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 Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 4:15 am
 The lands had become stranger than anything he was used to. It had a strange air about it that reminded him of his dearly departed parents. Blue eyes closed as he just felt. He felt everything around him, or tried too. His parents had taught him he could do it if he concentrated hard enough. Of course, Gany hadn't quite gotten the hang of it, because concentration wasn't his strong suit. The male was affected by everything around him.
He'd been traveling for most of his adult life until now to find this feeling; this sense of belonging. His days of longing were over. A huge smile broke out across his white face and his toes curled in the grass. He was getting really anxious, really excited and really fast. It could lead to hyperactivity if he didn't find something to do to distract himself.
Letting out a loud 'whoop' of joy, the big white and blue male laughed and pranced around on his feet like a cub playing with their litter mates. He was full of energy again! Walking to these lands had been taxing. Often times he found himself thinking he had found the pride, only to be missing the energy and then the lions looked all wrong compared to what his parents had told him. Laughing loudly, Ganymede raced toward a tree that was nearly the biggest he'd seen way in the distance.
If he got to that tree, he had a feeling, a good feeling, that he'd be at the center of the pride. If no one stopped him first.
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Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 9:44 am
 It had been another morning, another start of a day in teaching Ney'ite, helping her and helping some of the nannies in the children's dens take care of the little rascals that the pride produced plenty of in the past few moons.
It was a difficult task, but one that the slender striped lioness did not take lightly - she, in fact, found her joy in life from advising her older sister, and was proud to see Ney'ite get better in leadership skills every passing day. There was, however, something missing in her life that she couldn't seem to put a paw on - as clever as she was, she did not understand what this empty block in her soul was; Eywa was here, Ney'ite was blossoming beautifully, Ysandre was at their sides too to help...
She had been pacing back and forth at the base of their Mother Tree, a little weary and tired from the events of the morning. Still, the day was only half over, and there was still much work to be done. However... a little relaxation could not hurt.
So she had laid herself down within one of the clearings before their tree home, yawning and flipping herself on her back. The flowers surrounding her were large, lush, and very colorful - an indication that the pride had made much progress since the time of war. These lands were her home, and she would have it no other way, for the beauty and love from it simply kept her.
It was only a few moments into her rest that she heard a peculiar sound in the distance - a "whoop", perhaps, which could have either been construed as someone having fun down in the jungle or someone emitting a cry before they go on their hunt. But as far as she knew, she had been the only one to leave in this direction from their Mother Tree. In another few seconds, she heard the hurried steps of another, and turned her head to stare at the direction it was coming.
When the burst of white and blue came into her clearing, she jumped up, positioning herself to the side in one composed movement. It was a strange lion to the lands, and yet, he seemed like he would fit in with the rest of them. His quick and urgent running would usually imply a threat to the lands, but he seemed somewhat jubilant and joyous. She cocked her head, planting a cautious smile on her face, and called to him.
"Excuse me, white one who runs like rapid waters," she said in lieu of a better name, "Stop and speak with me! You are running towards our Mother Tree, and I see that you are new to these lands."
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 9:15 am
His feet were swift and not at all silent. He was happy here, already, and he didn't know a single lion. That was alright, though, because he was going to meet them. He would meet everyone in the pride and try to blend in as much as he possibly could. Licking his muzzle as he ran he hadn't a single care in the world. Ganymede only had one goal right now; get to the huge tree and see who was around.
Ganymede had romantic ideas about how the pride would greet him. They would somehow automatically know who his parents were and welcome him like a prince. They would hold a great feast for the return of a lost member of the pride and he'd have to beat off males and females alike just for a chance to sleep. He would be revered as a big hero for surviving outside of the jungle, in the 'wastelands' of the unclaimed territories.
He would then learn he was actually the only son of the king of the pride. He would be expected to follow his father's paw prints and become the head of the pride and lead these lions into a new era of acceptance and peace. Not that they weren't already. He would expand the territory until only their pride, their lands, stretched to every corner of the world!
