[LOG] Lessons to Learn (Bari x. Odijo)

[KasaiLoki]

Magebari-gura was exhausted. Swimming, searching, talking, exercising, and a whole lot of other things wore a lion out! And fast, too. She hadn't realized that doing the same thing plus more energetic activities per day would leave her exhausted and unwilling to get up and continue doing those things even more.

Funny how those things tend to sneak up on you, though. One minute she had been heading towards her private swimming hole and the next she found herself laying on the ground, looking up at the sky. The trees overhead blocked a good deal of the clouds above, but she could still see a few in different shapes and forms. So Bari decided to take the moment of rest as a gift and stayed where she was, picking out designs and familiar things in the clouds she could see.

The lioness was a patient one, and so she had no problem with remaining on her back until she felt rested enough to continue on her way to the watering hole. The only thing was, however, she could not anticipate who could be walking along nearby, and if that meant she would have to rise before her time. Oh well, she'd take it as they came. No use worrying about it.

Odijo had been wandering the lands for a while now. After meeting the younger male who had welcomed him into the lands, he took the opportunities that passed to soak up as much knowledge as he could. During this time, he had found out that this pride was not tolerable for interspecies relationship. In a way, Odijo smiled at this. His parents had always taught him the ways of the land, and how species should mate only with the same species. The ‘traditional’ point of view sometimes had others question him, but it was the way he grew up, and nothing was going to change that.

Today, Odijo was searching the lands again. These lands were different then the rogue lands just by the mere moist in the air the canopy of trees seemed to keep in. It wasn’t the most pleasant of feelings, but the male could definitely get use to it if that was all the land had offered.

His corn-blue eyes scanned the area. The scent of another was near. This was one Odijo had yet to meet. Following his nose, the male soon stumbled across a female lounging casually on her back. The ‘teacher’ smirked, head tilting as his blondish mane tilted into his eyes.

“You look comfortable.”  

[KasaiLoki]

See, this was exactly the kind of thing she hadn't anticipated. But it was totally like her to specifically not anticipate anything, so she couldn't really be upset at herself.

Instead, Bari just smiled up at the male. "I am, you should try it. Plenty of room. Although this spot's not the best for cloud-gazing, I'm afraid. But it's worth it." She scooted over a good bit to make room and invited him down with a pat to the ground next to her. An open invitation, but not one he -had- to accept. It wouldn't hurt her feelings.

She looked up at the sky again and back to meet his gaze. "I don't believe we've met before? I'm Magebari-gura, or Bari for short. My family just returned here from being away for a while." His eyes matched the sky. They were pretty; she didn't say that, though. Some males took insult to being called 'pretty' or 'beautiful,' or other adjectives usually affiliated with describing females.


Odijo shook his head. He was never one for cloud gazing on his back. He did, however, take up her offer and moved next to her, sitting down before turning his head towards the sky. His nose twitched, the fascination of this never really grabbed him when he was younger. Perhaps it was just the way he was brought up.

“Magebari-gura,” he repeated. When she spoke of a shorter version, he nodded his head, repeating the nickname as well. “Bari.

“That’s a nice name,” the male said quietly. “I’m Odijo.” There was no real way to shorten that name. Perhaps he could be called Odi? But he didn’t look like an Odi. “I am…rather new to the lands.” This would explain why they probably had never met. With her just returning, and he just becoming apart of it that is. A thought then dawned on the male. She had /just returned/. That meant she was apart of the pride before. Perhaps this female could help him learn more about the pride, their traditions, and a little more about the name quest that had first brought him to the lands.

His paws shifted on the marshy ground, “What made you come back to the pride?” The male was curious.  

[KasaiLoki]

"Nice to meet you, Odijo," she replied, glancing up at him with a smile. Bari shifted her weight a bit more and scooted to a comfortable spot on her back again. It was just too comfy to move, really, but she probably would in a minute. It was rude.

Once he asked his question, however, she decided to go ahead and sit up. She gently and gracefully rolled over to her stomach and pushed herself to her feet. "My family thought it was time to return," she explained simply. "My great-grandfather and his brother left because of the floods. And now we wanted to return, so we did. A little while ago, not too recently, in fact. It's still been a big change."

