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Post by Kai on Oct 21, 2007 21:03:39 GMT -5
Kivuli was sitting in hid old homeland, snuggled happily beside his mate. They talked quietly, smiling. Everything was calm, innocent and quiet. Suddenly, the lioness turned on him, her claws sunk into his back. Jaws clamped around his neck that belonged to a large, dark lion. In his dream, Kivuli roared in pain. Shaking them off, he stood up and backed away.
"Whats the problem, Ghosty?" He grinned maliciously. "You should know you`ll never escape what you`ve done! Murderer!"
The lioness stalked towards him, and then leapt, mouth gaping showing bloodied fangs.
"Jua...No. Jua!" Kivuli woke up, feeling panicked and exhausted, he panted heavily. It was only a dream. Well, A nightmare rather. Just like the one last night, and the night before. They had plagued him for longer then he cared to remember now. He hadn`t gotten a full night`s sleep for ages. Trying to slow his racing heartbeat, he rose and sighed. Kivuli glanced back at the rest of the sleeping pride. This is exactly why he had refused to sleep among them. He was bound to claw someone in one of his nightmarish fits.
He had hoped they would just believe that he was being curteous. Figuring that he knew that they shouldn`t put full trust in him yet. He only joined them recently, after all. He glanced up at the stars, figuring nobody else was awake he did not bother to hide his feelings. His face was a picture of misery. Why did the past torture him so, and make him re-live that horrible moment every night?
He needed a walk. Wandering away from his new pride members, he made his way through the night. What else could he do? It would be hours before dawn, and he always seemed to have some inherent, mysterious need to wander just a little bit. Just every once in a while.
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Post by Narifia on Oct 21, 2007 21:19:38 GMT -5
Morobi's ears, always alert even in sleep, caught the sound (or rather, lack of sound) of Kivuli's paws as he padded away. Instinctively, it pulled him out of sleep. He rose, stretched, and yawned slightly. "Wonder what that guy's up to?" He pondered as he padded out after him.
He stopped as he caught sight of the pale lion, and noticed almost instantly the traces of misery in his figure. All thoughts of suspicion dropped from his mind as Morobi began to wonder what had this great, ghostly lion looking so forlorn. He decided to follow him for a ways, and inquire when he was noticed. Morobi always did have his silent, authoritative way of approaching others.
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Post by Kai on Oct 22, 2007 15:16:22 GMT -5
It took very little time for Kivuli to notice his new King. Having spent most of his life trying to stay alive surrounded day and night by lions that wanted to kill him, his senses had become almost abnormally acute. Well, there was that and his strange abilities. He was rather impressed at Morobi's ability to detect him. He knew his pawsteps were almost totally silent. His friends used to complain when he snuck up on them so easily. Before it all happened.
He could sense that Morobi was wondering something. Kivuli could surmise what kind of questions might come next, considering the circumstances. As soon as he sensed the other lion, his expression changed to his usual, calm and semi-emotionless exterior. He turned towards Morobi, bowing slighty.
"Your Majesty. I didn`t see you there." He said quietly. "I apologize. Did I wake you, Sire?"
When he was around others, his expression was not so easy to read. Although they say the eyes are the window to the soul, no emotion could be detected in his strange, pale, almost blind-looking eyes anymore.
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Post by Narifia on Oct 28, 2007 21:05:18 GMT -5
"Oh, it never takes much to wake me," Morobi said with the faintest of grins. Whatever grief had been in Kivuli's features before was now completely gone, but the King knew that he had, in fact, seen something there.
Morobi ventured on to say, "So, what keeps a fellow like you up at this hour?" His voice remained authoritative but gentle, and had the slightest trace of concern that, really, only a lion like Kivuli could pick out.
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Post by Kai on Oct 28, 2007 21:27:49 GMT -5
"I'm a bit of an insomniac."
The ghostly lion said nochalantly.
"I don't sleep very well, Sir. So I just like to take my walks and try not to disturb others."
Kivuli felt a little more welcomed and encouraged because of the fact that he could tell the King felt some genuine concern. But he didn't feel he could tell Morobi the full truth. Not yet. They would not understand, they would chase him our for sure. Just like so many others.
"I'm rather impressed you heard me actually, Sir."
