Nope.

No, he was not doing this. Screw the sand, screw anything barren and hot - he was done!

Aeistrios openly growled his irritation was he walked the boneyard, unsure why he even was near the Oasis enough to know it was open for claim. He didn't regret having the land - but he didn't like it yet. He needed more time to adjust. Just like his body needed time to heal, and he was doing a horrible job at allowing it to.

Wounds festered again and lacetations opened back up. Feeling the sting of pain, Aeistrios ventures off to the side and plops himself down by a elephant skeleton, licking at one of the open wounds on his forelimb, trying to ease the discomfort he felt.

@Olympia

code by scorpixia♡︎/art by drifter

there wasn't much to collect here, however, olympia's satchel was kept full and fresh, straight out of the drying rack within her den. she was quite proud of this batch, because it meant someone would be able to get healed. except, nowadays the plains had nothing for her to do. violarum was healthy, whole, with no new holes in sight. none of the other lions were injured, despite all of the pride challenges cropping up. at least, olympia still had her home and the reigning king was still the same. she shouldn't accidentally curse violarum for not being injured — oh no, she shouldn't! with a shake of her head, olympia trudged on until she saw a dark bloat against the bleached white skull of an elephant. that...was no stain of a sea creature's ink. it was in fact a lion, a very big one at that. you shouldn't lick those wounds olympia said as she dropped her satchel in front of the male. your spit may infect it. she spoke like someone who had years to hone her craft, which was true. however, she purposefully left out the fact that no one would ever die from that kind of infection. i'm olympia phaetus of lorien plains, d'you want me to heal you? there was a gleam in her eyes as she waited. @Aeistrios

_{BG — ART — CODE}

He didn't expect to find any company while out in such a barren land - and yet the desert sent him a giant peach lioness.

She came in with a correction to his actions, and Aeistrios stops mid-lick to look over at her fully. Her scent stunk of the Plains, tarnishing the beautiful bodice she held. She was slender, colossal, but still feminine. A beauty. Aeistrios favored her simplicity then, the softness of her features -

But she was enemy, no?

"Of Lorein Plains," He begins to respond to her then, setting his forelimb back down on the ground and tilting his head at her gleaming eyes. "And you would aid me?" Brows furrow as he asks his question, pondering if she knew anything of him at all.

code by scorpixia♡︎/art by drifter

and why wouldn't i? was what olympia wanted to say, but it weighed on her tongue unspoken as she took out the herbs, piece-by-piece, and laid them out on the dry earth. then she remembered, lion politics, and she had the distinct scent of loriens on her by now. perhaps olympia should stop and retrieve herself from the boneyard and haul her self back before something worse happened. yet, she had come this far without someone to patch up. plus, she realized that personally, she didn't care.

relax, i'm not gonna bite you olympia said and shushed him like he was an errant child. i just joined the pride for the easy food. she took the frankincense and wormwood, staples of her satchel, and tore them to shreds with her claws. then, the uglier part, the part that would usually make her patient cringe as she stuffed them into her mouth and chewed. she spat them out onto her toe beans and stared at the male. which one needs priority? she asked. @Aeistrios

_{BG — ART — CODE}

Even though she told him to relax, the frown on his brow showed he was a bit hesitant to trust her. Who knew what Violarum had up his sleeve - perhaps she'd come to poison him? Weaken him for the Plains ruler to come barreling through again?

Deciding to stop his train of thought before it angered him too much, Aeistrios let out a loud breath and looked to her when she explained why she joined. Well damn, he could give her that! Plus a bunch more, too. Aeistrios was better than Violarum in multiple aspects, surely he could prove that to her, too. Persuade a Lorien lioness to join him... oh the satisfaction he would get if he could pull it off.

