[PRP] Like Spirits in the Night (Kneph & Spiros)

[Hattaki]

Dawn hung over the edge of the plains, watery light just beginning to flood across the grasslands as the sun rose from it's travels around the other side of the globe. Heat was just beginning to build up with it's arrival and it caused the fog that was able to cover up so much of the ground that a slinking shadow was nearly imperceptible. Thanks to the mix of his chromatic markings the lion was all but invisible unless a highly trained pair of eyes were looking for him and Kneph slipped about with a full stomach as he came back from a night full of hunting for something tasty. Sure he could have spent the night sleeping but that wasn't who he was and as it stood the ghostly looking lion rarely ever spent the night sleeping. Why on earth would he? The moon was beautiful and darkness worked well with his markings when he needed to not be seen.

However now was the time for him to find his brother, Spiros had been snoozing when he'd left but he was certain that the quieter lion was awake and hungry by now. Happily the night had been fortuitous for him and Kneph had brought something back for his brother as a peace offering for his nocturnal abandonment. Placing it down on the ground near the location he'd left from that morning, the monochrome lion peered about for his brother that seemed to be missing. Heart in his throat he sniffed about and narrowed his blue eyes carefully in the hopes that he might find him.

"Brother, I brought you something good...." Kneph offered out to the fog, his voice quiet as he braced himself for anything that the plains might throw at him.  

[magnadearel]

Hattaki

Spiros had been awake for hours. Not that he'd let his brother know he was worried about him. Crimson eyes swam out of the pale fog long before his body of mostly whites and greys took form. He knew how unnerving that could be, for the numerous times he'd sent strangers scrambling sure they'd seen a ghost come to eat them. Sometimes it was amusing, other times it was saddening. Sometimes he wanted to find a place to belong, yet felt like he'd drift forever his whole life. As long as he had his siblings, he'd have anchors though.

The spotted male drifted slowly and silently forward after his brother had called out. "Went hunting then did you?" Not accusing, simply a question. Spiros came closer until the light picked him finally out of the fog. "What did you get this time?" Every so often, he wondered why his brother never asked him along on these night hunts. However it was interesting to see what he came back with.  

[Hattaki]

If the fog wasn't such a cloak for him in general he might have leapt from his skin when those red eyes suddenly began to glow from the depths of it. Features finally solidifying into his brother, Kneph made a point to curse the god or goddess or even long gone mortal that caused glowing red to be so intimidating. Blue was more of a passive color and often believed to embody good and right, it made it hard to return the creepy, spine crawlingly, disturbing feeling that he could sometimes feel when looking at Spiros' eyes and only his eyes in the fog or mist. One day he might actually succeed in startling his day dwelling brother, but the nocturnal lion was content to settle for returning in one piece from his nighttime escapades. It was comforting in a way to come back from a night's hunt and know that one of his siblings was there to greet him, would benefit from his finds and trials.

Sleeping during the day also made him grateful for his brother's daytime habits, it meant that he wasn't at risk of being ambushed while he was asleep. Though Kneph did everything in his power to find a good hiding spot it was always odd to know that there were those that passed nearby his slumber that might wish him harm. If that meant receiving any amount of flack for disappearing on his brothers as soon as darkness settled over the plains then he would withstand it.

Dawn brightened a bit, causing his sensitive eyes to narrow a bit as he tried to ward off the pain that came with such brightness. With not as much ceremony as others might have used, he placed the klipspringer in front of Spiros' feet and stepped back, a grin in his face. It was true that the little things could count as familiars to others, but this one had been with a small herd before it got lost, so certainly no other lion was looking for it, other than himself.

"Something tasty that got lost in the night. Little beast didn't even see it coming." Kneph was nothing if not proud of the skill with which he could dispatch things he intended to eat.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Hattaki

He'd never really considered it, but his sibling provided well for him usually. The only times he really had to hunt was when Kneph didn't find much or he wanted more or something different than what was brought back. Which didn't happen often. He could tell by the feel of things the fog would soon burn off and he wouldn't be able to hide anymore. Truthfully he preferred to be cloaked and mist worked the best with his pelt colors or lack there of, but things didn't always go to his will.

Spiros gave his charcoal mane a good shake and a yawn. He arched down and dug his claws into the soil. The scent of dirt and torn greenery drifted up. A few hours of sleep at dusk and dawn and the lion was good to go all day or night. "The fog'll end soon." He commented, noted his brother's narrowed eyes. The sun was annoying him too, but he pretended not to notice. His breakfast was laid at his feet by his brother.

"Ah poor thing. Best to not let it suffer." The male settled down and began his breakfast as neat as could be. "Did you catch enough for yourself?" He didn't bother to ask until he'd eaten maybe a quarter of the klipspringer. Kneph did like to take care of him. "Found a spot for your rest?" Travel was slightly difficult with flip-flop schedules, but it wasn't like they had to go somewhere. They could travel as slowly as they liked.  

[Hattaki]

Head tilting to one side at his brother's question, Kneph pondered his answer carefully, there were places where he could curl up under the brush or in the hollow of one large tree. It had been bothering him for quite some time, but he wasn't certain why they were out in the open so often when the pair of them had passed so many forests and jungles in their travels. No destination in mind he considered bringing it up morning after morning to Spiros, curious as to what his brother's response would be to the offer since he was a daytime lion. Would the darkness of the jungle bother him or would he adapt to it and maybe join him in his nighttime wanderings?

