[PRP] Rough day [Siren/Zuni]

[Bronze Coffee]

With everything was said and done, she had her sister, and the pride. That's all the girl needed in life. At least that's what she kept telling herself to make sure she stayed calm. However. she got restless a lot of the times. She had to go venture off and do something.

Being a healer she got away with saying she had to go gather herbs or something like that if she got caught too far from the core of the pride by herself. It wasn't a good idea, especially now, but she couldn't help herself. Even now, she was pushing through the thick underbrush, coming back into the pride with a cloth pouch around her neck stuffed with various flowers and plants she knew she would need later on in the pride.

There was a cut under one of her eyes, burrs stuck in her fur, and leaves everywhere mud was stuck. It looked like she'd been rolling around in the grass, when in reality her footing had slipped and she fell down quite the steep hill, bouncing and thumping against the ground. Luckily no big rocks or roots, but oof, she was stiff.

"Uuuugh."  

[Rennekae]

Zuni had been with the pride for several seasons now, and the dark lioness had finally gotten comfortable with being outside of her den and around her pridemates. Well, sort of. For short periods. I mean, she wasn't crazy, she didn't know everyone, they could be working with her father!

Anyway. Now was one of those times that she felt confident enough to be out and about. "Confident" may not be the right word... but she was doing it anyway. She had spent most of her "out" time in the communal Healer area, as she was at least acquainted with all of her fellow Healers and reasoned that someone that made it their duty to heal others couldn't be malicious. Unless they're very clever and hiding in plain sight... No! She couldn't think like that! She'd only finally started to trust the other Healers; she couldn't backtrack.

She was headed there now, slowly but steadily, when she caught sight of one of her colleagues coming back into the pride - and looking a little worse for wear. Her ears perked forward and she changed direction to intercept the navy lioness.

"Mihika! Are you alright? What happened?"
 

[Bronze Coffee]

Someone calling her brought the blue lioness out of her own head and had those eyes focus on another healer heading toward her.

She looked a little sheepish, if anything now. "Yeah, I'm alright!" She called back, stepping closer and then eventually getting close enough to talk comfortably. She was limping still, though trying her best to hide it. "I got a little uh... into the earth today, so to say."

The laugh that came from her was strained at best before sighing. "I wasn't paying attention and fell down the steep hill close by. I'm fine! Nothing's broken. I think something's sprained though." Her hips didn't feel quite right. It wasn't a pain, but a dull ache. That was something she wasn't going to tell the other. No need to make her worried.

"I'm glad to see you out and about."

Rennekae

 

[Rennekae]

Zuni wanted to relax when Mihika said she was alright, but her paranoid nature and the barely detectable limp just wouldn't allow it. Golden eyes shifted between narrowed suspicion and widened concern as she looked over the blue healer, sniffing the air with an open mouth to try and detect any blood - which she thankfully didn't smell much of, probably just a couple scrapes.

When Mihika admitted that she might be injured, Zuni's healer instincts forced aside her paranoia. She stepped forward, meaning to start an actual examination of her comrade, and paused to be sure she wouldn't overstep.

"You really should let me check you out, Mihika. It's no trouble for me to look you over, but it could be real trouble if you let something go." Zuni was hopeful that the other lioness would agree.

Her ears flicked at Mihika's comment, half embarrassed and half frustrated with herself that her fearful nature was so evident to her pridemates. She heard that comment, in every tone imaginable, at least once every time she did go out. She was pleased, however, that Mihika was one of the few who never said it to her in a pitying or gentle way.

She smiled and replied, "I'm glad too; if I wasn't out, your bumps and bruises may have gone unnoticed," her smile faltering and returning as her confidence wavered.

Peppermint Coffee

I hope you don't mind that I assumed that Mihika wouldn't pity Zuni or think she needed coddling, and would just treat her normal.

 

[Bronze Coffee]

Ah, the confidence wavered. Well, she could avoid those kind of comments.

