Alex took a deep breath as they stepped out of the forest and into the clearing. They had left the mainland a few days prior and made it into the safety of the forest. The lion tried to leave their doubts behind them with the mainland, but still, they kept flooding back in. Were they ready to leave everything behind? Their father, the pride before, that was a relief. But what about all the prisoners? Weren't they just abandoning them? "You left a year ago. It's time to move on now. We can't keep dwelling on the past." How many times had they repeated those same words to themselves?

But they knew it was true. If their father found them, they would be killed. That wasn't up for debate. And he would scour the entire continent to do so. Alexon took another deep breath, taking in the smells and holding onto them. No one from their old pride was here. The Darkstone stench had not invaded these lands. They would stay vigilant, of course, but they didn't have to fear the assassins around every corner.

Perhaps here in this new land they could have a family, find a pride, maybe even adopt a few cubs of their own.

she likes this place. this island, yes, but especially this glade. there's something about the way the forest brackets it, keeps it mostly hidden from the rest of the island. it feels a little like the island is opening up just for her, and she treasures it. grinning like a fool she dances forward, tearing through the forest and slowing only once her paws hit grass and the glade lays out in front of her.

here her pace slows, ears tipping forward as she sweeps her gaze across the gently rolling hills. unlike the last time she'd visited the glade, she wasn't alone here today. it seemed that someone else was here to enjoy the day and she cannot stop herself before she chirrups — chuffing out a quiet, friendly noise. good afternoon! she calls, unable to help herself. dainty features twist up into an expression close to sheepish as she flutters closer, edging closer to the clay lion. mismatched eyes sweep across @Alexon's form, offering them a wide, toothy smile. isn't this place wonderful? she asks, more than a little breathless. she holds her place, toes flexing into the grass, clearly wanting to come closer but not wanting to overwhelm them.

Alex's head jerked towards the newcomer as the scent of another lion filled their senses. But the information their nose and eyes gathered did not match. A maned female. How curious. They'd never seen anything quite like the lion, sorry, lioness standing before them. Tiny, black, and tailless- @Talitha was a unique creature indeed. Alex was just wondering if the loss of the tail was genetic or an injury when she called out to them.

The fact that she was a lioness indicated she was not of Darkstone, and her scent confirmed it. Well, that, and the fact that no Darkstone lion would ever give away their location so freely. Even still, ther remained cautious. Caution keeps you alive, especially in strange lands.

"Hello there. This is a beautiful place indeed. I'm not crossing some unnoticed boundary here, am I?" Their voice was nothing but friendly, but the soft twitching of their tail tuft gave away their cautious nature to one who looked close enough. They returned the same smile that the lioness had offered- hoping it was indeed a friendly gesture. She didn't give off any signs of aggression or territorality, but it was best to cover all the bases. "If I am, I didn't intend to, and I'll be on my way immediately."

despite her worries, @Alexon does not react with immediate hostility. she could handle thinly-veiled suspicion, or even quiet caution — that was all well and good, and easily accepted. still, the fact that they did not immediate snap and snarl means that talitha presses closer still. happy to leave space between them, but her intention is clear: alexon's personal space was going to be her personal space unless she was stopped — and soon. despite the way she crept closer, their words give her pause — perking up curiously as she considers it. there were prides on this island (though she wasn't too sure how many, or where exactly they lived), but this certainly wasn't one of them!

she giggles to hear their concern — but despite her humor, she's quick to shake her head. the flowers in her name flutter as she does, a fresh wave of perfume drifting with the motion. no, no! you are fine! she assures them with a wide smile, all toothy and warm. i don't think anyone lives here — but, oh! i'd love to call this place mine! she murmurs dreamily, tufted ears twitching happily. you must be new here, yes? she asks suddenly once the lightbulb of realization clicks on, mismatched eyes widening. i haven't been here for long, but it seems a wonderful place!

Alex observed @Talitha curiously. No one had ever approached them this way before, and they weren't quite sure how to respond, or even if they should. She gave no indication of aggression though, which was reassuring. They took a small step back, intent on maintaining a safe and respectful distance. After all, no matter how friendly one seemed, it was always possible they could turn.

