It had been a little while since they had made that long journey to this new place, their new home. Perhaps it was only weeks since they'd arrived, but to a cub that was a long time. And it took about the same time for Jiera to feel comfortable where they were at. It was vastly different than the sandy lands she were used to thus far in her immature life, and the change from grainy ground to loamy soil was weird. It felt nice and soft under her paws, and the scents that wafted in the air were much richer and full of life.

Green eyes stared out from their den, sitting at the opening and peering out curiously. She felt a bit better today than usual, her coughing fits and runny nose not happening as frequently. That didn't mean they didn't happen because they surely did, but they seemed to be more tame ever since moving to the Rainforest. Maybe this was a good thing that they were here?

@Aarani

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Aarani found the rainforest to be comforting, in a way. She wasn't quite as exposed as the Oasis and appreciated the several thousand places she could store her cubs on the off chance something went sideways. Plus, she was slowly learning how to climb trees and that was delightful. She only hoped her children were settling in as well as they could all things considered, and as she retreated back to the den with an afternoon snack for the lot of them, she spotted @Jiera standing guard. The lioness chuffed softly to announce her presence and dropped the kill a few strides outside of the den because no crumbs in the bed!

"What are you doing, little love?" she asked, stepping towards her daughter with a soft purr.

You and me, were meant to be in holy matrimony

God knew exactly what he was doing When he lead me to you

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A chirping sound of sorts would emit from the cub when she heard her mother's voice, her head turning to its left so that she would be able to hear her better. "Jus' lookin' out." There was a lot to take in within their new home and Jiera wasn't sure where to start first. Hoisting herself up to stand on all fours would she make her way toward @Aarani, the small distance quickly closed. She would rub her body against the lioness's front paws with rather deep pressure, a purr beginning to vibrate her body. She could feel the congestion in her chest and the purring seemed to agitate it just a bit, causing for Jiera stop every so often to clear her throat from it. "Do you like it here?" A tilt of her head would be given with her question, green eyes glancing up at her mother as she stood in between her front legs.

table by ferus, lineart by ale-tie, design by lars, background from unsplash

It was difficult not to smile whenever she was around her children -- not that she would ever withhold something like that from them! There was just something so absolutely endearing about a young cub and the way they saw the world. Sprinkle on how much they needed her and you had one happy Aarani, selfish as it was. Without her cubs she would have been lost and every day, she found herself just a little bit more in the absence of Dior. Looking at her youngest litter no longer brought her sadness, thankfully. They may have looked like their mother, but their hearts and souls were so vastly different that she no longer saw her absent wife in their faces. No, now she saw them for who they were.

"I do like it here," she said with a soft purr, lowering her muzzle to gently kiss the top of her daughter's head. "Do you? You can be honest, my love. Your happiness is the most important thing in the world."

@Jiera

You and me, were meant to be in holy matrimony

God knew exactly what he was doing When he lead me to you

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The kiss on her head would cause for the purring to become a bit louder, pressing her head into the affection @Aarani was giving her. Jiera enjoyed spending time with her mother, and even though she knew that her other mom was gone and she never really knew her other than she was the one that gave birth to her, the cub had heard the bedtime stories her mother would tell her about mom. Sometimes it made her sad that she may never have the chance to know her, but other times she felt something similar to relief because it meant that her and Aarani could spend so much more time together.

"I like all the colors and the leaves and all the things I can hop on." She would suck in a breath, fighting off the urge to cough by slowly exhaling. "I hope there's nice people here..." This sentence would be spoken in a quiet tone, her brows furrowing as she glanced out of their den once more. Jiera wasn't sure if she could handle any more mean cubs. Not for a long while, anyways.

table by ferus, lineart by ale-tie, design by lars, background from unsplash

Aarani smiled softly as she lowered onto her belly, happy enough to spend all day snuggled up in the den alongside of her children. They were the few in existence who had never hurt her -- aside from Ivaan, who had chosen to stay behind in Andal Oasis for reasons she still couldn't understand. He was old enough to make his own decisions, though, and had never been particularly close with her. It broke her heart, truly, but she couldn't force him to do anything he didn't want. At least she still had the others, including Bhavani, bless her sweet soul.

"It is very colorful here, isn't it? So many fun places to explore." Aarani appreciated the nature as much as her daughter, truly. It only saddened her to hear how much her daughter had suffered back in the desert. "The man who runs this place, Cupid.. I have known him for a while. He is a good man and he wouldn't tolerate any bullying. I don't believe Seneca knew what to do with those girls of his, but you never have to see them again. I am sorry they were so awful to you, little love." She attempted to scoop her girl closer, almost as if all the kisses in the world would make up for the trauma.

