Lounging in her hammock wasn't as relaxing as she thought it would be. With a groan, Ayaukuhime rolled over and sprung up on her back paws to all fours on the branch of the home tree where her hammock rested. She glanced down at her sleeping area, realizing that soon it would be gone, and instead she would be tasked with building a new hammock for two - for herself and her new mate, Tompa.
She grinned largely at the thought, the same butterflies fluttering in her stomach as they had days before when Tompa and her had agreed to be married before Eywa. It was wild and exhilarating, living out all of her wildest dreams, but she was thrilled for it to finally be happening.
Deftly, the lioness climbed down the mother tree, the route to the ground memorized firmly in her mind. She thought momentarily about the fact that that route would be changing soon and smiled once more.
Eventually, she reached the forest floor with grace. Ayaukuhime glanced around, smiling even further remembering her first few dates with Tompa. They had been silly and nerve-wracking and they had taken place where she now stood. She recalled with a laugh the time Tompa fell out of the mother tree and muddied himself so badly that they needed to travel to wash his face so that he could see. Her laugh tinkled, sounding beautiful and pure - that of a female in love.
She decided then that she would follow the path that the two of them had taken after that incident - the path to the nearest river. She was never very fond of water, but something about that day shifted things in her mind. Just the fact of being in the presence at Tompa softened her to the cool liquid, and now she yearned for it.
Padding along, she took slow, deep breaths, enjoying the crispness of the evening air. It was dark, but the forest seemed to be glowing, as it always did in the Na'vi lands. There was a magic to the Iknimaya - that's what had driven Ayaukuhime to their lands back when she was a lost little rogue. She'd seen the area in a vision and sought it out, consulting other passerby rogues for more information and directions to the strange, mystical land she had seen. Little did she know that things would work out so heavily in her favor. The lions of the Iknimaya were kind and welcoming - she'd even met one at the border, Tsun'swayon, who had opened his arms to her the moment she stepped foot inside the Na'vi lands. It was almost as if it was meant to be.
Sure, she had that line of thinking about a lot of things - that was one of her core personality traits, she thought, this believing in a higher power. But truly becoming one of the Na'vi had changed her life for the better.
And now, Tompa. Ayaukuhime smiled once more as she padded towards the river, edging her way slowly down its shallow bank. She sighed as the cool water hit her front paws and pushed on, slowly lowering her body in until the water hit her chest. She stood stock still, just enjoying the feeling of the liquid surrounding her body. Because she was standing so still, she could glance down and see in the water her own reflection. Her wide, blue eyes blended in with the color of the water so that all she could see was the surrounding stark white of her face. She smiled at herself, a giddy, stupid-happy smile, one that she couldn't seem to wipe off of her face. She wished her family could see her now - happier than ever, soon to be shacking up with the lion of her dreams. It really was surreal.
Before she could let the memory of her family sully her mood, Ayaukuhime clambered out of the river, scrambling up the muddy riverbank. Once she had all four paws planted firmly on the ground, she gave herself a good, full-body shake to get rid of all the excess liquid still clinging to her fur. Once she was done she found her maw creaking open in a large, dramatic yawn. Although she'd spent most of the day lounging about in her hammock, she hadn't done much sleeping. But that was about to change, as it seemed she was quite tired.
Setting her paws in motion, she meandered back down the path with which she had now become so familiar. It wasn't a long trip, but as she walked on, she could feel her paws getting heavier and heavier, much like her eyelids. Ayaukuhime was sleepy, and it must have been the water that brought that on, as she had felt totally fine before taking a dip in the cool river.
Either way, she arrived back at the home tree before long. Slowly and deliberately she made her way back up that familiar route to her single hammock, something that would soon become a symbol of a bygone past of singlehood. She smiled as she lowered her body into the hammock, curious as to how it would feel to share a sleeping space with her newfound mate. It was crazy, he totally consumed all of her thoughts as of late - she was a relatively strong seer and hadn't had a single vision since she'd started hanging out with him. It was kind of odd, the way he'd stabilized her brain and had her thinking of the now instead of the future, but she missed the visions. She could only imagine now they'd be of brightly-striped cubs running around her in circles.
Even though her visions had stopped, that didn't mean she wouldn't have a vivid dream that night. With images of cubs dancing in her head, she rolled over, forcing her body into a comfier position, before she closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep. After all, the quicker she fell asleep, the sooner she'd get to see her favorite Priest and perhaps build a new home (and life) with him.
