Li Wei:(11:47:03 PM): He liked this place. Somehow it felt...right. The small cub looked nothing out of ordinary. A dusty pelt, a dull blonde mane, a pair of vibrent green eyes- simple enough. A decent enough mask. The only ordiment he kept on himself was a long dangling earring ending in a golden coin with what looked like a square stamped from the middle.
Li sighed, his soft smile spreading across his maw, paws curled up against his chest as he drifted easily along the top of the water. The locals called it the God's sea. The waters were...somehow thicker. His fur and skin always felt rejuvinated after a bath in the waters.
Mut: (11:50:24 PM): Admiring the sea, Mut pondered stepping into it. The matter of her bangles, though, had her just a bit uneasy. When she looked around, she found a branch to hang them on, before stepping into the water. It felt simply wonderful, the way she floated, and how it clung just so to her fur and skin. Each step, she went just a bit deeper, until she simply floated on it.
She felt like she could almost walk on the water itself.
Li Wei:(11:54:53 PM): An ear rolled around. Someone else?
Li slowly opened his eyes and paddled his paws around so he could lean his head back and see who had stepped into the sea with him.
"New person!" Li flailed around, his paws splashing about in the water, drenching his pelt and mane in the process. "Hey! I'm Li what's your name!"
Mut: (11:57:18 PM): Surprised by the cub, Mut could only watch in mild fascination as he paddled for her. When the cub was close enough, she leaned over, ears foreward and nose twitching just a bit. "Hello, Li... I'm Mut'salama... But everybody calls me Mut." It was certainly easier than the mouthful it all was. "I don't think I've seen you around... But there's a lot I haven't seen around, so..."
Li Wei:(12:00:03 AM): "I came here with Eyal and Maji." He flopped around to his back, grinning at her upside-down. "And I like it here. So I decided to stay. Is that how you came too?"
Mut: (12:07:03 AM): "I came with Kingu." It was a very big party, that was for sure... Three lionesses, two adult male lions, two juveniles... Adolescents by the time they actually LEFT, and one of which was pregnant... It was enough to make one's head swim. "I came from a... Very crowded land... Far to the south of here."
Li Wei:(12:14:57 AM): "I can't remember where I came from." He tipped his head to one side. "I remember...waking up...then someone taught me how to dance. You have to beat things and move like a leaf! I can show you if you want."
Mut: (12:16:26 AM): The lioness smiled, paddling just a bit. "Surely you don't mean HERE in the water! Unless you can dance in the water like a fish can..." She couldn't imagine swimming like a fish, though. At least, not a lion. "If we go back on land, though, I'd be happy to see!"
Li Wei:(12:17:35 AM): "Not in this water. There's no fish." He flipped over to his belly and started to paddle his way back to the shore. It would become painfully obvious that the cub wasn't exactly a natural born swimmer. His tail flailed through the air, a futile attempt to steer himself better.
Mut: (12:18:57 AM): Following behind the cub, Mut did her best to help him steer. Not everybody took naturally to the water. After all, they weren't fish. As far as she knew, lions weren't quite meant to swim too much. "I did notice the lack of nibbling on my toes in this water... It must be all the salt..."
Li Wei:(12:24:57 AM): Li thanked her with a smile over his shoulder. Once his paws met with the rocky, grainy ground he shook himself off and broke into a cub's run up towards dry land. "Yeah! Can't drink it or you die. I think fish drink to breathe, so they'd die!"
Mut: (12:31:13 AM): Chuckling, Mut followed behind him, shaking the water from her own coat. When she'd gathered her bangles, she trailed behind Li. "So I've heard... My but that was wonderful feeling..." She stretched out, then looked back. "Sea of the gods... Hm..." When she turned back, she let out a light laugh. "Where I'm from... Many don't even believe in or know about gods... I barely have a grasp on them..."
Li Wei:(12:33:03 AM): "That's silly." He leaned back to sit upright on his haunches, paws curled up against his chest once more, "If there's no gods then who controls everything? Like...water...and...fish?" He flashed a wide grin. "You start like this."
