@livesforgttn said: ❛ …Papa Bear? ❜ Kit approached the bear slowly, the letter still gripped in his hands, a nervous look on his face. There he was, for the first time in years Kit was seeing Baloo.
It didn’t take a moment for the older bear to swing his head around at that voice. It was… familiar, in a way a lot of things had not been since he’d woken up, baffled and with barely a memory to his name, in a hospital in Delhi. He spoke Hindi- that’s why he’d been taken there. But he spoke English too, even if he wasn’t quite as fluent. A simple wedding ring hung around his neck by a chain, and despite the lack of his signature cap, he looked much the same as he had the day he disappeared…
Accounting, of course, for a decade of time that had lightened the fur on his muzzle a bit and a few extra pounds added on.
But though he had changed little physically, the more troubling thing was the lack of recognition in the old sloth bear’s expression as he regarded Kit, puzzled and thoughtful. Everything that made Baloo Baloo was there in his expression- the way his ears lifted then flicked back, how his muzzle scrunched up, and the faint squint, as if trying to determine if he should remember the person he was looking at.
A brief flicker of something crossed his face, but in the end, his expression fell and he lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck, an almost sad frown coming to rest on his face.
“Don’t know that I’m the bear you’re lookin’ for, son.” He sounded… uncertain. “Don’t remember havin’ any kids. But then again, I can’t remember much of anything these days! Can’t help but feel like we’ve at least met somewhere before, though. What’d you say your name was, kid…?”
Kit didn’t come any closer, fighting every single urge he had to just hug Baloo right then && there. But as he spoke, it became more && more obvious that he didn’t know who he was. A sadness washed over him, but he kept staring at Baloo. It was definitely him, there was no doubt in his mind about it. He knew his Papa Bear when he saw him.
At least Baloo kind of recognized him! That meant that whatever had happened to him wasn’t irreversible. At least, that’s what Kit was going to believe. He was feeling desperate, however. Despite that for once, Kit did his best to remain calm. He’d need to take things slow so not to overwhelm him.
❛ My name... my name is Kit. Kit Cloudkicker. I came all the way from Cape Suzette to see you... ❜
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