[PRP] Child's Play [Moja and Ursa]

[Puhterodactyl]

Moja sat attentively in the sand as it warmed in the early sun light, having just made her first passing through the dens for stray cubs that needed sitting. But as she had, most had not begun to stir, even with some mothers lingering beside them. Her own daughter was close at hand, probably settling down in a bed of warm sand to resume her sleep, but at least she was close enough for surveillance. Her mother smiled, and hesitated before lying down, but in a different fashion that suggested a stronger inclination towards action than rest.

The fiery-colored cubsitter passively wondered just who would fall into her care for today, and already began to fashion activities in her mind to keep them occupied.  

[Tahja Estes]

It was very unlike Ursa to run off on her own, but since the death of her brother Ozai she had been acting more and more out of sorts. It still hurt her deeply to think of him as gone, not ever to come back home again. His spot in the den was always cold now and even if he had been needlessly territorial of her time she still loved him as any sister would. The fact that everyone was seemingly just getting on with their lives while she couldn't just fueled her on.

That morning she had simply left Noo, the storyteller looking after them, and her siblings while his attention was averted by Lu-ten. She only let her wandering paws come to a stop when she reached a secluded enough area by the dens for her to curl up and settle, soaking up the sun but burying her face in her paws. She didn't want to see anyone, and hoped that with some luck anyone passing by would simply mistake her for a rock in the shadows.

A.... sniffling rock in the shadows...  

[Puhterodactyl]

A cub's sniffles did not fall on deaf ears, and Moja stood to investigate its origin. Its was just far enough for her to not see the cub, and the open pockets in the rock sent echos that confused the sitter's ears, but she pressed on, knowing that this was a pressing matter indeed. She passed by the small black cub at least once before taking notice of the constant breathing, and after her realization, Moja carefully approached the huddled black mass.

The lioness lowered her head and watched the cub with her acid-green eyes, and when she finally came upon her, Moja raised a paw to gently pat the cub on her back in a soothing manner she used on her daughter as well.

"Husshhh." Moja whispered and cooed as she patted the cub before asking, "What's wrong, dear?" She tilted her head sympathetically, and softly nudged the little cub to stand so she could better speak to and look at her.  

[Tahja Estes]

Ursa would only tighten in her curled up position at first, as if cringing away from the touch, initially, but as Moja's reassurance persisted Ursa's tears flowed more freely, as though given permission not to hold back anymore. Slowly she uncurled, and stood clumsily at Moja's nudging, eyes still quite wet looking up at the sitter. It wasn't acceptable to be so emotional, or so she thought by the way her father and stepmother carried themselves, but she'd come to her breaking point and didn't know how else she was supposed to let it out.

She looked up at Moja for a moment unable to speak, but then moved to bury her face against Moja's nearest leg, tears now staining Moja's fur.

"I miss my brother..." She whispered, too caught up to care if anyone else saw right then.  

[Puhterodactyl]

Moja stroked the little cub like her own daughter, nodding as she listened. She didn't understand what she meant by missing her brother, it was before her time in the pride. Naively, she asked her, "Where's he gone, little one?" She shifted a little, lying down next to the cub, as she suspected they'd be together for some time. "Tell me, honey, what's your name?" There was other motivation to asking for her name. With any luck it would help to calm her enough that she wouldn't drown in her own tears.

This was her job and her duty as a cubsitter, though it was new, Moja just hoped she could handle it well enough.  

[Tahja Estes]

When Moja shifted so did Ursa. With Moja's leg now no longer a comfortable hiding place she moved to curl up against the cubsitter's chest, hiccuping lightly as she buried her face once again.

"Ursa..." She replied quietly, voice sounding watery, but at least she wasn't sobbing anymore, and she spoke with a little more volume this time. "He's dead... vultures took him away." She whimpered and shut her eyes tighter. "And everyone else acts like they already forgot about him!"

Well, except for Iroh, and Yin-li, who both acknowledged Ursa's feelings. Kadogo, for as much as he loved his children, had never coped well with such things. It wasn't for lack of effort, but for lack of time. Ursa needed to put it behind her eventually, because the single father just couldn't be with her all the time and life had to move on, duties had to be performed. In time help would come, Ilahle had already begun making amends with Kadogo, but... in the meantime, Ursa was still lost.  

[Puhterodactyl]

Moja's body was a cradle for the cub, nodding as she spoke. "Ursa... that's a nice name." She spoke quietly to herself as she continued listening. Her face fell and her mood sobered. She didn't know how to respond to the crying child about the loss of her brother. She thought it prudent not to ask what had happened to him, and instead only found she could make a sympathetic noise. An "Mmmm", drawn out and soft.

"Ursa, I'm sure that's not all. They probably loved him just as much as you did. I'm sure of it." She patted the cub's head gently as it rested under her chin. "Different people deal with things differently." She tilted her head and watched the shaking black body under her chin, her brow furrowed and acid green eyes filled with worry.