A Change of Plans [PRIVATE: AC & The Whistlerify]

[AustralianChaos]

Oh, you mean lion! Nala found herself thinking as Simba hinted at her. He seemed to want her to talk to Marini about what they had witnessed...or else just make it seem that way so Tanga would panic even if she said nothing...what she needed was to pose a question that get a straighter answer from Simba...without giving their game away.

As Nala thought on her response, she used the time to force down her desperate desire to burst out laughing...it would not do if she were to keep giggling halfway through her conversation. When she finally felt she was calm enough internally, she risked opening her mouth. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to Marini about that...thing you brought up just before, but only if you want me to." She said with a slightly strained voice, managing to sneak Simba a wink when Tanga looked away for a brief moment, letting him know that she was asking whether she should tell Marini about Tanga.

Either way, Nala knew this would be serious fun. If Simba just wanted to make Tanga squirm, he would not be able to think straight for the whole day. If Simba wanted her to tell Marini about what was going on, there was a good chance the two would be awkward around each other for a week.

And either way, Nala was going to be laughing for a long time yet.

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Tanga's gaze shifted between Simba and Nala, as he desperately tried to calm himself down. They didn't see, he forcibly reminded himself. They didn't see...they didn't see...did they?

And that was what clawed at Tanga's nervousness, the fact that he simply did not know. If they had seen him, then Tanga knew he was going to suffer endless teasing from the two of them. And if they told Marini...

No! Tanga jammed his eyes shut for a few moments, driving the thought forcefully out of his mind. He could not bear the thought of how Marini might react if his secret was discovered by her...it could be the end of their friendship for all he knew.

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba noticed Nala's wink as Tanga looked away, It was obvious that he was losing his mind. "Yeah, that's what I meant." he said looking at Tanga, who seemed to be distracted by a thousand different thoughts before trying to cover it a little. "Those are girl's stuff you should talk about them with Rini not me. he added and winked back at Nala when Tanga wasn't looking again. "You coming Tanga?

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga looked back at Simba as he asked him if he was coming for the walk he had suggested or not. "Yeah..." he said distantly, moving off to start his usual walk around Pride Rock, letting Simba fall in beside him as he once more delved into his thoughts, letting his instincts guide him on his walk.

Tanga knew that Simba and Nala were up to something...but what he did not know was whether that something had anything to do with the rather embarassing situation they may or may not have found him in that morning.

And that was the part that was driving him insane...there were too many unknowns! Nothing about Simba and Nala, and what they might have caught him in, was certain, and he was tearing himself apart inside trying to figure it out.

In a desperate attempt to distract himself, Tanga decided to explain his morning habit to Simba. "I do this every morning...just walk around Pride Rock a couple of times...I find it helps wake me up, and calm me down if anything's bothering me." Even if it's not calming me down now, he thought ruefully as he waited for Simba to say something back, as they left the private dens behind.

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Nala waited until she heard Tanga's voice fade into the distance, before entering Marini's cave to help muffle the sound from the outside world better, and dissolving into a fit of suppressed giggles, collapsing to the floor as she found the effort of remaining standing under such a violent laughing fit too much.

Tanga's face had been priceless during that conversation, and even though he had tried to hide it, Nala could clearly see the nervousness and straight-out fear on his face, which just made her laugh even harder as he rolled around on the cave floor, trying to stifle her laughter slightly in an attempt to avoid disturbing Marini. Just because she was about to reveal Tanga's deepest secret to his crush didn't mean that she had to wake her up to do it...not yet, anyway.

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba knew he was missing the most funny part, waking Marini up and telling her, but it was all for a... 'good' cause, as he named it. He then looked back at Tanga who was talking about his morning walks. "Sounds interesting." he said, "Maybe I'll try doing that as well." Even though SImba was an early riser ever since he was born, he thought that maybe taking a walk by himself or even with Tanga and talking with him might be helpful sometimes.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga managed a weak, nervous smile at Simba, thoughts of Marini and this morning still filling his mind. "Yeah...trust me, it helps. It also builds your strength up, too," he added, flexing a forepaw experimentally as he walked, feeling the growing muscles.

