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Description

----

It had been a scary topic, one of which Ichtaca did his best to avoid entertaining. Thinking about Mlilo's pregnancy and the incoming litter. Of course, having been in Mlima, the rogue made sure to visit his ill and expecting friend, it was common courtesy and of course, he wasn't cruel. It seemed that it was also a topic that the lioness seemed to avoid, at least, with him. The two didn't talk about it much, once it was mentioned, they'd waver over it for a few moments until the subject was changed soon after.

The avoidance of the topic only caused Ichtaca's anxieties to rise more and more as time passed on by. They had been given an expected due date and the days surged on with an even more daunting speed. Nothing could have prepared him for the moment of the cub's birth. It had been at the first sight of light, with no sun in sight. Ichtaca was no early riser, in fact, he slept in a lot more than he'd like to admit. And so, he was nothing short of shocked when suddenly, he was rushed to his feet by one of the healer's, urging him to get up.

Despite being half asleep and entirely drowsy, Ichtaca thoughtlessly rushed after the healer. There were no thoughts in his mind, the rogue had no idea as to what was going on. His mind was immediately set on alert as they got closer to their destination however, Mlilo's den. Had something happened to her? Was the sickness growing worse?

Then it hit him like a pile of bricks. No, Mlilo wasn't succumbing to her illness. It was time for their cub's arrival, surprising quite literally everyone. Who would have expected for this little cub to emerge at such a hectic hour? Even the healers were doing their best to remain alert, despite the exhaustion tugging at their features.

Ichtaca's heart dropped and there was an uneasy sensation in his throat. If this cub were male, the curse of his bloodline was sure to continue on. If this cub was female, there was certainly no telling. Ichtaca merely hoped that the cub would inherit Mlilo's honorable approach in life rather than his brain washed one.

He waited there for the arrival of their cub, while Mlilo's already short-temper got exponentially shorter and cursed him out every now and again, he remained implanted firmly at her side. The rogue wasn't sure on what to do, how to help, how to soothe her pain. At least, he was there in case anything went wrong. He'd be the first responder, Ichtaca would climb over a mountain if it meant finding an herb that could help his friend out during such an intense moment in her life.

Relievingly enough, it hadn't taken all that long. One of the faster deliveries, is what the healer claimed. Loud mews filled the den soon after, piercing to the ear. No matter! At least, they were strong and healthy judging from the loud noise. Ichtaca hesitated to look eyes with the bundle of fur. Admittedly, the feline had looked away throughout the whole delivery, looking at the ground or at his paws when they weren't set on Mlilo herself. And now, their cub was here. This meant everything.

There was a ringing in Ichtaca's ear, high pitched and daunting alongside the mews of his cub. He knew he'd have to see the little cub eventually but honestly? He was afraid. Afraid not of the cub but afraid of the future that he had cursed the little innocent thing in going through. By merely carrying his blood, this cub would have selfish Gods watching over them, no matter what gender they were or identified later in life. No matter their looks or beliefs.

He cursed himself out in his head, Ichtaca could feel himself shaking at this point. All because of his lack of composure, because he was overwhelmed with feeling understood. His eyes lingered over to Mlilo, she had been entirely quiet. Her head was slightly lowered, eyes fixated on the little figure. It seemed that she was almost memorized, the world around her had disappeared.

Oh, the things he had put her through as well. Having to deliver a cub during illness? Ichtaca couldn't fathom his own selfishness, it formed into a sour knot in his throat.

"It's a lioness."

Ichtaca blinked at the sudden voice, it had come from Mlilo who still hadn't moved her gaze from the cub. There was a look of fear settling between her features too at the realization, still, it didn't quite overwhelm the look of astonishment on her face from merely watching the bundle of fur.

The ringing from Ichtaca's ears faded. "What?" He'd ask, voice low and quiet, almost breathless. All that he got from response was a slow nod from the lioness.

A shocked breath escaped him, strained and shaky, almost as if he was on the brink of tears. Which fittingly enough, he was. Ruby hues finally lifted from the ground and slowly glided over to the cub. His cub. Their cub.

She was such a small thing, smaller than his own paw. Laying upon a mossy nest on the ground, nose twitching intensely, eyes fully shut, ears fully pinned back. Ichtaca's eyes broadened at the sight, feeling his breath catch in his throat. She seemed to have inherited his duller shade of fur rather than Mlilo's brighter one. Though, she wasn't quite as dark as him. She was a fluffy thing, quite literally a furball if you squinted. With messy, unruly fur. Spiked up as if she felt threatened almost. However, the look of relaxation on her face was one that claimed otherwise.

