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 Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:35 pm
 "Mother Eywa, I know you will hear me, even though you are not with us right now. I pray to you for guidance."
The voice, very soft and serious, barely audible over the perpetual burble of water running over stones, belonged to a young male who would very soon reach adolescence, which meant that he would have to choose what he would do. It was an important decision for him, and one which did not come easily.
"I want to choose a path which will make me an asset to the People," he explained to his absent goddess. "I know that I will not follow in my father's footsteps as a warrior, because I don't think it's in me to fight except in defense, and I believe I lack the skill to be a crafter, though perhaps that is something which can be taught and learned."
He closed his eyes, pale eyes which some initially thought indicated blindness, and put as much into his last words as he could. "Please help me help the People."
He remained still and silent with his eyes closed for some time, focusing on sending his prayer to Eywa.
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Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 7:54 am
Laini didn't like this place. There were too many branches to trip over and thorns to step on. Her paws were sore, and so were her forelegs - she kept whacking them on the roots of trees and things! No, Laini certainly wouldn't be coming back here.
Not one to disguise herself, Laini appeared in her Goddess form, small wings stretching to their full length before folding again, as the juvenile picked her way through the foliage. In front of her her bat familiar hovered in the air, giving small squeaks to try and guide the blind Goddess. However, it was made more difficult by everything in her way. In the savannah there was just bare open groun, so Laini could surge forwards without any fear for what she might run into - because there was nothing there. But here, in such a dense forest...well, it wasn't as easy.
"Jichoooo," Laini whined softly, flopping down on the branch she was busy trying to clamber over. She was tired - she didn't want to move anymore. "Can we take a rest, please?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 8:10 am
Txur heard the sound of what was probably the clumsiest progress through the forest to ever reach his ears and turned one ear in its direction. So much for solitude for prayer, he thought as he heard what was inarguably a female voice calling out for someone. Jicho? He didn't know anyone in the pride by that name.
He crept carefully from his special place in the small grotto behind a miniature waterfall, effortlessly evading the spray, and went to investigate the source of the sound. Maybe it was the rude girl Falk had described to him a while ago. He'd dismissed her because he didn't think it likely he'd ever have to deal with her, but maybe he had been overly hasty in that assessment.
He made his way through the trees and roots without difficulty until he reached his destination and saw a lovely lioness with wings. A goddess. For a moment he could scarcely believe his eyes. Was this Eywa? He didn't know who else it could be. Her coat was blue, just as many in the pride were, and she was obviously a goddess, and he only knew of the one.
"I see you, Mother Eywa," he said, stepping forward so that he wasn't hidden in the trees.
He didn't say anything more, partly out of awe and partly because he was still trying to wrap his mind around the idea that the Mother had come to him in person. Well, not exactly to him, but close enough. The thought was mind-boggling.
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Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 2:10 pm
Laini glanced up as she heard first the rustle of another creature - her ears were far more finely tuned, partially due to her disability and partially due to her being a Goddess. She heard the twig snap under their paws - it wasn't a harsh sound, though, she it was either a young big cat, or a smaller creature. That meant she didn't need to be too scared - only big cats could really hurt her, right? When a voice spoke out, Laini was more accurately able to turn her face in that direction, ears pinned back, nose twitching.
"Who's there?" she asked - Jicho had already descended on Txur, chattering and flapping in the boy's face in an attempt to distract him and protect the young, vulnerable Goddess. "Eywa? Who's Eywa? I'm confused," she whined softly, ears flattening against her skull and tail curling around her legs, almost as if she were hugging herself. "I'm Laini."
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Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 8:44 am
"Hey, stop it!" Txur exclaimed.
Txur started and backed up hastily in an effort to avoid the bat's fluttering and squeaking. He'd not often seen bats beneath the canopy, though the light was dim enough that he shouldn't have been surprised to encounter one even in the daylight. He even swatted at the creature once, just for good measure, though he kept his claws retracted. Life was precious to the people of his pride, and he didn't want to accidentally do harm when it wasn't necessary.
"I'm sorry. I thought you were Mother Eywa, the patron goddess of my pride," the young lion said, crouching to get away from the goddess's bat. He had no doubt that she was a goddess, even if she apparently wasn't Mother Eywa, and he now regretted that he'd swatted at her bat, but even the Iknimaya were allowed to defend themselves if they were being attacked. They weren't that pacifistic.
He didn't mean to make her unhappy, as she obviously was, and hastened to say something which would make it all right, even though all he could come up with was to introduce himself. She had asked who was there, after all, and if she wasn't Mother Eywa, she could hardly be expected to know who he was, so introductions were probably in order anyway.