Despite the fact that Tanga was small for his age, his constant walks around Pride Rock in the past month had gone a long way towards stopping him from becoming scrawny. He might always be a small lion, but if these walks were any indication, he would not be weak on top of that. Sure, he might not be able to out-do any of his friends in a wrestling match at any point, but he hoped his strength would give him some good hunting skills when he finally grew big enough to start hunting.

Thinking on wrestling allowed Tanga's mind to drift onto the rather fun activity. Out of their group, Nala and Simba seemed to be locked in a struggle to be the best wrestler of the four of them, but Tanga personally believed Nala was winning. Her ability to flip and pin an attacking lion was unique, and no-one seemed to be able to counter it in any way.

Tanga knew he was by far the worst...but the last time he had wrestled was almost two weeks ago now, and he knew his walks had drastically improved his strength since them. He gave his limbs a few more experimental stretches, contemplating challenging Simba to a wrestle...it might help take his mind off Marini, and this morning, in any case.

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After a few minutes, Nala calmed down from her laughing fit, getting back to her feet and noticing that Marini had slept right through her laughter. Wow...she sure is a heavy sleeper, she thought as she decided she had waited long enough. If she did not wake Marini up, the boys were likely to get back first, and Nala did not Simba to miss out on the fun this was going to cause.

She walked up to Marini, giving her a gentle nudge on the cheek. "Hey, hey Rini, wake up," she called softly, before nudging her a little harder. "Come on, I've got something good to tell you!"

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba noticed Tanga was still nervous. "Sounds like a good way to wake up." he said and continued walking, not seeing Tanga's hint for a wrestle

Marini was sleeping deeply. Ever since her and Tanga were forced into the private dens it was difficult for her to fall asleep at nights. Being alone in the empty cold dens wasn't doing any good for her. She felt herself being nudged all of a sudden and hearing Nala's voice. She didn't want to wake up but Nala nudged her a little harder, tellinmg her that she had something to tell her.She rose into a sitting position, closing one of her eyes and rubbing it with her paw like she did every morning before looking at Nala. "Good morning..." she said and yawned

[AustralianChaos]

"Morning, sleepyhead," she replied energetically, barely able to contain herself. "Want to hear something really cool?" she asked, turning to leave the den, deciding she might as well have a little fun with Marini before she let slip the big secret. "Come on, I want to show you something, as well."

While she waited for Marini to wake up a little more, Nala could not help but grin at what Marini was about to learn...she was fairly sure that she would take it fairly well, and that even if Tanga's crush was not returned, their friendship would survive...if she was not sure, she would not be doing this. She and Simba might prank the others...and each other...but they would never do anything that they believed would tear them apart.

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini rose to her feet, wondering what was Nala intending on showing her. "What is it you want to tell me? Or show me?" she asked confused, her voice still tierd

[AustralianChaos]

Nala just grinned secretively back at Marini as he lead her up Pride Rock...towards the very top of their home, where you could see the entire Pridelands from. "Just wait and see," was all she said, her grin widening as she said it...she hadn't teased anyone like this for ages...and she sorely missed it.

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"Uh-huh," Tanga mumbled in response to Simba's comment, still contemplating whether to wrestle or not, and test his new strength.

In the end, Tanga decided that, even if Simba might have done it unknowingly, that he needed revenge on his friend for leaving him so nervous this morning. "So's this!" he declared as he stopped, crouched back, and pounced at Simba's back.

He misjudged his leap, though, and rather than landing solidly on Simba's back and pushing him into the grass, as had been his intention, he overshot the mark, the stronger muscles in his legs causing him to leaper higher and further than he had anticipated. He did, however, manage to grab Simba as he shot over him, sending the two of them tumbling into grass, Tanga grinning despite the dizziness.

[TheWhistlerify]

Her eyes still half closed, Marini yawned and followed Nala to Pride Rock

Simba was pushed down by Tanga's leap. He didn't know whether Tanga planned on doing that or just messed up when he went above him, grabbing him while doing so and sending them both down. "You could say that." Simba said smiling his mischevous smile as he got onto his feet, noticing Tanga was still quite dizzy he understood Tanga wasn't planning on ending up on the floor after leaping at him. "Get up Tanga." he laughed as he prepared himself to pounce