Welcome to Gaia! ::

For so long the pride had been static and unyielding to even the mere thought of change coming to their way of life. Ranks were held for years, families rooted in tradition, and there had been previously a nearly overwhelming standard that hovered over the heads of all the pride's members to uphold the status-quo that had served the pride for many years. Yet with the death of the previous Onyeisi a great wave of unrest and change had swept over the pride. Leadership had been changed, pillars of the community torn down, new ideas and blood was being introduced into the pride (albeit at a snail's pace) to the pride with the new members - and more importantly - new leadership.

For those remaining in the family she had married into this was the talk of disgust. They had sided themselves with the more traditional advocates and seemed hell bent to continue to be a very loud annoyance to well quite literally anyone who had been willing to listen behind closed doors.

Kamili wore her usual face of indifference to the whole matter, though admittedly she did watch with interest from the wings how the pride's dynamic was evolving. She admired the Onyeisi for his actions, and she couldn't say she didn't welcome the prospect of new voices and opinions coming into the fold. However her family expected her to continue to uphold the strict rule set and image that they had restricted her with once her husband had died. Being a outspoken advocate for reform was certainly not something that would be allowed. Dignity, grace, and a sense of aloofness to the day to day activity prompted by (massive) grief was expected of her.

And so she had become one of the pride's wallflowers. Faceless, quiet, forgotten about. She spent her time mostly in her own head, not much unlike the dark male perched upon his favorite rock that she had been mindlessly wondering directly in the path towards. Although why Itiri spent his time calculating and trying to think over ever possibility Kamili took a more romanticized approach, spending most of her time daydreaming about futures that couldn't come to be.

What she certainly didn't daydream as something in the realm of possibilities was for her to be so caught up in a particular fantasy that she walked herself right into the very rock Itiri favored so much!

One dull thump of her head smacking against the rock followed shortly by the instinctual sharp pitched squeak of surprise was all of the warning Itiri would get that he was no longer alone to be left in peace with his thoughts - he now had a situation to deal with!

Rocks, trees, and other large objects were entities that Kamili had more face-on interaction with that she was care to admit to. Although she was keenly aware to few who actually noticed her toddling around the pride in her day to day how blind or just plain mentally handicap she was rumored to be! A rumor she didn't attempt to quell in the slightest. It gave her ample opportunity to be left alone in peace and quiet to handle her business.

Although she never expected to be appearing so oblivious to one of the most important people of the pride!

Wobbling back a few steps Kamili flopped down to her rear, one of her paws coming up to tenderly rub against the still throbbing spot right in the middle of her forehead. "D'oh," she tsked under her breath, silently cursing to herself for once again adding more fuel to the no doubt already bruised and raised forehead. She was still oblivious to the fact that she had just made herself known and now had quite a captivated audience above her head. Well until...

Hello

With a few very confused blinks Kamili's eyes gradually rose to meet Itiri's gaze. Her face slowly morphed into a look of embarrassment and horror as the realization set in more and more to her.

She had not only walked into a obviously reserved and private time for the new Onyeisi, but she had to do it in the most obtuse manner possible!

"Ancestors end me now," She softly proclaimed, not realizing that in her mortified state that her thoughts had been vocalized out loud. Well, not at least until it was well and truly too late to take back her self deprecating wish. Letting out a low groan her paw dragged down her face.

The ancestors would be kind to end her suffering least she further dig herself down a hole! But manners, ohohoh my! She needed to remember her manners!

With a bow of her head Kamili grimaced, "I am so, so sorry, Onyeisi. I-I..." Sucking in deep breath her shoulders quaked with nerves. Oh, surely he would not be happy about such a interruption. He would be upset, eventually the news of what upset him would get out and then her family would learn of her transgression.

She would have hell to pay for this.

When didn't she have a headache would have honestly been a better question to ask. Between work, her personal life, and all of the constant background bickering it was quite hard these days for most not to have some form of ache in their skulls. Even so, his comments drew out a quiet but genuine chuckle from her. "That would be an awkward encounter seeing how I...am a healer," she admitted sheepishly.

A healer that often needed a good dosage of her own medicine, but dammit she was a trained medical professional none-the-less!

