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 Posted: Tue May 08, 2018 1:54 am
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What on earth was she? Well that would have been Ijiraq's response if it wasn't for the fact that the lioness had already met a hybrid before. In fact, one of their diplomats was a hybrid who had settled comfortably into life as a Bahari. Thus, while Meera looked somewhat different than this particular hybrid, it was through the process of elimination that the striped female determined she was most likely a hybrid too.
...And one that wasn't shy either.
Fortunately this meant that Meera would probably fit right in to the festivities and while Siarnaq continued to make his way into the water,, Ijiraq turned her gaze away from him and regarded the paler female for a period of time. It was to pose the question - to an outsider the entire proceedings might have looked a little bizarre.
"We are...Asking the sea for its blessing," she replied after a moment and smiled. "Well my brother is right now," she admitted and shook her head. "I haven't yet done it, but part of the process is going in to the water. You let it take you on a journey and depending on that journey...you'll know whether you're favoured or not," she finished and nodded to her brother.
Just as she did so, Siarnaq had reached a deep enough area of the water to stop paddling and had slowly but surely allowed himself to sink. He didn't seem overly concerned at this point, simply providing his sibling and their newest arrival with a brief glance as he disappeared. It was a process that didn't even seem to take terribly long either, as no sooner had he sunk to the bottom...than the waves had flared up and thrown him rather unceremoniously back onto the shore.
...Well, it was unceremonious for one of his size, for a cub it probably would have looked quite adorable.
"I think I'm good!" he conceded in a muffled voice as he corrected him posture, sand still in his maw. "Also, hi."
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Posted: Tue May 08, 2018 6:06 pm
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It was her favorite time of the year. Faatina still remembered her own Rites of Passage quite fondly, and smiled at the thought of it. It had been a small, private ceremony with her seven siblings, a somber yet exciting affair. Nothing like the large event it had grown into as of recent; but this was almost more exciting. She saw both rogues and Kizingo'zaa about, joining in on all of the fun and it made her heart feel as if it was going to burst. The Bahari'mtoto needed this - the kinship, the carefree feelings - in the midst of all that had gone on recently. She glanced back, suddenly remembering that she had brought with her another lion, one slightly less familiar (merely due to his young age) with the rites.
A happy go lucky lion, Opochtli bounced about, jittery with excitement. He tended not to dwell on the past, and thus chose to avoid the mental topic of the pride's recent tragedies. Instead, he focused his attention on the lioness before him. Although much older than he - and his childhood Hlare to boot - that did not stop his eyes from forming into hearts at the sight of her. It was silly, he knew, but he'd yet to find another young lioness to set his sights on. In fact, this event - the rites of passage - seemed like the perfect opportunity for him to meet some young, eligible lionesses. Quirking a brow, he smiled softly and glanced about, scanning the crowd for lonely ladies to pursue. |
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AstoriaFallen
AstoriaFallen
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2018 12:02 am
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As Lit looked around his gaze finally fell upon the familiar face of Kawai and he smiled warmly as she approached him and nuzzled her affectionately in return. "I wouldn't miss this for anything." Eyes glistening with pride as he then watched the youngster approaching the cool waters. "It is indeed, and for some of your siblings as well I see." He motioned towards some of her siblings who were also partaking in the festivities that were this day. He remembered doing it when he was younger but it would seem even some of his own siblings, the other ones, had decided to wait until now. "Are you doing alright? I cannot express how sorry I am...." His voice faded as he leaned in and gave her a deep hug.
- - - - -
Pili looked over towards Dab and did her best to give him a smile but she just wasn't feeling it. "Morning Dabadaye." Giving him a bright smile she turned and Aza gave Pili a pat on the shoulder and decided to let her and her mate be for a bit, moving away from the pair she decided to go over towards Hima, she knew well enough what she'd be getting into by going closer to the female. Pili let out a sigh and looked at her mate and did what she could to be more cheerful but it was just such a terrible thing that this pride had gone through lately on more than one account. "Why is the world so dark sometimes?" Not really expecting him to know the answer she was just really thinking out loud.
- - - - - -
There were no easy words to say to the female about the loss she must be feeling. "He will be memorialized as a hero, at least there is comfort in that." She doubted anyone would speak ill of the dead even if he had been a terrible leader. Ram had been a truly great Ruler to this pride and his presence would be missed among their ranks. "Do you want to talk about it?" While she figured the immediate answer was no she figured she'd just throw it out there if she wanted to get anything off her chest. "You can even use me as a punching bag if you want, or try too." Aza was a large girl and she had a bit of a rough streak in her at times so the offer was a true one, if she wanted a little one on one to get some tension off her chest she'd let her.
