She had risen early - with the intention of pacing a 'safe' zone for the two children who had found their feet. Jewel paused outside the den and stretched, grunting as she felt her hips popping. She was no spring check any longer, and sleeping for hours tended to build up some stiffness in her joints. Giving herself a good shake, the ebony woman started to walk the boundaries of the Mire, gathering a few items she thought the cubs might enjoy playing with - something to keep them occupied and out of trouble. The half skull of some sort of reptile washed up along the swampy fringes, vines tugged firmly from the trees overhead, draped over her hide to carry easier. She discovered some sort of a dried out fruit in a hard husk - that rattled when it was batted around. She assumed it was the seeds - but it would make a good enough toy. With these items, she returned to the den to place them outside for the children to easily access. And then she settled in the clearing she had fashioned beyond the mouth of her den - for better watching. Still - even though lions lived in this swamp, they were not the only predators, and the large reptiles that inhabited the waterways were always looking for an opportunistic snack. A threat she had every intention of drilling into the skulls of the two young felines. But - for now they were resting so she sprawled out in a small beam of sunlight, cushioned by soft moss and let her dark hide soak up the heat. "speech"

art by irish; stock by Svenimal

Bijoux was out and doing "Queenly" things. Which meant she was walking around her home and bestowing praise upon the frogs that splashed about for her supposed entertainment. It caused her to giggle when they would leap from a tree and into the water. She didn't mind as the muddy water rained down on her. In fact she kept an imperfect covering of mud on herself to try and cover up all her "cursed" parts. Though still a hint of white peeked out upon her muzzle as she had yet to perfect the art of camouflage.

The sound of other movement within the Mire ended up drawing the girl's attention. She left behind the serenade of the frogs in order to go and explore to see whom else was out and about in her home. She ended up finding a dark lioness whom was sunbathing. Whom this was the girl had no idea.

"Is no sleep time yet. Is wake time." Bedtimes were boring. She didn't like bedtimes. They were almost as bad as bathtimes.

@Jewel

The lioness blinked her eyes open as a young voice broke into her thoughts. She smiled, looking towards @Bijoux with an amused expression. "Oh..but I am very old, you see.. and my eye gets tired from doing the work of two.. so I have to rest it quite often." Jewel chuckled, letting her gaze wander the girl before she shifted, tails tucking around her paws to get her feet under her so she could better pay attention to the child. Jewel knew that it was the children that would be their future - and to ensure they did well, the adults needed to give them time and attention. Something she struggled with oftentimes - but for now, she had a lull of quiet and peace. "What's your name, sweetheart?" The girl smelled of the Mire - and faintly of Maia and Jafar, so she could assume it was a cub belonging to one of them. "speech"

art by irish; stock by Svenimal

"Why no use both eye?" The question was already out before the girl had noticed the empty socket staring back at her. "Oh... Where you eye go?" The cub was quick to search the ground for the missing eye. "It run way?" She asked but didn't wait for an answer before she was yelling at the top of her lungs. "Come back eye! Needs you!" This prompted and even more fervent search for the missing orb.

Bijoux dug at the ground and tore up the earth with her claws as if the optic might have decided to bury itself or some other such silly notion. And then a thought struck her. "My eye gon run way?" Horror was apparent on the girl's face at the thought. "No run way eye!" The girl wailed and lifted a dirty paw up to her face in an attempt to hold the body part within her face in case it might suddenly fall out.

@Jewel

@Bijoux was absolutely adorable, and Jewel chuckled, shaking her head as the girl ran around looking for her eye. Of course - when she started to panic that her own eyeball would run away, it was everything the ebon woman had in her to keep from giggling. "No, sweetling.. your eye won't get up and run away on its own." Jewel shifted, adjusting position to be more comfortable so she could better see the girl. "I was attacked by a lion some time ago - and in the fight, lost my eye. You dearest princess - won't have to worry about that." She reached out with a paw to try to gently boop the girl on the nose. "You have two doting parents to protect you from evil lions... don't you?" She assumed - based on the mixed scents on her pelt that the cub belonged to Maia or Jafar.. or both. "speech"

art by irish; stock by Svenimal

Normally there would have been a tongue lashing for not using her name but the girl was distracted by the prospect that she might no longer have an eye in the near future. She had no idea that body parts could be lost. She had never seen anyone with missing parts before. So of course it was more important to keep her eye in place than to make a fuss about the other lioness not remembering her name.

"Lion gon come get me? Make me lose eye too?" It was a relief, at least, to learn that her eye wasn't about to randomly fall out and run away. The news had her slowly dropping her paw away from her eye. "I Queen no Princess." She still had yet to learn exactly what a Princess was but she knew what a Queen was an so she continued to demand use of the title simply because it was the one that she recognized.

"I gots a Mama and a Papa and a New Mama and a Maia Mama and a Jafar Papa." The girl listed off all of the figure to have ever been in her life at one point or another. Only two were around currently but to her that didn't diminish the three that came before them. "Can you gets new eye?"

@Jewel

The young female was precious and Jewel smiled, her lips twisting into a bemused expression as she listened to @Bijoux when she spoke of getting a new eye. "No.. I wouldn't be able to heal that injury." Perhaps Maua could, but she wouldn't ask such a thing. The dark pelted female shifted, getting more comfortable before she tilted her skull to the girl. "A queen? Well, I didn't know I was in the presence of royalty." Certainly - with her parents who they were, it wasn't a leap to assume the girl was a royal - so the comment wasn't terribly out of the realm of possibility.. Still, Jewel chose to humor the girl - build up her confidence so she had all that much more when she took her first step into the tumultuous life of an adult. "speech"

art by irish; stock by Svenimal

"But you could stick new eye in and have two eye." At least to Bijoux it really was as simple as that. If an eye falls out then you just replace it with a new eye. And in her childish knowledge she believed that the new eye would work just like a regular eye would. That Jewel would be able to see again if only she had a second eye.

Bijoux beamed as she was recognized as a Queen. "I good Queen. I tell frogs sing pretty song." Because to her being a good Queen was all about saying nice things to others. Of course she didn't have any inkling about real responsibility.

@Jewel

@Bijoux really was quite the adorable child and Jewel found herself smiling at her. "Oh, did you? That's quite the responsible thing to do as a queen..One must always make sure their citizens are well cared for." Jewel grinned, hoping that Jafar and Maia wouldn't take offense to her next action with their daughter. Rising to her feet, the dark woman grunted and stretched before she looked at the uniquely colored girl. "Your highness.. perhaps you would do me the honor of coming with me for a walk? We can visit your other citizens and make sure that they know your face."

Of course - she needed to pace the borders, and to do so with Bijoux would give the girl confidence as well as some experience when she got old enough to do this for herself. The dark queen would wait, watching the young royal and wait to see what her answer would be.

---

"Speech"

Code by corvus. Manip by scarf

The child puffed up even more when her benevolence was recognized. She was being allowed her childish expectations of what it took to be a Queen. And even, being allowed to be known as Queen rather than Princess. So yes, the girl enjoyed being indulged and not being forced to face reality just yet. She still had a few months left for her flights of fancy.

"I gots fish friend! He helps me cover curse spots! We go see fish friend!?" Bijoux was wracking her brain to try and figure out what other animals she knew within the confines of the Mire. The mudskipper was the first thing that came to mind to go and thank.

@Jewel