[Closed] Little Stranger (Taraji Chapter 1)

[JaguarOne]

Caine blinked and looked over to the remains of the daisy after Shani had managed to kick it off of the ground. That's not good... He thought to himself as he looked to the lion and braced himself for what he was going to say. Luckily for Shani, Caine had dealt with rejection enough that he wouldn't completely lose it in front of the lion. Come to think of it, Caine was never quite that pompus and conceited. In fact he hated shows of arrogancy.

"Right..." The lion replied tentatively before letting out a sigh as he looked at Shani. "Who said you needed to ask to be my friend?" With that the nutmeg maned turned and began heading in a different direction from his comrade, obviously wanting to be alone for a little bit until he could sort out his emotions. He picked up his pace when he felt his eyes water, scolding himself for letting the response affect him this much. And then he felt it.

A lone tear slid down his cheek.

Quickly, the feline picked up his pace as he headed towards the jungle, hoping to hide in the lush foliage and bright green plants contained within. If he was lucky, he might even be able to take a swim in the oasis without having to deal with much more than the occasional meerkat. Ever since Timon had relocated his clan of meerkats from the middle of the desert to the oasis in the jungle, the one foot tall adorable mustelines were in abundance in the jungle paradise.

[KiarasMate]

Laughing openly from Taraji’s excitement over her potential meal, Kiara smiled at her adopted daughter as she replied in a cheery voice.

”Well, than milk you shall have Cutie.”

Kiara was just about to rise to her paws, when Taraji’s voice seemed to alter as she was presented a question by the little cub. Looking over at her daughter with a curious expression, Kiara spoke in an understanding voice.

”Go ahead Cutie, you can ask me anything. What’s wrong?”

==========

Simba barely had time to acknowledge Rahina’s reply, as he spotted Kovu approaching with a new male who he had never seen before. Quickly wrapping up his conversation with the dark furred lioness, Simba thanked Rahina one last time.

”Well, I think I speak for everyone when I say that Rahina and thank you once again.”

Being free to deal with whatever Kovu might have brought him, Simba listened in turn, to what Kovu and Santiago had to say. It was obvious that Simba himself was quite pleased with Santiago’s first impression as the younger looking lion seemed to know how to act in the given situation. Once he had finished explaining his reasoning for being in The Pride Lands, Simba wasted no time in warmly welcoming him into his lands.

”Well, it’s nice to meet someone who is as well behaved and polite as yourself Santiago. By all means, you are more than welcome to rest yourself within my lands. I believe we might have a vacant den for you to stay in if that suits your fancy and you’d be lucky enough to arrive on a day where there is plenty to eat.” Simba stated, giving a nod towards the two wildebeest, as if to subtly offer some to Santiago if he was hungry before the king continued. ”Even with your flawless manners however, I must insist that you still abide by all the laws of my land and if, by any chance in the future, you decide that you’d like to stay with my pride as a permanent member, you will have to pull your weight around here, just like everyone else. As long as you are a guest however, I won’t expect anything of you, as far as lending a helpful paw, although if you want to, that would always still be appreciated.”

Returning Santiago’s respectful gesture, Simba turned to Kovu as he addressed his son in law.

”As a heads up Kovu, I have issued a Pride Meeting tonight and it’s actually quite imperative that you be there, along with my daughter of course. You may bring Taraji if you want to but you know the rules about cubs at the meeting. Just as long as they behave themselves, then it’s fine.”

Turning back to Santiago now, Simba motioned to the wildebeest as he asked.

”If you’re hungry Santiago, you may help yourself to some of our meal. If not, perhaps I can find a free pride member to show you to your temporary den. What would be best for you right now?”

==========

”Thank you Shani.” Nala stated in a gracious tone as she left the former king to do what was asked of him.

Making her way up towards the promontory now, Nala spotted the discrete exchange between Vitani and the new male who was being escorted up to speak with her mate. Smiling to herself, the cream colored queen wandered over to her fellow lioness, whispering quietly to her in a joking manner.

