[PRP]Future priestess meets a newcomer

[Split Personality]

Jubes was running a few errands for Eywa and for Zelt, a little tiny bag hanging from her muzzle as she pranced along the jungle ground. It was a lazy day, the hunters had brought home a lovely array of food, the sun was high and the jungle was humid but to the Na'vi... this was the perfect day.

She passed a few lions snoozing in the little sunlight that trickled through. She smiled at a few of them, swerving past and up to the main arching root, that lead to the higher quarters and sleeping area. She began her rising, humming a little tune to herself as she went. She was glad she came here. She was doing her mother and father happiness... and someday Eywa would return the favor. And Jubes like it here... something about it... just made it feel right. She was walking past the hanging hammocks where the pride slept.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Clermeilli-Pie should have been napping after the long hunt. But she was not. She, instead, was wide awake and after pacing for a bit, decided that she should just give up and go down from the sleeping area. She started out just as a cute little youth came by. She knew this youth in passing because of her own cubs.

Jubes was a dear little thing from what she had seen so far, and Clermeilli would have taken her as her own cub if it had not been clear the little dear was already claimed. Clermeilli-Pie's opinion might have been a bit biased by the fact that this youth did not seem to have a problem with Ezili's red cheek marks even if others did.

She made sure not to step into Jubes' way as she came to her, but offered a motherly nuzzle in passing. "H- I see you, Juubeihlee." Clermeilli-Pie managed to catch herself before she said "Hello" and changed it to be the pride's normal greeting. She learned quickly. Of course, part of that was the fact that her parents had done many of the 'odd' things the pride did. She was at an advantage over most that came into the pride from outside, without even having known it beforehand.  

[Split Personality]

Jubes padded along, with her head held proudly. She may not be born of this place... but she was helping to make sure that Eywa, someone important to her real parents, kept up her deal. Not that no one trusted her... it was just... well... Jubes didn't know. And she had been interested in knowing, plus helping Eywa the best she could... Her father, a god himself would someday breed with Eywa and give his mortal mate, cubs with wings. To jubes... that meant happiness for her mother... and that made her happy.

She paused as Clerm reached out and gave her a nuzzle. "I see you too Clermeilli-pie!" She said, her voice a sweet sound. Her strange pale eyes gazed about to see if her Clerms children were around. She rather liked playing with them... since they were closest to age to herself. "How have you been? " She said, setting the bag down at their feet as she sat and tucked her pale tail tuft against her back paws.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Clermeilli-Pie gave a motherly smile at Jubes. "I have been well. How have you been yourself? My Ezili and Ayizan both tell me such wonderful things about how kind you are to them. I do hope that such a dear young lioness has no worries in this world." Truth was she was adapting and enjoying it here. There were so many new faces, of course, not all were friendly.

For Clermeilli-Pie things could not really have been better. She was finding more and more of what her parents had drilled into her as a cub to actually be useful somewhere! Things that would have made her seem weird outside, were actually needed here, such as praying for the creatures one killed when they hunted.

This place felt like home to her, and yet she was still an outsider here. Jubes was one of the few other 'outsiders' that Clermeilli knew in the pride. She was slightly curious about the bag that the cub was carrying about, but it would be rude to ask such questions. And thus her curiosity would have to remain un-sated for now.  

[The Navi Pride]

Jubes lifted her head proudly to Clermeilli; a beaming smile across her face. "They are good children. I rather like playing with them, since my family is back in another land and my siblings are there... with my mother and father. So I guess your cubs take their place and make me feel like home..." She said, looking down softly at her paws. She lifted her pale eyes to Clerm.

"I am glad that you came here... something feels right about you bringing your cubs too..." She said simply, smiling .Everyone knew Jubes had strange 'feelings' that she attributed to her father's godhood. Eywa seemed to be happy about it too...

"I keep getting mixed feelings now and then though... I dunno... I've been meaning to talk to Eywa about it.. but she's so busy lately too.."  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

"They are wonderful children. Adaptable and bright... They had to leave two of their siblings as well. Their father took the other two to his pride. I really want them to feel at home here, since I do already." Clermeilli-Pie stepped closer to Jubes and sits beside her, half snuggling the cub. She just looked like she needed comforting right now. "I am glad I came here too." She licked Jubes' cheek as if the cub was her own.

