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 Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:56 pm
It wasn't too long ago that he had figured this out, and he was hoping that if he managed to do away with some of his stress he'd start sleeping better. Perhaps his mind would calm down some- enough, perhaps, to where he would have fewer visions. At least, fewer in one night so that he could sleep easier.
So, after a near-sleepless night in the den, he left fairly early in the morning- before anyone else was up, and headed out to search the surrounding area (and perhaps beyond) for a den of his very own.
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 8:18 pm
When they got within view of the den, they arrived just in time to see Habu leaving. Riko stumbled to a stop in his surprise, and squinted out to where Habu was going- he didn't expect anyone else to be awake as early as them!
"Kiwi, look!" he called, and then took off to try to catch up to Bubu before he could get away.
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 11:49 pm
Riko, as Kiwi saw it, was the brains of their two-lion operation. She was the power behind his ideas. That's why it hadn't been shocking when she'd had the bad dream; of a mysterious lion of sorts, and then of nephew Bubu, and of Riko, too. She'd woken up with a start, and instantly sought out her older brother. It was only natural, really. Just as always, he'd had a brilliant idea, and she'd gladly followed; Riko was the smart one, after all! And he had been right, as always. Seeing Bubu was a brilliant idea. Though she normally awoke this early, and thought to herself in the mornings, it was nice to indeed have company on this expidition. And so, early in the morning, Kiwi gleefully bounded after her older brother, literally hopping with each step she took. It took all of her coordination not to flop on top of Riko when he'd stopped, and instead fell to the ground at his sudden verbal outburst. Squinting her eyes in an attempt to see whatever-it-was he had pointed out, Kiwi frantically looked around, and realized precisely what he had been gesturing to. Bubu. And then, he had taken off. Scrambling to her feet as quickly as possible, Kiwi had swiftly bounded after Riko, trying her hardest not to stumble at such a quick speed. Mama did the hunting for them; she certainly wasn't used to running so quickly! Nearly tripping every step of the way, Kiwi sniffled. "B..Brother..! Wait for me, brother!"
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 12:36 pm
Habu would not have noticed his aunt and uncle were nearby if not for Kiwi calling out for Riko to wait for her. As attentive as he intended to be (for he'd have to be to find a good den for himself!) he really wasn't trying that hard right now. It was impossible to miss the sounds of Riko and Kiwi once there were shouting and running, though. He turned around quickly, watching as Riko jogged closer and Kiwi made a valiant effort to keep up.
"What are you two doing here?" he murmured, though certainly not loud enough to hear them. Watching Kiwi stumble, he frowned and turned to head closer to them as well, "Riko- stop and wait for her-"
Riko was too intent on getting over to Habu to realize just how much trouble Kiwi was having keeping up, at least until Habu called out for him to stop and wait. His first reaction was to scowl at being called just Riko, but then he looked back to his sister and almost immediately came to a halt- almost stumbling to the ground himself.
"Sorry!" he called back to Kiwi, and stayed where he was- and when Habu was closer he turned and stuck his tongue out childishly at his nephew, "Bubu, you're supposed to call me Uncle. How many times do I have to remind you?"
Being an uncle was definitely one of the highlights of Riko's young life.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 1:13 pm
From Riko and Bubu's small conversation, it took Kiwi a short bit of time more to finally arrive at where they were, stumbling to a stop and skidding to the ground when she had finally reached her destination. Panting heavily, mentally scolding herself on lack of ability to run, Kiwi took a minute to regain her composure, and finally turned back to Riko and Bubu with a large smile.
"Oh, no, no, it's fine, brother.." she said quietly, breathing still labored by her previous activities. Oh, if ONLY she had worked harder at learning to hunt, as mother had advised..! It certainly would have saved her all of the grief she currently felt. Her smile fading, Kiwi looked up to Bubu's bi-colored eyes, her own filled with worry and concern.
"Bubu... you have bad dreams a lot, don't you? Do dreams ever mean anything?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 1:30 pm
Wahabu smiled down at Riko's scolding him, rolling his eyes a little. He expected that Riko would give him a hard time for that- or, he was not surprised by it even if it was accidental. "Fine, Uncle Riko," he apologized emphatically, "I'm sorry for forgetting the title. But you should have waited- and Aunt Kiwi- you should work on the running a bit." He beamed at his little aunt, not wanting to insult her but he knew that she'd need to improve her running skills if she wanted to be able to hunt or play certain games. There was another reason he felt the need to comment, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly why else he felt it was important.
He was a bit surprised by Kiwi's question about nightmares, and took a seat.
"I do have bad dreams a lot," he nodded, wondering briefly if the same thing was happening to Kiwi- if she could possibly be a seer- "When I was little, my mother told me to pay attention to my dreams, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. Sometimes a dream really is just a dream.."