”So, checking out the new comer, huh Tani? He’s quite the looker, hmm?”

[Mike]

"Was it that obvious?" Vitani grumbled wryly as Simba welcomed Santiago into the pride with open arms. "It's just good to meet a good looking lion that doesn't try to bite my head off or challenge Simba to a duel, or something stupid like that. You have to admit, we've had our share of boneheaded introductions over the last few days."

Vitani was not surprised to hear that Santiago would be given a place to stay, as well as the option of becoming a full member of the pride if he wished. Vitani, for her part, wished. For a moment as Simba turned to Kovu, Vitani toyed with the idea of going up to Santiago right then and there, but then found that Simba had left her the perfect opening anyway.

"I'll show him to the dens Simba." Vitani spoke up, after catching both Nala's and Kovu's eyes and giving them the classic Vitani-with-her-head-held-high treatment. "I've been lying here like a useless invalid for quite long enough." She stood up carefully, and was pleased at how much steadier her paw was than early in the morning. In the morning she'd had to limp badly to make her way outside. Now though, her gait was only a little bit awkward as she approached Simba and company.

"Take care of yourself sis." Vitani heard Kovu say, just a little too loudly. Trust Kovu she thought, and gave him a raised eyebrow for his concern. Kovu decided it would be best to leave it at that.

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

Shani was left standing alone, for once completely at a loss for what to do. He'd been totally thrown for a loop by Caine's misinterpretation of his intentions. It pained him to see the other walking off, and not only because he'd have appreciated his help as an ally. Shani moved off by himself, not wanting to return to Pride Rock just yet. This was why he worked hard to protect himself against personal relationships. Relationships based on authority, respect, and power were so much less volatile. Why had he ever strayed from his tried and true plan of attack? Come to think of it it would have been better if he'd never gone after Caine. Caine would have sulked for a while, but then returned to Pride Rock his old self and they could have picked up from there.

[JaguarOne]

"I thank you for your generosity. It's not very often that I run into a pride that doesn't have a territorial leader," Santiago replied in gratitude, glad that the king had given him permission to stay in the Pride Lands before he moved on to the next leg of his seemingly never-ending journey. Due to his past habit of only staying in a pride for a short amount of time before moving on, the lion didn't plan on making the Pride Lands his permanent home. Or not yet anyways. "And even if I don't stay, I'm not gonna leave all the duties of taking care of myself up to you guys. I can help out with the hunt if you need it. And if you have any other chores that need to get done, you can always ask me. Even if I don't plan on staying for long, I don't want to leave without pulling my share."

It wasn't until Santiago had been offered some of the wildebeest caught during the morning's hunt that the lion realize he was hungry, his stomach made sure to remind him with a growl which caused him to chuckle in a rather embarrassed manner. "If you don't mind, I think I'll get something to eat first."

It was at that moment that Vitani spoke up and volunteered to show him to the area where the pride's dens were located. Santiago looked towards the direction of the voice and realized that it was the lioness that he had gazed at only a few minutes ago. Taking care not to let his expression change from the neutral one on his face, the lion just nodded once as if accepting the offer even though the comment was meant for Simba. He then padded over to the empty spot between Vitani and the closest lioness before joining in on the feast, saying nothing further and ignoring Kovu's comment.

If he was going to flirt with her, he'd prefer to do it without having ten or twenty other lions and lionesses as onlookers.

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

Caine looked over his shoulder as he padded along, not surprised that Shani had decided to remain where he was instead of choosing to follow the lion. He just sighed as he continued onward, not taking very long to cross the threshold from the savanna to the jungle. He took in a deep breath as he surrounded himself with trees, trying to find an outcrop of rocks on which he could rest and get over the emotional breakdown he just had. Once he found a decent looking rock, the lion climbed up onto it and splayed out before sighing. "Why do I feel like the only one without a mate?" He wondered aloud.

