Life begins to happen

When I plan somethin' else Tryna be somebody But all I got was someone else My plans always changin' Always rearrangin', oh Slow it down, release control Slow and steady, let me know The hardest place to be Is right where you are In the space between The finish and the start It's the arrow in your heart The arrow in your heart

Despite the pervasive chill in the air and the dusting of snow on the ground, it really was a very lovely night. He was a darker spot against the powdered landscape, laid down with his paws tucked under him and his tail wrapped around to conserve what heat his skinny frame could hold. Soon, he'd need to find somewhere warmer to rest and thaw, but for now he was transfixed by the canopy of stars hanging high overhead.

It was a glowing map, if one knew how to read it, and Anthony had spent a great many nights following the specks to and fro. Their names and shapes were familiar friends, and a ready comfort no matter how far he might have gone from what he'd known. And they could always lead him back again, if he ever had reason to return. Not that he could think of any, save one. But he hoped his old friend had taken his advice and gotten the hell out of there when they'd had the chance.

Breath fogged upward in a sigh - he missed the higher vantage points of his early cub days, but supposed he could climb one of the local mountains. And here there wasn't even anyone to yell at him about it. Probably? He knew there were prides in the area, but they couldn't own all the mountains, right? He scoffed lightly at the thought, No, that'd be ridiculous." Too many mountains for them all to be claimed. He hummed in thought, gaze still turned upward to the stars as if they might have some knowledge or advice to offer, Anyway, if they are, there's ways around it, aren't there." Joining a pride just for the view wasn't the most impulsive thing he'd ever done, after all.

This heart is afraid to beat slowly

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The yearling was slowly branching out into the wider world, but always retreating back to their Jungle home. The lipard had found a different patch of trees from those that they were used to and they surrounded an open space below. The youth had been exploring these trees, climbing them for what view of the world they would offer from the protection of their limbs. The foliage had mostly fallen away and so concealment wasn't something they offered. But a clear view of the hills and a dark creature nestled among them was offered up to the youth.

Curiosity drove Yarrow to leave the trees and seek to approach this figure. Snippets of the one sided conversation had been caught. The lipard wished to know whom the other party of this conversation was. No, Yarrow didn't find it odd at all for the other to be speaking to someone else that didn't seem to be present in the moment. This was the whole thing that drew the yearling in instead.

"You see Squirrel?" Because that was what had always come to the youth in their dreams. Yarrow just assumed that when others had visions they always saw a squirrel as well. But it wasn't like Yarrow knew of too many that head visions or even knew who Squirrel was.

@Corvus ★ @Anthony

While the forest itself did not always offer such a clear view of the stars there were hidden windows for those willing to search. Never close to the unobstructed views of the mountains or fields but with their own charms. The glade was about the closest one could get in the Grove of a wide open view, if not for trees on the horizon. But the canvas overhead was free from blocked shadows and reaching canopy.

It wasn't uncommon for her to be around here this time of night, these were the stars she was raised upon. But new company was a less common sight... Dio approached the pair in time to hear @Yarrow's question echo to @Anthony. Silently she finished closing the distance and stood with a curious look between the two. She watched and waited for the lion to answer the yearling's question. No idea who Squirrel was, if it was someone's name or an actual woodland creature that they were asking about.

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Life begins to happen

When I plan somethin' else Tryna be somebody But all I got was someone else My plans always changin' Always rearrangin', oh Slow it down, release control Slow and steady, let me know The hardest place to be Is right where you are In the space between The finish and the start It's the arrow in your heart The arrow in your heart

An ear flicked toward the sounds of someone approaching, but there was no other reaction until the youth spoke. Squirrel? Anthony blinked, gaze flicking over the well-known shapes of the stars as he ran through their names in his head. Uhhh, no, no don't think so. Which one is 'squirrel'?" Wait- did the stranger mean the stars or back down on the ground? Wait, that's a little rodent thing, isn't it, squirrels?" Here his attention finally pulled away from the sky to get a proper look at his new companion - bit odd looking for a lion. Was he a lion? Probably rude to just ask, wasn't it.

And anyway, they were joined by another, more silent, woman. The way she approached but didn't speak led Anthony to assume she might be the boy's mother. Sure, they didn't look at all alike but adoption was a common thing and, really, he had no room to judge anyone's family. So she earned a glance and a nod as a greeting.

@Yarrow @Diomedeidae

This heart is afraid to beat slowly

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"Squirrel lives in other world. Talks in dreams." But maybe this male was able to see and talk to Squirrel without having to be asleep. That certainly be be an impressive feat, at least to Yarrow. But given the confusion of the other male it would seem that he wasn't seeing and talking to Squirrel.

The yearling glanced over to the female that had approached but said nothing. She hadn't been here before so it couldn't have been her. And it wasn't them. And it wasn't Squirrel. So who was it then?

