[PRP] A Night to Ourselves (Kione & Afya)

[MangoMeow]

He could feel a headache coming on now that the scare was over. After that fail of a date, the two had high-tailed it straight back to the main hub of the pride before finally stopping. Luckily, it looked like the wisps had given up their chase, though Kione's back still kept twitching from the idea. Great, it'd be ages before he felt like there wasn't something on his back now. He would be cleaning it constantly in the meantime.

In fact, that's what he very suddenly started down right then, as he leaned back to swipe his tongue along his spine. It did little to ease his unease, but at least it was a little less dirty. Dust and dirt had collected there after he had tried scraping the lights off of his back.

Now that the threat had passed though, they were left with no date and cubs that were going to spend the night with Nyarai.

With a sigh, Kione glanced over at Afya, "Well, now what?" It seemed a shame to let their kid-less night go to waste, but there was no way they were heading back out there.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

She had checked over her shoulder occasionally to make sure that Kione was still on her tail. Afya was smaller and much more swift than her larger mate, and while she was tempted to leave him for dead she did not actually want to lose him. He was too much of a treasure trove for torment and games, and Afya so enjoyed playing with him. He could be aggravating and frustrating, but he was also something she felt she needed. Naturally, she would not tell Kione any of this face-to-face. She would not allow him that satisfaction.

They made it back to the heart of the pride, breathless and with nerves unsettled. Afya turned her head to look back over her shoulder, the bone chime twined in her hair swinging against her neck. There her eyes settled upon her mate, desperately trying to clean the dirt from his pale coat. It was a fruitless endeavor with a pelt like his. "Well, the kids will be away from home for a while." At least the den would be empty for the evening, so their date night could be salvaged.

If Afya managed to shake off her nerves, they could make something of the night. "What were those things, though? I couldn't touch them, could barely even feel them... but they spoke to me," Afya visibly grimaced, showing a weakness to Kione that she rarely allowed anyone to witness. "I couldn't understand what they were saying, but it was a language and it seemed to have purpose." Afya was creeped out, and she definitely didn't want to run into those things again. What if they spread throughout the pride's territory? Some of her children (Miniya) would be scared out of their mind.

MangoMeow

 

[MangoMeow]

Kione didn't lift his head up at first, only letting out a snort and muttering, "Yeah, we'll at least have an empty den to look forward to." He wondered idly if they could salvage this date night by just spending it at home. He certainly wouldn't mind it -- he loved staying at home -- but he imagined that Afya would probably rather go out and do something... provided they didn't get ambushed by wisps again.

At her next words though, he finally raised his gaze up to look at her, ear flicking contemplatively at the grimace before he frowned. It truly had been a very unsettling night, but he couldn't imagine hearing those things as well. At least they'd stayed silent for him, though he could have gone without them attaching themselves to his back too.

"I'm not sure. Whatever they want, I can't imagine it's good." He gave himself a shake, and then turned a questioning look at his mate, "Do you think we should warm anyone, like the Onyeisi?" He wasn't terribly fond of the idea of letting anyone else know of their failed date, but they could always bend the truth a little to leave that bit out.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

Afya was the type of lioness that could not stand being idle. She always had to have her paws in something or her mind set to a task. If Kione thought he'd ever be able to get away with a lazy night of cuddling in the den, he was sorely mistaken. While she was no stranger to affection, Afya was not the most adept at displaying it. The only chance he had of her letting down her walls was when the cubs and everyone else were not around. Otherwise, the lioness was too guarded and too distracted by the world around her. "I can say it is a relief that they're not home," she mused aloud. She did not want to have to explain to their children why Kione and herself had returned home early.

They were brats, they'd figure something was up.

"They didn't feel..." she paused, reconsidering her words. The wisps did not feel malicious, but they had undoubtedly frightened her. If they were not dangerous things, then why had she been so frightened by them?

Afya shook away the chill that had crept up her spine, and turned an uncharacteristically apprehensive look onto her mate. "It would be a good idea to let someone know what we've seen, but I don't like the idea of giving information when it's so incomplete. We don't know what they are, what they are doing here, or what they want. The last thing I want the pride thinking is that I've lost my damned mind."

