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 Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2012 5:06 pm
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2012 5:10 pm
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...although there might not be as much reflection and difficulty staying awake as usual. After a week of travelling, on their way from the swamp to the Great Mountain, the Jini-misemi are on a crash-course to, well, crash the Ela'wadiyi Moon Ceremony. Unintentionally, of course. (All Jini-msemi pridemembers who escaped the fire or were later rescued are with this group and may participate.)
 And look, there is a giveaway! Each post anyone from either pride makes will earn them a ticket, and at the end, these two cousins will be raffled off! The female is the daughter of Mantis Clan's alu'nadi and her mate, while the boy is the son of that mate's brother, who is a member of the swampie pride with his mate. Family, oi.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 12:35 pm
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The Moon Ceremony was a strange time for Tawa'di. He had died before the last Moon Ceremony was carried out, and through listening to Mana, learned of the sorrow his passing had caused the pride. No one had known that he would be reborn as a god, causing him to never leave his pride again. Being young, learning mistakes, yet remembering his past life had been very hard on the old-yet-young Tawa'di, and his time within the pride was normally hidden from the eye of many of the pride members.
This night, however, was an exception. He was out in the open with the rest of the pride, his wings folded tightly along his back. Mana, the goddess of the wind, was lingering in the background as well. He had to deal with this himself. He knew that there had to be some members who would feel a touch of bitterness that Death did not get its hold on his soul. Their loved ones didn't return, but Tawa'di did. He who was never a true wanidatsi.
"Skan," Tawa'di breathed, looking at his 'son'. Though their blood did no longer run parallel to one another, there was no doubt that their relationship was still father to son, mentor to student. Skan had done well on his own, and Tawa'di made sure to keep his mentoring to a minimum. His son had to make the tough choices on his own, and Tawa'di would only offer his advice when he felt he needed it.
"Yes, Father," Skan answered, and stepped before the crowd of his pride members who had gathered here tonight. This was uncomfortable for both of them, but culture and tradition demanded that he carry out this ceremony. Death was inevitable for everyone, even if his father had eluded it. Only a few knew of how Tawa'di became a god, and it was never spoken of.
"Welcome, everyone. I appreciate you coming for our final ceremony of the Sky Festival. Though we have gathered in terms of joy, we also much reflect on the past. The sacrifices of those that brought us here, and in turn our happiness, must be remembered. Though our time living in these lands is short compared to our original homelands, the land has been kind, and that can only be a reflection of those that guided their weary paws here."
He walked around a touch, feeling a nagging sense of worry. He tried to ignore it, and continued on. "I encourage everyone to think about their family that may no longer be with them, or those that have left these lands in search of new stories of their own. We only wish the best for our kin, and tonight we will breathe new life into them in their absence. Share stories, get to learn our grandfathers on the past, and let us never forget them."
With that, the members were free to mingle with those they chose, sharing stories of the past and possible future. Skan approached his father again, his tail twitching. "I sense something."
Tawa'di's eyes flared open, but he couldn't see much in the dark. "I have become useless without my second set of eyes. Only you can judge if what you sense is a vision."
Skan grumbled as he sat next to his father, his claws twitching as they poked the earth below him. |
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:02 pm
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 Skan Kanati was not the only one sensing something; La'u Khara'i had been staving off strange feelings for miles, dismissing them in annoyance as insignificant. How could she not feel strange, after all? The swamplands lay ruined by fire, forcing the pride to abandon the inhospitable remains and go in search of a new home. Within the first few days, while the missing had been searched for (and msot of them recovered), she had formulated a plan. She knew where they were going - though it was a far cry from their watery homeland, they would seek out the birthplace of her great-grandfather in the mountains.
Rather than take her bedraggled people, exhausted as they were and some of them injured, through the foothills of the mountains the entire way, she had opted to lead them straight north through easier terrain, and soon they would turn east towards the Great Mountain. And she did this with full knowledge that the territory they travelled through was not empty, but occuppied by their neighbors, the Ela'wadiyi.
