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 Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:17 am
Of course, Nuksani liked her new home. It was better than walking around aimlessly every day. Her paws hurt easily, and she was always tired out by the end of the day. Now she managed to stay up past nightfall, and could likely make it through a whole night without sleeping if she was not ushered to bed. Life in a pride had rejuvenated the young lioness, but failed to decrease her dependency on the orbs. Nuksani still preferred to talk to them over anyone else. Her sister was an exception at times, but sometimes Nuksani simply didn't like Sanuye. The orbs never disagreed with her, never made her upset. So, she saw no reason to ever want to be rid of them.
Currently the juvenile was playing within the area of her clan, near the center of it, talking happily with what she saw and ignoring all else. A giggle could be heard every now and then as Nuksani sat, enraptured by the glowing red orbs.
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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:28 am
But Ayni's form of connecting wasn't exactly how one would expect it. When she saw the yellow form of Nuksani, the urge to somehow right what was wrong with the young lioness entered her mind. In the short time Nuksani and Sanuye'Kiuma had been living with the Kunanda, it had become evident that Nuksani was not of a stable mind. The girl oftentimes refused to talk to other pride members, and instead talked to the air in front of her. Ayni had questioned her once, and Nuksani with intelligent eyes responded shortly that she was 'talking with my friends'. Oh, there was no denying that the girl was insane... but that did not mean she should be doomed to believe that what she saw was true for the rest of her life. No, Ayni intended to... point out to the girl that what she saw was false and did not exist. It sounded harsh, yes, but it was needed. It was for the girl's sake.
"Nuksani." She wasn't really surprised when she had to repeat the girl's name twice before receiving a response.
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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:35 am
Her eyes widened as one of the orbs fell into a long and enchanting tale about a beautiful lioness who had fallen madly in love with a dark, handsome lion. The only downside to the story was that the lion was evil, and that the lioness's true love laid in a childhood friend whom she had grown to ignore. It was a tragic story, and it hurt Nuksani's heart to hear some parts of it. At the end, though, the story redeemed itself by the childhood friend killing the dark lion and claiming the lioness as his one true love. Nuksani nearly cried when the orb told her about their first enchanting kiss, and that they lived happily ever after and had many cubs. So, it was only natural that Nuksani did not hear Ayni the first few times she said her name. The story was not yet finished, and Nuksani wanted to hear every last bit of it. Only when the story was done, and she let out a satisfied sigh, did she notice that someone was standing right in front of her.
Her dark eyes blinked in surprise, her chin tilting up to take in all of Hurul'Ayni's massive form. She hadn't been expecting anyone to talk to her today (in fact, she rarely ever noticed when someoen talked to her). The orbs had demanded her full attention, and rarely did anyone approach her then. A puzzled frown graced her face, and her head tilted subtly to the sight as she observed the equally bright lioness. "Hello," she chirped, suddenly feeling socially awkward. Coughing softly, she scooted back a little so she could get a better look at the green lioness. Nuksani really didn't know her that well, considering that she never really paid attention to anyone else but the orbs. But... Nuksani didn't recall her being mean or anything, so she supposed she could suffer through some sort of conversation to satisfy the lioness for a while.
"How are you?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:45 am
Hurul-Ayni had barely expected a response from the cub. She remembered oftentimes when someone approached Nuksani they got nothing from her, and so she was relieved that she managed to reach the girl. Perhaps her insanity was not as deep as she had previously thought it to be, and that meant that finding a cure and saving Nuksani was quite plausible. Ayni just didn't have to give up... and she had to be a little cruel. Nuksani may end up hating her, but if it got her to see the truth than Ayni would gladly suffer through her hate. She nodded her head in acknowledgement when Nuksani finally did reply, a small smile coming onto her face when she saw the girl's discomfort. Really, she was not used to other lions at all. She had a sister yes, and a mother, but they had done nothing to bring her out of her shell. Whatever she saw had drawn her into a place of safety, and rarely did Nuksani take the chance to step out of her place of safety. At least, that was how Ayni viewed it. Nuksani's comfort zone was with her orbs, and right now she needed that comfort with so many changes going on in her life. Her mother was gone... and she was in a new home with strangers. She had needed those orbs. But, now was the time to be rid of them.
