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 Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 3:21 pm
The familiar scent of the swamps was just starting to drift towards a creamy colored lioness. She wasn't exactly happy to be home, she hated leaving things with her sister the way she had, but she had to. Or..at least she felt she had to.
Strolling through soft earth and reeds, Baridi'ini, was home, her new home, that wasn't quite perfect but it'd do. She couldn't wait to see Gebali, to tell him everything and decompress.
Stopping for a moment to flick dirt off of her feet, Baridi looked into the distance, the sun would be setting soon, she was sure she had just enough time to make it to the den before dark.
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 3:34 pm
The land was so different, there were more trees than she had seen in a while and she should have been paying more attention to it. She had been sticking far enough behind Lala that she wouldn't be noticed but close enough she could still mostly keep an eye on her. When they reached the edge of the swamplands, though, it was harder to keep track of her. When she picked up the pace, suddenly she tripped over a rock. With a yelp and a stumble, she managed to stay on her feet but she was no longer well hidden.
"Fine, fine," she grumbled, feeling grumpy again. She hopped away from the offending rock and looked down at the foot that had tripped. It was sore but it would be fine. Stupid rocks.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 4:02 pm
Lala-Baridi was swimming with thoughts and emotions. She wasn't going to let the argument she had in the Pride lands taint her current feelings. She was going to stay positive and happy.
The lioness started to chant her new mantra softly, "I am Baridi'ini...I am Baridi..I am Bari-" What was that? She turned looking around the trees.
"Is someone there? It sounded..it sounded like someone might have been hurt. Is everyone okay?" Her voice quivered as she spoke. That's it Lala, imagine they're lions there and look weird talking to yourself...although if anyone hears then..well I'm not talking to myselg.
"Anyone?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:01 pm
Pipi jumped, standing straight and tall as soon as she heard Lala calling out to her. Her eyes widened and she glanced around. Stupid rock, now she was caught! But, it was bound to happen eventually. She was too far to go back home now, she was here and she would stay here.
"It's me," she called out finally, then she moved along to catch up to where Lala could see her again.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:15 pm
"Me who?" She looked and caught sight of her sister, "Pipi! You-you're here?" Lala-Baridi couldn't believe her eyes, she didn't have to think very hard on why exactly her sister was here.
"Is dad hiding in the bushes somewhere?" She didn't mean it as mean as it came out and her brow furrowed, "I mean..oh I don't know what I mean! It's such a surprise that you are here..you followed me all the way here."
Baridi blinked a few times to make sure she was seeing what she was seeing, yep..Pipi.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:21 pm
"No, I came by myself and you didn't notice a thing until I stubbed my toe," Pipi answered back with a tone to match the unintentional mean one that Lala shot at her, pleased to have made a point about Lala being unsafe, but it calmed down when Lala continued in a more flustered way, "You're the one who said I could come. Bet you didn't think I'd take you up on it." She was smiling now, but it was somewhat pompous. She might be proving a point and trying to be spiteful, but deep down she was glad to be with Lala. It would be more obvious once they got a chance to calm down.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:32 pm
"No..I didn't even know you were following me," Baridi replied after a moment, "I certainly wasn't expecting you to take me up on the offer. I'm glad you care."
She felt awkward, she was happy and not happy, angry and sort of confused. If Pipi had come all this way perhaps, Baridi felt, that perhaps there was something crazy about the way Baridi was holding herself together.
"Will you stay? Will you meet Gebali and some others?" Lala hoped she'd stay, it might be awkward, and she knew Pipi's feelings about her situation, but she hoped.
"Are you really going to stay by my side day and night?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:04 pm
"Of course I'm staying!" Pipi exclaimed with exasperation, somewhere between annoyed and extremely amused now, "You aren't going to get rid of me that easily. We'll see about sticking with you day and night, but I definitely have to meet Gebali. Have to make sure he's good enough for my sister."
See? she thought to herself, trying to gain more confidence, I have plenty of good reasons to be here.
"How much farther is it?" she asked, "We've been walking quite a while."
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:23 pm
"Oh, I think you'll like him," Baridi nodded, "he is a very nice lion." Her mood lightened as they spoke; it was a good thing Pipi came, although Baridi didn't think she would admit it to her sister. "It isn't that much farther from here..well a little bit, we're at the very edge of the lands right now."
