[PRV] Meditation [Kiji x Kizuka]

[n0cturne]

It was a peaceful, quiet afternoon. The Kusini lands were bathed in the pale pink light leaking from behind fluffy clouds. It was getting close to evening, and while most cubs were dutifully at home preparing to go to sleep for the night, Nchi'Kijini wasn't.

Earlier in the day, Kiji had snuck away from his family's den for a bit of exploring. He was young still, but he knew that these lands were well secure, and most he'd have to worry about is an adult sending him back to this mother. Weaving through grasses that were much taller than him, the small cub found himself slowly climbing upwards until he reached the crest of a small hill. The grass was shorted there - short enough for him to see over at least. He had sat himself down in the most relaxed position he could manage, and tilted his head back to gaze up at the blue sky and the shapes in the clouds. It wasn't long before his eyes fluttered closed, a small smile on his muzzle, and he drifted into a pleasant oblivion. Of course, he was aware of every breeze and bird chirp in the area, but it someone spoke to him, he would most likely not hear a word of it.

And Kiji was still there, though the sun had long since begun its descent towards a peaceful sleep. He hadn't even noticed the change in light through his closed eyelids, and he probably wouldn't until someone disturbed him. Or if his mother came out hunting for him, in which case he would get no warning except a cuff over the ears and a sharp word about running off without telling anyone.  

[~Masamune~]

Much like Kiji, Kizuka had wandered from her family's den during the day to do a bit of exploring. As one of the daughters of the King and Queen of the Kusini, she felt as though it was her duty to get to know the lands and all those that inhabited it as well as possible. Despite the fact that she wasn't the heir to her parents' throne, the cub took her Princess status quite seriously. She walked with her head held high, a proud aura radiating from her constantly. If she were a bit older, the way she carried herself could almost be seen as arrogance, but because she was still a cub it was somewhat charming.

As she made her way up yet another hill, she spotted what looked like a fellow cub sat on top of it. There certainly were a lot of cubs currently in the Kusini lands, and Princess Kizuka felt it her duty to meet and greet as many as possible. When she reached the top of the hill, she realised that the day had disappeared completely, and night was now upon them. She should probably head home soon, so as not to worry her parents. But first, she needed to build bridges with her 'subjects'. "Hello." She said with a smile as she peered at the male cub who seemed to be sleeping, despite the fact that he was in an upright position.  

[n0cturne]

Kiji didn't hear the voice at first. His mind was currently soaring over faraway treetops and napping amongst the clouds. A happy sigh escaped his small, fluffy body, and his muscles seemed to almost melt beneath his ivory pelt. It was then that a voice echoed through his oblivion. The words were unclear at first, but as Kiji slipped away from his "nirvana", and his blood-red eyes blinked open, it was definitely clear.

He gazed at the silver and white cute with the same silly grin on his face, but soon turned his attention to the sky. It was dark. How strange. His mother would be horribly upset with him. Turning back to the cub, he replaced his blissfully happy smile with a genuinely nice one. "Hello," he said in his calm, placid voice. Yet, as he peered closer, she seemed vaguely familiar. Kiji had sat down with his mother one afternoon and had gone over every relation in the Kusini lands. Kiji had been startled at how many close and distant family members he had within the pride. His eyes brightened as he sifted through all the cubs until he found the name that fit her description. "I'm Nchi'Kijini," he said. "And you're Princess Kizuka."  

[~Masamune~]

Kizuka could barely hide her joy at the fact that this male knew who she was. Princess Kizuka certainly sounded much better coming from a complete stranger than it did from someone she already knew or had been introduced to. "That's right!" She purred proudly, her tail flicking excitedly from side to side. "Pleased to meet you Nchi'kijini!"

It was quite unlike the proud Princess to get so excited, so she soon calmed herself and cleared her throat authoritatively. She then sat down in front of Nchi in the most graceful way she could manage. Kizuka had been told by her parents that many members of the Kusini were related, so she wondered if Nchi was a relation. He might be, considering he knew of her status. "Who are your parents?" Saying that, she tilted her head to the side, curious as to what his answer would be.  

[n0cturne]

Kiji's blood red eyes watched the other cub, a slow smile forming on his muzzle at her excitement. The ivory cub truly enjoyed seeing those around him happy, and intended to do everything possible to keep up the spirits of those in his company. "And it's nice to meet you as well," he said, bowing his head. He knew she was family, but that still didn't change the fact that those of the immediate royalty should be treated with respect.

"Taabu is my father, and Nyunya is my mother. My grandmother is your father's sister," he said proudly as he rattled off his list. He could go on and on, but he figured not many other cubs were as interested in the family tree as he was.

"If I may ask, Princess Kizuka, what are you doing out here so late?" He said, tilting his own head in curiosity. Most cubs would be safely tucked away in their family dens by now, just as he should be as well.  

[~Masamune~]

"Ooooh." Kizuka was very impressed that Nchi knew exactly how they were related, although it did make her feel slightly embarassed that she didn't have the same level of knowledge. At his next question, her proud aura grew somewhat. "Since I'm a Princess, I'm allowed to go out whenever I want." In reality, that wasn't true. The cub had simply been exploring the lands and night had arrived unexpectedly. Where she was concerned though, any opportunity to make herself seem more special than she actually was was worth taking.

"How about you? Surely you're not allowed out at night are you?"  

[n0cturne]

Kiji never expected anyone to sound impressed with his knowledge, and he fluffed himself up a bit at the other cub's praise. The ivory boy, even at such a young age, knew his soul belong in the golden Kusini lands, and he intended to know all there was to know about everything and everyone within their borders.

