[PRV] Best Mates [Kiji x Ka] (Self-RP)

[n0cturne]

It was a warm and bright day yet again in the Kusini. And yet again, young Nchi'kijini had wandered away from his family and den for a little alone time. He liked stretching out on his back and watching the clouds go by more than rough housing with his siblings. Why couldn't they just understand that? He wasn't being antisocial...he just liked his alone time.

And so the ivory cub twined through the grasses, brilliant vermilion eyes alight. Different bugs hummed their songs, butterflies and dragonflies flitted and zoomed over the tall golden grasses. It was a perfect day in Kiji's opinion.

Coming upon one of his favorite flat boulders, Kiji bounded up with ease (aided somewhat by his already large build). He stretched out on his back, turning his red eyes to the blue heavens above. It was so peaceful, watching the clouds roll by like lazy prey beasts, only to drift off into a deep slumber with the sun warming your belly.  

[n0cturne]

It hadn't been that long since little Kahawa and his family had entered the Kusini lands. His father was from here, he had said, but his mother wasn't. That was why they'd been born so far away from here, and that was why they were returning. All in all, Ka found that he liked the golden land. There were cubs everywhere his own age to play with, and plenty of room to have grand adventures. But the memories of wandering were still fresh in his mind - all the different lands, the different rivers. It had all been so amazing. Ka thought, when he grew older, that he might just take another journey to the outside world again.

But today, he was satisfied with trotting along on his own. He'd woken up a bit before the rest of his siblings, and so, with a quick kiss to his mum, he'd set out on a bit of exploration on his own. Of course, he got distracted along the way, chasing butterflies or scrambling after a wayward field mouse. Soon, he found himself nose to nose with a large boulder, having stalked a rather large beetle in this direction.

Turning his yellow eyes upward, he tilted his head to the side. There was...breathing coming from somewhere. The rock couldn't possibly be...breathing, could it? Eyes wide, he reached out and poked the rock. Nothing happened. Unsheathing his tiny cub claws, he scratched lightly at the surface of the rock. What a strange creature it was, all rock-like but breathing.  

[n0cturne]

Kiji had just been about to drift into a peaceful oblivion when he heard it. Skrit-skrit-skrit. Like tiny nails on a rough surface. The noise was followed by a shiny armored beetle, scuttling as fast as its little legs could carry it right onto Kiji's belly. Eyes wide, he shoved the insect off of him gently and rolled onto his belly. What in the world was that?

Silently, he slithered his way across the rock's flat surface inch by inch until he was just close enough to the edge to poke his nose over. He smelled lion, cub at that, but that wasn't out of the ordinary. The land was overwhelmed the scent of the young. Crawling forward just a bit more, he peered over the edge of the boulder to the ground.

It was a cub! One he didn't recognize straight off, but a cub nonetheless. But...the other male was scratching at the boulder and looking thoroughly consternated. What an odd thing to do. Tilting his head to the side, Kiji raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" he said.  

[n0cturne]

Ka didn't notice the slight shuffling sounds above him, or the eyes peering down at him. He didn't even notice that the slow, rhythmic had stopped some time ago. All he was concerned with was seeing why this large, gray creature didn't move even when he poked and prodded it. It couldn't be just a simple boulder. It had breathed! Brow wrinkled in confusion, he kept slapping at the rough, sharp surface with his already-large paw.

Then it spoke. He jumped back quickly, a yelp on his lips before he could stop it. His yellow eyes frantic, he looked all over the creature for its head (he assumed it would still talk from a mouth, despite looking like a boulder), and instead found...a cub on top of the rock. His heart racing and his lungs gasping, he quickly sat his rump down on the ground, blinking at the ivory cub staring down at him.

He blushed deeply underneath his fur. So it was...a rock. He wanted to laugh at himself and hide himself with embarrassment all at the same time. He opted to simply cover for himself instead. "I was...sharpening my claws?" he said, his voice shaking somewhat from his previous adrenaline rush.  