Before the rogue even knew it, the dampness in his eyes slowly tread downwards, streaming into tears that stained his cheeks. He tried to breathe in but what followed was a trembling hiccup. He too couldn't look away, what a sweet little girl. A perfect mix of both parents, Ichtaca hadn't realized it at the moment but now that she was here, she was exactly what he had envisioned in his head.

Slowly lowering himself to the ground, he was met with a closer sight of her. It seemed that the cub took notice of his presence finally, head slowly raising upwards, nose stuck in the air as it wriggled. A laugh escaped Ichtaca, the tears didn't stop. All of a sudden, he realized that now him and Mlilo were connected in a way that only few understood, only parents understood. There was a light soaring in his chest, simply looking down at this tiny little feline. For the time being, the little furball belonged to him and Mlilo. She wouldn't forever, Ichtaca knew that. She'd grow into a promising lioness, perhaps, following in the paw steps of her mother. Make a name for herself, just as Mlilo was determined to do. This cub was an ambitious one, Ichtaca could tell. After all, she had been born at the crack of dawn, ready to enter the world no matter what anyone else thought about it. Erandi. His mind would immediately call his mother's native language. Erandi, meaning 'dawn'. Oh, what would his mother say if she were here? Ichtaca could almost feel her warmth in this little one, blossoming from her chest.

A smile made it's way across his face, a genuine and bright one. It would have light up the den if the little cub hadn't already done that with her mere presence. His worries had slipped away as soon as he locked eyes with the spotted cub, faded into nothingness. The weight on his shoulders lessened, become a thing of the past, light and graceful. Even his initial worries, the belief of his tainted bloodline couldn't bring him down at this moment. For the first time in his life, Ichtaca had fallen in love in a way he hadn't before. Waves of warmth exceeded from him, his heart almost seemed to hurt with the newfound adoration he felt by simply looking down at this mewling cub.

For a moment, fatherhood didn't seem so scary anymore.

----

Ichtaca is officially a father! I never thought he'd get this far honestly, this is the first time any of my ARPG characters have had children before. I had one in an old ARPG called Vita-Impilo who was supposed to have cubs with this tiger but the group shut down before that could happen. Either way, I'm super happy for these two! I'm sure there will be lots of angst soon enough but as of now, take some wholesome content of this new family. Ichtaca and Mlilo have decided to take a co-parenting approach with their new cub, Erandi, since they aren't mates and don't feel any romantic feelings towards each other to actually become mates. Still, their cub will be very loved! Problem is, both Ichtaca and Mlilo are reserved felines who keep their emotions to themselves. Ichtaca is working on this but it's a habit I doubt he'll fully break.

Believe it or not, he'll be a lot softer and kinder when it comes to parenting than Mlilo. Mlilo is going to be tougher and stricter, especially since their cub is female. Mlilo has a fear of having female cubs, similar to how Ichtaca has a fear of having male cubs. This'll likely reflect more in Mlilo's parenting style as well, however, she's not cruel by any means! She provides a lot of the stability and routine a cub needs, Ichtaca is there to offer the emotional support that a cub needs. They are first time parents so they'll likely make a lot of mistakes along the way, similarly to how after the adrenaline dies down, Ichtaca will start seeing clearly again and grow distant from Erandi. Of course, he'll snap out of this but will it be too late for Erandi to forgive? We'll see!

Overall, very excited for this new chapter in Ichtaca's life. He's going to be a complete pushover when it comes to this cub since he's always wanted a daughter LMAO.

Also, take a look at those poses! No, they're not like that because I'm incredibly uneducated in anatomy or anything like that. Ichtaca is significantly distant from the cub and he's standing tall and proud, just barely moving his head down to look at the cub. It's to show that he's so unsure about fatherhood and has no idea on what to do that he doesn't even know how to greet his own daughter properly. He's just.. Standing there. Sure, he's definitely happy but he doesn't know how to approach her. Mlilo is also far away from Erandi too, to show her inexperience in being a mother and due to naturally not being stereotypically 'nurturing' like 'most lionesses' typically are. She's also got a more hardened look on her face compared to Ichtaca. She's smiling at the cub softly, not able to quite help herself, but she looks almost guarded in a way, to reference her fear of having daughters.

Yes, I'm a nerd. If you read all of this, you're really dope!

----

Art Overall:

Clean Lines - 15 AF
2x Halfbody - 40 AF
1x Fullbody - 30 AF
Color - 10 AF
Total: 95 AF

Short Story Overall:
1,366 Words - 98 AF
Total: 98 AF

Grand Total:
193 AF

----

Credits:
Ichtaca (c) adamant101 / adamant202
Mlilo (c) SouredSkull
Erandi (c) SBHIllustrates
Background (c) Disney & LionGuardKujenga

Description

----

It had been a scary topic, one of which Ichtaca did his best to avoid entertaining. Thinking about Mlilo's pregnancy and the incoming litter. Of course, having been in Mlima, the rogue made sure to visit his ill and expecting friend, it was common courtesy and of course, he wasn't cruel. It seemed that it was also a topic that the lioness seemed to avoid, at least, with him. The two didn't talk about it much, once it was mentioned, they'd waver over it for a few moments until the subject was changed soon after.