They had shared a border for years, and though the prides had no official relations - and virtually no interaction, for that matter - this indifference encouraged her in taking a calculated risk that the other pride would not be hostile towards them if and when they encountered each other. To be perfectly honest, after a week of travelling, Khara was surprised that they hadn't seen anything of the Ela'wadiyi yet...and to be further honest, this made her a little uneasy.
The Queen, with the pale snake-king of the swamps draped over her neck, slowed her pace for a moment to converse with her younger aunt, who had led the search party to recover their missing, and was a fellow seer. The Ghost agreed that something was amiss, and they sent up her eagle companion to scout ahead. It might be more difficult for him to see in the darkness than in the daylight, but anything he could tell them was better than nothing. |
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:43 pm
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Tsi-Tsi was, like his sister, trying to do his best not to yawn from where he was sitting at their mother's feet. He knew it was important to be here and it wouldn't be very good if he fell asleep, but it was very late, for a young juvenile.
Shaking himself vigorously, the young lion began to weave through the crowds, trying to find someone his own age to play with...or some sibling to pick on.
Tseva was particularly close to where the Queen led the Jini-msemi. There was a very good reason for that, or rather eight of them. The young mother wasn't sure whether she should bless or curse the seemingly endless walking. On the one paw, her children were prone to wandering away from her, bored with the repetitive activity. On the other paw, after half a day they were so exhausted that they had no energy leftover to make trouble with. On a third paw, she hated to push them so hard. But between herself and her loving parents, there was only so much Tseva could do to spare her children. There were, after all, eight of them.
The black lioness sighed, keeping the action strictly mental, so as to not provoke unwanted and awkward questions from her offspring.
His paws hurt. So did his legs. And his tail. And his back. In fact, everything about Pas hurt. He wished that he could ride on Mommy's back. Or be carried by Grandpa. Or something! But Mommy had already explained things in that hard voice that said she was going to smack someone if they didn't stop asking questions and she'd said that there were just too many of them to carry. So instead of carrying a few of them, no one would be carried. Because that was more fair to everyone.
Pas didn't like it much, but he knew better than to question Mommy after she'd used that tone of voice. Huh. Speaking of voices, he had one and he could use it!
"When can we sleep?" the cub asked in a high-pitched voice, not quite whining. |
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:44 pm
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Eguskina closely followed after her sister, but was careful to not complain too much. She had been slightly injured in the fire, though her wounds were superficial compared to others. Feeling a sense of responsibility, she was doing her best to keep those with lowered spirits looking towards the future, as uncertain as it felt. Kina believed in her sister whole-heartedly, but it was hard to swallow the fact that their home was destroyed. A Ghost followed after her, though it was hard to see her in the dark. "Lela. How goes it?" the bright yellow lioness asked.
Lela's eyes were usually hooded, though it was hard to tell with her black eyes. She looked much like her father, as she had Seen him, and this had always assisted her in her love of living in the night. It was helpful at the moment, as her nocturnal habits were helping her to corral those tired ones who lingered too far away from the group. How....had the pride grown so large? Had she really become that unattached to her own kin that she never realized it? "They are tired, but alright. I hope we come across the natives soon, this silence is unsettling."
Kina sighed. "I'm not used to this hard ground, or how flat it is. The silence on top of that is making my skin crawl." The grass was alright, though it tickled between her toes too much. She had been happy to return home from her pilgrimage in due time, as she hadn't quite cared for the world outside of the swamps. The fact that she was thrust back into it by fear was irritating the normally cheery lioness.
Lela agreed with an unseen nod. "The cubs are getting a taste of the outside world without the spirits around them. It is unsettling, and bothers me more than I dare to describe. Hopefully we can rest for a longer period of time soon. Their mothers and father's can't carry them forever, as much as the other adults offer to help." Lela wasn't the best at caring for cubs, and having to help pick some up that couldn't walk anymore was an interesting and rushed learning experience. |
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:05 pm
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Sitting quietly alone, Hanaa whispered her prayers to herself as she arranged a set of stones before her paws. It was soothing to her to place them in such a way, paying special care to how each one sat on its own and in relation to its brothers, the repetitive motion calming her mind.
