Mari radiates a confidence that no other lion he's met can muster. The man speaks with a fairly bad stutter but has that ever stopped him? Nope, Mari powers through it with the boldest smile on his muzzle and a twinkle in his yellow gaze that screams 'I know, but this is me, I've got this.' Teasing and taunts from other cubs never stopped him when he was young and they will not now that he's an adult, they're just jealous that he gets all the ladies after all. With his confidence and speech impediment come an incredible ability to adapt to situations rather quickly, after a few deep breaths and an assessment of course. He changes his behavior accordingly, but will sometimes all together even if he is gently nosing his curious nose into a situation. Mari's curiosity is gentle, and he means well with it. He always wants to know what's going on with who, or why someone has gone quiet, even if it means sticking himself into drama or being a lightning rod for others. Ana is an extremely sincere lion. If he's hurt he'll say something, if he enjoys spending time with another lion he'll say it and mean every word of it. His words are never tainted with lies, never sugar coated even if it means hurting feelings at that particular moment in time. He tends to notice things others don't, from a slight redness to the thinning of fur. He doesn't always point these out, but he notices, he notices and will try to pull out information on why. Often times he notices small hints that his crowds dislike something he's doing, and he quickly corrects what's wrong. He takes feedback like this in stride, quickly and almost seamlessly changing to make others happy with his shows. Mari is one of those lions that will always be there, through thick and thin he remains steadfast in his relationships and duties without the bat of an eye. Mari seems to not have a care in the world, always seeming relaxed and having a fairly easy time moving from task to task even if they aren't perfect. He seems to always be smiling or laughing, generally warm and welcoming to any and all lions that come his way. Making friends is easy for the male, natural as breathing and walking. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, heart exposed and vulnerable despite the risk of it shattering to bits. When someone attempts to hurt him he shrugs it off, telling them he forgives and forgets or that he sees a glimmer of what's good inside of them. Mari is all about chances, giving everyone one with the utmost happiness in his eyes. He is unafraid to express that he is nervous, or imperfect, or upset, but he is willing to drop anyone wiling to chastize him for being so. Mari is Mari, and that's all he'll ever be, take him or leave him. Some lions enjoy time away from others, in long stretches of just... lonliness. Mari is not one of those lions, he needs to be around others, needs to talk and express himself. He feels like he's going mad if he doesn't, like there's this crushing sadness that he needs to get away from. Mari loves others, loves it when he gets hugs and to discuss silly things with them, and is incredibly sad when he isn't doing those things for more than a few hours. He, along side his co-dependence, is incredibly imaginative, always making new puppets or acts, or tossing ideas for stories and poems around with others. His mind has never been inside a box, always fluttering with things to do or say, or ways to solve problems.

Mother always told me that father was a drifter, "Moss grows fast on a rolling stone that doesn't roll." he always told her, that twinkle in his eyes that she said I have. Her smile was always so warm, just like her fur on a cold night. Her heart had a steady rhythm, a beat that never wavered with my tiny head tucked safely against her chest, but it sped up when she talked about dad. I never knew him, but I wanted to. Mom always spoke highly of him, even if he disappeared on us. "You look like your father, Mari. And he was a wonderful man." she always said when I asked. I told her I wanted him once, when I was mad at him with that little stutter in my voice, the same one that I was born with. With kind eyes my mother nuzzled into my fur, very gently telling me that sometimes the one you want isn't always the one you need, and with that she walked on, always to a beat she never told me. Mamma taught me how to dance that day, one foot over the other even if I tripped. Mamma always said to get up and try again with that gentle voice she had, her beat becoming clear to me that day. She was dancing to the drum of her heart, one only she could hear. She was always positive, always so caring and patient. But.. everything is always temporary. Mamma got sick when I was about 40, very sick. Her beat slowed, stuttered, she coughed and grew weak... So weak. Her voice grew softer, her eyes dimmer. I felt seven inches tall when she passed my head cradled gently against her chest. But, even if I was sad, still am, she loved me with everything she was and I knew that. Mamma might have been gone but her memory lived on in me, in the beat myheart made and the drum of my feet as I danced.

Dad never showed up, which didn't surprise me. I had still never met him, and that was okay too. Life is a mystery, Yesterday is history, and Mamma always said to value every day, so I did. I started training hard to fight, but that never seemed to pull my heart towards being happy. I didn't want to fight anyone... I wanted to make them happy, to bring smiles to their faces and... and beats to their feet like Mamma did for me. I got my first taste of an actual performance at 45, when Killig danced with her flaming puppets. She danced like mamma, to her own beat, as she told a story only she knew. Killig told a story with her puppets, about three lions that came together despite the world seeming against them, and that was the day I knew I wanted to be just like her. I fell in love with the rank fairly quickly, dropping any and all combat training to throw myself into the world my parents wandered into. Mamma taught me to dance. Mamma taught me how to follow my dreams, and I did. I sing despite my stutter, I dance even if my feet hurt, and I love just like she did. Every passing day I am reminded that I'm not going to work, I'm doing what I love. All because Mamma taught me how, and even with her gone everything I do is for her, and I do it with the biggest smile on my face.

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