The avoidance of the topic only caused Ichtaca's anxieties to rise more and more as time passed on by. They had been given an expected due date and the days surged on with an even more daunting speed. Nothing could have prepared him for the moment of the cub's birth. It had been at the first sight of light, with no sun in sight. Ichtaca was no early riser, in fact, he slept in a lot more than he'd like to admit. And so, he was nothing short of shocked when suddenly, he was rushed to his feet by one of the healer's, urging him to get up.

Despite being half asleep and entirely drowsy, Ichtaca thoughtlessly rushed after the healer. There were no thoughts in his mind, the rogue had no idea as to what was going on. His mind was immediately set on alert as they got closer to their destination however, Mlilo's den. Had something happened to her? Was the sickness growing worse?

Then it hit him like a pile of bricks. No, Mlilo wasn't succumbing to her illness. It was time for their cub's arrival, surprising quite literally everyone. Who would have expected for this little cub to emerge at such a hectic hour? Even the healers were doing their best to remain alert, despite the exhaustion tugging at their features.

Ichtaca's heart dropped and there was an uneasy sensation in his throat. If this cub were male, the curse of his bloodline was sure to continue on. If this cub was female, there was certainly no telling. Ichtaca merely hoped that the cub would inherit Mlilo's honorable approach in life rather than his brain washed one.

He waited there for the arrival of their cub, while Mlilo's already short-temper got exponentially shorter and cursed him out every now and again, he remained implanted firmly at her side. The rogue wasn't sure on what to do, how to help, how to soothe her pain. At least, he was there in case anything went wrong. He'd be the first responder, Ichtaca would climb over a mountain if it meant finding an herb that could help his friend out during such an intense moment in her life.

Relievingly enough, it hadn't taken all that long. One of the faster deliveries, is what the healer claimed. Loud mews filled the den soon after, piercing to the ear. No matter! At least, they were strong and healthy judging from the loud noise. Ichtaca hesitated to look eyes with the bundle of fur. Admittedly, the feline had looked away throughout the whole delivery, looking at the ground or at his paws when they weren't set on Mlilo herself. And now, their cub was here. This meant everything.

There was a ringing in Ichtaca's ear, high pitched and daunting alongside the mews of his cub. He knew he'd have to see the little cub eventually but honestly? He was afraid. Afraid not of the cub but afraid of the future that he had cursed the little innocent thing in going through. By merely carrying his blood, this cub would have selfish Gods watching over them, no matter what gender they were or identified later in life. No matter their looks or beliefs.

He cursed himself out in his head, Ichtaca could feel himself shaking at this point. All because of his lack of composure, because he was overwhelmed with feeling understood. His eyes lingered over to Mlilo, she had been entirely quiet. Her head was slightly lowered, eyes fixated on the little figure. It seemed that she was almost memorized, the world around her had disappeared.

Oh, the things he had put her through as well. Having to deliver a cub during illness? Ichtaca couldn't fathom his own selfishness, it formed into a sour knot in his throat.

"It's a lioness."

Ichtaca blinked at the sudden voice, it had come from Mlilo who still hadn't moved her gaze from the cub. There was a look of fear settling between her features too at the realization, still, it didn't quite overwhelm the look of astonishment on her face from merely watching the bundle of fur.

The ringing from Ichtaca's ears faded. "What?" He'd ask, voice low and quiet, almost breathless. All that he got from response was a slow nod from the lioness.

A shocked breath escaped him, strained and shaky, almost as if he was on the brink of tears. Which fittingly enough, he was. Ruby hues finally lifted from the ground and slowly glided over to the cub. His cub. Their cub.

She was such a small thing, smaller than his own paw. Laying upon a mossy nest on the ground, nose twitching intensely, eyes fully shut, ears fully pinned back. Ichtaca's eyes broadened at the sight, feeling his breath catch in his throat. She seemed to have inherited his duller shade of fur rather than Mlilo's brighter one. Though, she wasn't quite as dark as him. She was a fluffy thing, quite literally a furball if you squinted. With messy, unruly fur. Spiked up as if she felt threatened almost. However, the look of relaxation on her face was one that claimed otherwise.

