An Empty Meadow

Faline usually fancied herself as good at picking her words. Even if, generally, a doe of only few of them; but nonetheless, Simba's teasing - and that subtle bump of the hip, and whatever meaning it conveyed - left the doe uncertain for a moment of her next ones to express. It was then, perhaps, all for the best that more of both their family members started appearing.

First came Kopa, the cub who seemed to be Gurri's best friend for life, tackling her daughter clean off her feet. Blue eyes rolled a little at the rough-and-tumble game, although the doe made no move to intervene; though this diversion didn't mean that Gurri was entirely off the hook. Later, Faline was going to pick up on gently interrogating her daughter until the youngster let slip just how she'd avoided her chores that day.

No punishment would be forthcoming, of course. But Faline would, then, be equipped to make sure the same trick wouldn't work so well for her next time.

For now however, a smile graced her muzzle instead as Geno, her little scholar, reared his head too. Full of questions as always... if Gurri reminded Faline, to at least some degree, of herself as a fawn, Geno seemed to have much more in common with his father at a younger age. Bambi had been ever-curious, but also more than a little bashful... it had been an endearing combination to the young Faline, and seeing some of the same traits in her son never failed to lift the corners of her muzzle.

All the same, out of Gurri and Geno, Faline would never pick a favourite. She adored both her daughter and her son equally, and nothing could persuade her to love one more than the other. She made sure to give soft-spoken Geno just as much time as boisterous Gurri.

"You know, Geno, I don't think there's an easy answer to that. See, when I was a fawn, I was told it was only an honorary title: your Grandmother Ena taught me that the Great Prince earned the title for being the oldest and wisest deer in the forest. I suppose that was true for the first Great Prince, long before any of our times; and it was only over time that it became a hereditary title."

Which was something of an answer in itself, Faline supposed.

Before anything more could be said, however, came Gurri again, breaking in on the moment. The doe frowned for a moment, on the verge of gently chiding her daughter for name-calling; but decided, this time, to let it slide. There was nothing particularly harmful or insulting about being called a 'great pumpkin'; it certainly wasn't anything like the rude skunkhead that she'd heard her daughter come out with on occasion.

Instead, she gave Geno a gentle nudge with her nose. He wasn't a brawler like his sister, so Faline wasn't going to encourage him to do something he hated; but there was something to be said for backing his sister up when she asked for it. The gesture was more to let him know that he was free to play, if he wanted to, rather than to put pressure on him either way.

Of course, it seemed like family members weren't yet done showing up, as Nala's own entrance landed her squarely on top of Simba. Faline's brows rose high at the sight of the pinned male beside her, a light chuckle slipping free as Nala proclaimed her own allegiance. While not such great friends as their husbands were, the doe nonetheless found the capable lioness to be great company. Her blue eyes sparkled.

"I hope the rest of your family is around," she murmured, playfully, to her new ally in whatever game this seemed to be turning into. "Otherwise, I think your husband and son might be just a little outnumbered."