"I wont put up much of a fight for you to stay here, I think that you might like the swamp," having said that she turned and started walking toward the direction of the pride.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:42 pm
"We'll see about that!" Pipi said, but she was cheerful and rather excited to meet Gebali. Part of her was set on threatening him for keeping Lala here when it was so dangerous. If he was going to do that, he better be making sure she was safe. Even if Pipi was here to help now.
"I'm curious to find out why you like it so much," she added when Lala said she might like the swamps, "Is there anything I should know before we get there?" The Pridelands was pretty simple to join but Lala had already described some ways that made it sound very different and much more complicated. Besides, Pipi knew she would need to be at least a little bit convincing if she wanted to join. And just as importantly, she needed to be convinced. Lala was a good reason but she didn't want to offend anybody accidentally by not showing sufficient interest.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:02 pm
Baridi'ini felt ecstatic! Her sister was going to be staying here, and as much as it seemed at first that Pipi didn't want to be here she was acting happy and interested in the pride.
"things to know," Braidi'ini repeated, there were a lot of things about the Jini-msemi, they were an interesting bunch. " I suppose I should try and tell you the right way about the naming. Mothers give their cubs pet names..or baby names and they are called by that name until they hit adolescence. The King or a noble sends all adolescence of the pride out on a naming quest to find their perfect and true name. When they come back they're known by that name." Baridi stopped speaking going over what she had said, was that the right thing to say? Had she explained it any better than before? Gosh, was she saying an awful lot!
"They're a very spiritual bunch, they believe in spirits in the swamps that speak to them, they look to the spirits for guidance," she had another moment to pause and collect her thoughts as she walked, "Lately they say the spirits have bee quiet..Gebali especially..sometimes he knows things about others that he couldn't possibly know, he says it's the spirits..but I've never heard the spirits around him, and he doesn't say when they're talking."
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:36 pm
Pipi listened, nodding to everything her sister said about it and trying to absorb the information. She held back any commentary until the end when given the opportunity to speak up. She had a few lingering questions, and it wasn't even about the spirits.
"And you," she said, tilting her head, walking along at Lala's side, "You had to change your name because you're an adult and now you live here. That means I have to change mine, right? Do I have to do it right away or what happens exactly?" If Gebali had named Lala, would someone have to name her? What exactly happened?
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:33 pm
"Yes, Gebali'moyo gave me my name," she nodded as she continued to walk, "When an outsider comes in someone in the pride will get to know then, or knew them from their naming quest and will give them a new name to start there life here with."
"So, yes, you'll have to change your name..if you plan on joining the pride officially," Baridi thought about this, if her sister was asking these questions was she planning on living here indefinitely? Baridi thought that her sister was staying to ensure she was safe and until the danger passed.
"Not right away, it's not instant...someone will have to get to know you and name you. So once you've been here for awhile someone will name you." I could name you..I know you..but I want to know more about you since you've grown, she thought.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:50 pm
Pipi thought about it as Lala explained how she would get a new name more clearly. It made some sense, she supposed. Wait a while so they could figure out who you were and you would get some name appropriate to your identity. She nodded slowly, trying to imagine going by some other name but finding it difficult. She was having a hard time calling Lala by another name, she was still Lala in her mind. But she had another concern about that.
"Ok, but," she started, trying to think of how to word her next question, "You keep talking about the pride like they're completely separate from you, I haven't heard you say 'we' yet. It's all been 'they'. Are you really Baridi-whatever or are you still Lala?" Now that she said it, she felt kind of silly. But now she also realized that was one of her major problems with the whole thing. Lala didn't sound like she was included.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:04 pm
Baridi stopped in her tracks looking over at Pipi, "I hadn't thought of it that way. I am Lalakesha and Baridi'ini...both together."
"I don't know if I really follow the pride's religion yet..but I know that the longer I am here the more I love and trust these lands. It's been sort of odd switching my pride and faith. I know that I love Gebali very much and I trust that he wouldn't take me to a pride where he knew I wouldn't be welcome and fit in." She hadn't analyzed it too much before, Baridi thought about it critically and could only come up with one statement.
"So...I am both...I have all the experiences of being Lalakesha and all of the new experiences of being Baridi'ini together I think they make a perfect lioness."
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