Was he avoiding any shadow of responsibility? That was an emphatic yes, but not for reasons like plain laziness. Well...not entirely. Andal was the first place to ever give him any sort of title, and while it didn't come with an real authority, by his understanding, it was still...a little bit daunting. Since cubhood, he'd been the screwup, the disappointment, the one they brought out when the fighters couldn't help and the thinkers thought too hard. A secret weapon to deploy when a pride's problems were more metaphysical and less open to reason, or when you needed a local idiot to ramble at a couple leaders until they either saw sense or came to a truce out of frustration in order to get rid of him. And the one who might raid said pride's herb stores for anything that would get him a little further away from reality for a while, maybe turn off the ghostly voices for a couple hours.

At least the ghosts here seemed quiet...he'd only met one so far, but she'd been nice. A bit confused, but nice.

He didn't realize how far he'd wandered from the oasis until the sand under his paws turned to something more solid. Then he blinked, and looked up, eyes widening in surprise as he took in the surroundings. Cacti...so many cacti. 'Wonder if any of them are hallu-' no. Nope. Cut that thought right off. He was trying to be better. If he ever wanted to summon a certain shade, he needed a clear head - and he desperately wanted to make contact. Unfortunately, hope was wearing thinner by the day.

Haros shook his head and continued on, trying to push unpleasant thoughts and mounting worries away. But it was hard, the pressure was a constant weight on his shoulders. A rank meant they actually trusted him, at least a little. And it was an honor, he supposed, but mostly it left him wondering if he even deserved it. Or how long it would take before he inevitably screwed it up and proved, once again, he was little more than the local fuckup.

Hmm...maybe it couldn't hurt to know where to go just in case his willpower gave out. It was always reassuring to know he could indulge, even if he was trying not to. He soon learned, however, that focusing on his surroundings even while sniffing around for something interesting was important when his surroundings were prickly. A surprised yelp rang out when his butt met cactus spine while backing out of a tight spot.

coded by flea

ooc - operating under the assumption that she is a recent member of AO (joining thread is currently underway), so would have faint AO scent (this could also be indiscernible if you wish!)  Despite the cooling temperatures brought by the ever-approaching winter solstice, the desert never seemed to relinquish its heat, and it drew the young lioness back to its sands like a moth to a flame. Bhavani walked across the sun-baked earth now, warmed from the top of her palomino crown to the very bottom of her desaturated charcoal paws, happy and content to simply wander for the moment. Her thoughts consisted mostly of processing her new situation - from home to family - and may have continued in that vein had the desert not relinquished the location of the cacti garden to her once again. The smattering of prickly flora made themselves apparent as she crested a surrounding sand dune, and she would slide into the garden with an excitement that, for the moment, made her blind to the company she shared it with. The last time she had visited this facet of the desert, her curiosity at the strange plants had been derailed by the arrival of her long-lost mother, and while that had been a fortuitous meeting that she would not trade for the world, the young woman was pleased to have another opportunity to indulge her interest. Her vibrant gaze was focused downward on the slightly smaller and less intimidating of the cacti, leaving the dark-haired stranger unnoticed for the moment. It wasn't until she had settled onto her seat and begun plucking at the thorns of the plant did she lift her gaze and notice the other, several lengths away. Her ears swept back against her crown as tension stiffened her posture; she had not been expecting company in this rural part of the continent, and nor was she particularly adept or comfortable in most social situations. Though, much to her relief, it did not seem like he had noticed her, yet, as he too was involved in the strange flora of this environment.  Not wishing to draw attention to herself, the young lioness shifted her posture downward, sliding her forepaws forward in slow and quiet motions so that her figure might be obscured by the cacti she had been evaluating moments ago, and only once nestled on her belly would she eye the stranger tentatively through the gaps in the bristles. Her brow furrowed and claws dug snugly into the dry earth as she debated her options; avoid potential interaction and sneak away, or focus on what truly inspired her and stay? It was his yelp that made the decision for her, startling her out of her musings with a jump, and she would tilt her head around the cluster of cacti to get a better look at the situation. He seemed to have backed into one of the offending plants, and Bhavani frowned in a mixture of interest and concern. "Are you okay?" She called out to him, ears drawn over an uncertain expression that still remained half-obscured by the cacti. @Haros @Corvus ★

Oooooh, yay...another lion to witness his mistake. Oh well, wouldn't be the first time and definitely wouldn't be the last. He was used to messing up in front of others, and it hardly fazed him anymore. Still didn't stop the awkward sound from escaping as he turned in place to take stock of the damage - kind of like the bastard child of a chuckle and a giggle. "Yeah!? I think so, I just-" he paused, ears falling back against his head, "have an ass full of cactus spines..." Fantastic. Not really what he thought of first when anyone combined the words 'ass' with 'prick' or 'poke' in the same sentence.