The dark lioness would suffer no slight to her character. Their adventure had been unsettling, and she had not acted in a way that painted her in the best light. However, she valued the safety of her home over her pride. It could withstand an injury or two. "Honestly, do you want to take a detour from our evening to go wake up the Onyeisi at this hour? We could talk to the Amusu, too, if need be."

MangoMeow

 

[MangoMeow]

She was right about that - the last thing he wanted was everyone thinking he was crazy on top of being a hermit. Not that he was against the notion of being a hermit, but the crazy part was going too far. He visibly cringed at the idea of waking up the Onyeisi at this time of night, though it would be preferable to waking up the pride itself. Addressing the problem to the Amusu was also tempting, but more because they were less likely to spread it around.

No.... the obvious answer was to tell Itiri about this... but that didn't mean he particularly wanted to.

So of course he answered with, "No, not really. I'd rather just go home." Hey, it was worth a shot putting the suggestion out there. "Or just... anything but talking about it to anyone else." Kione threw a look around them, "Maybe it was a fluke. Another section of the pride lands might be better for us to venture down." He was trying to ignore the obvious problem now, something that was characteristic of him when it came to being social with anyone.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

Afya's ears flicked back as she considered her mate's words. It would be the correct thing to bring it to Itiri's attention, though she silently hoped that they were not the first to see the strange lights. In consideration of Kione (for once in her life), she nodded her head after a few long moments of uncomfortable silence. "Then let's go home," she told him with an effortless shrug of her shoulders. It would be better to take the night to compose her thoughts and then bring it to someone's attention in the morning.

Right now she was frazzled, and she needed badly to unwind in the safety and comfort of her den. Their cubs were gone, and she would not see another moment of silence again for a long while. Afya liked to be busy, but being a parent was more than just busy, it was exhausting. "I do not think if we were to approach anyone that I would be able to explain what we saw. It's not that they wouldn't believe me," she shot her mate an accusatory look as if he were the one they wouldn't believe. "It is just that I don't want to make things into more of a mess."

Looking back, it seemed too weird to be true. Had she eaten something bad lately, or had she finally grown stressed enough to snap? These doubts were not something she'd share with Kione, out of pride alone.

MangoMeow

 

[MangoMeow]

Kione's face visibly brightened at the mention of going home. Thank the ancestors! Home was a much nicer prospect that going out and encountering, well, either the wisps or other people. He'd much rather just curl up together in their den.

... Not that he'd ever admit that last part to her. They both had an image to uphold, after all.

The pale lion nodded slowly at that, ignoring the look she'd thrown him. That was about on par with how she acted. Instead, a frown grew on his face as he considered that. "With how the pride is right now, it wouldn't surprise me if it gets blown out of proportion." His lip pulled up, "I would hope they know better than to try and claim either of us are crazy though." Both were known for their tempers, and neither were against swatting someone for it.

He clucked his tongue, "Still, this is a problem for later. Let's enjoy the rest of our evening."

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

"I just can't wrap my head around it," she admitted with a soft, frustrated growl. Admitting even that much was a struggle for the dark lioness, even if it was to her mate. Letting those words sink into the air, she lead the way back to their temporarily empty den. She'd have to actually thank Nyarai properly tomorrow for watching over their cubs, because right now she could not deal with a single one of them.

She walked into the den with a relieved sigh, glad to be home and even more glad to see that the wisps had somehow not followed them here. Afya desperately needed to think of something else, however, before she drove herself crazy. "I am not sure this den is going to be able to fit all of us in a couple of months." The children would be grown soon, and their daughters would undoubtedly find mates and move on into another family.

That... didn't exactly make her feel better.

"If we have cubs again, if we have so many I really will contemplate doing horrible and irreversible damage to your body," she warned with a wicked smirk.

MangoMeow

so sorry for the delay I am the worst ; ;

 

[MangoMeow]

Happy that they were finally putting the conversation behind them for the moment, Kione meandered after his mate. He couldn't help the sigh of relief as they entered their den again, the peace and quiet more than welcome.

Her next statement made him snort though. "They're getting too old, I think. They should go out and find their own dens soon." Because if he had to continue cleaning up after them when they were full grown adults, he would smack all of their heads together.

Of course, he balked at Afya's next words, "I have no control over that!" What, did she think he willed it into being? Having only one or two would have been far nicer!

"And like you don't already inflict enough damage already," he continued with a huff.

Krysin