Crystal Clear Fun.

[Coffee & Pickles]

Perpheral;;
That's just Maji.
Get over it.

His mind had tattered off once more, traveling down the earth and into the water before him. The cascading affects of the waterfall lit his cheer and the muscles in his face formed a bright smile. Flecks of water, the misting, the dust around the dryer areas, and the wet soggy earth below his paws -oh how nice it was to be back in a place such as this! Born as a swamp lion he was always home, always in water, never missed a beat around his constant watering holes. It was prey that was scarce- never water. But no, his parents neither let him stay, nor his weak sister. They would have to leave. Why? Because prey was more bountiful in the dry lands, and his sister was too ill for them to try and take care of on prey that was running. Sure, Maji could have easily staid with the group, staid with the cool waters and the wet lands that surrounded his pelt. He maybe even could have started, or taken over a pride for himself but it was not to be as his gentle heart would not stand what his parents would do to his sister; if she had to leave so would he!

And though he was in his element, Maji was not one to reminisce or dwell on the old comings of his past, we was a man of the present, better yet a man of the future! He prodded around happily at the thought looking somewhat like a young cub playing with a common snake. He sat down and groomed his already glorified pelt. The golden colors were only more so illuminated by the sun and his red main glistened with flecks of misty water from the waterfall.

It seemed like only a short time ago he had been talking to that beautiful female in that god-forsaken desert setting, and yet he'd already forgotten her name. He wished not to concern himself with such frivolous things though, the next lioness was the one he cared to worry about, though maybe they wouldn't be as impressionable on him, or maybe they weren't as playful, but he was sure he could find one just as beautiful. He shook his glowing red main and then rasped his tongue over it, cleaning his pelt more thoroughly now than most times. How was it that whenever he finished he always noticed that it was dirtier then when he first started. The black fur under his legs and chest was just as dirty with dust as it always was and he looked for an alternative, easier way to deal with this problem- water.

He needed a drink anyway so why not clean off when he was done. It wasn't a deep pool of water, but deep enough for him, he padded over quickly looking at his face in the water. What was this? Was it a mark on his nose? He turned his head away in a repulsive disgust. Taking a deep gulp of water he lunged his body in, splashing around as he did so. He seemed so oddly accustomed to what he was doing even though it had been a while before he'd managed swimming.

"Are we going to stand here and twiddle around?" he asked himself aloud.
"Why of course not dear fellow," he chuckled.

'This miasma lions call life is really going to kill me one of these days…' he thought preciously wondering what it would be like to stay here forever. He shook his head and drank water from below his waste. If the dry season came any earlier then it normally did, he would surely be vaporized under the bright, sweltering sun… he was already starting to melt and it was only the rainy season! He glanced back at himself in the water to check his appearance. His peripheral activities were quite fasinating to him as he ran around in circles trying to see how the back of his pelt looked. He finally sat and turned to see his pelt, cleaning it while remaining in the water and soaking in the sun's rays. He grinned as soon as he felt he looked his best (Which was, by the way, better then any other lion) and satisfied himself with yet another cool sip of drink. Unfortunatly in such a perfect place there was always a high demand and he wasn't thinking about other lurkers… [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/color][/font]

[Lassiel]

It was rather depressing how his life had changed in such a short amount of time. Well, depressing and uplifting, depending on which part of it one considered. On one hand, his meetings with Sileree were ones to be cherished and loved. Charming and intelligent, her beauty did not just show itself in her appearance, but on the inside as well. Before Thorn met her, he thought it would be years before he loved another again. But now he knew--and how it had galled him at first to say it--that Sileree was the first he truly did love. It seemed Raine had been correct all those years ago. And though he had loved her, it really had been only as a friend. A wonderful friend, yes, but in the end he had been in love with what such a union would mean for his father's opinion of him. And now, it seemed, it could very well be that same feeling that was keeping him from happiness once more.

Could she really not see it? Did the lovely vixen, his wonderful Sileree, not see that he simply didn't care about heirs? Yes, it would be distressing if they were never blessed with children, but he would certainly live with it. The dark tan male sighed from his place on the rock, his chocolate gaze hooded. She did understand, but refused to place him in that position because of her....love for him. She claimed to love him, and he believed her whole-heartedly. Perhaps that's why he couldn't bring himself to be too angry with her. A little put out, yes. But not angry. She simply did what she thought was right.

But then there was the little matter of her loyalty to her pride. The Akina. The first time they met each other was in that forsaken marsh. Like then, he could not understand why any pride would base their home in such a place. But apparently they had, and that was far from the issue here. It seemed as if the Queen had some rule or other about outside males. In truth, Thorn did not really know exactly what the law was--he just knew that it kept Sileree from believing they could truly be together. Unable to find the middle ground, the two parted and went on their separate ways: Sileree back to her pride, and Thorn...to his wanderings. He had no one and nothing to call his own, and that had never bothered him. Really, he was still perfectly happy without a pride. But what marred that happiness was the absence of Sileree. He just...couldn't understand.

The sun beat down on the large lion, heating his dark coat indiscriminately. The normally cheery man held a rather morose expression on his handsome face. Not becoming at all. But it could not be helped. He couldn't understand why they parted, and yet he did. But more than anything, he wished she was here with him, enjoying the scenic view before him. But she wasn't. She wasn't even close. And that was completely his fault. They separated, and instead of sticking around the area--far enough to not be clingy, but close enough to come if something changed--he headed far west. There was a slight hope that it would make the parting more bearable, but that was not to be.

