Welcome to Gaia! ::

This place by the sea was a place she had always wanted to be. She had been born with her brother by water and when they were old enough they traveled together for a while but her brother had gone his way and she hers. She had always wanted to go to a place that was more watery, where the water lapped its quiet sounds all the time.

That had lead her here, to the sea, to where the endless water met the shore and she was glad to be here. Taking a deep breaths he mounted the final rise, sliding down over the dunes she smiled a sweet smile as she took her first breath of pure salty air. This would be home.

Beyler had done his hunting for the day.  He wasn't the most proficient of the hunters, but he did his job well enough.  His sisters were all too grown up now to need him to look after them.  He was starting to feel rather adrift.  Things had settled down finally after the destruction of the tsunami, but his own life had settled down rather too much, by his reckoning.  He felt as if he had very little purpose in life, little to drive him on and make him a better lion.  Something was missing, but he wasn't entirely sure of what it was.

Thus he was out by himself, pacing along the beach.  He preferred long strolls on his own when something was on his mind.  It gave him the time and peace to think slowly through his problems, or to let himself feel out what exactly the problem was.  Today's stroll was not producing any answers, however.  All he'd been able to do was acknowledge that he felt...  hollow.  Amidst this unsettling revelation, he spotted a stranger.

"Uh...  hello," he called, neither challenging nor warmly welcoming.

The dark lioness jumped out of her fur, well, nearly, when Beyler spoke to her. "Oh..uh..hi.." She blinks owlishly her paws straddled, and her heart beating heavily in her chest. She was so focused upon the sea and the sounds of the waves that she hadn't heard the male approach.

She smiles a light, confused smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you coming." She clears her throat and looks at her paws. "I Uh..I didn't mean to intrude, I was..hum..looking for the pride here, I was told a pride lives on these lands." She looks up at him hopefully, she may have just wandered in to anyones lands, this may be a rogue even. She didn't want to trespass but she needed some information.

One lone female hardly qualified as a threat to the pride, or so he hoped.  He smiled more congenially at her, nodding his head.  "Yes, you are almost to the lands of the Bahari'mtoto."  He tosses his head back the way he'd come, his pawprints a fading sign of his path.  "Our borders are that direction."  He considered her hesitant, nervous way of speaking and wondered if perhaps he was being intimidating without meaning to.

"Were you looking for someone?  Or perhaps looking to join us?" he asked in a gentler tone, settling himself on his haunches in an attempt to look less looming.  The very idea of using his bulk to get his way was horrendous to him.  He never wanted to be feared for his size or for his gender.  If anything, he was more likely to be the meek and deferring kind, particularly with females.

The lioness flickers her ears a little nervously, she was used to males who were a bit less than civil, her brother wasn't exactly mr nice guy after all. Still, this male seemed kind enough. "Yes, I am looking to settle here. I have always wanted to live by the sea." She smiles meekly, her bright pink eyes smiling up at the tan and blue male.

"My name is Livathyan" she whispers bowing her head in a sort of act of submission. "W..Would you be able to show me your lands?" She lifts her head to look at him hopefully. She had to ask him, he was the first creature she had met for a long time, she needed someone to help her, to show her the way and he seemed nice enough.

"A pleasure to meet you, Livathyan," he greeted her, his tongue twisting around the unfamiliar name.  He might just start calling her Liva, for simplicity's sake.  "My name is Beyler.  You are certain to be welcomed to the pride.  Our numbers were lowered some time ago.  New members bring new strength."  He smiled gently at her, using his best cub-manners.  Some of the little ones were timid, and she reminded him of their hesitant ways. 

"I would be happy to take you and show you around," he added with a bob of his shaggy brown mane.  "Usually a guard would be the one to meet you, but you haven't quite reached where they patrol."  He ducked his head apologetically.  "They are much better at greeting newcomers than I am.  I'm just a hunter, you see."  He turned and began padding slowly the way he'd come, his own problems banished from his mind by the need of this lost rogue.

The dark lioness smiles and lifts her head properly, following the soft tan maned male. "Thank you, You can call me Livy if you like, my brother always called me Livy." She whispers "My mother like to choose unusual names." She pauses for a moment and looks at the big male "You must be a great hunter, you are so large." She whispers, a slight thought about his wavy mane and wind swept look made her giggle quietly.

Perhaps, here they all looked like that here, perhaps one day she would look like that too? She sort of hoped that she would be allowed to stay and that her fur became all curly and interesting like this males.