[n0cturne]

Kiji chuckled at the darker cub, propping his head on his paws as he gazed down at him. He was an awfully amusing one, falling all over himself like that. It was almost as if his slight bit of bulk made him clumsier. Kiji had learned to work with his (though his was already beginning to develop into muscle - he could feel the growing pains), and seemed to move almost effortlessly, despite his age and size.

Swinging his tail over his back lazily, he tilted his head to the size, a smile in his red eyes. "That's an awfully odd way to sharpen your claws," he said, a hint of a laugh in his voice.

He inhaled deeply. This cub had the scent of the Kusini all over him, and seemed vaguely familiar, but Kiji just couldn't place him. "Who are you?"  

[n0cturne]

Ka picked himself up off the ground slowly, wrinkling his nose at the other cub. It wasn't odd to him! Even though...he hadn't really been sharpening his claws in the first place. But still! He could sharpen his claws any way he wanted to. He shook his fluffy fur out, scattering tiny dust motes in every direction. He was a little on the...plump side. But he was at the age where plump and fluff and being a little rolly polly wasn't a bad thing, but an endearing trait. Ka could only hope that his baby fat would evolve into something much firmer later on in life.

He blinked his yellow eyes up at the ivory cub. "I'm Kahawa. Who're you?"  

[n0cturne]

The other cub was much too far away. Conversations should be comfortable, not with one looking down upon the other. Everyone content and equal. Kiji quickly came to this conclusion and stood, easily gliding down the side of the sizable boulder. Even at such a young age, he moved with an almost reserved, solemn grace. One could imagine how impressive he would be as an adult, with the full blood of the Kusini and Pridelanders running in his veins. There was no way he was going to be small...though some of his brothers were displaying that trait.

Paws finally hitting the earth once more, he paced forward a a few steps before plopping his rump on the ground. "I'm Nchi'kijini," he said, a warm smile on his masked face. "Who are your parents?" It was a question Kiji frequently asked cubs he ran into. He was determined to know the relations of every lion in the pride, and had often chatted about it with his mother and father. He wanted to know every member of his family, no matter how small the relation.  

[n0cturne]

Though Ka only had Kusini blood in him, his size was nothing to shake a stick at. Fluffy he was, but one day he'd be quite the impressive lion. Yet at the moment, the charcoal cub was simply envious of the way the ivory male moved. Why was the other so lucky, and he doomed to stumbling all over himself constantly? True, he thought he was a bit younger than the other cub, but it still simply wasn't fair!

Pulling his caramel-tipped tail between his paws, he stroked the bit of fluffy on the end of it. His parents? He had to think a moment, looking for their names. He'd only called them mother and father, but he'd overheard some of the other pride members addressing his parents by something different. "Kenai is my father, and Ayo is my mother," he said slowly, a small grin forming on his face at succeeding in remebering. "Why?" he said curiously, tilting his head to the side.  

[n0cturne]

Kiji wrinkled his nose. Kenai and Ayo. Those names sounded...very familiar indeed. His brow creased, he seemed to be in deep concentration for a few moments before his bright vermilion eyes lit up. That was it! How silly of him not to realize sooner. "Why?" he laughed. "Because we're related."

Kiji cleared his throat, intent on figuring out just exactly what their relationship was. "My parents are Taabu and Nyunya. My grandparents are Syeira and Uumikaji. Your father, Kenai, is my grandmother's brother." Now this was were things got complicated. "So...that makes you and my father first cousins, which means we're second cousins. Or at least, I think that's how it goes," he chuckled, his eyes nearly closing with the width of his grin.

"Which means we should be friends. Best mates even!" he said excitedly, his tail swishing back and forth behind rapidly, almost like a canine's. He'd met quite a few of his similarly-aged relatives in the pride, but there almost seemed to be an instant connection between the two opposite-colored cubs.  

[n0cturne]

Ka simply blinked at Kiji during his miniature speech. He was a cub more suited for the simple side of things. He didn't bother with specific relation titles - all he was concerned with is that he'd finally run into someone connected to him through the complicated web of Kusini family. Kiji's smile was contagious, however, and Ka soon found himself grinning up a storm as well. He felt at ease around the lighter-colored cub, and they both seemed rather similar in mind, if not in thought process. "We should!" Ka laughed in return, reaching out to paw at the other cub.

