Another interview scene with another trio of characters. How will this one turn out?

[U]Tribal Interview[/b]

COMING UP…

(“I appreciate having the opportunity to voice my opinions and express myself. And I appreciate talking to you and with you. We should do this more often.” Expressing her appreciation for being invited, Sovange stands up and gets ready to leave when she suddenly grabs Taurus and hugs him, rubbing her head on the bull. Taurus is frozen at first, having the lioness hug him but he returns the gesture. When Sovange withdraws from him, the Maasai lioness then breaks out in a traditional song and dance, singing a traditional Maasai song in acapella while jumping occasionally.

After that, Shadow and Ronnie perform a grass dance together, with Sovange and Taurus spectating from the sidelines. It was a brief session before they finally left. But Ronnie stays behind to hug Taurus and informs him, “I have a gift to give you. Consider it a token of my gratitude towards you and your team. You guys deserve more credit.)

~~~~~

“Welcome back to the Interview Episodes; I'm Taurus and I'm with some familiar faces. Some of you may recognize them; some of you may not. With me are Ronnie, Shadow, and a new face. Would you guys introduce yourselves again with your professions?”

The lioness waves to the camera and introduces herself, an elated smile on her face, “I'm Sovange Wesley, and I am a model, fighter, and activist for the Maasai. It is an honor to be here.”

Shadow is the next one to introduce himself; the black wolf gives a curt wave and reports, “Name’s Shadow Elkhart. I am a member of the tribal council for the Las Vegas Paiute tribe in Southern Nevada. You are free to stop by for a visit!”

Last is Ronnie, who also waves to the camera and introduces himself once more, “My name is Ronnie Romulund and I am a fitness model and lawyer. It's a pleasure to meet everyone tuning in.”

With the brief introductions complete, Taurus proceeds with the interview, “Right! So, starting off first, this first question is to Sovange and Ronnie - what led you to take up modeling initially?”

In response to the question, Sovange goes first; her response is immediate, if not showoff-ish. The Maasai lioness runs her hands down from her head to her chest and emphasizes her point, “I love my natural beauty, and I love physical activity. So, why not combine the two into something I can further enjoy? I am also engaging myself in martial arts, so I see that as a further plus to show off my body and my progress. But that's not all - it was the fashion magazines we would regularly get in the mail. I was amazed with seeing the various women on the pages - this included their faces. And that is what partially inspired me to take up modeling.”

“You are a beautiful woman, indeed, Sovange. Still happy to finally meet you for the first time.” Taurus noted after listening to Sovange’s testimony. Following this, the bull moves on to Ronnie next, “Ronnie, you’re up, so same question to you - what led you to take up modeling?”

On hearing this being addressed to him, Ronnie explains, “I have one friend who's in the modeling business, but my wife played a major role in getting me started - she's the one who introduced me to it. The fitness part doesn't make it any different. And between me and Fukari, she's better-looking than me, so you can see where the influence came from.”

“How can you say that about yourself when you're handsome yourself, Ronnie?” Taurus wondered if Ronnie was second-guessing himself, but the response the lynx has in return is clear - Ronnie points out, “One look at Fukari and you’ll drop dead from her beauty. I'm nowhere near that but I'm not competing for a pageant. That has nothing to do with fitness modeling.”

“I see. You're handsome in your own way, correct?” Taurus understands what Ronnie's getting at and the lynx gives a thumbs-up in reply.

The only one not addressed yet is Shadow but this is just the start of the interview. The black wolf hasn't made a noise yet, only listening attentively to the questions and answers given.

Shadow’s turn finally arrives with Taurus focusing on him next. “Shadow, this question is for you - what led to you becoming tribal chieftain?”

Shadow takes a moment to answer before finally relating, “Looking up to my dad who passed the role and position down to me as tribal leader, he has done well for his tenure. My brother and I also credit him with having the patience to show us what it actually takes to be a real leader. And he's been a big help to us.”

Taurus could have sworn he saw a scowl on the wolf’s face, but when the bull makes an effort to inquire, Shadow beats him to it, his scowl hardening even more. The black wolf then rubs his neck and recalls, “I'm not sure what happened when my brother and I were pups, but our father went missing for some time - had something to do with the local police. And how he managed to survive down to the day we found him I still wonder to this day. You should definitely talk to him.”

The bull recalls, “I've been looking into that and it's real heartbreaking. You all deserve better.”

