[Closed] Little Stranger (Taraji Chapter 1)

[Lodrill]

Rahina followed Almasi with her eyes. The little one seemed pretty jumpy. Kopas Question made her eyes focus on him again.
"Erm.... eshausting." she just said and grined. "I think I will take a bite too. Aren't you hungry dear?"

Rahina raised to her paws and took the wildebeest that Nala had left and carried it to the other. "Good Morning!" she said as she reached the already surrounded other wildebeest. Without any hesitation she followered her usual process with a prey and used her sharp claws to cut small pieces of meet out of the wildebeest and started to eat without spilling blood around her muzzle.
She ate more than usual due she took what Nala said seriously. She had to eat for two now. She emitted a silent purr as she carefully chew each bite of the wildebeest.

[hr][/hr]

"Hmmm...." Laini observed the work of Daxis. There was still much to improve but it was not that bad and she saw that he wanted to rush out as soon as possible. "...okay. I think that will do for now. Oh Daxis do not forget to get something to eat, will ya? You know where the main den is? There you should get something to eat whenever you need." Laini had this idea by chance. Not only that he was old enough to think about food himself she also would spare the work to go there. Sneeking into the main den ever was like hell for her even more if former outlanders were there.

Laini gave Daxis a nudge with her nose and smiled.

[hr][/hr]

Taraji ran over to Nala and snuggled up against her belly. Her crystal eyes looked up to her foster mother and her muzzle opened but her voice was very silent. "I am hung...." a loud growl of her stomach continued the sentence. The blood rushed into Tarajis head in embarrassment.

[Applejack]

Sarafina woke up, stretching, and let out a small yawn. It was such a great day already, even though nothing had happened. As long as herself and her daughter were alive, she was happy. She picked herself up and walked out of the den, stretching once more before making her way to the water hole. She bent over, lapping some water. The cool water rushing down her throat woke her up completely as she looked around for anyone else that was awake.

[SinChei]

Daxis knew it wasn't the best cleaning but at first he still lerarned it from Laini and secondly The golden Lioness knew she got Daxis in a bad moment because he found his first frend to play with at pride rock. The still a bit dirty male ran out and heard Lainis last words, he turned quickly around and yelled back Yees i will dont worry mom he still felt weird when he called her like this.
It was a big contrast to feel the hot Sun rays on his fur after he was in the den where it was chilly and darker then outside.
Daxis didnt care about that and ran along while yelling for his new friend Almasi!!! Almasii!!!. Dax forgot all his hunger since that moment and decided to eat something later to play with Almasi had pritotity.

[KiarasMate]

Nodding to his beloved mate as he followed her up to the promontory of Pride rock, still feeling overly concerned about her wellbeing but unable to resist his stomach’s urge for nourishment, Kopa replied in a loving voice.

”Yes, a nice meal would be nice Hina and since you caught it, it will be just that much better.”

Taking a seat next to Rahina, leaving the other wildebeest for Simba and company, Kopa shared the wildebeest that his mate had dragged up, making sure not to over gorge himself as he wanted to be able to spend some quality time with his precious mate without having to feel like a nap afterwards.

Upon seeing Almasi taking her leave, Simba called back to her as she departed.

”Stay safe Sweetie.”

Noticing that Rahina and Kopa were making their way to where he was now, Simba rose to his paws to thank Rahina for her efforts, speaking to her in a gracious tone as she arrived.

”I sincerely thank you for helping to provide for the pride Rahina and just to let you know, in case your mate hasn’t already informed you, there is going to be a Pride Meeting tonight, so I’d like it if you could be present.”

Not wishing to hold Rahina back from her much deserved meal, Simba left things as that, returning himself back to the wildebeest in front of him as he continued to eat.

==========

Kiara looked down at Taraji with a smile as she lovingly nuzzled her daughter, replying in a gentle voice.

”I figured as much Cutie. I could hear your tummy growling from a mile away. Do you want some milk, or do you want to try something else for breakfast, hmm?”

Knowing that it would b tricky to pull her mother away from the group that had most likely assembled at pride Rock by this point, Kiara wasn’t too sure of how Taraji would get some milk if she wanted it. Hoping that her daughter would feel up to trying some solid foods for a change and knowing that there was probably something decent to be found at the Main Den, Kiara knew that they would probably have to make a trip up there, regardless of the fact that Taraji would most likely be too shy to face such a large group of relative strangers.

[Lodrill]

"I want tasty milk." Taraji's voice echoed through the den. She had spoken rather loud for herself. Her voice was normally very faint and silent but here she felt safe and so her voice even showed a bit of excitement.

"Erm... Kiara... ummm..... I... I wanted to ask..." she was back to her shy self. Or maybe she was just embarrassed to ask the question she wanted to ask. Her big crystal cubeyes looked on her paws while she tried to bring herself to ask her question. Her stomach growled again and with a faint mewl Taraji flushed a glare to Kiara and directly to the ground again embarrassed by the loud noises her stomach produced.

