Kiraka couldn't take it anymore, the taunting of her brother, the pointless reassurances of her father, the just plain disappointing attitude of her muse.. she couldn't take it, so she left. She left her home in search of some way to make things better, some way to make it so she could be accepted by her muse, her friends. It was very important to her and she had very little idea of what to do about it but she was thinking hard. Nothing was working in the Kizingo, she knew that. She had only one idea but she wasn't really sure how that would work. Mom had family from a pride, they had colorful tattoos all over them. They weren't born with it, they got it later! Maybe they could help her, but she would have to decide if that was sufficient.. if that was all it would really take.. but what else could she really do?
Uhhhh..
Dinah was in an OK mood, but she was feeling rather bored and lonely. She'd run into the pale little lioness in the Pridelands days before but hadn't really managed to strike up any interesting conversation since so she wandered. She was starting to think she should have stuck around, maybe found someone to talk to instead of just wandering away but this was just how she worked, this was just what she did. So she had left.
She spotted Kiraka, wandering and looking like she was off in her own little world, and she immediately brightened up. It was someone to talk to at last!
"Hello there!" she called out, wasting no time in approaching.
Kira started when she heard a voice call out to her- and when she turned to see who it was, she had to blink a couple times just to make sure. She was used to random, strange things but this lioness looked perfectly normal and friendly-- and to someone who had kept herself fairly isolated and from a very unusual pride, well, this was strange. She did notice, however, that the lioness was some very pretty colors! She could easily match some flowers, even if Kira couldn't think of any specific kinds. Butterflies liked flowers, so she already liked this lioness.
"Hi!" she answered brightly, tilting her head, "You have very pretty fur! Who are you?"
Taken aback by the compliment, Dinah beamed. She did enjoy hearing nice things, that was why she so often complimented others. Surely they enjoyed it, too! Besides, she was really good at finding the things to comment on. Everybody had something. So far she couldn't think of a thing wrong with this lioness.
"Well thank you," she said with a short laugh, "You're very pretty yourself, what lovely white fur! May I ask your name?"
She only beamed back-- until Dinah commented on her fur and then asked her name. Such complicated questions! She frowned and looked down to her feet, making a face at her dark toes. She certainly didn't think her own fur was very pretty, that was exactly why she thought this stranger's fur was so pretty! It was colorful. She hadn't spoken to the butterflies since she left-- they were so much harder to find now-- but she just knew they'd like her. And then the whole name thing.. Kira didn't have a proper name to give.
"No no no no no," she muttered, shaking her head before looking back up and looking almost disappointed, "I'm Kiraka."
Dinah raised a brow watching as the pretty white lioness reacted rather strangely to the compliment. She didn't understand it-- but she recognized something, the eyes, the worried look.. why, she looked rather like that little lioness she had seen just days before. Hard to say for sure, though. Either way, it didn't matter! She stepped closer, offering her very best reassuring smile to the suddenly distressed lioness.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Kiraka, my name is Dinah," she said, trying not to assume she had already done something wrong, "Are you OK?"
"No," she answered honestly, because she wasn't OK and she didn't care who she told- which was probably why she didn't have a whole lot of conversations with too many different people, "It was a nice try, saying my white fur was lovely but I know better! They don't like it, that's why I'm here. It needs to be different or I'll be stuck plain, old, boring, unhappy Kira forever." Maybe she needed someone to vent to after all, it all just sort of spilled out now that she had someone to talk to. She ran off without telling anybody, this was one way of justifying it.. even if Dinah wouldn't really get the whole picture.
Suddenly, Dinah was worried. Someone had convinced Kiraka that she wasn't pretty, that was plain in what she said. It was a sad concept, but the way she spoke about it indicated that she really seemed to believe it, too, which was much more sad. Though her expression wavered as she tried to grasp the situation, she offered another reassuring smile.
"Don't be so silly," she said, her voice more calm and sincere, "Whoever told you that your white fur was so bad? I think it's perfect, simplicity has it's own beauty. I would not call you plain!"