The prayers she spoke were part of the cause of her current distress, but it was not because the lioness herself had lost anyone... for all she knew, her sister Pacha was alive and well, living with her children, but the cream lioness had not seen hide nor hair of her since she had left, so long ago. This pride had become her home and she was happy here, but part of her mourned still, for what she had left behind her. Her parents had been gone far longer, but it was her missing sister that pricked at her heart the most strongly.
For the most part, Hanaa ignored the goings on with the rest of the pride at this moment, preferring to keep her prayers private. Despite how long she had been here, she had made few friends, and fewer still that she cared to share the ache in her heart with. |
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:10 pm
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 Mkimbiaji-a-Ghaibu was having her own problems with the long trek, even with the occasional rests they took. If some of the females might have thought walking with cubs to herd was difficult, they should have tried walking while they were still pregnant. Very, very pregnant. Her paws ached terribly, and the spotted lioness felt like she was about to burst. Even before this ordeal, her pregnancy had already been more difficult than her last; she'd only been carrying one cub then, and judging by how big she'd gotten, she was certain she had several more than that this time. She could only hope that they'd reach their destination soon, before she gave birth. She didn't even want to think about how much more difficult it would be if they didn't get there in time...
Mkimbi lowered her head and trudged onwards, using every ounce of determination she had to keep up even with the back of the group.
 Sensing an unease about his mate, the male who walked beside her pressed closer to nuzzle worriedly at her. He didn't ask if she was okay - the answer to that was abundantly obvious, and he already knew that she was in no mood to answer obvious questions. While she was normally quite a sweet lioness, her pregnancy and their recent circumstances had rendered her understandably moody, to put it lightly.
"I'm sure we'll stop soon," he said instead. "She knows we can't all keep this up."
And if they didn't stop soon, Badi was going to have words with their Queen. Words. |
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:18 pm
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Shangilia had had family once. She knew that, though they were a long time behind her now. They were nothing more than a distant memory, the Ela'wadiyi were her family now and they were all she had left. So, despite her intense dislike for posh social endeavors and discomfort in large groups, she attended every one of their ceremonies because she was eternally grateful for their welcoming embrace. Besides, the Moon Ceremony was a time for honoring one's path in life, and for all that she wished not to revisit the past it was unwise to ignore it completely. Her family was due some level of respect no matter how hard her emotions protested.
Tawa'di had performed her Tree Ceremony, and for that she respected him. His death had been painful for her, though she had never known him personally. She had never forgotten his words to her that day, "Keep your chin up; you are where you need to be. Your marking could only be seen as a beacon of hope in your new home. There is no need to worry about the past." Those words had gotten her through the weeks and months that followed, and now looking into that past to reflect rather than worry it kept her from crumbling under the weight of memory. Pursing her lips thoughtfully, she lifted her gaze from her forepaws to study those that surrounded her. They were her family, and yet she knew none of them. It was a problem she thought important enough now to remedy if only her heart would not fail her.
"Nerves do not suit one such as you..."
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:21 pm
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Nova never really spent much time near most of the pride, not without cause. The female had too many abandonment issues, even though she often stayed with Ulo and his family now... They weren't her clan, and growing up she'd been blessed to be minded by a few greying grannies and the mindful eyes of Kimba, whom kept to making sure she wasn't hurt when she wasn't around too often. Mating Ulo-- that was a private affair. But tonight-- well, tonight was a night for family. Reflection. Togetherness. And the female curled in a ball of fur and softness alone as she listened for others, silent, just outside eyesight. It was her Way, and for now, she wouldn't change it. She wasn't asleep, but she wasn't really... One to sit and dawdle. After a moment, the female rose, stretching and walking to find something to eat as she listened, smiling in passing at Kimba as she nodded to her father-in-law. She stretched, and moved forward, idly. Perhaps she'd find Ulo, or someone to talk to, instead of shadowing for once.
Company would be nice.
The giant red lioness nosed her granddaughter along, the two a good example of family. At least, Athena thought so. Athena.
It was an odd name to adjust to and odder still to be called, but... It felt right, a name given to her by spirits and a pride not as judgemental, so much as simply spiritual. Nearby, Shu--no, Shiva walked quietly, the much smaller female keeping close to her grandmother in timid shyness. The terrain was different; unique, in a way, really. Still, Athena was far more used to different locations in her life than the youth at her side, and new things made Shiva exceedingly timid. Athena admittedly wondered if it was of her mother's side, and not her own. She loved the female all the same, however. Carefully, she guide her over a stone, minding the darkness slowly, and smiled.