Clermeilli-Pie thought nothing of the fact that Jubes spoke of 'feelings' or such about the situation. To the lioness, it was more important to comfort the cub. "If it is important, then Eywa will make time for it, I am sure. I will walk with you to see Eywa if it would comfort you?" She did not wish for Jubes to put off speaking to the goddess. It obviously was bothering Jubes, so the cub should speak to the goddess about it.  

[Split Personality]

Jubes smiled as Clerm leaned against her. Nothing felt quiet like having someone touch you in a comforting way. Not that she had not been treated with such comforts with her parents. They loved her greatly, they loved her so much and the fact she had left them willingly, to a place where she did not have that... was tough sometimes.

"It must be hard for them.. to know that half of the family is not here... but... sometimes it is comforting too I guess... I am comforted knowing my sisters and brothers are with my mom and dad... and I know that they are proud of me..." She smiled up at Clerm.

"I would very much like that.." She said, standing up and picking up her pouch in her mouth. She started to walk at a slow pace, side stepping for a passing member.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

"I just hope Roth teaches them well to survive in his pride." Clermeilli-Pie was careful how she said this so as not to worry the young lioness. Jubes didn't need to know the details that would stress her. Sharing that Clermeilli-Pie worried about her other cubs was one thing, sharing the details of why and causing another to worry overly was quite another. She followed after Jubes with a light step and smooth grace.

She was glad that Jubes was going to speak with Eywa. Clermeilli-Pie was also glad she had comforted Jubes. It made her feel a bit more useful and important to have another 'cub' so to speak. She thought again of the fact that she wished she could keep Jubes as her own. At least Jubes had a loving family waiting for her elsewhere, and Clermeilli could offer her comfort and invite her to spend more time with herself and her cubs in the mean time.

Eywa could forgive her for encroaching a bit, perhaps? Even if the goddess couldn't, Clermeilli would not be too concerned. It was good things she planned to do, so Clermeilli couldn't believe that it would be a problem. "Why did you leave your family, if you do not mind my asking?"  

[Split Personality]

Jubes padded with a joyful bouncing step as they went along. She was a very bubbly little lady, full of adventure and laughter. She did sometimes seem a bit down, only because she was having small visions of her home and of her family. She perked her ears and tossed the baggy on the ground for a moment. "I joined because Eywa promised something very important to my family... to my mother and father. That one day.. Eywa would bless my mother with a litter of god cubs... You see.. .my mother is a mortal.. but she was raised by gods... so my mother has always wished to be one... and Eywa sensed that one night... and promised that she would sire cubs with my father and give them over to be raised by them." She paused.

"Well, I witnessed my father discussing this promise with Eywa... and I vowed to uphold my families place among Eywa's people... and here I am. " She beamed happily. "And turns out I love it here! Hehe!" She shook her little head tuft for a moment. "Eywa says I can go with her to visit them when I want too... I probably will soon... I do miss them..."  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Clermeilli-Pie listens carefully to Jubes as they walk. Her family sounded wonderful, and that Jubes had volunteered for this, rather than been sent, made Clermeilli-Pie a little happier for her. "I am glad you like it here. I like it as well. My parents were much like the lions here, but I thought them so odd before. The actions that set the pride apart set my parents apart as well. Now I am grateful for my upbringing, though I do wish my parents were here as well. I think they believe this pride to be gone." And they would be happy to be back among their lost family, Clermeilli was sure. "I do not blame you for missing your family. I miss my brother and my parents as well, and I am grown. When I was younger I would have been very upset about leaving them." She could not imagine being in Jubes' situation. A cub away from her family for so long. It was not a pleasant thought for her.

Even her cubs that were taken had family. They had their father and his pride, and most likely other cubs that were their siblings. "You remind me of one of my other cubs... so energetic and cheerful." Clermeilli-Pie felt a pang at that. Marinette had been such a bright light, if a little hyper. Crue had always been a bit too much like his father for Clermeilli's taste. Did it make her a bad mother to miss one of her cubs more than the other? It made it all the harder to not have Marinette around to see how similar to her, Jubes was. Regret was a horrible feeling that the Clermeilli-Pie tried to avoid or ignore most of the time. It was just so hard right now. She tried not to let her down mood show to Jubes.  

[Split Personality]

"I do like it here... I love it here. Everything about this place and the people. I feel like I belong. Not that I didn't feel that at my parents pride.... I just... I feel so good here..." She said, looking to Clerm. "Everyone would like my mother... even though she has colors not liked here... she is so... well... motherly. That is why Nya and my father, Primitus; got along so well... because Nya and my Mom are so similar."

