Balia = Goldenrod
Jini = Dark Green
Balia was on a mission today, determination lining her every step as she went past Aikanaro'hini boarders in search of what she had decided in her mind was her boyfriend. She did this every so often, never being happy with him afterwards as each time she had encountered him he always has a different female scent on him. It made her sick. Sure, fidelity was something foolish for her to expect from a demon such as Angra, but com'on now. At least wash of the scent of whore before she finds him, don't wear it like the scent of a flower., but this was besides the point.
Her visit today was not for Angra, it was for his daughters, the very vibrantly colored juveniles she had encountered in passing time after time but up until today had made no real effort of interacting with. Balia had decided this needed to change. Considering Angra had made comments of them not leaving his side for some time, Balia was going to have to deal with his b*****d children from his previous fling, meaning she should try and get them to cozy up to the fact that she wasn't going to be leaving anytime either.
It didn't take long for Balia to scent out the general vicinity Angra was in, looking around she began to trot forward leisurely, knowing she would eventually run into one of his daughters; they were never too far off from Angra, he'd throw a s**t fit if they were. Twitching her ears and nose Balia mumbled, "You're around here somewhere."
Jininajisa had found herself straying farther and farther away from her father's side. She felt as if remaining near her father, and consequently her sister Kizi, was making her more and more demented. She did not want to vy for her father's attentions more than she had been thus far in her young life. Fighting for his approval against her sister was hard enough, but Angra seemed to have a flock of lionesses that made it their purpose to draw Angra's attention away from his cubs.. but never away from Kizi. Kizi, forever at his side, forever cherished because of her cursed pelt and seer abilities.
It infuriated Jini. It made her see red, blinding her with anger. And so she'd taken to wandering away, farther and farther each day, from the two lions who seemed to be the bane of her existence. Her sister with that sickly sweet smile and her father with his blind eye towards all wrongs that Kizi could do. A blind eye that encompassed each and everything that Jininajisi did to make him proud, each gift she'd brought to him, everything.
She was at a low, low point in her life. Would things ever get better? Would she ever find the approval she desired from her father? Jini didn't know. And right now, she didn't care.
A strange scent wafted towards her, one that held a bit of familiarity but still strange nonetheless. She didn't care who it was or what they wanted. Lost in her own doldrums, feeling more than a little sorry for herself, Jini had little interest in anything aside from the cold little heart she could feel breaking a little more every day.
It was several minutes before Balia had spotted Jini, but when she did she made no attempt to call out to the juvenile or make her presence known. The lioness seemed to be brooding, or at least that's what her body language told Balia, causing the older lioness to contemplate exactly how she was going to address her young counterpart. Sneaking up on her was probably not the best recourse, and as she came within several yards of the bright yellow cub, she gave a small cough and sat herself down, "Hello Jininajisa."
It was probably odd for Jini to hear the entirety of her name spoken, as Balia was sure she went by a nickname whenever in the presence of family, but as a token of respect Balia decided not to address her so formally. She hated showing any individual respect, as they had often times not earned it from her yet, but on the flip side showing respect made the individual relax in a small way and open themselves up a little quicker. Granted, she didn't expect Jini to magically spill her soul to her, especially considering Balia was nothing more than another stranger in which Angra was segregating his affections for.
"I didn't expect to find you so close to my pride," She said calmly, a bit of a singsong tone showing through as she spoke.
Jini grunted a greeting to the dark lioness, one she'd oftentimes seen lingering around her father. After one such meeting between the lioness and her father, Jini had grown curious and asked Angra about the female. She'd wrangled only a name from her father before being cuffed in annoyance by Angra. "Balia," was all she said. Though they'd never formally met, Jini daringly used the other's name is if they were fast friends, an almost careless tone to her voice.
"I didn't know your pride was near here," she muttered monotone, going so far as to be polite rather than acting interested in Balia. "What are you doing here?"
"I was going to look for your father," Balia said simply, inspecting her paw and noting that her claws were beginning to dull; she would have to sharpen them later, dull claws did not cut flesh and left one defenseless. "But I'm still pissed the area smells of whore, so he doesn't need to see me."
