[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

Hearing Muroki mention Marini and Ubawa made Delano feel a little nervous and even somewhat ashamed. "Oh, yeah, we didn't really visit you guys recently..." He looked at the sleeping form of Akili once more. "Well, now that this guy is born, I... I don't know if we'll be able to visit more often now or not. I don't want to be leaving Lina alone for long periods of time just yet..."

Surely they will figure something out. What if they let Lina's and Umeme's parents watch over the cub sometimes? At the same time, Delano didn't really like the sound of that idea, even if he did trust them. Perhaps there will be another way.

---

Knowing how upset her cubs can get when they didn't get to chase the insects around, Umeme grinned and leaned her head close to Marini's. "When your dad will come back, I will allow you to chase all the butterflies you will feel like. You like the sound of that?"

After all, she would rather there be two sets of eyes to watch the cubs during their games, but she wasn't withholding the idea of letting the cubs lose now if they got too restless. But for now, they both looked like they can still sit tight and wait for Muroki to get back.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki smiled. He remembered also feeling like he'd have a bit of an easier time allowing himself a little more freedom when Umeme's pregnancy ended, only to find himself even less uncomfortable about leaving her side for too long once their cubs were born. What Delano was probably going through was something he completely understood. "It's alright, don't mention it. You know," he said, thinking for a moment. "Since Ubawa and Marini are getting better at walking, we've been considering taking them farther than just outside of the den soon. I'm sure that us coming over every once in a while sometime in the future will solve this problem. That way neither you nor Lina will have to leave each other or Akili."

~ ~ ~

Even though, being a very young cub, Marini wanted to run around now, the prospect of being allowed to do so after having been denied it excited her enough. "Yeah!" she said with a giggle, standing up on her hind legs and leaning against her mother's nose with her tiny forepaws. She was still so very small in comparison to her parents.

[DGFone]

To be truthful, the idea of Umeme and Muroki coming over with their cubs was not something that had crossed Delano's mind. "You coming here? I... I would like that. And I think Lina will love it too." He wasn't so sure about Ubawa and Marini and how they would act around Akili, but Delano was sure that their parents would be able to keep the cubs in check. "How are Ubawa and Marini anyways? Do they behave themselves, or are they, uh... troublesome?"

---

Umeme smiled at her daughter. "That's my girl!" She was glad that Marini understood that waiting for now would be better for her, and was willing to do so. "You too Ubawa. Sit tight until Muroki comes back, and we will let you allow you to run around all you want." Of course, she didn't know how long Muroki would stay at Delano's and Lina's, but she hoped that he wouldn't choose to stay until the end of the day.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki had expected his brother to be a little reluctant about the idea of him and Umeme bringing their cubs over with them. He recalled how nervous Delano had initially been of the whole parenthood thing and, therefore, around his niece and nephew at first. Even though the fresh father has come quite a way in that regard in the past month, Muroki was still a little surprised that he liked the idea of having Marini and Ubawa over at his den, especially when considering how tiny and vulnerable Akili was at the moment.

Not that Muroki considered bringing his son and daughter over now. After all, he and Umeme had agreed that the two should fully get the hang of walking before taking them far from the den. Until that happened the two's cousin will obviously be older and more ready to interact with other cubs. "They're very... spirited." he said with a chuckle. "Especially Marini. Like all cubs they just go ahead and try to do something they want to without really thinking about it, but they listen to us if we tell them not to. After a short while they might forget they've been forbidden to do something and give in to their childish desires, but all we have to do is remind them. If I recall correctly, you and I were like that as well."

~ ~ ~

While Marini managed to understand that she was not allowed to run around just yet, she didn't see a reason why she couldn't find other means of entertaining herself until her father came back. "But I'm still bored..." she pointed out, ceasing to lean against her mother's muzzle with her paws so that she was instead lying against the lioness's nose. "Mommy, can you play with me?" True, she could always play with Ubawa, but Umeme far less likely to be in the mood to play with her. Therefore, if she had a chance to play with her mother, she would obviously take it. However, before she could get an answer, another idea came to the little cub's mind. "Ooh! Can you tell us a story?"

[DGFone]

Muroki's last comment caused Delano to chuckle a little. "Well, if they are like that... perhaps you should wait a little bit... a month or so at least, until you bring them over to meet Akili here." He motioned at the sleeping cub between Lina's paws. "To think that we are so small when we are born... I would like to at least wait until he can walk around as well before having to deal with other cubs. Especially if they are older than him..."

For some reason, Delano found it odd that he was so worried about Akili, even from Muroki's and Umeme's own cubs. Surely, if there were anyone he could trust to go easy on his son would be them, but he didn't exactly get to spend enough time with them yet to know for certain if they would be good around Akili or not.

---

Expecting such behavior from a cub, Umeme didn't even get a chance to answer her daughter before Marini had changed her mind again and asked her a completely different request. "Alright, I can do that," she answered, noticing that Ubawa was also now suddenly paying very close attention. Of course, out of the two of them, he always enjoyed stories more, although ironically as well, was much less likely to ask for one. "What kind of story do you want to hear?"

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki also chuckled. "They'll be gentle with him if we tell them to." He doubted there was any reason for anybody to worry about Akili accidentally getting hurt. A month was going to be a big difference in their age for the time being but, in maybe even two months or so, it would lost its significance."But I do believe that having other cubs around and not being able to play with them might annoy Akili a little, so perhaps it really would be for the best if we waited until he learned how to walk as well."