"That must be nice. My mother doesn't usually let us wander too far, but I always seem to find a way to slip off for an hour or two," he chuckled, eyes wrinkling closed with the width of his cheery grin. "I'll probably be fussed at when I return home, but mother and father don't seem to worry as much about me since I'm so much bigger than the rest of my littermates," he said, puffing his already sizable chest out. One would expect that someone of such size already would be clumsy at this age, but Kiji, oddly enough, was a very graceful little lion.

He rose to his mud-tinted paws slowly, blinking up at the velvet purple heavens. "But, since it is so late, Princess, would you like an escort back to your den?" It was a simple question to Kiji, who firmly believed in politeness and properness. He knew the land was safe, but it was still a nice gesture...since she was a princess and all.  

[~Masamune~]

Nchi'kijini did indeed look bigger than the average cub. Her brothers from her own litter had never been that big when they were that age, but they had grown somewhat since then. Kizuka however was a tad on the small side, although she never let it show as it didn't actually bother her. She would rather be small and graceful than large and clumsy.

At Nchi's next question, Kizuka looked momentarily shocked before a huge smile returned to her face. "I'd like that very much." She replied, managing to keep her excitement and proudness in check. She wondered if she could get Nchi to be her escort on a permanant basis, and if he could maybe be her bodyguard when she was older. That would completely enforce her royal status, and she loved the idea of that.  

[n0cturne]

Kiji never seemed to question his brothers' size, and never let them know that he noticed. He simply played with them a little less roughly than he would of someone his own size - though he still put in all the necessary play growls and heavy swats that caused his mother to snap at them for playing too roughly. He even let them win sometimes, so they wouldn't feel so bad. Kiji was just sympathetic like that.

Grinning at her, Kiji backed up a few steps in order to let Kizuka take the lead. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it properly, and that would mean letting the silver cub walk a scant bit in front of him.

In truth, Kiji would make an excellent bodyguard, and it was to a similar position that he would strive for. He intended to become Usare'wasii like his father and older brother. He didn't know the full extent of their job, or what it truly meant, but he did know it had something to do with protection. For all he knew at this stage in his life, it really could mean a simple role as a bodyguard.

Blinking, the ivory cub realized something as he paws itched to be on their way. "Um...where if your den, exactly?" he said quietly, almost sounding a bit embarrassed that he had no idea where the royal family slept.  

[~Masamune~]

(( gonk I'm really sorry fot the long wait. ))

Kizuka happily took the lead, although she was careful not to walk too far ahead. She could be a bit of a snob at times, but she rarely behaved in a rude or disrespectful manner. Her way of showing this was to allow Kiji to walk almost beside her, with her only walking a little ahead so that she could lead the way.

"It's just over there." She said, motioning towards the horizon. The Royal family den was one of the biggest in the Kusini lands, so it was quite easy to spot when you looked for it in the right direction. "I'll lead the way." Saying that, she began to make her way in the direction of the den, watching Kiji through the corner of her eye to check that he was still with her.  

[n0cturne]

{it's fine x3}

Kiji padded along happily beside Kizuka, his vermilion eyes wide and bright. In truth, he probably wouldn't have noticed if she walked directly in front of him, nor would he have minded. Kiji wasn't the most observant of cubs to begin with.

"Wow," he said softly, looking toward the royal den. He was a little shocked that he'd never noticed such a large feature on the land before, or moreso, recognized it for what it was. He'd always thought it was a small hill. "You live there?" he said, voice incredulous.  

[~Masamune~]

Kizuka nodded proudly, before turning her head to get a better look at Kiji as he walked beside her. "Where do you live? It's not too far from my den is it?" Although she was quite sure that her new bodyguard could take care of himself, she didn't want to get into trouble for making him walk all the way over to the royal den when his own den is on the other side of the Kusini lands. At least if it was nearby, he could run straight home after saying goodbye to her.  

[n0cturne]

The young ivory cub shook his head. "Not far," he said, motioning with his nose to a much smaller den, but not too terribly far away. His family did have royal blood in it, if not so much as Kizuka. The current king was his great-uncle after all. "I live there with my parents and my litter mates, and a few of my older siblings too. But I think some of them are moving out soon. It's starting to get a little cramped in there," he laughed softly.

Not that he would run home, anyway. Kiji wasn't one to make haste in most situations, and the most punishment he could look forward to was perhaps a slightly strong word from his mother. Everyone knew the Kusini lands were perfectly safe for a cub at night, and with Kiji's size, he was less likely to be picked on by others.

{I think we can finish this up in like...1 or 2 more posts? <3}  

[~Masamune~]

Kizuka smiled and nodded, relieved that Kiji didn't live too far away. "That's good." She grinned. "If you're going to be my escort on a permanent bases, I shouldn't have to go far to call on you." The little grey cub believed she knew exactly what rights and privaliges a Princess should have, and this was one of them, despite the fact that she had never thought about it before.

They weren't far from the dens now, so she slowed her pace a little. Although she had said earlier that she was allowed to go out whenever she wanted, the fact that that wasn't true was starting to weigh on her mind. She hoped her parents wouldn't be too angry or upset with her.

When they reached the dens, she turned to Kiji and grinned. "I have to say, you've served me well." Her tone of voice was all uppity again. "Thanks!" With that, she turned and tip-toed the rest of the way into her family's den.

(( Finished! ))