- - - - - - - - - -

{time skip - 'cause I can in my own rp ;D}

The two cubs amused themselves for hours, playing tag, stalking various insects, and wrestling with one another. In the span of a few hours, the two were as close as peas in a pod.

- - - - - - - - - -

Ka flopped down on the golden grass, blinking up at the slowly darkening sky. He was exhausted. He hadn't played so hard in..well...ever. Grinning like a fool, he turned his head to the cub sprawled beside him. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  

[n0cturne]

Kiji, a chuckled still on his lips, flopped down on his belly beside his new best friend. He yawned widely, casting a glance up at the reddening sky. He hadn't realized they'd played for so long. It was almost time for him to head home, though he was most reluctant to leave his new companion. He'd finally found someone just as big as him to roughhouse with and not have to be concerned about hurting them.

As Ka spoke, Kiji rolled over on his side, looking at him sideways. "Me? I'm going to be a Usare'wasii like my father and brother. They're kind of like the guardians of the Kusini." The poor cub was a little naive when it came to the title of Usare, or what it truly entailed. But his father and brother had done nothing but encourage him since the day he'd announced his decision.

Kiji turned his gaze to the sky. "Mother says I have to leave, though. Not for too long...but it has to do with training. I'm a little scared, though. I like it here." A small frown, for once, pulled down the corners of his maw. "You've been outside the borders before, Ka, right? Would you...maybe...come with me when I leave?"  

[n0cturne]

"Ooh," Ka said, a little awestruck. What Kiji wanted to be sounded so honorable, so dedicated. It almost made him feel bad that that he didn't have such a deep connection to the land and the lions around him. Perhaps it had something to do with being born outside the pride and wandering for a good bit of time before arriving. But he knew, deep down, that Kiji would never judge him. "I think...I want to be a traveler. I like it here, but its do different beyond the borders, you know?"

Then, as Kiji made his suggestion, Ka's yellow eyes lit up. It was...perfect. He could travel to his heart's content, and also help Kiji on his training journey (at least for part of the way). He grinned at the white cub. "Of course I'll go with you. If you got lost, I'd lose my best friend." He reached out his paw, planting the large appendage reassuringly on the other's shoulder.  

[n0cturne]

Kiji laughed in relief, turning his eyes back up to the sky. He didn't know if any of his brothers would be making the journey with him, but now he at least definitely had someone to travel with. As much as he liked wandering off on his own for long periods of time, he didn't like to be completely alone. Besides, Ka's knowledge of the outside world, even if it was minimal, was better than having no knowledge at all.

Another yawn soon came, and Kiji rolled to his paws, stretching. He was almost sure he'd be sore from all the pay today. "I had better be heading back my den," he said. He didn't really have a curfew, but he didn't want to miss dinner at any rate. And, admittedly, he was exhausted.

"Meet me by the boulder same time tomorrow?" He knew he didn't even have to wait for a reply. Ka would be there. Grinning, he nudged his new friend affectionately and started off at a slow walk back towards his family's den.  

[n0cturne]

It was true that Ka really didn't have that much knowledge of the outside, but what little he did know must count for something. At least to someone who had never gone beyond a pride border before. He was thrilled to be able to help Kiji, and already found himself becoming extremely dedicated to his new friend.

A responding yawn forced its way out of the dark cub was well, and he stretched his legs up towards the sky. He was so tired. And hungry too. He rubbed his belly lightly, pondering what his parents would have for dinner back at the den.

Ka turned his head as Kiji stood, nodding. "Me too," he said as he wobbled to a standing position. His legs felt almost like putty from all the running this afternoon. Grinning back, Ka nipped at Kiji. "Sure," he said, and automatically knew that Kiji would be there no matter what. With a muted "bye", Ka turned in the direction of his den and began the long trek home.  

[n0cturne]

- - END - -

heart