You and me, were meant to be in holy matrimony

God knew exactly what he was doing When he lead me to you

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Jiera would angle her left ear close to her mother so she could hear her better, listening as she told her about the lion who ruled her new home. His name made her giggle, but it was a nice name. "I hope Senca punishes those bad girls..." A vowel in the Oasis ruler's name would get lost in translation from the girl's frayed emotions, but as @Aarani aimed to bring her closer would the cub fall backward and be cradled on top of the lioness's front legs. Another giggle would erupt from the girl, her legs folding themselves inward toward her belly and chest and her tail swishing about. A front limb would then extend itself straight into the air, her paw attempting to brush against Aarani's chin to a gentle boop.

"Momma," Jiera would begin, soft eyes glancing up at her while she spoke, "do you know why it's hard for me to hear in my right ear? Could somethin' be stuck in it?" It was an issue she was growing accustomed to having, but she wondered if her mother even knew about the issue. Her coughing and the way her eyes and nose would crust was painfully evident, but something like not hearing well wasn't easy to pinpoint unless mentioned... right?

table by ferus, lineart by ale-tie, design by lars, background from unsplash

"Part of me thinks that Seneca was naughty as a child and so the spirits gave him naughty daughters as a punishment itself," she said with an airy laugh, clearly teasing as she moved to groom her daughter. Aarani may have been a bit obsessive over the hygiene of herself and children, but how many other mothers could parade their cubs around with lusciously soft fur that shone in the sun? Probably a lot, but hers were the only ones that mattered. Purity had played a large part in her life, and being physically clean simply fell along with it.

Aarani looked to @Jiera as the question finally came into existence. Both Dior and Rani had noticed early on that their daughter had tilted her head strangely and it hadn't taken long for her to realize what was going on beyond those adorably fluffy ears. "I can't say for sure why it happened, my little love, but there are some lions out there who cannot hear at all. It's called being deaf, and I believe something happened during your birth that caused it you to lose some of your ability to hear. I do not believe it will ever get worse, only that it will be lifelong. I wish I could make it better but it is beyond my abilities as a healer.." She frowned at feeling helpless. All she wanted was to help her child, but how? "I'm sorry, Jiera."

You and me, were meant to be in holy matrimony

God knew exactly what he was doing When he lead me to you

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She would listen quietly as @Aarani began to answer her question the best she knew how. Jiera didn't really mind not being able to hear in her right ear unless the noises were very loud; she wasn't used to having full hearing in it so it wasn't like she was missing what it used to be. "Sorry?" The word would be spoken in a confused manner, her facial expression showing just that, as well. "Why you sorry, mom?" Maybe it was the cub's still growing and developing brain that didn't grasp onto the guilt her mother might feel with the defect she was born with, but the chartreuse cub didn't see any reason for Aarani to have to feel sad. It wasn't like she intentionally caused for the partial deafness.

After a few moments would Jiera roll over, belly side down now laying on her mother's front legs. Her tail would swish behind her in thought, tail tip flicking at the lioness's chest. Her front paws would knead at the air below them, her toes flexing and letting her claws unsheathe halfway. "Do you think there's fun creatures to chase around here?" She hadn't really taken the chance to explore and look around their new home, but maybe mom knew the answer and could help.

table by ferus, lineart by ale-tie, design by lars, background from unsplash

Why was she sorry? Well, uh..

Aarani shifted her weight, not entirely certain how to answer the question. Her girl seemed so offended her mother would even think to take the weight of guilt upon her shoulders, but it couldn't be helped. There was nothing but pressure on her day in and day out, from the tips of her ears to the bottom of her paw pads. The amount of children she had brought into the world with the idea of raising them alongside their other parent, the amount of children she had failed. Which of her cubs had grown up with both of their parents? None. None of them. Out of the ten children she had brought to life, none of them had been around their parent too much. Her first litter had never even met their father, nor had her third met their mother.

It was crippling, the guilt.

Fortunately, she was distracted when the girl flopped over onto her stomach. Ah, yes, good. Be cute. "I'm sure there is. Lots of small things, mostly. I've seen several lizards already and they're quick as lightning." She shifted her weight, stifling a yawn. "Maybe some chipmunks around, too. Small rabbits. Lots of potential for hunting."

You and me, were meant to be in holy matrimony

God knew exactly what he was doing When he lead me to you

code by corvus