It had been a few days since he had come to the pride and he was awaiting his test, or his meeting, or whet ever it was that he was supposed to do. It made him smile, he liked to be relaxed, he felt it gave him a big advantage. Now, as he waited for his initiation, he was once again in search of the golden masked lady.
Flicking his soft pink mane from his gentle blue eyes he lets a cheeky grin raise on his maw, as he pads through the dens, his young sleek green body moving with health and vitality.
"Double Ayyy!" He calls playfully his tail flickering and a chuckle raising from his lips "Where are you my delicate flower?" he grins awaiting her reply, if she could resist his little tease, she just wasn't the girl he thought she was.
Walking around in the morning, she let out a contented sigh. She always loved watching the sunrise. Daeze always tried to look for the exact time when the sky was splashed with the exact color of her coat, a beautiful dusty rose. She was always in awe of the amazing splash of pink with purplish clouds. It had a soothing effect on her, putting her in the right mood for the day. If her mornings didn't go well, neither did the rest of her day. And today's was especially gorgeous, clouds scattered about, spread out just enough to make a perfect picture. Dreamily, she was re-playing it in her head, until her daydream burst when she heard a chiming voice. Super, just super. Just as he had planned, she headed straight for him, as if he had just opened a jar of honey in front of a bee, she could not resist telling him off. The rogue that seemed to insist on being her knight in shining armor was obviously looking for her. It was still early, and some of the lions might not have been up yet. Hadn't he had any sense of courtesy?
Walking purposefully towards him with a look of disdain, she growled lowly, “I wish you'd stop calling me that. My name is neither 'Double A', nor is it 'Delicate Flower', I am 'Abeba'Adaeze, Msaka of the Mteo'nyungu Pride' Why are you still here anyways, rogue? Rogues are not welcome to stay and wander our lands.”
Hermes' grin spread further when she approached him, he padded up to her unashamedly and wrapped himself around her once, pressing his gently muscled form against her soft dun pink body. "But Double Ay is just that much easier to say than that big ol' mouthful." He smiles and sits down before her tossing his mane fro his eyes and grinning a little foolishly.
"When you call me Hermes I promise I will address you by your name." Licking his lips he raised a brow and waited for her response though he had one more thing to say "I'm waiting to meet one of your elders, I do so like these lands I'v decided I need to become a member, put down some roots, grow dome leaves and all that funky good stuff, I know you're pleased really."
Once she got past the arrogance, he was actually sort of fun to tease. Having had a good morning alone with the sunset, she was refreshed and her snappy jokes were ready to be used and were in great abundance. She began her sarcastic prodding and jokes, saying, “Ok, first of all, like I said before, don't touch me. And in my opinion, you are not in the same pride as me until one of the elders approves of you, which I doubt they would, and the ink is dry, and it is official. And second of all, if you are too much of a neanderthal to say my full name and title, you may refer to me as Daeze. Simple enough, hm? And third of all, I am not in any way, shape or form, your mate, your girl, your flower, or anything else that you should feel the need to cuddle. I have claws, and I know how to use them.”
“Very well then, Hermes it is then. But I will hold you to your end of the deal, the second you call me, 'Double Ay, Flower, Princess', or anything of the sort, I will resume calling you rogue, regardless of if you are in the Mteo Pride.” She actually did enjoy speaking with authority and making him feel ignorant. If he was going to stick around, she might as well have some fun with it.
Letting out a long slow grumbling puurr from his chest the pink maned male looked to the sky and pursed his lips thoughtfully "Daeze, see now wasn't that easy to do?" He winks playfully and flickers his tail in her direction running his tail tuft over her front paws. "Clearly my dear you enjoy my company or you would have left already." a little smirk raises on his maw and he leans forwards licking her on the tip of her nose.
"Perhaps my little lovely Daezeey, you might find I like your claws, after all they are ever so dainty after all, what harm could they do to a big hunk like me hmm?" He beams, his gentle blue eyes glistening. "And you know I am staying little love so you should get used to the sight of my minty green butt and enjoy it, it's good for the staring after all."
This time, his logic was actually... correct. Hermes had succeeded in actually having to stop and think about her retort. As she listened to him speak, Daeze's eyes darted around a bit, not looking at anything, but examining his words, looking for loopholes, and flaws in his statement. She did this for about five seconds, and then looked back up at him with a smirk and said in a sassy tone, “Well, if nothing else, you make a fine emotional punching bag. After all, I could probably say the most terrible, uncalled for thing I could think of, and you would just go on saying how beautiful I am, and continue with your shameless flattery.” She thought that she had handled that well, improvising on the spot, without causing too much of a pause. As he licked her on the nose, her eyes widened slightly, and in a slightly weaker voice, she said, “Why do you keep doing that?”