(WC: 1,012)
She grinned largely at the thought, the same butterflies fluttering in her stomach as they had days before when Tompa and her had agreed to be married before Eywa. It was wild and exhilarating, living out all of her wildest dreams, but she was thrilled for it to finally be happening.
Deftly, the lioness climbed down the mother tree, the route to the ground memorized firmly in her mind. She thought momentarily about the fact that that route would be changing soon and smiled once more.
Eventually, she reached the forest floor with grace. Ayaukuhime glanced around, smiling even further remembering her first few dates with Tompa. They had been silly and nerve-wracking and they had taken place where she now stood. She recalled with a laugh the time Tompa fell out of the mother tree and muddied himself so badly that they needed to travel to wash his face so that he could see. Her laugh tinkled, sounding beautiful and pure - that of a female in love.
She decided then that she would follow the path that the two of them had taken after that incident - the path to the nearest river. She was never very fond of water, but something about that day shifted things in her mind. Just the fact of being in the presence at Tompa softened her to the cool liquid, and now she yearned for it.
Padding along, she took slow, deep breaths, enjoying the crispness of the evening air. It was dark, but the forest seemed to be glowing, as it always did in the Na'vi lands. There was a magic to the Iknimaya - that's what had driven Ayaukuhime to their lands back when she was a lost little rogue. She'd seen the area in a vision and sought it out, consulting other passerby rogues for more information and directions to the strange, mystical land she had seen. Little did she know that things would work out so heavily in her favor. The lions of the Iknimaya were kind and welcoming - she'd even met one at the border, Tsun'swayon, who had opened his arms to her the moment she stepped foot inside the Na'vi lands. It was almost as if it was meant to be.
Sure, she had that line of thinking about a lot of things - that was one of her core personality traits, she thought, this believing in a higher power. But truly becoming one of the Na'vi had changed her life for the better.
And now, Tompa. Ayaukuhime smiled once more as she padded towards the river, edging her way slowly down its shallow bank. She sighed as the cool water hit her front paws and pushed on, slowly lowering her body in until the water hit her chest. She stood stock still, just enjoying the feeling of the liquid surrounding her body. Because she was standing so still, she could glance down and see in the water her own reflection. Her wide, blue eyes blended in with the color of the water so that all she could see was the surrounding stark white of her face. She smiled at herself, a giddy, stupid-happy smile, one that she couldn't seem to wipe off of her face. She wished her family could see her now - happier than ever, soon to be shacking up with the lion of her dreams. It really was surreal.
Before she could let the memory of her family sully her mood, Ayaukuhime clambered out of the river, scrambling up the muddy riverbank. Once she had all four paws planted firmly on the ground, she gave herself a good, full-body shake to get rid of all the excess liquid still clinging to her fur. Once she was done she found her maw creaking open in a large, dramatic yawn. Although she'd spent most of the day lounging about in her hammock, she hadn't done much sleeping. But that was about to change, as it seemed she was quite tired.
Setting her paws in motion, she meandered back down the path with which she had now become so familiar. It wasn't a long trip, but as she walked on, she could feel her paws getting heavier and heavier, much like her eyelids. Ayaukuhime was sleepy, and it must have been the water that brought that on, as she had felt totally fine before taking a dip in the cool river.
Either way, she arrived back at the home tree before long. Slowly and deliberately she made her way back up that familiar route to her single hammock, something that would soon become a symbol of a bygone past of singlehood. She smiled as she lowered her body into the hammock, curious as to how it would feel to share a sleeping space with her newfound mate. It was crazy, he totally consumed all of her thoughts as of late - she was a relatively strong seer and hadn't had a single vision since she'd started hanging out with him. It was kind of odd, the way he'd stabilized her brain and had her thinking of the now instead of the future, but she missed the visions. She could only imagine now they'd be of brightly-striped cubs running around her in circles.
Even though her visions had stopped, that didn't mean she wouldn't have a vivid dream that night. With images of cubs dancing in her head, she rolled over, forcing her body into a comfier position, before she closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep. After all, the quicker she fell asleep, the sooner she'd get to see her favorite Priest and perhaps build a new home (and life) with him.
(WC: 1,012)