"I'm fine, and you?" At second thought, though, she decided to introduce the orbs into the conversation as quickly as possible. It would give her an opening into discussing the orbs, and the possibility that they did not exist. "And your orbs, how are they?" Ayni expected the girl to be surprised that her orbs were being talked about. It seemed to be an unspoken agreement between the members of the pride not to acknowledge what Nuksani saw. But, now that would change. Ayni would acknowledge them, and acknowledge the fact they did not exist. It was a daring step, one that could have quite a few consequences. But, Ayni could put up with those.
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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:53 am
"I'm... good," she responded, still a little amazed that she was even being talked to by Ayni. Nuksani didn't dislike the lioness, but right now her orbs were dancing around her, wanting her attention. She swatted at one almost impatiently, muttering 'one sec' quickly so that they would leave her alone. All Nuksani had to do was give vague responses, and eventually Ayni would lose interest and go on her way. Only then could Nuksani return her full attention to her orbs, because she knew they wanted it. They were darkening with anger, and beginning to swirl madly in front of her eyes. Nuksani had to admit, they didn't like sharing. So, once again she had to reassure them that her heart and mind belonged to them, and that she'd play with them in a second. Nuksani was smart enough to keep silent about the fact that she had to do her best to 'get rid of' Ayni. The lioness would only stay longer if she found out that Nuksani was purposefully trying to rid herself of her presence. Most lioneses were just stubborn like that.
"Uh... what?"
She blinked once.
And then again.
Ayni had just acknowledged her orbs, and no one besides her mother and sister had done that before. It left Nuksani stumbling for a response, her mouth gaping open slightly. Shaking her head and putting herself back together, she directed Ayni's questions to the orbs, and they agreed on one response that Nuksani really didn't like. So, censoring what they had said, she smiled sweetly up at Ayni and replied, "they're doing well, too." The orbs swirled angrily once again, upset that she had lied to Ayni's face about their true feelings. Honestly, they did not like Ayni. Ayni was prying and diverting Nuksani's attention, and being naturally jealous... they did not like it. Nuksani told them quickly 'to deal' and returned her attention to the green lioness.
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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:02 am
She chuckled softly at the girl's response to having her orbs talked about, but realizing too lately that it might be a little mean to be laughing at the girl, Ayni tried to recover by smiling tenderly down at Nuksani. Hopefully the girl wouldn't get offended - Ayni freely admitted that she didn't know much about the girl. Nuksani never talked to anyone, except at times her sister. No personality, no morals could be detected from the girl. She didn't exhibit anything strong to the other lionesses of the pride, and that was something Ayni worried about. Nuksani had to be strong to do well in the pride, and that meant mentally strong as well as physically. The girl would grow up to be a huge lioness, but without a strong personality and high mental capabilities... she would not be as well respected in the pride as her pelt demanded. All that Ayni was doing at this moment was for Nuksani's sake, and the trauma she was likely to put the cub through now would heal... and open the girl up to the possibilty of becoming strong all around. With the orbs as a distraction.. Nuksani could be nothing. "I'm glad that they're doing well," she said, and prepared herself for the next step.
With a sigh, she let a look of complete seriousness come onto her face. "Nuksani, I need to talk to you alone. I would greatly appreciate it if you could ask your friends to go away for a little bit. It's something very private and very secret, and I heard you say once that your friends like to gossip. Please?" If Nuksani could get the orbs to leave for just a second... it would prove that there laid sanity in the depths of her mind, and somehow Ayni sensed it would be easier to overcome Nuksani's illness if the orbs were not right in front of her eyes, denying everything that Ayni told her. But... Ayni was not sure that Nuksani could last even a few minutes without her security net, without her orbs.
