A Strange New World

(March 2nd. Open to all lions but particularly members of the Mbala Pride to get Dotty interacting with her new allies. Please be gentle, the poor girl has had it pretty rough. Low threat thread.)

Dotty was still trying to wrap her mind around being in the Pridelands again. It seemed so alien to her, so used to the desolate Outlands, feeling grass beneath her paws and seeing Priderock looming large in front of her. She was grateful for having this sanctuary for the moment...although she didn't know how long she would actually be staying here once Simba caught wind of her arrival.

Outlanders, even former ones, were not permitted in the Pridelands despite both Zukki and Kula's reassurances. 

She'd laid low since her arrival a few days before, even after her meeting with Kula. Dotty didn't want to jinx her luck that she'd even made it to relative safety by making her presence known. She'd allowed Kuzimu to go out with the other cubs under Zukki's protection but she was too scared to leave her makeshift den herself. 

Until now, that was, as she climbed the rocky slopes around Priderock to the area where most of the lions and lionesses congregated.

She needed to fit in with her new pridemates and socialise with them. No doubt Zira would come calling for her eventually and making a few friends would probably help when that day did come. She didn't want to be the outcast a second time around. She wanted a pride she actually felt like she belonged to instead of simply living with because there was no other options. Maybe these lions would welcome her more than the Outlanders ever had. She hoped so...she desperately did and so she approached the group of lions lounging on the rocks.

"Do...do you mind if I join you?" Her request was timid, her head down and amber eyes fixed on her paws as if expecting to be immediately rejected.

There had been a lot of lounging since they got here. The higher ups were all discussing things among one another, important things that they couldn't be bothered to share with the mangy collection of newcomers. The locals were often more skeptical of them since their arrival- they came with a bold statement. The crew of strange looking felines in this already so well established camp. Though Xerxes didn't like to spend too much time around them and their strange contraptions, he did make it out a couple times to cause some havoc when he wasn't being watched too closely.

On one occasion he'd gone and snapped a few of the tethers on what they called a 'tent', the strange things. He'd watched as the white sheets had gone billowing downwards in a heap, and snickered to himself at the string of cusses that erupted from the ruined 'tent' afterwards. it was a strange idea; to make ones own cave, but less sturdy. Regardless of Xerxes antics though they weren't approached often by the inhabitants of these lands, not directly, so it came as a surprise to hear the feeble unfamiliar voice.

Do...do you mind if I join you?

Amethyst eyes turned up sharply, he had been lying on his back, but at this time he had rolled onto his stomach to get a better look at the girl. Honing in on the little creature with her downcast eyes and slumped posture to keep her head down, Xerxes right ear flickered as he tilted his head. Maw parted ever so slightly as his pink tongue rested against the entrance before tilting his head up and allowing a more gentle grin. Ah. This was the one that had showed up at Pride Rocks gates. Xerxes had heard briefly about it.

"Who'd say no to a polite little honey like you?" he replied brightly. A slight wrinkle in his nose as he regarded her with a friendly tone, the tiny pink scars against his pale fur crinkling as a result. As if to provide a space, he curled his body against the curve of the lions that were outstretched behind him to help form a more inclusive circle.

"C'mon over little girl. We aren't gonna bite, stay away from Clyde's rear though. It can get pretty foul back there..." he stage whispered, no actual intent of hiding the playful jab from the tigerblood if he actually was anywhere in the company. Xerxes hadn't bothered to look.

"Who'd say no to a polite little honey like you? C'mon over little girl. We aren't gonna bite."

Dotty's answering smile was one of equal parts relief and hope. She took a few tentative steps forward to the space that Xerxes had made for her in the circle of lions and lay down beside him. At his words about the other lion she tried not to laugh in fear of causing any offence before she had even introduced herself to the group. Still, she did give the lion in question (was he really a lion? he had a mane but she'd never seen the striped pattern his pelt bore before except on tigers...) as if mentally noting him.

