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His first thought was honestly 'I really hope she never calls me Buttercup in public', followed quickly by shame. Lots of it. These just weren't things to be said out-loud, least of all in front of someone he'd just met. Had just met and currently had her tail entwined with his. Was nuzzling his cheek as if they were lovers. Or even close friends.

Someone who kept suggesting that they were getting married.

He tilted his head to look at her incredulously, but then she giggled and Thandi felt assured that she was joking; just trying to brighten his mood. It didn't account for her lack of personal boundaries, but maybe that was just how she was. Light, carefree, and giving of herself.

Seemed accurate, anyway.

He gave an exaggerated sigh, as if he was some long-suffering husband putting up with his wife's nit-pickings. He could almost hear the suggested "Yes dear" in the breath. Quirking his maw in a faint smile, he decided to play along.

"Oh, I don't know. The Serengeti is pretty hot in summer..."

She giggled and lightly bounce her paws back and forth. This is was going to be the best day ever, not only did she meet a full-blow lion but he was also going to be her husband! How lucky was she!

She shot him and look and then tapped her chin and bounce up from where she was laying. "Well I guess your correct Thandi! I guess now we have to think of another time. Maybe we could do it in the winter! Then we don't have to rush and meet each other family." he said giggling again bouncing back and forth on her paws.

She was so excited she couldn't help herself. She moved over and nuzzle his cheek once more. "Do you think I should wear a rainbow dress or white. I rainbow would match my fur color but white is more traditional. Hmm I don't know." she said tapping her chin.


He swished his tail back and forth in amusement, watching as she bounced about. He'd never met anyone like her, most of his life had been surrounded by people of a more serious nature, focused on being the best or at the very least surviving. She just seemed so... free.

His tail pausing in mid-swipe as she brushed against him again, he lost his train of thought for a moment and turned to blink at her in mild surprise. Laughing heartily as Prizzy was already puzzling out a typical female question, he thought she was mocking or patronizing the whole thing. To him, the thought of them getting married was... well not exactly absurd but 'sudden' didn't even come close. Shaking his mane out in his mirth, Thandi pretended to consider the dilemma as if it were a serious affair.

"White and blue maybe? Or perhaps your ladies in waiting will know. I'm afraid I'm not very good at these sorts of things. Being male and all."

He gave her a toothy grin at that, pretty sure that any male, anywhere would probably be useless at picking out something like a dress.

She flutter her wings and jumped around happily. He look so handsome laying there as if he already "ruled" her world. He strong lion king. She was so lucky to find one that enjoy her company. Mostly other would just run away or drive her away with mean words. She smiled and bounce back down sitting in fornt of him place him her head square in fornt of his letting her wet nose touch his.

She frowned and looked away as he mention a lady in waiting. "I don't have....any other friends. I have yet to meet others, Thandi, and if I did they said I'm to hyper-active for them. My brother is my best friend and you are my second best friend." he said with a half smile. It never accour to her that she didn't have too many friends she just seems so happy with her brother that it didn't matter.

She tapp her chin and stuck out her tongue as if she was thinking. "Hmm maybe I should go make other friends for I can have some ladies in waiting for the marriage? Hmm how does that sound sweetie?" he said giving him a small Eskimo kiss. She smiled. "And what are you sir Thandi? Do you have tons of friends? I bet it's going to take forever to figure out who's going to be your best man! I just know it. Someone as super duper as you must have like five thousand friends!" she paused to give out a sweet giggle. "Hopefully more cool lions! Then I could meet some more and then you can off your future wife! This is going to be a wonderful plan" she finish with a bright smile.


Watching her prance about, he chuckled into his mane, not wanting to seem like he was laughing at her. ... At least, not in a negative aspect. His only forewarning to the impeding kiss was the shadow that suddenly fell over his face. Looking up at her, his eyebrow rose in lazy curiosity.

"Hmmmm?"

The rumbling question came out as half-purr before he was shocked into silence by the touch of her nose. His eyes were wide as his brain suffered a hard reboot. His thoughts bumbled around like so much tumbleweed as he tried to make sense of what just happened. By the time he'd gathered his wits again to ask her just what in the world was that all about, he ended up swallowing the words. Her face was turned away and the expression wasn't a happy one. Regret? He didn't like that thought but, I mean they'd just met, but she was the one that-

And then she admitted that she didn't have friends, and he frowned with her. Come to think of it, he'd never met anyone outside of the Pride before either, so technically all of his 'friends' were also family. At least she had a brother, and not a pack of crazy sisters. It explained her... emotional explosiveness, or whatever you'd call it. Maybe. He wasn't an expert on these things. Or much of anything, really.

He was a little more prepared for the next kiss, not in time to stop it even if he wanted to, but at least it wasn't a shock and didn't send him head over tail. Perhaps because he was already trying to think through a problem here.

"You know... I don't know anyone outside of my family either. Except you, of course, but. But yea, I never really thought about it. Family has always been my whole world before, and where I fit in there."

Or don't fit in, he added silently, all too aware of the uselessness of redundant male lions.


Well they were more a like then Prism had expected. She thought that her handsome soon to be husband would be full with friends. She thought that she would have to share him with every lion that he knew, which she didn't mind as long as they got a couple of minutes of me time. She smiled and past it off.
"Wow, I'm surprise Thandi! I was sure a lion like you would have tons of friends. You are the best and handsome and nicest lion I know. And I'm just not saying that because your going to marry me but because it's true!" she said with a small giggle.
It never occur to here that he was her only friend, so all of that was true but it wasn't judging it against anyone so it didn't really mean too much but to her it meant the world.
As he placed the "Or don't fit in" she frown and thumped his nose. "Stop it! Please just stop it! Why do you do that to yourself. Really! It's annoying and not good. You're as good as any other person. I hate it when people do that!" she paused to move very closer to his face where her eyes were almost touching his. "Thandi, if I ever hear you speak bad about yourself again I will never ever never forgive you. You are a mighty lion who should be prove of himself for coming this far. Look at you, your an grown lion who is taking care of himself and I call that something to be proud of." she back away and turn away furiously swaying her tail.
She hated to be so uptight about it but she hated when people put down themselves. If everyone did that then no one would ever be happy.

