FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Nirmala was having some fun joking around with her friends after the wedding. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d been so at ease, but the visiting members of Kion’s pride had volunteered to help so that they and the guard could take some time to relax, not to mention Kion’s mastery of the Roar, which practically negated any need for their guard. Binga was telling a story about one of her adventures with Bunga when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see who it was.

“Hey,” Baliyo said, “have you noticed that hyena over there?” he gestured back over his shoulder, towards a hyena who was sitting far away from all the other animals. “He doesn’t look like he’s feeling too great.”

Nirmala looked at the hyena in question, his ears were back, and he was making himself as small as possible. She turned her gaze back to Baliyo. “I think you’re right. But I don’t know much about hyenas.” She could see that Baliyo wore worry on his face. She sighed, “I’ll check on him,” she reassured.

Janja looked up from the ground when he heard footsteps approaching. “Hey…” he said, deflated.

“Hello, sir. Are you feeling unwell?”

Janja looked up at the female, baffled by her straightforwardness. “No,” he went on the defensive, “I’m perfectly fine!”

“Unless I’m misreading you, you are far from ‘perfectly fine.’” She noticed him staring behind her. Looking back where his sight was set, she saw the female hyena from the ceremony. She was talking to Kion. She quickly put two and two together. “If you’re worried about your girlfriend,” she spoke directly to the hyena, “I don’t think you have much to worry about.”

Janja’s ears shot up and looked at the lioness like she’d sprouted another head, after a moment, he shook his head trying to clear the mental image Nirmala had given him. “She isn’t my girlfriend. She’s the leader of my clan.”

Nirmala looked back to the hyena and the lion, she made sure no one else was there, then turned back. “But that look in your eyes… it was one of longing, wasn’t it?”

Janja’s ears went back again and he lowered himself to the ground more. “N-no…” his frown was more worried than angry or sad.

“Then what is it? Are you looking at Kion?” The hyena looked away, and she knew she had her answer. She brought the hyena’s chin back up with her paw.

“I—” Janja hesitated to explain himself, but looking into the lioness’ wide eyes, he could feel nothing but calm, caring concern. “I think I might love him. I just figured it out too late.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Well, before he left for the first time, we were starting to grow a lot closer. I was hoping that I’d be able to see him one more time and that would be enough.”

Nirmala cocked her head at him, “I meant why would you think you were too late?”

Janja tilted his head to the side, “are you stupid or somethin’? He just got married!”

Nirmala recoiled from the hyena’s anger. “Of course not!” she exclaimed, “I mean, Kion isn’t stuck just with Rani.”

“Whadd’ya mean? Isn’t marriage somethin’ sacred to you lions?”

“Of course it is. It means that two lions will stay together for life. It doesn’t always mean those two lions love each other, though.” She smiled, seeing the hyena’s demeanor lighten up a bit at this. “Kion didn’t exactly get that close to Rani in his time here. His marriage is more political than anything else.”

“Are you serious?” the hope was plain in Janja’s voice.

Nirmala nodded. “You can ask today, if you’re really interested.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I have a… complicated past with him. I’m not sure we got close enough before he left to offset that.”

“If you’re not confident enough to ask outright, you could show how you care about him by your actions. You might have to work to get it across to him, though. Actions do not always speak louder than words, especially when you can’t fathom the drive behind them, which it sounds like he might not be able to.”

The hyena thought for a moment, “What exactly should I do?”

“There are a couple of things you could do,” Nirmala said with a smile, “for instance, spending time with him.”

“But how am I supposed to do that? He’s a king now. It’s not like he’s gonna just hang around with me. I mean, I was surprised when he did before.”

“Well…” Nirmala looked away, uncertain. The hyena had made a valid point. She happened to glance over at the visiting king – Simba, if she wasn’t mistaken – and noted his entourage. “Maybe you could offer to be his guard?”

“Doesn’t that seem a little redundant to you? A guard for the guard?”

“Well, you’re the one who doesn’t want to just tell him.”

Janja looked back to Kion, longing in his eyes. Nirmala took note of his expression and nudged him towards where his leader and the groom were talking. When he stayed put, she continued, “Go on. You can’t give up before you even try.”

Reluctantly, the male stood up from his sitting position and trod over to them. “Hey, Jasiri… Kion,” he couldn’t help a smile forming on his lips as he said the latter, but his fears kept his ears back. “I have somethin’ to ask ya, Kion.”

“That’s funny,” Kion said, “I’ve got a question for you.”

“Y– you do?” the hyena’s ears went back up, and his posture straightened up a little.

“Yes. So, what was your question?”

“I was wondering if you maybe… needed an extra guard? Like, perhaps, I could help out around here…” Janja paused, trying to un-muddy his thoughts, “as a show of good faith from the hyenas?”

“Huh, I hadn’t expected you to be so bold,” Jasiri said, genuinely shocked by her clan-member’s request.

Kion looked at Janja carefully. “This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with your feelings for me, would it?”

Janja sat back, ears falling and panic spreading on his face, “You know?”

“Yes,” Jasiri answered for Kion, “we’ve been talking about you.” She had a smirk on her muzzle.

Janja lowered himself to his knees. “I–“ he couldn’t find the air to speak as he looked at the lion over him. He turned his gaze to the ground, covering his face with his forepaws. Never had he felt so embarrassed. He tensed up when he felt a paw on his back.

“You’re okay,” Kion patted the hyena on the back, “I’m not sure I’m as interested in you as you are in me, though.” When the hyena didn’t respond, he continued, “If you want to stick around, I could give you a chance, in time. Is that okay, Jasiri?” he turned his attention back to the female for this last question.

“It’s no fur off my shoulder, Kion.”