Before the rogue even knew it, the dampness in his eyes slowly tread downwards, streaming into tears that stained his cheeks. He tried to breathe in but what followed was a trembling hiccup. He too couldn't look away, what a sweet little girl. A perfect mix of both parents, Ichtaca hadn't realized it at the moment but now that she was here, she was exactly what he had envisioned in his head.

Slowly lowering himself to the ground, he was met with a closer sight of her. It seemed that the cub took notice of his presence finally, head slowly raising upwards, nose stuck in the air as it wriggled. A laugh escaped Ichtaca, the tears didn't stop. All of a sudden, he realized that now him and Mlilo were connected in a way that only few understood, only parents understood. There was a light soaring in his chest, simply looking down at this tiny little feline. For the time being, the little furball belonged to him and Mlilo. She wouldn't forever, Ichtaca knew that. She'd grow into a promising lioness, perhaps, following in the paw steps of her mother. Make a name for herself, just as Mlilo was determined to do. This cub was an ambitious one, Ichtaca could tell. After all, she had been born at the crack of dawn, ready to enter the world no matter what anyone else thought about it. Erandi. His mind would immediately call his mother's native language. Erandi, meaning 'dawn'. Oh, what would his mother say if she were here? Ichtaca could almost feel her warmth in this little one, blossoming from her chest.

A smile made it's way across his face, a genuine and bright one. It would have light up the den if the little cub hadn't already done that with her mere presence. His worries had slipped away as soon as he locked eyes with the spotted cub, faded into nothingness. The weight on his shoulders lessened, become a thing of the past, light and graceful. Even his initial worries, the belief of his tainted bloodline couldn't bring him down at this moment. For the first time in his life, Ichtaca had fallen in love in a way he hadn't before. Waves of warmth exceeded from him, his heart almost seemed to hurt with the newfound adoration he felt by simply looking down at this mewling cub.

For a moment, fatherhood didn't seem so scary anymore.

----

Ichtaca is officially a father! I never thought he'd get this far honestly, this is the first time any of my ARPG characters have had children before. I had one in an old ARPG called Vita-Impilo who was supposed to have cubs with this tiger but the group shut down before that could happen. Either way, I'm super happy for these two! I'm sure there will be lots of angst soon enough but as of now, take some wholesome content of this new family. Ichtaca and Mlilo have decided to take a co-parenting approach with their new cub, Erandi, since they aren't mates and don't feel any romantic feelings towards each other to actually become mates. Still, their cub will be very loved! Problem is, both Ichtaca and Mlilo are reserved felines who keep their emotions to themselves. Ichtaca is working on this but it's a habit I doubt he'll fully break.

Believe it or not, he'll be a lot softer and kinder when it comes to parenting than Mlilo. Mlilo is going to be tougher and stricter, especially since their cub is female. Mlilo has a fear of having female cubs, similar to how Ichtaca has a fear of having male cubs. This'll likely reflect more in Mlilo's parenting style as well, however, she's not cruel by any means! She provides a lot of the stability and routine a cub needs, Ichtaca is there to offer the emotional support that a cub needs. They are first time parents so they'll likely make a lot of mistakes along the way, similarly to how after the adrenaline dies down, Ichtaca will start seeing clearly again and grow distant from Erandi. Of course, he'll snap out of this but will it be too late for Erandi to forgive? We'll see!

Overall, very excited for this new chapter in Ichtaca's life. He's going to be a complete pushover when it comes to this cub since he's always wanted a daughter LMAO.

Also, take a look at those poses! No, they're not like that because I'm incredibly uneducated in anatomy or anything like that. Ichtaca is significantly distant from the cub and he's standing tall and proud, just barely moving his head down to look at the cub. It's to show that he's so unsure about fatherhood and has no idea on what to do that he doesn't even know how to greet his own daughter properly. He's just.. Standing there. Sure, he's definitely happy but he doesn't know how to approach her. Mlilo is also far away from Erandi too, to show her inexperience in being a mother and due to naturally not being stereotypically 'nurturing' like 'most lionesses' typically are. She's also got a more hardened look on her face compared to Ichtaca. She's smiling at the cub softly, not able to quite help herself, but she looks almost guarded in a way, to reference her fear of having daughters.

Yes, I'm a nerd. If you read all of this, you're really dope!

----

Art Overall:

Clean Lines - 15 AF
2x Halfbody - 40 AF
1x Fullbody - 30 AF
Color - 10 AF
Total: 95 AF

Short Story Overall:
1,366 Words - 98 AF
Total: 98 AF

Grand Total:
193 AF

----

Credits:
Ichtaca (c) adamant101 / adamant202
Mlilo (c) SouredSkull
Erandi (c) SBHIllustrates
Background (c) Disney & LionGuardKujenga