[PRP] Check-Up [Raiatea x Tawi + Birbs]

[Ctrl F Greenie]

The earthquake had nearly torn the group apart, but they fortunate and were able to enjoy another day of travelling with fairly minimal injury. The blue of bruises dappled some of them, Raia was included. She so very grateful for the winged friends they had and even more thankful that Tawi wasn't hurt terribly. All in all it seemed the Great Lion was watching over them.

"How are you feeling?" She was speaking to her family in a whole, birds had been tended too and Tawi was next. The group had arrived and been welcomed to a new territory. The welcome was peaceful, even if with surprise, not that that would have been a shock. The group was weary, dusty, and battered in some cases. She mused over the looks received while trying to get a good look at her mate. "Does this hurt?" A smile devilish grin spread over her maw as she picked a particularly tender place to poke, but not harshly.

Brillo could only roll her eyes at the action and when that ended her gaze fell onto Mstiri.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Ctrl F Greenie

Tawi was brooding. Raia had helped him in the rockslide, and ended up getting injured herself. He felt flustered that he had potentially caused harm to his mate, that he continued the rest of the journey to this new pride in a small funk. To other lions, it probably was Tawi's normally attitude.

He was resting on the ground, watching some of the group mingle with the pride members that had welcomed. he was brought out of his watch, when a paw poked at a tender bruise. He let out a quiet hiss, the feeling of pressure on the contusion not the most pleasant of things. "Yes~" he whine, his head flopping to the ground, a small purr rumbling.

The hiss caused Mstiri to blink, stopping his preening as he tilted his head. He returned a glance towards Brillo, shaking his head. "Children." His feathers puffed up to show his slight frustration.

Tawi's eyes narrowed at the avian, before he lifted to his feet. He stretched a bit, groaning again as the bruise pulled and tugged. "You don't see me poking you in your bruises now, do you?" He sighed slightly, a small smile on his maw. "This land is different, isn't it? these shrine things they are talking about...do you have any clue?"  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

The hiss surprised her, but didn't dissuade her from continuing to grin. Especially as he flopped to the ground and signed his contentedness with a purr. As much as they had been hurt, they had also survive. Raia reminded herself of that time and time again, silently.

Raia eyed the avians with the same devilish look, but before was able to act on it she heard Tawi. "I suppose not, but only because I thought to poke you first." She teased gently, but had managed to get a quick once over before being satisfied that he was truly okay. Of course he would have shown signs of further injury sooner, but she was still worried.

"It really is." She responded and laid herself next to him, purring now as well. "I suppose the shrines are spread out? Perhaps the Great Lion has a harder time seeing them, so they have to show far more appreciation?" Her brows furrowed as she considered home. Were they the ones not offering enough? She also wasn't devout enough to a singular god to throw away rumors she had heard.

Brillo was staring at the family now, beak agape, but instead of speaking she chose to slowly close it. Raia hadn't missed the action, the avian knew this, but she couldn't be the one to mention anything right away. Her eyes looked to Mstiri curiously - did he share the same beliefs of these lions? Was her family narrow minded enough to only consider one option? She wasn't sure, as a belief conversation had never occurred. Sure the Great Lion came up from time to time, but often times in a greeting or thanks.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Ctrl F Greenie

Tawi refrained from rolling his eyes as he let out a snort. Perhaps if he was younger he would have opted to poke at Raia first. Or, he would have quickly back-pedaled and hightailed it out away from the other. The latter was likely the option he would have pursued.

He hummed slightly, glaring at Mstiri's comment as he rose to his feet, to be closer to Raia. "Maybe. We could always find one of the members of the pride and ask?" Was Tawi...actually asking to be social? If Raia was with him, then he would have a body to hide behind if he felt too uncomfortable. The truth was, he wanted to know about these shrines.

"The least we could do is figure out what or how they do it, and maybe we can offer a shrine to the Great Lion once we get home. If...we ever get home." He huffed slightly. He missed his home, his den, the Great Lion shining in through the peak hole in the ceiling.

Mstiri glanced at Brillo's look, before back to the two lions. "You're gonna let out a little drool if you keep it open that long." He jested. He had heard what the other said. Mstiri, having not been born in the Mwezi, prided himself on some outside knowledge. He knew what the Mwezi believed, and he knew others that weren't of the pride wouldn't share the same belief. But, Mwezi'johari was his home, and he would follow whatever the lions did, even if he didn't necessarily agree.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Tawi approaching her was a welcome surprise, she expected some kind of reaction, would have even welcomed it after she taunted him. This was just as well, his closeness reminded her of home and how close they had come to losing one another. Just one wrong move during the earthquake and it could have taken them.

"That's a good idea, I'm sure someone around here may be able to answer some questions?" The shock was evident in her tone as she spoke. Her mate, husband, and childhood friend had never been one to seek out social ocassions. There were only a couple that came to mind and ironically both had to do with their Firekin companions. The thought amused her and she queried silently about whether or not he had some weird obsession with them. Perhaps it was their strength he was after? Though strong enough she was sure somewhere deep within lay a seed of self doubt. Something she knew he fought with previously - it may not have faded completely.

Surely the situation would become partial silence though and she wasn't about to pressure him into conversation. She did spy a rather bored looking lion hanging about not far from them. His blue pelt reminding her of home while his darker spots threw off the illusion. Her emerald eyes hung on his unmoving body for a moment before she returned to the conversation - mentally - in time for Tawi to continue speaking.

"If we cannot convince others to do a shrine, we can always host a private one in our home. We have that opening in the ceiling with the perfect view after all." She smiled warmly at Tawi and found her heart aching for the warm bed she knew awaited them. Their future was waiting there it seemed and the pressure to get home was mounting. The shrines were a welcome distraction, but couldn't pull her mind away from the darkening thoughts completely - what if they never made the trip back home? What if it no longer became an option?

Brillo had grown quiet throughout their chatter, an internal dialogue had her bantering about what beliefs she should uphold and why. The pride was clearly devout to the Great Lion, but did they know he wasn't a single being? If anything he was a shattered one, those many faces of humanity broken up and spread about the world representing different pieces of one whole... Great Lion. Suddenly Brillo was beginning to understand - perhaps this was their logic? Whether they realized it or not. He was the great divine, while others were faces representing whatever part of him others needed to see. She blinked hard as a headache started to overcome her.

"What do we offer the shrines anyway?" Brillo finally spoke up, clucking at the family unit before her. She felt closer to them, even if she couldn't properly explain why.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

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Tawi nodded. "A private shrine may be ideal. I am sure the Great Lion would appreciate it, especially being able to see it every night. Maybe it could bring some better luck to us." For Tawi, that could just be interpreted as getting home safe and in one piece. For Raia, his words could have been interpreted as starting a family.

"Hopefully we can get home soon." Tawi said, almost sadly. There was a longing in his eyes as he looked away. He may have had some doubts about his home in the past, but being away for so long just made him miss it even more. Maybe when he got back he would go speak with his parents. He did leave them on not-so-good terms after all...

Mstiri glanced towards Brillo at her question. "We could ask that lion?" The green avian advised pointing a wing to the lone male. "Though, I think those moon flowers could be a nice offering for the Great Lion, or even the ones we found for Raia, right Tawi?"

Tawi glanced at Mstiri with a small smirk. Ah, those flowers. Mstiri had outdid himself locating the blue and white petaled flora. There were few still on a perch in their den. "The Great Lion did see me give those to Raia, perhaps he would enjoy having some too?" He asked the darker female.