Daeze's eyes opened a little wider, realizing what she had done. She had told him to call her Daeze, which had the same pronunciation as 'Daisy', which was a flower. Not only could she not fault him for calling her Daeze, she had no way to tell if he was referring to her as a flower, or by name. She clenched her jaw in frustration for a moment. Returning her focus back to Hermes, she asked slyly, “Would you like to test that theory?” She did not sound threatening, but instead as if she hoped that he really meant it. It would be nice, after all, to have a physical scratching post as well.
“And just so you know, you are only allowed to stay here if the elder approves, which I would find hard to believe, and if they don't, the ever so sexy Shujaa will come escort you off of our land.”, she added the last part in a dreamy voice. Though it was fake, she hoped it would irritate Hermes.
That roguish grin never left his maw as she spoke to him, she had clearly caught his play on her name and it almost made him chuckle that she wouldn't bite his head off for it. She was a conundrum this one, and a lovely one at that, one he could spend plenty of time unravelling. "Well I thought maybe you had a mark on your nose that needed to be cleaned, I'm sure your mother would not approve of a dirty toot." He chuckles playfully eyeing her and leaning forwards grooming her cheek with his tongue in a long slow lick "black mark on your lovely face."
He was far from taken aback at her words of him being accompanied off the lands by this other male, in fact it made his grin wider, she was clearly inventing someone to make him think she wasn't attracted to him, after all her vocabulary had as yet to find such words for him. He was no fool, well not in the biblical sense, a persistent fool perhaps but nothing more.
"Daezey, daezey give me your answer do, I'm half crazy all for the lovin' you." He winks chipping her chin up so he could look in to her eyes. "Heres where you send me packing with your famous right hook Daeze" He smiles lifting his own chin to accept his punishment if, in fact, any where to come.
Daeze was still thoroughly upset that she had made such a juvenile mistake. Daeze was what her friends always called her, just as a shorter version of her name. But it was stupid of her to let him call her that, as both had the exact same pronunciation. Obviously, Hermes was getting a kick out of this, getting permission to openly call her a flower, even if it was only a specific one. One of these days, she would have to have a stern talking to Raza about plainly putting a flower's name in her own. All she could do now is try to take back her permission to call her Daeze. “Actually Hermes, I would be more comfortable if you were to call me Abeba'Adaeze, or if you would rather, just Abeba.”, she said hopefully. “Abeba is just as easy as Daeze after all.”
Daeze shot him a look that said, 'You have got to be kidding me.' She pointed out the flaw in his plan, “There is no black mark, I checked, several times actually. I think that the black mark is you, and I would take it as a kindness if you were to keep it off of my lovely fur.” Admittedly, it was a nice feeling, having someone groom her, but she certainly wasn't going to tell Hermes that. That would just be another excuse to touch her. And she had managed to keep a steady voice.
As Daeze looked up, she saw that he was, indeed, serious. He was allowing her to take a free shot at him. This offer might not come again, or at least she wasn't sure it would. And he seemed to be enjoying it, giving her an excuse. He had literally asked for it. Flexing her claws, she teased, “Alright, but you asked for it, and my claws are sharp.” She raised her right forepaw, and slashed her hardest, right across his cheek, making sure not to hit his eyes, she just wanted to prove to him that she was not a princess in need of rescuing.
"But I do like Daeze, it's such a beautiful name, I'm sure i'v heard it some where before." He smiled a teasing little grin lowering his ears and looking jokingly abashed "If i was on you all the time Daeze, you'd certainly not wish to call me a black spot." he chuckles happily raising his ears back up and putting a paw on his chest and looking down his nose in a playful snooty way "I'm clearly a fashion accessory." He purrs licking her ear quickly as he waited for his 'punishment'.
As she split across his face he let out a long purr and lowered his head to her "Now, are you done complaining? Im going to need a good clean." He touched his face and pouted, though a little smirk tilted on his lips. "Come on lady I cleaned your black spot for you, you'd better be returning the favor, blood just doesn't become me." He grins, his soft blue eyes dancing playfully.