"I'm Txuratan," he said from his crouching position. "Is the bat yours? Will you call it off?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:54 am
Jicho was too quick for the cub, flitting and fluttering and diving to avoid any swats he placed, though keeping close enough to continue annoying Txur. Once he'd established that the young lion wasn't a threat, however, he backed off with a small hissing sound, landing back on Laini's hind.
Laini continued whining. The lion sounded fairly young, but she was still wary, especially after her meeting with the horrible lion. The one with the mask, who'd attacked her. Oh, that was right...she could see if she wanted. But she didn't want to right now, it made her tired, and she just wanted to sleep.
Txuratan? "That's a weird name," Laini stated simply, though was glad that the stranger seemed friendly. She dropped her submissive position a little, standing a little straighter and looking more curious, blind eyes struggling to focus on anything. "Jicho's mine - but he's only trying to protect me."
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Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 6:19 am
"He's surprisingly good at it, for something so small," Txur remarked.
Txur had cowered for another few moments after the bat fluttered away, making sure he wouldn't return and make another attempt. He'd never been flown at like that before, but he hadn't enjoyed it in the least. It had been terrifying to suddenly have something flying at his face that he couldn't hope to keep up with and which squeaked and occasionally struck him. He supposed he ought to be glad he'd not been scratched or bitten. He'd heard bad things could happen to lions who were bitten by bats, that they sometimes went mad.
"My name means 'strong light' in the language of my people," Txuratan said explained, and then continued. "I'm not really sure why that name was chosen for me, but I like it. The priestesses say it was probably for the light inside me. I don't know if I believe people can have light inside them. I feel like that sort of thing would be able to be seen, like at night."
Slowly, he rose from his crouch and took a half-step forward. There was something about this goddess - he was positive she must be a goddess - which was different from anyone else he'd met. Something about her eyes. Well, they were prominent thanks to their markings, but that wasn't it. There was something else about them, the way they moved, maybe? He'd never seen anyone who was blind before, and he was too polite to ask about it.
"What's your name?" he asked, hoping that wasn't being too forward. He didn't know the protocol for dealing with strange deities.
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Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:25 pm
His name meant strong light? Laini frowned, thoughts turning to her own name. Did her name mean anything? She'd never been told it did, and she wondered if she should make one up to make herself look cool. It might even be true - for all she knew Laini could be 'awesome' or 'amazing'. Shaking her head softly, she decided against it, instead only giving a soft shrug, "I don't know what mine means."
She heard him take a footstep towards her, and shuffled back a little, scared. Ears flattened against her head, Laini's eyes dashed about, searching for somewhere to focus. "I already told you, its Laini," she replied a little moodily, scowling. Did mortals not know how to listen?
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:52 am
"Laini, right," Txur agreed. Had she really told him that already?
"I think I may have been distracted at the time. I am sorry. I'm not used to being assailed by bats." He looked at her a little moodily, unaware that his look would be totally ineffective, since she wouldn't see it.
"I still think it's a pretty name, and it probably means something wonderful. But it doesn't really matter what a name means, I suppose. Some of them just sound pretty." With a shrug he added earnestly, "Yours does. I like it. It's much easier to pronounce than my name is."
He liked his name very much, actually, but he was trying to placate the young goddess. He didn't know what she was the goddess of, but he knew he didn't want her to be angry at him. It was true, though, that his name was difficult for some people to pronounce. He'd grown up with it, and so it posed no problems for him, but not everyone had that advantage.
"What brings you here? Aren't your parents worried about you being out on your own? I get in trouble all the time for going off without asking permission or telling anyone where I'm going." It was really the only way in which he didn't strive to conform perfectly to the pride's ways.
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 11:37 am
Laini pouted, watching Txur warily. Sure, perhaps he wasn't particularly dangerous, but he was a little bit annoying. She'd already told him her name! She grumbled a little at his 'excuse' - Jicho wasn't that distracting, Laini could talk to him and concentrate on what someone else was saying at the same time! But then again, Jicho wasn't...attacking her face.
Pretty name? That was what everyone said, and really, the only person who's opinion mattered was Airi. Airi, and maybe Tari. She nodded in agreement with his comment that it was easier to pronounce, cracking a weak smile. He asked why she was here, and mentioned her parents. Laini passed over the plural meaning of the word, instead continuing persistantly, "I'm looking for my Momma! She's lost, and needs me to find her!" She smiled brightly. "Jicho and Pala look after me in the meantime!"