"My name is Nadra." she said before turning her cheek so the pale lion could get a view of her distinctive spots "But most tend to just call me Dotty. I'm...I suppose you'd say I'm new around here."

It was a lie but a small one. She had lived in the Pridelands what seemed like a lifetime ago when she was a cub. Those memories were vague at best and the clearest ones, the ones involving fire and slaughter, she didn't want to revist often. Dotty had lived longer in the Outlands than she ever had in the Pridelands and it felt like an alien world to her at times. Grass and trees where there had only been dry, hard ground and termite mounds for shelter, she could have been on the moon for how different the two landscapes were despite being so close to each other.

"So...um...are you a Pridelander? I didn't think Simba let rogue males just wander into the territory..."

If the pale lion had been in the Outlands it would have been two choices: either death or join Scar's forces and live. She tried to imagine this pale lion with his good humour in the Outlands and Dotty was sure he wouldn't have lasted that long. She was surprised she even lasted as long as she had in Scar's army.

"Nadra, huh." he repeated the name, deciding against calling her by her apparent nic-name for one reason or another. Although those purple eyes lingered over the dots upon her cheek, he apparently didn't feel the need to comment on it. Instead, he listened to her next words. New around here? Did new really count if you were from across the river? Xerxes didn't seem to think so, but then again he was very new around here, had never actually lived in the pridelands or outlands. It was all the same to him. He flopped back down to the earth, rubbing the side of his head against a tuft of grass and looking up, sideways at Nadra.

So...um...are you a Pridelander? I didn't think Simba let rogue males just wander into the territory...

Xerxes laughed openly, but not boisterously or maliciously. A sound that would probably land as something quite foreign upon her ears.

"I doubt Simba'd like to let a lot of things happen these days. Much less what I'd like to do around here..." he grinned, throwing a playful wink her way. Typical to his character, he laughed softly into his mane and shook his head.

"I guess we're in the same boat, Chickadee. Brand new to these lands but we're all part of Kula's pride. So Simba just isn't going to be able to do much about it. I mean.. He can come on down here to talk if he wants, ask us to leave. Just see how that goes. Don't imagine King-boy would like the results too much though, we're not here to play afterall." Xerxes chuckled. A thought occurred to him, and those purple eyes lit up brightly.

"I didn't tell you my name, did I?" he remarked thoughtfully. The playful grin said he hadn't truly forgotten, but still. Not a hint of spite in this impish lions nature.

"You didn't." Dotty replied with a small smile and teasingly added "So I suppose I'll just have to call you something appropriate until you do."

The pale lion seemed quite upbeat considering what was happening around them. Were all Heroes this calm about the war? Maybe he had seen things like war before and so it didn't bother him. His easy attitude put Dotty more at ease. Still, it felt odd to smile and laugh after what had happened only a few days prior...but if she stopped to think about that she would never recover. She couldn't afford to let Nia's death weigh her down as Mauko's had.

"But...he's still the king, isn't he? He could exile us all if he wanted to." That had certainly been how he dealt with Scar and those loyal to him before...what was to stop him from doing again with Kula and those loyal to her. Surely Kula knew the risk she was taking in opposing Simba. She'd seen what became of the Outlanders "I just hope he leaves us alone. I'm still kinda scared that he'll send me and Kuzimu back to where we came from...and besides...I've had enough of this war to last me a lifetime." Dotty commented, her ears flattening against her skull.


She'd lost so much fighting that she was surprised if she had anything else left, besides Kuzimu, to lose. Two cubs, any chance of happiness with the lion she had loved and a chance of a life free from Scar, Zira and the constant battle were heavy blows on her. 

"I'd like to see my brother try to exile us." The queen herself padded forth, shadowed by two smaller felines of lighter complexion. Rashidi was quick to lay himself down nearby with a great yawn, offering a smile to Dotty as he passed. The other lion, a fluff-covered female, remained standing at Kula's side as the stepped over to flop dramatically on Xerxes. With her upper half securely pinning the younger lion's torso the lioness propped her chin up with a single paw and grinned at Dotty. "Take a good look around the Pridelands; you've got time. You'll find that Simba's pride has all but wasted away, dispersing to who-knows where thanks to this war."

