Welcome to Gaia! ::

This takes place after the Mzao'Barakiwa. You may post with your lion entering the water and the rites taking place. If you aren't sure what the rites are then you can read about it in the info thread.

New Lions who want to join and adolescents in the pride may take their rites together here.

Like his brother, Buziba didn’t feel apprehensive while he was waiting to go through the rite. He’d grown up with the sea. His world was centred on it; he’d always been around it all his life and had learnt to swim not long after he’d learnt to walk. The sea could be dangerous but it could also be beautiful and this was home. So he was a bit impatient but not worried.

He waded into the water and walked out. The water reached his shoulders and kept rising. Still not really scared. Once he was treading water with his paws Buziba knew that the rite was over and he was an adult now. They all were!

Huh. He thought he’d feel different or something. Still Buziba wasn’t complaining and he was jubilant even if he still felt pretty much the same.

Watching the other lions curiously, Dimbwi patiently waited her turn. Go into the sea and swim back... That was something she could do. She'd grown up with the sea lapping at her paws, and those of her brothers and sister. Their mother had made sure they had a healthy respect for the water, but to not be afraid to get their paws wet or be nervous in an otherwise calm sea. If there was a storm, though, she knew to not go out unless it was necessary.

Taking a few breaths of the warm and salty air, the blue-green lioness smiled, eyes closed for a moment. To her, it felt like the sea was at ease, as was the world around them. Placing one paw in front of the other, Dimbwi made her way to the lapping water, then into it. Every step took her further from the shore, but she felt no fear, not today. The water felt good.

When she'd gotten far enough out her paws left the ground, she paused a moment to simply float, enjoying the cool water. There was no point dawdling, though, and she soon turned back, paddling for shore and climbing out, fur dripping from the sea water. The smile on her face was still the calm smile, though now it likely looked comical with half of her face wet.

Looking back at the sea, the lioness bowed her head to it, happy that it had accepted her.

Standing on the beach Catamaran watched eager Bahari youths dance along the sand in anticipation of their turn to be accepted by the sea. The sun was warm on his back and the ocean seemed at peace, waves rolling lazy shrugs up the shore. Not that Catama knew anything about the enormous body of water or it's ever changing whims. Despite the colors that painted his pelt he still felt like a rogue, he wondered distantly if he'd ever feel a connection to this pride, his home. If Galleon were there things would have been so much easier. His brother had always been the ice breaker and Catama could picture the smaller lion prancing about giddily introducing them to anyone who stood still long enough to listen. Galleon... we made it. What do you think? Is it everything you hoped it'd be?

Lifting his eyes to the clear, blue sky overhead the sea air rustled his mane like a warm breath. It made the stray wonder if Galley was watching with delight dancing in his eyes. Pools of marine tore from the heavens above as they hazed with pain a heavy feeling in his chest. This should have been the greatest moment in Galleon's life, not his, yet his brother would never get to know the satisfaction of being part of the pride he had longed for. Hell, when all was said and done he had always been content as a rogue, not that he let it show here. Oh no. Catamaran was delighted and absolutely honored in the face of his new kin. He wouldn't be any use to Kallia being an ungrateful and unsociable stranger in these new lands.

Taking note of the leopardess that was the most recent to enter the water and swim back once accepted by the tides he couldn't help but feel a distant connection to her. She was brave, the only one of her kind within the Bahari'mtoto yet it hadn't stopped her from joining their ranks. An unlikely addition, Cata could relate to that. It wasn't difficult for him to admire the ease with which all the candidates waded into the water only to turn back and return to land as if the task required no effort at all. Admittedly, the outcast himself was wary of a body of water which seemed to have no visible end. Who would trust something that large?

When finally the leopardess had returned looking ever so pleased with herself Catamaran took a breath to steady himself and jogged down the sand. It would have been far too easy to turn tail and run if he walked down, no time to think about it. Just do it. Surging into the water the large male had to walk out further than the others before the water could reach over his back, wrapping him in the chill of dampness. The sediment beneath his paws shifted slowly and he found himself surprised by the tug on his body as he was drawn off his feet and swept deeper into the water. Stretching his head to keep above water strong legs kicked with an almost desperate effort to turn around, nearly lunging for the beach by the time his paws were sturdy in the sand again.