"Now, this isn't as bad, right?" Athena spoke softly. Briefly, she wondered if her old friend was nearby-- she thought she scented her in the Jini'msemi, and her own son. Her thoughts quickly returned to her grandcub, however, and Shiva nodded.
"Yes, Grandmother. It's getting easier to navigate; thank you." She smiled softly, and Athena smiled in return. Hopefully, they might travel easier soon.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:57 pm
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Mot so was not used to walking as much as he had, taking a break and slowly leaning against his brother, Pas, as he looked up to his Momma as they stopped. He wasn't ready to start bickering or whining like some of the other cubs had, feeling that he had out-walked his voice, and his paws were speaking in high, whining tones already.
He just wanted to lay down and stick them in the air, hoping to cool them off - but he was certain that he would look silly and stick out in strangely green foliage that was pretty cloying against his white pelt. At least some of his siblings were dark. How nice it would be, to be able to camouflage like them.
Watching the new group of lions join them - on top of the quiet talking between the tawny lions that she was learning were considered her new 'leaders' of a sort, the large warrior lioness started digging her claws lightly in to the ground lightly, uncertain about the feeling that was flowing between them. It had been a really exciting and energy-sapping short while since she had found the lion, Tabbris, in the rogue lands and they had accepted each other as a travelling partner, but seeing all these refuges didn't strike her as a rogue colony.
It seemed like something different.
Sighing lightly and keeping brown eyes open, she opted to silently observe, tail thumping lightly behind her as she continued the worry the ground, uncertain as to what would happen in the end.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 4:27 pm
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Domevlo was very very worried, and very very nervous.
He had not seen Mono at all since before the fire. He hoped beyond hope that she was on one of her usual ventures...to the Pridelands, if he remembered correctly? He certainly hoped that was where she was. Still, no one could miss the large, grizzly, lion's worry.
He was also nervous for another reason - the world outside the swamps had never been kind to him. In fact, it has quite often been downright hell. His past was a dark pit of horror. He had been safe from that world in the swamps. But now...
What were they going to do now?
He would not leave the pride, ever. Even though he thought to go find Mono. He was...too scared. He was too afraid to leave the protection of the pride that accepted him despite his horrific appearance.
However, the disappearance of Mono was not the only disappearance to concern him - their goddess.... Where was she now?
Evangeline walked over to her godfather and looked up at him, worry in her eyes.
"She's alright, you know? At least, I'm sure she is."
Evangeline didn't really know Mono all that well, but she must have been something to have his heart.
Of course, Evangeline had her own brood of little paws to look after as they traveled. Her little joys would of soon had to of begun their naming quests anyway, but she wondered how this uproar in the pride's current state was to effect that... If things got bad...she could perhaps accompany them to their unsuspecting father in the moon pride... But she didn't want to leave her pride. It would have been a last resort. Although she encouraged her younglings to make the visit.
Domevlo gave Evangeline a long look, but no reply. Silence was a common thing from him anyway, so she thought little of it.
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Fiore and Jinjurr were side by side - as always. Although there was some awkwardness going on between the two, the fire and subsequent migration brought the two back together. They set aside their squables for now.
Jinjurr cast a look up at Fiore, who only looked ahead. Silence was long and tart between the two, until.
"Don't think about them." Fiore said. Fiore...he had said things that had resulted in this...fissure between them. He should have known Jinjurr would take what he said to heart and try to follow his example, but it simply wasn't in Jinjurr's heart, his mold, to he like him. Fiore was proud to sew his seed and spread his greatness, and cast not a single thought to how anything went. Jinjurr, however, thought every single day about the cubs he didn't know. Since the pride began to move after the fire, he had thought about visiting the Pride Lands to see...but he was unsure. Jinjurr looked up to Fiore, even though Fiore had introduced such burdens to his heart.
Jinjurr just sighed in reply.
There were other things to be concerned about right now.
