Ian and Kibo: The Connection
Written by seiv.writes
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Now, without further ado, let's start!
Chapter 1: The Bond and Introduction
In the bustling city of Los Angeles, where freedom, and dignity intertwined; the rays of the shining sun casting through the windows of the Smosh headquarters. The sky was nothing like azure, cerulean, warm, and vivid colors. The two notorious YouTube stars, Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox, have been best friends with each other for a long time; they hung out with the Smosh crew, they had fun together, and most of all, recorded sketches with each other and the team. They have been known for their silly sketches and comedy, and that remains with their nature.
However, they have been focusing on so much innovation to their videos, and they get a ton of views on their videos. But, something happened unexpectedly: when Anthony was not around because to help his parents, focus on his personal life, and other things that make him busy and not appearing in Smosh videos sometimes, Ian had been thinking about something: taming an animal and then keeping it as a friend and a pet. Therefore, in that case, he had successfully and properly tamed a powerfully built male leopard; and Ian named him Kibo.
"Kibo" meant "hope" in Swahili, and Ian had chosen it deliberately. Not because it sounded cool, but because that was what the leopard represented to him—a hope that he could be something more than a brand, more than content.
Over the next few weeks, their relationship balanced strong and became a familiar sight in each other; they felt a connection in each other. Each morning, Ian threw on some clothes, grabbed the leash, clipped the leash to Kibo's collar, and led the leopard down to the driveway. They took long walks, and visited parks. Ian was assured to keep a leash on Kibo, but the leopard was well-behaved and never trying to harm anyone; never pulling, trying to run off, or never straining. Ian adored watching Kibo interact with the other people. Being around Kibo had a calming effect on him, and he started to look forward to their daily adventures together; they even share a bed.
He was pretty gentle and also surpisingly docile and Ian seeing him connect with others brought him a unique sense of joy; the leopard was not very timid and anxious; he was very brave, caring, and friendly. Some of them even stopped to pet Kibo, who seemed to enjoy the attention. Ian found that the quiet time spent with Kibo helped him clear his head and relax in a way that making videos and performing sketches with the Smosh crew never could—the leopard proved to be an enthusiastic collaborator and had deep reverence within Ian.
Overall, Ian was relieved that he didn't receive any criticism and accusations about being irresponsible; their connection and devotion seemed to have unbreakable advantages to their bond. Taming Kibo hadn't been about domination; it had been about significance, perspective, and trust. Being around Kibo had a calming effect on him, and he started to look forward to their daily adventures together; the leopard was as majestic as a flower.
When Anthony finally got back from all of his work and business, Ian eagerly wanted to introduce his pet Kibo.
"Hey Anthony, check this out!" Ian beamed with pride as he invited Shayne to bring Kibo in the room. Anthony's jaw dropped when he took his own sight to the majestic leopard, which was on a leash.
"Ta-da!" Ian exclaimed with surprise and joy and then asked, "What is your reaction?"
"Holy crap! This is so cool! But wait, before we high five, are you sure you, uh, 'tamed' him properly?" Anthony asked, he had to make sure that Ian tamed Kibo properly for his own safety.
"Yeah, I did. His name is Kibo by the way." Ian added and nodded in agreement.
"Okay, that's good!" Anthony exclaimed; his voice full of joy and excitement.
Anthony and Ian high fived each other; Anthony had a very friendly encounter with Kibo together, and felt relieved that Ian tamed him properly.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure Kibo knows what to do," Ian reassured Anthony with a wink.
The next day, the Smosh crew were planning a Try Not To Laugh video, it's basically when a person must hold water in their mouth while the rest of the cast takes rotating turns at trying to make them laugh; they also included Kibo. Anthony was the one on the chair, ready to try not to burst out of laughter. There was Ian riding Kibo, a saddle above the leopard, and Ian above him and the saddle; Kibo walking in circles and Ian holding a lasso on his hand.