Mut: (12:34:19 AM): "Well... I don't know..." She smiled, sitting down to watch. "That's why I'm trying to figure them out... I don't know a lot about gods, so I'm learning, and forming my opinion... Obviously somebody's behind this all."
Li Wei:(12:35:31 AM): "Yup huh." He started to sway back and forth, sitting the way a meerkat might but moving as if he'd lost his balance. "This is what I was told to do when I learned to dance- move like a leaf! The girl said I have to do something with beat, but that sounds mean, so I stick with the leaf.'
Mut: (12:38:04 AM): Tilting her head, Mut watched. "Goodness, that's a different sort of dance!" She'd seen birds dancing.. That was pretty chaotic, really. She hoped she never saw a lion dance like that. "How about like the water? Flowing, smooth..." She motioned with a paw, as if it'd help her to elaborate.
Li Wei:(12:44:01 AM): "Like water?" He blinked and slowly looked past her back to the sea. After a moment he laid down. "Like this?"
Mut: (12:56:54 AM): Sitting up, Mut began to move slowly. "No, like this..." Each movement was slow, deliberate, carefully calculated. As she stood, she brought her whole body into play, doing her best to mimic the movements of water.
Li Wei:(12:57:49 AM): "Ooohh....well the sea's real still. I didn't know water could move like that!" He rolled himself back to all fours and started to mimic her movements- a little clumsy- but close enough.
Mut: (12:59:13 AM): "Not all water is a sea." She finished the slow movements, then drew a squigly line in the dirt. "Rivers are constantly moving, always trying to find their way to the nearest pond, lake, or sea. Then there's rain, always falling somewhere... And, of course, the sea."
Li Wei: (11:39:11 PM): "... I heard that FISH live in water." He'd never seen one. Only heard of them...and that lions could turn into them if they weren't careful! "Fish must be dangerous... do they fall in rain too! Do you think we'll get FISH here!?"
Mut: (11:46:00 PM): Mut looked up at the sky, ears lifted. "Doesn't look like it's gonna rain fish..." Looking back at the cub, she offered a smile. "I dunno if we'll get fish here, though. Maybe in the river!" Her eyes scanned the area, seeking out a river in question. Somewhere there had to be one, right?
Li Wei: (11:49:01 PM): His nose wrinkled a bit, "I already asked... there's no fish there. The water comes out of a rock. That's what Jaron told me. He's the boss. At least that's what he told me." He stood himself up, "What's a fish look like!? Can you tell me?"
Mut: (11:50:41 PM): "Maybe there's another river? There's more than one in the world, after all!" Looking around again, the lioness couldn't help sighing at the lack of rivers. Blue eyes returning to the cub, she tilted her head. "You've never seen a fish? I can make one in the dirt for you!" Using a claw, she carefully drew a fish. It wasn't the most artistically PERFECT fish, but it was a fish regardless!
Li Wei: (11:53:36 PM): He tipped his head from one side to the other, more fascinated by what she was doing than what she was actually drawing. "...wow... that's not what a lion looks like at all. How'd you do that?"
Mut: (11:54:36 PM): "It's supposed to be a fish... And I used my claw!" She made a crude attempt at a lion, starting with a little face, a mane, and a body with sticks for legs and balls on the ends of the sticks for paws. After she'd drawn a tail with a puff at the end, she smiled. "There, a lion!"
Li Wei: (11:56:39 PM): "Ooh!" He leaned back on his haunches and clapped his paws together. Nevermind where he learned that... or didn't. It seemed like a good idea.
"Me next!" He plopped down to his belly and started dragging his claw around... in squiggles, circles, and jagged lines. "Tah-dah! It's a bird!"
Mut: (12:00:45 AM): Leaning over to look, Mut smiled. "Impressive!" It was certainly better looking than her lion and fish! Thinking a moment, she began drawing an oval, adding a curved triangle-like line with a hook-line on the end, then several other lines. When she'd finished, she stepped back. "A scorpion!"
Li Wei: (12:01:33 AM): Li's looked more or less like a jellyfish, but if she thought it looked great, then it was great! The cub swelled with pride and began clawing at the ground some more. "Let's draw all the animals we've ever seen! My turn my turn!"