It wasn't like the thump to the nose hurt, not really, it was more just a shock to see her so... so fierce. Though the argument was a silly one to him and just common sense, her conviction was touching and rather exciting in a way. He completely glazed over the part about 'marrying' her, instead fixating on her aggression with a keen intensity. His eyes glittered faintly as she turned from him in her vexation, and he was unable to keep himself from grinning privately. Was it worth it to try and correct her? To explain? He debated with himself for a moment before shaking his head and his mane along with it. Chuckling, he supposed it was best to just set the record straight rather than letting her storm off with the misconstrued beliefs.

"I say it because it's true, little lionheart. Listen, just listen a moment. In a pride, a family, there is the mom and dad, right? For lions 'Dad' is the guy in charge, the main man. And there's already a 'prince' male, so to speak. So as far as my family structure is concerned, there's no place for me. I'm an... unnecessary extra. I am not a lioness, I do not excel at hunting the way my sisters do. I will never be king, will never lead my family. I... have no place among them. And that's just the way it is."

He was sincere as he spoke to her back, watching as her tail flicked about. This was nerve-wrecking in a way. He never had to explain exactly how useless he was before, everyone just knew, but she was in outsider, had no idea. Or, perhaps had ideas of her own.


She stopped. Her whole body stop even her tail. Which was something that did not often happen with this ball of energy. She let out a small sigh and with the slowness she turn around to him on one of her back feet and stared at him. She stared at him and blinked and then turn back around and moved as slowly as she did before. She didn't enjoy this talk and it wasn't true. She knew he was more then this and he just didn't see it.

She flicked her tail in annoyance. "Thandi, you wrong! Really wrong. But if that's what you truly believe then you're useless. If you think you're useless then you're are. You're nothing, a empty hallow shell, who only think about himself through the eyes of his family instead of himself. And if this is how you're going to think, then maybe I won't marry you." she said her eyes filling with tears.

She flopped to the ground, still turn away from his and wiped her eyes. "You know Thandi, you have such a selfless heart. You care for your family, so you give up everything. What love you show to them to give yourself so much misery. I wish I was more like you." she said turning her head to him, tears still following down her eyes.

"I'm selfish. I only think about myself and my brother and you think about everyone." she looked down and gently got up and wiped her eyes once more, getting rid of the rest of the tears. "No matter I guess. I think I shall be leaving. If I can't help yourself then how could you ever help me." she said bouncing over to him, place a soft kiss on his cheek. She smiled to hip and bop his nose softly and playfully. "I enjoy you Thandi and so do your family. I just only wish you could see that." she said turning on her foot and she started to bounce away.

He took a step back and cringed as if her words had the power to physically hit him. Her anger was almost a tangible thing, rolling off her in waves as her words crashed down around him. He wasn't even able to process her words though, when he watched her fall to the floor as if by a heavy blow.

Confused, not sure if he should risk approaching her or what he was supposed to do, Thandi's whiskers drooped along with his ears as she sobbed, her voice obviously hindered by tears. Great, he really screwed this up didn't he? The meaning of what she was saying was still lost to him, at least for now. Those things always took longer to process, he was geared much more towards dealing with the physical and what was put right before him; not some metaphorical or mental gymnastics.

"It- It's not like that! If all you had was your brother of course that's the only other person you'd think about. When you're in a big family you can't be focused on just- hey!"

Why was this so hard? How could he make her understand? All he could do was stand there as she bopped him, kissed him, and seemed to be saying goodbye. Stymied, he just stood there as she started to leave, not at all sure what he was supposed to do. This was by far the most puzzling encounter he'd ever been a part of, and it felt quite a bit like just missing the kill after after a long time stalking the prey. A gazelle, just nicked by his claws, and yet running free.

And he was so tired and sick of that.

"Hey!"

Thandi bellowed after her, oddly alike a roar. He still wasn't sure if he was supposed to stop her or not, but if she didn't turn around he might very well try, though he still didn't have a clue what he was supposed to do or say.

Prism: *she turned to him as he made a shout-like roar "hey" at her and looked at him* "What! Are you trying for something for once?" *she smiled and flicked her tail. Her plan had worked. She had to see if he was going to try and get her not just sit there and wallow in his pity and she knew that he was going to try and come after her. He was different and she could see that. She knew that he was not how he described himself. She saw more, she knew that he was more and she started to jump around him.* "Oh I'm so happy Thandi! I knew you were the one! I just knew,knew, knew it! *she giggled and pulled him against her arm, lightly nuzzling his cheek.*


His muzzle twitched as he fought an angry retort at her pointed question. The truth in it stung, but that wasn't her fault. His ears folded back as he took a step towards her, his heavy paw eating up the ground as Thandi stared at her questioningly. His tufted tail twitched in irritation, why should he care what her opinion of him was? Why was her impression of him as some mighty creature so important? Maybe because no one had seen him that was before? Thandi didn't know, but there it was; he gave a damn about how she saw him. It hurt when she looked like she would reject him. He nodded slowly, his mane ruffling around his face as he did so.

Within moments there was a white blur before him, bouncing around again and the tightness in his chest finally released. Letting go of his held breath, he relaxed against her, grinning as she nuzzled him. Hooking a massive paw around her small frame, he dragged her against him in a cat's hug, his muzzle against her neck.
"Thank you..."