Well, it didn't happen quite like he'd planned. Out of the corner of his eye a flash of blue. The male yelped at the voice, not honestly hearing the words and dug his paws into the earth to stop. Instead of stopping, the lion side and ended up rolling tail over head. His back landed against a tree, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to wheeze. His back legs hung over his head, rump in the air and he was looking at this female, upside down, with a stupid looking grin on his face.
So he wasn't the most graceful lion male ever. Rolling to the side, Ganymede got to his paws with a low groan. He shook his head, mane fluffing out a bit before he cleared his throat and grinned a bit.
"Uh. Hi?" He spoke awkwardly. Ganymede was ready to talk to others in the pride, he just thought maybe the first one would be male. Girls? He wasn't so good with girls. He was a socially awkward adolescent again when he had to speak to a female. His white paw came to smooth the mane on his head he knew was still fluffed out and then sat down on his haunches. "I'm afraid I didn't quite hear what you said. The wind and all. It's very windy." He wished he could take back those words. It wasn't windy at all right now. The wind came from his running, and he knew that. Now he'd probably look like an idiot in her eyes already. Great first impression.
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Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 9:06 am
It was clear from the stranger's fleeting foot and surprised shout that her presence was unexpected. Did he not expect to run into anyone in his territory, especially by the way he was running? She looked over his fallen form, amused smile for the clumsy lion. Surely he was new to these lands, for what soul of Iknimaya would be so sudden to trip over themselves in such a manner? They were a composed people, mostly, and knew the branches and trees of the grounds well enough to paw through them lithely.
He was hesitant to speak, but she let him have a breather before her response. All the while, she looked at him with bright, curious eyes. She was not one to be so suspicious or wary of a stranger, and it definitely looked like he meant no harm to these lands. Or perhaps... Eywa sent her a feeling in her heart; this meeting was... something not to be feared.
"Windy?" she repeated as he was going through his mane, and gave a chuckle.
"Yes, my friend, we have been blessed with the soothing touch of the wind quite recently. You are new to these lands, are you not?"
She paused, going over to him and lowering herself to inspect him, unaware of any personal boundaries he might have had.
"Do you need... help up? I am Niwin'eveng."
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 1:53 am
"New? I guess so? I saw the big tree and I wanted to check it out. I also wanted to see if I could find anyone and I did!" The male just beamed and laughed a little more, his tail flicking from side to side. Oh well, looking like an idiot was something he did best, honestly. He was goofy and silly anyway, so why not tack idiotic onto his track record.
He looked around at the forest around him and just looked back to her, grinning heavily. "I'm Ganymede. I was just wandering around when I stumbled in this place. It's really beautiful! What's this place called? Why's that tree so big? You're very composed, you know, for just scaring a guy into tumbling around like a fish out of water. Are you alone? Are there others?"
Realizing he was giving her a barrage of questions he let his brows knit and sat down again. He'd gotten really excited and was walking slowly towards her, staring into her eyes. Ganymede often heard eye contact was something that made a good first impression. Staring, however, probably was not.
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 4:21 pm
An amused smile laced her mouth, hearing their Mother Tree being referred to as a "big tree". She supposed it would appear as just that to strangers, wouldn't it?
But in her mind, she pardoned him. She could tell that his body housed a good soul, and that he meant no harm. By the way he was beaming and posturing himself, he seemed to be as pure as a child of Eywa. Even the innocence of his questions pleased her, throwing her into a contented ring of giggles. When he calmed himself down, she walked over to sit next to him, knowing that there was absolutely no need to be guarded.
"I see you, Ganymede," she offered, dipping her head in a graceful bow, "We are in the Iknimaya. We call ourselves the Na'vi, and I believe the tree you are referring to is our home, our Mother Tree."
She gave another small laugh again, feeling at ease with just answering this male's questions. It wasn't that act itself, but perhaps it was his entire demeanor that made her feel so comfortable. It was almost like one of her lessons to the youth of the Iknimaya, except, of course, he was undoubtedly simply a curious adult lion from a new land.