Shadow perks up at hearing this and he cuts his blue eyes over to Ronnie, who's shifting a bit in his seat. The black wolf drapes an arm around the lynx and returns his gaze back to Taurus. He mentions, “Y'know, I'm not one for pity, but thank you, Taurus. I used to have the same mindset but what snapped me out of that was part of a podcast we listened to from another Native American chief. He said this - ‘Who are we to demand special treatment when our tribes warred against each other?’. We are still everyday citizens, but we can't demand respect from others. Now, all that's left is preserving our languages and cultures and our survival.”

Ronnie draws a breath and hugs Shadow back in a side embrace. In agreement, the lynx adds, “It's true - from personal experience, it's true. We're not all that different, more or less the same. But what difference can you make between a regular American and a Native American? I'm just glad I have support and freedom to be myself.”

“Speaking of that, I’ve found something very disturbing recently. Even the indigenous Africans aren't safe, such as the Maasai for example.” Taurus turns to Sovange next, a questioning expression on his face.

“I found this out not too long ago but weren't the Maasai being driven from their ancestral homeland?” When the bull inquires of this implication, Sovange shakes her head in denial, having no knowledge of said development. She humps her shoulders and claims, “I had no knowledge of that until now, but it is really saddening to learn of this. All it boils down to is greed by the governments.”

“Ain't that the truth?” Ronnie acknowledges Sovange’s last statement with an eye roll, sympathizing with the African lioness. The forced eviction of the Maasai was, to an extent, similar to what happened to Native Americans during the pre-colonial era, except that the former is more recent.

“Our cultures are vastly different, but that does not mean it is okay to evict someone from their homeland.” Sovange circles back to the topic at hand, bypassing Ronnie's remark. What the lioness says next causes everyone to stop and think - “Sometimes when it comes to differences, it brings people together. Other times, they cause hate. What you do and how you react to those differences will reveal your true colors as an individual.”

“That is so true.” Shadow speaks up with Ronnie also nodding in agreement. Her statement made a lot of sense. And it is also true in everyday life. The Southern Paiute wolf goes on to add, “Even among people who are of the same or completely different backgrounds, that is true. Hell, take us Native Americans for example - we still have differences and similarities. Even within our own tribes and among different tribes, new beefs could be brewing.”

“Not only that, but our tribes weren't always exactly on friendly terms with each other - originally.” Ronnie stated, joining the conversation. “Different tribes, mine included, warred with other tribes in raids. But I'm not entirely certain if the Sioux also practiced slavery. Then came the colonizers…”

While Taurus patiently listened and observed while inspecting their faces, Sovange was worried she had touched a nerve - the lioness was unaware of how sensitive the issue was with the Native Americans and the concept of stolen land. Ronnie had paused in his testimony to let the information sink in, yet he wasn't angry, he wasn't sad, just a little irked. After some seconds passed, the lynx resumed speaking, and a broad smile immediately formed on his face…

“Thinking back on this huge issue of ‘stolen land’ and what we're dealing with now, I honestly cannot help but laugh. Sure we were conquered, but when you consider how ill-equipped we were, I can't say we didn't see it coming. Back then, the tribes and settlers got along - some of them - but we weren't prepared for the epidemics that wiped out a huge chunk of the total populations. What I still don't understand is the wars waged against the tribes.”

“Didn't those wars have something to do with assimilation or something?” Taurus raises a hand up in question, attempting to recall what the exact motive was behind the American Indian Wars.

“Greed and eradication - put simply in short, simple terms.” Ronnie spoke up almost instantly when Shadow was about to respond, only to close his mouth and frown at the lynx. A puffy exhale of annoyance flies out of the wolf’s mouth with an annoyed exhale from his nose and him folding his arms with a scowl on his face.

Ronnie ignores the wolf and in response to Taurus’ assumption, the lynx claims, “Assimilation wasn't even their main concern. The government back then wanted the land for the settlers that were coming in from different parts of the world back then. Nothing less than that.”

“It's rare finding actual Native Americans without traveling to their reservations now.” Taurus lamented, morose.

“Blame the United States government for one thing - part of the blame is on us Native Americans since our tribes fought each other.” Ronnie throws his hands up in slight annoyance over recalling the history of the United States government and its past treatment of Native American tribes along with how the same tribes also fought each other. Not only did Ronnie find the whole thing annoying but it was also a constant reminder of how bad they were affected. Still, the Sioux lynx still felt strongly about how bad things were back then but not anymore. His new mindset was now to focus on the survival and preservation of his culture and language as well as the well-being of his own family. And the same goes for Shadow too.