[LionPrincess]

Almasi heared Daxis calling her and she started to look for him, as she did so she walked into some long grass and before long she couldnt find her way back out of it, the little brown furred lioness was scared she didnt know what to do, the grass was too long so she couldnt see were she was going, she sat down and a single tear ran down her face "HELP,HELP" she called out hopeing someone would hear her crys and come find her

[Lodrill]

"Erm..." Taraji looked into Kiaras eyes in a very shy way. "Why do you... erm... I mean why did nothing come out as I suckled at you this morning?"
The small cub had realized this morning that Kiara was not giving milk but her mother did and so she was curious why it was like that.

[hr][/hr]

Rahina finished her meal and raised to her paws. She looked towards her mate and smiled. "How was it darling? Do you need any more of it?" Rahina knew that Kopa had a lot of appetite. She nudged him and then licked her paws to clean the small amount of blood around her sharp claws.

[hr][/hr]

Laini finally also left her den. She got a bit thursty and decided to go to the waterhole. On her way there the goldenfurred lioness heard someone shout. She did not understand what was yelled but she ever tried to avoid other lions.... but then something in the voice that was calling made her freeze in her movement away from this voice. It sounded rather young. Her first thought was Daxis but it sounded a bit different. A lioness?

Laini turned and followed into the direction the voice was calling from. She sighed. The water had to wait. She closed in to the voice that was clearly shouting for help now that it was easier to understand.
Laini brushed some tuft of grass aside and her glare fell upon a young lioness she never had seen before. Laini guessed the lioness to be around Daxis age. Yet another cub she would have to take care of? Laini knew that this would really be too much to handle for her with Daxis already pushing her past her limits. "My, why are you screeming for help so loud? Did someone attack you?" her soft and silent voice was nearly impossible to hear in the wind. Laini looked around to spot the potential danger.

[KiarasMate]

Hearing Taraji’s innocent question, Kiara found herself blushing as if she were on a first date with Kovu, her cheeks feeling as if they were on fire. Seeing that her adopted daughter was genuinely curious about this matter however, Kiara took a moment to think of the best and easiest way to explain the circle of life’s beginning to her young daughter. Choosing her words carefully, Kiara spoke to the wondrous cub.

”Well, you see Cutie, when a grown up lioness and lion really love each other, they play a very special game together. This game is how cubs are made Cutie and the lioness carries around the cubs in her tummy for a short while before they are ready to come into the world. During this time, the lionesses tummy is also getting ready to help care for those cubs by making milk, so they will have plenty to drink and will grow up to be nice and strong. The reason why I don’t make milk Cutie, is because…well, Daddy and I haven’t played that special game yet with one another.” Kiara stated, knowing in her mind that this was only half true but seeing as this little detail didn’t really matter for the given situation, she casually continued. ”The reason why Nala is able to give milk for you Cutie, is because she is going to have cubs soon, but this is a surprise, so you can’t say a word about it to anyone, okay Cutie?”

Kiara knew that Taraji would probably be too shy to even reveal such news to anyone, let alone her father, but still, covering her own tail, as well as her mother’s, she still insisted that Taraji promised to keep their little secret. Hoping that she had answered her daughter’s question, Kiara asked in a loving tone.

”So, how about some breakfast now Cutie? Want to take a walk with me so we can find Nala and get you that milk I promised you?”

==========

”Thank you for offering to take Santiago to one of the vacant dens Vitani. I hope you’re up for that though. I wouldn’t want to burden you in your condition.” Simba stated, offering Vitani a thankful stare as he took a seat a few paces away from the wildebeest in front of him, feeling as though he had eaten his fair share of the delicious kill.

Hearing Rahina’s question, only being able to partially focus upon what was being asked of him, Kopa shook his head as he replied in a low voice, as not to interrupt Simba and the others.

”I’m fine Hina, thank you.”

Leaning in to lick gently over her muzzle to show his thanks for her efforts today, Kopa stayed put as he wasn’t too sure if they should wait for Almasi’s return before they ventured off or if they were even still responsible for the little lioness. Glancing at his mate with an uncertain expression, Kopa asked quietly.