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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:08 am
Oh ho ho. What Ayni asked seemed to be out of the question. The orbs were swirling angrily around her, and she could barely keep her eyes on them because they were moving so fast. They did not want to be told to go away, and truthfully Nuksani did not want them to go away. She turned back to the older lioness to tell her as much, but the look on Ayni's face stopped her. It was serious, as if what Ayni had to say was life and death. The juvenile was caught by complete surprise, and her words died in her throat. The orbs grew darker and darker around her, hissing insults at Ayni, which the lioness clearly could not hear. It was irritating her at the moment, how dependent her orbs were of her. Nuksani wanted to find out what was so important, and it was obvious that Ayni would not tell her unless Nuksani got the orbs to go away. But... she had never been without them before, and doubted she could make them go away. "I'll try," she told the lioness, and that only made her orbs grow angrier.
"Go away! I'll play with you later. I want to talk with Hurul-Ayni." Nuksani snapped this at her orbs, but still they would not leave her alone. It was getting more and more upsetting, and she was getting more and more irritated. "I SAID GO AWAY!" she yelled. The orbs stopped swirling around her, and frozen in place they slowly began to fade away. Her anger was enough to knock some sense into them, apparently. Nuksani had really wanted them gone, and as long as she really wanted it... they stayed away, at least long enough for Hurul-Ayni to tell her whatever secret she had hiding behind her lips. With a soft sigh the juvenile looked up at Ayni, and smiled sweetly. "They're gone now. What is it that you gotta tell me?" It seemed almost too easy, but it showed that with a force of will... it might be able to be conquered, Nuksani's illness.
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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 4:20 pm
Ayni had half-expected the cub to refuse to send away her playmates, and furthermore she had expected Nuksani to be unable to get rid of them. But through sheer force of will Nuksani managed to banish the creatures for the time being, and Ayni could barely help but sigh in relief. If Nuksani could expel them now, she could expel them forever. She just needed motivation, and Ayni just needed to find the right sort of motivation. Nuksani had a future in the pride, if only she chose to reach out and grab it. Ayni was determined to help the yellow juvenile, and so far Nuksani's future was looking bright. She was already showing a strong force of sheer will (though Ayni had winced when Nuksani had to yell to expel the demons from her sight - and draw attention to the two of them). Ayni felt the eyes of other lionesses on her back, watching curiously Ayni's interactions with Nuksani. With a sigh, Ayni stood up, and gesturing to Nuksani urged the cub to follow her and away from the eyes of the pride.
When on the outskirts of the clan's area, Ayni stopped and gestured for Nuksani to take her seat. As the juvenile did so, she sat down and organized her thoughts. "Nuksani.. what you see isn't real. Those orbs - your... friends. They don't exist. If they did exist, don't you think that I or the other lionesses would be able to see them? We can't. Up until now everyone's been kind enough not to tell you, but that has to change. Nuksani, your friends have no face, like rocks and trees. They aren't living and breathing. It's like being friends with rocks - and you're not. Just listen to me, they aren't real. They've never been real. Your mind made them up so you can have somebody to play with. But, you have a new home now, with bunches of young cubs to play with. They can be your friends, not what only you can see. Nuksani... you need to stop seeing them, you need to get rid of them because they do not exist."
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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 4:39 pm
She was shattered.
This wasn't the secret that she had been expecting to hear! Nuksani had not been expecting to have her friends attacked as soon as they were sent away. The juveniles dark eyes intensified with hurt and shock, her frame shaking as she tried to cope with the fact that this lioness had the audacity to insult her friends. Nuksani wasn't even listening to Ayni half of the time the lioness was talking. She was playing this betrayal in her mind over and over again, trying to find out why someone would do this to her and her friends. She understood that she didn't play with other cubs a lot, and that maybe it made other lionesses not like her so much. But, she hadn't done anything to harm anyone. She had done nothing to warrant this sort of behavior. Her friends had done nothing wrong... and so this whole conversation was wrong. She heard Ayni's words playing dully through her head. The lioness' reasoning added up somewhere, but nowhere that was noticable to Nuksani at this time.