“The Southern Paiutes didn't have any enemies as far as I recall but I can sympathize. We were mostly peaceful.” Shadow claimed, hugging the lynx in a side arm.

“All we can do now is just survive through this crumbling country.” Ronnie resolved plainly, playing with his brown hair.

“That is pretty much the mindset of everyone here - just survival.” Shadow claimed, resting his hands on his lap again. The wolf later turns his attention to the bull before them, ready to answer another question he may have in store. What the bull analyzes next is not a question, but rather an experience that was brought to his attention.

After flipping through his notes, Taurus pauses and turns his attention to Shadow next. The bull recalls, “Mr. Elkhart, you submitted an experience about your father. Can you elaborate on that?”

Shadow was happy to divulge information about his father but the bittersweet recollection only pained him each time he reminisced about it. The black wolf was happy that his father was found alive and well after he and his brother, Taz, made the journey to find him. But this incident has ended up shining even more light on the mistreatment of Native Americans, even at the hands of local police.

Shadow almost has a wistful expression on recalling his experience. He explains, “Growing up, my brother and I idolized our father. He was the best out of the tribe and one of the most influential members in the whole Las Vegas community. But one particular night, things changed heavily…”

Shadow takes a pause to reflect and compose himself, resuming his statement. “Our father was on shift one particular night - this was while he was untangling corruption inside the department. Two of those officers offered to hang with him during break, which was a setup. At that time, they beat him, locked him in the trunk of their car, drove to an isolated field, and left him there to rot. I don't know how Dad did it, but he somehow escaped. To this day, I’m still impressed at how he managed to escape…”

Taurus, Ronnie, and Sovange are all horrified from hearing Shadow’s recollection. Shadow, however, is unaffected by his recollection and simply raises his shoulders in a shrug. In a dark, humorous way, the black wolf mutters, “Guess what happens in Vegas always stays in Vegas. But this one didn't; it got national attention.”

“Were the ones responsible for that whole thing later arrested” Taurus assumed nervously, aware of what happened next.

“My brother and I confronted the cops responsible, but that was after they were fired and our father was discovered alive. We didn't kill them, but I'm pretty sure they suffered a worse fate in prison than directly at the hands of two pissed off Native Americans.” Shadow recalled from his memory. The Elkhart brothers did, in fact, confront the crooked cops responsible for their father's disappearance and were presented with numerous opportunities for personal revenge. Instead, the brothers spared them only to turn them over to law enforcement, never to see or hear from them ever again.

Even Ronnie begins to sweat, also recalling a near-similar memory of his own, “I can somewhat sympathize with you - I was trying to rescue my youngest son from an abusive teacher and I literally got whipped. Like, literal whiplash -” Sovange, Taurus, and Shadow raise their eyebrows at the lynx in question only to flinch later on from the mental video playing out in their heads. After a pause, Ronnie resumes his own recollection, “- that's a huge difference between being shot or stabbed or beaten. But unlike you, Shadow, I beat up the teacher and later began homeschooling my cubs.”

“Why didn't you sue the school district or sue the teacher directly?” Taurus wondered in a nervous sweat.

Ronnie scoffs, crossing his arms. “What good would that do if I sued them and end up losing; or informing the administration of bad conduct and them doing nothing about it? It's just like the bullying situation rampant throughout the system - a lot of higher-ups are powerless to stop it and when the victim finally fights back, they're the ones punished for sticking up for themselves. I don't care if it's a student or a teacher - if one or the other is hurting my children, I’m gonna pummel them.”

The lynx pauses with a huff and soon relaxes while summarizing the results of his own actions that day, “Long story short, the abusive teacher was fired and arrested for child abuse, but get this - his incident with my youngest son wasn't the only one; numerous complaints were from other parents regarding this same teacher, so you can imagine the relief of the parents on his arrest and the fear of the guy on him being arrested.”

“He’ll end up dead in prison, probably…” Taurus nervously gulped, rubbing his head.

“Ironically, yeah…,” Ronnie agreed, closing his eyes for a moment. “I’m just happy my cubs are safe and I'm teaching them through homeschool and life in general.”

“Well, that's another case that received national attention.” Ronnie flicks an ear at Shadow’s muttering and he opens his eyes directly at the wolf. In agreement, the lynx concludes, “You got that right.”

