[PRP - Backlog] Fat and Fluffy! (Damu x Shemshi)

[Lightning Shadow X]

It was obvious to all that knew him, that Damu enjoyed taking care of cubs and being the general 'goof' in the pride more than being one of the warriors the old Firekin had become notoriously legendary for. It was more surprising by the fact that the male wasn't out of shape either, he had decent muscle, good enough bulk and was of a favourable size to size-up any intruder or prey. But instead he took to a much less favoured job for a male his age and in his opinion, he enjoyed it immensely.

At the moment, he wasn't taking care of any cubs or apprentices, he was just wandering along the stone laid dunes keeping an eye out for any that did need caring for at the minute. Heavy paws kicking up the odd fleck of sand in the heavy heat of the mid day that belted down on his crimson back, with how dark it was it was easy to get very overheated and every now and then he'd pause and allow himself a 'well deserved' rest.
Right now his rest was at the bank of the Oasis, not drinking the water just lazily resting the pads of his paws against the semi-cool mud that'd been lapped by the shoreline of the pride's prized and only watering hole.

Eyes ever diligent and watchful...inbetween the yawns, ofcourse.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Shemshi-Eusi was a curious little cub. No matter what her mother and father told her, she was always slipping off to go find something fun to do. Her siblings were great to play with, but when they were napping she got so bored. For a lion cub she slept very little, preferring to stay up to play and explore. She was nearing the age of independence, where her parents weren't quite so strict with her wandering off, and each chance she got she took to set off and see a new part of her homelands that she had yet to see.

Today she was heading for the Oasis. She'd seen it in passing while walking around and had been to it with her parents before, but never alone. It wasn't far from where her siblings were napping, so she figured she could go, see it on her own, and get back before her mother decided to go look for her. It was just her luck a large lion was heading in the direction she was going in, so if someone spotted her she could just tag along a little closer to his heels. No one else was around, though, so she kept her distance until the lion plopped down in the sand beside the Oasis.

It took her a moment, but once Shi got closer she recognized the male. She had seen him a few times in passing, and he seemed to be the jovial sort, not one to push cubs away. In fact, she was pretty sure she'd seen him cub sitting!

Curious, she crept closer, little tail held high in the air as she practiced her stalking technique. She got within a few feet of the lion before pouncing on his tail tuft, swatting at the red fur.

"Gotcha!"

Lightning Shadow X

 

[Lightning Shadow X]

Despite his size, Damu was easily startled...well...mildly startled by the sudden phrase 'Gotcha!' piping up from behind him and the feeling of his tail tuft being pounced upon with such hunter's vigour. Ofcourse it barely took a second for him to catch on what was happening and hid his smile very well as he let his otherwise confused tail be batted around, twitching its tuft too and fro for the cub's enjoyment as he let out an overly dramatic groan.
Holding a paw over his chest to add to the effect.

"OH!!! What a foul mortal wound to be struck upon me! Never again will I see the light of the desert sun thanks to this valiant warrior who has laid me down!"

Wow he was dramatic. Even in the back of his mind he had to roll his eyes ever so slightly at how much of an overplayed thespian he was before rolling onto his side. Limbs curled into the air and maw agape as his tongue lulled out onto the sand- Okay that tasted a bit gross. But he wasn't about to ruin the illusion for the cub.
He had no idea which cub it was...it was probably an adult knowing his luck, but he'd cross that bridge when it came to it.

In the meantime, he continued to 'play dead'.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Shi looked up with a grin as the lion flopped over, paws in the air and tail lashing in her paws, trying to escape. She chewed on the fluff for a moment before laughing, dragging her claws through the now wet fur. The lion stilled, playing dead, and the delighted cub let go of her prize to trot over to the huge head. Tilting her own, she leaned in and gave a little sniff.

"Hey, you dead?" she asked, pushing his nose with her paw to see if he'd move. That would be pretty cool if he was dead...just attacking his tail had taken him down! Wow! But no, she could feel a little bit of air moving over her paw as she held it against his nose, smushing his muzzle back so the large fangs were bared.

"I can feel you breathing," she whispered, leaning in to stare at Damu intently, her tail flicking.

Lightning Shadow X

 

[Lightning Shadow X]

Feeling tiny paws on him, it was very hard not to fall into a slight fit of chuckles, the corners of his mouth pinching upwards as he forced himself not to laugh before one of those tiny paws pushed at his muzzle and his eyes blinked open in confusion. His big blue eyes rolled to peer at the cub in a cross eye'd manner curiously at her behaviour before giving an overdramatic roll of his eyes.

"Dang and here I thought I was good at pretending." He smiled, it was an apologetic smile at the very least as he raised a paw to playfully ruffle the top of the young female's head. Gently, ofcourse. It also gave him a moment to figure out who she was before it got awkward....ofcourse when no name came to mind, he slowly began to push himself up with a small avalanche of sand disheveled from his back.