"There's a hollow tree near the edge of the forest nearby that I was considering using... especially since it's darker over there. I was thinking..." Kneph rolled a rock between his front paws carefully as he watched Spiros eat, blue eyes now barely open as the sun climbed through the sky. "Maybe we could take a trip through the forest or one of the jungles not far off? It could be an interesting shake up to our routine, you know?"

Things were hard around his brother, he could be a little more aggressive with others but Spiros always found a way to put him down in his correct place, whether he wanted to be there or not. In the past he'd pushed the correct buttons to earn himself a growl or a swipe, usually deserved. This was not one of those times though, the reminder every morning that sunlight hurt his eyes was what had brought him to bring up his desires, though the deepest of them was still hidden. A desire to join a pride that was as equally nocturnal as he himself.

Clearly that would never work for his sibling who enjoyed the sun, but maybe he could convince him someday... someday.

"Don't worry about me, I always manage to find enough to eat. The night is full of creatures."

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Hattaki

Spiros quietly munched down his breakfast. His eyes, although only slitted open, noted the stone his brother rolled back and forth. He noted the slight hesitancy in Kneph's suggestion and wondered why, but said nothing. The lion gave it due consideration as he licked the bones clean. "Thanks for breakfast," Spiros said and started to clean his fur.

"You'd be better protected in a forest I would think, though it will be harder for me to track if there's someone coming your way." He gave a deep rumbling purr. "Sure, it'd be fun to see what runs in them." In truth, he was just as interested in the forests as perhaps his brother was. He looked up at the stripped lion. "Did you want to travel there today or wait until next moon?"  

[Hattaki]

There was some truth to those words, it would be very hard to track things across the jungle as they had over the open savannah, though the pair had no enemies to speak of there were always elements of danger being out of a pride. For all the truth he was stubborn and unafraid, stalwart in his desires and pursuits Kneph would never back down from doing what he wanted. And what he wanted was to make certain that Spiros was safe and sound even when he was asleep and couldn't protect him in any way. As such it was simply bizarre to him to hear his brother speak of protecting him by watching.... Even if he knew full well that's what the lion did.

"I'm honestly curious to see what the jungle has in store, I heard that it can be dark even during the day. That would help you out too!" Kneph wasn't all selfish, though that was simply what he told himself. Deep down he actually was incredibly concerned about the hours he couldn't t keep watch on Spiros, even sticking close when he hunted at night, lest something befall him. "Interested in seeing what's in the deepest darkest heart?"

Winking casually, though desperately hoping for a yes, Kneph plastered a grin over his features and swisher his tail about.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Hattaki

Belly full, Spiros assumed a sphinx pose to think. It really sounded like Kneph was set on going. Which was fine, as he didn't mind where he went as long as it was with his brother. "Oh did you now?" Dark during the day? What an interesting thought; the dark lion did nothing to betray his thoughts though. The tip of tail idly twitching back and forth. Already knowing his answer, he teased his brother by letting him stew a little more while he 'pretended' to think about the proposition.

"Mmmm I do believe I feel up to an adventure." Spiros smirked at his sibling. "I assume you've already picked out a nearby jungle to explore?" He rose to his paws and stretched. "Lead the way. I'm all for traveling during the day if you can handle it to get out of this cursed hot sun." He could use a break from the heat.  

[Hattaki]

Just watching his brother mull over the different options that the two of them had made Kneph all but leap from his skin. It was so hard to tell what Spiros was thinking unless he desired to let it slip and surely that day would eventually come, but for now he was just utterly infuriating to watch because his emotions were never quite near the surface and his thoughts never reflected in his bright red eyes. Maybe it was good that one of them had that sort of mystery about them though, for he certainly lacked it in every fashion possible. Everything showed on Kneph's face from his frustration to his thoughts and desires to even just simple things like hunger.

He was a very simple lion at the end of the day, made up of very simple things.

Ears tilting forward happily when the answer he'd been looking for finally left his brother's muzzle, Kneph all but leapt about in joy and pointed a white paw towards the direction they would need to head, "It's a few hours in that direction, but it'll give you a great place to relax and stay out of the heat for sure."

Not to mention it would give Kneph the peace of mind that came with knowing Spiros was safe in the jungle compared to being out in the bright open plains of the savannah. What he couldn't do during the day to protect him was always much easier at night, but that was only half of the monochromatic lion's hopes, really he wanted to see about the rumors he'd heard that told of prides resting deep in the jungles. None had been entirely specific except for one about a pride of leopards that frowned heavily on lions, but certainly they weren't the only one around!

Bounding off towards a future that seemed so much darker and pleasant than the burning bright one that was making him squint just to be out in it, Kneph glanced over his shoulder to be certain that Spiros was following him and let a wide smile cross his muzzle. It certainly was an adventure they were about to take and for once it was together and not alone.

------------------------------------- (Time skip to jungle shenanigans?)

It was damp... he hadn't been expecting that even if he wasn't entirely sure what he'd been expecting this entire trip. Certainly not the amount of damp, where was it all even coming from? Were there hidden rivers inside the jungle that made it so humid and wet this far from them?

Still, it was much darker in there than he'd been thinking and they hadn't ventured much further than a few paces in, deeper would be darker and that was fortunate, for he was completely exhausted from walking all day. The skip to his step had left him halfway to the jungle and now he was all but dragging his tail on the ground as they walked deeper in, heedless to any of the mud or foreign plant life that was sticking to it.

"What do you think Spiros? Is this a good place to explore and see what it has in store for us?" Kneph all but begged his quiet brother with his sky colored eyes and the tone of his voice. Sure, he was tired but he wouldn't stay if Spiros felt at all uncomfortable in the new landscape.

magnadearel