Sabini shuffled her paws a bit uneasily before hopping over Xerxes and settling down on his other side with great care to keep space between them as Kula continued. "Whether Simba likes it or not, he needs our pride. Both as fighters and as hunters..." A glance was shot to Sabini as she gazed quizzically at Dotty. The small female had heard through the grapevine that another lioness had been permitted to join the pride, but as far as Kula knew no one had told her the specifics.

"This purple-eyed tease is Xerxes," Kula wiggled a bit on top of the male to jostle him as if to point him out. "Since he'll probably talk all around his name for a bit of fun. You already know our lieutenant Rashidi," A flick of the tail gestured to the male, who merely offered a polite nod. "and this is my friend Sabini, one of our hunters and cubsitters. You two will be working together a lot, so I suggest you both play nice." No threat lay under those words, which were accompanied by a wink.

Xerxes grinned, looking over his shoulder as the familiar footfall of Kula came forth followed by the sounds of her voice in announcement. She said it for him, there was no way Simba could possibly bring himself to run them out. They had basically already taken over in that their numbers were more overwhelming, simply the presence of this pride under Kula's reign signified great importance over Simba and his hiding. Although Xerxes didn't know this supposed King, there was nothing to tether his morals to speaking in apathy for him and his situation. He was strictly a Kula supporter.

Xerxes made an audible 'oof' when Kula dropped her massive frame onto his. The air expelled from his chest as it often did when his queen sprawled out atop him, and it happened often enough that he was used to it. A steady rumbling began not long after she shuffled her frame and shook him along with her. Sabini jumped over his rear and settled closely nearby.

"Hello little mouse." he said fondly to the small spotted female in greeting. He then turned his attention back to Nadra and Kula, grin tugging at his maw as Kula introduced him for her. She wasn't wrong, he'd play and talk circles until she was begging for his name, purely out of silliness. Heaving an arm out from beneath his own weight and Kula's combined, he shifted to his side a little so he was more on his back.

"He's not my King. That's for sure..." Xerxes chuckled. His free paw rested on his upper chest, toes rubbing into his mane as he gave himself a brief scratch and turned his eyes to Nadra.

"How 'bout you? You going to support ol' King-Boy on the hill?" he sniffed, "Or this lovely, over-sized kitten? She's a gem, but a word of caution, watch she doesn't smother you when she's feelin' cozy. That's how we lost our last babysitter... And it looks like I'm next." he joked. Kula had obviously done no such thing.

The arrival of Kula and her two associates was a surprising one and she seemed to straighten herself as if expecting Kula to admonish her for lazing around instead of hunting or doing something else productive. Instead the massive lioness flopped herself on top of her companion and jostled him around. She bit the urge to smile at how easily Kula seemed to take the wind from him. Dotty was sure that her new leader would be a fierce foe to deal with on the battlefield...maybe one of the few who could give Scruffy a matched fight.

"Xerxes, huh?" she tested the name on her tongue. It was an unusual one but it seemed fitting for him regardless "No. I know where my loyalties lie and Simba has never given me much reason to want to side with him. I'll do whatever Kula wants me to do, without reservation. She saved my life and my daughter's too." She smiled at the last part of Xerxes' statement "I'll say something nice at your funeral. I hardly knew him but he seemed like a nice enough lion..."

Kula's words drew attention to the pale lioness that had accompanied Kula and Rashidi. She was smaller than any lioness Dotty had seen, only seeming like an adolescent instead of an adult. Dotty herself was small too, mostly from a lack of proper nutrition, but even she was larger than her. She also seemed shy of her for a reason Dotty didn't know...perhaps she simply was awkward around strangers. She could understand that sentiment.

"It's nice to meet you." Dotty said, shooting the pale lioness a smile "I'm Nadra, or Dotty, whichever you prefer. It's nice to see you again, Rashidi."

