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 Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 3:16 pm
He was up before his mother. This wasn't of a normal occurance for Ai, whom was used to waking up to the feeling of Ausi licking the top of his head, or nudging him, or generally waking him in some manner or form. But this morning, was different.
Waking with a slight stir, the cub had risen to find that there was sparce amounts of light filtering it's way into the family den. That meant one thing; the sun was just barely rising, and it was early.
Tsk. Can't jump on No or Jing then. he thought to himself, pondering how either sibling would take being assaulted into waking by the middle child of the litter (which Pach has noticed is a theme with the kids she's gotten from odd numbered litters... Kinye and Ai both are the middle kid..). The imagined reaction of being gang-attacked by both lions was not one that appealed to the mind of the mommy-clone, thus the white-masked cub as picked the better target...
Mommy's tail.
It seemed to move -ever- so slightly as the lioness slumbered, gaining Ai's attention quickly, as he dropped onto his stomach, attempting to mimic the other males whom pseudo-hunted grasshoppers and other creatures close to their safe-gaurded home. Stalking up on the moving appendage, the kit batted at it with a paw playfully, before jumping onto the fur-tuff that appealed to his instinces the most, 'wrestling' with it for a moment, before eyeing Ausi's sleeping form distractedly, releasing the lioness's tail, and instead stalking up to her side, nudging her with a paw gently.
Grinning widely, he dropped into a crouching-pounce-in-waiting position, before launching himself onto her sleeping (or not so much so..) form, and parading around on top of it gleefully.
"Moooooooooom!" he chimed loudly enough to possibly wake up his other siblings as well.
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Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:44 pm
Ausi was indeed already awake, but just barely. Her breathing was still deep and relaxed, and her tail was still twitching as she passed in and out of dreams. Her eyes remained closed as she felt her youngest son's early-morning attention.
"Inside voice, little grasshopper. Your sister Xu needs her sleep while she can."
That said she peered at him with a crushed-jade green eye, meeting auburn gold. She wouldn't sit up until he'd gotten down, not wanting to topple her cub. "Can't sleep, sweetheart?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:12 pm
The child squeeked at the slightly chastiaing warning he received from his loud outburst which pointed out his desire for his mother's attention, his head lowering a bit, before he flopped down onto his stomach, remaining resting on his mother's body, unaware of his location there preventing her from fully rising.
"Silly mommy... I'm not a grasshopper!" he chimed again, though his volume had turned down in volume a great degree from his first morning-screech of the day.
When inquired to whether he was able to sleep or not, he bounced right back up to his paws, and into a crouching position which left his butt up and wiggling in the air, laughing.
"Hee! Of course I can sleep, mommy!" he beamed, pouncing at her, but missing and rolling off over her shoulder and landing on her leg with an ungraceful thump, before his gaze turned back up to her.
"I just can't sleep right now!" he explained, purring.
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Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:21 pm
A humorous smirk and a soft chuckle.
As Ai fell onto her foreleg Ausi let out a bit more of a laugh at his correction, and she quickly had to stifle it. It seemed like mommy needed to remember her own inside voice too. She watched her bright-eyed child as he gazed up at her from where he'd landed, and her eyes glistened with amusement and affection.
"A valid point, Ai. What do you say we go for a bit of a walk while the others are sleeping, then?" She asked as she licked his forehead, smoothing the fur on his head down. She'd put off his morning bath for just a little bit longer, at least until they were away from the den and they could speak in outdoor voice volume.
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Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:34 pm
Ai purred as his fur was groomed down by his mother, but for double-checking, ran a paw over his head to flatten it down... or, as the result was, mess it right back up. His ears perked up a bit as mommy suggested they go take a walk.
She'd never suggested they go on a walk before.. of course, he'd never been up this early either.. but still... that must've meant..
Ah-ha! He was mommy's favorite! Take -that- Jing!
Nodding profusely, the cub remained flopped over his mother's leg as he replied to her;
"YAY WALK!"
Er..
He giggled a bit, and repeated himself more quietly; "I mean, yes, that would be nice.." before bursting into a fit of giggles and starting to scamper off ahead of Ausi to peer outside.
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 12:10 am
Ausi yawned widely, her vision blurring with tired tears before clearing again as she blinked her eyes clear. She trustingly got up to follow her third born, ambling behind him at an easy, content pace. Daimyn would watch the others while she was out with Ai, and if he needed help there were plenty of pride-mates and neighbors that would surely lend a hand.
The cubs had only been outside once or twice, so Ausi enjoyed letting them out when the weather permitted, and she could begin teaching them things now as they went.
"Come on now, little grasshopper," She teased with fond humor warming her tone, her snout coming down to nose the young one's rump with a gentle push forward. "We'll see if we can make it to the watering hole, hm?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 11:12 am
Ai laughed happily as he lurked at the opening of the den, attempting, from his location, to see everything that was seeable without going out of the 'okay' range. Afterall, wandering too far away may make mommy make sad faces.. D8
In fact, he'd been stalking a little squirming leggy-thing (AKA Insect) that he'd found there, contemplating pouncing on it, before his mother's gentle nudge sent him rolling forward, as he was not braced for the impact of it.
