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After having a wonderful chat with his travelling companion (and now more) in the night, Kijibwa is in the highest of spirits. The day is bright, despite the leafy ceiling, and there's a spring in his step as he finally takes some of his spare time to look around the Jungle for himself. After following the stream so far from the waterfall, he'd headed off through the trees in a direction that is rather familiar to him. He is, as usual, mostly unaware of any creatures that are around him.

"And if you keep going this way," he says to himself, "You should come out in a clearing." Right or wrong, he certainly sounds confident in what he says, and makes no effort to keep his voice down.

It doesn't take long for Kijibwa to reach the clearing, and he is a bit surprised he remembered well enough to actually find this clearing. Growing up in the jungle must be enough to burn it in your memory! With a triumphant laugh, he steps through the trees, squinting at the extra light coming through.

"Bright," he mutters, looking towards the ground opposite where he'd come in- right at Chachili. His eyes widened at the sudden appearance of the grey creature, and the expression quickly turned to curiosity.

"Hello," he calls cheerfully, stepping out of the trees.

Kijibwa is caught off guard when the strange grey thing just panics when he greets her, and it takes him a moment to absorb what she says. Get back? This thing is scared of him? The idea is laughable! He almost does laugh, but the look in her eyes stops him and he finally stumbles back a bit, sorry he didn't do so sooner.

"It's ok!" he says hurriedly, "I'm not going to hurt you.." He tries to keep his tone calm and friendly, and hopes that he isn't making things worse.

The black and white lion can see it in her eyes, see the distrust, see the fear. It bothers him, in fact- and he can't help but wonder why she is so afraid of him. He's big and fluffy, but he hadn't sounded anything but happy- had he?

What had he done but say hello?

Kijibwa frowns when Chachili steps forward with a threat, lowering her head. Whatever he did, it's obviously something worth fighting over. There's no way he's going to fight, though- he's faced more intimidating things than her and run.

"I won't, I won't," he says in what he hopes is a reassuring voice, taking a couple steps back so he is partially in the trees again, "No need to threaten me. I'm sorry if I offended you in some way!"

Maybe he's too happy? ... too loud? ... too furry?

Kijibwa sits down, rather tense, amongst the low bushes around the trees he's backed into. He is unable to read any change in the Klipspringer's expression or opinion, so continues to assume that she isn't in the friendliest of moods or under the best of assumptions about him. But when she asks for his name, he relaxes a bit.

"My name is Kijibwa," he replies calmly, "What's your name?"

When she tilts her head, though, he does notice the change in her. Maybe she isn't so panicked now, more confused. She still looks ready to bolt, though. He makes a face and looks down at his paws, as if they have the answer.

When questioned of what species he is, he hesitates and actually considers lying about being a lion. He decides against that when he realizes he doesn't want to lie, and that it may make him look more suspicious than he already is. The truth is always the best way to go, in his opinion.

"Yes, I am a lion," he says with a nod. Kiji stays seated quietly, trying not to move but twitching in his attempts. He nods when she speaks, explaining that she's a fighter, "I wouldn't try anything, I'm really not much for fighting.."

He watches her carefully when she apologizes, not surprised by what she says- she did ask if he's a lion, after all.

"Why not?" he asks, sounding genuinely curious.

Kijibwa frowns when Chachili shudders, but he's pleased when she says that she'll trust him temporarily. He's quite sure he won't do anything to make her regret it, after all he is rather friendly, and not agressive or hungry...

"I won't, no worries," he assures her with a hopeful smile. He starts to wonder what there is to talk about with someone who doesn't truly trust you, until she speaks up.

"I- I know-" Kiji stammers in reply, "I do eat meat, but like you said I have to to survive." He frowns again, briefly wondering if he could possibly live off a vegetarian diet. A quick look at the unappetizing leaves around them tells him he couldn't.

"I'm not a sadistic beast who destroys life!" he says defensively, "I don't kill anything for pleasure, I don't take more life than I have to.."

And she's making him feel guilty for even that.

(( No worries about the delay! I hope you had a good time :33

Chachili's fawns are beautiful xd

Oh, and I'm going to try to switch to past tense posting now -___-; It's hard trying to switch if keeping up some already-started RPs in present.. So, sorry if it's weird e.e; ))

Kiji was feeling guilty enough, and somehow the sad smile and sorrowful apology only made him feel worse. He watched her curiously, though still with a guilty expression, while she started to explain why she was being overprotective. His guilt was forgotten almost immediately when she said there was life in her belly, and his blue eyes dart immediately to it.

"What?" he blurted without thinking. It was clear from his expression it was news to him that life grew inside one's belly. Without his memory of his own family, all his knowledge of cubs came from conversations- and for all he knew from those was that somehow a mother and father had children, they could have popped off their fur for all he knew.

When she started to talk about prey again, he looked down at the ground. He had no answer for what Chachili was saying, what he was being accused of. He'd never thought about it before, thought about prey and their lives. It'd always been easier that way, it was how he'd been taught, how he'd taught himself.