Lanakila

Having Savant Syndrome of course does not bother Kila at all, as she is not really aware that she is different from the others. She is compelled to create art with whatever medium she can get her paws on, whether that be dirt, paint, sand, etc. She is non-verbal for the most part, rarely speaking aloud. She thinks with mental images rather than words, and likes when others do the same with her, thinking in images that she can see and understand. As she grows, she is able to use words if she needs to, but still prefers not to.

She has a tendency to wander in search of nice things to paint with, and of nice things to paint. When she is alone she uses colors that match how she feels. But she empathizes with the emotions and "feel" of a lions mind and it shows in her art. She uses abstract art unless trying to get an idea across.

While she is looking at something, she sees every minute detail, but she will forget it immediately unless she paints it, in which case it will remain in her memory forever. Often her art focuses on a small detail of a scene, something that most lions would not have even noticed, such as an individual leaf in a painting of an Umoya tree.

She does not process most sensory input in a way that other lions would expect, usually not even registering that she is being touched for instance. If she sees the lion who is touching her, she will register the fact that she is being touched, but may shy away from the contact. It works similarly with hearing and her sense of smell, those being secondary to her sense of sight. She is extremely visual, and can be entranced by too much visual stimulation. She often walks while looking at the floor in order to avoid the discomfort of seeing literally everything around her.

She flies with her eyes closed as a cub, relying on her mother to pass along whatever images she may need, muted in order to prevent sensory overload. Her relationship with her mother is unique and special, as they communicate entirely in mental images in a way that Kila cannot experience with other lions. With Khaalida, Kila can experience true and full communication in a format that she can process completely. She loves her mother and is distressed when she must leave to fulfill her duty as a warrior.

She enjoys the company of close friends of the family, Naja and Klay. Naja's light shows are thrilling to Kila, and she watches them for hours on end. Naja has even developed the ability to simulate an art medium with her light, carefully watching how Kila moves her paws and shifting the light accordingly. Kila is quick to show displeasure when Naja gets it wrong. Klay is a big lion, but Kila enjoys being around him. He never tries to force her to speak like a lot of lions do, and instead watches quietly while she makes her art. Sometimes she will be surprised by Klay when he attempts to make designs with her in the dirt or with whatever she is using. She loves when lions join her in creating art and this has endeared her to the large warrior more than with most lions.

As an adult, she learns to communicate in words and can focus on other things (like a real savant, it can get better as they grow older). She learns to feel and recognize her own emotions, but because she is so attuned to the emotions of others already, she is very empathetic toward them. She is not a fighter, and generally avoids situations where there is a lot going on, as this will overwhelm her mind.