He chuckled softly.  "Livy would definitely be easier to say," he agreed.  "I was considering calling you Liva, but I will use the name you prefer."  He cast her a sideways smile.  "You don't have to whisper either.  I promise, I don't bite."  With those words, he endeavored to look as harmless and silly as a cub, with wide eyes, a ducked head, bumbling paws, and a goofy, startled expression on his face.  It never failed to make the cubs giggle, and he hoped it would put this nervous rogue at ease. 

He resumed his more normal expression and gave her a rueful look, ears folded slightly.  "I am great at nothing, I'm afraid.  Size isn't everything, and when it comes to hunting, often size just means your prey detects you sooner."  It was spoken wryly, with clear dismay at his own lack of expertise.  "I do well enough, but don't waste your admiration on me."  He flashed her another smile, a self-mocking one.  "I'm just an average joe here.  Wait until you meet my father.  Now he is worthy of admiration."  It twinged something in that hollow part to say it, but it was nothing but the truth in Beyler's eyes.

The lioness couldn't help but giggle at the big male acting like a silly cub, it made her feel a lot more relaxed and her muscles un bunched. She felt more relaxed around the big mall. She pondered if everyone here was as big as Beyler, if they were she would feel like a midget, she was hardly a tiny girl but she certainly wasn't a giant.

She tilts her head gently at the curly furred male. "You're clearly special." She smiles "You're willing to show a perfect stranger your home. Not everyone would do that." She felt a little sorry for Beyler, he clearly thought little of himself, she wondered if she could make him feel special. She had never tried to make anyone feel special before. If she got to stay she decided she would do something special for him to show him her appreciation.

He brushed aside her compliment, disregarding it entirely in his mind.  She was a stranger, after all, and hadn't met another soul in the pride.  He was confident in his heart of hearts that after meeting the others, she'd likely nearly forget all about him.  "I would hope the others of the Bahari would do the same as I," he said instead.  "You'd be surprised how many seek the ocean.  It calls to the hearts and souls of lions from all walks of life."  He gazed out at it meditatively as they walked.  "It speaks its own language, and even metes out its wrath."  He shuddered jsut faintly.  The tsunami had been more fury than he had ever imagined could exist.

They passed the border without meeting a guard, which was not unusual.  The guards did not have a set post, but an area to patrol.  They were at the very edge of that area, where the land met the sea, so it wasn't surprising to not meet him or her.  "Here begins our territory," he told his companion.  "Welcome home, Livy!"

The dark lioness laughed gently looking out at the sea, the land before her, the place she would call home. "Thank you Beyler." he smiles up at him with a sweet lovely smile, her bright pink eyes dancing happily. "I'm so glad yo showed me your home." She lets out a gentle pleased sigh taking a step on to the sandy plane of home.

She pauses and looks back at Beyler "Will you stay with me? Just for today..if you're not too busy?" She tilts her head gently, her bright pink eyes dancing hopefully. She knew they didn't know each other well yet but she felt relaxed around the big, bashful, funny and modest male.

It was an odd trilling feeling, having her ask him to stay with her.  It fluttered in his chest, freezing him in place for a moment.  She wanted him?  But a moment later he mentally shook himself.  Of course she did.  She was alone in a strange place, and he was the only one she'd met thus far!  He shouldn't take it so much to heart that she'd asked him.  He beamed at her warmly, nodding his head.  "Certainly, I'd be happy to.  I'm done with hunting for the day, so I am yours for as long as you need me."  Quietly he squashed the feeling of being special he'd had for a fleeting time, the flutter of strange delight fading into a more normal desire to please his companion.

"Let me show you the dens.  You can pick an empty one, and then I'll show you the nursery, the hunting grounds, and the coastline."  Keeping busy would be a handy way to pass the day, and he had to admit, spending it with this quiet lioness was quite appealing.  Even if she wouldn' t need him anymore after this.  At least he had today!

The lioness smiles happily and nudges the big male happily. "Thank you Beyler." She whispers, she was glad he was helping her, he was a sweet male, clearly her would bend over backwards to help another. She wondered why he was so modest he seemed amazing to her. And handsome, he was very handsome. "Lead the way." She puurs, happy to be shown his world.

He reminded her in a way of her brother, though he was less helpful, he had always protected her when they were younger. She had gone her own and the feeling of being alone had been with her for so long that finding someone, anyone had been a joy. It seemed though she had run in to the right person, the right creature to help her to settle in to this new world, her new home.