((AIM RP between Kip and Manchu the Panda's Moja))
Kipendo crouched in the long grasses of the Savannah, pink eyes gazing out at the land around her. She wasn't on alert, instead she was very calm. She was contemplating love and how the world could just be a better place if all the animals loved one another. Hopping forwards she played with her necklace a moment, her ears twitching before she ran her paws along the dirt to find patches of weeds to nibble on. With all the bad karma in the world she knew it was only a matter of time before something big and bad happened, not enough animals were sharing the love, man. Sighing she hopped forwards again, soaking up the sunlight.
Less concerned with karmic backlash, the fiery lioness Moja sauntered her way through the tall grass, not even watching what she tread upon, so long as it wasn't going to kill her. Her thoughts were not deep nor complex, as she was on a hunt, and she held all of her focus and concentration on finding a meal. Her ears were pinned to her skull in sheer irritation as she worked her jaw listlessly, having not slept the night before while on this same quest. Altogether, she was grumpy, and ready to take it out on whatever unfortunate soul first crossed her path.
Unfortunately for Kip she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings at all and so she didn’t realize there was a lion around until she nearly ran into it. When the smell of lion wafted over her she sat up pink eyes scanning the area until they landed on the red cat. Her body quivered under her pelt, she was ready to run if need be but maybe she’d be able to talk this lioness out of eating her. Spreading around the good karma would do the world some good. Of course, she was expecting ot have to run, most lions just wanted a meal.
Moja's ears swiveled forward in an instant and she visibly perked up as she found what would be her first meal in days. But instead of a quick swat to break its neck and calling it cooked, a grin spread across her face as she lowered it to the rabbit's level, a condescending and calm look upon her face though every fiber of her body was tensed should it try to escape.
There had not been many occasions where Moja had tried to converse with her food before she ate it. Actually, there had been none, but she had decided to try playing with it first, and letting her mouth water with the anticipation of fresh bunny. A deep noise emerged from her throat, part purr and part growl as she formed the words "Hello there."
Kip’s tail twitched as the lion spoke to her; she had a feeling that this wasn’t going to be a pleasant chat. She also had the feeling that the best thing for her to do would just be to run away right then. But, she didn’t, she stayed crouched where she was, staring up at the red lioness with big pink eyes.
“Hello,” She paused her nose twitching as she sniffed the air. “You shouldn’t eat me, it’s going to bring bad karma. If you let me go the good karma will come to you and do you some good.” She nodded, the earring hanging from her large ears swinging in the light breeze.
Moja had never heard the word "karma" but the prospects of what seemed to be ill-fate were almost interesting. And as hungry as she was, she didn't care what sort of future was after her meal. Although.... "Tell me, little bunny, what's this ....'karma' you speak of. And just why should it justify that I go hungry longer." Her grin was still painted on her mouth, and her tail waved through the grass, bemused and slightly interested. Her ears flicked just as her emotions, between interested and starving.
Kip never took her eyes off the hungry predator, she was never sure if she could trust meat eaters, even if she wanted to. When the red lioness asked about karma Kip let her guard down a bit. She was always ready to explain the karma of the world to others. Sitting up on her back legs she gestured around her with a paw.
”Karma is all around us, it’s what brings us good weather and deep holes for sleeping, and also what brings us starvation and loneliness. Look above you, see the clouds?” An idea coming to her she fell back so she could stare up at the sky. ”Come, lay with me and look at the clouds, and I’ll tell you why you should let me live.” She motioned for the lioness to lie down next to her. She would show the predator how the clouds were filled with karma.
Moja raised a brow at the hare. Was she really trusting her long enough to hold a conversation? It was the literal lion laying down with the proverbial lamb. But she was curious about finding out about karma, if it meant she could try and think up a way of getting around hunger and loneliness. She sat next to the supine hare, and tilted her head. Hesitantly she laid next to her and rolled into the same position. "Tell me, first. Who is my great teacher today?" She glanced over to Kip, judging with her eyes that she was just close enough in case she tried to get away to stop.
