[PRP] Look on the bright side of life! (Imara & Salama)

[RoseNightshade]

Salama was humming to herself, sitting on the edge of the grasslands near Pride Rock, batting a small rock back and forth between her paws, trying to work out a tune for some fun words she had thought up to sing. The little cub was often singing, as anyone who knew her could attest to. None of her sisters or brothers was around at the moment however, and so she wasn't bothering to sing aloud, instead letting the melody play out mostly in her head.

She lifted her head and glanced about, curious as to where her twin brother had gotten off to, since he had been nearby, but she didn't worry herself over it too much, worrying just wasn't in Salama's nature. Tiring of the rock, the little cub flipped over onto her back to rub against the warm patch of sand she had been sitting in, attempting to scratch an itch that her back leg just couldn't quite reach. It was really a pain when you got an itch in that weird place between the tail and the back of the neck!! She wiggled ridiculously trying to grind the sand into her fur and rough out the itch, pawing at the air and purring, smiling at the sun.
 

[wooga Paes]

It wasn't often that Imara hung about near pride rock, because she was rather intimidated by the idea that this was were the royals hung out. She had been an outsider, she had no business being this close. To them, or to their cubs. She hardly needed to get blamed for an injury, or accused of something. Her very looks were against her. Scruffy fur, mean face, a little thin. Not soft, kind and healthy like the pridelanders.

She practically screamed 'criminal'.

Still, she had somehow wound up here today. Perhaps Imara had just been that distracted in her walking about that she missed the gigantic thing known as pride rock. And then when she was finally looking up at pride rock, and starting to change her route to away from it, she nearly stepped on a cub. She actually stepped over Salama, her paw stride having been high and long enough to avoid the cub completely.

But it was still a near hit, and once she had almost done it she seemed to notice there was something beneath her. Imara blinked and glanced down.

Oops.  

[RoseNightshade]

Salama stared up, blinking at the gray belly above her, tilting her head to the side in curiousity as the lioness had stepped over top of her, completely oblivious. Wow. It never ceased to surprise the little brown cub just how big adult lions were!

A beaming smile appeared on her face the moment the lioness looked down at her. She'd been noticed, yay!! Sometimes she was accustomed to adults ignoring her or at least pretending to, because she was loud and liked to sing and dance and generally do things that could easily make her the center of attention. This didn't seem like that though because she hadn't been doing any of the things she normally did that could sometimes irk others. She wasn't annoying in general, it was just that when Salama was around, she was hard not to notice.

"He~llo!" her voice came out in a sing-song. "I didn't realize I was so tiny that I wouldn't get noticed when I'm being kinda quiet!" a giggle escaped her and she flipped over to stand upright and stare up at the red eyes looking down at her. "Ohhh.... you have pretty eyes... they look just like my sister Ashara's!" Because of that, she immediately liked this lioness. In her young mind a particular physical trait shared meant that two lions must have something of their personality in common too! And she liked all her siblings, so this lioness had to be someone she'd like too!

"I'm Salama, what's your name?" she tipped her head to the side to wait for a response.
 

[wooga Paes]

She took a step back, perhaps fearful someone would show up and get the wrong idea. 'what are you doing to my cub?!' they would ask. Imara failed to recognize that most of her fears were unfounded. The pridelands had accepted her willingly, and she probably wasn't the only mean looking lion about.

Still. She was cautious. She frowned, because that was usually her default expression when encountering someone. "Hi." She replied, a contrast to Salama's enthusiastic greeting. "Sorry." She was referring to almost having stepped on the cub, though she didn't seem to mind much.

The comment on her eyes confused her slightly, mostly just because of it being unexpected. She had grown used to Dayo, who talked quite a bit, and had even asked about her tail. But it still seemed strange every time. To that, all she could say was... nothing. Maybe blink.

"My name is Imara."  

[RoseNightshade]

"Oh, it's alright, you didn't do anything wrong, what are you apologizing for?" Salama tilted her head a little more, smiling more brightly to try and reassur the lioness. Why did she frown and why did she seem so upset?

There were really few reason to be upset like that! At least in her own estimation. Though of course she would think this. She was still a cub, and there were very few reasons for her young life to experience any upset, especially in the security of the pridelands. Her short life thusfar had been nothing like Imara's.

