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Jini was feeling sorry for herself.

She'd been feeling sorry for herself quite often as of late, and it really wasn't a feeling that she liked. It made Jini feel like Kizi was winning, and that threw Jini into a tailspin of fury and angst. Jini felt like nothing she could ever do would please her father. Angra would never get satisfaction from Jini; instead, he doted on her sister, and it depressed Jini to no end.

More and more time was spent away from home. The little lioness couldn't stand the sight of her father or her sister. She'd discovered a little nook that she spent most of her time in, a little alcove of rocks and bushes that protected her from both the sun and prying eyes. She would return obediently each night for bed, but would be gone before the sun rose each morning.

Jininajisi was in her little secluded spot today, once more feeling sorry for herself and for her lot in life. She knew she had to break free of this never-ending cycle of rage and sadness, but Jini had no idea how to do it. Jini wanted to be more like Balia. Balia didn't mope around fighting tears all day, did she? Jini bet she didn't. With a sigh, Jini buried her face in her paws and tried to block out the world.

Jini had thought that she was safe from passers-by, but apparently that wasn't the case. Bright purple eyes peered up from behind her paws, and a scowl crossed her features. A lion stared at her and she narrowed her eyes at the smile on his face.

"You're awful nosy," she hissed, showing a bit of fang as she spoke. Jini was not in the mood to be fussed with, especially by a bored lion looking for entertainment.

"Leave me alone," Jini grumped, burying her face back in her paws. The weight of her problems crushed her, heavy on her little shoulders. She wouldn't cry, she wouldn't cry, she wouldn't cry...

Jini was silent for the longest time. Silent, still. Her breath moving in and out of her body was the only movement she made. And then, like a possessed being, her head rose and tears filled her eyes. Tears of anger, rage, disillusion. They were tears of pure emotion.

If she let go of control now, she would scream. She would charge at the stranger with claws unsheathed, teeth bared. It was a fight she could not win, and she knew this deep down.

"I will never be good enough for my father," she said bluntly. Jini wanted to scream and beat her paws on the ground, but she didn't. Everything else around her was slipping, but she refused to lose control of herself.

Jini took what the stranger said into consideration. Balia had mentioned doing the same thing, but Jini had never thought about it until recently. Every time she'd seen her father and her sister together, it ate away at her. Jini was tired of feeling like this, she was tired of never being good enough. She knew she was far superior to Kizi... but she just couldn't make her father realize it.

"I'm Jininajisa," she offered, not quite nice enough to be friendly, but almost begrudgingly polite. "You aren't the first lion to tell me that. The more I hear it, the more I think that it might be a good idea."

Jini grunted. "Her name is Balia. She has a twin named Shababa." Jini shrugged, shooting the other a glance. "She comes from a pride near here, I guess. The lions there are demons trapped in a lion's body. I think that's what she said, anyway."

She shrugged again. "Balia likes my dad, but she was nice to me. Not like the others are. Not like my sister. Balia is smart."

So he was from the pride that Balia was from, too? She was confused, but the distraction was good for her mind. Jini sniffled softly, peering at the darker lion with interest now. "How do you know if you're a demon," she asked tentatively. She figured that you would have to know deep down inside if you were a demon.

She unsheathed her claws, idly digging them into the dirt fussily.

At his words, Jini went deep into thought. She'd never felt completely satisfied with her life. She'd always kind of just... gone with the flow, tried to make the pieces fit even if it meant reshaping and reforming what she'd been given. Jini's constant need to please her father... maybe it was more than that. Maybe it was something else. Something she hadn't been aware of until now.

Maybe it was her demon calling out to her, begging for recognition. The drive, the determination that Jini had; these things had never been appreciated by those in her family. Jininajisi knew these attributes were worth admiration even if nobody else did.

Her eyes closed, and she was quiet for a long moment. A small grin curved the corners of her muzzle, and those bright eyes reopened. A clarity was there, as if everything was clear to her now. In accepting herself, all was made right.

"I have that spark," she whispered, knowing and believing it was so with every fiber of her being.