When her King had spoken of needing psychedelic herbs for ritual purposes, she had begun her own research into finding the most proper choice for the Savante needs. In weeks of dedication, she'd watched as other smaller prey animals had divulged themselves on a rather particular looking mushroom, one that has grown so easily against the rocks of the mountainside. It was easy to miss on first glance, but once you noticed it mixed in with its mossy counterpart, one would not miss it again. She had gathered from several different patches of it, making sure to leave healthy plants and roots for them to regrow from should they serve their intended purpose well.

The shamaness was so proud as she toddled into the cave they had all been so excited to show her, quickly making her way into the depths of the Savante lair, so to speak. Once she felt she had not been followed inside, the charcoal woman began to open her leaf covered bundle to sort out the mushrooms so that they could dry for later use, humming softly to herself to stay on task.

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Alexander had been in the cave, but, admittedly - indulging in a nap within the nursing cave. It was the only place the children didn't seem to bother him. The soft pawsteps of another, however, captured his attention. Ears flick in his sleep, before perking up completely - awakening the beast. At first he was on edge, a growl threatening to erupt from his jaws, but it fell short in his chest as his blue eyes peered out at @Aelynthi. A smirk curves along his lips as he sneaks out, gently creeping up on the soft sands of the lair before pouncing somewhat behind her and rumbling, "Boo!" In a low, sleepy, yet playful tone.

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They were easy to sort, at least to her. The smallest ones would dry quickest and be usable faster, therefore the larger ones needed separated better so they could all thoroughly dry out enough for storage. A large paw begins to shuffle them around into neat piles, so hyperfocused on the task at hand she misses the soft footfalls of Alexander sneaking up on her! Boo! In her state, it was almost enough to cause a scream, jumping as he called out playfully from behind her. Her entire body shifts in a jumpy manner, nearly causing her to bump against the neat piles she has just organized on the ground. " Unwise to scare your Lead Advisor that way, my King! " She muses back, half in jest, half in truth. With her impaired vision, it was hard to determine the approach of others and it was bound to happen one way or another, an accidental lashing out in self defense. As her due begins to settle back down from being startled so badly, her curiosity gets the best of her. " I think I finally found the ritual herbs you were asking for...but what were you doing here anyways, Alex? "

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The beast can't help the bought of laughter her surprise prompts from him. It was not often he got to 'play' and so he took advantage of it as often as possible. Tail whips behind him playfully before he moves to stand beside @Aelynthi somewhat, a paw reaching out to very gently tickle at her side affectionately. "Oh, well...children are relentless. I was overdue for a nap." He muses, making the admission without any shame at all.

Blue eyes focus on the shrooms she'd been collecting and storing before he nods approvingly, "You have made sure they are the proper ones, yes?" Not that he doubted her at all, but being as ignorant as he was with shrooms and what each one did, he was wary of them. Paw returned to the earth before he reached out to pluck up one between his talons, inspecting it intently.

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The charcoal woman pauses then, taking a step back to evaluate her overreaction to the entire situation. " I didn't mean to snap like that, sorry! " She apologized softly, a semi cheeky grin highlighting her features afterwards as the guilt gives way to his admissions. If there was one thing she had learned in her lifetime, it was in fact to savor every nap you could when it came to children. There was no stopping them and they had more energy than a billion adult lions combined when they wanted to. She chuckles softly, bumping his outstretched limb softly to avoid his attempt at tickles. That.. would only start a war she was confident in winning. The cleric watches carefully as her King lifts one up into his paw to examine, pausing momentarily in a slip of self doubt. She clears her throat softly, nodding in confirmation of his question. " I'm sure they are. Mind you, the larger ones are for use by larger adults only. I can only imagine the kind of visuals someone of smaller stature would have ingesting one meant for you or I. " Thankfully she had gathered quite an assortment to account for the body size differences amongst the family. " You aren't going to eat one, are you? I don't imagine they taste very good... "

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Alexander's blue eyes look past the shroom to gaze at her as she apologizes. "You should never have to apologize to me, @Aelynthi, you are fine. Promise." He muses softly, reassuringly. After a moment, his attention focuses back on the shroom before he looks to investigate the others.

He'd had plenty of them in his lifetime. After the assortment of rituals he'd been involved in since, well - quite literally birth, you'd think he know their names. Or what they did. Alexander was not smart when it came to herbs, however.

As she explains the situation, he nods quietly, ever attentive. It's only when she mentions their taste that he blinks, a single brow arching. "Wait, have...have you never had one?" The beast questions, curious. She was a cleric, after all, how did she know the power behind these shrooms if she'd never...tested them?