"Honestly, I would love if you would see and make sure nothing's actually broken.." The darker female shifted to sit down so the other could look her over. Mihika wasn't really trying to coddle or anything like that, she had simple been glad to see her.

"I have a lot of herbs that could help you out in the pouch around my neck." That instinct is what Mihika trusted. If a healer had the natural instinct it made them one of the best kinds of healers.

Rennekae

 

[Rennekae]

Zuni nodded, immediately getting to work once Mihika had settled down. She had her own pack of supplies around her neck, but she still appreciated Mihika's offer - and besides, she may have something that Zuni didn't.

Zuni started prodding at Mihika's body with her nose, gently but firmly, testing for tender or painful spots while also smelling for blood and feeling for abnormal heat that may indicate swelling or other internal injuries. She kept watching the blue lioness' facial and body language to find the painful spots and make sure she didn't see any signs of shock - which thankfully, she did not.

Concluding her inspection, Zuni sighed with relief and smiled comfortingly at Mihika. "Well, you were right - nothing is broken. Or torn or fractured or dislocated. But you twisted and bruised your left hip pretty good. Here." Zuni rummaged around in her pack and pulled out a bright green sprig with purple, bell-shaped flowers and the roots still attached. "Eat this comfrey. It will speed up the healing and ease any pain. A twist like that should be healed in about a week, but you'll need to avoid anything too vigorous. I'd be happy to help you collect herbs and whatnot in the meantime."

It felt awkward to Zuni to be giving medical advice and giving these explanations to someone who also usually did it themselves, but she pushed through it with a tentative smile and a tone that clearly said, "I know you already know this, but I'm gonna say it anyway".

Peppermint Coffee

 

[Bronze Coffee]

"Even the best healer may need gentle reminders. Sometimes we make the worst patients, don't we?" Mihika rolled her shoulder but ate the comfrey right now, her nose wrinkling up as she made a face. Ugh. She knew it was going to help, but gross.

The darker of the two just smiled a little more at her counterpart. "Tell me, Zuni. How're you holding up? It's not been easy around here lately. I like to ask everyone. What do you think about everything?" She was really worried about people's mental state sometimes. They seemed to not be quite all there, but she was slipping slowly herself. Still, sometimes lions needed to talk about the things they've been through and well, she wouldn't mind mind being the ear they bent.

Rennekae

(sorry my replies are short. I'm still trying to figure out the new Mihika.)

 

[Rennekae]

Zuni smiled at Mihika's comment - it was true, healers could be just terrible patients - and chuckled even as she sympathized when the blue lioness choked back the comfrey. It really didn't have a pleasant taste, unfortunately, but it certainly did the trick.

Zuni's ears folded back at Mihika's questions. Not that she was offended, but she was certainly uncomfortable. She had noticed, too, that even the most sound of her pridemates seemed to be unhinging - some more noticeably and disturbingly than others - and couldn't deny feeling it herself. Her paranoia had been settling since she'd joined the pride, but as of late it seemed to come back with gusto in small spurts. Plus, she'd started hearing a voice coming from her den. Literally. The roots of the tree under which she had found her small, secluded nest were speaking to her. But, somehow, that was comforting. The fur along her spine started to prickle as she opened her mouth to speak, but Zuni pushed through it, a sign of the progress she'd made socially.

"I'm coping. I feel like I'm losing myself a little, to be honest, but also maybe finding myself a little too? It's strange... and unnerving. Though at least I seem to be holding together better than some. How have you been feeling with all this?"

Uneasy as she was, Zuni couldn't help but feel proud of herself for keeping up a social interaction this long without wanting to run back to her den. Though, truthfully, she may head back there when this conversation ended on its own. This was a lot of sociability for her and the topic was putting her on edge.

Peppermint Coffee

That's okay!