"So what's your name little hunter?" Came the inevitable question, a smile on his large maw as he peered down at her.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

When the large lion opened his eyes Shi laughed in delight. His eyes were huge this close! And blue. She wasn't sure why, but she loved blue eyes so much. She had golden eyes herself which were nice, she supposed, but with all the red and black and white and orange and yellow there was in the pride, different colors really caught her attention. She could never stop staring at them.

"You are good! Next time don't breathe," she advised with a little giggle. "But then maybe you might die, so don't do that for long." As the large lion got up she backed up, sitting down in the sand before him. Wow...she couldn't wait to get that big! Being a cub was nice, she supposed, you got to play and not do work, but she really wanted to grow up and help out her pride a bit.

"I'm Shemshi-Eusi!" she said happily. "But everyone calls me Shi, so you can too. You...you're Damu?" she asked tilting her head just a bit. "I think maybe I've seen you before. Maybe. Or heard about you from other cubs. Because you're a sitter, right?"

Lightning Shadow X

 

[Lightning Shadow X]

Dutifully listening to the tiny black cub infront of him, the ears atop that thick mane of his swiveled forward just a tad so he could hear every detail of what she said, he took his job as a cubsitter rather seriously. Cubs were important after all and every now and then they'd surprise you with what they came out with, so he liked to listen to them with as much respect as he'd have given any adult. Possibly more so.
He was practically a cub in an adult's body at the end of the day.

Smiling at the advise on how to act dead, he couldn't help but chuckle in the back of his throat before finally getting her name and nodding slowly. Ah that was it then. When she got his bang on however, he had to blink, a little surprised, but pleasantly so as he offered the young female a wonky little smile on that big muzzle of his.

"That's right!"

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

When Damu confirmed her words, Shi grinned and flicked her tail in the air happily. "Ha! I knew it," she said with a grin to match the slightly goofy one on the older lion. "I'm real good with names," she said, tilting her head high in the air, taking on the appearance of a snooty queen. She walked in a slow circle for her adoring fans before turning and pouncing on Damu's large paws.

"Are you a cub sitter because you're so old?" she asked, looking up at him with large, golden eyes. "Because you're too tired to hunt and fight?" It was the only logical reason she knew, other than the fact that he was a lot nicer than the majority of the adults she knew, aside from her parents, of course. "Or because you like cubs?" That could be another reason, she supposed. "Do you have cubs? Or kids?" The questions were never-ending from this one, it seemed.

Lightning Shadow X

 

[Lightning Shadow X]

The large lion watched the small lioness and her airs and graces that she flaunted like the tiny queen that she was, he couldn't help but be amused by her antics. Even more so as his paws were pounced and he just sat there and allowed her to pounce and bat at his large, fluffy paws. What was a child if they weren't allowed their fun?
Her next words however caught him offguard and his ears flick, looking at the cub in confusion before she continued her questions - even before he could really answer as he watched the young female just spout out questions. Despite how overwhelming they were, he couldn't help but smile just a tad.

"Well....I suppose it's because I like cubs really." He answered with a small rolling shrug of one shoulder as he looked down at her, that smile still set on his muzzle. "I've never been much of a warrior or soldier, besides cubs are important members of the pride."

Raising a paw to dangle it playfully over her head for her pouncing and clawing amusement. "I don't really have anyone to have cubs with....yet...I guess."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Shi was distracted from her questions for a moment as Damu lifted his paw in the air, making it harder for her to get. She narrowed her eyes and grinned in determination as she lowered herself to the ground, wiggling her rear in the air before leaping up. She touched his paw with one of hers, but back to the earth she went, twisting just a bit to land on her feet as all cats were capable of doing. She looked up at the paw again and this time decided to climb up Damu's side and out onto his leg, little claws digging in to his fluffy fur to stay balanced.

"You should find someone," she told him as she reached his paw and began to chew on his toes. "If you were my dad you'd be lots of fun." Not that there was anything wrong with her own father, oh no. He was lots of fun and she wouldn't trade him for the world. But Damu was really big and really fluffy and really fun! He didn't have to go out and hunt like everyone else, he got to play all day!

"Maybe I'll help," she offered, pausing in her chewing. Shi lifted her head and stared out over the sands that made up her home before pointing to a young female that was walking by, out of hearing range so she spoke at a normal volume, but close enough to see. "She's pretty. I bet she's a great huntress too," she offered, looking over her shoulder at the big lion. "Or maybe her!" Again, she pointed, this time at an older female who was bringing a kill back. "She's definitely a good huntress, look at that zebra!"