The splashing of water broke through Thorn's thoughts, and his head rose sharply to look toward the noise. He could see nothing, and desperate for any distraction, he pushed to his legs and lumbered off his rocky perch. Muscles stretching with the exercises, he followed the sounds until he found the source. The scene was...amusing. A large male--even larger than him, it seemed--was the source of all the commotion. He acted like....well...an overgrown cub. The thought brought a smile to Thorn's face and he jumped onto the chance for a more amusing conversation when the stranger spoke to himself. As the male bent to take another drink, he spoke. "Are you enjoying yourself?" he called out, amusement in every word and a grin on his face.

[Coffee & Pickles]

At first the harmonious tone of a voice sounded as if it may be his own.

"Why yes, I do believe I am," he replied almost as if it caused him great pain to say anything other.
It was not until a short few moments after had he realized it was another male's voice.
That was a problem.
His ears flickered up straight and his rear end slammed down into the water splashing even more about his glistening pelt. As if mere reaction called for it, his broad head whipped around and stared down the other male- sizing him up sure but by no means threateningly. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but quickly shut it … only to open it again in protest but it seemed as if he could do nothing but stare at himself in disbelief. What if that was a lioness!? he rebuked himself almost angered enough to let out a growl. But how was he to play it off this time? Acting like an idiot was one thing, but if he didn't play it off right there'd be a whole nothing.

"And are you enjoying yourself? Baking in the sun when there's plenty of water?" he mockingly joked.
His smile was wound almost as tight as his body as it was true how much fun he was having. Spending that much time in the water was great! And he thoroughly enjoyed what little time he had in the shallow pool of water. Well? he felt like asking, wondering if the male lion would even consider his previous question. It was perfectly valid though, who did like burning in the sun? It was not like Maji to be caught with his guard down and he felt exposed in the situation, usually it was he who'd sneak up on lions (or mostly lionesses) and laugh at them for a bit in their unique habits before swooning them with his obvious charm (surrree….).

The black on the bottom of his mane was drenched in water and stuck to his sides, and clumped against his legs, it was motley, scruffy looking even and it was a shame that he would have to groom as soon as physically possible. He shook the remaining beads of water off of his fiery red mane and then taking a glimpse at it before turning back to the lion before him. Of Corse, and as usual, Maji the "smart one" was trying to make a good impression.

"I, my good fellow, am Maji, wouldn't be to much to inquire of yours?" When the sentence finally came out an air of wonderment and relief hit his chest as if he'd been punched in the wind basket. Never once had that phrase come out right, even when he'd practiced it to make a good impression of himself. Unfortunately as he was walking out of the pond his lumbering paws mixed up and tripped him.

"Dirt… tastes good?" he laughed.
Maji was not a bad person… in fact he loved the fact that there, now in front of him, was company. And this lion before him did not look threatening (Though you could never be sure) he was large and seemed smart himself… his brown eyes were enough to add a spark of mystery as well… or perhaps that was Maji's wild brain dawdling off into the not so distant future. It wasn't like Maji to fight any way and would much rather take the blows and walk away nicely than injure another. Though intelligence seemed to be a-buzz in this new lions face and Maji was interested in speaking with someone… even if it wasn't a female.

[Lassiel]

The other's reaction was...amusing, to say the least. The corner of Thorn's lip turned up at the male's reaction, his dark eyes sparking in good humor as the stranger did a wonderful job of impersonating a fish out of water. Well, it served him right. Lions really had no business splashing about in the water like that. Thorn preferred his paws to stay nice and dry, thank you very much. So was he enjoying himself? Of course! A wry grin crossed Thorn's face as he answered. "I was quite comfortable, until I heard someone splashing around like a cub." Indeed, the dark male was more the type to laze about in the sun, sleeping the day away in the comfortable heat--like he was doing just a few moments ago. Well, sans the brooding recent events caused him to participate in. It really wasn't like him at all, but it wasn't like he could just brush everything off and continue on living his life that easily. At the very least, though, he could find some sort of amusement to occupy himself with for a time.

From his perch at the edge of the water, Thorn watched as the other male examined himself briefly before turning back and speaking once more. Maji, was it? Well, at least he had a name now. With a lazy shrug of his dark shoulders, Thorn opened his mouth to answer with his own--and then Maji stumbled over his own feet as he wandered out of the water. Thorn couldn't help it. Laughter burst out of his mouth and he shook his head with mirth. This Maji was definitely something, though he didn't know exactly what that something was.

Calming himself to small chuckles, Thorn finally managed to speak as he lowered his hind end to the ground. "Why do I think you've tasted the dirt many times?" There was mirth in his rhetorical question, and he shook his head once more before continuing. "Name's Thorn. Came here to rest a bit, but apparently you had other ideas for me. Really, what in the world possessed you to make such a racket?" There was amusement in his tone, and an easiness that spoke of how unconcerned about this he really was. Honestly, Thorn was probably just a tad bit grateful to find such a distraction from his recent thoughts, and he planned to take full advantage of it. If he spoke a little too familiarly toward one he had just met, it was simply because that's the way Thorn was. Quick to poke fun and pretty much enjoy himself, but not one to argue and fight. Really, life was far too short to not have fun.

Shaking out his bushy mane and keeping a careful distance from the dripping male, Thorn examined Maji carefully. There was always a chance that a stranger wouldn't be the friendliest one out there, but this one seemed to be fine. Despite his large size, he seemed rather...well...goofy. Not exactly the dangerous sort, which was just fine with Thorn. Not that he hadn't been in his fair share of fights, but he just wasn't in the mood for one. In fact, he hardly enjoyed them anyway.