"Saddle up, guys!" Ian exclaimed. Then, seconds later, the whole crew bursted out in laughter; Ian and Kibo managed to make Anthony laugh. When the whole video was uploaded on YouTube, the analytics made huge numbers, the comments were a waterfall—11 million views in just 2 hours, 20k comments, and 600k likes in a few hours. Fans found that one scene hilarious and enjoyable. The others commented: "KIBO IS SO FLUFFY, I'M SCREAMING" "Yo is that a real leopard??" "Is that for real??" “Kibo and Ian is my favorite OTP from now on, but Ian and Anthony would still be my favorite OTP.” “Is this the comeback of Smosh??” “Does this mean new sketches/skits with Kibo??” “THIS IS TOO ICONIC I CAN’T-“ Ian actually became an internet sensation, with many dubbing and naming him the "Leopard Whisperer."
A few hours later, Courtney checked the video analytics, and people actually adored and loved the video. "Guys, people liked our latest Try Not To Laugh video. The analytics are going in insane numbers right now!" Courtney exclaimed in joy.
"Really?!" Anthony, Ian, and Shayne asked in happiness.
"Yeah! I'm being dead serious!" Courtney replied to the trio.
Anthony checks his phone, the screen flaring to life. He opens the YouTube Studio app and then...She was correct—the video was exploding in fame. "Oh my god! This is so awesome!" He exclaimed in triumph. Ian and Anthony gave themselves a high five.
Kibo's ears suddenly perked up at the distant sound of cheering and determined chatter while lying down in the carpet of Ian's room. He stood up and then walked towards the living room; noticing the door was left open. Then, Anthony looked at the hallway, seeing the leopard's massive frame emerging. "Oh, there you are, buddy. Guess what? Our fans actually liked you!" Anthony said, his voice full of amazement and delight.
Kibo let out a low, rumbling purr—a friendly response that made Anthony feel comfortable. He then walked towards him and then nuzzled Anthony's neck. Kibo's amber eyes, almost golden, gleamed with delight and comfort; his tail twitching and swishing in anticipation. Courtney, Shayne, and Ian were charmed with awe.
"Anthony, I think he really likes you, dude." Ian spoke to Anthony in immense awe.
"I mean, you literally have an apex predator in this room, bro," Shayne said to Ian as he walked towards Kibo and patted his head,eliciting a content purr from the leopard. "Look at him, his head is soft and fluffy and...He's very calm about it. This is why I like you as a best friend, Ian." Anthony said to Ian.
"Thank you, Anthony," Ian responded to Anthony, Ian sat on the floor, leaning back against the sofa, his eyes fixed on Kibo. “I think he’s a mirror,” Ian explained. “For a long time, I felt like I was just reading lines. I was a character in a sketch that was endless. But with him? There’s no script. If I’m like timid, he’s just always alert and always found ways to cheer me up. If I’m at peace, he’s a giant, sleepy house cat. He forced me to be present. I had to just be… Myself. He does not care about the analytics; he cares about me being here with him.”
"Do you ever think about what happens next?" Courtney questioned, looking at them. "When the next big thing comes along?"
Ian looked at the majestic cat, then at Anthony. "We’ve spent so many years building a brand that we forgot to build a life. Kibo helped us realize that the brand is nothing without the life behind it. As long as we keep that; the truth, the trust, and the connection—we’ll be fine. When Kibo came, it felt like something else had connected, maybe a bond between each other. Something tremendously honest; I can't even describe it."
Courtney, who had been quietly observing the side-conversation, spoke up. Her eyes gleaming with a mixture of contemplation and comprehension. "Ian, I think I know what you mean. When I touched Kibo, I felt a deep trust and affection. Like we were one being for a moment, and all that mattered was the bond and reverence."
The immediate aftermath was nothing short of media frenzy. Clips of Kibo nuzzling Ian, and sitting on command went viral across every platform imaginable. #IanAndKibo trended globally within hours.
~~~
Damien Haas wandered in, holding a stack of scripts, and froze on his tracks. "Is that... is that a leopard?"
"That's Kibo," Ian said, as if introducing a new person. "Don't worry, he's not aggressive; he's friendly."
Damien stepped forward, reached out his hand slowly and started petting the leopard. Kibo opened one golden eye, gave a weary, majestic blink, and then let out a soft chuff.
"He just talked to me," Damien whispered, looking at the others with wide eyes. "He literally spoke to me."