Habu was unwilling to simply dismiss the possibility that his aunt was having visions, but based on his own experience with it he wouldn't say outright to ignore it at all.
"Did you have a bad dream? Anything happen recently that might have brought it on?" he asked.
Riko was not happy to see nephew Bubu roll his eyes, but was pleased to hear the older lion apologize and call him Uncle- just like he should. Now that that was taken care of, Riko was content to let Kiwi ask her questions- mostly because she got to it before he could do it. He didn't anything to add, but instead focussed on what Wahabu said about dreams. It was a ridiculous idea, in his opinion, to pay too much attention to your nightmares- it wasn't real, mama had always said that. But Habu was the one who seemed to know the most about it.
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Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 8:16 pm
At the would-be advice on her running, if Kiwi was not such a sensitive soul, the young lioness ducked her head in shame, very well knowing the fact already. Nodding solemnly, she bit her lower lip in an attempt to fight her tears back. No, no, she couldn't cry in front of Riko and Bubu. That wasn't right; she did need to toughen up. Sniffling slightly, she batted at one of her ears with a paw, taking a moment to calm herself before looking up.
"S..sorry Bubu, Riko.." She mumbled quietly, still disappointed with her own faults. Trying to straighten as much as possible, Kiwi listened quietly to Bubu's words, nodding at the appropriate times.
When approached with the question, Kiwi scrunched her nose up, trying to think back to anything that might help her answer.
"W..well.." She started, lost in thought and memory, "I..I think other lions have been watchin' me, or somethin'. Feels like somebody's been. A..and, I did have a bad dream.." this was said with a whimper, her ears flattening to the sides of her head. "T..there was you, and Riko, and Mama, and Papa.. a..and we were out playin', and all, and.." sniffling again, this time Kiwi couldn't stop the tears that freely rolled down her cheeks. "A..and all of a sudden, I saw.. the eyes again, and you all.. d..disappeared.." hunching to the ground and huddling slightly, Kiwi attempted to reign in her emotions once more, desperate not to fall into a blubbering state of tears. Looking up to Bubu, she choked back a sob.
"N..nobody's goin' anywhere, right Bubu? I..it was just a nightmare, wasn't it?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 8:36 pm
When Kiwi bit back her tears, Habu almost went over to apologize to her but she straightened up and tried to move on with the conversation on her own. It was hard to resist, but Kiwi was stronger than sometimes even he might give her credit for. Instead, he listened as she described her dream, trying to gauge from her description just how vivid it was, and how likely it was to be a true vision.
It didn't sound quite right, but then Habu knew sometimes his visions jumped around quite a bit. And part of him was reluctant to outright deny that her dream wasn't a vision, though he knew better than to tell her that. Perhaps he should go warn his grandmother, tell her to keep an eye out.
As soon as finished her sentence, asking for reassurance that no one would be disappearing, Habu's attention snapped back out of his thoughts. This time, he did not hesitate and went over, and put a paw over Kiwi and pulling her close. A sort of hug-like gesture. "Of course now, Kiwi," he said reassuringly, "It's just a dream, have you told your mother about the lion you think is watching you? There are a lot of lions here, it could be nothing."
Riko listened to Kiwi's description of her dream. He knew something had been bothering her lately, but he hadn't gotten out of her what the dream had been. His immediate reaction to the idea of them disappearing, though, was to snort back a laugh. It was ridiculous! He wasn't going anywhere, Kiwi would always have him- and Bubu, Mama and Papa loved them too much. It was such a silly idea.
"Don't be silly, Kiwi," he said, puffing up confidently and hopping closer to his sister and nephew, "No one is going nowher'."
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:34 pm
Shaking her head softly when Bubu finished speaking, her ears drooped once more. He was right, of course; just like he always was. She really should've told Mama, but.. something had just clicked in her mind, telling her to avoid speaking of it. Bubu and Riko, though.. they were her friends. She'd needed to tell them about the dream. Fidgeting nervously, Kiwi dragged a claw through the dirt.
"N..no, I haven't.." She said finally, eyes still firmly on the ground. Pulling the claw back in, she looked up to Bubu nervously. "I.. I didn't want to scare mama with it, i...if it wasn't true.." Kiwi murmured, head ducking back down again. "L..Like you said it's not.."
Looking over to Riko when he spoke, Kiwi managed a very soft smile, nodding in agreement with her brother. Of course. She'd just been silly, and it had been a silly dream. Why, it was likely just because she hadn't slept very well lately. That HAD to be the explanation for it. Honestly, who'd heard of a lion disappearing?