Kip waited patiently for the lioness to lay down with her. She wasn’t really that afraid of death. She had done a lot of good things in her life and with all that good karma she figured she might even come back to the world as a lion if she did die. The hare smiled as the lioness settled into the grass, she chuckled as she heard the question. ”Kipendo,” Kip had always been struck at how fitting her name was, Kipendo meant love after all. ”And you are?” She glanced over at the red lioness, her back paws tapping the air absently.
"Your humble student, Moja." The lioness gave her mentor a smile, and she turned her head towards the sky with a smile. She was oddly amused by the irony of the situation and she waved her tail carelessly and waited for the wisdom to reach her. As she watched the clouds pass fleetingly, she even realized she'd not yet had a real 'teacher' before Kipendo, and as she closed her eyes, she sighed.
Another laugh escaped the hare at the lioness words, she wondered if two such as them had ever laid down together without harming one another. Probably not. Twitching her ears she pulled away from her amused thoughts and onto more important ones.
”Watch the clouds Moja, do you see how they’re constantly shifting and moving? They’re never the same for more than a second. Karma is the same way. Good karma, bad karma, it doesn’t matter which. Each animal’s decisions in life are like the wind. The wind pushes the clouds about the sky, just as our decisions push karma through the world.” As she talked Kip lifted a paw making swirling motions in the air. ”Making good decisions puts more good karma out into the world, starting a chain of good things that will happen and, will eventually, come back to you ten fold. Making bad decisions works much in the same fashion.” She paused and looked over at Moja. ”By making good choices and doing good things we ensure that good things will happen to us in turn. By letting me live you’ll be rewarded with an even bigger meal, a zebra perhaps. Or you might be rewarded in another way, finding happiness. We can’t start to guess how karma chooses to reward us, but it always seems to work out no matter what the reward.”
Moja's eyebrows furrowed. "But..... If I eat a zebra, then.... won't something worse happen to me? So I should eat you, to prevent worse things from happening." She looked over at Kip as though to check her assumption, though she wasn't entirely going to be surprised if she'd already run off. She lowered her head back onto the grass after she'd raised it to watch the clouds, and wriggled uncomfortably as she tried to grasp the concept of her everyday actions and the karmic backlash they had.... Or didn't.
Kip smiled at the karmic quandary Moja presented her with. She wasn’t at a loss though, she had often wondered the same thing. How could she believe that it was good karma not to eat her when whatever was going to eat her was just going to eat something else. She glanced over at the red lioness and then back up at the clouds as she started to speak again.
”That is a good question. Eating an animal is neutral karma, we all must eat to survive. So, you could eat me if you wanted to and nothing bad would happen, and you would probably still be hungry because I’m not much of a meal.” She laughed and then continued. ”But, if you were to let me go that would be good karma, and in turn, like I said before, you might get a bigger meal or something better. So really, it’s to your advantage to not eat me.” The hair turned her head to watch for Moja’s decision on the subject.
Moja was silent for a moment trying to figure out the hare’s words. So, if she didn’t eat the bunny she would be provided with a bigger meal? She wasn’t quite sure she bought that explanation, but the hare seemed to believe it so whole heartedly she felt compelled to at least give it a try. Rolling over she stood up staring down at the hare. "I still don’t completely understand this karma, but I’m willing to give it a try. Goodbye, Kipendo." She shook her pelt to get the grass off and then turned and headed off into the Savannah to search for the zebra karma was sending her.
Kipendo sat up as Moja did and she listened to the lioness decision. Smiling she sat up and watched the red lioness head off. ”Good hunting, Moja, may the world send you good karma!” Smiling to herself she turned and headed in the opposite direction, stumbling upon a patch of particularly good looking grass. She grinned knowing that her good karma had just come back around to her. Settling in she began to nibble on the shoots.
