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 Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:59 am
 Things were coming together in the Jini-msemi swamp for the now-grown recent pilgrim. He had come here following his father's footsteps (literally) into the lands, hoping he could find what his father sought: peace. And perhaps he had found it. He couldn't quite judge yet, still being a newcomer, but yet...
It was nice here.
He had a new name, saw new faces, and lost the feeling of not knowing where to go... because he was home.
He still had a lot to accustom himself to, however - and that included learning all the names and faces of everyone. There just were so many members of this pride! And most, like him, were renamed for their new life, and had such interesting meanings behind those names.
So, like the inquisitive lion he sometimes is, the tan male wandered off from his spot, hoping he would run into someone soon with which to acquaint himself.
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 8:56 pm
Akili was HOME. Home home home home home. The word felt good in her head, because it was so very good to be home. She'd met a lot of interesting friends during her pilgrimage, and seen a lot of places, but when push came to shove nothing could compare to the swamp. Of course, she'd been gone for a while, so she needed to look around, get to know everyone who'd been born and come in and come back and everything! And of course the best way to do this would be to wander around until she ran into someone, yes yes. Her pace as she moved over the marshy ground was somewhere between walking and skipping, for she was feeling far too good right now to pace sedately like...like...like someone old!
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 9:10 pm
WUMPF! What the..? Tan body stumbled unsteadily on the leafy ground, but he caught himself before he could actually fall. When he wanted to run into someone, he didn't actually mean he wanted to run into someone.
But who was that brown fur that just flashed by him? He blinked heavily while trying to regain his composure, trying to turn around to get a look at whatever just came at him randomly. Whatever it was, it was obviously going at a speed not normal for members of this pride to go at - otherwise, he would have known to look out by now! Surely it was someone on a rush to go somewhere.
"Hey, watch yourself!"
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 9:57 pm
Screeeeeeeccchhhandhalt.
"Oh, excuse me!" Akili chirped, literally bouncing back from the collision. "I didn't see you there, but I was looking for someone anyways so it's a good thing I ran into you!" Something caught her attention, and she stepped forward, staring at his face for a moment. "And you have different colored eyes like mine, cool!" She blinked her green eye, and then her pink eye, as if in emphasis.
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Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:28 pm
Before he had time to say more or grasp whether he or the other lion was hurt, he heard a shrill voice - when he looked, he saw a brown female about his age just standing there, brimming - as if nothing had happened.
"Ah-" he had started before she cut him off again, finding her face right in front of his, almost touching.
What was with this girl?!
Whoever she was, she sure almost made him forget about the incident, disregarding the fact that there was a little pain leftover from her bump. She sure hit hard.
"Good thing?" he repeated - it was just one of the few words he caught from her rapid speech, "Yes, it was a good thing, I think... And yes."
In turn, his green eye (though lighter) blinked as well as his blue, though he didn't mean to - she had somehow influenced him. He was quite frazzled by just these few seconds of encounter with this girl; surely she was in the same pride, but never had he come across anyone from this... strange family.
"Yes I do. Are you new? I haven't seen you before. I came here just a short while ago myself. I'm Haji - I mean Mkazi."
Oh, darn. He wasn't used to calling himself Mkazi yet. Was that against some pride rule? He hoped not, but if it had been, he didn't think the lioness in front of him was going to be stern about it anytime soon.
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Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:13 pm
Akili giggled, as though Mkazi were terribly silly for suggesting that she were new. "No, no, I've been on my pilgrimage! It feels strange getting used to a new name, doesn't it? I mean, I know this is the name I'm really meant to have, but I've been so used to being called Furahi that I slip up sometimes, too!" She cocked her head at him. "So you were born outside, or were you on a pilgrimage too?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:52 am
In spite of their literally rough introduction, Mkazi let the girl's attitude grow on him already, putting a smile on his face. She was rather sprightly and cheerful, and was rather infectious in being so.
"Yes!" he agreed, and excitedly too for no reason except to mimic the energy in Furahi, "I mean, it doesn't help that my new name almost sounds like my old. But... I guess it sounds more mature, huh? Mkazi. I mean, Furahi is a nice name, too, but I'm sure your new one is pretty, too."
