[FIN] Everyone has a Story (Tarafa & Mittere)

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The pink lioness was just staring at her guest now, not even glaring. She'd never met anyone like this before. From what Tarafa said, it seemed that perhaps she didn't laugh like that very often. Mittere certainly hoped that was the case because the laughter had made her feel very uncomfortable. The pink lioness didn't have much of a sense of humor at the best of times, and being around someone who found everything funny made her nervous and set her on edge.

And when the blue lioness apologized again, she could hear the sincerity. She still wasn't certain what had been so uproariously funny, and was fairly certain she'd never know, but she did understand that Tarafa didn't mean to laugh at her expense. Mittere had a finely-tuned sense of pride and could always pick up on that.

But she still wasn't going to unbend and be a "nice person" just because of all this. Still...she felt she owed Tarafa something. Heaving a mental sigh, the pink lioness spoke again.

"My name's Mittere. And if you start laughing again, I'm going to close your muzzle permanently!" she added quickly and darkly. She was not going to sit through a repeat of the past several minutes!  

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Ah, the taste of victory! Though it was less a victory over an enemy and more sharing a win with a friend. Mittere. It was a gentler name than Tarafa would have guessed for her pink companion, but still strong. Perhaps there was some softness in the other lioness after all.

She couldn't help grinning at the threat though. She knew how badly Mittere had been injured, but she didn't doubt that the pink lioness would and could attack her if there was enough motivation. She'd seen firsthand tonight how strong the other's will was, and didn't doubt it was the reason Mittere was still alive.

"No no, no more laughter from me," Tarafa promised. "Especially because I do have other things to do tonight." The blue lioness rose to go. "I hope you don't mind my leaving, but I'll come back again tomorrow if you'd like." There were many stories that Mittere could tell her, she knew. And none of them would come out tonight. But Tarafa didn't mind coming back again and again to get them.  

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Mittere blinked. Ever since Tarafa had started telling the story she'd been unsettled and offbalance. And now the blue lioness was leaving? She supposed it was good, since she hadn't had too much of a chance (or the attention) to analyze much of what she'd seen and learned tonight. But the entire encounter had been orchestrated, it seemed, by Tarafa. Mittere hadn't had a chance against her! The Bard was much more skilled than she had ever suspected.

But...was it a bad thing? This time with Tarafa hadn't entirely been a battle of wits and advantage. The blue lioness might want some things, but she had given freely in return, without even being asked. She was friendly but in a much more powerful way than Gerda, and in a more proactive way than Nawiri. If conversation was an arena of war, the Bard was the best combatant in it that Mittere had ever met.

She shook her head that she didn't mind Tarafa leaving. "Perhaps," was her only response to the offer to return. She rather doubted she'd have sorted everything out by then, but somehow she didn't really mind the idea of the blue lioness coming to visit again. At the very least, she wouldn't be bored!  

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The blue lioness grinned. Mittere was so stubborn! But it was a refreshing change from the quiet compliance shown by lions born into the Kitwana'antara. The pink lioness was definitely going to help breathe new life into the parts of the pride she touched. Tarafa was a Bard, and it was her job to know these things. She might not be a Seer and able to see the future, but she had studied the past to understand how it affected the present.

"In that case, I'll see you again soon," she told Mittere, and stepped out of the den and into the night. She paused at the entrance and turned back, winking one blue eye before continuing on her way.  

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The pink lioness watched Tarafa go, smiling a little to herself. Wasn't it just like a Bard to insist on having the last word? But...she had actually enjoyed the blue lioness' visit, and in more than a mentally stimulating way. There was something about Tarafa that had allowed Mittere to be more comfortable with her than any other member of the pride she'd met thus far.

She stared at the stars, visible outside, and suddenly wondered if Tarafa had been born into the pride. She was more outgoing than anyone else Mittere had met and so the pink lioness had to wonder if living with the disease one's whole life made for a much more passive breed of lion. But if Tarafa had been born in the pride, then it wasn't something bred into them and was a choice in lifestyle.

And Mittere had to wonder when it became so important to ask questions like that about Tarafa. She hadn't even dithered over the question of whether to trust the blue lioness the way she usually did which was odd and a bit disturbing. One thing was certain though. Whatever she'd expected of the Kitwana'antara had changed the moment Tarafa entered the picture.

The pink lioness sighed and watched the stars as she contemplated the evening's visit. It was going to be a long night while she tried to figure this out.