CASSIOPIA

Starlight starbright the firstest star I sees tonight. Wish I may wish I might haves the wish I wishes tonight. For my bestest wish is to see and learn and do it all...

She sat, "silent and still"...what she WAAASSSSS... as the calm before the storm. The sun hadn't quite peeked over the horizon yet. But still she was awake. Teal gaze was staring overhead as her neck craned back as far as it would go, mouth agape as she stared at the stars overhead. Stars that slowly disappeared as the sun rose and shot colors across the sky.

By the time they were gone, she was ready for the day and spun around to hop through the flowers. She hadn't gone far from where @Caligula had been..but as she danced back she picked up some of the seasons last colorful flowers and with them clenched "gently" in her teeth...read absolutely crushed.... she paraded back to her father. "DAAAAA! GOFFYEWFING!" came the excited squeal..

Code by Corvus Chibi by Bluey

The girl was already growing like a weed and had already shown a healthy appetite for learning and adventure. It made it obvious that she was his child. He heard the girl up during the early hours but he did nothing to stop her curiosity. Instead he laid still in the grass with is eyes close and a smile on his lips. His ears twitched as he listened to the cub. There was no one else about and so he wasn't worried about trouble. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so lax in attentiveness given that they lived out in the neutral territories and not within a pride but Cali had never proven himself to be a helicopter parent. He loved his children and would do what he could for them but he also encouraged them to explore and learn as well.

An eye cracked open at his daughter's excited voice upon her approach. "What is that Cassi?" He asked and waited for the child to get closer to him. When she got close enough he would try to snake out a paw to ensnare the dark cub and draw her closer to him so that he could attempt to nuzzle her. The bronze male had always proven himself to be a physically affectionate parent.

@Cassiopia

CASSIOPIA

Starlight starbright the firstest star I sees tonight. Wish I may wish I might haves the wish I wishes tonight. For my bestest wish is to see and learn and do it all...

She would grin widely as @Caligula schooped her close, and the girl rumbled a muffled purr around her totally not at all crushed flowers. "Iffwoers!" She would attempt to put the mouthful of plants down and stare at them with no small amount of pride. "P'eeyy fwowers for Da!" Of course, she didn't realize that she had completely mushed them beyond recognition, but it was the thought that counted, right?

The dark girl beamed up at her father before she would attempt to rub herself against his much larger form, taking comfort from the warmth and familiar scent of him. "Wut Do?" She was always interested in what her father and sister were doing.. The fear of missing out on ANYTHING was real after all..

Code by Corvus Chibi by Bluey

To watch Caligula interact with his own children it would have never been guessed that he hadn't received the same when he was growing up. But that was probably exactly why he was so affectionate with his own brood was because he had lacked that growing up. He would make certain that his family always knew that he loved and cherished them.

"They are beautiful." He said when the flowers were dropped down fro inspection. So what if they didn't look much like flowers anymore? It was the thought that counted. "But you are still even more beautiful." The bronze male sought to gently nudge the cub's chin with the compliment. But of course he was entirely biased on that account.

He aimed a lick at the girl as she rubbed up against him. "What do you want to do?" The maneless lion had no real plans for the day. Of course it would include getting food at some point but mostly the day was open to whatever adventure his daughter desired.

@Cassiopia

CASSIOPIA

Starlight starbright the firstest star I sees tonight. Wish I may wish I might haves the wish I wishes tonight. For my bestest wish is to see and learn and do it all...

@Caligula tugged her for a hug and she giggled, pressing herself into his plush fur with a trilling purr. When he asked what she was wanting to do, the girl hummed, tongue trapped lightly between her teeth as she thought it over. "Where dey go?". She tilted her head upwards to stare at the lightening sky and flapped a paw wildly at the colors.

She wasn't convinced that the stars went to bed.. if you go to bed, you could still be pounced upon. The stars just VANISHED! Cassi returned her gaze to her father and waited eagerly for his answer as to where the stars had run away to..

Code by Corvus Chibi by Bluey

"Hm?" He hummed out the questioning tone before following the girl's gaze up to the sky. The stars had gone and the colors of the coming day shined brightly overhead instead. "They had to go help Papa." Caligula believed in the truth and so this was a dulled down, child version of the truth. He knew the stars never truly disappeared. They were always there, it was just someone else's chance to see them.

