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 Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:30 am
Ilori shrank back and nodded, smiling a little, "I just... I don't like to cause other lions trouble or anything..." He looked up and smiled and Sepoko, "Don't worry though! We'll get you down I promise! Trees are pretty scary when you get stuck in one!" Though, truth be told, Ilori had never been stuck in a tree before. He just worried about Sepoko, since his mother had said that the older boy was scared of a lot of things.
He was glad that Sepoko's mother wasn't mad at him, and he sort of liked her since she was staying calm when he wasn't... but he did think it was a little mean of her to talk about her son like that in front of someone she had just met. If Ilori had been scared of something, he wouldn't have liked that. Still, she seemed to be cool, and Ilori frankly lacked the ability to dislike anyone really. He just wanted to get Sepoko out of that tree.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:34 pm
Sepoko smiled down as brightly as he could muster at Ilori. He had to admit, he was starting to take a liking to this kid... he reminded Sepoko of himself. "I know what you mean," the juve said softly, but didn't elaborate. Poko himself had always hated causing trouble for anyone. And for some reason, he wasn't really worried any longer. With his mother and the cub here to reassure him, he felt comforted.
That is, until...
"Sepoko, dear... I'm going to need you to jump."
"WHAT!?" Sepoko cried out, his panic born anew. He dug the claws on his three good limbs into the bark, his lame leg still dangling. He couldn't believe what his mother was asking of him.
Lefika continued to smile reassuringly, radiating calm in the face of disaster (honestly, she'd been through much worse). "Don't worry, I'm going to catch you," she told him, enunciating very clearly. "Just let go and I'll catch you on my back." She positioned herself very carefully beneath the tree, making sure she was stationed just so. "Do you trust me?"
For a moment, Sepoko just hung on, glancing nervously back and forth between Ilori and his mother. Finally, he gulped and whispered, "Y... yes..." And he did trust his mother. It was gravity he was worried about.
Lefika nodded once. "Good. Then let go."
Sepoko sighed. He supposed he didn't have much choice. Looking once more to Ilori, he murmured, "Whelp... here goes..." And, relinquishing his grip and closing his eyes tight, he rolled off the branch.
For a split second in mid-air, he had dreadful flashbacks of when he busted his leg.
And then he landed, very neatly, upon his mother's back. "Oof."
Lefika was utterly unfazed by impact. As soon as her son landed, she sat, letting him slide off gently, then announced to both boys present, "There... that wasn't so hard, was it?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:50 pm
Ilori's face brightened the instant that Sepoko was safe, "You're okay!" he grinned then at Lefika, "You're so strong! You're just like my mom, she protects me from stuff all the time," back to Sepoko, "I'm so, so, so, so, so glad you're okay! That must have been so scary! I don't know what I would do if I got stuck all the way up there!"
Now that everything was alright again, Ilori instantly calmed down. Danger, gone. Lions, all safe and accounted for. Everything, good. About summed up his brain process.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:16 pm
((Hee. He's like a little robot. xd "All clear. Requesting damage report."))
Sepoko sighed a little as he flopped onto the ground and smiled bashfully at Ilori. "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay," he murmured. He blushed a little and ran his paw back through his mane. He wasn't used to being fussed over this much. It was new. ...he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.
Feeling rather embarassed about the whole incident and the scene he had caused, the rust-colored juve shuffled a bit closer to his mother.
And Lefika threw a paw over her son and drew him in close, while smirking at the over-excited Ilori. He was cute, she thought. A little too much energy... but a cute kid nonetheless. "Well, that's what a mother's for," Lefika declared confidently. She bent down a bit, to try to get on Ilori's eye-level, and told him. "You're a good kid. And thanks for waking me up..." For a second, she got serious again, "But isn't your mother going to wonder where you are if you aren't with her at sun-up?"
And that's when Sepoko realized it... come sun-up tomorrow, they were leaving this place. Probably for good. And after that, Sepoko didn't know when he'd see this kid again, if ever. Which was a shame. His mother was right... Ilori was a good kid.
Venturing forth from his mother's grasp, Sepoko stood before the younger male and held out a paw. "It's been really great to meet you," he said. "...Even if you did scare me up a tree."
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 7:28 pm
((Lol, yeah, that was what I was thinking))
Ilori blinked and shook his head, "My mom... she doesn't really worry. I'd have to be really missing for a long time for her to start to wonder where I am. She'd come and rescue me if I got in trouble... but... I'd have to be..." he shrugged, "Gone for her to come and look." He smiled at the two other lions, "Don't worry about me. And I'll be quieter when I run around next time. Lions in trees are no good for anyone."
He looked between Lefika and Sepoko and grinned, "I'm sorry for causing trouble, but I guess if I hadn't I wouldn't have met you. And you're both nice," Ilori put his paw in Sepoko's, "I'm really glad to have met you Sepoko, and you Sepoko's mom."