Lightning Shadow X

 

[Lightning Shadow X]

Watching her pounce and leap, the male felt a small swell of pride for how well developed this young one was as most Firekin cubs started at an early age to learn how to be great pouncers, strikers and generally tactile little felines. When she started to climb his large frame he had to pull in air through his teeth, wincing physically as those tiny stinging pin points made his nerves jolt in irritation and a cold shot of pain. Not much, but it was definitely noticeable and in the end he deemed a little pain worth watching another little pride member develop.

As she reached her target and Damu let her chew on his large toes, her words made her balk in surprise for a second time today before his jaw squared unsuredly. He....hadn't exactly found anyone that interested him, to be honest, sure there were many gorgeous females in the pride - but he was purely invested in his work. "Well, uhh..."

But when she started picking out females that randomly passed by, his fur nearly stood on end. If he could have, he'd have blushed at the females that glanced oddly at the male and the little cub randomly pointing at them. His eyes settling on Shi with an awkward smile before he moved to gently settle his paw and coincidentally, the cub herself, back down onto the sand.

"Yes they all look like uh...good females, but, I'm not that good at talking to females about that sort of thing." Damu offered another lopped smile. "Infact I've barely thought of any possible mates."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Shi didn't notice the looks they got from the females that passed close enough, instead keeping her gaze on the large male. She flicked her tail back and forth hopefully, unaware of the awkwardness she was causing. When she was lowered to the ground she stood once more and moved forward, sitting between Damu's paws.

"Why not?" she asked, tilting her head. "You can't have cubs by yourself, you need a mom and a dad," she said in a 'duh' sort of voice. "Not just a dad. Two! Gotta have two. So maybe you should go try to talk to one. Have you ever tried?" She wasn't too sure how cubs came about, but she did know a mom and a dad were needed. If you talked to one, maybe that was what brought the cubs! She did see her mother and father talking, as well as other parents...that must be it.

"Talking really isn't that hard, you know," she said with a tiny grin. "We're doing it! And I'm a girl! See, you can talk to girls about this because you're doing it right now. But ew I don't want cubs," she said suddenly, making a face. "I'm still a cub! Ugh...I won't have cubs from talking to you, will I?"

Lightning Shadow X

 

[Lightning Shadow X]

Peering down at the cub, Damu couldn't help but arch a brow at her inquiries and just how innocent they truly were when it came down to it, the asks about cubs and the general asks that at her age he had been curious about as well. Though he doubted he was in any place to tell her about that sort of stuff and he moved to gently ruffle the top of her head with the pads of his desert toughened paws.

"Thankfully not, if that were the case there'd be a lot more cubs around." Not that that was a bad thing, but the idea of cubs springing up just from conversations? Yikes. That was an idea only set for gods and goddesses. "Besides it's only adult females I have problems with talking with about....that sort of thing, you're a cub yourself and cubs can't have cubs." He offered with a small smile. "Only grownups can have cubs."

Though he was barely sure if he classed as a grownup.
"Besides I don't think many females are interested in cubsitters, they want soldiers and hunters and such."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Shi let out a little sigh of relief as Damu set her mind at ease, and then reach up to grab his paw with her own as he ruffled her fur. She grinned up at him from under his huge paw, tail flicking back and forth once again. "But if they had a cub sitter for a mate they wouldn't have to stay home in the den to take care of them. They could go out and keep hunting and fighting and things!"

She gave a tiny roar and pounced on Damu's mane, chewing the bottom of it happily. "Like that! See? Or maybe another cub sitter..." She sat back at that, ears flicking slightly as she glanced around. They were very much alone now, though, so there was no one to offer to him for consideration.

"Well...you'll find someone," she said as she stood up. "You're too nice not to find someone! Lots of adults here are mean...I don't want to be mean when I grow up," she added, wilting just a bit. "Mom and dad aren't mean. But they're tough! I wanna be tough but nice."

Lightning Shadow X

 

[Lightning Shadow X]

Allowing the cub to play with him like he was some large toy or prey beast they were testing their claws on, he just continued to smile peacefully as he watched the youngster enjoy herself. Happy that the topic was somewhat avoided of...those bits even if they were still onto the bulk problem. Chuckling as his mane was pounced and he raised his paw to thoughtfully rub at his chin with soft pads.

"I'll think about it, I'm not that old just yet to get too stale for females not to notice...hopefully." Not that he would've known how to react to any female that would give him that sort of attention. However as Shi spoke about becoming 'mean', the sight of her wilting silently infront of him made his brow pinch together in concern.
Leaning down, he dragged his tongue over the top of her head in a small, reassuring lap.

"Hey now, I don't think you'll turn out mean." He offered that same big, goofy smile. "Most of the adults here aren't mean either, they seem that way but living out in the desert is really hard so....it makes them cranky every now and then, sometimes more often than never."

He lifted his head back up with a small smile. "But I think you'll be a lot less crankier."

SilverLutz