"Treatment plan: Take two more hits to the head to make sure the lesson of properly looking where you're stepping to steep in," Pausing for a moment a half smirk dashed across her face for a moment as she found herself amused by the same tired - and often ignored - speech she gave most patients. "And come see me in the morning."

Ah, but alas as quickly as her peak into her sense of sarcasm came it was gone again.

"Is it not expected to apologize when you disturb your king's peace and privacy?" She asked. It was her turn to be bewildered, complete with the same tilt of the head to one side! How could he be so casual about such a breach of etiquette!? "Historically speaking there have been others who have been exiled for less."

Her demeanor perked with his curt reply. He actually had a point! All she had heard from her family about their new Onyeisi was how he was naive, childish, and a foreboding tyrant in the making unless someone dared to challenge his new regulations being set in place virtually every day. But Kamili was seeing none of those features in the male before her. He was radical in his views but in a much needed progressive direction than what his father had been before hand.

Young, full of ideas, ambition, and if the rumors were to be believed the will to execute those actions even if they crossed moral likes.
He had just won the respect of at least this small Di-anyi.

"You're right," She replied just as coolly as he had. Her lips pursed as she second questioned if being open about her agreements would be wise for a moment. No, he had been blunt with her, he deserved the same respect to be spoken to honestly in return. "The pride has been like a dammed water hole for too long. It's gone stagnate over time. Why it might be teaming with life on the surface truthfully it's water is unhealthy and eventually would evaporate under the heat of the sun. It might not have happened quickly, but it was a fate that was still inevitable."

She paused as she regarded him with interest, her normally glazed over eyes now bright with fire and mirth. "You've begun the long and arduous process of dismantling the dam," She ended her long metaphorical speech with the hint of a smile on her face. For the first time in years she felt true excitement and dare she say there was a inkling of hope swirling in her excitement.

If the power could be revoked from those so high up who abused their status for so long than nobody was safe.

With a gentle shake of her head she couldn't help but let out chuckle at her own misdirected thought process. "But is that what they do inside of their caverns all day? That would certainly explain why they speak like they are crammed full of s**t," She mused to herself out loud.

Focus, Kamili, Focus.

Sucking in a deep breath she recovered from her brief lapse of composure. "As much as I'm sure you have to fight off the more traditionalist views urging you to take up that particular ritual involving your rear I know there are many others who are grateful to see that you refuse them."

"Admittedly, I myself being one of them."

Her line of work offered her a rare glimpse into the true feelings and status of the pride. It was amazing what some people were willing to open up and speak about when idly waiting for a procedure or trying to explain a injury they had inflicted upon themselves through overworking or poor life choices. At the same time she was forced to live with her family who in all respects of the word were well off within the pride. They held status, good housing, and wanted for little.

She had both sides of the coin right in her back pocket to observe at any time.

"That would be ill advised," She admitted herself. "Too much water at once could overflow the water hole and destroy the ecosystem inside. There would be chaos and damage that would take years to repair. No, you are right to take things piece-by-piece," She finished with a shake of her head.

His actions were already seen as radical and terrified those who wanted the status quo to remain the same. Too much would overwhelm even the normal populous and cause chaos, hell possibly civil war.

Change on these levels had to be slow and gradual, even if it was painful for those who could see how broken the current system is. The general people had to accept their new way of life on their own time and realize how beneficial it was.

Pursing her lips she regarded him with as much suspicion as she had interest. "People have their different motives on why they do not question authority. They are far too numerous to go through as a list," She dismissed curtly. She realized he was asking more for her own reasoning on why she didn't speak up. That in it's self was a complex issue to unpack, especially to someone (even if he was her king) that she had only met!

It was time to leave before he would get the chance to press any further on the matter. This was not the time nor the place to discuss her own personal opinions and reasoning behind the views she had and actions she took.

"I believe that I might have given you more to ponder over than how the Amoosu don't have horrible allergies based on the amount of dust they are surrounded by everyday. So I think it would be best if I leave you back to your privacy."

A soft smile crossed her face as she bowed her head towards him. "It has been a pleasure, Onyeisi. I'll enjoy watching you continue to remove that dam."

With that she began to trot around the favored rock that the dark male loved to perch on. Within a matter of minutes she had disappeared into the night.