Ilori did like them. They seemed so close, in a different way than he was with his own mother. A sort of protective relationship, while he and his mother just fooled around and did stupid stuff.
"Maybe next time you can scare me instead," Ilori grinned, even though he knew just as well as Sepoko did that they might very well never meet again.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:12 pm
Sepoko couldn't help but frown a little (though his mother behind him still wore her usual blank countenance). The idea of a mother not constantly watching over her son was... concerning to the juve. Though she'd never show it, Sepoko knew that his mother would be fretting and panicking the second she lost track of him... and the knowledge of this was a comfort to him. "Well... thanks..." he murmured in response to Ilori's promise to be quieter. He wasn't sure what to say to the rest. Honestly, he was a bit taken aback. He couldn't help but worry about little Ilori. Sepoko was always worried... about everything.
But the cheery grin on Ilori's face made Sepoko relax, and he decided ultimately that, with the positive attitude this kid had, he really didn't need to worry about him. Smiling back, completely flattered by the compliment, the juve said, "Thank you. Thank you very much."
"A pleasure," purred Lefika, as cool as the silver of her eyes, and she made a little bow to the cub before returning to her place beneath the tree. "You better rest up soon, Sepoko," yawned the lioness as she settled down, starting to fall asleep almost as soon as she hit the ground. "We've got a big day tomorrow."
Sepoko's smile faltered a bit, and he tried not to hang his head. "Yeah... a big day..."
But what Ilori said plastered a big, dumb grin on Sepoko's face, in spite of the dread he felt. Him. Scare someone. Yeah, that'd be the day. "Heh, yeah, maybe," he laughed. And he strained to keep smiling. "My mom's right though... I should rest up soon. I haven't been sleeping well anyway..." Though he didn't much feel like sleeping, and he wasn't sure he wanted to turn away Ilori just yet...
But he couldn't say it.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:43 pm
"I'm not tired," Ilori grinned, jumping up on a nearby fallen log, "If you're not going to sleep any time soon, how about you come and play with me? There are still a bunch of fireflies around. I wonder if I could scare you, and you're bigger than me, if the two of us could scare off all the predators in the area, being so loud." He laughed a little, "I bet we'd be a great team."
He didn't know if Sepoko would stay with him, but Ilori liked him. In a way, he wanted to protect the other cub. Despite his always big dumb grin, Ilori worried a lot. Over almost everyone, but he had learned to copy his mother and hide how much he cared. Being funny and energetic was just his way. And Sepoko... Ilori couldn't say how he knew, but Sepoko needed a friend. Even if Ilori would never see him again, for that night at least, Sepoko would be his friend. And if they did see each other again, then Ilori would still be Sepoko's friend.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 1:16 pm
Sepoko glanced about himself anxiously, head low. He eyed his now sleeping mother and felt a little guilt. "I dunno..." he murmured. "Mom's right, I should get some sleep." But Ilori was right too. He wasn't going to be achieving much lying awake all night, he might as well go out. Besides, maybe if he went running around in the jungle with Ilori awhile... he'd make himself tired. Sighing a bit, he smiled meekly at his little friend and said, "Know what? Okay. Though... I'm afraid I don't make much noise." He chuckled as he hopped up onto his feet and limped up to Ilori's side.
And if Ilori was worried about him, Sepoko was none-the-wiser. Which was probably for the best. The older boy hated to be a cause for distress for anyone around him.
"Well... ready to go when you are... but we probably shouldn't stay out too long," Sepoko announced.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:18 pm
Ilori smiled brightly and nodded, "Okay! Don't worry, we won't stay out too late. Just until we get tired, and then we'll go back to bed." Having company in his firefly chases was a rare thing, but he was excited for it, "First we have to find the fireflies... so we have to be really quiet or they'll fly away before we get close enough to try and grab one."
Iloru was no real master of being quiet, so he rarely caught a firefly, but when he did, he always loved them. So he headed out into the jungle and smiled over his shoulder at Sepoko, "Have you ever seen a firefly up close before?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:57 pm
Sepoko smiled back, warmly, visibly relieved that the cub was in agreement. Although he was still a bit concerned, wondering how long it would take this kid to get tired. He seemed to be oozing energy from the folicles. "Alright," he whispered. "I'm ready when you are. And you don't need to worry about me being loud... I'm not the noisy type." He glanced down a bit, frowned, then amended, "I may stumble a little bit though." He held out his bad leg and shook it as best he can. "Lame leg."