He knew that his own cubs would be very eager to meet their new cousin, but they were going to have to be satisfied with occasionally seeing only their aunt or uncle every now and then for the time being. Unable to help himself, Muroki grinned at his brother in a rather cheeky manner. "Well look at you; already making plans and trying to think what would be best for your kid." While he did look and sound like he was teasing Delano, he meant what he was saying. Nudging his brother's shoulder with a paw, he continued. "See? I told you you had it in you."

Still smiling, he looked at his nephew, who looked as peaceful as ever. Remembering what it was like with Marini and Ubawa at first, he knew that Akili would spend most of his time sleeping for a while, so he wasn't expecting him to wake up any time soon. "So how was it like to look at him for the first time?" he asked a little more quietly, recalling what he'd felt like when he'd first laid his eyes on his son and daughter.

~ ~ ~

Obviously excited at having gotten a positive answer from her mother, Marini found it hard to think of what she would like to hear a story about. Both of her parents have told her some stories before, but she would gladly rather hear something she hasn't been told in the past. Knowing Ubawa, she knew that he would either suggest something they'd already heard or not say anything at all. "I don't know..." she said, pouting for a brief moment. "Something new!"

[DGFone]

Delano smiled a little at his brother's compliment. "Thanks, Muroki." Sure, he felt quite nervous about the future, but now his son was already born. It's one thing to be nervous about something so serious as parenthood when it's the future, but another thing entirely when it's the present. Plus, if Muroki was confident that he was doing the right thing... then perhaps he really is. After all, Muroki now knew what he was talking about, having taken care of two cubs for over a month now.

As for his brother's question... "Well... it felt strange," Delano admitted after some hesitation. "I can't really describe it. It was... almost both good and bad. Mostly good. But... he's so small and vulnerable." Even for something that had happened so recently, Akili's birth was already starting to feel like something very far back. Delano watched his son, trying to remember what seeing the cub for the first time felt like. "But I guess what I felt a lot as well was... relief. Relief that what Lina and I were waiting for so long now finally happened. Although... I think I could have waited longer... I'm not very sure."

---

Umeme grinned at her daughter's request. "Well, if I am going to tell you a story, I think you should come up with what I should tell you." She figured that it would be fun to kind of make her cubs 'work' for their story. She was going to settle with that it they couldn't come up with what they wanted, then they wouldn't get a story.

Ubawa was by now growing rather impatient at not hearing anything. His mind still remembering about his mother's idea of trying meat, as well as also some hazy memories of his father explaining where meat came from, he finally asked, "What's hunting like?"

Her son's question gave Umeme a great idea. This was something she can both talk about, as well as for entertainment for her cubs, perhaps put on a practical demonstration that didn't involve chasing butterflies around. "I think that would make a good story. What do you think, Marini?"

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki couldn't help but chuckle at Delano's choice of the word strange. He'd also felt that way when Marini and Ubawa were born. Of course, their birth made him feel very proud and happy, but there were those few moments where he just stared at the two cubs as his mind processed the fact that they were his. "I think that if I had to wait any longer I'd have lost my mind." he said in a rather joking manner, remembering how he became more and more impatient as Umeme's pregnancy drew closer to its end. True, his brother hadn't really planned on having a cub just yet, but from the looks of it both he and Lina would do just fine.

~ ~ ~

It's not that Marini hasn't already come up with a few possibilities for story ideas. It's just that there were so many options that she didn't know what to choose. Ubawa soon took care of that problem, however, by asking their mother what hunting was like. Since she was already so fond of chasing things around, she obviously liked his idea. "Okay!" She settled down more comfortably between Umeme's paws and, when her brother did the same by lying down close to her, giggled and licked his cheek once. Ubawa's reaction to that could end up being anything but, whichever way he responded, she loved him and just couldn't help herself. Plus his reaction was most likely going to be funny.

[DGFone]

Recognizing Muroki's joke, Delano couldn't help but grin. "Well, it's not like I can do anything about it. I have to be a father now, and if you really think that I can be a good one, well then... I guess I can be." Not knowing what else to say, he fell quiet, his eyes resting once more on his son. The tiny cub looked so vulnerable like that in between Lina's paws, but Delano started to feel that perhaps he is capable of allowing this fluff ball to grow up into a strong lion. The only question was how good he will be in this task.

And even stranger yet, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer for that or not.

---

Upon being licked by his sister, Ubawa jumped back, yelping in surprise and disgust. "Marini!" he complained loudly, "what was that for?!" Running behind one of Umeme's paws, he chose to hide behind one of his mother's paws from his crazy sister. Of course, to make things worse, he heard both his sister and his mother laughing their heads off about this. "Marini! Mom!"

Catching hear breath again, Umeme forced herself to calm down. "Sorry dear," she apologized, "so... do you want to hear that story about hunting? Or do you..." she glanced at her daughter, "want to do other things?"

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki offered his brother another smile as they both watched Akili move about in his sleep. He wondered whether one could dream at such a young age. One probably could, but Akili hasn't seen anything yet and has probably only heard his parents talk without understanding a single word. It made the lion curious as to just what was going on through his nephew's head. "I honestly can't think of a single reason for you to not be a good one, Delano." he said with a chuckle. "I really mean it."

"Well, I guess I should be getting back to Umeme and the cubs soon." he said after a while, rising to his paws. "I'll see you all some time soon. Tell Lina I said congratulstions."

~ ~ ~

Even though Marini has gained similar reactions from Ubawa in the past, it was impossible for her not to laugh when her brother yelped and went as far as hiding behind their mother's paw. "Because I love you, silly!" she said, giggling. "Come back so we can listen to mommy's story together!" she gave him a pleading look. "Pretty please? I promise I wont do it again..." Whether he would listen to her or not, the cub looked up at Umeme with a smile. "Tell us the story!"