She bounced along for a while. "That's why I like Nya so much too I think..." She added, a spring in her step. When Clerm started to speak of her other cubs; she looked curiously over at her. "You have more than two?" She asked softly, her tone not so silly and energetic but soft and concerned. She was curious to hear what happened to them.

Nya watched them from above. Jube, the blooming child and Clerm and loving mother. She smiled down at them, walking along the branch, observing them. She was proud of them. She was so happy here. Soon she would be taking Jubes back to her home; to see her family one last time. She decided to make herself present as the question of Clerm's children; to give her the option of leaving that in the past.

"I see you." She said in a sing song voice. "Clerm and Jubes. My young dear are you looking for me?" She asked quizzingly.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Clermeilli-Pie grinned at the answer from Jubes. That the cub loved it here was wonderful, it made the lioness' heart fill with joy even in light of the current sorrow. The way the cub spoke of her mother was wonderful. It was something that Clermeilli-Pie could understand. Unlike when others spoke of the goddess and her supposedly great qualities.

Even the way Jubes justified her fondness of the goddess made more sense to Clermeilli-Pie than how the others spoke. In a very spiritual pride, Jubes was one of the few others that the practical Clermeilli-Pie could understand and relate to. The question about having more than two cubs made the lioness look away from Jubes. "I had four." Clermeilli-Pie looked up at the voice that rang out above them.

"I see you." She did not put on an address to that because it was still debatable to her what to address the goddess as. "Juubeihlee said she wished to speak with you about something.. I offered to walk with her." The question was more to the cub than Clermeilli-Pie, but she would offer an explanation regardless and that one should give the goddess a reason to ignore her.  

[Split Personality]

Jubes smiled at Clerm. She wondered what it was like to have cubs. Four of them, wow... She contemplated what the father looked like, as Clerms cubs were pretty similar to their mom. She then had a shy little thought about Toruk, about how handsome he was with his dark blue colored pelt and his strong shoulders. She shook her head, gazing upwards at the voice that called to them.

"I see you Eywa!" She said cheerfully, her eyes lighting up. "Nya-Nya!" She pawed at the air playfully! "I got those things you wanted from me!" She said, putting a paw next to the bundle of leaves wrapped around the items. "Clerm kept me company. We were talking about her cubs since I play with them a lot!" She beamed.

Nya leaned on her elbows down at them from her perch. She giggled at Jube's expression and her gestures. At least someone in the young girls life was a bit more... calm and steady; and that was Clerm. She smiled, her wings opening lightly and tucking against her sides. "Grand my young priestess." She said approvingly.

"You wanted to speak to me Jubes?" She looked a bit concerned.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Clermeilli-Pie kept her eyes on the goddess and regarded her with open curiosity. Jubes' reaction to the goddess was cute, but Clermeilli was more concerned with getting some idea about the goddess herself. She heard what Jubes called Eywa and wondered if that was the goddess' actual name. Was the goddess really that normal to have an actual name?

Clermeilli-Pie had to wonder. So far, she had seen nothing to make her think that her parents' or the Pride's faith in Eywa was really justified. To her it was not practical without a good reason to back it up. The giggling from the goddess reminded Clermeilli a lot of Jubes. Playful and energetic. These were not bad things, but she had not expected a goddess to be so... normal.  

[Split Personality]

Jubes nodded to Nya and then, looking to Clerm she bowed her head. "Yes Eywa. I wanted to discuss some things with you. You know... about... my Mom and Dad... So..." She looked to Clerm. "I'm gonna go with her now. Wish me luck with seeing them again Clerm. Hopefully I can come home... back here... and be here forever!" She said, looking very pleased, leaning against her pale friend before padding over to Nya, giving her a head bump and then, with a chuckle...

Dashed off.Fin

Nya smiled to her young priestess and then to the mother of two. She bobbed her head slowly, happy to see such things between her people. The communication. The friendships. The trials. It brought her great happiness. "Of course my dear. I thank you Clermeilli-pie for keeping her company. I am sure she appreciated it very much!"

She gazed too the mother. "When we return. I would love if you kept an eye on her for me... she may be a bit sad when we come home... considering she will not see her family again after this. She may seem strong but she is still a young girl inside." She nodded her head and began to follow the child.

"Eywa be with you..." Fin