"You're a liar!" She exclaimed, her tiny voice shaking. "You're a stinkin' liar! If you don't like me, say it!" Her voice grew, became stronger as she grew more firm in her conviction. She glared up at her superior, too upset to care about anything other than proving Ayni wrong. "I can see them, and that's all that matters! That's all that is needed to prove they're real! So... so.. you just leave me alone! I don't want to listen to you, I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to see you!" With how much she was glaring, she expected Ayni to just give up and leave... but the lioness stayed, and the lioness talked...
...and Nuksani hated it.
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 11:20 am
Hurul-Ayni was not surprised by Nuksani's response, because Nuksani was still young and would easily jump to the conclusion that brought her the least amount of pain. The green lioness handled the other's words without so much as a flinch or change of emotion. Ayni had expected this to hurt Nuksani, had expected this kind of defensive behavior. It was best for Nuksani to let it all out of her before Ayni continued on with trying to prove to the juvenile that what she saw truly did not exist. Ayni wouldn't be able to get in a word until the cub finished with her venting, and so she sat there and waited patiently, eyeing Nuksani to make sure that she wasn't going to flee. She half-expected the girl to, or at least she expected for Nuksani to call her orbs back to her. But, it seemed like the cub did neither of these things, and instead tried to face her head on. It was noble of her, but none of this would effect Ayni. She was years older and wiser than this girl, and nothing would make her back down.
Finally Nuksani calmed down, and she nearly sighed with relief. Now came the time for her to explain once again the reasons behind her belief that what Nuksani saw was not real. "Listen to me, Nuksani, be strong and listen. No one else can see what you see, not even your mother could, and your sister even now can't. Your mother and your sister are real, so if they can't see something... that means it isn't real. Somehow what you see is made up by your mind. I don't know why, but it's there, and you have to beat it. Your orbs don't have mouths, eyes, noses, or ears. They just float there and you think they're talking to you when they really aren't. Nuksani, you have to believe that they aren't real, you have to tell yourself that... they aren't real!"
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 9:55 am
"They are too!" She shot back through clenched teeth, her anger rising in her now that the shock had worn off. This lioness was set against her too! She knew that most of the lionesses of the Kunanda did not believe that what she saw was real, but Nuksani had entertained the hope that Ayni would be different. Ayni had gone out of her way to talk to her, and had even provoked a response out of her. She had seemed to be understanding too, had even adressed the orbs. But, the green lioness had turned everything around, and now seemed set against the very things she had acknowledged before. It was the ultimate betrayal, and Nuksani could not stand to sit here and continue to listen to this lioness. She didn't have to, either. It would be disrespectful, sure, but this was all becoming too much for her. She was too young, too dependent on what she saw. Ayni may have made a mistake in confronting Nuksani so soon, but then again, she might have done what was best. Someone had to talk to Nuksani... though it was no guarantee that the lioness woud listen.
With a face hardened by determination to fight back Ayni's 'lies', Nuksani turned away from the lioness and fled. She was determined not to listen to Ayni any longer. What mattered was herself, her sister, her orbs, and no one else. The young lioness ran as far as she could manage, until her little legs tired out and she had to sit down and wait for her orbs to return to her and comfort her.
They did come back, but for some reason it took longer than she had expected.
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 8:33 am
She sighed softly to herself as she watched the young yellow juvenile run off. Perhaps it had been too early to confront Nuksani about what she saw, but Ayni had feared that if she waited to long, there would be no changing the lioness. Nuksani would have become so adjusted to what she saw that Ayni would not be able to chase away the orbs. That was why Ayni had to confront Nuksani as early as she had, but still she thought she could have been a little less aggressive about it. She was sure she had made some impact on Nuksani, but whether it was positive or negative she imagined she wouldn't know for some time. It wouldn't be easy for the young juvenile to dispell her visions, not by far, and it would take time. Whatever disease she was born with was not going to disappear overnight. Her eyes followed the yellow lioness until she could no longer see her tiny form.
It was time to return home, and perhaps snuggle up to Usha some and tell her what had happened. She wouldn't know how her bonded would react, but sooner or later it would come to Usha's attention that someone had upset Nuksani. It would be best to tell her now while the injury to Nuksani was still fresh, and so with another sigh she rose back onto her feet, and headed back to the clan's dens.
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