[hr][/hr]

Rahina chew her peace of meat and swallowed it before answering the king. "This is the least thing I can do to thank you for the allowing us to stay here. I will be glad to come and join the meating. Thank you for the invitation king Simba."
Rahina threw a lovely and long look to Kopa while she continued her meal. Her thoughts went back to the topic she thought about for days now. How should she tell Kopa that she was baring cubs. She really did not like to keep secrets before Kopa but until now she did not want to worry him on their journey. With them settled at this place at least for now she thought the right moment would be there soon to tell him about her state. At least before he would notice it himself. Luckily he was rather dull when it came to this sort of things.

[Mike]

Shani was left slightly at a loss by Caine's dispirited departure. He hadn't expected him to be so affected by the joke, especially considering that he'd been quite an upbeat lion for as long as Shani had known him. As he was still sorting out his feelings, Nala broke into his thoughts.

As unwelcome as the duty of cheering up a depressed lion was, Shani knew that he couldn't refuse in good grace. wouldn't have been necessary if you hadn't set him off like that he thought ungratefully. Considering the task though, he decided it wasn't that bad. It was always important to build a network of allies, and even friends. This might not be his method of choice, but as long as the results were the same...

"Of course Nala," he said. I'll be back soon."

With that Shani left to make his way down onto the grasslands. Part of the way down Pride Rock he came across Kovu and a stranger. Shani hated strangers. They were completely unpredictable. He itched to introduce himself and learn as much as he could about the newcomer, but the two passed without comment, and Shani made his entrance onto the grasslands.

Caine hadn't had much of a head start, and Shani had no trouble finding him. He padded up to Caine's side before falling in step. "So where are we going?" he asked casually, before apparently noticing his melancholic demeanor for the first time. "Ahh, don't be like that." he said, flicking his head to shake his mane, as though he could shake off the gloom laying on his friend. "Tell you what, let's go on a walk and you can tell me about yourself."

--------------------

Making his entrance on the promontory, Kovu was surprised to find a good many pridemembers there. With a raised eyebrow he tried to figure out what the attraction was. Then his eyes fell on the two wildebeests and the lions dining on them. Okay, he thought to himself, now it makes sense. Vitani was lying nonchalantly a short distance away from the feeding frenzy, and was looking on the diners with an indulgent grin on her muzzle, Nala at her side. He noticed Vitani's eyes linger on Santiago, and he might have been imagining it, but it didn't look exactly like a shrewd lioness evaluating a potential enemy. More like a shrewd lioness evaluating something else. Kovu made a mental note to at least tease her about it later.

Naturally Simba had claimed part of one wildebeast, and it looked as though Kopa and Rahina had claimed the second for the time being. Rahina's presence made Kopa slightly awkward after their last encounter. He resented her discrimination on the basis of his parenthood. Determined not to let this get to him, Kovu lead Santiago past the couple, up to Simba's wildebeest with his head high.

"Simba, I present to you Santiago. I found him at the waterhole, and he didn't know he was in the pridelands. Fortunately he seems to be a lot more cooperative than most of the outcasts we've met in the last few days."

Not wanting to speak for his new acquaintance, Kovu stopped there. Santiago had made it clear that he wasn't especially looking for a long-term home, but he hadn't ruled it out either. It would be up to him to specify his intentions to Simba.

[JaguarOne]

By the time that Shani had caught up with Caine, the nutmeg maned lion was making his way through the grasslands, the blades of grass giving way under the weight of each of his paws as he moved. He hoped that his outburst hadn't thrown off anybody too much seeing as he was usually a fairly happy-go-lucky lion, however most people couldn't get inside his head and see the loneliness within. Even though he usually regarded seeing a happy couple showing various displays of affection with a smile, inside he felt the heartache of not even having had a special someone through his adolescence, something that most lions and lionesses seemed to have.

"Wherever this path takes us," Caine said in a matter-of-fact tone, albeit one that seemed to convey his loneliness inside. His eyes were watery and a tear even slipped down it as he realized how lonely he was. His parents had passed away when he was a cub, leaving him an orphan. He was lucky to have been taken in by the Pride Landers when he was a cub. He owed Nala his life, that much was for sure.

"What's there to tell?" He asked when Shani mentioned that he could talk about himself while the two of them walked. He knew that the lion was once a ruler and that the feline had seen a fare share of tragedy when he lost his pride, but he didn't know whether the lion had ever had a mate or not. "I was orphaned as a cub, Nala convinced Simba to take me in, for that I am eternally grateful. Other than that, there's not much to tell. I've lived the life of a lone lion because I'm gay. Because I'm gay I've never had a mate or even somebody special to care about like a mate."