At Ilori's question, Sepoko withdrew a little, cringing. The idea of it revolted him a little, and he couldn't help but react. God... he was like Ruka. What's with all these other kids and liking bugs? "I, um, I've tried to avoid it," he admitted. "I mean, yeah, they're pretty from a distance but... I just don't like bugs." He shrugged. "But... I'll stomach it for now if it gives us something to do." He took a few careful steps forward. "We ready to go?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:07 pm
"Hum..." Ilori looked at his limp leg and smiled, "It's okay, We can still play. Don't let a limp bring you down, there's still plenty that you can do." Then he thought a bit about the fireflies, "Okay... hold on, I'll show you why. I don't like bugs much either... but... just hold on a second, you'll see. You don't really get it until you've seen them up close... okay... I have to be really quiet..."
With that Ilori snuck off, and was suprisingly... actually... silent, which was a first for the cub. Sure, he was lazy... but that was only with work. This was fun! And besides, Sepoko wouldn't get into it unless he knew what made this worth it. So as quickly, but quietly as he could, Ilori found the fireflies he had been chasing earlier and grabbed one, chasing off the others. He put it in his mouth and closed it for a moment, keeping it safe until he ran, this time noisely, back to Sepoko.
He stopped suddenly, skidding in front of Sepoko, holding up his paws to his mouth, opening it to let the firefly go, "Okay, I got one! Now just look inside my paws and you'll see it. It's like a little star, but you can catch it, see? Other bugs are ugly! Well... except butterflies and dragonflies... they're pretty, but fireflies are the best! Just take a look! I promise, you've never seen anything like this, except for way up there in the sky!" Ilori looked thoughtful, "I wonder if fireflies are really stars who just got stuck up in the sky..."
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:07 am
Sepoko smiled, but honestly he still felt a little embarassed. He felt so self conscious about his limp. He'd learned to stagger along pretty well with it, almost at true walking speed, but his brother had still called him "completely useless". Although... Ajabu had called him completely useless even before the limp, so it really ought not to make a difference.
Besides, Ajabu was gone now. Gone along with dad.
"Okay," he murmured in agreement to Ilori's promises and assurances, not feeling particularly wordy. However, when he picked up his head and looked, he caught sight of Ilori sneaking off and gasped. "Wait, where are you going?" he hissed, as close to yelling as he could be without actually being loud. Sepoko was shocked that the cub could move so quickly, but even more shocked that he was leaving. Sepoko, with good reason, had issues with being left behind.
However, he forced himself to stay put for the time being. He didn't want to spoil whatever Ilori was apparently trying so carefully to set up for him. So he waited. And was vastly relieved when Ilori came bounding back.
Until he let the bug out of his mouth and into his paws. Sepoko recoiled in revulsion. "Oh my God, you had that in your mouth?" he asked incredulously. But then he looked, as Ilori reccomended, and marveled at the glow held in his hands. The juve was moved to silence. He hadn't been previously aware that it was possible to hold light.
A quiet whisper of "wow" was all he could manage to voice.
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:15 pm
Ilori smiled brightly, glowing about as brightly as the firefly, "Yeah, it was the only way to carry it without killing it by accident. I was kinda worried that it would fly down my throat... but I think it was about as scared as I was," he said, looking down at the firefly, "I promise, I'll only ever leave you behind if it's for something special like this. I'll stay here until you want to go to bed. And we can catch some fireflies to light our way back!"
Ilori didn't think Sepoko was useless at all. He just needed to get out and have fun! Which Ilori was all too glad to help him with, because he was having a great time. And he liked fireflies. A lot. He was glad that Sepoko liked them too. He always enjoyed sharing new things with other lions.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 12:13 pm
"I bet," Sepoko muttered as he stared down into Ilori's paws at the bug. He must say, he sympathized for the firefly a little. Poko knew he'd be terrified if some great creature sudenly snatched him up and shoved him into it's mouth. He continued to stare at the light but what Ilori had to say next finally distracted Sepoko. A promise? The juve smiled weakly. Promises, in his experience, were made to be broken, but he decided to take it for what it was worth. "Thanks," he said. For everything.
He wasn't sure, however, that he was ready to catch his own firefly. He watched a few little flickering lights dance in and out of the trees and he murmured, "I feel like if I try to grab one of those things I'm going to smush it." He looked pleadingly to the younger boy. "What am I supposed to do?" Ilori was clearly an expert in the area, and Sepoko was always happier being taught than actually trying for himself.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 11:12 pm
"Well..." Ilori looked thoughtful, still smiling as he let the little firefly go, "The first step is to be really quiet... that's what I always have trouble with, but if I try hard enough I always manage to get past that one... but only if I try hard enough..." He stared off at the fireflies, "The second step is to find them, which we've done. Then you can either chase them, or you can sneak up on them. I usually chase them... but I've never caught one that way before."
He smiled and stood up, watching their firefly go, "Then you get up close and you put your paws around them, like this," Ilori held up his paws and showed Sepoko how to cup his paws around a firefly without actually killing it, "It isn't easy, but it's fun, especially if you manage to catch one!" He tilted his head to the side, "If you do it like this, you won't smush them."
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