Mut: (12:05:06 AM): Carefully drawing in the sand and dirt, Mut went over all the animals she'd seen. Her giraffe was less impressive than her lion, it looked like a yam with sticks in it. Her zebras weren't much better...
Li Wei: (12:11:45 AM): Li didn't really seem to have any shapes coming out, just squiggles and circles in the sand. His eyes followed the dirt, the ditch his claw made, watched as the dirt pushed away...
Blood trailed after the claws... he could hear the echos of roars in the back of his mind. He remembered hitting the ground, his claws scraping at the ground in an effort to pus himself up. So many of them... roaring, clawing, biting...
"NO!" Li pounded his paws on the ground, over and over again as he shut his eyes, shaking his head back and forth.
Mut: (12:13:22 AM): Watching the cub, Mut frowned. "Are you okay...?" She took a step foreward, hesitated a moment, then placed a paw on his back, gentle and caring. The gentle touch of a mother, worried about a cub that was having a bad dream.
Li Wei: (12:14:48 AM): Li leaned over onto one of her forearms, bringing his paws up to rest on her. He didn't know what that was! What had happened!
"I don't like claws!" Was all he managed.
Mut: (12:29:47 AM): The lioness hugged him, patting him gently with a paw. "Then we won't use claws..." She made a note to herself, keeping her claws retracted.
Li Wei: (12:32:57 AM): "I'm sorry." He wiped at his eyes. What was that all about!? He wasn't even asleep? Unless...he'd heard of day-dreaming.
"I was...it was a bad day dream."
Mut: (12:36:23 AM): The lioness cuddled the cub, rumbling at him. "It's alright... You're safe, here, in the real world..." She looked up, watching the water reflect the sunlight. It was dazzling, like a dream. After a moment, she looked back. "How about we go take a nap? It's hot out, and the sun is rather bright..."
Thalion Koi (12:37:22 AM): He rubbed at his eyes. "You can take a nap. I don't wanna sleep right now. Gonna play in the mud." He brightened up a bit, "The mud feels real good on your skin. It tingles!"
Mut: (12:39:21 AM): Mut chuckled, nudging him with a paw. "Go play, then... I'm no cub, and I'm still recovering from that long journey to get here." To follow the Great River, as Kingu had called it, was indeed a long journey. The hard-rock desert was welcoming to the shifting sands along much of the river's course.
Li Wei: (12:40:19 AM): "You should bathe in the mud too! It'll make you feel better. Then go take a nap. Promise you'll feel right as fish when you wake up." He hopped up to his paws and gave one last wipe at his face.
Mut: (12:41:35 AM): The lioness let out a laugh. "Okay, I will, then!" Heading for the mud, her tail curled gently. When she'd found a suitable bush, she hung her bangles on it carefully, not wanting to lose them in the mud. THe first touch sent a pleasant shiver up her spine, before she soon stepped more into it.
Li Wei: (11:39:11 PM): "... I heard that FISH live in water." He'd never seen one. Only heard of them...and that lions could turn into them if they weren't careful! "Fish must be dangerous... do they fall in rain too! Do you think we'll get FISH here!?"
Mut: (11:46:00 PM): Mut looked up at the sky, ears lifted. "Doesn't look like it's gonna rain fish..." Looking back at the cub, she offered a smile. "I dunno if we'll get fish here, though. Maybe in the river!" Her eyes scanned the area, seeking out a river in question. Somewhere there had to be one, right?
Li Wei: (11:49:01 PM): His nose wrinkled a bit, "I already asked... there's no fish there. The water comes out of a rock. That's what Jaron told me. He's the boss. At least that's what he told me." He stood himself up, "What's a fish look like!? Can you tell me?"
Mut: (11:50:41 PM): "Maybe there's another river? There's more than one in the world, after all!" Looking around again, the lioness couldn't help sighing at the lack of rivers. Blue eyes returning to the cub, she tilted her head. "You've never seen a fish? I can make one in the dirt for you!" Using a claw, she carefully drew a fish. It wasn't the most artistically PERFECT fish, but it was a fish regardless!
