Syr
She kept herself busy, always kept herself busy and away format he other costumers. She often passed her finished pieces on to the lions of the pride in secret, leaving them as gifts. It was rare for her to be approached by others though when she was she made things that were beyond amazing.

Her paws were busy today, she had found piles of jet black feathers and she was deafly weaving them in to a mask that looked like a black owls face, she slipped a silver feather in every so often to make the mask look speckled. Lifting the mask up she looked through the eyes and nodded satisfied with her work. The mask was not for herself though perhaps she could of or should have considered wearing a mask, perhaps it would have allowed others to come to her unquestioning, but she did not want to wear a mask, if others could not see past her appearance they did not deserve her talents.

She had forever been considered ugly, even before her face and body had been scarred, her fur a dark and dingy colour and her paws seemingly dipped in blood, she was destined to be thought of as ugly and her maiming as a youngster had only enhanced her sour looks. She had grown up however to be a very accomplished costumer and if creatures of the pride came to her they often walked away with something they could feel proud of.


buffy
The male wasnt ugly, but he certainly had his fair share of being discriminated against. He was a bright green male, pink cotton candy mane that didnt allow him to blend in much. He was a horrible hunter, yet that was his job. He was horrible at everythign else too, only moreso. So he figured hunting was a good place for him. He yawned, paw to his mouth as he continued on his path. He was looking for his son, and accomplished jewelry maker that could maybe make him a gift to give to Melda.

Melda was his life after all..With a smile, he began humming a bit as he walked. One quick glance showed that his son wasn't around. He frowned, and turned to leave in hopes to find something else.


Syr
The dark lioness lifted her head as she heard someone moving through the undergrowth. Her bloody red eyes fell upon the bright green lion and she raised a scarred brow. She never called out to anyone, they wanted her they came to her, still, she shifted a little causing the nest of leaves she sat in to be comfortable to rustle.

She smiled a lopsided smile which wasn't that smiley, one side of her mouth was permanently pulled in to a grimace so her smile could often be misinterpreted, still, it was a smile in her books. She turns her gaze back upon the feather mask, continuing in her work. If he wished to speak to her he could, if not, he could walk on un-hindered by her.


buffy
He heard something moving in the bushes, and he paused, lifting his eyes from the earth. Amber yellow eyes glittered, and he stepped towards the bushes. Pushing them out of the way, he watched a black lioness weaving feathers into a mask. It was a pretty mask, and he found himself watching as she attached each feather. He hardly noticed her seemingly blood tipped paws. He hadnt ever had a predijuce based on looks, and he didnt plan on starting.


Syr
"Can I help you?" She whispers, her voice sounding like she was desperate for a drink, she kept her bloody eyed gaze on the mask in her paws carefully weaving each feather carefully in tot he next with surprising dexterity.

She lifts her eyes for a moment to look the bright green male over. "I don't know you, whats your name?" She whispers, a scarred bro raising curiously, she usually didn't get anyone watching her for too long, she was after all considered too ugly to look at with her permanent grimace and overly scarred body.


buffy
He noticed her scars, and she looked like an older female. He ignored them though as they werent what he was interested in. Not everyone could be as beautiful as his Melda.. He smiled, and cleared his throat.

"Im Misri. Its a pleasure. Who are you?" He asked, still watching her weave the feathers together.


Syr
"I go by Valkerie." She whispers in her gruff voice "Costumer." One side of her face lifted in a smile which only pulled one side of her face up, the other side permanently dragged backwards showing her teeth.

"Do you need something? No one usually comes to me unless they want something very special very badly, what is it you need?" She questions rather bluntly, her voice a permanent rough whisper, she knew her lot in life and she loved being a costumer but new lions were sent her way because they didn't know how repulsive she was to look at. Many accepted that she was a very gifted costumer but she was often the last resort when it came to that special thing because many did not like to look at her.


buffy
He smiled, and thought about it. She was a costumer? He wondered if she could make Melda something that would be one of a kind. Never seen before, and never to be made again.

"I was looking for a gift for my beloved. However it seems my jewelry making son is away from his post." He said with a nod, pink mane fluff falling into his eyes.

"Do you make gifts?"


Syr
The lioness nodded lightly "Yes, what is she like?" The lioness asks, raising both brows and laying the mask on the ground. She lifts a bag from around her neck and slowly stands creaking to her paws. Many would think her old, but she was not the scar that ran across her spine caused her to hobble slightly.

