The Memories of Water || VOK LOTW worldbuilding

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Topanga "Topi" Earthbender, princess of the Lions of the Waves, queen of sass, did not ever in a million years see herself as the type to settle down.

Come on. Be realistic. Can you really imagine her, the lioness who spends more time in the trees like a leopard than down on the ground, the gal who plays pranks on her pridemates, the princess who would rather do dangerous stunts than listen to diplomatic troubles, as a wife and mother?

Please. You'd be kidding yourself.

She was an adventurer, a defender, and a free spirit. She didn't have time to worry about love. At least, that's what Topi thought. But it turns out, love doesn't have to be mushy, and it doesn't require giving up one's freedom or adventures.

He showed up the same way every other pride member had. Nothing special about that story. But him? There was something special about him. He showed up with a spark in his eye and an energy that was unique. Like Topi, he wasn't content with a life of peace or leisure. He wanted to be out there, doing things, going on adventures.

"I appreciate what your father has done here," Lichen said one day, as he and Topi patrolled the jungled center of the Lion's Head Island. "It is a stable pride, a safe pride. It is a safe haven."

"But?" Topi pressed.

"But it's... Well, a bit boring, don't you think?"

Topi laughed, laughed so hard she nearly fell out of the tree she was standing in.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just, we're in the minority on that. Most of the lions here think it's paradise."

"I suppose it is. One type of paradise."

"But not yours."

"No."

"So what would your paradise look like?"

"I dunno," he looked around at the trees, dotted with parrots. "Something like this I guess. But with more... danger. Excitement. Adventure. I want to do more, you know? Fighting off villains or poisonous reptiles, that's part of the fun of life."

"I know exactly what you mean."

A chord struck. Notes rose into a song. And Topi heard it, and she caught her breath, because this was their song. The Song of Life had another melody, one belonging to Lichen and Topi.

So when she found Jumanji, and heard the call of the Great Lion to go, to restore the kingdom of Earth? It was her pleasure and privilege. And it was an even greater privilege to do so with that lichen-green lion beside her. Her best friend, her partner, and her beloved.

A soulmate is not the other half of an incomplete, it is a whole that compliments a whole. And oh, how they complimented each other. Where Topi was too quick to leap, he would slow down and observe, and when he was the one acting before thinking, she was the voice of reason. They danced together among trees filled with critters that could kill them, and they laughed, happy as could be.

Topi had never thought love was for her. But she hadn't known love could be like this.

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The question of who would be Avu's soulmate was a hot topic of discussion among the Pride of the Lions of the Waves. He was the Crown Prince, after all, and the people were curious as to who would one day be their Queen. Many of the lions, like Nuria and Amita, had watched little Avu grow up. He was family to them, and like any aunt or uncle, they wanted to see the their bright, joyful nephew find love.

At first, many pride members had expected Avu and Katara to one day wed. The two were best friends, they did everything together, and what cuter story is there than childhood best friends getting married? After all, a mate should be your best friend. But as time went on it became clear that the Song didn't call to the pair. They were best friends, nothing more, nothing less.

If not Katara, then who? Avu didn't show any interest in any of the lionesses his age, nor even the lions. He was friends with everyone and was content with that. Not that that was a bad thing. In fact, it seemed to run in the family, though they weren't related by blood. Mar had been focused on being a good father and king, showing little interest in romance until Nebula came along. Topi was in love with the trees, and boasted that no lion would be able to keep up with her energy, that she didn't want to marry. Avu was similarly in love with the ocean, spending more time in the water than on land. Some lions began musing that perhaps Avu was destined to always be a single lion, that he would be the sole king someday.

And then he went on his Treasure Hunt and came home with gills, speaking of an underwater city and of renouncing his title as Crown Prince so he could rebuild Atlantis, and boy did that complicate his chances of finding a mate in the eyes of the pride.

What other lion could live in an underwater city?

But then came Mirai. A pastel-colored lioness with an enthusiasm for life. She called herself a 'marine biologist' and said she studied coral reefs and the fish that lived in them. The pride took one look at her and practically shoved her Avu's way. She saw his gills and was instantly fascinated, and he was thrilled to have someone to talk to about all of the things he saw underwater. They became fast friends, and in a blink they had built a boat and were going out to the reefs together, Avu diving to places too deep for Mirai to explore and bringing back samples for her to study.