Smiling back at her he decided to let the children go in with her, he could stand back and dive in if need be. "You sure can! Just be careful and don't go out too far." He really didn't want to have to go fishing for his children today.
Ezili was thrilled and quickly jumped into the shallow part of the water and looked up at her mother, waiting for the next command. "What do we do now?" She looked around to see what everyone else was doing in the water.
Nkan looked around and spotted the tan and teal female not to far away, he had seen her around a few times before but had never said anything to her. He had been a cub and young adult during those few times. Now he was well and grown into himself and was curious to at least know her name. Padding over to her the purple male gave her a bright smile. "Hello, beautiful day. Considering things." He had heard what had transpired here and his heart wept for those that had suffered a serious loss.
Ruler of Everything if you read above Pili (his sister) is here as well, he could come and say hello and attempt to cheer her up and meet her mate smile she's above lutz's quote in my post |
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Epine de Rose rolled 2 10-sided dice:
5, 9
Total: 14 (2-20)
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2018 2:11 am
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Unsurprisingly, the Bahari had turned out in good numbers - despite what they might have endured there were some traditions that wouldn't be avoided. There were cubs to bless, and new blood from the outside to welcome. To fail to acknowledge these individuals would have been a grave insult, and as a result, the pride had done itself a great service. In that respect, there were several members who continued to observe the proceedings that sincerely hoped this would never change.
Solomon was included in those numbers as he stood beside Zephyranthes to observe her son, and his friend, take their own rites.
At this time it appeared that while one had taken the lead, the others had soon followed. No sooner had Kvasi's head disappeared into the water, than Raziel's did too... and that was where they remained for quite a considerable amount of time. It was something that cause both of the 'council' to lift a brow, but like most Bahari adolescents... Kvasi and Raziel both did enjoy messing around.
Had the pair of lions been closer they would have realised that neither of the younger lions was in danger. In fact, as Raziel had drifted to the bottom at a much more rapid rate than his friend, he'd had time to admire the view and then bound across the sands in much the same fashion as he would have done upon the shore. All in all, the water was gentle and the waves scarcely lapped against him as he took to exploring what lay beneath.
The paler lion, Kvasi, did eventually manage to join him and though he was not quite as skilled at running across the bottom of the sea, he did manage to pad after his friend. Just as Raziel had experienced, the ocean seemed to embrace him...even if it didn't appear to be inclined to help speed up his progress so that he could catch up properly.
...At least the view was nice though!
Kvasi and Raziel would both silently acknowledge that Soleil had been right, it was like another world down here.
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2018 10:09 am
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Meera nodded slowly at her explanation, watching the lion as he made his way into the water... before getting spat out unceremoniously. That pulled a giggle out of her. Oh, this looked like fun! She definitely wanted to give it a go.
So, as the male made his way over with a 'hi', the cheeton smiled back at him, "Hi! I'm Meera. What's it like down there?" She wondered what that was like, being submerged underwater. The most she had ever done was drink from watering holes and play in puddles and rain, none of which involved being completely surrounded in it. Did it look different than up here on dry land? Were there different creatures you could meet?
She hummed, her eyes glowing happily, "Can I give it a try?" This part was said to both lions as she turned her gaze over to Ijiraq. She'd never been one to balk at the idea of getting wet. On the contrary, she loved the feel of wet fur.
-----------
Those first pawsteps into the ocean water never failed to leave her smiling, despite how many times she's done so by now. The water always swirled around her paws, much like her own leg markings, and it left her with a feeling of belonging.
But now was the time for action. Anya had practiced swimming before, but had yet to really venture deeper into the water, as she would need to today. Taking a deep breathe, the brown female wadded her way through the water until she was almost neck-deep in it. After a quick glance ahead of her at the others in the midst of their own rites, the lioness dove forward to dunk herself underwater.
It was a strange feeling, being submerged like this, but not entirely unpleasant. She had always been the calm sort, so the gentle sway and silence of the water didn't bother her. No, instead she paddled until her paws hit the sandy floor and tried to examine this new world around her. So many vibrant colors! It was beautiful down here.
But she did have to breathe eventually. She took as much time down there as she could, before slowly pushing herself back up. As her head broke the surface, Anya hummed in contentment. The water may not have guided her paws as easily as some of the others, but it certainly had welcomed her. That was all she could have asked for.