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 7:34 am
Laini's pout wasn't easy to miss, but Txur had sisters and he was fairly used to dealing with them when they were in pouty moods. Most of the time he either ignored the fact that they were pouting and went on as if everything was normal, or else he would try to jolly them out of it. He was on the verge of attempting the second one with Laini when she answered his question about what she was doing here.
His smile vanished with her answer, to be replaced by a much more concerned expression which faded somewhat when she added that someone was looking after her, though he had his doubts about a bat's suitability for the task. He didn't know who Pala was, but he wondered how good they were at looking after Laini, if she had managed to get herself lost. Just the same, the fact that her mother was lost struck him very hard. He had kind of a thing about mothers.
"I'm glad you're not out looking for her alone," Txur said truthfully. And then, in the typically thoughtless way of a juvenile, he added, "I could help you look, if you like. Do you know what she looks like? I might have seen her."
It wasn't likely that he'd seen her mother - he would definitely remember meeting any other deity, or even seeing one - but it was good manners to ask. Besides, he could always keep his eyes open, just in case she came along. It was not so much tact as the fact that it hadn't occurred to him, but he didn't ask how long she had been looking for her mother.
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Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 9:12 am
What her mother looked like? Laini frowned, "Uh, welll.kind of. I sort of remember, but its only like...like distant and stuff? I dream about her all the time, though! She's big and white and fluffy!"
Just like Airi! Laini purred a little as she remembered the fluffy God - his mane had been so soft! Piping up, in a slightly better mood now, Laini continued, "Lots of lions have said they'll help!"
ooc// ugh, sorry for the shortness ;;
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Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 8:36 am
Big and white and fluffy. That wasn't terribly helpful. He only knew a few white lions. His brother, Falk, was white. The heir to the pride, Pietr, was white. Other than that, he didn't think he knew of anyone who was white. And he had never seen another goddess, that much was certain. But he would watch for one now.
"I'm glad to hear that!" Txur said. It always pleased him to hear that others were being good and generous. And the fact that it seemed to make Laini happy, too, was even better. She'd seemed so unhappy when he first saw her, he was glad that her spirits were lifting.
"If I do see her, and you're not here, how should I get word to you?" the juvenile asked.
It was an unusually perceptive question, perhaps, for someone his age, but Txur had always been fairly good at that sort of thing. However, his maturity still tended to come and go, as was natural for a lion of his age. He grinned quickly and then said brightly, "Would you like to play something? Or perhaps you'd like to see my special place? There's a pool there with fish in it."
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 5:43 am
Glad to hear lots of lions would help? Laini's smile brightened further - she was glad to know so too! Wagging her tail, a little like a canine might, though she faltered as he brought up a valid concern. She hadn't thought of that... "I, uhm...oh, and you can't go to the God's Haven..."
It was easier for Gods to let her know, since Gods were easy to find in the Gods Haven! Frowning, she suddenly gave a slight gasp, smile widening and tail resuming it's rhythmic wag. "I'll come back and visit you, every now and again! You can tell me then!" It was one of her better ideas, she was sure of it! Jicho huffed, but said nothing more.
Play something? Laini frowned. "I can't really see your special place, can I?" He wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, this cub, was he? "Not unless you let me use your sight."
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 7:00 am
"The God's Haven? That must be where you live most of the time. With...Pala?"
Txur had never heard of such a place, but it wouldn't take a genius to figure out what it was. Obviously it was a haven for gods. A safe place where they could...do whatever it was gods did without interruption. He didn't think it very likely that they would actually need safety, but privacy would probably be nice. He guessed mortals could be very demanding.
"You will? Really? That would be wonderful. I'd be really happy to see you again. And...since you get to travel a lot, it sounds like, maybe you could tell me about the world outside." The blue juvenile didn't want to leave his pride, ever, but he didn't mind hearing about the outside world. The stories might be amusing or entertaining, and perhaps help him understand the world and his pride better.
Txur was confused by Laini's frown, and then further confused. At last it came to him in a blinding flash and he was mortified. With a dull horror, he wondered how many times he'd referred to being able to see, and how thoughtless one person could be.
"I'm sorry! I honestly didn't realize you...You just seem so normal. For a goddess, I mean. Um. I should be going, actually. I'm sorry. Um. Bye!"
It wasn't the most well-phrased farewell he would ever speak, but the flustered cub couldn't help it. He was embarrassed by his discomfort, but by the time it occurred to him that perhaps simply turning tail and retreating, even after offering excuses, might not have been the best way to handle things it was too late and he'd already gotten most of the way home.
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