The cub stood, turning her head so she might gaze upon her now damp form and giggled to herself. ”That was strange. Maybe it will do something else if I practice with it.” She mused aloud. The little tigress turned back to Niru as too got to his feet and a slight tension filled the air that Raava almost immediately picked up on. Bi-colored eyes cast their gaze down the corridor, her bright nature dimming in that moment as the time for horse play and fun had passed it would seem. Unwittingly she inched closer to the larger cat, tearing her gaze from the maw of the tunnel only when he spoke, revealing he could provide her with a drink. The smile returned as quickly as it left and with a happy pounce she followed in quick step of the other back toward where it was he’d come from. ”Do you have friends Niru?” Raava asked, jumping and batting at the lion’s tail as they moved along the icy tunnel. ”Does your magic take long to cast? Oh we should play in the water when we get there! Wouldn’t that be fun!?” She exclaimed, her questions and exclamations coming a mile a minute. Clearly the child was full of good will and happiness. At the moment the child was far to content to follow the older cat around and play with him, rather than venturing off on her own. Be this because she desired company or because it had not crossed her mind was unclear, all she knew was that she wanted a drink and Niru was leading her to water. Also that he was fun!
@Niru

she followed along, exerting sheer, pure innocence as she played about - batting at my tail. i wanted to chuckle and play back, but the twins were pressing in the back of my mind. nagging at me, begging for my return. or was it that i was far too anxious to be caught this far from them? not that i could be controlled, but i'd made a promise to cancer. i wouldn't want him to think i was breaking it. but when a newborn is about, it's best to take care of them too, isn't it?
"i do have friends! i have a few, you'd be able to meet them if you stuck around. although, no one can make you do anything."
i made it clear she was her own person, and could do whatever she wanted.
"my magic is still pretty unpredictable. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. i can honestly say i don't know too much about it."
i shrugged in sincerity.
"we could play! but only for a little bit. i assume you'll get hungry soon. and if you don't want to stay with me, i can escort you to a place called eridanus. if you do want to stay with me, i can hunt you down a rat to snack on. your choice, raava."

i supposed it didn't rightly matter that i was this far away, as we were moving back to their direction. and when we broke the tunnel's mouth, i ceased to look around for that puddle. if it had dried up, moved, or if the water in orion was gone completely. which could be, and in which case, i'd have to escort her to eridanus - where she may in fact be able to survive and live. but there, near the tower was in fact a small puddle.
"ah, there."
i muttered as i began to trek toward it, my pace temperate and calculated so as to permit the newborn to follow without struggling.

when we reached it, i crouched down by it. my stomach lowering to the warmer orion flooring as i peered at her, waiting for her to do what she naturally must. i wanted to watch her, see her mannerisms, make sure she wasn't something to worry about too much in my absence. i'd never forgive myself if something happened to her. but i couldn't expect her to want to live with me near the twins, she'd get hungry. she'd want to hunt.

@raava

Raava didn’t pay much attention to what was around her. Niru’s tail was far, far to entertaining for all that. So the tunnel gave way to a larger cavern pretty quickly for the cub, but when it did, she lost all interest in Niru’s tail and strode along side him. Bi-colored eyes gazed around Orion, completely enchanted by the caves beauty. Quarts crystals shined like stars, reflecting light and dancing with every step she took. ”Preeettty.” She muttered, slowing every so often and forced to run after Niru when the larger cat got to far ahead of her. When he began to talk it did not pull the young cubs gaze from the cavern, but she did hear what he was saying and responded quickly enough. ”I would love to meet them! I bet they are all as nice as you.” She grinned with absolute glee. Then he jumped to answer her last question, revealing that his magic was pretty unpredictable and he still had trouble controlling it to some degree, even admitting that he didn’t know much about it. ”We can practice together! I’ll toughen you up real good!” She giggled, a little growl in her voice as she playfully pawed at his side, rolling over completely when his more powerful stride knocked her over. She laughed, got back to her feet and ran after Niru again.

The next thing Niru mentioned was what he’d said before. About her leaving if she wanted to…bur Raava didn’t want to leave. She liked it here. ”I like it here.” She announced, just as the pair arrived to the small pool by a tower of stone. ”I will find food here.” Raava determined suddenly, banging her paw on the ground as though that was her final decision and nothing anyone said was going to change her mind. Then without missing a beat the tigress turned her gaze upon the pool of water and sneered in a forceful way before suddenly jumping full on in the water and throwing droplets in all directions. ”Gotchu!” She yelped, smacking the waters with her paws each time it became still enough to see her reflection. Every so often she would stop and lick the access water from her paw. This went on for a while, until eventually Raava drug herself out of the pool and wandered back over to Niru’s side. ”What do I do when I get hungry?” She asked, a simple an honest question.
@Niru