Panting and drenched, Catamaran shook himself to dislodge most of the excess water. Alright. He'd survived. And completed the challenge pretty damn well in his opinion, except you know.. for that part where he practically scrambled like a coward with haunches curled from the bubbling waves. Perhaps in time he'd grow more accustomed to the ocean, but for now he was content to keep his distance from all but the shallow tide pools.

Kivumbi was uncertain at first...but as the others went forward, one by one, she gained confidence and trotted forward. As her paws touched the water, she took a look back at Vuai and smiled, then looked back to the ocean and continued on. Had it not been for him, she was sure she'd never have seen the ocean, and discovered home.

She enjoyed the feel of the salt water around her, rising to greet her with every step she took. And swam forward a few strokes once it became hard for her to walk on the sand without getting overwhelmed by water. Laughing softly, she turned around with a grin and started back. She was tired once she got to the shore again, that was certain, but she was happy and content. The ocean had accepted her! That meant...that meant she could STAY. Stay in her home, at the side of Vuai.

((Sorry for the late reply! Been debating as to how to do this. Rahima was supposed to die not long before all the new plots kicked off, so this will be her final RP I suppose <3))

It was a shame Rahima was not here to see Akai enter the sea, or Llyr and Buziba and their siblings, or Ewansiha and Asherah. It was a shame she wasn't here to take part herself for she had loved her last home and had enjoyed the pride's rites. The old lioness had preformed the Ba’Bandika along with Ewan and Ash when she'd first joined the Bahari but had passed away just a couple of days before the new celebrations. He knew his mother had been happy and that she hadn't feared death, but it was still so hard to loss the only parent he'd ever had and the matriarch of their little family.

Still, Ewansiha felt oddly quiet and missed his mother as he entered the water. It was such a shame she couldn't be here. Asherah waded in by him and their eyes met as the water came up over their shoulders. The couple understood each other well after all their time together. Their children had left to find their own places in this world which was a joyous thing, but both of them were grieved by Rahima's death, who had not left to find a new place but had died...

But then, the red lioness had always spoken of death as just being the next journey to take and had hoped to meet her own late loved ones 'somewhere'.

The couple left the water together as they had entered together, and greeted each other with nudges of foreheads against each other shoulders before they rejoined the other pride members. Twice over they'd entered the sea and come out now. This was their new home, a new start, and though they'd never forget their wandering days - this was the home Rahima had chosen for them. They were here to stay. Ewan felt better knowing that.

Now; time to feel better and celebrate.

*

The ghost had watched from the rocks. Rahima had been dead less than two - but almost three? - days now and once she'd got over the surprise of it had found that it wasn't so bad. The pain and stiffness in her joints had been gone and whereas before she'd not have been able to see as far as the beach, she could see as far now as she had in her youth. Had she seen herself, she'd have noticed the silver of her muzzle was gone and her fur was rich ruby red again. No one else could see her to let her know after all!

Still, she'd died a happy old lioness, spending her final days in a pride with her loved ones. She felt safe in the knowledge that once she was gone her family members here would be fine and she'd be given funeral rites. There was just the pull -

The pull from far away (the gates in the God's Haven, where Death waited, though she didn't know yet) was strong and only getting stronger every moment she stayed. Only with help from the Goddess of Souls herself would she be able to stay much longer and she wasn't here. Rahima hadn't meant to resist it but she'd been looking forward to the celebrations and had wanted to see her family...

Now she had, she was ready to leave and gave one last silent roar, and left. She wasn't sad or afraid, she felt peaceful and satisfied and she looked forward to finding whatever it was that pulled at her. She bounded off lightly, to run swiftly through lands she had traveled in life towards that pull, towards the mountain, towards whatever awaited her on this next part of her journey.

Dufi had waited for this day for so long, she spent every day chatting to the sea and having very interesting conversations with it. So now she was happy to be walking in to the sea like many before her. She was chatting away, telling the sea to be kind and that they were obviously the best of friends.

She walked out and waited as the tide came in around her and the others and smiled.

"Do you think the sun and clouds get on? The clouds seem to like hiding the sun but I don't know why. The sun is pretty and makes you so pretty too..." She chatted away pausing to what seemed to be to hear an answer before replying again. Of course she was talking to no one but this was Dufi and most were use to her strange ways.

As the water rose above her she ended up swimming in her place. Of course she had no issue with this, she loved to swim. She knew though that it was time to head back and so she turned and swam back to the shore.

"Bye sea, I shall come back tomorrow!" She called to the water before rushing over to where her mother was sitting, watching as all the lions took their rites. Dufi took place next to her mother to watch as everyone else also did the rites.