"Y..yeah, you're right, Riko. Sorry for scaring you guys.."
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:46 pm
"You can still tell her about it, Kiwi," Habu said brightly, not wanting Kiwi to think she did have something to worry about but more hoping to encourage talking to her mother. It was what parents did, usually. They comforted their cubs, they were there when they were scared, they helped them through it. Habu was sure his grandmother would be there for her only daughter. Only daughter at home, anyway.
"That's what mama's do, they watch out for you," he said with a final nod, "Don't apologize to us, we wouldn't get mad for you coming to us for help. Right?" Habu glanced over at Riko.
Riko nodded along with what Habu said, and was startled when his nephew looked over at him in such a meaningful way. He was immediately offended, of course he wouldn't get mad at Kiwi! He was never mad at Kiwi- or so he figured.
"Right!" he said, shooting Bubu a glare before looking back at Kiwi with a nod.
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 3:01 pm
Brightening in her smile, Kiwi nodded more vigorously. As usual, Bubu and Riko were right. How could she ever doubt the two of them together? Sitting up, she stretched a bit.
"Y..Yeah! Okay, thank you! I..I'll talk to Mama, and she'll help! And.. and you two will always be here for me!" Wiggling excitedly, she awkwardly hopped over to Riko, nuzzling against his side gently.
"A..and I'm going to work on running for you two, y'know! I...I'll be the fastest lioness in all the Pridelands!"
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 3:09 pm
Habu looked back over at Kiwi and was very pleased to see her smiling again. This was much better than being on the verge of tears, she had to know they cared a great deal about her. After all, they were her family, they'd never get mad at her for being paranoid or making them worry. And despite Kiwi's cheering up, Habu still was a bit worried, but not at the same time. When she declared her intention to work on running better, he smiled.
"I bet you will be!" he said brightly.
Riko continued to nod along with what Kiwi said, and what Habu said. He might not necessarily agree that Kiwi would be fastest, but he wasn't stupid enough to say anything. He grinned toothily, rubbing against her and then hopping away.
"We can start right now! I'll race you back home," he said, declaring a race then and there. Of course he was not about to dart off without her, and had every intention of going easy on her- maybe even letting her win, except his big ego told him her winning might be a bit far fetched even for her to believe.
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Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 4:49 pm
"Thanks, nephew Bubu!" She chirped excitedly, a wriggle running through her muscles. Beaming brightly, Kiwi turned around to Riko for his opinion, still beaming. And he was encouraging! Giggling at the mention of a race, she bounced excitedly.
"Yeah! A..and I might win this time!" Kiwi burst out honestly, and turned to take off, pouring all of her energy into a good start. This resulted, of course, in her stumbling terribly, skidding along the ground on her stomach. This time, however, her fall didn't stop her. Instantly, Kiwi was back up, laughing as she stumbled off toward the den for Moma.
"Bet you can't beat me this time, Riko! I.. I got a head start!" She called back with a slight laugh, then turning and heading on. She WAS going to be the fastest lioness. She'd do it for them.
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Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 5:45 pm
Before Riko could dart off after Kiwi, Habu stepped over and held him back a second. He still had a weird feeling in his stomach, and decided it was up to Riko to keep her safe and happy- or as safe and happy as he could manage. Leaning down, he said in a hushed voice quickly (so Kiwi wouldn't get a chance to notice), "Be nice to her, Riko. Feathers helped me, maybe you can convince her."
Hoping not to give Riko a chance to reply, he pushed the youth forward to go after Kiwi.
Riko was ready to go off without a goodbye to Bubu, until his nephew stopped him. He was about to turn and shout at him for holding him up, he was very competitive after all, but Habu spoke before he could. At first, Riko was puzzled, and simply shrugged it off so he could take off after Kiwi. She had a head-start, but she wasn't going to win if he had anything to say about it.
Habu, of course, was left in the dust, watching the two race off.
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Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:37 pm
Blissfully unaware of her brother and nephew's conversation, Kiwi raced ahead as far as her little legs would take her, determined to beat Riko in the end. Why, with her head start, she could actually win! Giggling slightly, in between raspy breaths, she paid no mind to the world behind her, till she'd at least staggered on halfway home. When Riko hadn't passed her by, Kiwi slightly worried, and skittered to a stop to turn around.
..That is, until she saw Riko barreling after her. Grinning widely once more, Kiwi stumbled as she again took off, but hopped up when Riko was hot on her heels. In mid-run once more, she drew a deep breath and called back to Riko.
"Y..you can't catch me this time, Riko! I.. I might actually WIN!" This was very unlikely, even SHE knew that, but with her advantage start, she could stay ahead! All it'd take was a bit of focus, and.. she could beat RIKO!
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