It had been such an odd turn of events lately - what began as such an exciting and new adventure and opportunity to be useful to her pride had slowly turned into a strange and unexplainable journey. There had been so many strange happenings that Kaishori couldn’t explain - no one could. And now, she remained, almost full circle - but refrained from her home by such unnatural forces.
There was a feeling deep in her stomach that she couldn’t shake - how long would this last? How long would they be kept just outside of their home? How even was their home? She worried for her pride and those she hadn’t seen in what felt like an eternity. But, at this stage, there was nothing to be done.
During her time with her pride, she had heard about her present location - she had never really had reason to venture over until now. That was probably the one silver lining to their predicament - Kaishori had the opportunity to familiarize herself even more with this aspect of her pride. And, she had the opportunity to interact with their ‘allies’. She had been curious to meet them, being a former rogue herself, she had almost forgotten about that curiosity she once carried. They had been mostly pleasant; likely because the strange occurrences were happening everywhere, it seemed. Together, they all seemed to be refugees of a cataclysmic storm.
Breathing in, Kaishori sat on her haunches, her neck stretched slightly as she gazed over the tall grass. She found herself in a down moment and wanted to just enjoy this moment of peace.
Glancing around, Majani hadn’t been sure what to think of anything anymore. She was safe and unharmed, but so much had happened lately that the young lioness wasn’t sure what to do. The earthquake and the rift had been one thing, but now there were all these strangers around from the nearby pride to worry about. Majani had heard them mentioned briefly before, but she had never seen them in such force until now. She knew she shouldn’t be worried - the other lionesses would probably tell her to buck up - but it was the combination of everything going on that had her stressed.
She found that walking calmed her concerns, and she now padded along the red dirt, heading to where some tall grass grew - perhaps finding a place to remain in the grass would give her some solace. Her mind moved quickly, and her steps almost as fast - soon she found herself almost upon it, her pale eyes only now noticing the red figure that lay within. She paused just before the red lioness, putting on a strong face. “I’m sorry for rushing up like this, I really didn’t notice you here.” She tried not to sound condescending - her mind was honestly elsewhere.
Kaishori had been watching the younger female as moved close - she had been pacing at first, and Kaishori sympathized with her apparent erraticity. She was obviously of the Ithambo - no one in her own pride would bear such coloring.
“Would you like to sit?” Her voice was calm; seeing someone else visually upset eased her own worries.
Majani found herself avoiding eye contact with the red-pelted lioness. She seemed unphased, and it made Majani all the more anxious about feeling the way that she did.
“I guess...that would be nice.” She paused, visibly second-guessing the decision. She’d never been this close to a red-pelter, and she felt even more out of her element than she already had. “So you’re…” Her voice trailed off, feeling a little silly for even starting to ask.
“A ‘redpelt’? Why yes, I am.” Kaishori’s face remained still, her eyes still looking forward. She had heard some of the Ithambo use that term - she didn’t dislike it, for it rang true for her, as she was bathed in flame. “And you are not.” Her eyes slid over to look at the young female, who was obviously feeling less than comfortable sitting beside her. “You’ve never met someone like me before, have you?” She finally turned her head, giving a slight smile. “I have never met someone like you before.” She referred to her pride; she knew that some Huria came to live here. But it was apparent by the young lioness’ expressions and avoidances that she had never come so close to one of the Motoujami before.
“You shouldn’t be so nervous - we’re friends, you know?” Her smile grew, her kinder side beginning to emerge again. “Besides, we’re stuck in this strange mess together.” She looked up towards the sky, its colors always seeming so odd these days.
Majani flexed her toes in the dirt, her eyes downcast. She had feared that she had upset the other female in some way, but was relieved to find otherwise. It relaxed Majani to see another smile - that somehow, things weren’t as bad as she had built them up to be in her head. After all, she was raised with the belief that you had to roll with the punches, and Majani was embarrassed to find herself struggling with her roll. “It’s true, this is my first time meeting someone from the Motoujamii.” Only a brief flick at first, Majani’s eyes came to meet the red lioness’, and her assuring words were a comfort. “I’m glad we could be each other’s firsts, then.” Majani let out a small giggle, feeling herself easing. “It’s nice, to have someone to be stuck with.” Her smiled withdrew slightly, and she looked around the Outpost. “I think all of us feel that, at least somewhere inside us.” Though they were allied prides, their relationship had never seemed to be overly close - aside from ambassadors and the occasional visitor. But having another group to lean on made their situation seem less dire.
“You’re very right. It’s comforting.” Kaishori turned her head to follow the young lioness’ gaze. Her group had been so fractured - having relatively friendly faces to lean on in these times was a gift. “Would you like to sit with me for awhile?” She looked back to the young lioness, a hopeful look in her eyes. She knew she had come in uncomfortable, but Kaishori was happy to have her there.
“Um...y-yes, if that’s fine with you.” Majani felt a warm sensation rise within her; perhaps she had made a new friend today. “I would very much like that.”