"He appreciates the presence," Ian said, pride swelling in his chest, "He sometimes wants attention but not always," He noted, leaning down to rub the soft fur of Kibo’s stomach. "He’s a sucker for a good scratch."
Courtney looked up from her phone, her eyes wide. "Actually, I think we have bigger news. The clip of Ian riding him and then making Anthony laugh during the Try Not To Laugh video? It’s trending nationwide! My DMs are just people asking if Kibo is accepting fan mail."
Ian laughed, the sound echoing off the high ceilings. "Only if it’s raw steak and cat toys," he joked.
"He’s happy, isn't he?" Anthony asked Ian.
"He’s home," Ian corrected. "And so am I."
~~~
Angela Giarratana walked towards the living room and stopped dead in her tracks—like a deer in headlights; seeing Kibo, Anthony, Ian, Shayne, and Courtney. "Hey guys... is that Kibo?" She said as she then looked at the leopard.
"Yeah, that's him. But no need to worry, you're even allowed to pet him anyway." Ian answered.
Angela walked towards the leopard, reached out an arm, and started stoking the fur of Kibo's head with her hand; feeling the softness of his fur—as soft as silk. The big cat let out a satisfying and friendly purr as he started to like all the rubs, patting and stuff, "Ian, he is very adorable I just can't-" Angela's voice turned into awe and tried to contain her excitement, "This is my first time petting a leopard, like I was utterly unaware that Kibo here is so friendly."
"I know he is, I could give him like a lot of cuddles to be honest,” Anthony chimed in, "But hey, we literally have like a majestic leopard in the room, isn't that cool?" He threw his hands up.
"Yep, and that's literally the hope Ian was looking for.” Shayne chimed in as he was sitting on a chair, still watching the spectacle gradually unfold.
"Ian?" Anthony said as they rounded the corner back toward the office.
"Yeah?"
"We're definitely going to need a bigger couch."
Ian looked at Kibo, and sighed happily. "Yeah. We're going to need a much bigger couch."
~~~
Kibo, resting in the center of the room, let out a slow, rhythmic breath. He was the anchor, the hope, the chosen one, and the heart of it all. The California sun was setting, painting the sky outside the office windows in shades of violet and orange. Ian and Anthony were left in the main room, just the two of them and the leopard.
"So, what are we gonna do now since they left?" Anthony asked Ian, just sitting on a beanbag chair.
"We are just going to my room to just... pet Kibo and all that stuff," Ian responded, "And Kibo, you can come too."
~~~
The trio went to Ian's room—Kibo lied down in the carpet next to the bed, Anthony and Ian sat down next to Kibo, who was lying down. Anthony wanted to give Kibo some belly rubs, so he reached out an arm to stroke the big cat's belly. As he touched and stroked Kibo's fur, the leopard snorted as he started to like the attention.
"His fur is like... Very soft..." Anthony said as he kept stroking Kibo's fur. The duo spent the rest of the evening petting Kibo.
"You know Anthony, I think the leopard is the sanest one out of all of us," Ian sighed, "I just think he matters more than the content itself—I have a feeling that he's the chosen one."
"Yeah, I somehow agree with you... Let's just take him for a walk tomorrow morning." Anthony said. The leopard let out a soft chuff and drifted to sleep.
~~~
"Well, I'm gonna go to my room to sleep," Anthony sighed as he finally stood up and walked towards the door and looked back at Ian, "See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow, Anthony. To the next chapter." Ian said.
~~~
As Anthony left the room, the room was only Ian and the leopard. Ian was listening to the soft, rhythmic breaths of an apex predator that had chosen to be a friend and a pet. Kibo twitched lightly in his sleep, a lenient and an adorable chirping sound escaping him as he was dreaming of chasing butterflies in the beautiful California sunshine. It was a day that stunned everyone, but in a decent way. For the two of them, it was an exhilarating memory that they would cherish forever.
But however, Ian was the individual who had more in mutual with Kibo than ever, now that both had similar tastes and acquaintances within each other—their immaculate tales with Kibo was nothing than their beautiful nature. The sky is now a flawless shade of indigo, and violet, and the dappling stars. They finally had found hope; it had rosette-like spots, and the bond was, and would continuously be, real.
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To be continued.
