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nessiaing:
Lo'ri couldn't help but smile. At first he didn't want to wake but he would do anything for his momma. It made him feel special that this morning he had choosen him to come and spend special time with her before anyone else was awake. In fact most of the pride was still asleep, it felt like they were the only ones around.
"I assume that you just want us to know that you love us." he said. He had never given much thought to why his mom would pull them aside and spend time with her. It was just always the way things were. he didn't complain about it either, he loved his time with her. He was a hard core momma's boy
Moose: "Well, you're not wrong." She chuckled. Tsubaki took him past their neighbor's dens, carefully trotting so as not to wake the sleeping families. Once she had reached a more open area, the lanky lioness raised her voice to a normal tone."Do you remember how your father and Nadeshiko talked about living in other prides before we came here?" She waited for the rhetorical question to sink in before continuing. Tsubaki made sure to keep her gaze pointed to the lighting sky as if she were merely watching the dawn instead of being swamped in memories. "I was from a pride as well. You have Aunts there, a Grandmother...I train you so you won't have to live like I did. I want you to be able to make strong, confident decisions without being afraid. Do you understand, Lo'ri?"
nessiaing:
Lo'ri listened to his mother. He could feel that there was something more to this than what she was saying. He felt his tummy do a little flip but he tried to tell himself that it was nothing he was simply a little hungry was all.
"What do you mean momma?" he asked. Clearly he didn't understand what she was saying. His mother was the most stunning woman he had ever seen and he could hardly imagine her being anything other than the strong female he had always seen her as.
Moose: The lithe lioness came to a stop near the watering hole, and slowly sat down. "Lo'ri...your momma was raised in a pride that didn't allow males. We were Amazons; females that didn't want to live under domineering males. The pride was hit with so much strife...Before I was born our Queen was assassinated and our pride was overrun with evil male lions. It didn't...exactly paint a good picture for the younger generation, even when they were run off." When she thought of her sons, of Hilal, Tsubaki had to try hard not to see the creatures she had been raised to fear. She wanted to love them unconditionally, but there was always a bit of reservation about her. As if she were expecting an axe to fall on her neck at any moment.
"My mother's own sister was killed by one. She's a bitter lioness, but strong; very strong. She guarded the Queen and her Consort. When she had me and my sister I think she thought we would be like her. Instead, my sister became a healer and I..." Tsubaki stalled and took a deep breath. "The Queen and her Consort both had litters when I was still so young. The boys...the boys were exiled, as it was custom, and the Princesses became close friends. One was named Kyria, and she's the reason I can never return."
nessiaing:
Lo'ri followed his mom's story. It was intense to hear. He had known that all his parents had come from other prides, but he also knew that they were happy here in the pride. They had an amazing family unit, even with grumpy aunt Nadeshiko.
"If you were friends, why wouldn't you be able to go back because of here?" Lo'ri asked, he had understood everything but that. He kept his voice quiet and reserved, this was the most serious conversation the young teen had ever had. He tried to summon every ounce of strength to appear mature and grown up. He loved that his mother was confiding in him. He was knew that the information she was telling him was of the up most importance, it was what made her her.
Moose: "Because we weren't friends, Lo'ri." Tsubaki stated simply. It had taken a long time for her to finally admit it, but there wasn't anything to fear anymore. "Princess Kyria wanted to claim me as her own when we were old enough and our mothers were thrilled. She was pushy, bratty, loud, rude...like Nadeshiko, but worse." Nade had moments of tender sweetness and she was surprisingly perceptive to moods. Kyria had been a pure tyrant. "I was in love with another, but I couldn't talk to her because it upset Kyria. My mother wouldn't hear any denials; I had to become her mate."
This was the part in which Tsubaki was the most ashamed. Her shoulders seemed to slump, as if a great weight was bearing down on them. "Kyria thought that if we had cubs I would be happier. It was customary for females to go into the rogue lands to...erm, bring back cubs when they were of age. So it wasn't odd when she decided to go and I had to go with her. She found two males; one that had coloring like mine and one that had coloring similar to hers. I'm sure you can guess the details." There were certain subjects she didn't want to get into with her son just yet.
"She was heavy with cub when we came back, and within a day she had two daughters and two sons. The same day her sons left, so did I." Tsubaki took a deep breath. "I had enough. There is only so long you can hang your head Lo'ri before you snap. I ran as far as I could before Hilal found me, but by then I had found out Kyria wasn't the only one who had been carrying cubs." She looked at her son then, gazing deep into his eyes. "I don't know what you think of me, or what I've done, but I didn't want to hide the truth from you."
nessiaing:
Lo'ri smiled a sad smile. He didn't like that his momma had a dark past. Not because it made him think less of her, but more because he just didn't want her to have any sadness in her life. He shook his head at the end of the story and shaking it even harder when she suggested that he make think less of her.
"Momma you did the best thing. You weren't happy and you deserve to be happy. You did what you had to do. Plus if you hadn't done that we wouldn't have been able to be together like this." he said. The terrifying truth sinking in, if his mother had decided to stay with this princess than he would never been able to live a life with her.
"You didn't know it at the time, but maybe subconsciously you did. Your body knew that you were pregnant and it told you brain that it was time for you to get away." he said with a nod conviced of his theory.
"Besides you found us the best family I now have two momma's and a daddy." he said. He leaned towards her a little, "But you will always be my favourite." he said his youth coming through again.
Moose: "You're right, we wouldn't." She reached out to pulled him close. "I would have had to let you and your brothers go. I would have missed out on so much." Now that she had them in her life, Tsubaki couldn't imagine a life without them. She may have been on edge around her boys, but they were HERS.
Smiling, Tsubaki gave into a little chuckle. "When did you become so smart, Lo'ri?" She nuzzled his growing mane. "I love you, baby, forever and always."
nessiaing:
"I've always been smart momma." he told her cuddling into her side. He watched as the sun finally broke away from the horizon rising high into the sky. "I love you to momma." he told her.
He stayed quiet for a few moments enjoying the quiet and the snuggles with his mom. These were the momments in life that he lived for. He was hoping they would never end. He was growing up but his mom was still so important to him.
"We should go back and wake everyone else up. Can't let those lazy bones sleep all day." he told her moving to walk back to the den. "Come on mom I will race you." he said as he took off running.
Moose: Tsubaki was content just to sit with her son for a while, but he had a very valid point. It was her job to wake the others up once the sun had risen, though it seemed as if this time Lo'ri might beat her to it. "You're on!" Taking off at a gallop, Tsubaki chased after him, but kept just behind the boy. She wasn't her mother; she wouldn't bust her hump trying to beat him just to show her son how inferior he was or some other bullshit lesson.
She would let him play, and grow into the male he wanted to be. If they raced and she won, she would just go again to see if he could win. There would be no gloating or hard choices for her cubs.
Only love and support.
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