Oh, he was new to the lands as well? "What about you? Where did you come from, and why did you come here?" she returned, curious.

He nodded as she spoke, taking in everything she said. One this about this male was he loved to learn; he loved to hear stories of lions past, and how it had shaped them to what they were today. When she mentioned the floods, his ears perked. The thought of it raining so much that these lands would be covered in water intrigued him. After all, it wasn’t everywhere someone would go where such a natural disaster could strike.

“It’s like joining a new pride all over again,” Odijo murmured quietly. “I can relate to you with the change.” Odijo grinned.

“I met another lion back in the Southlands, just near the Pridelands. They spoke of how they were on a certain ‘quest’ and that it was initially brought me here. To find a pride that sends off the youth of the pride on such a task I find amazing, and would love to be apart of it. I love to teach the young, and I think that that would be a great experience to have to go through,” Odijo sighed slightly. He would have loved to grown up in this pride. To go on a name quest when he was younger could have opened up him mind more, allowing to get the feel of nature around him.

“I come from the North, traveling from my old pride when both my parents died. I felt it was…a need for a change.”  

[KasaiLoki]

She laughed and nodded as well. "It is, isn't it? I hadn't looked at it that way before, but it definitely feels like it." Bari had known the roguelands as home for so long that she hadn't even thought that the traditions she and her family practiced were based off another pride. The naming quest, the whole thing: she had no idea that theirs was only a small portion of what was known as the swampland pride.

"The naming quest?" she guessed with a smile. "Yes, I remember mine very well." Then she leaned in a bit and lowered her voice. "You know, it's not too late if you want to go on your own naming quest. Sure, we send the youth off when they're old enough, but it's never too late for an adult to go on their own little one. I don't see why not, anyway. Having more time is never a bad thing."

Of course, she hadn't exactly heard of a grown lion doing this kind of thing, but there was always one who would be the first, and if Odijo was to be the first adult to go on his naming quest, then so be it.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Odijo couldn’t help but chuckle at her statement. “I think it would be best to learn about this pride more. Perhaps instead of me going on a quest to find my true name, I’ll find it in these lands.” He nodded. He technically could be the first adult to go on the naming quest, but what if the quest was bound to be in these lands. He had traveled the roguelands, and nothing had jumped out at him. It was here that his heart and mind had led him, which could mean that it was here where he would truly connect to the world.

“Thank you. The way I look at it is everyone has a time to go you know?” Odijo smiled, turning his head towards her.

His eyes gazed around before they focused back on her. “What was your naming quest like?”  

[KasaiLoki]

Well, if that's what he wanted, then perhaps he was right. After all, being an adult and being totally new to the pride could be the key: perhaps his true name lied here, in a new place, whereas the youth of their pride found their new name in the new place they visited. It worked.
"That's true," she agreed, smiling. "I only hope I end up doing what I'm supposed to do before I go. You know, have a family, raise good, smart cubs to adulthood. Be the best I can be." She laughed at herself and shook her head. "I guess just the usual stuff, like what our parents hope for us to do."

"Time-consuming." That was the first word--or words, really--that came to her mind when asked about her naming quest. "But I am a patient lioness, so it wasn't that bad for me. I do remember waiting for a while, not knowing what to expect. Each day I went out and did something different. Twice a week or so I hunted and tried to catch a different animal each time, or at least tried different tactics. Just in case I happened to find my true name that way." She chuckled, moving her gaze from his to stare at the ground. "It actually happened when I was sitting around, staring at the mountains. My name means 'to move mountains,' because I realized I could."

Ears twitched slightly as she spoke. He couldn’t help but keep up a smile when she mentioned raising cubs, especially good, smart cubs. One day Odijo knew he would have cubs. He wanted them, he wanted to teach them the ways of what he was brought up. Although the male liked explaining things already to the younger generations, there was something about teaching your own child that was just…more worth while. “It sounds like both you and I have the same kind of future when it comes to raising a family. One day it’ll happen,” at this he turned to the sky. “It just takes time.”