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His reassurance settles her guilt nearly immediately, a soft sigh escaping as she relaxes finally. He seems to look them all over, but ultimately, her King calls her out on it. " I.. I haven't had one in many years, since before even your first litter were born. But I watched and confirmed the animals that came to eat it were in fact... Well. " She stammers, caught up on her precarious situation entirely. While the prey animals had behaved erratically once consuming them, there wasn't really confirmation that it was the kind of psychedelic herb they needed, was it? What was once at least ninety percent confidence became a deflated zero and she knew then that the only way she could confirm for him that they were, in fact, ritual herbs... Was to take one herself. With a hefty, nervous breath, Aelynthi quickly plucks a larger one for herself, poked onto her claw much like a marshmallow on a stick. " Bottoms up, I guess? " Leaving now room for her King's refusal, the shaman makes quick work of chewing it into a paste within her mouth, the earthy, dirty taste causing an uncontrolled grimace to form. It nearly gags her as she swallows, but the cleric manages to swallow it all without throwing up or choking, which was a bonus. " I'm gonna be here a while.. " She muses jokingly, moving to find a comfortable spot among the ground so that she would not be tempted to stand once it kicked in. Having chewed it well, it would not be long before it began its work.

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This content might touch on topics that are sensitive or triggering for some readers. Trigger Warning for mentions of drug use, hallucinations.

When Alexander asked her this question, he hadn't expected the outcome that happened. There was little time to stop her as she plucked the shroom up and promptly tossed it in her mouth. "Aelynthi..." He laughs deep, the sound reaching his chest. Oh, he couldn't let her do this alone.

The beast picks a particularly large edible on his claw and mimics her motions. Chewing heavily, thoroughly - though he didn't find it nearly as displeasing as she did. He'd become accustomed to the taste. This, however, didn't help him realize specifically which mushroom they'd ingested. The one for a very particular ritual.

Emä Maγe Ölelése - The Mother's Embrace.

Some time had passed and somehow they'd ended up in the very caves meant for the ritual in question. Alexander had, in a very silly manny, saw some kind of rabbit with a bush for a tail and trees for ears run into the cavern behind the falls. He'd led Aelynthi in there on a very, very important hunt.

Once inside, the illuminated crystals inside seemed to dance on the walls. Were those fireflies, or were they tiny rabbits with wings? Why did he think of rabbits so much? His vision was blurry, but the heat in his form began to build as he leans into his best friend, laughing in an almost uncontrollable way. He falls, then rolls onto his side, dragging her down with him, pointing to the crystals that whirled around them in the form of pixie rabbits.

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Time was an illusion at this point.. but that would require understanding that time was also fake at the same time. It has never been real in the first place. The cleric can no longer tell how long they had been laying there, laughing about Alex's rabbits with bushes and trees. In her own little dreamland, he has sprouted horns and wings, becoming what she imagined a lion devil would look like if such things did exist. It takes all of her composure to follow her best friend into the next cave, nearly tripping into the walls a few times before he inevitably drags them both down to the floor in his laughing fit. She howls with laughter herself as his outstretched paw sported nine toes in her mind's eye, and with another hysterical giggle, she muses out loud to him. " Alex, when were you gonna tell me your paw had nine toes? " Her balance gives out then as she rolls into his other foreleg, hot breath beating down against his face as she peers at him, curiously awaiting an answer. You didn't leave our cool details like that when it was your best friend.. Instinctually she jabs a paw in the direction of his folded wings, but meets the soft flesh of his ribs instead. Funny how those were very real but she could not feel them.

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This content might touch on topics that are sensitive or triggering for some readers. Trigger Warning for mentions of drug use, hallucinations.

Alexander peers down at her with confusion written on his face. Nine paws? Or toes? "What, I have nine paws?" He murmurs mistakenly, lifting one paw in front of his face and facing it back and forth before waving it from side to side. The beast gasps finally, pointing with his other paw, or trying to and falling since @Aelynthi was on it. "THERE ARE NINE!" He exclaims, his laugh erupting in the air again as the heat in his body increases.

It was hard to breath and he desperately needed air. Leaning over, he attempts to steal some from Aelynthi. Surely she had plenty to give - of course, he wasn't realizing in this moment that this was...a kiss. Their bodies grew closer, closer - unknowingly entwining. Pulling back from her mouth after getting a breath, he looks intently at her and says in the most serious voice, "Sorry if I took too much of your breath." It was sincere, but it was clear he thought it was truly possible.

Without thinking, the Savante tugs the elven woman closer, until their bodies came together in a most natural way. The shrooms were still high in effect, and in his mind he was simply saving her by keeping her so close, by giving her this feeling - protecting her from the pixie rabbits that continued to whirl around them in blurry, annoying colors.

/exit via fade

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