She spoke of Angra as if they were already sordid lovers going through a rough patch in their relationship. The kind that take 'breaks' in which they both simply go and screw the neighborhood to stir up jealously within one another and than come back professing love and longing with false promises of changing. The funny part was the outcome was going to be exactly that once Balia was of age, especially considering she was of the jealous and possessive nature.
"Yes, my pride is quite close, actually," She said, deciding to take a couple of steps forward and 'test the waters' so to speak, "You should visit it sometime, you'd fit right in."
"...they wouldn't even know I was missing," the younger lioness spat, fury rising like so much bile to sour the back of her throat, to coat her tongue like acid. She rose to her feet and stepped away from Balia, pacing back and forth in unrest. "It will always reek of some other female around papa, Balia. You should know that by now." Her voice held no bite, no bitterness. She merely spoke the truth. "And if it does not reek of another female, Kizi is always by his side." Finally, emotion tainted her words. Pure jealousy, pure hatred. So much fury for one so young.
"I hate them."
He's trainable, Balia thought to herself as Jini mentioned that there would always be the scent of another lioness around him. It was true that Angra was physically stronger than most males out there, he was also crueler and more cunning, but just because he had a demon within him didn't mean he was the brightest star in the sky, in fact he was quite manipulable. He didn't have strength of mind. Balia was sure Kizi realized this quite a bit before Jini did, and on top of being the color Angra desired so, she manipulated that aspect of him.
Balia smiled to herself when Jini's back was turned to her, this one was emotional. Emotions were such... fickle things, some easier than others to fake. Happiness and anger were the easiest, but kindness, humility, compassion, so troublesome, but in this instance Balia found herself wanting to give it a try. Usually she would not do so on someone outside the pride, but Jini and Balia actually had this experience in common, something Balia could relate to and feed off of. It was a little exciting.
"It would be easier to be an only child, wouldn't it? No sibling constantly attempting to one-up you for a father's love," She said, as if she was reminiscing on her own life, which in part she was. Her and Shababa were constantly vying for their father's love and affection until of late, when Balia realized that they could compete until the sun exploded, but their father would never hold one above the other. He loved all his children equally and held no favorites. At the very least she knew her father loved her, which she was certain Jini couldn't fathom.
"Shababa is nothing but a brute, smashing through things like a rhino, ugly as one too," Balia said, though it wasn't the case. She did care for her sister, after all they shared a womb together, these little lies Balia told would never reach Shababa's ears anyway, so what did it matter if she spun the truth?
Jini nodded to Balia. It was nice actually having someone to talk to that she wasn't related to, or completely devoted to her sister. The plans she'd had with that stupid lion Sungura had fallen through; already Kizi had spun her web of lies so tightly around the foolish boy that he couldn't see Kizi for what she truly was.
"It would be easier.. but if I did anything to hurt any of my siblings, my father would hurt me." He hadn't hesitated in doing it before. A slap here, a swift cuffing there. He wasn't fond of using his words to communicate problems; no, physical abuse was much easier for her father.
"Shababa is your? Sister? Brother?" Jini really knew little about Balia. Her father was no fountain of information, really.
"Sister. Shababa is my twin," Balia said, as she took in the fact that Angra was apparently physically violent with his children. There were some parents in the Aikanaro'hini whom were, most of them followed Morifaer rather than Sparda, but the notion was not uncommon to her. She would have to make sure all the children produced between her and Angra stayed with her, she would not have her offspring beaten simply because he was not happy with them.
"Why do you not just leave than, Jini?" Balia asked honestly. If she was so miserable with Angra she should just go. There was no use staying with someone you hated, after all there were many nearby prides who would willingly take her in if she played her cards right.
"I realize your father isn't exactly one who likes to lose his possessions, but at the same time who is he to say you're his? You are your own lion," She commented, watching as Jini paced. She would plant the seeds of her own misdoings into Jini's head and hope they took flourish, if only for her own amusement. "My father does not hit us, he does not praise us either. He is like stone sometimes."
