Exploring the vicinity of the den had gotten a bit tiresome to the point that she had snuck her little growing body away as soon as everyone was distracted or sleeping. Diving quickly into the outside area like it was a giant pool of water and taking in every tiny bit of light, air and smell that came her way. Experiencing everything tenfold and delighting in every bit of it; that was, until she on purpose flopped onto a patch of very green grass and rolled.

Daneri rolled for what felt like eons. Rolling back and forth, back to back until she literally could not roll anymore and was stopped by a patch that wasn't grass. Flipping to her stomach she investigated what it was that had stopped her and she found what looked to be some scavenged bones. Lips pursed into an ooh as she sniffed it and as she did so her mouth opened and she began to nibble on the very tip of it and it was glorious.

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There was something so wholesome and innocent about the scene. Nazonal saw one of the twins out in the grass and they stopped just to be watchful eyes on her. Ready if anything went sideways but saw no reason to stop her and rain on her parade. Naz needed a bit of extra time to make sure she knew which one this was anyways... Maybe Asteria had a trick to tell them apart?

Long gone were the days that Nazonal could find enjoyment just from rolling in the grass or discovering a bone. Time didn't allow for such easy delights for long and for that reason Nazonal was a little envious of the young girl. Gently she rumbled out a few resounding chuffs in @Daneri's direction and poked her head towards the little thing with a big smile.

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The young girl was happy to be alone and free. Well, as free as one could be when she had a twin-shadow that usually followed her everywhere and a brother that was intent on making sure his sisters learned their place. Not that he was far from engaging in their antics either but he certainly got the brunt of it. Not that Della or herself were going to let him take the easy road. Not at all -- so she was absolutely content to find solace in what time she could find solo.

There was something on it. A very distinctive taste that she couldn't begin to describe. Not that she had a whole lot of words in her vocabulary to even begin, either, but the thought was there. Brimming and turning, just fascinating with what it tasted like. To @Nazonal, their watchful eyes, it would sound a lot like a bunch of slobbering and clicks against the bone as well as loud mmm noises as she kept going back at the bone. Using her teeth to try as hard as she could to snap it off and go elsewhere to chew it but it really did not wish to budge.

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She thought she recognized the pressure and subtle movements. Natural movements predators underwent to remove part from the whole, to get their share away from a chaotic kill and off to be eaten. Nazonal stepped in a bit closer and looked down- nares gently flaring as she sniffed at the air. Bone is pretty hard. They muse aloud and a little quietly. Naz's nose lowered in @Daneri's direction and inhaled once more. The areas they connect to each other- She twisted her tail around to point at some of the scavenged bones that were still joined by drying connective tissues, some bits of flesh. -are easier to tear from.

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>> could'a swore i replied to this, i apologize! :c

The sudden company of @Nazonal frightened her a good bit as her body vibrated for a hot second before it landed upon the familiar face. Hair going back to resume its natural shape upon her skin as she listened to what the lion was trying to say. Oh. She murmured wistfully, taking a few seconds to understand what exactly they were trying to say before eventually it clicked within her own head. Oh! she said a bit louder as she moved her teeth to try and snap it where Nazonal had said to. Feeling it begin to break away beneath her teeth a little easier now. As she put a paw on the part she had just been gnawing and used some weight to push, the sounds of the bone breaking were beginning to become more consistent until SNAP!

Instinctively she made to stand up to run away since that had been her plan but as she stood and pivoted slightly, her gaze met the lion's. A swallow and she set the bone down, knowing that she couldn't just leave. Thank you, she offers because that was what was nice and considerate after someone had extending help to you. Especially when it got you exactly what you wanted and had been trying to get for a while.

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That snap was simultaneously like music and an alarm. It was a sound that, in all her times having hunted and gathered her own food that Naz had heard before. It was the symphony of tearing free your piece and portion. It meant a meal.

And it immediately brought back a flashing memory of her jaw being snapped, the pain that radiated through their entire skull like fire. That deafening crack. It froze Naz for a second, their body rolling with a few quick breaths until that flash faded away and she could clearly see, and hear, @Daneri again. Anytime kid. That's the spot where things bend. She lifted a limb and bent their wrist to demonstrate. Won't be long though and you'll be biting through that bone easy.

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Being so young, she hadn't a single idea that something had triggered @Nazonal when she had crunched the bone. Her eyes didn't trail to her watchful guardian as they went silent because sometimes that was what adults did. They just went mute for a while until something was expected of them so Daneri thought it was just normal behavior. So when her temporary babysitter spoke up and bent their limb at the paw, she picked her own up to do the same. ohhhhh! she gasped in awe as she continued doing it for a bit longer than normal as though fascinated that whatever she had just broken was also inside of her. Just as she was excited that eventually she would be able to chomp through bone and not just the easy part of it. 'ow many bones you gots? she asks, assuming that they must have tons if they were this knowledgeable!

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Watching as the little child lifted her own paw and began to mirror her movements eased Nazonal somewhat. It was but a small reminder that they were safe, that the danger was beyond their small world for now. And right now the biggest concern was having a good day with Asteria's daughter.

How many inside me like these? She lifted a paw to tickle @Daneri's side lightly over her ribs. Or do you mean trinkets in my den? She leaned her head down and they spoke up again quieter, a whisper that was only meant for Daneri. Super secret. Cause I have a lot of both.

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The girl nodded her head vibrantly and without restraint, as though she had no bones in her neck and it simply wobbled up and down. That was until there was a jab at her side and she flinched sideways with an outrageous little giggle. Much to her dismay, it was quite girlish and not at all pleasing to her own ears so she tried to stifle that ticklish glee with fervor. Both! Definitely both! She wanted to know and see it all. Anything that @Nazonal could share with her, she would accept because they obvious had the good stuff because they were smart and knew all things awesome.

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Both? She exclaims back, but mercifully holdsback any future attempt to tickle @Daneri. Well. One of these things was much easier to figure out than the other. One set of bones Nazonal could see and had taken the time to gather them day after day. The others? The ones inside of her? Really only became relevant when things broke and needed healing. Well- in my den I've got a bunch of big leg bones that feel really nice to chew on with big rounded ends to them. And I've got two skulls, one doesn't have its bottom jaw though. She hung her mouth open to emphasize the part she was talking about.

And inside? I think I have about a hundred bones. That sounded like a good enough estimate based on the insides of prey animals Nazonal had seen and their own understanding of their body. She gnashed her underbitten lower jaw a bit in further concentration, becoming accutely aware of their own body moment by moment.

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