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 Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:00 pm
 Daire flicked his red-tipped tail lazily as he watched the gazelle and zebra gossip around the crystal clear source of water. He had just feasted upon several hares and was feeling quite contented and relaxed. It had been so long since he left his family and began his adventure in the rogue lands by himself. He always imagined this journey being a little more... eventful. He missed having the warmth of his siblings and parents to return to every night. He missed wrestling with his father and pranking his brothers. And he couldn't help but wonder if they missed him, too?
Daire sighed as he laid his head on his paws, preparing for yet another lonely slumber in the frigid night.
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Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:29 pm
Jicho studied the herd as well. He wasn't trying to be sneaky - a pointless exercise for one as bright as himself - but he wasn't making as much noise as he usually was. There was another lion nearby. A male lion, and thus not a romantic prospect, tragically. It would be so lovely to have a lady to snuggle up next to on this cold night!
The herd continued to browse, totally ignored by the other lion. Bah. Pity. Jicho had hoped to charge in and scatter the herd just as the other was about to make a catch. He supposed he would just have to find another way to amuse himself.
Leaving his somewhat pitiful concealment (a scraggly bush), Jicho sauntered boldly up to the other male. "Hello! Cold night, eh?" Being irritating was his goal, but he wasn't sure yet just how to proceed.
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Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 5:50 pm
Daire swung his head around to see the new arrival. Red bangs swept across his muzzle, and his eyes had to adjust so quickly from the bright colors that it stung. He couldn't look away, though... the other might think ill of him for it. But he couldn't stare, either! Daire quickly got to his paws and offered the other male a subtle bow of his head. "Hello. Yeah, it is rather chilly. Are you hunting?" Daire glanced at the herd of beasts across the grassland. "I'm not hungry, but I can help if you need it." Warmth shone through his face as he smiled, but it was quickly dropped as he remembered how to introduce himself properly.
"Sorry... My name's Daire. It's uh... good to meet you, sir." It'd been so long since he's been face to face with an adult. Daire knew this was awkward.. that he was awkward. He only hoped the other didn't notice.
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Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 6:52 pm
Well, well. This strange lion was being polite to him! Jicho wasn't used to this kind of treatment from strangers! Particularly male lions. Jicho didn't know what they all had to be so uptight about, but they all wanted to swagger around and toss their manes and act like the lords of the earth.
Usually females were nice to him (the fact that he generally approached females in a less irritating manner had nothing to do with this, of course, they were simply attracted by his astoundingly good looks). Hmmm!
His delight at the stranger's kindness melted into suspicion. Perhaps this dark fellow had ulterior motives! Perhaps ... Jicho's eyes widened slightly at the thought, but he hid his reaction and replied politely enough. "Oh, I'm not hungry, but thank you!" Jicho said, smiling expansively. "My name is Jicho, and you needn't call me sir." He bowed his head to the stranger, his mind whirling. Was the dark male ... interested in him, or was he just being polite? It had been so long since Jicho had met a polite male lion that he had forgotten they existed!
If the male was interested, Jicho would just have to let the poor fellow down kindly. If he wasn't ... Jicho may have just thought of a wonderfully terrible way to prank him. Oh, what a laugh that would be! "Are you sleeping alone tonight, Daire?" Jicho asked innocently.
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Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 7:41 pm
Daire stirred nervously under Jicho's judging eyes. He knew he was being judged, dissected like a prey beast.
"Well met then, Jicho. That's good at least..." Daire forced a smile, but he couldn't help but wonder what the other male thought of him. Did he think he was foolish for calling him sir? The polite title is so easily brushed off by strangers, the poor lion couldn't understand why.
"... I mean... Most other lions I meet are half dead with hunger. It'd be the least I could do if I could feed just one." As the moments passed, the young lion became less concerned with himself and his behavior. Instead, it shifted into curiosity about this new stranger. Like, what kinds of heroic things has he done in his history? Or... Maybe he' a villain in disguise?
"Are you sleeping alone tonight, Daire?"
The out-of-place question threw Daire way off balance. His original train of thought vanished completely. Daire tried not to look rattled, but if his fur wasn't so dark, the rose-red flesh beneath would be embarrasingly visible. "I don't sleep... I mean, I do sleep! I sleep... Alone." The lion futilely tried to conceal his cringe. It could have been worse, he reassured himself.
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Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 9:06 am
Yes, yes! The other lion was embarrassed! Nervous! Jicho wanted to burst out laughing at the look on the other fellow's face, but that would totally ruin this hilarious experiment. Jicho had never tried to annoy someone in this particular way before, but he hadn't even begun and it was already proving effective!
The brightly colored lion smiled instead of laughing. His most charming, seductive smile, one he usually reserved for ladies. He considered winking, but decided it might give away the game too soon. Poor Daire looked like he was about to flee already, and Jicho definitely wanted to prolong this too-polite lion's embarrassment.
Without asking for permission, Jicho lay down beside Daire, close enough to brush against him. He let out a sigh of apparent satisfaction and stretched. "You have a nice spot picked out here. Very ... cozy."
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 6:24 pm
The young lion got even more uneasy when the other male gave him that unusual smile. He wasn't sure what the message was behind it, he just knew it was... out of place. As he usually did, Daire failed to hide his own emotions, letting his brows scrunch together and a faint frown appear in response to the grin.