Flopping abruptly to his side in a relatively clear space, he twisted to work on removing said spines from said tender area. "You're probably not a medic, are you." The words were slightly strained, from the reaching and twisting to get at his own butt. His luck wasn't really that good, and it was probably weird to ask a non-medically-trained stranger to take a look at your back end, wasn't it. Not that Haros had ever really worried about being weird, he'd always been weird. He spat a spine off to the side and went back for another. Couldn't really leave them where they were, he'd never be able to sit right again, and it was a huge shame to ruin such a nice ass anyway.

@Bhavani

coded by flea

The young lioness peered at the dark-clad stranger through the veil of spines that still managed to partially obscure her face, her expression distinctly uncertain as she gauged his reaction to her company. The strangled noise that he had responded with hadn’t seemed threatening, but Bhavani couldn’t imagine having a rump full of spines was particularly comfortable, and she didn’t wish to exacerbate any potential unpleasant sentiments with her presence. Fortunately for her, he seemed more annoyed with his predicament than with his audience, and as he answered her, she felt a swelling of chagrin in her chest. Well of course, how could he be okay? Dark lips pressed together as she restrained the apology that threatened to burst from her mouth, and instead she shifted back up into a seated posture as he flopped over to the side. A hesitant curiosity intermingled with the sympathy that emerged to the forefront of her emotions, and her ears would press forward when the stranger voiced his question. “No,” She confirmed, her naturally soft-spoken voice strengthened by the interest that was beginning to blossom; her focus primarily on the spikes that protruded from his rump. The palomino would lean forward, attempting to get a better look at what he was doing. “but I know a few things at least. You’ll want to dress any cuts.” She suggested lightly, before lifting her hips from the earth and took a few hesitant steps towards the stranger. An attentive azure gaze flitted to his face, starkly enthusiastic against her otherwise guarded expression. “I will go look for something to help, if you’d like?” Surely this strange little garden offered something other than sand and spikey plants; and Bhavani had a years’ worth of experience to assist in her pursuit, should the stranger approve it. Perhaps he knew a few things too and would prefer her implied assistance with a different task instead. @Haros @Corvus ★ | so sorry for the delay! I will be around to spree this out if you still want to look for pumpkins!

[[hope you don't mind i went ahead and let him find a pumpkin since this'll be post 5 XD; ]]

Nah, it would be too lucky to have a medic ready and waiting every time he hurt himself nowadays. In his younger days, he could rely on a sibling, or their mother, to patch him up when needed, but since heading out on his own, he'd had to learn to take care of himself. At least well enough that he hadn't ended up horribly scarred or fallen victim to rampant infection.

The last couple of spines were removed by the time she made her way around to take a better look at him, and he pulled his attention from his own rear to glance around the area again. "'Round here...hmmm...can probably find aloe, at least." It was soothing, if nothing else, and one of the few plants he remembered had been used on him as a cub. The name was easy to remember, and the plant itself looked interesting enough that it stuck in his mind.

Shifting to back onto his paws, he winced slightly at the movement but turned the expression into a friendly smile, "If you wanna help, I'm not gonna argue." It actually didn't seem that serious, just a few little pokes, but if a pretty girl wanted to inspect his rump who was he to argue? Okay, yeah, she was a little young, but he really wasn't great at judging age so he wasn't sure if she was young young or just, like, barely an adult, and it wasn't as if he had any intention of doing anything, so it was fine, right? Sure. Probably.

Either way, he'd keep those thoughts to himself as he moved to help search the area. There were a lot of plants, mostly cacti, but he knew what he was looking for. "There's a bunch of stuff around here I've never seen before," and some he had, and some he wasn't sure were fun or poison, or first one and then the other depending on dosage, and then one that looked entirely out of place, "....like this weird round orange thing."

@Bhavani

coded by flea

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? Well, fortunately for them, the sprite was feeling extra generous today, and had a treat for them that she has been wanting to share. And so, it was with a small smile that the being craned her head, watching the lions for a few more moments, before giving a quick stomp of her paw against the earth.

Hm...

Without warning, the pumpkin suddenly splits down the middle, right in front of your eyes! And...oh? It looks like there is something tucked inside! Weird, but you might as well check it out. Investigating further, you find a collection of trinkets, feathers, gems, fruit, and other curious things hidden within the pumpkin, ripe for the taking! Looks like you got lucky today.