"It's very nice to meet you Imara! Where are you going? You seem distracted, since you didn't notice me." She giggled, walking out from under the lioness and around to her side.

"Oh maybe it was that you were ignoring me? It's okay if you were, alot of people do, since I make alot of noise and move around alot, usually. Everyon says I'm distracting, but that's okay! Because most of the time I make people smile. You frowned though... is everything okay?" The cub fired off one question after another, not seeming to need to pause to think much about them.
 

[wooga Paes]

"I almost stepped on you." She didn't sound sad or guilty, she was just answering the question. The unhappy expression remained on Imara's face, however, though she wasn't in a particularly bad mood. Maybe she felt a little awkward. She sort of just had a habit of not looking happy.

"I'm not going anywhere. Just walking. I was... staring at pride rock." She shrugged. It was a big rock, deserved staring at. This was a cub, maybe she wouldn't find it so weird.

Then the cub started talking more, and it seemed like she went on for a while. After Salama asked her last question, Imara just stared at her blankly for a few moments, as if she hadn't quite realized the cub was done talking. "Everything is fine. I'm not frowning." She emphasized this point by frowning more deeply, and furrowing her brows.  

[RoseNightshade]

"Well, that's okay, I mean, you didn't, so what does it matter?" she laughed again. "Anyway I forgive you if those're the words you're wanting." Salama smiled eagerly, still hoping to reassure the lioness and attempt to wipe the frown from her face. Though that didn't exactly seem to be working.

"Oh, yeah, that's true. I mean it is really big. I just look at it sometimes myself too, and wonder how it got there. Or maybe it's always been there. What do you think about it?" Salama had no idea that this lioness wasn't native to their pride, hadn't been born there like she was.

A giggle erupted out of her quite without her meaning for it to happen. What a silly lioness! She'd said she wasn't frowning, but then she scowled! "But you are! And now you just put a nasty scowl on your face~ You shouldn't be so upset, is there something you're angry about maybe?"

It always confused Salama that adults sometimes said things that were the total opposite of the truth. I mean, why did they bother with it? The truth was easier, quicker, and you didn't have to remember anything!


 

[wooga Paes]

Okay, so she was forgiven. That was fine, though sometimes Imara forgot that was even part of the process of apologizing. You being forgiven. To her, simply saying 'sorry' was good enough.

"It's always been there." As far as Imara could remember. She wasn't a pridelander, but had seen it before. One didn't even need to get close to pride rock to see it, giant as the thing was. She couldn't imagine the pridelands without such a landmark, so the logical conclusion (to her), was that it had always been there.

Why did this cub insist she was making a nasty face? She was not! She was probably making a neutral face. She didn't feel upset. Maybe she was confused, or feeling awkward, but... not upset. "I didn't. I'm not upset, or angry." Imara laid her ears back.  

[RoseNightshade]

Salama let the puzzled - but still grumpy, in her estimation - and thinking expression play over the lioness' face without saying anything for a moment or two. Sometimes she had a real problem with that, speaking and not giving people a chance to think... it was something she was trying to work on, when she could hold her tounge. Thankfully the lioness spoke up again before her anxiousness got the better of her and might've blurted out something silly.

As they discussed pride rock, her eyes turned to look up at it, considering the lioness' words. "Hmmm... yeah that would make sense. I mean it's so big, so how could it not? It's like a little mountain, and the mountains don't move." She nodded, confident and happy with her deduction. That was pretty clever!

But when she looked back up at the lioness, she was still frowning... and now even her ears were flipped back! That was no good.... a tiny frown claimed her expression as Salama's smile faultered. She wanted Imara to smile! And there was no better way she could think of than to sing to someone.

"I know what might make you feel better!" Abruptly she had thought of a great tune to the words she had come up with earlier, she started to hum, rocking her head from side to side, then hopped back, and began to sing.

"Some things in life are bad... They can really make you mad!
Other things just make you swear and curse... When you're chewing on life's gristle~ Don't grumble, give a whistle!! And this'll help things turn out for the best... Always look on the briiiiiiiiiight side of life~!"
 

[wooga Paes]

She didn't comment again on pride rock, but nodded. Yes, she couldn't imagine it having ever been anywhere else. What kind of creature could possibly move such a thing? None, that's what. It was impossible. Im-pos-si-ble.