Daire cringed at the touch, and swiftly let his red toes carry him a paw-step away. Assuming it was an accident, Daire decided to ignore the incident with a gentle nod. Physical contact without proper permission was so rude... he hoped he hadn't offended him for letting it happen. "I suppose it's cozy... Though it can't quite compare to a warm den."
It seemed like an ordinary conversation to him. Wasn't it, though? His heart was racing, and his eyes darted from tree to tree as if futilely looking for an escape route. Obviously his instincts knew something he couldn't quite catch onto. Was this other lion... trying to trick him?
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 10:08 am
Inwardly, Jicho was squealing with delight. He had never tried this trick before, never, never! It was amazing! It was hilarious! It was working oh-so-well! Why, Jicho had barely said a word and already the younger male was cringing away.
Jicho was definitely a genius among lions. He would have to make use of this trick later.
A warm den, eh? Hee. Well, he wouldn't let Daire escape so easily. Jicho sidled ever closer, closing the space between them, smiling seductively now. "We could warm it up, you and I." He quirked a thick black eyebrow at the anxious dark lion.
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 7:22 pm
Effortlessly, the big lion slid away from the other male's advance. The anxiety level was climbing at an alarming rate, and Daire thought he finally figured out why... That strange smile was trying to allure him. And that final statement confirmed his suspicions. He gulped, the blood draining from his face, and desperately averted eye contact with the bright male.
After a long pause Daire decided to make himself heard. He hated to assume it, but the evidence was much too strong. He hoped his voice was smooth with confidence, he hoped he could hide his blatant weakness to address this situation. But it was obvious he couldn't.
"Ah, no..." He chose his words carefully, sending the vague message without sounding accusive... Because that would be rude. The last thing he wants is to hurt or offend a potential new friend. "That is not a possibility I want to participate in... I mean... Not that I don't enjoy your company. You're actually quite pleasant but-..." No don't lead him on, dummy. And stop beating around the bush or this will go on for ages. "I prefer ladies." The urge to bolt off into the darkness was just barely tamed. With his final remark, Daire quieted and cringed... staring into the distance with an intense expression, yet all senses pinned on Jicho for a reaction.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:13 am
Jicho was beside himself with hilarity ... quietly. When this was over he would go have a long, loud laugh somewhere. But for now he exercised all the willpower he could muster to maintain control of himself. If he fell over on the ground howling with laughter that would surely end the game.
Not letting Daire escape, Jicho paced after him. The brightly colored lion's features went through several carefully crafted expressions as he listened to Daire. Polite interest ... perplexity ... a flash of hurt. Oh dear, so Daire wasn't interested in him?
Jicho was almost tempted to throw himself at the other lion and attempt to nuzzle him or something, but Jicho really wasn't that interested in Daire himself. He was only interested in getting under his skin. "Don't you think I'm handsome, Daire?" Jicho asked, his eyes brimming with false tears. He made an effort to sidle closer, hoping to catch the other lion and brush against him again.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:01 pm
The flash of hurt that shot through Jicho's eyes made Daire cringe. He felt so guilty for causing the pain, but the other lion was abusing the unspoken laws of courtesy in so many ways. He'd already ignored his attempts not to physically connect, and now Jicho was practically leaning into him. He slowly lifted a red paw, gently placing it on the lion's chest and forced it forward in an attempt to slide Jicho away. His expression was firm like a father in reprimand mode.
"I'd prefer if you didn't stand so close, Jicho." He let his paw rest snugly with the rest of them in the dirt. "I am not attracted to you." He hoped he answered the question in a manner that would avoid hurting feelings any further. "So please... stop perusing me. If you wish, we can start over. As friends, and nothing more." For some reason Daire doubted it would ever work... But he always valued a friendship, no matter how twisted it may turn out to be.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 4:05 pm
Jicho allowed Daire to push him away. He didn't actually want to fight the younger male ... he wanted to see how far he could push the dark lion through simple trickery. It was almost touching, really, how anxious Daire was about offending him. About offending him!
Oh, how he wanted to laugh. And laugh, and laugh, and laugh.
"I'm sorry, Daire," Jicho said, affecting a rueful expression. "You're just so ... manly, and attractive!" Even if Jicho had been interested in males, he wouldn't have found Daire much to look at. Such a dull, rusty looking lion. The markings were okay, but overall ... total bleh.
"You have broken my heart, cruel sir!" Jicho said dramatically, turning and flouncing away. He couldn't really push the flirting farther, but he had seen how unhappy Daire felt for 'hurting his feelings'. Hopefully this would tear the dark lion up some!
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 5:44 pm
Daire watched the colorful lion express himself and take his leave with a pained frown. But it didn't last long when he realized he was gone and he didn't need to deal with him anymore. He let his anxiety and guilt sweep away, grateful the whole thing ended with only a few tears. It could have been worse, he reassured himself again.
Oblivious that the whole thing was a prank, Daire left his tree to find a different shelter and rest. A shelter that wasn't tainted with awkward memories. A shelter where the colorful lion wouldn't be able to find him if he decided to change his mind...
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