Li Wei: (11:53:36 PM): He tipped his head from one side to the other, more fascinated by what she was doing than what she was actually drawing. "...wow... that's not what a lion looks like at all. How'd you do that?"
Mut: (11:54:36 PM): "It's supposed to be a fish... And I used my claw!" She made a crude attempt at a lion, starting with a little face, a mane, and a body with sticks for legs and balls on the ends of the sticks for paws. After she'd drawn a tail with a puff at the end, she smiled. "There, a lion!"
Li Wei: (11:56:39 PM): "Ooh!" He leaned back on his haunches and clapped his paws together. Nevermind where he learned that... or didn't. It seemed like a good idea.
"Me next!" He plopped down to his belly and started dragging his claw around... in squiggles, circles, and jagged lines. "Tah-dah! It's a bird!"
Mut: (12:00:45 AM): Leaning over to look, Mut smiled. "Impressive!" It was certainly better looking than her lion and fish! Thinking a moment, she began drawing an oval, adding a curved triangle-like line with a hook-line on the end, then several other lines. When she'd finished, she stepped back. "A scorpion!"
Li Wei: (12:01:33 AM): Li's looked more or less like a jellyfish, but if she thought it looked great, then it was great! The cub swelled with pride and began clawing at the ground some more. "Let's draw all the animals we've ever seen! My turn my turn!"
Mut: (12:05:06 AM): Carefully drawing in the sand and dirt, Mut went over all the animals she'd seen. Her giraffe was less impressive than her lion, it looked like a yam with sticks in it. Her zebras weren't much better...
Li Wei: (12:11:45 AM): Li didn't really seem to have any shapes coming out, just squiggles and circles in the sand. His eyes followed the dirt, the ditch his claw made, watched as the dirt pushed away...
Blood trailed after the claws... he could hear the echos of roars in the back of his mind. He remembered hitting the ground, his claws scraping at the ground in an effort to pus himself up. So many of them... roaring, clawing, biting...
"NO!" Li pounded his paws on the ground, over and over again as he shut his eyes, shaking his head back and forth.
Mut: (12:13:22 AM): Watching the cub, Mut frowned. "Are you okay...?" She took a step foreward, hesitated a moment, then placed a paw on his back, gentle and caring. The gentle touch of a mother, worried about a cub that was having a bad dream.
Li Wei: (12:14:48 AM): Li leaned over onto one of her forearms, bringing his paws up to rest on her. He didn't know what that was! What had happened!
"I don't like claws!" Was all he managed.
Mut: (12:29:47 AM): The lioness hugged him, patting him gently with a paw. "Then we won't use claws..." She made a note to herself, keeping her claws retracted.
Li Wei: (12:32:57 AM): "I'm sorry." He wiped at his eyes. What was that all about!? He wasn't even asleep? Unless...he'd heard of day-dreaming.
"I was...it was a bad day dream."
Mut: (12:36:23 AM): The lioness cuddled the cub, rumbling at him. "It's alright... You're safe, here, in the real world..." She looked up, watching the water reflect the sunlight. It was dazzling, like a dream. After a moment, she looked back. "How about we go take a nap? It's hot out, and the sun is rather bright..."
Thalion Koi (12:37:22 AM): He rubbed at his eyes. "You can take a nap. I don't wanna sleep right now. Gonna play in the mud." He brightened up a bit, "The mud feels real good on your skin. It tingles!"
Mut: (12:39:21 AM): Mut chuckled, nudging him with a paw. "Go play, then... I'm no cub, and I'm still recovering from that long journey to get here." To follow the Great River, as Kingu had called it, was indeed a long journey. The hard-rock desert was welcoming to the shifting sands along much of the river's course.
Li Wei: (12:40:19 AM): "You should bathe in the mud too! It'll make you feel better. Then go take a nap. Promise you'll feel right as fish when you wake up." He hopped up to his paws and gave one last wipe at his face.
Mut: (12:41:35 AM): The lioness let out a laugh. "Okay, I will, then!" Heading for the mud, her tail curled gently. When she'd found a suitable bush, she hung her bangles on it carefully, not wanting to lose them in the mud. THe first touch sent a pleasant shiver up her spine, before she soon stepped more into it.