"Xerxes, are you flirting again?" Vunkija laughed, as she limped towards the small group, her head dripped down in greeting to Kula before she took a seat next to Sabini, giving the smaller lioness a polite smile. "Hello there I'm Vunkija, What would you rather be called? It is a new life for you after all." The female spoke calmly to the ex-outlander lioness. "New life, new name, Nadra sounds fine to me." Her tail swished across the ground as she turned her head around to look at the rest of her pride-mates.

Not too far from where the others were congregated, a pair of green eyes watched them curiously, as cream tipped paws messed around with an empty gourd, tossing the hollow thing from paw to paw. Mekonnen wore a bored expression upon his face, but he was curious to see who this newcomer to their pride was. She seemed small, and from what he could gather, rather insecure. He stopped the gourd's rolling with one paw, and set it off onto of the shelves of the small medicine cave he'd made for himself.

They hadn't been there long, but Kula had been kind enough to somehow convince Simba that yes, Mekonnen needed a cave to himself. Pride Rock was big enough, was it not? The lion smirked, and brushed his spiked mane back with a paw, before strolling out towards the others. As he came closer, he continued to observe what was going on, including the subtle flirtatious tone that practically oozed from Xerxes' mouth, and from what he could see, the new lioness and Vunjika were not immune to it. Mekonnen stood by Rashidi for a brief moment, as he nodded a silent hello to him. He bowed to Kula, and continued on his way towards Xerxes.

Mekonnen wasn't very fond of other lions outside of those in his pride, and his brothers. Hell, he barely even spoke to any of the lions in his pride. But the one lion that he knew he could deal with was Xerxes. Sure, Xerxes was a bit of a handful sometimes, but the raven-maned lion always knew how to make Mekonnen laugh, and he could certainly keep up with the red-maned lion's sarcastic streak. And it was because of this that he chose to help his pridemate out, at least for now. Besides, Mekonnen was bored enough, and doing what he was about to do would surely lighten the mood.

"OH Xerxes...darling..."

Mekonnen dramatically strolled up to his friend, and dipped his head under the other's chin, before rising up again to look back at him with a seductive look in his eyes. His tail lashed slowly, as he dropped to the ground with a small thud, and rolled backwards, so that he was now lying on his back, underside exposed to the other. He raised a golden paw to his forehead, and shot the other a look, before mocking an exasperated expression.

"I simply can't handle it anymore! Oh Xerxes, just take me now!"

Another lioness appeared and Dotty nodded her head in greeting. It seemed as if Sabini was either shy or reluctant to speak for some reason. It didn't matter all that much to her, no doubt she would get to know her new pridemates soon and if she and Sabini were to be working closely then there would be plenty of time to chat later on. Dotty would say one thing, the smaller lioness had a very striking appearance, like a delicate flower.

"I don't mind either way." Dotty answered Vunjika with a shrug "Like I said, everyone just called me Dotty in my last pride. We all kinda had our own nicknames and I don't think many of us really used our actual names."

Dotty cocked her head in confusion as the golden male suddenly swooped down on Xerxes. It seemed as if he had come from nowhere and began to sarcastically profess his feelings for the other male whilst rubbing himself up against him then flopping dramatically to the ground. She wasn't entirely sure if this was meant to be a private joke or there was something else going on. She simply sat looking between the two males with mounting confusion.

"Um...should we give you both some space? I didn't know public displays of affection were that common around here..." She finally spoke up, looking to Kula, Rashidi and the other females for any sign of clarification. This was something she definitely wasn't used to, there was very few opportunities for such open displays of affection without some sort of rebuke.

He laughed lightly at Dotty's reply, a slight jab but in good humor was something a lion like Xerxes could appreciate. But he was quickly called out with no ill will from a familiar lioness with a gimpy leg. Vunjika announced herself while accusing him of flirting at the same time, and he returned her accusation with a sweet stare and a smile. Those purple eyes bore no signs of guilt, but whether it was because he was a good actor or truly didn't feel sheepish was up for debate.

