Jicho was bored, as he so frequently was. Unlike many inhabitants of the savannah, the bright lion had more time on his paws than he knew what to do with. He wasn't in a pride, he didn't have a mate, and he never seemed to go hungry. If he didn't stumble over food through sheer dumb luck (BRILLIANT luck, he would have said) then quite often all he had to do was saunter up to a kill as though he belonged there and the rightful owners would cringe away in confusion and ocular discomfort.
So, nothing to do, no one to chat to, nothing to hunt. Bored! Jicho wandered aimlessly through the tall grasses, wondering what mischief he could get up to. There didn't seem to be any pride lions around to harass, so he was quite out of ideas. He decided to sing to pass the time, loudly and tunelessly.
"IN THE JUUUUNGLE, THE MIIIIGHTY JUUUUNGLE..."
Wandering again. Bongani was almost always wandering, looking for an area of land to call his own... or perhaps a pride of other outcasts. But it wasn't that bad. It was good exercise, especially after a big meal, and he got to see a new landscape.
After a long journey this time though, the large lion decided to take a rest. He lounged in the tall grass of the savannah, tail patting the ground lightly. He idly licked at his massive paws, ears flicking for any slightest sound. It took a bit, but they did seem to catch someting. Was that singing? A bit curious, he lifted his head to look about for the source of the, off-key, tune.
Something moving? Jicho turned his head, his song faltering. He didn't normally pay much attention to his surroundings, but in his terrible boredom he was on the lookout for something, anything to entertain himself with. Oh! Was that ... another lion? Jicho squinted. It was! How positively perfect. It wasn't a lady, but that was all right. He would make do!
Jicho turned and trotted towards the stranger, beaming from ear to ear. A big male lion, not nearly as handsome as himself, poor thing. The lion hadn't immediately challenged him, so he probably wasn't in a pride. Unfortunate. Jicho rather liked irritating stuck-up pride lions. "Hello!" He called cheerfully as he moved towards the stranger. "You're not much to look at, are you big fella?"
It wasn't long before he spotted what or who was singing. It seemed it, the lion, was coming his way. Seeing this, Bongani lifted himself so that he was sitting, letting out a yawn since his rest was a bit disrupted. While he waited for the other to join him, he gave his fur a few more licks.
When the other finally got close, his dual-colored eyes seemed to automatically lock onto the bright colorations of the male. A brow quirked elegantly, but wasn't bothered by it. He nodded at the greeting. "Greetings." The comment was questionable, but he just simply shrugged. "Each has their own opinion."
Oh, bah. Jicho was disappointed ... but only a little bit. The male was not trying to fight him, not snapping and snarling, nothing! Well, that only meant that Jicho hadn't yet found a way to grate on his nerves. And Jicho was always up for a challenge.
Seeing as his disparaging comment about the other's looks hadn't had an effect, Jicho didn't bother with pursuing it. Time for a new tactic! Invading personal space. The other lion was big enough to whip Jicho up and down the savannah, but as always, Jicho was almost unaware of his own safety. He sidled up to the big male, grinning pleasantly.
What should he do? For now he would start small. Jicho sat himself right next to the other lion, crammed up as close as possible, as though they were the very best of friends and not two strangers meeting for the first time. "Well, how are you doing, mister lion? I find most lion conversation terribly dull. Nothing to talk about but 'Hot today. Ate a zebra yesterday. Be even hotter tomorrow.' "
Bongani watched the colorful male, a simple, indifferent look on his face. He didn't seem to catch that he had upset the other with his answer concerning his appearance. But, to the scaled lion, it was the truth. What this lion might see as unattractive another lion might.
Once again, his brow quirked for a brief moment when the other moved up and sat, rather close, to him. Bongani then just notched it up to the male being rather friendly and let it be. "I am doing rather well, how about yourself?" He replied with a cool, deep voice. He bowed his head in agreement to his revelation, "I guess that is true, but some enjoy those types of conversations... I would have to say."
