Tahari had been watching. She had been watching for quite some time, actually. Jealousy had fueled her, for she wished to have everything her aunt had. Why did he have to pick her? It was such a shock once the younger lioness had realized it. The handsome white-and-blue lion had stumbled across their group, and joined as he had nothing else to do with his life. Stunned by someone such as him joining their group, Tahari had been certain that this was it. She was going to get what she wanted! All she had ever wanted was to be loved; and love skipped over her once more. Now her aunt would be too busy with her, and Tahari couldn't help but feel the flashes of jealousy whenever she saw the two of them together. Her, just as a lonely Ofanim. She felt so rejected by life.
"Tahari?"
Her heart stopped. No, not now. That voice could almost make her melt on the spot.
"What are you doing out here?" Ishida asked. They were dangerously close to the border, and knowing the kind of trouble that the blue lioness got herself into, he was mildly concerned. It was quiet lately, but things being quiet usually lead to trouble.
She bit her lip, frustrated. Oh, why? Why did he have to be here? She just wanted to rush up to him, to tell him everything. She loved him! He should love her back, too! Instead, she merely glared at the ground, wondering why fate had to be so rude to her.
"Tahari? Are you okay?" He lowered his head to try and catch her eyes, wondering if she had managed to do something wrong again. Really, he thought that she could easily be more responsible, but something was holding her back, Keeping her childish.
She glanced up, and oh, it was too much. He was so close to her, it was almost too tempting. "I"m fine," she grumbled, backing up so he wouldn't be so temptingly close to her. Ugh, if only he wouldn't do that! Wouldn't...since he was attached to Bara.
Ishida blinked, but knew that there was something more there. There always was with women. "Well, you probably shouldn't be lingering so close to the border, especially all alone. I don't want anything to happen to you."
She glared at him, though was too scared to say why in the beginning. As her thoughts wrapped around her, she growled at him. "Oh, really? You never cared before!" Her voice ended with a shrill tone, and she was instantly petrified. What had she done? She turned around, as if to run, but couldn't get her feet to work properly. Instead, she stumbled, and wasn't able to catch herself in time. Ishida dipped down to help her, the gentleman he always was.
Tahari couldn't help herself. She cried. The male remained quiet, being careful to not rustle her as she cried. He knew that this was when females would be most vulnerable, and he didn't want to start anything inadvertently.
She cried everything out. It wasn't fair!! She deserved something to go right in her life! She knows her mother never loved her, her family was royalty of nothing, her aunt leaves her for one that Tahari herself had loved...it just wasn't fair!
Ishida waited for her to calm down, though it was a little unnerving to be in such a close proximity to such an upset creature. He felt her move around a bit, and took a step back to wait and see if she wanted to say anything. At the very least, to guide her home to her family. Kweu would take too care of her granddaughter.
"I am tired of this," she whispered. "Everyone gets what they want but me." She choked back another sob, determined to not throw herself into such embarrassing situations again. Not in front of him, at least. Nothing was set in stone anyway. There was always a chance, a sliver of chance.
The male sighed, having a hunch on what she was implying. He wasn't that much of an idiot to not realize how she had felt. And he was the smarter of the two, knowing that she only felt that way because he was the only male she got to know outside of her family. It was a wish for wanting love, not real love. Falling in love with the idea of love, so he had heard when he was a bit younger. He never thought he would become the object of that awkward situation.
"I know what it is you are avoiding to say," he said quietly, debating whether it was the right time to bring it up now. It seemed worse to keep it hidden, something forbidden to say when it needed to be cleared up and brought into the light.
Tahari jolted, a shocked look upon her features as she looked up at him. No, no!
Ishida nodded his head gently. "It's been obvious for a while, Tahari. And as much as it was interesting in the beginning, I'm very surprised that you haven't let it go."
The blue lioness gnawed on her lower lip, anxiety coming abreast. No! Was this some other type of cruel joke as well? She could only gasp, trying to keep herself from crying again.
"You only did as much because I was the only one around. And while we are still a small group here, you will meet many others. In that will you decide just what it is your heart really desires. It isn't me, Tahari."
She cried, "No!" as if it would change anything he said. Anything he felt. No! She knew it, she still had a chance, he would understand....her eyes widened again as she watched him shake his head, again.
"Tahari," he said sternly.
"No, it's not true! I've loved you since I saw you-"
"And-" he tried to cut her off.
She refused, and only raised her voice. "And you just had to go to Auntie! To Bara! You had to ignore me, and go for someone older. Someone with scars more deep than even my own. You had to leave me alone, you're taking Auntie away from me," she was babbling now, her voice rippling as she let all her thoughts lose. "There is always hope, but you just refuse to look at it! You know it, too, don't you? Why won't you just try? Please, Ishida, please! I love you!"
Ishida closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. He never liked having someone tell him exactly how to act, to feel...he knew that she didn't know that, and she was merely upset and irrational. So how was he going to make her think more clearly? He sighed, knowing that there was something, but he wasn't ready to say it. It would either fix the entire problem, or explode it into something beyond repair.
She pleaded with him a bit more, so sure that somehow it would work. She knew it was stupid, childish, and selfish, but she couldn't do nothing. This was something at least, even if it was degrading. He continued to slightly shake his head, looking more and more guilty, and almost shameful. How long was this going to go for? She felt as it her heart would break just from how long this was going on.
"Tahari," he finally said, breaking his silence. "You don't understand. Nothing is going to change."
"But it can!" she said, the fatigue of her tears and pleading catching up to her, almost making her delusional. "There's never a point where it's too late!"
"There is," he replied sternly, looking at her with a very serious expression. "I've never felt anything beyond a sisterly affection for you."
There! Something! Something for her to latch onto. She pawed at his arm, about ready to start her babble of self-convincing attributes that would make everything happen.
"It won't happen, Tahari. I wish you hadn't put me into this situation." He shook his head softly. "You'll see soon enough, but by then you might have already found someone that you'll really love."
He kept himself planted, though, because he was determined to take her home safely. She swayed, and he worried just how he was going to get her home.
"No," she sobbed, so sure that her life was over. "No..." she wanted to cover herself, to hide, to never be seen again. With these thoughts, she passed out, unable to keep herself coherent and awake any longer.
Ishida sighed, wiggling around and shifting around to get most of Tahari onto his back. It was going to be a long walk home, and hopefully someone would be around to help him out. Tahari needed to go home, rest, and hopefully rethink her life. He knew that her family would be there for her, no matter how much she denied it. It was going to be a little awkward for a while, but Ishida would shoulder through it. He knew that she would find someone to love, it was just going to take a little more time than the lioness ever wanted. Life took time, and there was no need to go rushing into things.