"I'll tell you a secret," she then said suddenly, a sparkle in her eyes, "For how to keep light on your paws in lieu of exciting circumstances. When I was younger, my mother used to help me walk along small tree branches. One must keep a steady and calm mind when balancing all that is around you. I kept up the training until I was readily light on my paws no matter what was happening around me, and it has helped me remain at ease despite the situation. Sometimes even the young ones get wild, but I can tame their excitement without getting flustered."
She let out a sigh, leaning back to stretch and yawn, "But it does get tiring. I must admit that you caught me in the middle of unwinding! But I am glad Eywa sent you my way. I feel almost energized now, and I thank you for that, Ganymede!"
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Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 5:30 pm
The giggling made him pause and tilt his head curiously. Her laughter was like music! It was kind of addicting. Somehow, Ganymede wanted to keep her laughing and smiling like this. He'd seen sorrow on his journey. So many frowns and stories that would make event he lightest hearted lion dip their heads with sadness.
Then she started answering his questions, causing his ears to perk. Mother Tree? Oops, he supposed he goofed that up by calling it a big tree. But he didn't know it was like the Bahari and their ocean! So they think this Mother Tree gives them life, protection and a home. That was actually a very nice belief. He nodded at that and laughed a little more. "Iknimaya," he repeated, wanting it to stick in his head. Long ago the blue and white male realized that if he repeated someone it helped him remember things.
Oh, so she balanced herself lightly on branches? That sounded very dangerous, but also exciting. "Would you teach me if I wanted to stay around? That seems like something I could do. Not right away because I"m used to climbing rocks and I'm sure my footing is heavy. Well, maybe not that heavy considering the wind here makes me sway when I'm not focused," he laughed at his own story and shrugged a little more.
"Unwinding? Did you have a long day? Want to talk about it?" Asking someone about their day was a good way to get to know someone, right?
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 10:57 pm
Niwin'eveng often taught little ones things, but their comprehension and understanding expressions surely could not outmatch this male's. Of course, he was older; but it was rare that a stranger had met their pride with pure, innocent curiosity. Usually they were guarded, but as of late... They've been more accepting, she knew, more open to rogues joining their ranks.
"Teach you?" she repeated, momentarily finding the proposition puzzling; of course, outsiders don't normally jump around and run through the tree branches of their forest.
"Well..." she began, a teasing voice arising, "If you'd like to stay for much longer, you'd have to ask my mother."
The male did seem a bit clumsy, especially by his introduction; she smiled at the thought and most recent imagery, and then laughed, feeling a little playful.
"Not a long day, but a usual day... It usually consists of a lot more things for me than most of the Iknimaya. Perhaps if you're interested... Then you can keep up with me!"
And with that, she sprinted jovially across some bushes and branches, turning back just once with an amused glint and look in her blue eyes. She was heading to a good spot she knew around the bend a little off from their Mother Tree. If Ganymede could keep up... She wondered.
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 1:41 pm
When Niwin'eveng mentioned staying in the pride longer, Ganymede nodded. It seemed he'd do well here! He really liked the look of the pride, and how cool it was compared to the rest of the outside. Of course, he didn't know if he'd fit in completely, he just wanted to stop wandering so much and get Oisin off of his mind. Oisin was a cool guy, but it seemed the darker male wanted something more from Ganymede, and.. while he didn't say no, Ganymede wasn't completely comfortable with the male wanting to be more than friends.
But, Oisin had vanished which left Ganymede free to do what he wanted. What he wanted to do right now, was get to know this female in front of him. With his tail flicking behind him, Gany just grinned and nodded a little more. "I could stay! I don't see why not. I want to get to know more about you and if this pride is you, then I'll get to know the pride!"
He laughed as he talked and then nodded. More than the rest of the pride? So she was in a position of power? His ears flicked at that and he thought for a moment.