((Anya is open to interaction as well~))
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Lightning Shadow X rolled 1 10-sided dice:
8
Total: 8 (1-10)
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2018 2:05 pm
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The stare sent Moana into a fit of giggles and she lifted both paws off the sand to cover Ahe's face, hiding his skeptical gaze. She loved hanging around the stoic lion if only because getting him to do silly things like this made her grin in return.
"Don't look at me like that!" she chided as she hid his eyes. "You look like a goof!"
Ahe lifted a paw to swat at Moana's, removing the smaller feet from his face. Now he had a nose and fur full of sand, thank you very much. Not that he wasn't used to that, considering his rank within the pride, but it was different when it got there because he was doing something he enjoyed.
"Come, let's watch those who are entering the sea," he said to distract her. He stood and made his way over to the rocky edge of the water, Moana not far behind.
---
Shio took a deep breath through his nose and let it out through his mouth as he focused on the task at hand. He'd been thinking a lot about this moment - he had months to do so, a full year in fact - and as he stepped into the water he closed his eyes. As a cub he hadn't paid any attention to what the sea was saying, he had just jumped in and gone for broke, but now he was focused and in tune with his surroundings. The water was pulling him in, but not in the way it had last time.
He found himself chest deep in no time and soon he was floating, the waves lifting and setting him down gently as he swam. Eventually Shio opened his eyes, realizing that he was swimming like he had been doing so all along, the water moving with him rather than against him. He heard his name being called and he turned to see Kelpie having just as much success as he was.
"Can you believe it?" he called to her, laughing all the while.
---
Kawai glanced over to the sea again, a little smile on her face as she spotted her brother swimming like a fish. She knew last year he hadn't done so well and to see him being so successful now brought joy to her. No one should be turned away by the sea forever.
Looking back at Lit, her expression fell just a bit when he brought up her father. She nodded at the question, though, and returned the hug, nuzzling his mane affectionately.
"Yes, all things considered. I know he was protecting the pride and I couldn't be more proud of his decision. I miss him, but we'll carry on. He'd have wanted us to."
---
Dab gave a little wave to Aza as she left before focusing on his mate, eyes darting between her own to try to figure out what the best way to make her smile might be. Dabadye was a pretty happy-go-lucky guy and rarely got down, even when things like this happened. He managed to find the silver lining in every cloud that came his way and he'd definitely try to help Pili do so as well.
"Well, darlin', there's quite a few buttheads out there," he said sagely with a little nod. "But Ram got 'em to leave, right? He paid the ultimate price but I feel like a lot of lions here would do the same if they'd been in his shoes. And hey, eye witnesses say he landed in the sea, right? What's to say he's not off swimmin' somewhere?" It had been months since the battle and no one had seen hide nor hair of a body, but falling from that height to the rocks below was certain doom. Still, he couldn't help but try to put a nicer spin on things.
---
Hima's eyes narrowed as a lioness headed away from the beaches and towards the jungles where she hid and as she approached she knew she'd been found. She bared her teeth as Aza approached, claws extended and ears back. She was in no mood to talk and the hair standing on end down her spine made that clear if her posture hadn't.
"Leave me," she snarled, a clear warning not to get any closer. Had it been any other time she wouldn't have even spared a second thought for the female and would have attacked her, but this was a special occasion for the pride and despite her selfish and vain ways, Hima wasn't going to ruin someone's special occasion for her own grief. She had heard Shio's joyous laugh from the water moments ago and while she was taking the brunt of her emotions out on her family, she loved them dearly and wouldn't rain on their parade.
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2018 4:43 am
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It was with confusion that both Kvasi and Raziel watched the little cub when they returned to the surface; he was most certainly not confident around the water which did make the pair of them curious. It was extremely unusual for cubs to be frightened of the water here, particularly when their parents should have been exposing them to it at a young age. Both of the young adults had to wonder who their parents were and controversially, why they were here if they weren't inclined to introduce their cubs to the very life blood of the pride...
"Huh," Kvasi mused as he examined Umibozi.
"I wonder who his parents are," Raziel remarked and pursed his lips.
"Probably the same one as that one," Kvasi lifted his paw to direct it towards the other controversial lioness. It was Kelpie, and Kvasi would have bet money that the two very similar lions would have come from the same mother. Unsurprisingly this definitely wouldn't be complimentary to Livyathan! First she sleeps with an unknown lion and produces arguably unwelcomed cubs...and then she raises cubs that won't even go in the water?