 

[Bronze Coffee]

"...confused," came Mihika's answer after a moment. "I'm not sure what to feel. How to feel even. What should I be feeling? I hear whispers sometimes. I don't know what's real and what's not. It's.." She trailed off as something seemed to speak to her before sighing a little herself. The dark blue lioness' face turned to an apology and she hung her head a little.

"I'm sorry. Yes, I'm just a little more confused these days." But seemed to be functioning enough to know herbs and what they did. She stretched herself out after a long moment, feeling some bones in her back pop and relax before she shuddered and sighed. "Mmm... It's tiring. Trying to figure things out. I'm not even sure I really understand what is happening to us. Can you try to explain?"

Rennekae

 

[Rennekae]

Nodding slowly as Mihika spoke, Zuni could remember feeling that exact way when she had first started experiencing the changes. And with her paranoia - a condition that was now even more erratic than usual - it was certainly a frightening time. When Mihika asked her to try to explain the changes, Zuni bristled. She was apprehensive about holding such attention; however, Zuni had had a friend describe to her what was happening within the pride, and it had helped ease her fear. The dark lioness was fortunate for her friends here, that had brought her here in fact. She felt she owed it to the other healer - whom she considered to be a friend - to be that friend herself.

Dhoruba had been born into the pride when the blessing of Insanity was strong and all of the lions felt its effects, and he was here when the blessing had left. Now that it was returning, he was one of the lions that were thrilled for the return of what the pride called muses, and he and his mate had spent a lot of time with Zuni explaining the muses and the blessing. She still wasn't sure she completely understood, but she would try her best to explain.

"I'm probably not the best one to explain this, but I'll tell you what I could understand from what I've been told," Zuni started, her voice faltering a little, but she pushed through. "I know you don't need to be afraid of the whispering. Dhoruba told me that the voices are the muses, and they're trying to help. He told me that lions, all of us, or our souls at least, were once a part of something else. Like, the trees, for example. But something went wrong and we ended up as lions. And now the muses are trying to help us and teach us so that when we die, our souls can return to where they're supposed to be. And we just have to listen and let our muse, the one we belong to, reach us."

By the end of her explanation, Zuni was speaking so fast she was basically rambling, and she found she was a little out of breath. A little hot under the fur with embarrassment, she half muttered, "Dhoruba would be better to talk to. I can introduce you?"
Then she fell silent, watching her paw intently as she traced little figure eights in the dirt, more than a little self-conscious.

Peppermint Coffee

 

[Bronze Coffee]

For some reason that didn't make sense and made perfect sense at the same time. The blue lioness studied the other as she talked, and then hummed and looked out again before her head canted to the side.

Mihika's eyes went half lidded as she nearly got lost in thought after the other spoke and seemed to get quiet.

"....I can introduce you?"

It snapped her out of her head and put her attention back on the other lioness.

"Uhm. Sure if you want to. I think that'd be best honestly. I sort of get it, but not quiet..." How had seen been part of something else at some point? There were always going to be questions with her, it felt like. She wasn't someone to just follow something blindly unless it actually made sense to her. So further research would be necessary.

"Thank you though, for talking with me about this. It's not something.... I'm too comfortable bringing up, you know?"

Rennekae

 

[Rennekae]

Zuni's ears flicked forward excitedly and she looked up eagerly, smiling brightly at Mihika's reception to her idea. It wasn't exactly warm but it was positive. Zuni had been worried, honestly, that she might offend Mihika, or maybe that her idea was just stupid, or maybe they even already knew each other, or... well, it didn't matter. Everything had turned out well. Really well in fact.

Her smile only widened at Mihika's thanks, crinkling her eyes softly, and she felt her cheeks warm a little.

"Of course! I'm happy to talk to you. And I know how you feel - about the confusion and being uncomfortable talking about this. Though, I'm usually uncomfortable talking about anything."

Zuni tried to chuckle and was mortified when it came out all squeaky, causing her to flush hotly.

"Uh, do you want to go now?" she asked hastily, hoping to rush past the whole squeak thing.

Peppermint Coffee