot away from the rest of the Clan, singing with her new companion. It pleased her that the tan lioness wasn't as bothered by the little avian's presence as the ones gifted to the clan's Alu'nadi... Though the singing and dancing were rather rediculous... She glanced toward Dongo. Well, okay, maybe not THAT ridiculous... She shook her head in amusement, before heading toward her daughter.
As she turned, prepared to go into a new line, Luyu instead let out a surprised cry, finding her mother right there in front of her. As the older lioness began to laugh, the younger fell over, having tripped on her own paws. Adelida landed on her raised foot, beak clicking in her own laugh. She grinned sheepishly, before gently moving her foot to send the bird fluttering away. "Hi, Mom..." She got up, a bit of pink on her cheeks. "You, uh... You saw that, didn't you?"
"Of course I did." She sat down next to Luyu. "Mothers see EVERYTHING their children do. Your sister's doing the same thing, you know..." She motioned. "If I didn't know any better, she knew about your nephew and his love interest long before the clans met up again this past Sky Festival!" Her paw went back down as she leaned in close, smiling at Luyu. "Which brings me to the big question... Who is he?" She knew she was being nosey, but she was a mother - That was part of what mothers DID. Her babies grew up, now she wanted to know some of the details of their lives. Not ALL... Just who was eyebaling who as a potential mate. Which led to the reminder that her sons would, inevitably, leave her and Dongo and all their sisters, as Poa had left his... Unless they found mates within the clan, like their nephew, Abeytu, had.
Her blush had gone full-force, turning her tan face red. "Oh, well, um..." Suddenly Luyu jumped up, hurrying over to a small stream. It wasn't the large river that divided their lands into two halves, but a smaller tributary feeding into it. "I'm thirsty, how about you?" She splashed into the water, dunking her face, before lifting it out, dripping wet. "Actually, a swim sounds good, too!" She looked at her mother, who was laughing again. "Why don't we go SWIMMING today, mother? Just you and me!" Her hair hung in her face, a solid sheet of salmon pink to look through.
Huong stood up, still laughing as she walked over. "Oh, Luyu! You're being so bashful! You were such a bold little cub, and now you're SHY!" She sighed, still smiling. "You've changed like a river..." At the confused look, Huong hovered a paw over the water, humming to herself, eyes closed. "Rivers are wonderful..." She opened her eyes. "There's so many things to love..." She stepped in. "What I love about rivers most, is you can't step in the same river twice... The water's always changing, always flowing..." She splashed her daughter, before jumping in fully.
Luyu had been curious about her mother's actions and words, blush abating... When she was hit with water as Huong jumped in. The tan lioness' ears went back in surprise, and her bird companion flew away to a tree. The water in her face didn't matter - She was already wet, after all. It was more surprise at her mother's cubbish behavior. When she'd recovered. Luyu did the only logical thing - She jumped into the water, splashing her mother back. As the stream wound around their paws and legs, drops of water flew with laughter, before both climbed out, thoroughly soaked, and flopped in the grass. "Svgata Galvquodi..."
"Hm?" Huong looked at her daughter, rolling onto her back. Some clouds drifted over, and for a moment, Huong pointed at one and said, "That one looks like a rabbit... And there's a bird!" Her paw dropped back down. A stretch of silence passed between them, before the gold-eyed lioness looked again to her daughter. "Svgata Galvquodi? Specify, Luyu..."
More silence passed before Luyu broached it. "The male I've been thinking about..." She smiled, rolling onto her back and watching the clouds. The bird-shaped cloud seemed to be swooping in on the rabbit, which was running away. Clearly, a hawk and its prey... "He's in the Wolf Clan... I met him at the Sky Festival..." And her stomach was aflutter, just TALKING about him. Though she blushed, Luyu smiled.
Her eyebrows went up, before Huong sat up. "Ah, I SEE now!" She grinned, nudging her daughter. "I know who that boy is. He IS quite the stunning specimen of the male gender, if I must say so!" She stood up, stretching, then began to hurry off. "I MUST tell your father! He'll want to meet Svgata at the next Sky Festival!" Hopefully, this boy knew of their daughter's affections!
Luyu scrambled, trying to get up. "Wait, Mom, no! Nooo!" She got up, hurrying after her mother. "Don't tell Daddy, not yet! He'll scare him away!"
There was a grin on her face as she broke into a run. "Can't stop me if you can't catch me!" She jumped over a small rock. "Catch me if you can!"
