The Kyrii's Mane Thought

An extensive search across Neopets revealed nothing more than an ambiguous reply. As quoted from the Pet Center “...if their fur gets dirty, they can get very upset.” Surely, many exasperated Kyrii-owners would admit to that: the sad mistaking of tugging on their adored fur would yield nothing less than a hit, and that is if you are lucky.

However, in general, Kyrii are amicable, charismatic and sociable creatures, as exemplified by the host for Better Than You. So what would propel such a dynamic personality to engage in a crusade for hair care?

My pet confided to me that there was a story passed on from Kyrii to Kyrii to explain the jumpiness when it came to their manes.

There was a Kyrii, Vadellan, who Jhudora would often send on an errand. Little did she know that Vadellan, tired of Jhudora's deceit and manipulation, betrayed her and aided Illusen in one of her quest. Jhudora flew into a rampant rage on learning the Kyrii's traitorship and cursed the Kyrii's hair to fall out in clumps. Every Neopian who saw the poor Kyrii burst into laughter on laying sight on his lack of hair. After that unfortunate incident, Kyrii find themselves warily guarding their hair.

I should say entertaining as it is, it failed to offer any insight on the peculiar behaviour of Kyrii, though it always struck me as odd when Jhudora offered Jhudoras Brush as one of the reward items. (Who knows?) But I digress.

Why the hair?

The first assumption some would make is that Kyrii are vain! Hair care, hair brush, shampoo, conditioner (my pet swears by Mane Conditioner). Surely, those are telltale signs of vanity. Yet, it fails to explain how some of our sloppy friends would actually make an effort to keep up with their hair care regime. Admiral Kyrwinne, Lucky McKyriggan and Eleus Batrin are some of our prominent figures, who in spite of their reluctance to even concern themselves with the basic flossing, would actually bother with a hairbrush! Hence, it would be a misleading belief to say that it boils down to looking good. (Though admittedly, there are some vain Kyrii – Ryshiki, who would have thought saving the day and looking good was possible?)

On a closer inspection, there is a genetic basis for it. Kyruggi had seen to it; their furry prehistoric ancestor had been understood to have dedicated effort into her beloved mane. And there's a genetic basis for it. The fact that hair care was an unwritten rule which all Kyrii comply to and that, regardless of the diversity of culture, should have made that obvious. It was neither cultural nor was it wanting to look beautiful. Kyrii whose tresses are viewed as desirable by others are actually more healthy. Thus, it's little wonder that Kyrii are obsessed with their manes; after all, it's an indication of how healthy a Kyrii is. Diet, exercise, their general mood, sufficient sleep all contribute to how well a Kyrii's mane will turn out. And here's a little tip, don't hesitate should your Kyrii ask for a brush.

Hair dos and don'ts

Now that the mechanics of why the preoccupation with hair is solved, that's good. New owners of Kyrii should bear in mind, though, the Kyrii will only let you handle its hair if it trust you completely. That is to say, don't touch a Kyrii's hair on impulse if you just got it. Build up trust slowly, and you'll see that your pet will be more willing to let you touch its hair. I had a friend, a fellow Kyrii-owner, who did not heed my advice. Needless to say, the poor fellow ended up with scratches and a very, very distrustful Kyrii. The initial trust was breached and the Kyrii had a very bad impression of him. Now all he could do was to lament that moment of disregard for that advice, but other than that he would have to start from square one.

Should you find a piece of leaf or anything stuck in a passing Kyrii's hair, do not pull it out yourself. Instead, politely inform the Kyrii and let him/her pull it out themselves. It would be regarded as rude and highly impolite to just stick your hand in a stranger's mane, even more so for a Kyrii.

Hair care

Of course, hair care is important for any Neopets with fur. Firstly, a brush is essential to rid of any debris stuck in the hair. A softer brush is preferred in getting anything out of a Kyrii's hair (ironic as it seems, Jhudora's brush does work wonders). Next would be a good shampoo. Choose one that has all natural ingredients; for this I recommend Illusen's Rain Water Shampoo. Ironic how the two antagonistic pair of Faeries make such great hair care materials. Conditioner is highly subjective, so do let your pet try out a few conditioners before settling for one. Hairgel, hairspray are all optional. And yes, should your Kyrii (or any pet for that matter) come down with a nasty case of fleas, say from getting too near Flea Grass, the best option would be to get it to the Healing Springs or the Pharmacy.

Idioms

Several idioms are observed to have a connection with our furry friends, though most of them are literal and self-explanatory.

1. get in someone's hair – to irritate someone and obviously, our Kyrii are no exception

2. let one's hair down - to be relaxed

3. without turning a hair – to be calm and collected

4. tear one's hair out – to be extreme anxious, grieved, or angered: note that Kyrii rarely pull their hair out, and if they do, seek medical attention. But it's unlikely that this is common.

All in all, hair itself is not just another thing to groom but something deeply ingrained in culture for some. As Eleus Batrin had so wisely said, “Hair is a extension of us, our personality.” Truer words have never been spoken.

P.S. I want to thank sillyliss for her compilation of characters, for without it, I'm afraid this article would be impossible.