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Tazira was on a mission.

She prowled around the central pridelands. Tyr was always hanging around with the Thralls. He was kind of a queer little thing, really, but what could be said about him? Tyr was his father's son, after all. In truth, that was the only explanation that was needed.

He had something she needed.

His genes.

She'd been lucky enough to find a male to provide her with cubs. A beautiful enough litter, and she'd been happy to see the male go. Mopani was a wonderful mother to them, but ... well, Mopani also wanted a litter of her own.

Tazira had thought about asking Taraxa. She'd even voiced these thoughts to Mopani, who had swiftly cut them down. Tazira decided that her nephew would likely be the next best thing.

Ah, there he was.

"Tyr!"

Tyr cowered when he heard the harpy-like voice of his aunt call out to him. She'd been the one to take him to his father - who, at the time, hadn't been aware that he was a father. She was loud and obnoxious and nothing that Tyr wanted to deal with. She was kind of mean, too, writing horrible songs about his father, but what could Tyr do about it?

She was his aunt. Older than he, and if anything, well. That came with respect, he supposed. Not that his father would complain if Tyr grew big enough balls to shoot Tazira down.

Or shove her off a cliff.

"Greetings, Aunt."

He sounded like he wanted to cry.

He sounded like he wanted to cry.

Tazira fought the urge to laugh. No, no. This was a serious matter that required serious words and a serious expression to match. Making fun of the poor boy would not soften him to her cause.

"Nephew," she bellowed before loping up closer to him. She was so out of shape. Babies had left her body feeling weak and gelatinous. Panting softly as she drew up next to her nephew, Tazira beamed at him.

Well, as best as she could while breathing heavily.

"It is nice to see you!"

She was being suspiciously nice. Tyr narrowed his eyes. What was she up to? What game was she playing? He didn't know, and he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to find out.

"It is nice to see you, as well, Aunt," he said in that gentle tone of his, eyeing her crucially. Yes, something was very much going on.

"What brings you to ... well, what brings you away from your den?"

Tazira paused.

"I have need of a favor. It is a difficult thing for me to ask. You're probably thinking that I'm being dramatic, or silly." She fell silent, cleared her throat.

"I am not being silly. This is ... very serious to me, and I hope you at least take a moment to think about the question I ask of you. This favor is important."

Taz cleared her throat again, all remnants of humor swept from her face.

Tyr's expression grew strained for a brief moment. He felt bad that his aunt thought for one moment that he might laugh at her, or give her a hard time for the favor she'd come to ask of him. She was wild, crazy, bizarre and did some weird things, but she was family.

Family was important. Sometimes, family was all you had left in the world. Tyr knew how important his daughters were to him.

"I will not laugh or mock you, Aunt," he replied, very seriously.

"Mopani wants a litter of her own." Tazira cleared her throat again. Twice. A third time.

"Will you provide her with what she needs so that she might have a litter of her own? She is my mate, and the thought of her in the paws of a giant, ungentle beast truly griefs me, Tyr. I just.. if I could do it myself, I would. But I cannot, and so we are left to our own devices."

She fell silent for a brief moment. This was not easy for Tazira.

"Will you at least think about this?"

Well, out of all the favors in the world, Tyr had not quite been expecting this one. He honestly hadn't. It wasn't the type of thing he'd thought might come out of his aunt's mouth. She was bold, brash and unashamed - but to see her in such a way, so sad about being incapable of providing her mate with cubs of their own... it made Tyr upset, too.

And a little proud that they thought to ask him for his help.

"If Mopani has no issue, then I do not have a problem with your request, Aunt."

How could he say no? He had his own family. Did not his aunt and her mate deserve their own?

A wash of emotion swept across Tazira's face. She was half-expecting him to laugh in her face before brashly turning her down. She was half-expecting him to shake his head in ridicule before returning to his father and telling him how ridiculous she was.

She was pleasantly surprised to see that Tyr was not like his father. No, in truth there was a softness to him that spoke volumes - more than actions ever could - and for that, Taz was thankful that she'd come to Tyr for this very private, very personal request.

"Thank you, nephew," she whispered softly, butting her forehead against his chin affectionately before stepping away. "Thank you. If you will excuse me, i want to tell Mopani that you've agreed."

She didn't wait for him to respond before she was tearing off in search of her mate, eager to share the good news.

Tyr was shocked as he watched his aunt's expression change; it was a side of her that he'd never seen before, and it was in that moment that he realized how much this meant to the older lioness.

He knew that he would likely not play an active part in the lives of the cubs that Mopani whelped, but... that was fine. He would always be close if they needed him, and in truth, he knew that his aunt and Mopani would make amazing mothers to them.