"You cannot understand," Jini muttered. "I feel as if I need to prove my worth to him, Balia. You are lucky to have a sister who doesn't take pleasure in lording over your misfortunes. Everything she speaks are venomous lies." Jini could never be considered an innocent to lies; she had told her fair share. Physically, Jini far surpassed her sister. But mentally, Kizi had a way of making her words like candy-coated poison. Like sweet red berries that gleamed in the sun, but once eaten bring you nothing but a terrible stomach-ache.
"I haven't thought about leaving. I don't know where I'd go."
"There are many prides nearby, any would take you in, but you may have to pretend to be something you're not, at least until you're of age to leave," Balia said quietly, as if contemplating the one's she knew, "I would stay away from the one east of us, though. What were they... Yes, the Mwako'bi'giza I believe they're called. They're blood traitors. My pride's enemies."
"Any place is better than one where you're not appreciate, hmmnn?"
Jini lifted her head, nose into the air. "Maybe I will leave, Balia." Repeating her previous statement, "They wouldn't even miss me, I'm sure." It hurt to admit that, but Jini was beyond caring. Well, almost beyond caring. Annoyed at the turn that the conversation had taken, Jini turn to face Balia.
"Why do you like my father? Do you think you are different from the others?"
Well that turned to an interesting route. Balia never thought Jini would ask her why she hung around Angra, to be honest. She was not sure herself sometimes as to why she hung around Angra, but was then dully reminded when in his presence. He was a demon through and through; deep down inside Balia it appealed to her, to her demon. Sometimes she didn't even feel as if her and her demon were two different entities, well, not until something between her demon and herself clashed.
"It's not I who is different from the others, but him," Balia said in all seriousness. She did not feel comfortable having this conversation with Jini, and some subtle signs of it shown through. She was no longer teeter tottering around with her tone of voice, her tail showed agitation, slight agitation; a small flick here and there in its slowly swaying. "There are no males in my pride like him... At least not one's I'm not related to."
She took in a deep breath, letting out a slow long sigh, "The demon within me is drawn to your father and I willingly allow it to pull me towards him. He is what it wants and I'm happy to cater to its will. As for being different,... I do believe you know that answer already. I know you and your sister's have seen us together on occasion."
Jini listened intently, with interest. Watching Balia speak, watching her move.. there was an innate grace that appealed to Jini. Something to aspire to? And yet, despite that, Jini knew that Balia was different from the others who only approached her father because he was strong and without many morals, and had a way of bending others to his whims.
Balia struck Jini as different. She had a confidence that Jini yearned for. Jini wondered if Balia's demon gave her that confidence. She wanted to question further, but didn't want to press her luck interrogating Balia about it.
"If anyone can make him see the error of his ways," Jini commented, "I am sure it is you, Balia."
Jini's comment made Balia chuckle very lightly to herself. The process of Angra seeing anything past his ways was going to be a long one wrought with verbal beatings, physical beatings and broken spirits; hopefully him being the one to receive it all.
"I appreciate the sentiment," Balia said, peaking about curiously to make sure neither Angra nor Kizi was about before looking back to Jini, "Are you hungry? I am starving, and since your father is nowhere in sight and I'm still miffed at him, let's go eat it and leave the undesirable pickings for him."
Though she doubted they would ever be friends in any normal sense of the word, Jini appreciated the ... companionship that Balia provided. No competition or the like, not like there was with Kizi. "You're welcome," Jini nodded.
"Starved," Jininajisi muttered, a grumbling in her belly punctuating the word. She got a small thrill that Balia would even dare leave the undesirable pickings for Angra. Jini was pleased that Balia would ask her to partake in the choicier bits with her. "I would love that, Balia."
Balia as well took a sick pleasure in punishing Angra in these small ways. They weren't enough for him to take too much note and possibly retaliate, but making him uncomfortable in any way, shape or form was better than nothing, even if it meant he ate the unappetizing parts of the kill.
"It's this way," Balia said, motioning for Jini to follow after her to where she had hid the kill from any of the local scavengers. Jini may never really be Balia's friend, especially considering the fact they themselves could probably be sisters in leu of their age, but at the very least they could be civil, if not cordial with each other.
That's all Balia would really want, anyways.
- Fin