Laying on his side, he giggled, pawing the air in her general direction, before rolling back over to his feet, then rising up and running awkwardly back over to her side, nudging her leg with the top of his head to 'mimic' her, then running off ahead.
"The watering hole?" he thought for a minute, then laughed... wait...
".. Which way is that again?" he inquired, looking back to his mother. He had totally forgotten!
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 11:21 am
~We really do have a litter full of charmers.~ Ausi chuckled mentally, tail swaying calmly as Ai prodded her along in return. She marvled at the fact that either parent could possibly say no to such cute little adoring faces, and wondered if it would always be so, or if they'd find themselves overrun someday by the cutness that manifested so strongly in their offspring.
"It's somewhere to the North-West of Pride Rock, not very far. Can you remember any of the landmarks around it?"
In case they were ever seperated there, it would be very helpful if the children knew what landmarks to look for to guide their way home, or at least to a safe place to wait for their parents to find them.
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 11:32 am
Ai looked up at mommy as she prodded him to see if he could remember any landmarks between home and the watering hole. The concept of the deep thinking this resulted in caused Ai to make a rather funny face, as if he had just broken his brain. He knewww this one....
or at least he thought so. After another few seconds of thinking, he looked up at his mother and shook his head.
"I got nothin'. I know there are trees around it!" he commented, however, trying to show that he at least knew -something- that marked where it was, but at the same time, he failed at the game of memory.
Before bounding off in the direction indicated by his mother, again he paused, and looked down at the dirt in front of him, and drew what seemed to be a plus sign, but was his rather-shabby version of the same shape that had been drawn out for the cubs when the concept of 'directions' was being explained...
North-west was......
He blinked once, then placed his paw down in the direction of north-east.
"That's over there, right?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 11:36 am
"That's a good start, Ai, it's alright if you don't remember right away." She smiled, approaching her son to look over his shoulder at his drawing with patience. She was curious to see how well he recalled the four directions and four sub-directions. When his paw found the wrong spot, but the correct direction in general his mother unsheathed a claw and reached over to point in the correct direction. "Almost, remember that the sun always wakes up on your right, but it goes to sleep on your left."
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 11:49 am
"......" The statement seemed to confuse Ai even more. What did the sun going to sleep and waking up have to do with walking in a certain direction? He pouted a bit as he strained to figure out the significance of the thought, before shaking his head. Whatever, he'd remember it for some reason.
He looked at the direction his mother had pointed out, before pouting a bit.
"Oh." he mumbled, blushing a bit, then looking up at Ausi. "Hee! Thank you mommy~" he purred, rubbing himself against her leg affectionately, then again starting to bound off in the CORRECT direction he'd been pointed it, but not too far, pausing after a few steps to look back and make sure that mommy was still coming.
It wouldn't do them well to start taking a walk only for him to get lost and make her worry about him!
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 12:00 pm
"The sun rises in the East, Ai, and you're welcome."
~My well mannered little grasshopper.~ She explained, containing the urge to fawn over how adorable he was when he tried so hard. She didn't want to bruise his pride.
She purred and leaned down, brushing her head against his smaller one as he bounded ahead of her. Her pace remained easy, though. She didn't have to walk as fast to keep up with him, given her longer legs.
The walk would be a long one, but she could carry him halfway there, and once they got there they'd rest again before heading back. By that time the other cubs would be awake and probably wanting breakfast.
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 12:24 pm
And interrogating Ai where he'd ran off to with mommy.
He seemed to get this sudden look of understanding as Ausi explained the sun rose in the east, which made EVERYTHING else make sense in his mind. Or at least it would until he forgot it again.
He laughed a bit as he scampered about in the grass, which hid him so well, romping about his mother's legs happily, every now and then running off into the grass after something that had caught his attention, like a butterfly or small critter, but would return after a few minutes and flop himself over their walking route for a moment, giggling.
They were momentary breaks for him, as he'd rise back up, panting, and again romp about happily.
This was fun!
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 12:37 pm
Ausi's eyes alternated between the path and her son, once in a while taking a few steps ahead to taunt him with her tail, which flickered silver and white among all the green, much like an out of place mouse.
After several minutes had passed she finally took Ai by the scruff of his neck during one of his rests. Turning, she settled him onto her back and gave him a few moments to get comfortable where he may (between her shoulders, on her neck, between her ears, or maybe remaining at the center of her back), instructing: "Now sit tight, Ai, so you don't fall off my back, okay?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 12:44 pm
Ai posted himself on his mother's neck so he could look off over her head to see where they were going, laughing a bit, but nodding at her instructions.
"Okay, mommy~" he purred, giggling, and looking off after things he decided he'd see if he could chase on their way back this way. Afterall, it was hard to chase stuff while on his mother's back, that was for sure.
He soon, however, found that while it gave him a chance to take a breather, sitting up there wasn't exactly entertaining, thus took to attempting to 'groom' the top of Ausi's head, licking down the fur, then brushing down the fur with his paw.
Rinse, lather, repeat.
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