OOC Prize: 200 petals

pixel credit to moonlight-pendent13

It was as though their thoughts ran in parallel planes; she had been considering aloe as a balm for the punctures when that very suggestion fell from his tongue, and as she nodded in agreement, she felt a surge of confidence in her chest. Being older than she, the palomino trusted that he would know more (even if he were not a medic, which she currently assumed he was not), and to hear her own unvoiced advice being suggested by him gave her the warm and fuzzies. Maybe her insight and instinct had some worth after all, in this field at least. Her azure gaze flicked to the surrounding cacti, now keen to locate their tamer and less aggressive cousin. “Of course,” She replied, her focus lifting to him for a moment as a quick smile darted across her expression. “I am happy to help.” She followed as he set off, her gaze flicking once over his haunches in curiosity, assessing whether the punctures were shallow or deep, and if he bled, but her focus was quickly consumed by their search. Careful not to end up in a similar situation, she found herself limited in what she was able to scavenge; she was used to being able to push aside leaves and such to better able to examine what she sought, but the prickles of these cacti made this nearly impossible. It was a recipe for frustration, and her teeth clenched together as she found herself unsuccessful in her quest. His voice pulled back her focus, again echoing her own sentiments. “Same,” She admitted, perhaps unnecessarily, as she used an outstretched talon to pluck unhappily at one of the cactus spines. She turned when he mentioned something orange and she would pace to where he stood, her blue eyes focused on the strange gourd in bewilderment. Ears flicked forward and then back, as just as she would glance up at the lion with a question on her tongue would the gourd split open, spilling a treasure trove of goodies. “Oh,” She murmured before extending a paw to hesitantly touch the bright orange skin of the strange vegetable. “What is this?” @Corvus ★ @Haros | that’s totally fine! good pick!

She soon joined him in staring at the weird round thing he thought was probably a plant, just one he'd never encountered before. Haros reached out to poke the strange object, but before he could, the thing split open and he jumped, startled. "Oh!" Was that normal? Didn't seem normal. Most plants didn't just pop open like that, did they? Or- oooh? Hide interesting trinkets inside?

He laughed, half in surprise, half because - hey, look, shiny treasures! Sinking to his belly on the ground, he reached out to wrap both forepaws around the pile and pull it in, "It's some kind of wonderful treasure plant!" amazed and delighted. True, most of it was just pretty and not all that useful, but he liked shiny, pretty, things. And some creatures would take pretty objects in exchange for hunting down particular plants. Or could be convinced to weave them into thin vines or into his mane so he could wear them. "Look at all this stuff!" Hell, maybe it was worth the risk to his pristine rump to make the trip to the area more often if it sprouted these amazing plants. Haros glanced back up to the girl, an eager grin on his face, "Do you think there are any more around here?" Had to be some kind of natural oddity, right? Something special and unique and worth hoarding?

@Bhavani

coded by flea

She follows his laugh with a weaker one her own, although it was somewhat more nervous than perhaps the situation called for. Her azure gaze was fixed to the container of treasures, drawn to the shine and colors that contrasted vibrantly with the pastel orange of the pumpkin’s insides, and she resisted the urge to stick her paw into the middle of it all. What if it was a trap? Instead, as the lion reclines to his belly, she lifts her focus back to the horizon to scan the area surrounding them; curious to see if there might be more of these strange orange plants, or if there was anything nefarious lurking behind the already-aggressive cacti. Bhavani saw nothing, and the dark lion’s enthusiasm returned her attention back to him, a war of uncertainty and excitement battling across her expression. “It is something,” She murmurs again as her gaze falls to the pumpkin, and she would reach forward again, hesitantly, to brush the outer edges of its skin, her touch as careful as it had been with the cactus spines. She withdrew her paw as she shifted positions, and she reclined into a seat across from the lion as her brows pulled together in puzzlement. “It doesn’t seem like stuff normally found inside a plant.” She observed, leaning forward to peer inside, once again dazzled by the array of treasure. Her ears flick forward and she lifts her gaze to meet his own, when he voices aloud his curiosity. “I haven’t seen any, but…” Her voice trails off and her gaze shifts from his to their surroundings once more. “…you don’t think this is some kind of… trick, do you?” She felt almost silly for asking such a thing; but she could not help but wonder if they were being toyed with. This surprise simply felt too good and too magical to be true. @Corvus ★ @Haros

She didn't seem very excited about the magical mystery plant full of pretty things. But, hey, that was fine. If she didn't want any part of it, more for him, right? And he'd spotted it first, anyway, so shouldn't he get first dibs? While she looked around, he gave the strange plant a tentative lick, and found it wasn't actually that bad. If it was gonna poison or drug him, well...he'd find out soon enough wouldn't he?

After a moment, he hummed, and scooped what he could of the treasures into one half of the plant. "If it's a trick, it's a dumb one. Where's the trick in surprise treasures? Unless they're magic or something and...I dunno...turn into bugs when we get 'em home." He chuckled and stood, bending to grip the half of the plant full of treasure in his jaws before straightening and grinning around his mouthful. "Oou 'an 'ave de udder 'un, ah'm 'akin' 'is'un 'ome"¹. Whether she could understand him trying to talk around the plant in his mouth or not, well, that was her problem. Haros had some treasures to stash and a rump to soak, which meant it was time to head back home.

@Bhavani

-exit 'cause i wanna claim petals XD-

¹ You can have the other one, I'm taking this one home.

coded by flea