((Super late D: Sorry! I PM'd Amy about finishing up Heenalu's joining Rp and getting his mate an Rp and she told me to just post for them in this thread >w<))

Green eyes watched intently, dancing as they followed the motion of the waves. The celebration at hand was a joyous one and already Heenalu's heart was swelling! A grin continued to broaden across his maw as he watched both young and old anxiously await their turn to be accepted by the sea; uniting and becoming one with the big blue of which the Bahari had come to love. And yet here he was- soon he too would become a member of the pride which not only felt like home but completed him. That missing part of him, a misplaced puzzle piece which he had been void of for so long, was finally being restored. Not only was this the start of something new but this was the start of a new life, a new beginning. Along the way the surfer dude had found his bodacious dudette, his lovely lady. It was awesome. This was the start of a new life for both Heenalu and Kimuli and so far the young adult could only see good things from where he was standing.Besides what more could a beach bumming, wave warrior want more than being one with the sand and surf and having someone to share a lifetime of mischief and mayhem with?

No doubt he was one lucky dude.

With each passing wave it was that a new member would emerge from out of the water and return to the shoreline with their rites. It was tradition and the first step for each newcomer to the pride to take. This celebration, as well as the completion, marked a new beginning and it was the prospect of a life together with the sea and his mate that made the tribal adorned male only keep grinning from ear to ear. Kimuli was the sky that he fell through and ever since Heenalu Muku had been helplessly free falling head over paws for her and it was that even in their separation that he had never forgotten her. Her scent, her touch, even her gentle voice was unshakable from his memories and through trial after trial, hell and high water, she was here- standing beside him awaiting to become one with the sea.

The afternoon sun hung from a string looking down on the world as it warmed over everything. Heenalu could feel its rays rain down upon his back as his jet black fur all but soaked up its enveloping warmth but even still he couldn't help but feel chills run down his spine as a tail entwined with his.

Heenalu Muku sighed, his relaxed breathe trailing against the light breeze that caressed along the shoreline. "This is it, Kimuli. It's tooootally almost our time. We'll be knock, knock, knockin' on destiny's door and one with the big blue." The mere thought of what awaited them only caused the males heart to beat faster, adrenaline pulsating through his veins while his toes wriggled anxiously within the sand. He was much like a cub whose excitement was all but brimming over and truly Heenalu couldn't help it. This so totally rocked! Subconsciously his tail wrapped tighter around his mates as he watched a new adult female emerge from out of the ocean.

"What'll happen after? What's next after this crazy shin dig? You know I totally hate not knowing the unknown."

Amber eyes peeled away from the ocean before they leveled themselves with the pools of green that had nestled themselves within the familiar, and rather goofy, face of her mate. The lioness smiled, chuckling. "It's only the beginning- we have a lifetime to figure out the rest. Let's try not to run when we can walk." For a moment Kimuli leaned into her mate and brought her muzzle close to his ear as her voice trailed softly, discreetly, as the breeze all but masked her words to prying ears. "As long as you catch me when I fall and risk it all I'll go wherever you go."

Heenalu's eye widened as a breath escaped from out of his chest. "Whoa," he whispered to himself. Not only were the words of his mate totally bodacious but within the air there was a strange feeling, something that only stirred up his anticipation and amped him up ten fold. What it was exactly Heenalu didn't know but he was certain that soon, really soon, both he and his mate would understand just what exactly this surreal yet sensational feeling was.

The two lifted their heads upward, staring into the clear, blue skies overhead. Breaking through the silence the unbridled, thunderous roar of the surf sounded- its wakes rising from out the blue sea and curling, toppling into a wave of foam and spray as it crashed against itself. There was something peaceful about the sea, something about its presence and being exposed to it often seemed to soothe even the most rugged and coarsest of souls and its ability to draw all walks of life to its domain was unlike any other. Water was a healing element, an element of life and a necessity that couldn't be ignored but when an individual sought to align their life in peace and harmony with the waves it seemed that life itself found a whole new meaning and balance. It was hard to explain and certainly it was a topic, as well as a belief, that the pair could ramble on for hours about but if anything the pair had come to learn within a short amount of time that there was something special about the Bahari'mtoto. Although they were unsure what exactly it was both Heenalu and Kimulimuli were convinced that it was simply another adventure that was bound to unfold.

As the latest adult female of the Bahari'mtoto walked back to the shore Heenalu and Kimuli turned to one another, each taking a breath and exhaling slowly.