Well, it wasn't for him to intervene, he wasn't an authority figure after all.
"Would make sense, I suppose," Raziel murmured before shaking his head and returning his attention to the black cub. "Kid if you don't want to go in then don't, the water can tell when you don't like it and it'll hurl you back out," he stated. "Obligation doesn't make anyone or anything feel good," he added and shook his head as he treaded water to keep himself above the surface.
"Little harsh," Kvasi remarked and shook his head. "But he is right mate, if you don't want to go in then you're better staying out. I wouldn't want to feel unwanted or unwelcome and I have no doubt the sea feels the same on that score...You can always try another time you know?"
It wasn't the end of the world, hell even the royals had failed spectacularly with some of their cubs and succeeded with others. Shio was living proof of this, this was his second attempt after a very blatant refusal when he was younger. His refusal was likely down to his own arrogance regarding his lineage, an easy mistake to make as a cub, but the reasons for the water refusing each individual was always different...
"It is..." Siarnaq shook some of the water off his fur and regarded the hybrid thoughtfully. "It's a completely different world," he said finally and grinned. "Has it's own trees, it's own residents too," he added. He was of course referring to the fish, but in the grand scheme of things, there were others there too. Whether they be snails, turtles, lobsters or otherwise. What existed in the world below was rather different from the surface and by extension, absolutely fascinating.
Unsurprisingly, Ijiraq had lifted her brow at her brother's choice of words. There were no trees down there, but she would concede they did look like exotic, alien trees. It was seaweed of course, and in its natural form beneath the waves it looked spectacular. She was rather looking forward to the dive herself, though she sincerely hoped she didn't eat sand after being unceremoniously thrown out of the water like her brother.
"I'm Ijiraq," she said once her brother had finished his explanation. "And this is my brother Siarnaq."
"Hey," he offered again with a smile, he seemed like the good natured sort, then again so did she!
"And of course you can try, everyone's welcome to give it a go, it's good to have new experiences."
"If anything goes wrong we'll just fish you out," Siarnaq reassured her. "We're pretty good at that as well!"
[If anyone needs an RP partner ping me a PM and I'll bring out more lions for you. <3 I have plenty to play with!]
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Keantha rolled 1 10-sided dice:
9
Total: 9 (1-10)
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2018 3:16 pm
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Liviyathan smiled back at her mate, she really as delighted that their little cubs were old enough to come down to the sea and experience the waves, even if they were younger than a lot of the other lions here. The dark lioness with her sea coloured belly stepped in to the waves herself and leant down to touch her dark sons back. “It’s okay my love. I’m hear for you.” She whispers grooming his head tuft and nudging him encouragingly. “Take your time, the sea will accept you.”
Liviyathan glanced at the two adolescents, she was far from a confident female and she felt their scorn harshly in her chest. She had of course taken the cubs to the rock pools, but not every cub was the same, each had their own foibles some were more confident than others, some needed a little more encouragement. Still when the first spoke so harshly she frowned and glared at him. “I am fairly certain young sirs, that you are not parents but you should know each child has a different personality. The sea is a whole different thing than the rock pools and you should know that.” She sniffed and splashed water at the two of them. “Perhaps your parents did not teach you to be weary of the sea for it can be a cruel mistress. I on the other paw have and while some dive in others are allowed their caution.”
The dark lioness turned her attention back to her fire tailed son licking his head gently “These boys clearly don’t listen to their mama my little love, you take your time.”
Capricorn, who had already tipped himself in to the sea glanced back at his mother, darkest brother, sister and father. He wanted his mothers attention too...but.. the sea was much too interesting. He of course hadn’t expected for it to be so cool and the smell of salt filled his nose. He could feel the water lifting, pulling and pushing him all at the same time. With only a touch of nervousness the silver cub waded further in. The waves were almost lapping at his face when the water lifted him from the sand. Instinct of course took over and he slowly started to doggy paddle. The sea lifted him ever so gently and deposited him on the sandy shore “Wheeeee!” He laughed happily, his eyes dancing. The sea seemed to like him, he had to admit, he liked it back.
———-
Kelpie was much too involved in her swimming to hear any words from the nearby adolescents. Now that her trial was officially passed she had to tell Shio everything. Everything everything, she didn’t even notice that her mother and stepfather were near by, that her half siblings were taking their first steps and were seemingly being accepted by the sea. She would learn what was going on around her at another time, she had a single minded obsession in her head now and as a wave scooped her up and planted her firmly on the shore she turned and waited for him to plant his own paws on the sand.