They shared their first 'kiss' out there by the reefs. Avu had found a particularly neat fish, and in his enthusiasm to give it to Mirai he accidentally tipped the small boat. She fell in the water, and all her samples swam away, and Avu was flustered and embarrassed and sorry for ruining a day's work, but she just laughed and splashed him and then he was laughing too, and then their foreheads were pressed together and they realized, in that moment, how much they loved one another. And they realized that there were new voices in the Song of Life, a melody that had been quietly growing over time and now sang loud and clear.

And they kissed, or at least, shared a lion's version of the same sentiment. Foreheads together and noses just touching.

They had each found their soulmate.

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Mar knew very little about raising cubs.

He knew the basics, knew that they needed milk at first and then small bits of meat as they weaned, and he knew they needed to practice hunting and other such skills as they developed. But he didn't know how to be a parent, not really. He was barely a adult himself, only three and a half years old. He had watched the lions in his birth pride raise their cubs, and he was fond of children, but he was also the sort of lion who had spent a lot of time on his own by the sea. It's not like he had taken a parenting class.

He didn't regret rescuing the little blue-grey cub abandoned on the rocks, not one bit. Mar could never leave a baby to die like that. But as he set the trembling infant down on the dry grass of one of the Tail Isles, he realized he had no idea what he was getting himself into.

He built a small shelter that would serve as a den for him and the child for the foreseeable future. The cub was too young and weak to survive the journey all the way to the Lion's Head. He found a pool of fresh water and set the cub beside it, but it didn't drink. He caught a few rodents and tried to feed the cub, but it didn't eat.

It was too young. It hadn't been weaned, and it still needed milk. And Mar was not a lioness.

Mar's stomach twisted as he realized that there was nothing he could do to save the cub if he couldn't find a substitute for milk.

The cub was mewling again. It was hungry and scared.

Mar was too.

"Ada, what do I do?" He called to the Great Lion. "I have nothing to feed this child you placed in my path."

A breeze rustled Mar's fur. Take a crab and eat of its meat, then leave the shell outside your den while you sleep.

Mar went to the small tide pool on the southern edge of the island. He hunted a large orange crab and when he had licked the carapace clean, he placed it next to his den.

"Hush, child," he whispered gently to the cub. He curled around it, settling it between his front paws and gently grooming its fur. It was lulled to sleep, and then Mar too took a nap.

When he awoke an hour later the child was whimpering again. Mar carefully nestled it in the grasses he had used to line the den, and then he went outside.

The crab shell was still there, but now it was filled with a milky liquid. Upon closer examination, Mar realized it was milk.

"Thank you, Ada," he said, bowing his head. He went and picked up the cub and placed it beside the crab shell. With some encouragement the cub lapped up the milk, and once it was finished it fell asleep again, tummy round and full.

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Trias came to the islands when Lana was still in training. He met Nuria and her apprentice Archipela at the jetty, and said he had felt the pull of the sea. Nuria smiled softly, and turned and led him on the Long Swim.

The Great Lion had called another child to their terra home.

Trias was brought before Mar and Lana to be assessed, like every other lion that came to join the pride. Mar had Lana take the lead for the first time. She had watched Mar conduct assessments many times by now, and it was her turn to put those skills into practice. She asked the standard questions, and then took a moment to consult with the Great Lion, then with Nuria and Archipela, then with Mar.

Trias passed the assessment, and was welcomed into the pride.

"Well done," Mar said to Lana, approval in his tone. "And congratulations, for you have welcomed the first new member into the pride under your reign."

"You're still king, Ada," Lana pointed out.

"Perhaps in title. But this pride is ruled by three, now. Myself, your mother, and you. You're still training, but none of the decisions you make are trial runs. They have real affects on the pride. And while your decisions pass through my approval, they are still yours. Queenship does not start with the ceremony, it starts with the first small decision you made with my guidance. So, Trias is the first new member of your reign, just as he is one of the last of mine."

Lana considered that, and saw things a little differently.

She next saw Trias during fishing. He had grown up in the forest, and had never fished in a sea before. When he struggled to catch a lobster, Lana offered to help, and he was glad for the assistance. They worked together, Lana teaching, Trias listening intently, asking detailed and thoughtful questions. He was a quick learner, and soon caught his own lobster, which he proudly held up for Lana to see.

They became friends after that. Lana helped Trias learn the island, and Trias was always happy to be a sounding board while she worked on the practice issues Mar gave her to mull over to prepare her for when she would officially become Queen. Trias got along well with Lana's good friend Avior too, and with her siblings. Soon enough, it was like he had always been part of the pride.

Their friendship grew. Truthfully, neither expected it to become anything more. But they gradually went from friends to close friends to best friends. They were each other's person. They laughed and played and teased each other, and they had long conversations about everything and anything, and they were there to support each other after a long day.

