A smile finds her lips as she's given permission for naming the girls, her eyes parking up as she hums slightly, her again scouring for ideas, "Well... Hmm., " She flicked her tail idly, trying out.many different.names in her head, both girls were chartreuse, twins even, this made her hart ache, and she had to blink awa tears as she thought of her dear sister Lilliana.

Though her attention went to Ruin and she smiled at the girl, "Thank you.. " Levana reached her nose lit and gently pressed it to her friends cheek, before backing up and nuzzling one of girls, the lightest on, "I think this one will be Abbadōn.." She looks to Ryker for approval, then she gently nudges the second girl, "Iskra." Two wildly different names, but not were beautiful to the new mother.

Ruin was not oblivious to the cautious manner in which Ryker held her in his gaze. She also did not blame the brute. There were plenty that would rip apart a new litter for various reasons. Even her own kin was not above culling out those that did not belong.

She'd attempted a smile at the brute as she had entered. She wanted to ease his mind, though she wasn't sure if that was a possibility given the moment and situation. Regardless she'd accept the affection shown by Levana, even if physical touch was not something that Ruin often allowed. She felt something different about Levana, after all.

Names continued to be given to the wiggly bodies and Ruin watched the tender encounter between them all. "I'll go fetch what I can identify." She silently wished she had taken lessons more seriously from her kin when they tried to show her. But she could do enough. She'd hesitate only a moment before she'd reach out to try and brush her cheek against Levana's before she'd slide back out of the den.

-exit-

CODE • BG

He watched the interaction between his queen and the other lioness - seemed @Levana had been making friends, at least, which was good. He could only barely relate to being cut off from one's family; he'd left his willingly, and knew he would always be welcome back. But he understood missing them, though he may never go so far as to admit anything like loneliness or homesickness.

The way @Ruin was received, though, and her own greeting to his queen, put him more at ease. He settled back down, resting his chin on Levana once more as she offered up names for the girls. One seemed like something closer to what was found in his own family, which was interesting. The other was more foreign to him, but still acceptable. He hummed an agreement, and nodded a thanks at Ruin as she took her leave, "Both are fine. Why don't you eat, and rest, I can watch them for a bit." She had to be exhausted.

Levana smiled as her affection was well received by Ruin, she missed her sister, her cousins, her family so much that there were nights she would have to stop herself from day dreaming of her children meeting their grandfather, or their aunt. Or just wishing they'd see her by chance and beg her to come home, but she knew her family, and she knew we was dead to them.

Not realizing she'd went off on a tangent in her own mind, she lightly shook her head and her eyes flitted back to Ruin as she agreed to find her some medicine, closing her eyes as she felt Ruin brush her cheek, "Thak you." She said softly, humming quietly, her attention is brought to Ryker, giving an agreeing nod to his suggestion, bringing the rabbit closer and beginning to eat.

Silence would fall, broken only by the small sounds of the cubs, and @Levana eating. Ryker's attention remained largely on the four wriggling newborns, picking out things they'd inherited. Marking-wise, there was no denying who they came from, each bearing a large portion of his own. The mottling from their mother, of course. And two displayed the leucistic patches from the same source. The lilac boy was the real puzzle, but Ryker could only assume the color had come from Levana's side of things. Black ran heavy in his own family, so that was no surprise (though it might be more curious once they figured out it was melanism).

After a while, he'd hum softly, thoughtful, considering. She'd stated the obvious earlier, as far as surnames went, but the cubs weren't the only ones who could have it, he supposed. Hm. Would technically mean his family would consider them married, but...well, it wasn't as if he was planning to run her off, anyway. "Y'know," he started, slow, "you could take the Dantanian name, too...if you wanted."

She finished the meal, leaving some for Ryker out of respect, she gently slid the meal to the side and began to groom herself, content to listen the sounds of the children slumbering at her side. She would find herself watching them, eyes softened with a mothers gaze, her thoughts leading off to wonder about her own mother, she didn't remember much about the woman who birthed her though. Levana could only look at her children and feel immense love, she knew she would protect them at any cost, she could never have stood where Valens stood and let what happened to her, happen to them. How could her father, who supposedly loved her, not fight for her?

The thought brought tears to her eyes and she quickly looked away from her children and their father, her throat tightening as she slowly but shakily inhaled, trying to play it off.

Ryker speaks up and she feels a small smile tug at the corners of her lips while she blinks away tears, "Hmm?" She acts as if she was just day dreaming, her attention pulled back to him.

Thing was, with his chin resting on her as it was, it was easy to track changes in her breathing. He wasn't a mind reader, but he figured he could make a pretty good guess as to where her thoughts were most likely to wander at the moment. Probably cycling around family.

A brow raised as he shifted his head to look at her, a slight smirk trying to form. A look that clearly said 'I know you heard me', but if she wanted to make him repeat it, fine. "I said," a hum of amusement under the words, "you could take the Dantanian name, too. If you wanted." Or not, her choice. He wouldn't be offended if she refused.

@Levana

Of course, he would be able to feel the slightest change in her body language, hear the slight sniffles, or the sudden increase in her heart rate, but he's also able to bring her out of her dark thoughts, back into the moment. This, she is grateful for.

The new mother hears the sudden smirk in his voice and she gives a small laugh, he shifts his head to look at her, the amusement in his words bringing her eyes to his, "Levana Dantanian.." She speaks the full name, elegantly sounding it out as to not clumsily stumble due to her accent, "I quite like that."

It actually didn't sound bad. Some names just sounded awkward and he had occasionally wondered what a parent might have been thinking when they picked it, or how well the lion actually liked their spouse's name. And that thought reminded him he should probably make sure she knew what she was agreeing to. It was possible and acceptable for a pair to consider themselves married without one taking the family name (his mother was a fine example of that), but agreeing to taking it was something a little more obvious. "You do know," the amusement remained in his voice, "it means you'd be recognized as a wife in my family." And eventually he might have to figure out her opinions on potential (one-sided) polygamy, but that didn't seem half as uncommon in Amaryllis as it had been where he was from.

@Levana

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Take my hand through the flames, I torture you, I'm a slave to your games, I'm just a sucker for pain

` The former Savante girl let the name sit for a second, her tail flicking happily even if she herself did not appear openly excited on the outside, the sovereign had not put two and two together yet, not even thinking about the meaning of taking his last name. That is until he speaks again, his voice holding onto hsi amusement, You do know.. Her forest green eyes find his, a look of suspicious interest reflecting in her gaze, waiting for his next words.

It means you'd be recognized as a wife in my family. She stares at him, sure, they ruled Firnen together, and they'd been "unofficially" together since they'd escaped the sand storm together, and of course, now had four little hellions together... But they had never spoke of marriage, at first she was stunned, eyeing him, waiting for a Gotcha! or a "But.."

When no such revealment wasn't made, she gives a soft, nervous smile, averting her eyes as she feels flutters attacking her stomach, a small, nervous chuckle escapes her throat at the same time as she let out a shaky breath, resorting to humor to calm her nerves. ``Ryker Dantanian... is that how you're proposing to me? ``








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code by witchking#0592
art by cyber_glitch99

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