He stopped to chuckle bashfully, finding the slight attention a little more welcome than usual - he had a lot of it from his siblings, but Furahi was definitely not alike any of them.
"Actually..." he started to explain, "I wasn't born here. My home was very close, though. We sometimes saw lions from here come by, but we never really stuck around to talk to them. Our parents didn't really care for them. Then, when we were old enough, they just... left."
Pausing for little dramatic effect, he puffed his chest out and continued, "But I tracked my father down and came here by myself! So apparently he did want to join. And I love it here - the community, the lions... It really does feel like a true home."
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Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 10:21 pm
Eyes wide, Akili listened to his story with all the enraptured attention of a child listening to a bedtime tale. "Ooooooh. So it's almost like you've always been here!"
...
Oh, right! She hadn't told him her name had she? That wouldn't do at all. "Mine ended up being Akili'kwa'hewa, which is a lot longer than my old name. But you don't have to say the whole thing every time!" She assured him. "I sure wouldn't, so I won't expect everyone else to."
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Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 10:57 pm
While Mkazi was normally the calmer, more responsible child in his sibling batch, all of Furahi's attention sure was boosting his confidence and making him ballsy enough to say a few more things than normally. He nodded quite happily at her comment, truly feeling like he had been a part of the Jini-msemi for his whole life. Sure, he never thought about spirits and how they worked in the world before he joined - he and his siblings just existed, and his parents taught them little except how to scavenge up some food for themselves when they needed. But... spirits of the earth? Curses and royalty and stuff?
Mkazi took all of the information with hesitance at first, and he still was learning - but now, he was starting to feel better about all of his spirits in the swamp business.
As for Furahi's answer...
"T-that's a mouthful," he expressed, somewhat stunned at the vaguely tongue twisting and long name.
"I don't have to say it every time?" which implied she would have liked for him to say it some times, "So Akili the other times, huh?"
Regardless, Mkazi smiled and added, "The pilgrimage must have been fun once you came to the right age, huh? It's probably different than just coming here and then thinking about what you'd want to be renamed. I hope the rogue lands didn't mistreat you. Someone with a spirit like yours is kind of nice to have around. Not like my annoying sisters."
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 11:06 pm
"That works!" Akili agreed, oblivious to Mkazi's stunned expression. She couldn't help it her true name was long, really she couldn't! She was glad there was no reason it couldn't be shortened for everyday. "Maybe, but before you came here you weren't here so that counts as being away on pilgrimage." Or something like that. Close enough! "I wasn't very good at hunting for a while, but I made a friend and he helped me learn how to be better at it. He was grumpy a lot."
She paused and tilted her head at Mkazi. "Do you know your way around yet? It's been a while but I could show you places!"
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Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 4:37 pm
Mkazi chuckled at Akili's short bursts of sentences that didn't seem to really lead anywhere. And here he was, sitting and thinking about how most of the Jini-msemi members were quiet, reflecting souls who spent most of their time praying to the spirits that lived in everything. Akili was like the bright vibrant blossom in midst of a field of uniformity.
"I'll accept that for an explanation, then," he nodded happily, "And no, I find myself lost a lot, actually! I'd be amazed if you can remember where everything is still from your pilgrimage."
A tour from a cute girl? That was something Mkazi would have never dared to ask for - he was not so bold and daring as some of his brothers or even his experienced father. Maybe Akili would get him to like these swamps quite fondly, he thought...
"I do like the idea of you showing me places," he added, motioning his head for her to lead the way, "And maybe you can tell me about your friend on the way. Is he here? I'm afraid I don't have many stories myself... But since I'm one of seven children from my parents, I might have something..."
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Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 9:14 pm
"Not everything," Akili admitted, although this seemed to bother her very little. "But enough to show! I can learn the rest again later." Dancing from paw to paw a little, she paused at the mention of her friend. "Nope! I think prides made him nervous. He had so many scars!" Flicking her tail, she bounded on ahead at such a speed that Mkazi would likely need to hurry to keep up.
"Let's go!"
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