"well, when you're hungry, you have to hunt,"
i smiled at her, knowing full and well she'd need a hunting lesson before she ever went off on her own - if she did. since she loves it here in orion, i was elated for such a thing. maybe she'd stay with me.
"here in the caves there are cave deer and rats you can hunt and eat. as you hone your skills, rats are far easier to kill. don't over kill the rats though, don't kill more than you need for the fact that they could run out, and we'd all starve. there's many of us gembounds here in the cave, raava. we must think of everyone as whole."
i spoke politely, informing her without much hesitation or timidness in my voice.
"there are other things to hunt, though as carnivores, not much variety. there's fish in pisces, a place not far from here. fish are small, scaly things you find in the waters of pisces. i haven't tried them, so i'm not sure how good they are. but i'm sure if you preferred them that's where you'll find them."
i gave a small chortle, which only grew as she splashed about in the water.
"and from the looks of it, you love the water."

i sat as she played about in the water, and batted at the ripples she created with a paw.
"i'm not much of one for swimming, but if you enjoy it, i can show you in a few days where else we can go to swim. and hunt."
i offered, thinking of pisces and eridanus. wondering if there might be more places with areas to swim about. i haven't explored the entire cave yet, but with her by my side, it would be quite an adventure. tufted tassel flicked about, as i watched her for a moment longer.
"when you're hungry, i can show you how to hunt."
i said with a curt, and loving nod as i was pleased to allow her the comfort of growing up with someone, to teach her everything she needs to know. if she'll have me, that is. because, everyone has a choice.

@raava

Raava had not the desire to wander. As far as she was concerned there was adventure and fun to be had no matter where she was, especially if she could be around friends like Niru all the time. At the moment she wasn’t hungry, so it did not press upon her mind as it should have. The joy of childhood, never worrying about anything until it came right down to it. The cub continued to splash about, sending a spray in all directions as Niru attempted to explain to her what there was in the caves to hunt. The things he suggested were mice and deer, though for now she was much to small to be trying to catch deer. He even went on to explain that she should not ‘over kill’ the rats, since they were in limited supply and everyone within this place had to have a source of food. This caught Raava’s attention and she stopped playing for a moment to look back at the older feline, water dripping from her form as she watched him for a minute. ”Can’t I eat anything else?” She asked suddenly, tilting her head to the side quizzically. Despite her relatively coherent and understanding personality, this genuinely confused the young tigress. She didn’t understand the difference between those who could eat grasses and fruits as opposed to those who needed meat, or even both to survive.

Upon hearing that Niru wasn’t one for swimming, Raava’s jaw dropped open in disbelief. ”But it’s soooo much fun!” She suddenly yelped, leaping toward Niru who remained by the edge of the pool in an effort to splash him. Though he offered to show her how to hunt when she did get hungry, his words seemed to fly right over the cubs head as she continued to play in the shallow waters, taking a drink every so often before going right back to playing.
@Niru

her splashing about was indeed far too cute, and i couldn't help but smile and chuckle along with her. she was so free, allowed to have all the fun she could. and i encouraged her to do so, nodding and closing my eyes as i was spritzed with water particles from time to time.
"you could try eating other things. try everything you think is safe to see if you'd like it."
i gave an open shrug, as it was true. she might like grasses, she may not. either way, who am i to say she couldn't like grass, all because she was a tiger.
"keep in mind, you do need to eat meat of some kind to survive, as you are a tiger."
i said matter-of-factly, to make sure she survived in the long run. she was far too young to understand the protocol of a tigress, but i shall teach her all she's to know.

i shook my head lightly, her disbelief of my lack of interest in swimming rather hilarious.
"it looks fun!"
i said lovingly, encouragingly. and with that - for fear of causing her to dislike the water due to my own opinion- i stood again. walking into the shallows of the puddle which only lipped at my ankles. i raised a forepaw, water dripping from it before i gently tapped it back into the water, where wet drops flung up and splashed myself - spraying a small proximity away from me. i gave a small chortle.

@raava

”Oh, I will!” The tigress exclaimed, pouncing on her reflection in the waters surface again. She had no idea why she must hunt down another animal to survive. The entire idea didn’t sit well with her to be honest. More over, there were other creatures who needed to hunt these things in order to survive. Already she’d made up her mind about it. She would try any food she could to see if she could live off it before turning to such barbaric tactics. If the food was in short supply, then she would do what she had to be not be apart of those who needed it. Less of those who needed it meant less lives lost to it…right? She thought she was right. In fact, Raava was positive that she was right. However almost as soon as Raava had come to this conclusion, Niru piped up, revealing she would have to eat meat in order to survive. The golden cub ceased her play for a moment, her featuring becoming perplexed by the very idea. ”But how come? I don’t want to eat someone else. That’s mean!” She whined, bi-colored eyes displaying her distraught nature over such a thing quite clearly.