”Are we going to be looking after Almasi again tonight or is she going to stay with Simba and Nala, now that she has been accepted into the pride my precious?”

Now that Vitani had volunteered to escort Santiago to his new living quarters, Nala merely flashed Vitani a subtle wink before she moved off, taking a seat next to her mate as she started to take her fill of the delectable wildebeest, all the while, conversing quietly to Simba as she did so.

[Mike]

Vitani was badly thrown by the fact that Santiago decided to have a bite to eat before being shown to his den. She was left standing in front of the dining lions, awkwardly waiting for Santiago to finish. Finally, gateful to hear Simba speak to her, Vitani answered Simba's polite concern, feeling a bit more at ease.

"It's no trouble," she assured him, "as long as Santiago doesn't make a race of it. I'll have a bite as well before we leave. All this sleeping and lazing around really works up an appetite." She added cynically.

That said, Vitani moved in to take her share of Nala and Rahina's fine kills. She took a section of the kill next to Satiago, feeling that it would be too rude to ignore the newcomer after volunteering to be his guide. Nala and Simba drifted off into conversation of their own as Vitani spoke directly to Santiago for the first time, and begun her meal.

"Hey," She said, with detectable traces of relief and respect in her voice. "My brother said it first, but I've got to hand it to you. You're a heck of a lot smarter than most of our other guests when it comes to making a first impression. By the Kings that's a welcome change. I'm Vitani."

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

Kovu meanwhile, had nodded his understanding to Simba about the upcoming meeting, and was just considering a bite to eat before going to get some much needed alone time with his mate. He hesitated though, over which carcass to choose. Rahina and Kopa had been blatantly offended by his ancestry, but looking to the alternative: hovering over Vitani's first contact with an attractive lion, he decided that Rahina's wrath was much less to be feared than a big sister who felt like she was being baby sat. And anyway Kovu thought to himself indignantly as he moved to take a corner of the wildebeest a respectful distance away. I am the future king after all. They'll have to get used to me sooner or later if they want to stay here.

"Hope you don't mind." he said, his tone expecting their last encounter to be water under the bridge.

[JaguarOne]

Considering he hadn't eaten in a little while, the wildebeest feast was a delicacy to Santiago who purred happily as he ate his share of food, not noticing how awkward Vitani seemed to feel as she stood by and watched him feast. He didn't think she meant that she planned on taking him to the den at that moment, otherwise he would have waited, but his hunger had gotten the best of him.

"Yeah because I'd totally win a race which I didn't know where the finish line was," Santiago teased as he looked over to Vitani who had told Simba she wouldn't have a problem showing him around unless she had to run. Letting his dry sense of humor shine through as he continued to eat, a small breeze blowing through his light mane.

"Thanks. Name's Santiago. I'm the former prince of my original pride so I've been taught a thing or two about diplomacy and keeping face," The lion replied with a genuine smile as he looked over to Vitani, his eyes taking a moment to give her a once over, taking in the sight as he returned to eating. "And even if I wasn't I'm sure I'd be no match for you."

Even if he had been nasty, the fight that would have ensued would have most likely been between him and Simba. However, he still took the opportunity to try and flirt with Vitani all the same. "You seem like a strong and tough lioness."

[Mike]

"What gave me away?" Vitani asked, meeting Santiago's eyes and responding with a raised eyebrow and a grin. "My glorious battle wound?" Of course, Vitani assumed that Santiago had picked up from the dialogue and from her less-than-perfectly smooth gait that her paw wasn't at 100% at the moment. She checked out Santiago's build as she ate, without shame, but without being either blatantly obvious, or rude.

"And in my experience," she went on between bites, "princes are the worst of the lot, present company excepted of course." she said with a nod to Santiago. "Remind me to tell you how my baby brother introduced himself to Simba for the first time." Vitani couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard a suppressed growl from Kovu over at the other wildebeest. She smirked to herself, imagining Kovu vowing to teach her a lesson about respect. As if.