“At last.” she breathed her pale silver eyes firmly settled on Shio, she was excited, extatic to the point that her legs were shaking. She was an adult now, a full fledged member of the Bahari’mtoto, she and Shio had done it together, they had waited and been accepted fully by the beautiful rolling sea. There was no greater triumph that the feeling of belonging.
Still there was a task to do and until she had told Shio how she felt she wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy the triumph.
——-
Purs wasn’t here to join the rites, he had come down to the beach to simply enjoy the celebration. He had succeeded in his own rites a year ago. The thought was strange, the passage of time, it felt like it had gone so quickly. He had grown and his mane had filled in beautifully. He was pretty proud of that mane the way it curled from time in the sea catching fish.
The purple lion sat idly watching the water and the lions as they preformed their rites. It was a lovely day, the sea seemed perfect and new faces seemed to have joined them. There were lions, and other things, he didn’t recognise. It was a beautiful day despite the recent unrest a day to reminisce, to enjoy and to celebrate the new beginnings for those being accepted by the briny waves. |
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2018 6:07 pm
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It was a joyous occasion amongst so much recent sobriety. Among it all, Faatina - ever the pleasant one, even if a bit shy - welcomed the chance to meet the bright-colored Kizi male that approached her. At his words, she inclined her head a bit, sadly. "I think you are right, it is quite a beautiful day. I'm Faatina - welcome back to the Bahari. It's always nice to see others wishing to partake in such a happy day for us all." She realized she was talking in sort of a formal tone, and let out a bit of a laugh. "It's nice to meet you," Faatina smiled, hoping to losen up a bit. She couldn't tell if it was all of the recent pridal events or something else, but she prayed she shook it soon.
In the pursuit of a potential new lady friend, Opochtli's eyes instead landed on his sister, Pilixcatzin. She was back towards the edge of the sands, next to a teal Bahari he recognized from other recent spottings of Pili. This time, he decided to say hi. A grin spread across his maw as he wordlessly left Faatina's side and crossed the beach, walking up behind Pili. "Hey, sis," he called out, playfully bumping into her side.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2018 12:06 pm
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Meera nodded excitedly as they gave the okay, and then pranced over to the edge of the water. A quick glance around her showed some on their way in as well and some on their way back, grins on their faces from the experience. Finally, with one last look at the two siblings behind her, she wiggled her hindquarters, before hopping forward into the water.
The first few steps had her giggling, not used to the feel of waves pushing and pulling at her feet like this, but she kept up her stride until her head was all that was above water. Taking a deep gulp of air and closing her eyes, Meera plunged herself under.
She just floated for a moment, wondering over the sudden lack of sound, before opening her eyes and almost letting go of her breathe of air. Oh wow! It was so pretty down here! Such vibrant colors and gentle sways. She could see the 'trees' he had mentioned and the tiny fish as they swam about. It really was another world down here.
It was a good thing that the ocean was favorable today, because the cheeton didn't know how to swim, nor was she trained in being able to hold her breathe for very long. No sooner had she started whipping her paws around in the loose sand than the water began pushing her back the way she'd come. There was a sudden upsurge of water - and then she was dumped unceremoniously back on solid ground just as Siarnaq had been.
She wasn't discouraged by it though. No, the female was just laughing and laughing as she lay sprawled in the sand.
-----------
Anya continued to float there for a moment, just enjoying the water lapping at her hide and slowly bringing her back to the shore. This was going to be a good year, she decided right then and there. Maybe a good time for cubs too.... but those were thoughts for another time.
Before she was brought back, the lioness decided to enjoy one last dip. So with a deep breathe, she sunk back down and allowed the water to twist and turn her around. It was good to know that she had made the right choice in coming here to the Bahari. She'd found a mate here, made so many friends, and lived in what was practically a paradise. Despite what had happened, this place would always be home to her now.
Finally, Anya paddled her way back up, breaking the surface and riding the waves back to shore.
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Asha was a little depressed she had tried to revive her home but things just didn't come together her people had scattered to far and rouges just weren't coming as she had hoped they would. Others wandered off and she hadn't seen many around the home tree lately. So Asha wandered off to adventure she traveled for days before she found herself in a unfamiliar territory. She looked out at the beach and the many lions and lionesses in the ocean and on the beach. She wasn't sure if she should turn away and leave them to their festival or whatever it was. She was curious though so she stayed watching the others to see what was going on. 