This was it.

Taking the first step, Kimuli's paws sunk into the gritty sea of sand. Not quite accustomed to the rather strange texture and sensation that seeped in between her paws the lioness laughed and leaped forward a few steps before turning back towards the male. "Don't keep me waiting, Heenalu!" She teased, smirking as she turned back towards the sea and continued running atop the sands, dancing as her paws carried her to where the sea lapped lazily at the shoreline.

Heenalu gave an impish grin as he suddenly propelled himself forward with a strong lunge. A rather amused, rumble of laughter escaped from his chest. "Leave you hangin'? Aw, dudette! Won't even cross my mind!" He replied. "Just be sure yer' not the one fallin' behind, dudette."

Before long both dude and dudette were running side by side, maws hanging ajar with the biggest of smiles broadening across their faces. Heenalu was the first to lunge into the water- surging through the crystal blue seas as he splashed and paddled out to where the sea itself began to lap across his back and saturate his mate. That cool, brisk sensation of the sea against his stocky frame only made him chuckle to himself. The male watched intently as his mate followed shortly behind as she too all but leaped into the water and began to tread water, venturing out where he currently floated. Unlike Heenalu, Kimulimuli was a foreign stranger to the ocean and hadn't quite spent as much time immersed in the sea as her mate did but surly in time she'd get the hang of swimming and flowing with the tide. There was an art to navigating the currents and an instinct that one came to bear when surfing the waves but, again, this was certainly something that Heenalu could help his mate learn. In no time she'd be a wave warrior too just as he was and the thought of such a thing only caused the male to stare off with a dreamy expression. Keeping her head above the water the lioness continued to maneuver herself through the water before she paddled alongside her mate while her paws searched for something, anything, to grapple onto.

"You okay, Muli?" Muku smiled, breathing deeply as the salty air filled his nostrils and lungs. It was a scent that was never forgotten yet at the same time a scent that simply seemed to awaken his body, invigorating his entire being, with the start of a renewed rejuvenation.

Having managed to assert herself against the waves and beside her bulky buddy, Kimuli flicked her ears and leaned against him. "Never better," she replied, leaning her head into the males thick, black mane.

But it seemed that something was changing- the foundation beneath her paws was dissipating and something was pulling her. The lioness's brows furrowed as she suddenly looked towards her mate. There was a twinge of fear etched somewhere in her expression yet at the same time there abode an excitement. Although upon catching sight of his mate's expression Heenalu swam closer to her and nudged the side of her cheek with his muzzle, purring deeply.

"Don' worry, Muli, 'm right here fer sure."

In the distance something was beginning to rise from out of the ocean, cresting upwards and rolling towards them without a warning. What appeared to be a small wave suddenly grew in height, towering over them with a thunderous roar and wall of water which was slowly beginning to topple over them. Heenalu wrapped his paws around his mate, securing her as a warm expression curled upon his maw. There wasn't much time to say anything let alone to do anything but Kimuli couldn't help but feel safe and comforted knowing that he was right there with her. Never in a million years had the two ever expected to be in a new pride, to be together at last. It all felt so surreal yet at the same time it felt so- it felt so right. Much like a child's fairytale it would seem that both Heenalu and Kimuli were soon to have a happy ending or rather the start of a happy beginning. Just as the wave above broke the two took a deep breath and within a blink of an eye the ocean mistress all but consumed them. The wave all but knocked them off their paws but even so Heenalu Muku held onto his mate as the current tossed and turned the pair beneath the surface- whisking them about as the wave propelled itself forward with a powerful momentum. It wasn't long before the ocean's current evened and, as expected, leveled out to where both male and female finally broke through the ocean's surface.

Drenched from head to tail the two gasped for air. There was a rush of emotion and unbridled sensations that seemed to course through their bodies causing the two two pant as if their bodies had experienced exhilaration to the nth degree. Looking toward one another both Heenalu and Kimuli laughed, shaking their heads. They survived- they did it. Paddling side by side the two only managed to beam brightly. No words seemed to formulate or connect within their minds as this feeling, this strange yet enveloping feeling all but seized them. It was unlike anything either of them had experienced. What started off as a warm sensation seemed to quickly grow into a thought and then into a deeply rooted belief.

This was home. This was there home now.

As their paws managed to make contact with the shoreline again both Heenalu Muku and Kimulimuli breathed deeply.

Home had never felt so good.