He said, talking honestly. Kivuli never bragged. His abilities had never brought him anything but pain, so he would never brag about them. He was rather just stating facts.
"I've never found another lion that could detect my pawsteps."
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Post by Narifia on Oct 28, 2007 21:40:29 GMT -5
Morobi was different from Kivuli in that he did like to brag. Not a lot, or in a mean way, but nevertheless he had always had the normal boyish way of bragging. He chuckled, and said, "I taught myself a few useful things growing up. One of them was to hone the skill of hearing, to hear everything that could possibly matter even in sleep. Awareness is the key to survival, and when you're a king, you're responsible for the survival of your entire pride."
Morobi sat comfortably, and with a glance invited Kivuli to do the same.
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Post by Kai on Oct 28, 2007 22:07:54 GMT -5
Kivuli took the invitation to sit down. He lowered his pale bulk to the ground, curling his white-tipped wisp of a tail around his large paws.
"A useful skill indeed, Sir. I just hope I don't wake you every night because of it. I tend to do this rather frequently, and I would hate to be the cause of you losing sleep. Just because I can't sleep doesn't mean you shouldn't."
Kivuli was really a little worried that the Morobi was able to hear his pawsteps,as much as it impressed him. He felt he had been enough of a burden to others before, he did not need to sleep-deprive his new King.
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Post by Narifia on Oct 28, 2007 22:21:16 GMT -5
Morobi gave a genuine smile and a wink, and assured him, "No worries. Another part of the skill is being able to filter out what you know isn't a threat. Otherwise I'd be waking up at the sound of every insect to buzz by my ear at night!"
Morobi laughed, and his laugh (although quiet enough not to wake anyone) was full of life and had a sort of genuine reassurance to it. It was perhaps the most warm laugh imaginable. Warm and friendly. His laugh settled into a sigh, and he looked back to Kivuli.
"So," he said, returning to his slightly more serious mood from before, "You have trouble sleeping. Why is that?"
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Post by Kai on Oct 29, 2007 15:37:06 GMT -5
Kivuli's conscience was bashing him over the head. He didn't want to lie to Morobi. He wanted to be known as an honest lion. He wanted to stay here. But he just couldn't tell them yet. To re-live that horrible time, just for a moment. Besides, would they even understand yet? He liked to think they would. But how could he take that chance? No, he needed more time. He had not been a member of the pride long enough. He would tell them sometime, but not tonight. Nobody was ready for it, himself especially. But what could he tell Morobi?
"Something happened a long time ago. In my old home pride...."
He began, his pale blue eyes averted his gaze from his King's, trying to find a way to not tell him, but also not lie. At the same time he was trying to supress the memories, no easy task because of the nightmare, fresh in his mind. The memories pained him so, but it didn't show outwardly.
"A conflict in my old pride caused the death of a few of my loved ones and friends, Sire. It's caused me to have nightmares for a long time. I've not had a full nights sleep for many moons. I use the time at night to go for walks."
Kivuli felt happier as he looked back towards the King. He had found a way to explain, and still not lied to Morobi. He would tell him the full truth one day. Now he had explained at least one of his strange habits.
"Thats also why I won't sleep among the pride. Not a matter of mistrust, Sire. It's rather that I have a habit of talking and moving in my sleep. I would just continually disturb everyone, you see. I even accidentally hurt my younger brother once, in one of my fits during my nightmares. I would feel horrible if it happened again. So I've gotten used to sleeping away from others."
Kivuli explained.
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Post by Narifia on Oct 29, 2007 22:03:28 GMT -5
Morobi listened attentively and nodded, seeming to find that Kivuli's explination made sense. After Kivuli was finished, Morobi thought for a moment, then smiled softly.
"Nightmares. Horrible things, they can be," he said. He wasn't going to pry more into the story than that, after all it really wasn't any of his business. If Kivuli wished to elaborate more, then he would on his own. Morobi stood, and turned to leave. "All nightmares end eventually, though. Like my father used to say, 'Put a lion in a place of dreams, and his nightmares will slowly wither.'"
Morobi smiled at the fond memory of Kovu. His father had learned a lot of nightmares himself, as did his grandfather Simba. No matter what, they said, they always eventually left their tormented one alone.
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