We stayed in the forest for several days.
I was kept very busy, as many of the forest inhabitants had terrible eyesight.
Puma, who didn't seem to mind me giving her a nickname, helped me by creating a type of eye drop for the creatures complaining of redness and stinging.
She praised me for the invention, noting it had been a long-unsolved problem for the locals. I couldn't have done it without her, though.
She introduced me to various magical plants and herbs, patiently explaining the uses of each one. We managed to create a cool, wet lubricant that we put into tiny bottles.
It sold out instantly.
Puma and I celebrated our success before she declared she would prepare a massive meal to mark the occasion.
I like her. She is straightforward and patient, she doesn't get angry when you make a mistake or fail to understand something.
I wish I'd had a mentor like her before. I was always terrified of my professors and bosses.
In college, the training was so difficult that many students dropped out mid-semester.
The professors yelled at us, especially if we were slow and even threw books at us when we made mistakes in our research.
It was a horrible experience.
We were afraid to speak our minds for fear of being humiliated. I was a slow learner and had to spend hours just to grasp a single concept.
After being insulted in front of others, which nearly destroyed my self-esteem, I pushed myself to the point of losing my positive outlook on life.
I graduated, but I nearly lost my sanity. I suffered from depression and anxiety throughout my adulthood and became withdrawn.
I lost my love of learning and focused only on making money. I became "vanilla", refusing to lead or share ideas, avoiding conflict and just following mindlessly.
I was surviving, not living.
....
I was blown away to learn that Puma is younger than Lion. We ate inside her hut.. Lion, Sly who brought his own food, Ghost, Puma, her mate, her offsprings and me.
Pinky was still at the treetop.
We ate fruits and edible herbs, while Sly made a face at the sight of us consuming greenery.
It turns out that Puma and her family are prey, but they aren't afraid of Sly at all.
They are used to Lion, though.
It had been a long time since I'd shared a meal with so many companions. It felt nice.
My heart tightened for a moment as I watched the couple affectionately feeding their offsprings.
I missed my family.
...
After we ate, Puma decided to teach me how to dance. I nervously declined since I had no idea how they dance here and I felt awkward with so many of them watching.
Puma let out a boisterous laugh and pulled me into one of the rooms.
She had me change into something daring, something I would definitely not have worn in my previous world, even for a large sum of money.
Since the air felt sticky, I happily obliged.
She also placed jewelry on my head, ears, neck, waist, and ankles, they sounded like tiny bells ringing whenever I moved.
She wore an outfit that made her look even more attractive. We heard the males laughing loudly.
Puma informed me they were drinking a liquid her mate sells that makes one feel happy and relaxed.
Ah.
They were getting drunk.
Puma thought for a moment before handing me a small vial of bright-colored liquid. She said it would relax my body and make my movements graceful and seamless.
I tasted it.
It was like wine, but more potent and sweeter.
There was a mirror in the room, so I tried to mimic what I remembered of belly dancing.
Holy cow... my body felt like butter!
I wasn't drunk, even though the wine was strong. My mind was still thinking clearly.
So I began to dance.
Puma looked amazed and asked me to teach her the moves. We practiced for a few minutes until we felt confident enough to perform for the others.
The wine gave me confidence, so I bravely followed Puma back to the main room.
The offsprings were gone, leaving only Puma's mate, Lion, Sly, and Ghost.
Puma's mate held a stringed instrument with percussion at its base. While he adjusted it, Lion, Sly, and Ghost shared a toast and laughed.
As we entered, the four of them looked up. I heard a gasp, I'm not sure from whom and saw that they all looked captivated.
I suddenly felt shy and started to turn back, but Puma raised her eyebrows and encouragingly told me to dance as if no one were watching.
She decided to dance first.
I stood in the corner, mesmerized.
Even though she looked different than me, it was like watching a human woman expertly moving to the tune.
While she danced, she looked at me and mouthed that I can do it.
I felt a surge of confidence.
Glancing around, I saw Lion staring at me.
When Puma's dance ended, it was my turn.
We cheered for her while her mate looked at her with burning passion.
No wonder they have so many offsprings.
Puma approached me, gently took my hand, and guided me to the center of the room.
She whispered, "Good luck," then sat beside her mate with an encouraging nod.
Sly looked transfixed, Ghost's face turned a lovely shade of red and Lion... Lion looked like he was about to devour me.
Oh well, here goes nothing.
Then the music started.