"Who me? Vunvun, I'm offended! I'm just being friendly!" he assured the lioness. He then writhed beneath Kula's weight, pressing the top of his head against the earth and exposing his ebony fur covered neck to see the arrival of one of his favorites. Mekonnen. The great lion greeted him with a sappy cry to which Xerxes snorted in amusement, and received the gentle carress of the other males touch beneath his chin. Which just so happened to be so easily accessible.

"Oh Meko!!" Xerxes cried back dramatically, "You beast! You cad! I couldn't possibly, not with-" he inhaled sharply sending a shifty glance to those surrounding them, "All of those around us?" and released the breathe like a shaky flustered yearling might. He finished with a chuckle, glancing back to Dotty as she expressed her confusion and offered to leave the two of them alone.

"Some space, sweatheart?" he laughed, his tone suddenly cheeky, "Only if you don't want to join our mischief." he tacked on swiftly and suggestively. Amethysts bore the highest level of bedroom eyes the male probably attained, and the biggest disregard for being completely surrounded and in public. Truly a shameless boy.

She chuckled quietly to herself as Xerxes continued his antics with their fellow pridemates but as soon as he focused on her again, the skin under Dotty's fur turned pink at Xerxes' words. She quickly ducked her head to try and hide her embarrassment at his offer, even if it was only as a joke. She wasn't used to the openly flirtatious behaviour of the cream male and so she was quickly becoming flustered as the conversation progressed. Not only was she unused to the attention but she was especially unused to that particular kind of attention.

"Erm...I think I'll pass." she mumbled after a few seconds, trying to compose herself again "Although I think the attention of you males and your hormones is the last thing I should concern myself with...I haven't had the best luck with them in the past."

An understatement. A colossal understatement. If there was anything Dotty had been unluckiest with, save the lives of her children, it was trying to win the affections of Nuka. Now with her latest round of heartbreak she wondered if she should have kept trying at all. Pain had a way of clearing her view of things and making her realise what a massive fool she had made of herself. For Nuka, she had been willing to look as foolish as it took to win his heart...but in the end it had cost her so much that she wondered if she should have tried at all.

Still, she was grateful that perhaps she could put that all behind her now, focus on the future instead of the tattered remains of her past. At least she had gotten a second chance, some weren't so lucky. She just wished that the cost of it hadn't been her daughter's life and to abandon Nuka to his own fate.

Sabini allowed herself a small giggle as the amethyst-eyed male greeted her not with her name but with the nickname he'd oh-so-graciously bestowed upon her. Upon joining the Mbala pride she'd come to know and even trust the ragtag crew, males included. They'd been nothing but kind and cordial these past few months, teaching her tips and tricks to survive. Rijali had ensured that each and every one knew to treat her gently and they'd obliged all too easily. “I must be a brave mouse indeed to sit so close to a dastardly cat like you, Xerxes.”

"Ah, yes..." Kula lifted her head for a moment so that her paw might be freed and placed upon the top of Xerxes wavy mop of a mane. She mimed pressing his head into the dirt, though only the slightest bit of pressure was actually applied. "Squish. Xerxes is no more."

With the entrance of more of the fine felines of the pride Kula settled and dipped her head in the cordial greeting that was expected of her station. Beyond that she offered little else but a smile. No orders, no scowls, no formalities. A pride was meant to be an extension of the family, Kula had always believed. To treat it as anything else was to turn a pride into… Just a group.

Though a brow was raised with an accompanying smirk at the display Kula offered no comment, merely resettling her weight so that the male beneath her could wriggle free if he wished. A glance at Dotty prompted the queen to clear her throat. Right – the lioness probably wasn’t used to such things. “Pay them no mind, hun. We all like to play around a bit every now and then…” A wry glance was shot to Xerxes. “Some of us more than others.”

As Kula spoke Sabini’s gaze slid sidelong to the lionesses beside her – Vunijika and this new female, Nadra. The crippled lioness she’d come to know fairly well the last few months, but this gray female was a mystery. “Nice to meet you, Nadra,” She said quietly, keeping beneath the noise. “I hope you like it here.”