Even when the older feline seemed interested in playing with her in the water, Raava sat there the puddle, looking up to him with knitted brows and pursed lips. She was pouting. She truly didn’t understand why she must eat something else that was alive to live. In time, this could grow to be a problem, or she would come to understand the circle of life. How nature works in order to keep it all in check. Perhaps this would depend upon the delivery of such facts of life, or maybe she’d be too bullheaded to see it that way. It was so hard to tell with children her age. But one thing was clear, Raava wanted nothing to do with harming another creature if she could avoid it.
@Niru

the sweet child didn't understand. and i felt so bad for her, felt so bad that i'd mentioned she'd have to eat meat in order to survive. i shouldn't have brought that upon her, i shouldn't have said that. it was hard for me to remember that she was just literally born, and wouldn't understand such. my shoulders sank, marred countenance morphing into a melancholy expression, frowning as brows knitted and i shook my head lightly, looking at the little tigress.
"oh hun, if you really don't want to eat meat, then maybe you could find a different way to sustain yourself. just remember, it's your choice. it's always your choice."
i couldn't stress that enough for the tigress. it was her choice, she always had a choice.

in actuality, along with my sadness for hurting her feelings, it was kind of cute she'd rather not adhere to something of an abattoir. which was fine, but not, all at the same time. i wanted her to survive, and maybe one day she'll get over it. and maybe she won't. maybe, she'll always eat plants. i couldn't picture that. perhaps i'll explain it a bit better when she's a couple cycles old. nonetheless, i smiled at the little cub, reaching out with a gentle paw to smooth across the top of her head.
"don't you worry about that now. you aren't hungry! we don't have to cross that bridge just yet."
i was trying my best to make her feel better.


@raava

”My choice!” She chirped, puffing out her chest as though this was some grand ideal she was proud to have laid upon her shoulders. From that moment, she vowed she’d find something other than meat…The idea of what would happen if she couldn’t find anything else to eat didn’t even cross her mind. Because she knew what would happen. She knew she’d succeed. As was the way with children. As Niru explained it was something they could attend to later, Raava popped up from her sitting position and nodded happily, quickly followed up be a long yawn that displayed her tiny teeth. The cub shook herself free of some the access water that still dripped from her little form and loped her way out of the waters, doing it again for good measure. ”What about um…” Raava began, looking through Orion as though the word she was searching for would come from the glittering rocks.

Something of the like happened too, the word popping into her head and letting lose another grin. ”Oh, a nap!” The tigress exclaimed. ”I am very tired all of a sudden…” She remarked, her maw opening wide again to lose another yawn that displayed all the little teeth she’d been born with, needle sharp but hardly a danger to anything bigger than a mouse. Bi-colored eyes flickered around the area again, looking for something before she bothered Niru with it. ”Is it, safe to sleep here?”
@Niru

the sweet cub wanted a nap, and i couldn't help but oblige. i'd always oblige. maybe that was a problem - maybe it wasn't safe to want to bent to the whims of this llovely little cub. i mean, i'd always been a decently obedient child, but to someone who'd recently hatched, and i'd already wanted to give my heart and soul to? perhaps i was, what was it, jumping the gun.

whatever the case may be, it was nice to have company that didn't have any current ties to me. the joy i get out of it reminded me of the joy i get out of spending time with sweet aleera. my mind snapped from reality, wandering far into the depths of the cave to wonder about her - was she safe? was she alright? did she need me? when would she come back? last time, she left in anger. i'd done something to irritate her, and i couldn't think of what it might be. without further explanation, the rather sensitive girl had stomped off. i felt horrible for her, horrible for that situation, and wanted nothing more than to fix things. but such a time will come later, as for now, i have a cub to fend for. my mind returned to the present, and i looked down upon raava as i gracefully pivoted, turning to observe her once again as she departed the waters.

"a nap is a lovely thing, and you'll be needing lots of rest. come, let me show you where to lay."
i then left the water myself, little missiles dripping from a tawny hide just from the ankles down, where i then meandered not far from where i'd taken her to the puddle and more toward the twins. but i couldn't let her near them, cancer may never forgive me. but she was just a cub. we could curl up together and sleep. ah well, if he had such a problem with it, i'd take whatever rage was to come. for now, the newborn needed rest, and i could offer her a safe haven.

assuming the little thing followed me, i reached the twins' chyrsalis' behind the great wall of gemstone that cancer had placed them behind, and i peeked over to check on them. with nothing having gone screwy, i gestured with a paw toward the darkest part of the corner.
"we could curl up there and sleep together, if you'd like. see, i must watch over these two. they are my little sisters, and sadly, our father has made some pretty terrible enemies. it's not safe for them to be alone. so i guard them. would you like to help me, little raava?"
i asked, a smile playing with my lips, as i then again observed remedy and cure.

@raava