Kira blinked a couple times when Dinah called her silly and reassured her. It was nice to hear but she'd heard it before, she didn't need to hear it from another lion- what the other lions thought didn't really matter. The butterflies mattered, she belonged with them, they were perfect, they were trying to guide her. She was so in need of help they refused to guide her while she was in such a state, she needed to prove herself, show her dedication.
"No, it doesn't matter what you think," she said, offering a small, sad smile, "They matter, the butterflies, they don't recognize me, won't admit it.. they would like you, you look like a flower."
...
The butterflies don't recognize Kira but they would like Dinah because she looked like a flower? Even someone so optimistic and friendly as Dinah couldn't keep the 'you're insane' look off her face-- and she wasn't very quick in covering it up. She didn't understand, this lioness spoke to butterflies and vied for their approval.. she was too plain, but there wasn't anything you could really do about that! At least, Dinah couldn't think of anything.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, managing to force a sympathetic smile now, "I wish there was something I could do to help you, darling."
Kira was used to that look, even in her own pride. Stupid Popo.
"That's OK," she muttered, trying to think of something that Dinah could do to help her-- and then it hit her that she had an opportunity to get someone else to think of ideas! She hadn't thought of much on her own yet and she was almost always open to suggestion.
"Well! Do you maybe have any ideas?" she asked, "Or suggestions! I need to be more colorful, I couldn't think of anything good at home, that's why I'm out here. You must know something I don't!"
"Well," Dinah hesitated, trying to think quickly, "I don't know what I could possibly come up with that you wouldn't think of, hmm!" She didn't think there was any obvious way to change your fur color. Mud would be a temporary fix but that wouldn't work for the purpose she wanted. Maybe some kind of berry staining but that would take a lot of berries to try and even more to maintain, it just wasn't reasonable. All that really remained was finding something decorative to wear-- and Dinah knew something about that.
"If you were interested in decorations to wear, I may be able to help," she suggested with a smile, "Maybe that would make them happy."
Kira stared with wide, hopeful eyes as Dinah thought about it. She didn't react to the comment about not being able to think up something unique, she didn't really care. If Dinah didn't have a good idea, she might be able to spark some useful idea just talking about it. She made a thoughtful face at the mention of decorations, it was something she'd thought of before. It was basically what she thought when she thought to the Ela and their tattoos. And.. they wore feathers or something, didn't they?
"Maybe," she murmured, then realized what Dinah said, "You'd be able to help? What kind of decorations do you have?"
"I don't have any with me now but I have had trinkets in the past, pretty blue stones made into jewelery by some helpful monkeys," she explained with a smile, thinking back to the bracelets and neckalce she had once had. They had long since been given away, gifts to cheer up strangers who needed it or asked for them. But she was confident they could find something to help her with. Besides, Dinah felt some reluctance in just letting Kira go off on her own when she wasn't entirely sure how sane and safe she was.
"I can take you," she offered, "It's quite the walk but I'd like the company. I wasn't heading anywhere in particular anyway."
Hmmm! Well, it was a start!
"OK!" Kira said excitedly, wiggling a bit as she nodded, "I'd like to see!"
Something was better than nothing. Maybe they'd even find more butterflies to ask along the way or whenever they found the monkeys. Monkeys usually lived around trees or flowers or butterflies or something, didn't they? Maybe not, but Kira would keep her eyes open for any in case they wanted to offer any advice! Maybe they would be more chatty now that she was trying to find a way to make them happy.
"OK," she mimicked brightly, circling around Kira to aim them in the right direction, "Follow me, it's this way. You can tell me more about the butterflies on the way."
It was going to be a long trip, she could tell already. She felt a slight twist in her stomach but she reminded herself they weren't teaming up permanently, she was merely offering some help. She was happy to help such a pretty, sad lioness! Even if she was a bit strange.
Fin.
