Ulimi looked utterly blank, his entire thought process stopped by a few long winded words from his sought after female. She seemed sweet enough, though partially delusional. What on Earth was she talking about with this family of hers? There wasn't a soul aside from them in this cave, much less anywhere near here!
Dumbfounded, Ulimi stuttered around for words to fill in what he was feeling, but for once he seemed at a bit of a loss. "I uh, .... Ulimi, im Ulimi, you have quite a fine name. It suits you well." He smiled slightly and tried to bide time as he searched for what exactly she meant by her last statement. "Why did you mention your family, there's ... no one else here..." Ulimi trailed off a bit, looking round the den for even possible signs of others, but nothing. It seemed like a recently occupied cave and nothing more. Even the scents weren't there.
---
"Oh i'm sorry. That was rude of me, my family is over there in the corner. I'd introduce you to all of them, but there are quite a few and you'd probably just be confused with all the new names." Nema chuckled innocently and brushed off any further questions by changing directions and heading to the corner. "No, I don't think he's all that bad. He just seems lonely...
HEY! YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH MISSY!"
---
Ulimi looked on in quiet confusion, trying to run through scenarios in his head in which this would be an acceptable mode of normalcy. He couldn't think of one. This chick was really talking to nothing, and she seemed sincere about it! Was she serious?
"Nema was it? Exactly who are you speaking to? There isn't anyone there! See, it's just an empty corner. Have you been injured lately? Are you running a fever?" Anxious and worried for his first stranger interaction, Ulimi found himself dancing back and forth on the tips of his paws, worried on just what this lioness could have eaten or done to make herself see such things.
---
"NO! I'm not hurt! What? Are you telling me you don't see them either!? They're right there! COME ON!" She growled, allowing her anger to get the best of her. She quickly regained her composure and her attitude improved dramatically. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so defensive, I just don't want to criticized. Just because you can't see what I see, doesn't make them any less real." Nema sighed and turned her back to the family and faced Ulimi once more.
"I'm sorry to bother you with my weirdo ways, if you would prefer to leave, I completely understand." Hanging her head in shame, Nema watched from the corner of her eye fully expecting the male to leave at any moment. Instead, he remained, looking as though he were contemplating something.
---
"I-don't mean to offend you by this comment, but I must ask. How can you know for certain that you aren't just crazy. Granted, I know nothing about crazy lions, but I don't think invisible families are normal.." Ulimi took the moment to plop himself down across from Nema, their eyes locked, determined to figure out a logical answer to this situation.
"CRAZY? NO I'M NOT CRAZY, WHY DOES EVERYONE ALWAYS CALL ME THAT!" A blind rage ensued and Nema was seeing red. Angered by the lions insults she stood and walked over to him - scratching him clean across the face with her most extended claw. "Now, you took a swipe at me, and i've taken a swipe at you. When can start over again. Do you know what it's like to be alone Ulimi? To have no one, at a time when you should have everyone around you? That's how I feel on a normal basis. I was abandoned from my pride at a young age, left to fend for myself. ALONE AS A CUB. Do you have any idea what that's like?
As a result of my abandonment, I found other ways to cope. I began running into lions, who sort of looked like me. They were really sweet and they genuinely cared about me. I found it strange at first, but as time has gone on. I've come to accept them. I don't think of them as some craze induced dementia, I think of them as an extension of myself. It doesn't matter if you can see them, or even if I can. It's the feeling I get from knowing that i'm not alone." Finishing her long winded sentence Nema heaved in a deep breath and sat back.
---
Recoiling from the scratch across his face, Ulimi was pissed. But, could he really blame her? This was his problem - the wrong thing to say and the exact wrong time. Gently rubbing the scratch with his paw, he settled in to listen to Nema's story, not really sure if he was at all interested anymore. But, he was. Deep down somewhere inside he was hooked on her story. Because it was his story. At least somewhat. The pain in his heart resurfaced once more, and the male twinged in pain at it's appearance. Nema had made a series of good points. He couldn't deny that. But no matter how much he understood her, he still feared for her safety. The world - he included was not welcoming of weird lions. And she seemed so innocent and silly, she wasn't meant to be a rogue. Perhaps, there was something he could do for her. He had heard rumors of a pride - a pride of insane lions, somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. They each individually worshiped their own totems of sorts. Maybe, if she were willing she could seek out this pride, and find salvation amongst them?
"Well, what if you didn't have to be looked down upon? Or called crazy? I have heard word of a pride, an insanity pride, where the odd and quirky lions of the world come to meet up. It's like a safe heaven Nema. You should take a visit out there, and I won't take no for an answer. I'll drag you there myself if I have to!" Ulimi glared her down and let her know she wasn't in a bargaining position.
"But what if I try this pride, and it isn't what you say it is? What am I to do then?
"Trust me, Nema you will find it. And if you do not find it on your own, you can find me, and together we will find it." He smiled once more encouragingly at the female hoping she would agree.
"And that's a promise?! I can come search you out and you'll help no matter what?" Nema watched excitedly as Ulimi agreed to her terms. "Alright Ulimi, you have a deal. Now give me these directions!"
FIN
WORDCOUNT: 1149
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