Prompt Shop Bop

"Forever Young" - Kubariki

by John De Sohn

"That till the day we die
I know you and I gon' keep on singing"

Everyone dies eventually. Kubariki became more than acquainted with that idea after losing his best friend, Hadithi, when he was just a cub. It doesn't matter what you do, because one day, one way or another, you'll end up dead. So, since it's inevitable, Kubariki figures he might as well keep on doing what he's been doing. He'll keep on living, even if he's miserable in the existence that he currently lives, and keep hoping that Hadithi is proud of him and, if she is somehow alive, doing the same. That's all Kubariki can do, because he does not have the freedom to uproot himself to go on a quest for a lioness who may not even still be alive. It's a bitter truth that Kubariki continually tries to swallow, though he has yet to succeed at fully stomaching it. So instead, he is stuck in this perpetual loop of wondering what has happened to his best friend while being unable to find any closure on the matter, forced to accept the fact that he will probably never find out till the day he dies. Since he has all but given up any hope of finding out the truth about what happened Hadithi, he figures the best option is to just keep on keeping on, because in the end, he assumes that's what Hadithi would want him to do. Granted, she would also probably hope he'd move on, even without the closure, but that's the only thing Kubariki can't bring himself to do for her.

"As the sun goes up and the sun goes down
We gon' stay the same till our time runs out"

It's ironic, really, how much and yet how little Kubariki has changed with time. On one hand, he has matured, growing into a strong, distant, lonely Heir to the Isle of Roses' throne. However, on the other hand, deep down, the cub that was best friends with Hadithi is still there and begging for the chance to come out to liven up the dull, predictable life Kubariki has ended up with. Ever since she left, he has tried to bundle away those feelings, but he knows that he is still restless, wishing he could do think and speak and act the way he once did. When he was a cub, before Hadithi left, things were much simpler, and Kubariki frequently wonders what it would be like to live like that again; he would love to be carefree and joyful, at times even reckless, but that isn't in the cards anymore. He often wonders if Hadithi is the same as she was, whether she somehow survived her disappearance and assumed death or whether she's with the rest of the ancestors, watching over them and waiting for a chance to see him again when he too inevitably dies. A part of Kubariki counts every day as another step towards seeing Hadithi again, and that is one of the only things that keeps his inner cub alive. The thought that one day, he will have his best friend back (even if he will die before seeing her again) keeps him from completely losing the cub he used to be. In fact, with the right push (presumably the reemergence of the lioness that captivated him long ago), that cub could probably be brought back to the forefront of his personality again, allowing Kubariki to find some semblance of balance so that he doesn't prove the truth to the statement, "All work and no play made Jack a dull boy."

"'Cause we live to love"

Kubariki is certain of several things in life, but one of his most prominent beliefs is that part of the reason creatures act the way they do is because they were born to love. Otherwise, why would creatures so frequently form bonds and attachments, choosing to stay with each other and care for one another when, sometimes, it would be easier to go it alone or abandon a weak or injured creature? It doesn't make sense, at least to Kubariki, unless love is at the center of it all. He assumes that that is also part of the reason that he cannot seem to forget Hadithi or feel like he can move on from her disappearance; he is alive, and therefore he loves, and without the closure on Hadithi's fate, he cannot bring himself to abandon a loved one. Sometimes, it infuriates him. After all, life would only be easier for him if he moved on and forgot about his childhood best friend, whose disappearance plagues him like a never ending nightmare. The hypothetical situations on what he could have done to change the outcome of the events that unfolded when they were cubs are constantly running through his mind, and if it weren't for the fact that he adored the lioness, he doubts that they would be so persistent. Those thoughts are, in all actuality, what probably cemented his belief about existence being for love, because what's the point in living a sad, lonely, miserable life? There's no joy in being alone; he knows that far too well. After all, despite being a part of a large pride with family and friends, he cannot help but feel more and more isolated with each passing day. Kubariki doesn't know what to do to change the way he feels, but he knows it must have something to do with love, which seems to be the root of all troubles when it comes to living. And if the root of all troubles isn't the reason for living, he isn't sure what is.

"And we love to live"

Unlike most, Kubariki does not love to live. With each passing day he feels worse and worse, drifting further and further away from the pride he calls home and all the members in it. What is the point of living when he is constantly bogged down by the past? He is unable to go backwards but is also unable to move forwards, and so Kubariki is left to awkwardly dwell in the middle of it all. On some occasions, Kubariki has even found himself wondering what the point is. What's the point in continuing on with life when you only ever feel miserable about it? Why is that everyone else seems to love their life and simply existing, when he only ever seems to hurt?