"You know how we use them to find our way back here? They had to go help Papa find his way." At least Caligula liked to believe that Aquila still watched the stars and thought of him. And of course he would have told the girl all about her missing parent and how he was out and trying to find the rest of her family to bring home to meet her.

@Cassiopia

CASSIOPIA

Starlight starbright the firstest star I sees tonight. Wish I may wish I might haves the wish I wishes tonight. For my bestest wish is to see and learn and do it all...

"I miss papa...". Her words were muttered. Cassi had been told of the absent father from who's spirit she had been born..a gift by Maua. She'd never met Aquila, but she felt like she knew him. The girl looked up at the sky above and her little mind was working overtime before she got up from where she cuddled against @Caligula's chest. The stars had gone to help him come home.. but they weren't fast enough!

For a breath she just....stared before her little body couldn't handle the stillness anymore and she bounced in place with the force of her call. "PAAAAAAAPPPPAAAAAA!!! TIME COME HOOOOOMMMEEEE!!!!" Of course, she waited after her shout faded, staring expectantly at the sky as if he would materialize before her.

When there was no papa forthcoming, she huffed and made to go flop back into her other papas arms with a grumble. "Is too leedle. Can't hear mes yet.". That's okay! She'd get bigger and use her BIG G0RL VOICE. Then if COURSE papa would hear her and come home!.

Code by Corvus Chibi by Bluey

"I miss Papa too. And I know he loves and misses you too. He would be here if he could." He made certain that the girl would always know that she was on Aquila's mind even if the male wasn't here to say so himself. He knew his mate well enough to know that he would also cherish this little blessing. Aquila had always been a loving and supportive father with all his other children so no doubt that would pass on to Cassiopia as well. In fact it was that dutiful nature which led him not to be here at the moment. He had gone to find their missing family to check on them. The loss of Cordi, or so Caligula liked to think, had prompted this sudden urge.

He chuckled as his dark daughter yelled out for Aquila to come home already. If only that would work then he would join her and yell his own voice raw as well. There was an Aquila sized hole in his heart.

When the momentarily defeated girl came back to join him did he seek to tug her close and hold her against him. "Remember, Papa is on an important mission. He can't come back until he is done. But I know he wants to hurry back and come home to be with you." He wanted to make certain the child knew it had nothing to do with her as to why Aquila wasn't here. He would take the blame for that. He had mentioned his worries one too many times and must have forced Aquila into thinking he needed to take action on them.

@Cassiopia

CASSIOPIA

Starlight starbright the firstest star I sees tonight. Wish I may wish I might haves the wish I wishes tonight. For my bestest wish is to see and learn and do it all...

She was happy to snuggle into @Caligula's hold, purring happily and kneading the nearest piece of golden fur with tiny needle toes. For a while she was blissfully quiet as the girl focused on her snuggle time. It was easily one of the favorite things she did and she cherished them. As he spoke about papa going out, her head popped up as if struck by a thought.

"We go!". Eyes alight with excitement as she wiggled, smile spreading across her face. "We gets papa!" Of course she simply assumed he was out somewhere in Amaryllis and was a couple days walk away to find him. "And deeeennnn....". She looked around before sprinting off. Read.. toddling as fast as her tiny legs could go and occasionally wobbling.. to go collect a branch she had found and dragging it back

Once the branch had been returned from the VERY LONG WAY AWAY (all of 5 whole feet) she had to pull it from her mouth with her paws as it was quite sticky. "We stikkim!". It makes perfect sense. Go find papa.. glue him to the branch so he couldn't run away! And THEEEENNN.. corporal snuggles court mandated!.

Code by Corvus Chibi by Bluey

His heart practically shattered as Cassi suggested that they just go out and get Aquila. He adored her enthusiasm but it hurt knowing that it would not come to fruition. How was he to explain that he had no idea where Aquila even was at? He didn't know where or how to end up finding him.

"Oh sweet thing." Caligula hummed out after the child had finished laying out her plan, stick and all. "I wish it was that easy. Papa has gone somewhere else, to the lands beyond. There might be a new home out there where all your brothers and sisters are and Papa has to find it." It was a nice dream but who knew if it would ever be made reality? Still, he could not let his doubts linger and be transferred upon his child.

"What do you think about that? What if when Papa gets back we all go to a new home to live? Dio has to come too, of course." There is no way he would leave his elder daughter behind when she chose to return and stick by his side when she easily could have taken back up residence at the Summit once again instead.

@Cassiopia