“What, you don't think Abeba is beautiful? I take offense to that.”, she joked. “But seriously, call me Abeba, or Abeba'Adaeze.”, she added in a more serious tone. Hermes was so confident, it was difficult to find a decent insult. Even her best ones, he would either just shake it off, or turn it around into a compliment, but regardless, it was enjoyable messing with him. She really sometimes ran out of things to say. Eventually, she would be speechless, if she couldn't find something that bothered him. “I need no accessories, after all, I have my birthmark, I have my mask, and to be honest, you aren't my color.”, she finished with examining look. “I mean seriously, bubblegum pink with dusty rose, SO last season. And mint green with my pink, please! Only if you wanted to look like a pale Christmas tree in the middle of June!”
Daeze looked at him in astonishment when instead of a wince, whimper, or any sign of pain, he began to... purr? What was he, some sort of masochist? It had been a good it, she had drawn blood, which was now dripping down his pale green face. Her eyes widened as he called her 'lady', “That's it. You broke the deal, rogue. And besides, I actually find that blood on a lion is rather sexy.”, she added teasingly. “How about I just leave it there, hm?”
Hermes bowed a long deep bow, raising both of his brows "Daeze, I much prefer it reminds me of the beautiful flower in the long grassed fields." He shakes his head at her 'disgust' of his colours "I think we mesh quite well actually" and to show her this he wraps his neck around hers and licks her spine "sort of like a multi coloured flower field in the spring." he whispers a wink wrinkling his face as he steps back.
"So you won't clean away the blood for me pretty flower?" He pouts playfully "It's only a little blood, are you afraid you might get your nose dirty my love?" since she as going to call him rogue again, he'd decided to forget it and go back to his old names for her "Come Daeze, it's not very fair, I cleaned your dirty mark for you." He grins, a playful glimmer in his light blue eyes and a little laugh on his lips. "I forget you are a princess, perhaps you have a servant to clean your fur hmm?" he smirks broadly, he knew he was probably pushing it but he liked to see how far he could push.
“And that is why I dislike it. I do not like being called a flower, I would much rather be addressed by the name my parents gave me: Abeba'Adaeze. And what is with you and flo-”, Daeze was interrupted by Hermes licking down her spine, giving her chills. Guessing that he would probably be able to feel her tingling, she added a shake and a sound of disgust. “I am not a flower, I am a lioness, so please stop calling me Daeze. How would you like it if I decided to call you 'Sand' from now on? Sand is annoying, it gets between your paws, gets in your eyes, it seems like a fitting name.”
He began to tease her, ignoring her wishes to not be called a flower, so for a few moments, she remained silent, hoping he would catch on and stop talking. But he rambled on. “I told you, I did not have a black mark, I always go find a puddle and check my reflection to make sure I am presentable.”, she added calmly, not looking at him, trying to keep a level head. Her head snapped around as soon as he uttered the word 'Princess'. She despised being called princess many fold more than being called a flower. Marching up to him, she spat furiously, “I clean my own fur, rogue! And don't EVER call me 'Princess'!” She was filled with rage and she lifted up her left forepaw and slashed down the other side of his face. Still filled with scorn, she said plainly, “There, now you are symmetrical.”
"Sand huh?" He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I wouldn't mind being called sand, I like sand it's warm on your fur and fun to wash off. Have you ever been to the sea? The sand is a lot of fun there."
Her outburst far from made him blink or lurch, he enjoyed seeing the rise out of her. "Well now Daeze, I need a puddle now, so perhaps I should love and leave you." Stepping forwards he grooms her face gently, his pale blue eyes smiling softly "I suppose I am double sexy now hmm?"
He grins a cheeky grin running his pale body all down her side "I don't want to be a dirty flower now do I?" he chuckles stepping away, singing his little ditty "Daeze, Daeze, give me your answer do, I'm half crazy all for the love of you, it won't be a stylish marriage, cause I can't afford a carriage, but you'll look sweet upon a seat, of a bicycle made for two, on a bicycle made for two!"
“No I haven't, so rogue it is then, I guess.”, her ears were still pinned from her fury at him. What compelled him to call her Princess? She hadn't told him what her name meant, nor did she plan to. As Hermes leaned in to lick her face, she leaned away, with a look of anger. “You do realize when I said that, I was teasing you, right?”, she hissed seethingly. He wouldn't ever give up, would he?
As he rubbed up against her, she thought there would be no use trying to move away, as he would simply follow. “Since when are YOU the flower?”, she inquired with a smirk. “And please stop singing.”, she said courteously. She listened to the lyrics then instinctively pulled away. “Woah there, bub! You are nowhere CLOSE to marriage, your still a good distance away from, 'not hated'!”
She had to wonder what it was about her that lured him in so. Yes, she was beautiful, but not so much more than the other lionesses, and some of them were more beautiful than her. He seemed only interested in looks, so maybe she would just have to find a gorgeous lioness to dump him on.