And what a convenient statement to say as she mentioned her quest was time-consuming. “I guess it just goes to show you that anything can happen at any possible moment, without realizing it until it hits you.” Perhaps that is when his name will come to him. Her name meaning was interesting. Could it be to be on the same plane as your true name, you have to look deep within yourself to find it. It sounded like that, especially in Bari’s case.  

[KasaiLoki]

Mm, that was exactly it. Exactly what she believed with her entire being: it just takes time. "Sounds like it," she agreed. Perhaps their cubs could play together, if Bari kept up a possible friendship with this male. Her mother would tease her probably, for even thinking such a thing (and her brother most likely) but that's why she wouldn't tell. She was patient, waiting for the right mate to claim as her own, and waiting for her family to start. Bari had waited this long, after all. What was a while longer?

"Yes, that's true as well. I certainly wasn't expecting to find my name looking at a mountain range," she laughed. "But it did, and I am certainly more happy for it." It had even been a silly way, finding her true name. All she did was tilt her head in different directions to see how the mountains moved with her new angle, that's all. But her soul, her inner being, it seemed, had known that it was more than just a simple head-tilt that led her to finding herself. And that, she knew, was the entire purpose of going on the name quest in the first place.

The male would have to keep that in mind. He now knew not to go looking for his name, but to let it come to him. Already today, he had learned so much from this female. He hoped that this would not be the only meeting that they would share. Odijo would have to make it a point to make sure their paths crossed again.

He stood up and stretched, glancing up at the sky. The talk of the future made him happy, and the way Bari spoke allowed Odijo to relate to her more. Because of how he grew up, he knew that one had to be patient, especially when dealing with younger cubs, and this pride seemed to be a good in having ‘patience’ itself, else it would send their own young on such a daunting task that most lions ever experience.

Already time seemed to have flown by. He had gathered a lot of knowledge about a few traditions already, but to actually establish his legs of where-about everything was in the pride was still new to him, He hated to leave the female by herself though; maybe she would come with him? Or perhaps they could meet up another time. Either option was a good one. “I can’t believe how late it is getting. It seems as if the days are getting shorter.” Odijo joked. “We should get together again in the near future,” the male made it apparent to say near, to mean that he would love to meet with her again. Perhaps next time, they could do something ‘fun’ together: swimming, hunting or even exploring to learn about the new changes that both of them are going through.  

[KasaiLoki]

Indeed, time had flown by rather quickly with their conversation; she hadn't realized it was getting so late. Bari stood a few moments after he and also glanced up at the darkening sky. The sun was floating away happily, and soon, the lioness would be safe and snug in the safety of her den. "At least the day passed in an intellectual way. I can't say that I've had a good conversation like that in a while. Thank you." She smiled at him as her tail flicked from side to side.

"I would like that very much. I know of a good pool nearby, actually, that's at a decent depth for swimming and relaxing. When we see each other again, you're more than welcome to accompany me there. I'd be more than happy to show it to you." The offer was genuine; she truly enjoyed this male's company and hoped to see him. Soon.

The male hadn’t remembered the last time he actually had such a conversation with another. It was an enjoying experience. “No, thank you.” He returned the smile, genuinely.

To go swimming, now that sounds fun. He remembered swimming during the hot season back in his old pride, but it was only during those times. When the seasons changed, so did the weather, and therefore the fun that came with the water. It would be as if he was a cub again, the next time he experienced a water event. “Until then, Bari!” He knew they would see each other again. The saying ‘Only time will tell’ would be a good use here, but Odijo knew that there were ways to make time flow to your advantage. He gave the female a small wave with his paw, moving into the swamps’ brush, disappearing into the marsh.  

[KasaiLoki]

Her smile widened and she nodded happily in return. "Until then, Odijo." She watched him walk away, before waiting only a moment before turning and heading in the opposite direction, now intent on finding her pool, the object of her destination at the first place. If he was going to be coming to visit soon, she might as well tidy up a bit at least. She could go pick some flowers. Make it...'presentable.' Oh, but she wouldn't worry too much about it. Bari kept walking with a smile though, looking forward to the next time they met.

[end.]