He hoped that the lion walking beside him would be able to quickly put two and two together in his head as they padded along slowly, the sun beating down on them from above.
--------------------

As he walked up to Simba's wildebeest with Kovu, the lion realized that his attraction to Vitani seemed to be mutual. Or at least that's what her expression seemed to convey anyways. A small smile came across his face as he thought about what kind of lioness she must be like. She looked rough and tough, just like he liked them, otherwise his gaze wouldn't have lingered for quite so long. As Kovu introduced him to Simba, the lion let his mind mill over what her personality must be like. Does she have a good sense of humor? What if she's too uptight? Those were some of the questions floating through his head at the moment. Thoughts which he pushed aside when the introduction seemed to end with Kovu wanting the new lion to take the floor.

"Your majesty, I first want to compliment Kovu on his alertness. Evidently some incident has taken place here recently that was enough to leave him and most of the pride on guard judging by some of the slightly nervous looks a few of the lionesses gave me as I passed by," Santiago began after bowing to show that he respected Simba's authority as the king of the Pride Lands. "I mean no harm to you nor your pride. I am simply a wanderer passing through. However, if there is a remote possibility of me staying for an uncertain time to rest from my journey, it would be greatly appreciated. If not, then I humbly ask for a place to spend the night before continuing on in the morning."

Santiago was careful at choosing his wording, doing his best to sound diplomatic as possible. He didn't know how convincing he sounded, but he hoped it was good enough. Just because he was the son of the royal couple in his former pride didn't make Santiago a political genius.

[Mike]

In spite of himself, Shani found himself nodding in genuine understanding. In his own pride he'd found that it was lonely at the top. He'd never taken a mate, despite urgings from his father. He simply hadn't felt anything for the lionesses, not to mention the fact that he considered himself too busy for any meaningful relationship. That said, it never bothered him that he was alone. He rather liked it that way. He knew that there was one person at least that he could count on: himself. Even now, as a full adult he felt no need to settle down.

"I can understand that." Shani said. "I never took a mate either. As far as I'm concerned though there are more important things than that. Pride life has plenty to keep a lion like me busy already." Growing tired of the roundabout nature of the conversation, Shani decided to cut a bit closer to the chase. He didn't know what exactly provoked him to say this, usually he was much more reserved. But when Shani accepted someone into his confidence he felt a responsibility to them for as long as they accepted his care. "Look, I'm sure we can benefit from spending time together. From what you've told me you feel almost as cut off from intimate relations as I am. We might be able to help each other."

--------------------

Vitani's ears perked up upon seeing Kovu's companion enter the scene at the promontory. As always her first instinct was to be on the defensive, wary of a newcomer, but here on the promontory that instinct was tempered by the presence of so many pridemates. Without having to worry about safety, Vitani was able to check out the lion with a different perspective. As he spoke to Simba, Vitani let out a breath of undisguised relief. It was great to see a lion who checked his pride at the door. Kivuli, Shani, Daxis, they'd all came in thinking that they owned the place. That kind of attitude really rubbed her the wrong way. She noticed Kovu give her a quick leer, and scowled back at him, annoyed at herself for letting her thoughts become so obvious. She knew she hadn't herd the end of it from him.

[JaguarOne]

The words "I can understand that" had a pronounced impact on Caine, who turned and looked at the lion that had muttered those words. He never thought that a lion could become king without taking a mate first. He had grown up thinking that a king must have a mate in order to ensure the survival of the pride should something happen to him and his mate need to take over leadership duties until an heir was appointed to the throne. He also couldn't fathom how one could take on such immense duties without somebody to turn to when they needed it. Being king could be a stressful job after all.

"I don't understand how you could be mateless and still manage to keep your own personal well-being in check as a king. Isn't it a stressful job?" The lion inquired before realizing what the lion had suggested. Or thinking he did anyways. Whoa, whoa, wait, what? The lion thought to himself as his expression became confused.

"Wait, are you asking me out?" The lion asked quietly, wanting to make sure he had heard correctly before jumping to any conclusions. He hoped that he was right and that maybe, just maybe somebody was interested in him. But then again, his luck usually didn't afford him that luxury.

"Cause if you are, then the answer would be yes."

[Mike]

Shani chuckled. "Not half as stressful as it would be if I had to run everything past a mate, and keep her happy at the same time." he answered wryly. Shani thought he had a fairly good reason for making this claim. He'd always shook his head wonderingly at the amount of energy his fellows devoted to forging a relationship with their mates. If that could all be cut out it seemed to him that the pride could get a lot more done.

This train of thought ran brutally aground as Shani herd how his companion had taken his last comment. Great. he thought, and he viciously kicked a daisy. How did I get myself into this?

"That's not actually what I was angling for." Shani said after a brief internal battle on how to break the news. "Look" he followed up more gently. "It's not that I wouldn't consider a relationship with another lion, or with you. But you herd what I said: I'm not looking for a relationship, and as far as I'm concerned, it'd be more trouble than it's worth. What I am looking for is a friendship, or a partnership that I know I can count on." Shani paused, hoping to get the other lion's acceptance before moving on.