Elena was enjoying the festivities so much! There were so many new lions to meet! So much to see, so much to do! But this was a quite different ceremony, and there was a funny smell in the air....
When Skan spoke, however, she dismissed it. Stories! There were to be stories! Her young mind totally missed the more somber part of Skan's words. When he was done, she jumped up, stumbling a bit, as she was slightly groggy from all the other festivities, but still so so excited.
She completely forgot the strange smell in the air from before, as she trotted off to be nosey and eavesdrop on stories that wouldn't make since or hold much signifigance to her young ears now. Some day, though, when she was older maybe she would look back on them and realize what they meant.
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The last of the festivities meant a return to Elowehi's normal routine. Finally!
He was the eternal party pooper.
Every party needs a pooper that's why they invited you. Party pooopeeeeer. Party pooooperrrrrr~!
Unknowingly though, it wasn't just the festivities that would be disrupting his normal life. The unknown approach of the Swampies....who knew what effect that was going to have. SIIIIGH~! |
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 7:01 pm
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Anan wondered if his paws could get any more sore than they were now. Or his knees, or his hocks, or his back, or anything else. Even his tail seemed sore! In that, he was much of a mind with his brother Pas--enough that hearing him speak prompted the dappled grey cub to lend his own voice. "We've been walking all day," he chimed in, stating the obvious. He wanted to add more obvious things that maybe had been forgotten, like that he was hungry, and tired, but he knew better than to push his luck that far.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:09 pm
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Like his brother, he was sore from head to toe. He’d never walked so far in his life, which was relatively short at this point. The ground of their homeland had been so soft, slightly damp, and the trees had kept the climate cooler and somewhat more moist. Here the ground was hard, it cracked in places, there were rocks everywhere, and the air seemed….dry. Empty. It smelled funny and felt strange against his fur.
The dark cub plopped down to his haunches, stubborn and tired. He wanted to sit down but he didn’t dare ask to do so. Everyone looked so sad, so haunted that he half feared a short lecture for the request. It wasn’t fair… he wanted to go home. The fire had been terrible but for a cub who’s world was only just shaping it hadn’t quite set in yet that there was no going back. Not now. He expected to be taken home, laid down to rest in the soft moss patch, and wake up to the familiar trees and waters.
“Mm…” He groaned, hoping to gain his mother’s attention without actually having to say anything.
“GO GO GO!” A bundle of energy plowed into the back of the brooding cub, nearly knocking him bottom over top. Pit was an older cub who had grown out of the stout and awkward phase of cub hood into the stage that kept many a parent up past a sane hour. Energy, energy, and more energy. Of course, Pit had been the eccentric one since birth. He also seemed to lack any sense of despair or regret. There was always a silver lining and he was the first to find it.
“Come on! This is too cool- I mean that’s a mountain. A MOUNTAIN! I bet there’s all kinds of cool stuff up there! Magic. I bet it’s magic.” Pit turned back to the cub, who glared unhappily up from the ground.
“…You know if you flip right side up, that’ll be a smile.”
---
He rolled his ears forward, listening as the Wanidatsi opened the festivities with a warm welcome. It wasn’t as often as he would have liked when the clans came together, but the festivals were always exciting. Deprived of sight since birth, Howi always had an escort with him during the festivals. Kohana had taken him one year and his mother the year after that. This year, it was Chrodechild. She had always been too preoccupied to attend the festivities. A proud hunter and a fierce fighter, she and Kohana got along just fine but unfortunately that meant they often shared their disliking of anything social.
Seeing as Kohana had taken his younger brother once before, it was someone else’s turn. There had been a time when the young lion had felt like something of a burden to his family but now he saw it as his way of nudging them forward. Some were far too anti-social for their own good.
He listened with a smile, eager for the meat of the celebration to begin. The sounds, smells, and the multitude of stories to be had never got old.
Chrodechild kept close to her companion, her eyes fierce and her jaw set. This was far too much… it was an assault on the senses. There were so many unfamiliar faces here, so many that she didn’t know by name. It was intimidating as it was exciting. Howi certainly had made a big enough fuss about the moon festival that she was quietly curious as to just what kind of activity she would witness.
“So many…” She commented quietly. “I’ll never understand you, pale eyes.”
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