"Fur ,feathers or bone?" She questions moving away slightly, her back legs causing her to limp as she moved.


buffy
He thought of it for a moment, but then instantly decided on the feathers. "Feathers." He responded, thinking of his lovely. She was as beautiful and free as any bird. So feathers were the perfect idea. He almost wanted those long, pretty peacock feathers he had seen some time before.

"Something beautiful, almost regal even if she isnt noble. She deserves the best." He said, love in his voice. He looked over the scars on the female, and wondered where they were from, but he wouldnt pry.


Syr
She vanished for a moment and returned with long pale feathers tipped in gold. She sits pulling a white pelt, she purses her lips and pierces the pelt threading a piece of pale leather through it, she nods before starting to weave the fathers in to the fur, her paws, deft and careful,s he quickie forms a fur and feather neck ruff, the feathers fanning out from a central point behind the neck.

She smiles her lopsided smile and nods. "Now ask your questions of me before I pass this to you." She laughs a quiet breathless laugh, "I don't mind your curiosity,it's hardly a secret why I look the way I do." She whispers continuing to turn the ruff, her claws securing the feathers tightly to the fur, before she started to weave in smaller feathers of silver.


buffy
He watched in awe as she worked. She made the most beautiful neck ruffle for Melda right before his eyes. It would look beautiful on her and he couldnt help but feel a tightness in his chest of excitement in hopes that Melda would simply love it.

"I was curious about your scars. No lady should have been injured the way it looks like you have been." He said, looking at her and then into her blood red eyes.


Syr
The lioness gave a light nod "Thats usually the question." She clears her throat attaching the last silver feather, admiring her handy work. "This is how it is worn." She wraps the ruff around her throat for a moment tying the leather strip at her throat, the feathers fanned outwards and she nodded, pleased with her work before un tying the leather and laying it at his paws.

"I was attacked by a hyena as a cub, it wasn't his fault he was hungry." She states simply, she didn't blame the hyena for her looks, she isn't blame anyone, the hyena was hungry and she was a wandering cub. She smiles her half smile once again, the smile never quite obvious due to her permanent grimace. "Not many stand and look at me, not many want so I sit and work and if I am needed I craft. of course you weren't talking about internal scars." She laughs a slightly sarcastic laugh and shakes her head lifting up the mask she had been working on. "Your lady will enjoy it I hope. Give her my best, she clearly has a good eye." She whispers turning her bloody eyed gaze back to her work.


buffy
When she showed him how to use the gift he smiled. "Its beautiful. You have quite the talent. I dont believe Ive even seen much of your work. Why is that?" He asked, looking at her with curiosity.

"Thats awful. I dislike hyenas but for reasons of my own. No cub should go through that." He said, but when she said she wasnt offended by the action, he thought her very brave.
"What do I owe you, dear?" He asked, smiling in hopes of raising her spirits.


Syr
The lioness chuckled quietly "You owe me nothing my friend. Thank you for asking for my work." She flickers her ears and looks at the male lion directly. "Lions do not come to me unless they are desperate. I'm not one of the pretty costumers whom flounce. I wait and if they ask I create." She shakes her head. "You see my work you just don't always know it is mine." She turns her gaze upon the mask once again holding it before her face. "I have sometimes considered wearing a mask but why should I hide who I am?" She questions flickering her tail a little as she lifts the mask from her face and looks at it.

"There is work to be done yet to this, small feathers, they will be the death of me." She looks up at the gee and pink male and nods. "We all get hungry sometimes, no doubt there are things you have eaten that you never thought you would. he was hungry I accept that, I should have stayed with my mother as I had been told instead of wandering. The past is gone though and her I sit alive and thankful of it. The hyena he was not so lucky, it really wasn't his fault he was hungry."

Letting out a shallow sigh the lioness threads another black feather in to the mask. "Go, take your gift to your lady, I often work here if you wish to seek my services again. Perhaps I will have finished this damned mask by then hmm?" She laughs a short breathless laugh, looking the mask over her paws careful to place each feather as carefully as the last.


buffy
He understood where she spoke from, and he chuckled. "Word of advice? Dont wear the mask. If they cant see you for who you are, what good are they? Why should you hide?" He asked, and stood a bit taller.
"You are incredibly kind, madam. It was a pleasure to meet you. Ill certainly recommend you."

He said, lifting up the ruff for Melda with his maw ever so gently. He padded away, wondering how others could treat someone different based on appearance. But he had done it before.. he had just changed. For the better.