[PRP] Hello, Grandma!

[mouselet]

Tarafa had been out later than she wanted, talking to one of the older (and sicker) pride members, trying to cheer him up before the end came. It was her duty, and she had been trying to conceal the fact that her heart wasn't in it that day. Finally the old lion had asked why she was humoring him when there was clearly somewhere else she wanted to be. The Bard had gracefully accepted the escape for what it was and left.

Now she was just about back to her den. It was quiet now, dark, and very late out. In fact, in not too much more time, the horizon would take on the grey light that preceeded dawn.

Padding quietly into her home, Tarafa stopped in surprise, seeing Nyesha curled up around three small cubs.  

[mouselet]

The older lioness smiled and came over to sit next to her daughter and grandchildren. "Children do as they will, and it's wonderful to come home and see them here," she told Nyesha. The Bard gazed at the sleeping cubs, etching the scene in her memory.

"I am proud of you, Nyesha. They're beautiful." She peered at the three, trying to determine genders. This would probably be easier once the sun rose and even simpler once their eyes opened and they became active. She'd know soon enough, one way or the other.  

[mouselet]

Tarafa smiled. "If any of them looks like me at all, it's mostly because you take after me," she replied. She supposed boy was as good a guess as any for now, but she'd make certain later.

"Have you decided on names for any of them yet?" the older lioness asked. She'd waited until she was certain of her children's genders to name them, but others chose to give names much sooner, and often used gender neutral ones as a result.  

[mouselet]

"A good name," she agreed. "Or at least, I'm assuming it's a name that will go with the cub's coloration, since I can't really make that out right now." Flower was a good choice, though Tarafa privately hoped the cub in question was female. Otherwise, the poor kid might have some fights about his name...

Well, if that was the case, then perhaps Mittere could be of help. It would certainly be one way to get her mate to connect with their grandchildren. This was a worthy mission in the older lioness' mind, as the pink lioness' few comments about Nyesha's pregnancy had been short, to the point, and profane.  

[mouselet]

Nyesha probably couldn't see it, but Tarafa's eyebrows had gone way up at the fact that her daughter had intentionally chosen a purple or pink male to father her children. There was something that was likely to further irritate Mittere. Though the Goddess knew the pink lioness was almost always irritated by something or other.

"It will certainly be interesting to see how your other mother reacts," the lioness replied dryly. This could, by her reasoning, either be very good or very bad. Bad in that now the pride would have a visual connection between Mittere and her not-blood-relations. Good in that perhaps Mittere would feel an emotional connection with her grandchildren. But only one lioness could answer that question, and she'd been avoiding the den as much as possible of late.  

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Tarafa nodded. "I wouldn't dream of it," she assured her youngest daughter. Mittere need never know that the girl had knowingly chosen a male with colors similar to her own.

She certainly didn't blame Nyesha for being worried about how the pink lioness would react. It was a fear Tarafa had as well.

"I do not believe she would be outwardly cruel to them," the older lioness answered carefully. "But we both know that she can be harsh even with those she loves." The Bard wanted to reassure her daughter and to know that her grandchildren were safe from her mate's wrath, but there was absolutely no guarantee, and she would not make false promises that could not be kept.  

[mouselet]

"Sweetheart, she's been avoiding the den ever since she found out you were pregnant. I don't think you have anything to fear here," Tarafa pointed out. Still, Nyesha looked nervous and perhaps it was justifiable. The older lioness sighed. "But, if it makes you feel better, I can work on keeping her away."

Sometimes she wished her whole family could get along. Then the Bard realized how stupid and pointless a wish that was as long as she loved Mittere.