Okay. The counselors said I should make this video for myself? So... here it goes.
Well, I'm a Pardian, as you can see. I came to Centrus when I was just a baby. My mom walked the whole way from Pardia, with me on her back. It took her two whole years. She even had her spear with her when we got here! I don't remember any of that, except... I do remember seeing Centrus the first time.
Something bad happened in Pardia, I think. She doesn't talk about it, much. She says my dad was brave, but foolish. I think he's dead, cause she always gets sad. She gets angry after she gets sad, so I don't ask about dad any more.
So anyway, uh... I started at Anima right away. Mom says I only got in cause I'm a Pard, and there aren't any other Pards in the city. She's probably right.
I didn't speak Centran or anything, but I learned pretty fast. I didn't know much about Centrans, and the kids thought that was weird. Except for one lion cub. Her name was Tanya. She kept asking me questions about Pardia I couldn't even understand for a long time, but she never got impatient. She wouldn't let the other kids bully me, and she even figured out some Pardian words to help me understand what people were saying.
She's still my best friend in the whole world.
Even after everything.
Tani is... well... She's different than me. She was born in Centrus, which is why they call her "Tanya". It sounds a lot like her Leon name, "Tawniya". She's never been to Leonus, though.
Her family moved here two generations ago, she says. They have a ton of money, 'cause her dad started a security company that serves a lot of Prey companies. I guess, back then, Predators working with Prey in business was really strange. He says that's why it was smart. No competition. Tawniya's always wanted to be like him.
So Tani had tons of stuff, and my mom and I had nothing. But it wasn't easier for her. I think it was a lot harder.
Tani's family is... Rough. Leos are just different from any other cat. That's what mom says, anyway. They're _super_ sexual, and she started playing sex games before she even met me. I dunno if that's normal for all Leos, or just them. I joined once or twice, but it wasn't as fun for me as them. They didn't pressure me, or anything. They're nicer to me than they are to Tani.
I still liked doing sex stuff with Tani, though...
I'm not sure if it was good, though. I'm still really sad about what happened to her. Maybe if I tried to get her to stop? Or her family was different?
I think if that hadn't happened, well... Maybe none of it would have happened. She was different, after that. Harder.
.....
Well, I liked being at Anima. I did really well at school and made friends, but my mom never liked Centrus, much. She likes Anima even less, but she always said she wanted me to have a different life. A better life.
That's what she said, but she was always talking about Pardia. She wanted me to keep talking Pardian around the house, and follow Pardian rules. She always said she wanted me to have a different life, but she wanted me to have the same life she did, too. I still don't get it.
I guess that's something I've learned. Adults don't really know that much more than we do. They just have to pretend.
Maybe that's what made her so sad. And mean. She started eating Daze so much that she wasn't even awake most of the time. I could tell she was lonely, but when I suggested she date one of Tawniya's uncles, she beat me. She said Anima was ruining me.
...I still don't understand. I miss her, and I don't know if I should. But I do.
....
Anyway, I know no one will see this, but... I want to say I'm really sorry about everything that happened.
....Yeah... I'm sorry.