In his thinking he failed to realize she'd taken of. But, the snap of the branches brough him back to reality and he blinked. "Hey!" He took off after her, footing clumsy, getting hit in the face with branches and leaves. "Come back here!" A laugh escaped his throat as he tried to swat at her tail. Gany was feeling very playful, and he hoped she would play with him. Wrestling, maybe!
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 7:08 pm
Niwin'eveng giggled a bit coyly; it was sure enough not this male's decision on whether he stayed or not. But he certainly would be welcomed. Being the daughter of their pride's spiritual leader would have helped in leverage, but still... She still needed to get to know this "Ganymede". So he wished to stay, hmm?
She continued their chase through the branches and trees of their land, knowing well that many strangers found it hard to navigate. Ganymede seemed to be keeping up well enough, however, and she thought that it was perhaps some part of his enthusiasm encouraging him.
As she looked back, she giggled seeing the various twigs and leaves get in his face. He looked a little cute, navigating through to chase her like that. She sped up, but kept checking to make sure he didn't lose himself. It was good for him that the two were already somewhat near the base of their Mother Tree, anyways. Otherwise, he would have definitely lost his way or breath before they reached their destination!
Without another signal, she suddenly stopped. She took a slight detour from her actual course to show him...
"Mother Tree," she nodded at an opening to inside their home, "It is large enough to give shelter to all of us."
Before them, the tree laid massive as always, its own branches intertwining with many others and its own; the roots formed natural alcoves and places for their pride in which to hold activities, and the thick branches above had hammocks on which their families slept. For as large as the tree was, however, the Iknimaya numbers were still small, and so there was no one in sight for now.
But before he could get too close, she also warned, "Right now you would need my mother's permission before you can look any further. But it is... wonderful, isn't it?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 5:50 am
Oh, he stumbled, scrambled and fought to keep up with her, but Ganymede didn't mind it. It was part of the fun. Besides, if he did stay here he was going to need to learn the land, anyway. What better way was there than to have fun doing it? His eyes lit up as she giggled, fueling the need to chase her. She was being adorable. Yes, adorable. She was like an over grown cub and Ganymede found it refreshing.
In the rogue lands there were so many depressing females with so many sad stories. He couldn't listen to a lot of them because it made his chest ache with sadness for them. Though, when he parted from them, he'd always prayed to the gods that the would see to it that that female and her family found their happiness. Maybe some of them found their happiness here. Maybe, just maybe, he would find a familiar face in this pride.
When she suddenly stopped, Ganymede scrambled to stop as well. This made him wind up with his chest on the ground and a face full of dirt, but whatever. It wouldn't be the last time that happened! Laughing to himself, he got up and shaking himself off and then looked to the tree.
Something stirred in him. His brows knit as he step closer, swallowing thickly. "I know this tree.. I've seen it before, in my dreams. It always made me feel safe when I saw it." Ganymede looked back at the female and nodded. "More than wonderful. It's home."
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 2:28 pm
Ganymede's reaction was not what she expected. Her head tilted curiously, and her expression of wonder changed to surprise, and then happiness. She trusted him, already knowing his innocent nature from his stance, posture, and temperament he displayed since their meeting. The way he stared at their tree made her wonder, yes.
"You have seen Mother Tree in your dreams!" she exclaimed, almost acknowledgingly.
His words were of no surprise to anyone who lived here - many had dreams of Mother Tree, and it was always definitely a sign of comfort and safety. These dreams were sent by Eywa to reassure them!
But she had never seen the male before, nor did she know anyone in the pride that looked like him. Surely he was not a returning rogue, as he seemed young enough to be almost the same age as her. And she had been born into these lands. They would not have let any cubs leave. At the very least, there would have been rumors that circulated around her childhood had anything of the sort happened! So what was his story? Perhaps she would know one day...
"I see you and your pure heart, Ganymede. If you say this is home, then I will get my mother to make it so. Let's go at once!" she nodded, looking at the path she was originally going to take - that would be a time for later, a time for contemplation after he was one with them.
She was excited. She had never found a rogue passing by to allow them to join, but running into Ganymede... She was glad this could happen.
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