One night, a couple years into their friendship, after Lana had become Queen, they lay on the beach together and were watching the stars. And as they looked up at the sky, silently, just enjoying each other's company and the peace of the sea and the stars... they both realized that the depth of the connection they shared was special.

"Lana," Trias said, turning his head towards her. "What would you say if I told you that I thought I might love you?"

"I would say that I would hope so, given how long we've been friends," she replied, tilting her head to face him as well with a light smirk.

Trias snorted. "Of course, but, I mean... another kind of love. Not just the love between friends."

Lana considered this, gaze roaming over his face. He waited, patient, watching her eyes move.

"I would say that I think I love you in another way too," she said, gaze coming back to meet his.

"Would you be open to exploring that?" Trias asked. "If not, I'll be content with what we have. You're my closest friend. But if you are... well, I've always believed that courting should start with a close friendship."

"I'd love to," Lana said, smiling softly. "I've always thought so too, and you're my best friend too. I can't imagine walking through life without you anymore."


NEW PROMPT BELOW

"Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be able to walk through the sky," Lana commented. "There's a story Ada likes to tell, of a lion who loved the sea so dearly that they wanted to walk through the stars in order to see it better. The Great Lion loved the lion's curiosity, and sent one of his messengers, the Great Bird, to gift the lion wings. But when the Great Bird arrived, she found that the lion had injured their back, and therefore would not be able to wear wings. The Great Bird consulted with the Great Lion, and then carried a message to the lion: chose your dearest friend, and I will give them wings with the Great Lion's blessing, and they will be able to carry you both through the sky." The lion had several close friends, and had a hard time choosing. But they had one friend who was missing a front leg and couldn't walk properly. So they said to the Great Bird, "give the wings to this friend, that they can move freely." And the Great Bird said, "but this friend is missing a leg, and would not be able to carry you to the sky." And the lion said, "I can love the sea just as well from the ground as from the sky. My friend needs the wings more." So the Great Bird gave the wings to the friend. The friend, upon hearing about this, worked to make a special sling so that they could still carry their friend into the sky."

Trias listened closely. A story of two friends who loved each other deeply.

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One litter, two litter, Avu and Mirai found their life suddenly full of bright lights that were their jubilant cubs. A few were blessed with Avu's gills, and others with Mirai's tail. None so far had Avu's gift of waterbending, but they didn't seem to mind.

Avu was watching the cubs play in the reef one afternoon, Atlantis bustling behind them. He reflected on the past few years, how they had gotten to this place. It felt like only yesterday that he had set out to swim the sea as far as he could, aided by his waterbending and the dolphins he was friends with. It felt like only yesterday that he'd nearly drowned in a storm, and the Great Lion had blessed him with gills so that he might live and rebuild the lost city.

Seeing the city now, full of lions and dolphins and turtles and octopuses and all kinds of other creatures and Avu's own four children, made Avu's heart swell with joy. He sent up a silent prayer to the Great Lion, thanking him for this gift.

Speaking of gifts, Mirai was swimming over. Avu brightened at seeing his mate, just as excited to see her as the day they'd first become friends.

They greeted one another by touching their foreheads together, and then Mirai settled onto the rock Avu was on beside him. "You're particularly happy this afternoon," she commented, and ran her tongue over his ear, beginning to groom him.

Avu hummed, and twisted to return the gesture. "I'm just thinking about how lucky we are. How blessed to have this family."

Mirai hummed in agreement. "We are," she agreed. And then, with a smirk, "and it's going to grow a bit bigger soon."

Avu straightened, eyes widening. "You mean-"

"Not quite, sorry," she laughed. "I meant, I just heard from my sister, and she's expecting cubs soon."

Avu laughed. "That's still wonderful news," he said. "What are they doing to celebrate?"

"They're going on a trip, just the two of them. They've been meaning to do that for a while."

"That's great," Avu said. And then, "You know, we haven't gone on a trip, just the two of us, in a while.

"That's true," Mirai agreed. "Not since before the cubs were born.

"We should go. Everything is going smoothly here... we can take some time away."

"Where should we go?"

"Well... what if we went to the far reefs, the ones with your favorite corals? Anemone can look after the cubs, she's been bugging me to take some time for myself. She'd be happy to watch them, and then we could go to the far reefs, and spend a week there, and explore the corals and watch the sunset, just like we did when we first started courting."

Mirai grinned, and leaned into him again. "That sounds wonderful. When should we go?"

"I'll talk to anemone, but I suspect we can leave within the next few days."

"Perfect. I can't wait."

"Me neither."