"Who you talk to?" The youth gave yet another glance around. "You talk to that?" He asked and gestured towards the pumpkin on the ground. Really, what else was there around here to be talking to?

@Corvus ★ @Anthony @Diomedeidae

@Anthony suggested the most logical answers to who, or what, this squirrel was. She nods a bit. They're like mice yeah. Big fluffy tails though. Objectively a bit cuter for it too if you were to ask her opinion. But, if squirrels were common denizens of this other world, and talk in dreams, Dio was unfamiliar with that aspect of their life.

But she's immediately interested in it. Would Squirrel talk to me? She asked @Yarrow curiously- noting then the strange nature of one of their eyes. Was this like Hadiya said? Could Yarrow see and experience the world in a different, more intense, way? Huh-? She gets lost in though but then glances at what is being referred to in the question. Oh no, sometimes I talk to the stars and sometimes I talk to Maua. But nothing like this thing.

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double, double toil and trouble;
fire burn, and cauldron bubble...

Nafasi watches from the bushes, never once letting herself be seen by those huddled around her perfectly-placed pumpkins. They really were a curious bunch, weren't they? But, unfortunately for them, the sprite was feeling extra mischievous today, and had a trick up her sleeve! And so, with a small grin, the being tilted her maw down towards the earth, eyes glowing, before she gave a pointed flicker of her tail and brought her vision to life in the process.

Uh oh...

The pumpkin beneath you beings to vibrate before decaying and collapsing in on itself. Seconds later, what looks to be thousands of spiders begin to crawl out of every crevice of the oozing pumpkin, skittering across the earth in a leg-filled frenzy. By your next breath, the ground is completely covered in those gross, ghastly bugs - and judging by the way that they're moving towards you, you just might be next!

pixel credit to moonlight-pendent13

Life begins to happen

When I plan somethin' else Tryna be somebody But all I got was someone else My plans always changin' Always rearrangin', oh Slow it down, release control Slow and steady, let me know The hardest place to be Is right where you are In the space between The finish and the start It's the arrow in your heart The arrow in your heart

The boy explained and Anthony made a silent 'ah'. Nnnno, not Squirrel, then." Neither from dreams or whatever 'other world' the youth spoke of. At least the woman had been of a similar mind as he'd been, assuming living animals.

I was talking to the stars, I think. Bit myself, too." He shifted, unfolding and sitting up, his attention redirected as the younger boy pointed to something strange on the ground nearby. Head tilted slightly as he considered it - definitely hadn't been talking to that, either. Some sort of plant?

Oh, but plants didn't spontaneously vibrate and decay did they? And if they did, well, that might be interesting to study but he certainly wouldn't want one in his personal garden. Especially if they started spewing spiders. OH! Is it meant to do that??" He was up on all paws, edging away from the incoming arachnid tide. He didn't know near enough about spiders to know which ones were dangerous to lions, and he wasn't keen to find out.

@Yarrow @Diomedeidae

This heart is afraid to beat slowly

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The woman explained what a squirrel was but not what Squirrel was. Sure, Squirrel was all of those things but Squirrel was so much more than all of that as well. How did one explain Squirrel to someone that had never been visited by Squirrel before?

The youth was distracted from this train of thought by a question from the female. Yarrow gave this actual thought. "I don't know. I don't ask for Squirrel to show up Squirrel just does. Squirrel gives warnings." But Yarrow doesn't always understand the messages. Most of the time he only remembers parts of the dreams upon waking.

Both of the individuals spoke of speaking to the stars though. The youth had never considered that before and glanced up to the pinpricks of light high overhead. "Do the stars give messages too?" Maybe Squirrel took different forms for different individuals.

Attention was drawn back to the ground as the pumpkin decayed into millions of spiders. "I don't know..." The yearling spoke slowly as it watched the frenzy. The youth knew nothing about these plants. They have encountered spiders before but never this many and never having burst forth from a gourd.

@Corvus ★ @Anthony @Diomedeidae

Squirrel seemed awfully strange but very very interesting. And who would Dio be to not believe Yarrow? They had Squirrel come in their dreams, Dio talked to a usually invisible Maua who didn't answer. Six of one half dozen of another. Sometimes they do, but it's more like they help me figure out things I already knew. Or almost knew. The messages she got from the stars, from Maua even, were rarely clear in any way.

She looks with surprise over to Anthony as he mentions the same, talking to the stars. Dio looks excited, like she wants to ask him more. She wants to ask more about Squirrel too and she didn't know where to start. But then the spiders came... A gross crawling wave of black icky moving towards them. She begins to back away with her hair stood on end uncomfortably. I'm going to guess no...

@Corvus ★ @Anthony @Yarrow

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