Then the cub proposed something that was supposed to make Imara feel better, and the lioness almost protested. she didn't need to feel better, she felt just fine! But then Salama started to sing, and all she could do was sit and watch and look somewhat surprised at all that. What was going on?!

Yes, somehow, childishly, it pleased her. She found herself tilting her head to the side, and thumping her tail on the floor. Imara wasn't quite at the point of singing along, but she liked the singing enough.  

[RoseNightshade]

Salama sang a few more versus of equally inane and silly words, swaying from side to side and tipping her head along with her motions. Her eyes closed happily, a smile on her face as she sang. This is what she loved. Singing, dancing, losing herself in a melody of her own creation. It was so much fun and occasionally it brought others joy as well.

When she finally opened her eyes after her singing she was elated to see that Imara had been enjoying herself. She.... maybe wasn't quite smiling, but her body was definately at attention and her tail had been drumming out the beat of her words even!

"Did you like it?" Salama positively beamed with happiness. "I could teach you the song if you want, I made it up myself! I can sing more, if you want me to.... You're almost smiling!" That seemed to make her more happy than anything else.

If she could bring a smile to someone's face, that was what she always wanted.
 

[wooga Paes]

Unexpected as it had been, and so out of context, Imara had still liked the singing. It was nice and cheerful, and she could enjoy cheerful now. Probably not outwardly admit it if she ever ran into any other outlander, but... Well, it was nice.

"I liked it." She nodded, though didn't quite managed to smile just yet. She wasn't really trying. Then the cub pointed out she was almost there. First she frowned, simply because it had been brought to her attention. Then, awkwardly, she pulled her lips up into a... sort of smile. She didn't smile much, it hardly felt natural. But Imara was okay with pleasing cubs.  

[RoseNightshade]

Salama hopped from side to side, giddy at being told that the other female had liked her singing. Singing she loved, and would do it for the sheer joy of it, but being complimented on it, or having someone say that they had appreciated the experience of listening to her, that made her extra happy! She stopped the hopping abruptly though when she saw the expression on Imara's face.

First there was a frown... then... she sat and watched the sides of her lips tug at the corners of her mouth, twisting them up into a smile that looked... well... really kinda funny. Salama herself smiled back, too happy not to, and too close to giggling to avoid at least a smile herself. She didn't want to laugh at the lioness, but she almost couldn't help it! The smile was nearly a grimace, but it was still a smile.

"Yay!!! Now I really did make you smile!!" She went back to hopping from one foot to the other, then stopped just all of a sudden, facing the lioness and crouching down with her butt up in the air, wiggling her tail. "Say, do you want go see pride rock closer? We could go over there if you like."
 

[wooga Paes]

She didn't quite know what to thin, or do, when the cub smiled back, and nowadays when Imara didn't know what to do she just didn't do things. As opposed to some time ago, where she might go find something to eat, or pester. Depending on the individual she might go so far as smack them for confusing her, but that hardly seemed appropriate with a cub. Or any pridelander.

"See the pride rock... closer?" She turned her head and looked back up at the great landmark, and couldn't help her ears laying back. "...maybe other day, yes? I need to go find someone." Er, she could go find Hadaya. That would be good.  

[RoseNightshade]

The tiny tawny cub cocked her head at the curious expression that came over Imara's face again. This lioness made the weirdest faces!! It was just straaaaaaaaaange... It was like she didn't know what to do with her face! At that thought, she had to repress the urge to start laughing, because she didn't want the lioness to think she was making fun of her somehow, and get angry.

She'd learned that adults really didn't like it if you laughed at them sometimes... and that alot of the time it made them angry. And... angry adults weren't fun to deal with. So Salama figured it was probably better to not laugh at someone she didn't really no, when that someone might not know why.

"Awwwwwww... you don't want to go?" She pouted at the refusal. "It's really nice over there..." she mumbled, but could tell it was a lost cause from the lioness' closed off face. That was the face some of her siblings made when they were too scared to do something that she thought would be fun. She'd seen that face before. Salama wasn't sure if the lioness was afraid or not, but she sure knew she didn't want to go. And well, it was really hard to convince and adult to do something they didn't want to. That skill was something she was working on...

"I guess if you have to go.... but I'll see you around, right Imara? 'Cause we're friends now!" She smiled happily and hopefully up at the adult lioness, sitting down with a big grin on her face.