The big scaley lion looked rather like the crocodile goddess Jicho had attempted to woo recently, but he wasn't nearly as attractive. For one thing, he wasn't a lady, but Jicho supposed that couldn't be helped. A slight frown marred his astoundingly handsome face, his bushy black eyebrows knitting together. It seemed that he just wasn't getting through to this lion.
Time to go back to the ugliness, then. Although Jicho wouldn't bother with any more snippy remarks. He rose abruptly and went to stand behind the other lion, eyeing him critically. "I'm fine, but I just can't look at you like this! No, it simply won't do! We will have to fix your mane, sir. You can't go around looking like a ..." His words failed him for a moment, but he regrouped and continued. "A big fluffy scruffy fish! Let me braid your mane!" With that, Jicho moved towards the stranger purposefully, intent on styling his woefully unappealing mane.
The larger lion was totally oblivious that his uncaring ways was upsetting to the other lion. Bongani just didn't have the mentality to get upset by things due to past experiences. He did see the troubled look on his face, but couldn't quite put two and two together that it was because of him not being fazed by his comments.
His tail swished lightly as the other quickly got up and moved behind him. He turned his head to glance at him from over his shoulder, listening as he now commented on his mane. 'Big fluffy, scruffy fish'? Not the words he would have used, but he couldn't complain. "One does not always have time to groom at a large mane, especially getting to parts hard to reach. If you wish, so be it." He allowed the other to braid his mane... whatever that was.
Well now Jicho was just getting put out. What, did this lion think he was some kind of rogueish hairstylist? Maybe he could be forgiven for thinking that, but Jicho was no hairstylist! He was an ornery, irritating, rascal, and he hadn't yet met a lion he couldn't aggravate! Dropping the other lion's mane, Jicho backed away and stared at him disconsolately.
Another lion would have been berserk by now, either attacking him or bellowing at him to leave. Not this big useless lump. Jicho almost felt like throwing a tantrum!
That seemed like a worthy last ditch effort, actually. Jicho couldn't summon up fake tears, but he did suddenly burst out with a howl of misery. A loud, horrible, earsplitting howl of utter melodramatic despair. He flung himself forward at the other lion's feet, screeching out his misery like some overgrown psychotic baby.
He watched the male yet again when he dropped his mane, in which he gave it a light shake. When the lion seemed to stare at him, he gave him a slight questioning look. Was there something in his mane, on his face... or was this lion just... odd?
Either way, the question wouldn't come up as soon as the bright male let out a sudden howl. This caused Bongani's ears to flick back, giving a slight wince. A foot was lifted slightly when the other tossed himself to them. Tilting his head some, he lowered his head and nudged at him with his nose. "Are you alright?"
The lion was concerned, nudging at him! Inside Jicho was jumping up and down with glee ... inside. On the outside, he let his cries trail off into groans of apparent pain. He rolled over onto his back at the other lion's nudges and lay there gasping weakly.
"Yes, yes ..." He whispered, his voice terribly frail. The other's solicitous nudges had given him an idea. "I think ... I think I might need mouth to mouth resuscitation."
Bongani lifted his head when the other rolled onto his back. He did not know what to do in this situation. The lion didn't seemed to be in any harm, yet he acted as if something dire had suddenly happened. Was it all in the others mind?
When he started to speak, he listened closely. Hearing his answer, he got a slight confused look on his face. Now, this was new. "Hmmm..." he thought about this for a moment, tail swishing lightly. "What is this, mouth to mouth resuscitation, you speak of?"
Oh for goodness sakes! The hilariousness of the other's reaction would be lost if Jicho had to spell it out for him. Rolling his eyes, Jicho jumped up abruptly and shook himself, ridding his glorious fur of any dust. "You are just the limits, you know that? Good day to you sir, you big lion lump!" He said huffily, turning and flouncing off.
Once again, Bongani watched the other quickly get to his feet. His head tilted slightly once again as well. "I'm sorry you think of me this way, it was nice meeting you in any way. Good day and take care." He watched the male began to walk off, though still not quite sure what had transpired of this meeting.
