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 Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:14 pm
Knowing what Kina was planning, Jino took his chance to cut in again and manipulate the situation. He gave the lioness a slight squeeze on the leg and then lifted himself up a bit, using her as something to hold on to.
"Kina did not know, she put a sincere effort into being normal while you were here," he said, "I knew, I saw what was going to happen and I kept my sssilence. But if I had spoken up, would you have taken me seriously?"
Counter-intuitively, Kina was encouraged by the response she got from Rap. He was going to blame them, he could have a scapegoat and move on more easily..
And then Jino interfered and she suddenly knew she'd lost control of the situation. Jino was doing something, he hadn't discussed this with her, he hadn't explained anything to her.. he was not helping her achieve her desired end. And she didn't know how to cut in once he started.
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:20 pm
He growled, turning his eyes to the serpent. To snarl hurt him but it was clear he was not happy.The claws on his forepaws unsheathed as he responded.
"Perhaps I would have." He snorted. "I would have gone alone." But even as he responded he knew in his heart that he had already guessed that he and Hakan would not get out unharmed... Death had always been a possibility, but...but he had fully expected not to get out alive...A selfish thought, perhaps.
"So why didn't you tell her, Jino? Why did you not tell us? I knew you didn't like us being around, but I had no idea your dislike was so deep! You watched us go, knowing what would happen! Are you happy with the outcome? Proud your visions were right? Content in the knowledge that both Kina and I now grieve for a friend?!"
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:30 pm
"Knowing the future isss a tricky thing, as you'll come to find," Jino responded, sounding as frustratingly confident as ever, "You are different now than you were then, you already have it in your mind you could have done something to change it. How you were before, would you have taken seriously when some stranger told you it was dangerousss?"
Kina stared dumbly at the ground as the boys argued, catching the subtler content of what Jino said and realizing what was happening- the urge to fling him off of her nearly overwhelming now.
"Visions of the future are easier to accept if it's something you want to hear, you can't discount your part in what happens to you," she murmured, glancing up, "Even if he told you, he still saw it happen. The circumstances leading up to it might have changed because of the warning but there's no guarantee it would have ending would have changed."
She sighed.
"He didn't say anything because we almost never create change in the lives of those we tell the fortunes of, only guide them towards the inevitable. He was trying to help me-- and help him- have some small joy before his end came."
Suddenly, everything was making a little more sense. She'd been so angry with Jino for not telling her sooner, even knowing what she knew about how he felt about their role in their own fates. She'd been even angrier for not telling her everything once he did speak up.. but this was his own unusual way of being thoughtful
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:42 pm
Rap seemed torn between anger and reluctant agreement. The future was a tricky thing indeed and he certainly didn't envy this pair having the gift of foresight. Life was complicated enough without having that burden you.
Even still, he hated to admit that they were right. If he had gone alone, would Hakan have let him?
"I hate to admit it, snake, but...maybe you're right. I...I could have gone on alone but...Hakan was a warrior. He...he would have followed me. Insisted on it. He wouldn't have believed your premonition. I know that." He felt the grief pull at him again. Hakan had thought himself invincible, he couldn't die until he had done all he had accomplished.
"Besides, blaming you...it won't help. I was already on the path. Nothing would have strayed me from it." He paused and glanced between them. It was clear that his own guilt would not go away from a long time to come.
"So...what happens now? Any visions I should know about?" His question sounded bitter, but he did try to guard the tone...even if he did fail.
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:49 pm
Kina glanced to Jino, a warning in her gaze-- she did not want him to continue just blabbing everything. It might be harder to get rid of him when he wasn't angry at them but it could still be done, couldn't it? Rap did not need to stay here.
Jino did not look at Kina when she tried to threaten him against informing Rap of the rest of the situation, knowing very well the precarious situation he was in at that very moment. He did the smart thing and loosened his grip on Kina's leg, falling to the ground with a soft thump and moving himself somewhere between the two lions.
"Kinagiri is pregnant," he said, "With Hakan's cubsss."
He still wouldn't look at Kina.
"She doesn't want you to know," he added before Kina could argue. She'd be harder to believe now if she tried to claim it was a lie.