Shifting himself then, he watches her as she works with her herbs. "You can get easy food anywhere. But a woman like you shouldn't resort for settling for less." Less, because that's what the thought the Plains to be now. Aeistrios brings one of his forelimbs forward, that had nasty gashes and lacerations expanding down the length of it. A silent cue she was allowed to work on it however she needed. "You need priority. I could give you that." He spoke, deep tones rolling his words aloud from his thoughts, for Aeistrios had always been so bold.

code by scorpixia♡︎/art by drifter

olympia hummed first in response to the man's words. oh, he must really, really hate loriens if he was working so hard on trying to convince her to join him. surely there must be medics in his pride already? or rather, he could just go out and recruit the rogues from maua's passage. though, olympia was half-certain the man was doing this because of her current home and not that she was a skilled medic. how upsetting!

hm, you said i should join you but you never told me which pride you're from olympia said as she brushed the oil and saliva-laced poultice onto his forelimb. the touch would sting and there may be a foul odor - olympia hadn't sanitized her mouth of that stuff yet. as she worked, she mentally counted from one to thirty to keep herself grounded. she dabbed in the last of the poultice after her second recount and stepped back to marvel at her work. finally, she took out the strips of palm leaves that were harvested so they could be tied around the male. i also don't know you more than i know the plains king. she added with a wink. @Aeistrios

healing roll:

Rolling 1d10: 10

ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY LARS

"I never said I had a pride." Aeistrios counters back with a smirk that widens over his maw, feeling complimented she assumed him to be a King so easily. He could feel his ego inflating even more. "Andal Oasis, though. Freshly claimed for my family." He informs, allowing her to form her opinion how she may want. Although, part of him hoped she had been there - to see him fight. To see him win.

Then, she began to mend him, and Aeistrios felt his features scrunch up rather ugly, feeling the stinging sensation overcome his forelimb. Jaws clench, but luckily for him the pain subsides to a dull throb as she wraps leaves around it and finishes. Blinking, he shakes his head to gather his senses back before looking to her after she speaks.

"My name is Aeistrios Saxe. I have sixteen children, two wives, and a stomach that can feast on an entire elephant. Naps and food are my love language - oh! And meeting pretty women such as yourself, too. Now you know me more than the Plains King." A charming smile, despite all the information he shoved forward; and now that he thought it over he probably overwhelmed the damned lady rather than woo her to any degree.

At least he tried nicely, right?

code by scorpixia♡︎/art by drifter

you talk like you own a pride olympia thought, but she thought it best to let that be, lest she made the king mad. her dressings were freshly applied and there could still be room for error, with the worst of everything coming undone if the man moved too much. which also meant he must be confined here, - or, worse - she helps him back to his pride.

the description @Aeistrios gave to olympia sounded like he was trying to brag, not informative at all aside from how accomplished he was with childmaking. that wasn't what she wanted, of course, knowing how much a man could make a child, however, she never told him what to say either. you sound like the default requirement for a king olympia said while putting her herbs back. she patted the bulging satchel, satisfied with what she did. plus, the oasis is in the desert and the desert sand makes my ass itch.

she flicked her tail, then said i'm going to give you two options now so listen up. one, you'll stay here until the dressings are solid enough for you to move on your own or, two, you and i trek back together to the oasis. i can make sure to re-patch you if the dressing gets loose. i of course will leave as soon as you're on the border. which one you wanna pick? a part of her hoped he'll pick the former. she didn't want to step paw in the place for fear of exactly what she told him.

ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY LARS

Her reaction wasn't desired - but Aeistrios holds his features well to not let this show. Rather, an ear flicks and he lets out a dry laugh to her comment. At least he could agree with her about the Oasis. "The Oasis wasn't my first pick either." He speaks, watching as she patted her satchel and then gave him two options.

Oh, she was bossy too?

"I like the option where I take you back home with me." He muses in response, the tease obvious as he knew the true implications behind her words. He could tell she wasn't really interested in him, or at least that was the vibe he was getting. He could at least be a annoying, flirting, thorn in her side until they parted ways.

code by scorpixia♡︎/art by drifter

then why did you pick it? olympia said. she was now too curious to hold back as she turned, eyes kept upon aeistrios with a tilt of her eyebrow. though, she decided to answer her own question with a shrug. (you know what, never mind, sometimes a mystery is becoming of a man. she smiled, mostly to herself, before she sighed and waited. olympia ought to have him wait just so she wouldn't be late to lorien plains. she hated the dark more than any morning. in the light of the moon, she wouldn't be able to see much and she would trip and fall easier. i see... olympia said. let's move now; i got things to do and your kingliness must have things to do too back home. nevertheless, she was glad that there would be someone to talk to. even if she told him to just wait it out, she would go back to the plains alone. at least now, she could feel the opposite for a little bit longer. [exit]

ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY LARS