There was no hint of aggression in the lioness's voice though. "As long as I'm not trespassing," they churred in response, "All is well and good. This is a beautiful place indeed." They brushed a paw through the grass and watched as tiny insects bounced back. They'd never seen grass like this before. It truly was stunning. "Yes, I am new here. Only arrived a few days ago. My name is Alexon, but you're welcome to call me Alex if you'd like."

she presses forward until @Alexon makes their intention known. the moment they backpedal, even just an inch, tali freezes — mismatched eyes widening as her little mouth falls open just a bit. a stumble in her sunny disposition, but she recovers quickly and scoots back a step, too. offering them a toothy, sheepish smile as an apology. despite the buffer alexon has put in place talitha isn't bothered, nor disheartened; instead, she simply moves forward with extra enthusiasm. after all, she doesn't have to be physically close to them to be warm!

mismatched gaze drops to the ground as they sweep their paw through the tall grass, gasping quietly as she spots the bugs scurrying in the wake. it fades into a giggle, face scrunching up in delight as the squirmy little things go back to their routine, as if alex had done nothing. ears twist, then, as the lion speaks again and their attention shifts. it's good to meet you, alex! she chirps, delighted that she gets to be one of the first to welcome him to the island. my name is talitha, but you may call me tali! her nubbed tail gives a little wiggle, delighted by the idea. i'm glad you're here! i've never been to this glade before but maybe we can explore it together! unless, of course, they wanted a quiet afternoon — in which case, tali probably shouldn't come with.

irish

Alexon's ears pricked forward the moment she froze. In surprise, perhaps? That didn't seem like quite the right emotion, but they supposed it was the closest thing they could think of. The lion was not used to boundaries being respected- ever. What a curious place. They let their shoulders relax a little in response, and they sat down, tail tucked around their hind feet.

"@Tali. Nice to meet you!" They scooped up a little bug- a tiny beetle, by the looks of it- and let it crawl across their paw. The iridescent black sheen of their wings caught beautifully in the sunlight. They offered it out to the lioness to observe or take. She'd seemed so taken by the insects they'd brushed up from the grass, after all. "I'd love to explore with you. Say, do you know much about the surrounding territories? I haven't had much chance to explore anywhere yet. To be honest, you're the first lion I've come across."

she giggles, just a little, to see @Alexon sit down — with their shoulders slumped, the two of them are a little closer in height. there's still a bit of a gap (well, a lot of a gap, but shhh!) but she smiles to see it. it helps the crick in her neck, too! it's almost enough to distract her from alexon scooping up the beetle -- eyes immediately brightening at the sight. it's a bigger bug than she's used to and immediately she wants to nose at it, but she doesn't. instead she's polite for once, and instead just watches it with a soft smile, grinning up at alex. i think he likes you! she says with a giggle. it seems that alexon has made two new friends today!

transfixed as she is with the beetle crawling across their paws, she blinks -- trying her best to think. what did she know? hmm, she rumbles, a thoughtful hum as she finally tears her gaze away from the scurrying insect to look up at her friend. and then, suddenly, a light-bulb goes off. oh! there is a beach, and it stretches for miles! around the whole island, even! imagine that. it's so gorgeous, you have to see it! in some places, the sand is even black! her voice lowers as she continues, as if she's passing on some big, important secret. in her mind, of course, it was -- but she's still happy to share with them!

irish

This young lioness had so much energy, it almost made Alex feel younger. "Apparently so," they said with a chuckle as they released the little beetle back into the grass. They watched it disappear. Grass was so strange, the way it could just hide things like that.

"A beach... is that anything like a desert?" They'd never seen a beach before and known what it was called, but they'd seen sand that stretched miles. "Black sand?" Now that was something they couldn't imagine. They'd seen red sand, white sand, orange sand, but black? How would it even become black? "You simply must show me this black sand you speak of."

there is something.... charming about this lion. the way that @Alexon so gently, almost tenderly, plucked the beetle from its hiding place before letting it go just as fast. her features watch the encounter unfold, gaze following the little bug as it wriggles away -- back into the safety of the grass and away from their prying eyes. when she looks back up to alexon, her expression borders on something fond. certainly soft around the edges, even with her excitement all but palpable.

the fondness doesn't wane, but her glee simply outweighs it. she nods quickly, furiously -- excited to answer alexon's question. yes, kind of! but -- it's so much better! she speaks with such haste her words almost trip over each other and she laughs, a quiet giggle before continuing: it's like a desert, but much smaller! and the best part is that they're always next to the ocean! she pauses then, her head tilting to the side like a puppy -- eyes widening as she realizes something. have you ever seen an ocean before? if not, she was ready to drag them over to the shoreline right this second. as if reading her mind, alexon continues and the girl grins wide and toothy. and if she didn't already like alexon, that would've done the trick. i would love to show you!

irish