As soon as Jino moved away, she knew it was coming and she reached out to grab him, to stop him.. and she hissed when he said it, but she didn't speak up to argue.
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:02 pm
Nothing could have prepared him for what came next. The declaration had his mouth swinging agape and he stared at the snake for a long moment, seeming unable to find a retort - perhaps a first for the normally chatty lion.
"P-pregnant?!" He couldn't stop the stutter of surprise and this time he did stand, his legs shaking but able to hold his bulk for perhaps a moment or two. "Hakan's?" He drew in a loud breath and released it with a disbelieving 'whoosh'.
"Doesn't want...? Why not?" His eyes snapped to her immediately. Accusing, perhaps? He didn't really know or understand why such things were being held back. "Why didn't you want me to know, Kina?" He shook his head, mystified. "You two...you two hurt my head." And he sat, unable to stand any longer.
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:11 pm
Kina felt very bad for Rap. He had come all this way thinking he had to tell her about Hakan, worrying about how she might react to it, blaming himself and so no doubt ready to accept her blaming him.. and now he was dealing with at least as much as she had to deal with after they left, only she'd been given information over days. Jino was springing it all on him now.
"I don't need to see the future to know how you would react," she said, not decidedly ignoring Jino, "I don't want you to think you have to stay with us, you can go live your life as you planned when you were done."
Jino stayed silent this time. There was a very specific reason he had spoken up. He knew exactly how many cubs Kinagiri was going to have, he knew that they would have a better shot with someone else providing for them. She would need help, help that he could not provide. But Rap, when he was healthy again, he would be able to help. He could have spoken to Rap privately but Kina would know he had something to do with it whether or not it was in front of her.
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:16 pm
Rap's mind was made up before Kina even breached the subject about what he had wanted to do with his future. It was true that he had rather fancied finding a pride to join, where he could put his training to use as a warrior. However, he also knew that whilst Hakan was still around, he would not have abandoned him. He would have journeyed for the rest of Hakan's days, no matter what else might have come up.
He owed the dark-pelted lion so much that he could not have even considered leaving him, unless it was what he had wanted him to do.
"My future was set in any case, Kina. I would have stayed with Hakan unless he had told me specifically that he didn't want me around. Maybe he wouldn't have. Perhaps he would have prefered me to go and leave you to start and raise your family. Maybe not. In any case..." He trailed.
"I...I don't want to...to be alone and, well...maybe I can help you? I don't know...perhaps not. Maybe it'll make things worse. But...I think Hakan would have wanted me to stay and...I want to. I do, Kina." It was good of her, he decided, that she wouldn't want to trap him. "Like it or not, we're friends. Family, even. So...unless you really don't want me to stick around, then I will."
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:28 pm
Jino was satisfied with the results, he backed away a bit when Rap started on again, explaining what this meant to him now. His goal was accomplished, he would not need to talk sense into Kina. She wouldn't have the heart to make him go away just because she didn't want to trap him. He didn't doubt she was worried enough about being a mother alone.
His job was done.
Kina shifted uncomfortably as he said how he would want to stay. She did not respond immediately and after a pause, she sighed.
"Rap," she paused again, "I won't make you leave but I won't make you stay, either. I'm sorry, you didn't need to find this all out at once- Jino certainly didn't rush it all out when he told me." She shot the snake a glare.
"You need to rest," she said, pushing her legs back a bit and laying herself down. Maybe now he would have something to occupy his mind and encourage him to help himself get better faster.. but maybe it was too much all at once.
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 5:01 pm
He gave a small shrug, which was quickly followed by a wince and a grunt of pain. "Probably best to...to get it all out into the open." He trailed, letting his gaze fall back to the snake. He didn't understand the creature at all and couldn't quite make out whether Jino was nice or whether he had some other hidden motivation.
"Rest..." He paused, seeming to consider it as if it were something he had not come across before.
"Yes, rest would be...good." He settled himself more comfortably, taking the weight from his shoulder and setting his poor, wounded face across a forepaw. And, with a final look across at her, he could not help but smile despite the pain of the situation.
"They say every grey cloud has a silver lining. I think they were right." And he let his eyes drift closed, though it would be a while before his raging mind would allow him the comfort of sleep.
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