“I can't imagine how traumatic that would be but what you guys went through was hard.” Sovange’s sudden statement captures the attention of all three men, prompting even Taurus to question, “And what makes you quip something crazy like that?”

“You must have missed it but I submitted my experience to you too.” The lioness anxiously fiddles with her fingers while sweating mildly. Ronnie and Shadow exchange stares, thinking the lioness is coyly hinting at a deviant lifestyle. It is when Taurus checks his notes that he turns pale and squeaks, “You escaped ‘The Cut’...?”

Nervously, the lioness reveals, “It is something that boys and girls experience on their initiation into adulthood. It is mutilation of the body. For men, it is circumcision; for women, it is cutting of the vulva. It has been outlawed and banned in my village but it is still a common practice among the Maasai people.”

“So you campaigned against it? You're pretty brave to oppose a cultural tradition among your tribe.” Taurus noted simply. His fear on what the lioness herself experienced turned into admiration later on.

Sovange nods and turns her attention to the bull, a hardened, determined fire in her eyes. She further relates, “I became an activist to campaign against it. It is the same thing as assault, basically. You don't need to destroy your own body to live in society. Yet, if you're against it, you're ostracized for it.”

“This sounds oddly familiar for some reason…” Taurus furrows his brow in recalling something similar that describes the same situation elsewhere, but on another scale and level. Even Ronnie and Shadow are silent and red-faced… the lynx had felt a heavy urge to speak up but he keeps silent, aware that the issues they're facing are not the same. Shadow, on the other hand…

“Miss Wesley, I have a strange question to ask you.” Shadow had been listening to Sovange speak about herself and what she did, as well as observing the lioness’ overall appearance. Innocently, Shadow wanted to learn more about her while they still had time; they didn't need to go overtime. Yet from the corner of his eye, Shadow could see Taurus tense up. Even Ronnie’s curiosity is piqued, though he too is on high alert. Could it be another sensitive issue they're also familiar with?

“You can go ahead and ask me; I don't mind one bit!” Sovange didn't mind others asking about her directly towards her as long as it's civil. And as for Shadow’s question, it proves innocent enough.

“What do you think about using makeup? Have you considered using it?” The innocent question posed by the wolf had no ill intent - just curiosity. Everyone was observing the lioness to see what her reaction would be.

On the topic of makeup, it doesn't take long for the lioness to react. Immediately following Shadow’s inquiry, Sovange conjured up a mental image of herself wearing makeup and she immediately recoiled in disgust. Her reaction alone is proof of how she felt about it.

“Makeup??” Disgusted, the lioness sticks her tongue out in repulsion, not wanting anything to do with cosmetics. “Eww! I want nothing to do with makeup. For some, it helps; for others, not so much. I'm one of those women who are plainly not interested in makeup, apart from using it only for ceremonial events.”

Shadow nods in understanding from Sovange's simple explanation. He later makes a conclusive admittance, “I was just curious. So you're a tomboy. That reminds me of my sister-in-law.”

Sovange just shrugs her shoulders, having little or nothing to say to the wolf in return. She flat-out admits, “Yes, I’m a tomboy and there is nothing wrong about that. We can discuss more about this at a later time.”

“Can you tell us all more about the Maasai and their culture?” It is a simple and innocent request from Taurus himself. One that he wants to learn more about. And Shadow and Ronnie want to know more about them too. No problem; unfortunately, the lioness never gets the chance.

Sovange prepares to answer when a ringing noise interrupts her train of thought. Her eyes widening in recognition and horror, Sovange jumps up from her seat, hand darting to her pocket, “Oh shoot, I forgot; I had a modeling shoot scheduled later today!”

“Then we'll cut this short. You're all free to go.” With that dismissal, Taurus informs the trio that they are free to go. But they don't leave immediately…

“I appreciate having the opportunity to voice my opinions and express myself. And I appreciate talking to you and with you. We should do this more often.” Expressing her appreciation for being invited, Sovange stands up and gets ready to leave when she suddenly grabs Taurus and hugs him, rubbing her head on the bull. Taurus is frozen at first, having the lioness hug him but he returns the gesture. When Sovange withdraws from him, the Maasai lioness then breaks out in a traditional song and dance, singing a traditional Maasai song in acapella while jumping occasionally.

After that, Shadow and Ronnie perform a grass dance together, with Sovange and Taurus spectating from the sidelines. It was a brief session before they finally left. But Ronnie stays behind to hug Taurus and informs him, “I have a gift to give you. Consider it a token of my gratitude towards you and your team. You guys deserve more credit.

~~~~~

Taurus belongs to  alnairyorim.

Sovange Wesley, Ronnie Romulund, and Shadow Elkhart belong to me.