Quiet days were her favorite. It allowed Tilifika to relax and take her time while she tended to her shrine. Not that she didn't love showing other animals the wonder of the Jungle god but sometimes it was nice to just have time to think and reflect. The pride seemed to be going through a growth spurt and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not. She was a creature of habit and preferred to avoid change at all costs. Thankfully the changes hadn't affected her or her routine too much. There wasn't much to do today so this was one of those rare times that Tilifika left her shrine to wander around a little. There was a lot to explore but never really had the chance to. Even though she spent most of her time tending to her shrine, she had noticed that there seemed to be an increase in number of young children running around. She hadn't thought about having any of her own but she couldn't help but admire them from afar and the youth and innocence that seemed to follow them around.
Along the way on the young leopard's journey through the pride lands, she spotted a greyish green lioness walking nearby. She froze, wondering if someone had told someone else to find her. But she was old enough to venture out, now, wasn't she? She blinked, thinking quickly at whether she should dash off before she was spotted or not. In her slow process of thinking, she managed to stay completely still as her eyes glazed over the scenery.Maybe if she stood still enough, the green lioness wouldn't notice.
Raising a brow, Tilifika had seen the leopard in the distance but didn't think too much of her. She had been a rather rebellious child and escaped from her parents often so it wasn't too strange to her. She was rather amused when she noticed that the leopard seemed to stop in her tracks. Unfortunately for her, her blue fur didn't seem to blend well with her surroundings. The lioness looked straight at the young leopard and grinned. "Hiding from something?"
She knew! The adult knew! Staying in place didn't seem like such a good plan anymore. So, the juvenile simply stared back, remaining in her spot and pawed the ground a little. Maybe if she ignored the green lioness... She would go away? She sighed, knowing of course that wouldn't work, especially since the adult knew she was up to something now.
"Mom didn't send for you, did she..?" she asked out in a barely audible whisper.
She wasn't hiding from something in particular, but if her mother had gone looking for her when she was out exploring... well...
Shaking her head, Tilifika had no idea who her mother was but she had seen the litter running around before. "Nope, I don't know where your mother is. Are you supposed to be with her or at home?" Smiling slightly at the leopard, Tilifika remembered what it was like to take advantage of every opportunity to explore and get away from her family for a bit. Though as she had grown up, her adventurous nature seemed to subdue itself as she settled into becoming a shrine keeper for the pride. Maybe that was just a part of maturing... "So what's your name?
Well, at least she wasn't being searched for, apparently. But the question still posed the possibility of being taken back to the others... She shyly smiled, giving her honest answer.
"I don't know. I'm Esha."
She then stood upright again and began walking off into the distance, as if the meeting had never occurred. That was strange. Wasn't the green lioness supposed to be tending to something? Her mother had the job of working with stones... There were others who then had to watch those stones. In fact, maybe the lioness was being bad by walking away from her work, just like she had walked away from her siblings!
So she stopped just a few steps into her walk and looked back at the friendly adult, still giving her shy smile.
"Please don't tell? I won't tell on you if you won't on me."
Tilifika smiled once more and responded, "Hello Esha. My name is Tilifika." She really preferred keeping to herself and sometimes she forgot what it was like to socialize within the pride. It was just so much easier taking care of her shrine and sticking to her duties. Thankfully she had pretty much completed her tasks for the day or else she wouldn't have had time to wander. Though who knew when there would be visitors... "Of course I won't tell. Yes, please don't tell on me for being away from my shrine." Chuckling softly, Tilifika liked this little leopard, she seemed pretty intelligent for her age.
"Ti li fi ka?" Esha repeated quietly, finding the name to have far too many syllables for her liking.
Her mom was Edea, her siblings Jiyu, Jatayu, Nena, Kanae, and Isamu. Those were all easy to say, and relatively short. Jatayu, however, could be a little long... But Esha remembered it because he looked the most like her. Esha then bared a small grin at Tilifika, walking up closer to the lioness to get a better look at the towering form. She guarded a shrine? She hadn't really met one of those who kept and tended to the shrines before, nor had she met one of the gods the shrines were supposed to be dedicated. But when she thought about it, she hadn't really met anyone aside from her siblings; she usually was simply quiet around strangers and just never got to know them. She didn't even really play with any other cubs, other than her siblings. So, with a bold move, she decided to stay a little longer and stared up at the lioness.
"...Oh, you have a shrine? Which one?" she inquired, feeling curious, "Have you met god the shrine is for?"
Tilifika giggled and realized that she did have a strange name. Her parents were a little eccentric in the first place so all of her siblings had strange names. They just named their kids whatever they felt like it without thinking too much about what it could possibly sound like. "Yes, I tend to the Jungle shrine." Shaking her head at the juve's other question, Tilifika wished that she had the chance at least one more time. "I met him once but I was a very young cub. He guided me out of the forest when I had gotten lost. I never saw him again but I'd like to think that he's still out there keeping an eye on me." She never really had understood why or how he had helped her out of the jungle but she never questioned it. There were just some things in life that should be kept a mystery. So when she was asked which shrine she wanted to keep, the answer the easy and obvious for her.
Oh, the Jungle shrine... What was that? She turned her head, puzzled, and blinked. Maybe she passed by it but never really cared long enough to ask what it had been. Her mother probably had to do with all of the shrines and stones in the pride, since she etched things in with her claws, after all.
"Ooooh..." Esha said, losing all apprehension about her tendency to remain quiet, "That's cool! I've never met one. But mother talks about gods from talking with Salma. They're really great. Maybe he'll come to you and see you're not a cub anymore. Do you think he'll remember you?"
She smiled brightly, questions beginning to form despite her usual resolution to be calm and unmoved by such information, usually concluding things and keeping things to herself.
"Can you take me to your shrine?" she asked, hoping to actually see it and know one of the landmarks within the pride; it was time to start remembering these things.
Nodding, Tilifika was very devoted to the Gods and she knew that they were very important in the whole scheme of life. She never doubted them and she was very happy that she was allowed to become a shrine keeper. "I hope he does. Without him, I wouldn't even be here right now." Tilifika did wish that one day she would get the chance to at least thank him but for now, hopefully he could hear her prayers. Snapping out of her reverie, the lioness nodded at Esha's request. "Of course I could. It's about time I headed back there anyway and we're not too far from it." Tilifika turned around and nodded her head in the direction that they were going in. "I try to keep it presentable all of the time. I hope that you'll like it. It's this way."
Esha nodded when Tilifika said she would take her to the shrine. She probably could find her way back to the rest of her siblings when she got there. She was somewhat excited at the prospect of learning and seeing something new - though it probably actually wouldn't be new, but rather... look different than what she had seen before. This time, she would actually pay attention!
