ORIGIN

She stood, silent and square-braced and attentive, as her son spoke. His idea of a portable bag sounded good, and reminded her of something she'd been meaning to do for awhile, herself--an idea that'd slowly been percolating up through the depths of her mind, coming to her now and again (more and more complete) when she wasn't thinking of much else. "Funny bone. Ha ha," she said at first, smirking good-naturedly. "That bone bag's not a half-bad idea, though. I'd been thinking of getting some bones to wear, myself--to have guidance all the time, you know? And maybe one glowed up like some Gembounds do, so I've always got a light. It'd be nice," she added, thoughtfully. And, as if to give Bayo full credit, "It's a good idea."

The mention of a portal interested her. She did snort at the mention of Gembounds having overly-loud conversations--it seemed like she often overheard random rumors, herself, that she'd had no interest in whatsoever. She couldn't even remember how she'd first heard of the Collector; had it just been random, loudly-spoken rumors from behind one of the bone fortresses? Strange, how people talked.

Anyway!

"And I guess I'll have to visit that portal, too, see what it's all about," she said, thoughtfully. Maybe after she got her strings of bones, and the light and fur paint that she wanted.

As for the lesson-... "I think I did. He almost got my eyes, but--I left magic on him, and it probably hurt." Probably. She didn't tell Bayo the details--that it'd been intended to grow across the creature, to wither his skin and consume his flesh. And she did, still, fervently hope that it had. The caves didn't need mindless monsters like that one had been--while predators like Kerberos could turn out to have a heart of gold, that one had been a brute through and through, and nothing more.

But dark eyes were tracking Bayo, and she dropped to her haunches as he pulled away from his nudge--having briefly pressed back, herself, with affection. "A swear?!" Giggle said, mock-shocked, and gasped--as a mother had to. She was amused, though; given her own exceptionally foul mouth, she supposed she'd done well in raising kids for whom swearing was a bad thing.

Her own "fucks" and "shits" tended to be muttered well out of their earshot, and if they'd ever heard her swearing at her strongest, they'd have undoubtedly been shocked. "Why, Bayo," and she shook her head, a few completely unserious "tsks" added on for good measure. "I'm glad you think I'm a good mama, though, kiddo. And you're a great kid--what are you doing--you pup!" she interrupted herself, for now he was nipping at her ears. She flattened hers back, shaking her head quickly as a dog shakes off water. And, perfectly willing, she gave chase--her rocking gallop heavy and strange compared to her son's more fluid agility.

"I'm gonna get you for that!" she called, bracing and then bolting for him.

rain stock: D Sharon Pruitt wiki commons; hyena Benjamin Hollis on flickr

There was no question of Giggle actually catching up--Bayo was lithe, light, and she was heavy and stocky. Granted, though, she wasn't the one tripping over bones.

"ME with the potty mouth!" she cried in protest, but again it was good-natured. She faked, feinted, first skidding one way then charging the other--but she made no real effort to actually catch her kid. He was too quick and it was just play, anyway; but she did let out her best witchy cackle as she chased him. It was imbued with magic, so that her laughter seemed to snicker and echo over the rock and around the bones, through Canis, all around them.

"Well you'd better keep running, then!" she cried on the tail end of it.

Ahh, she remembered when they'd all been pups, her litter; when wearing them out with a game like this meant she'd actually get a good few hours' sleep as they plunged into happily-exhausted rest. They hadn't done this in awhile, really, and she missed it--sure, Bayo was grown now, but he was still the most happily childlike of the three.

rain stock: D Sharon Pruitt wiki commons; hyena Benjamin Hollis on flickr

She came in, if not hot on his heels, then at least not too far behind him. Her rocking gallop was surprisingly quick--and anyway, she knew the terrain like the back of her hand. She never left, after all.

"You win," she agreed, slowing to a grinning, panting trot. "Now I hope," she added, flopping down heavily beside him, "that you've gone ahead and worn yourself out enough for another nap, because your old Mom here could use one."

She offered a friendly nudge, ears laid back, amusement and affection both in her dark eyes.

rain stock: D Sharon Pruitt wiki commons; hyena Benjamin Hollis on flickr

Giggle snorted her amusement. Given a hyena's real lifespan, she really wasn't all that old; physically, she didn't feel elderly, at least. But she'd been through so much shit, and she was by far one of the eldest Gembounds in the caves, that often she felt old as all hell.

It was good to hear a declaration to the contrary, even if it was just the blind support of her loving son.

"Thanks, kiddo. I love you too," she added, with a gentle nudge. "And if you ever want practice--with the bones, or magic, any kind of training--anything, you just let me know, okay? Any time," she added. But then head was laid on paws again--for now, it was time to sleep.

rain stock: D Sharon Pruitt wiki commons; hyena Benjamin Hollis on flickr