There she was.
No longer a lanky, somewhat scrappy cub, Kipaku'penzi had finally grown into a rather large and slender lioness whose curvature and figure bore both strength and beauty. She was a spitting image of her father save for the countless spots that speckled her fur, a trait from her mother. Bluest forget-me-not eyes narrowed slightly as the lioness scrunched her muzzle slightly, tail flicking behind her with a rhythm all its own while the prelude to an early morning all but captivated the skyline. Embedded in scattered, cirrus clouds the sky itself seemed as if it was drenched in a vanilla twilight- stars scattered like wayward fireflies while the night itself began to turn light blue. For a moment it was as if Kip could forget the world she knew although the image of him still remained an unforgettable image, a memory which couldn't be so easily shaken from her mind. As of lately the young adult had almost seemed to stray away from Rin and her father, as well as their cubs, and be lured to someone else who seemed to embrace and engage in her rebellious spirit; someone who made her feel important and even made her feel loved.
Love.
Was that the spell which she had been put under or was this something else. Was this lust? A carnal, impatient desire which had led her astray in believing that this was real? Looking up towards the sky, Kip exhaled deeply while her brows furrowed. She had seen firsthand what impatience and lust could do- her own father had found himself engrossed within another female when Rin had all but vanished without a trace and what good had that brought? Yes, she was the result their rather quick courtship but it was evident that being reckless didn't quite have its benefits now did it? But perhaps this was different, perhaps he wasn't like that.
The more she thought about him chills seemed to run down her spine. He was the sky that she fell through and the view was something that she could easily remember each time she pressed herself against his tapered, messy fur. Even now Kipaku could imagine his heart beating fast when she laid with him, their bodies entangling in a mess of fur and limbs. Their love was true, it just had to be, Kip thought to herself. Had her heart been a compass then surly he would be North and she would risk it all to catch him if he would fall, follow him wherever he'd go, for if her heart was a house he'd be home- there with her. The two of them. Lying there Kipaku'penzi breathed, inhaling a deep breath as even still the scent of him lingered upon her fur. It was intoxicating, invigorating and caused the strangest of feelings to swell inside of her. A smile lightly tug at her maw while a soft laugh escaped from chest. Ah! When was the last time she could relax? That good feeling was stirring inside of her, easing the lioness into a dream-like state while orbs of blue continued to stare up towards the sky. She was on cloud nine. But still the question remained whether this was real or perhaps it was all a misunderstanding although it seemed that the lioness was stubborn in believing that this, this was tangible and more than evident that this was love rather than lust. Although at the back of her mind something seemed to chide her, snapping at her to pull herself together but somewhere its warnings seemed muffled and obscured.
Something else was playing into this or perhaps that something was actually someone.
A somewhat disillusioned, giddy and near lopsided grin stretched across her maw while a deep throttled purr rose from the lioness's throat. Laying there in a heap of fur and limbs, Kip stretched her forepaws outward and flexed her claws.Slowly, she was falling under his spell and the tangled webs were soon to be woven; unknowingly, the past would repeat itself.
This mystery male continued to remain a mystery to both her father and Rin and perhaps it was better left that way. Duzi was protective- never satisfied with any strapping male that she had brought to meet her father and each and every time it seemed that by the end of the night she was left alone. Always alone. That feeling of inevitable loneliness had all but caused the young adult to venture out on her own and keep her potential prospects a secret if only to prevent that all too common end result from creeping up again. But this one- well, as of lately it seemed that she had managed to land quite a catch. He was smart, a little rough around the edges but had a good heart. The compliments that flowed from his maw were like an enchanted melody, a string of words that weaved their way into her heart time and time again. She was his, he was hers. That's all that mattered. It seemed that nothing could go wrong. There was still more than enough time at hand to soak in the moment and take it easy but Kip was tired of waiting- she wanted something else, something more. But even still there laid that thought at the back of her mind that questioned herself whether or not she was moving a bit too fast, falling head over paws and not keeping her guard up. Was she blindly walking into something that would result in a sticky mess?
No. He wasn't like that.
As a gentle breeze seemed to caress against her face, Kipaku'penzi let a broader smile curl upon her maw. He was one of the few that understood her; someone whom she trusted whole heartedly and the simplest thought of a life without him only stirred up a sickly, voided sensation in the pit of her stomach. A life without him was something that she wouldn't consider nor fathom. And if only to make sure of that it would seem that the lioness was convinced that he could not meet her father. It pained her a bit to keep such a secret from him but certainly he wouldn't fully understand. Keeping just one secret from him wouldn't be a crime nor impact her too greatly- besides, it was just this once.
Crimson ears flickered as her tail thumped upon the ground. Yes, just this once and never again. That rebellious desire to do it herself, to do it without his help or approval only solidified the need to prove that she could do it all her own, that she was capable of finding someone who loved her. Then she could make a life for herself- and not be a bother to the father who had seemed to forget about her. Was this the root of her problem? That Duzi had become so engrossed in Rin and his new family? No, she couldn't blame them yet at the same time she felt so ... estranged from them. Perhaps it was time for her to make a life for herself. For a moment the lioness pursed her lips, knitting her brows as she stared out towards the outlines of the deep recesses of jungle. Perhaps this was time, this was her time to live her life as she saw fit. Rising upwards from the stone, cold ground and onto her paws, Kipaku'penzi stood for a moment before looking back to her families territory.
The cogs of his mind began to turn once more leaving the lioness conflicted if only for a moment but before her thoughts could persuade her elsewhere she looked away. She had already made up her mind. Stepping down from off of the large, smoothed rocks, Kipaku began to slowly weave her way towards dense brush.
This was the beginning of something new, this was the dawning of a new future but unfortunately the outlook wasn't as promising as it seemed.
