The lioness sighed, and sat at the edge of the bay. Water lapped at her paws, and she peered closely into the ocean. Small fish darted back and forth; the water was silent, yet so alive. Céline took a quick glance at first, and then looked again - this time more closely - at the environment around her. It was unique, to say the least. The sand was pure black, resembling that of volcanic ashes. Céline had seldom seen beaches in her entire life, let alone one such as this. She pondered what kind of lions made their home here, if any - perhaps there were swimming lions? The lioness shook her head, and realized what she had just thought. Of course there weren't aquatic lions; she wasn't quite sure what she was thinking. The land was unfamiliar, yes, but not to that extreme. But, if lions didn't live here, what did? It was a thought she toyed around with for a while, but she eventually focused herself on the moment once more.

Céline looked once more into the ocean, peering back at herself. The lioness seemed exhausted - something she hadn't quite expected. It had been quite a fair bit since she had last seen her family, and Céline guessed that it was causing her a fair bit of turmoil; thus, leading to her exhaustion. She thought about her parents, and then her beloved sister, too. Fear momentarily filled her thoughts, but then it was swiftly brushed away, just as fast as it had begun. Céline was certain her family was fine, despite how long it had been since they'd last met.

The lioness sighed, and stirred the water gently with her paw. Her reflection quickly warped, becoming unrecognizable to the woman. She stared down, locking eyes with herself, yet she could not name the one who she gazed upon. A slight feeling of nausea filled her chest, but she pushed it back down. Céline was - for one of the first times in her life - nervous. It was extremely unlike her, and she couldn't fathom why she was getting so upset over this. Her family was fine. They were strong, resilient. They had lived through the worst of the worst, so why was she getting so worried over just not encountering them? Perhaps she feared being alone, or the unknown. But, still, it just wasn't like her to be acting like this.

Normally, she held her head up high - she was never afraid of anything. Or at least, she never showed she was. Céline shifted uncomfortably, still staring at her reflection. The water had settled now, as she had stopped swirling it around; however, she still couldn't recognize her reflection. She frowned, and stared at the stranger in front of her. She looked so overwrought, so distressed. It wasn't something Céline enjoyed seeing, and it put a heavy lump in her throat. This wasn't her. Why was she acting like this? Like a cub? She shook her head, and just hoped to enjoy the beach. Hopefully the serenity of the ocean would get her mind off of all this.

+5 Study the natural world_{BG — ART — CODE}

Foolish child, a voice scolded within Dumah's mind. Despite accepting his mother's disappearance, she still held power over him. He acknowledged that his current behaviour was senseless and that no amount of pining would bring his family back. Although solitude came naturally to him, he knew that seeking the comfort of others would be the sensible choice.

Once again, Dumah found his steps wandering across the island. When his eyes turn upward to survey his surroundings, he realises it is somewhere unfamiliar. The setting matches his current mood — a landscape of black sand and jagged cliffs, with the ocean as a persistent witness. Much to the man's pleasure, it appeared unpolluted by lions. His chest eases as a breath left Dumah’s lips, and he drew closer to the shoreline.

Dumah halted at the sight of another individual. His lips curl upward in displeasure at being disturbed, yet from the sense of heaviness that settled on the lioness’ body, perhaps she too was battling with her own demons. He is swayed to approach her by the grey tones of her coat; so familiar to his own and his sister’s, that she could have been a relative. He stopped a respectful distance away, and chuffed low in his throat to gain her attention. “I am sorry to disturb you. My name is Dumah Caelinus, are you perhaps… are we relatives?”

bg x art x code

She was startled by the sudden sound of a voice, as well as the question it brought forward. She was ripped out of her fog of thought, and abruptly snapped back into reality. Céline whipped her head around in excitement, expecting to lay eyes upon a familiar face. However, the man that stood before her was unfamiliar, and thus she felt a twinge of disappointment deep in her heart. Despite this surging flood of emotions all at once, her face remained still as stone - cold and calculated to the untrained eye. If she had been saddened, there was no trace left of these feelings ever having existed.

Céline would offer a slight grin of remorse for the fellow, and slowly shake her head. Nee, I can't say we haf met before. She studied @Dumah, taking in just how similar they looked in color and markings. Both even bore striking green eyes, so she just had to ask: You know of Iscariot? The lioness cocked her head as she questioned this to him, curious to see if they truly were related. His last name did not ring any bells to her, but perhaps hers would be familiar to him. Maybe he could tell her where her family had gone off to. If he had knowledge of such a thing, that was. Her mind drifted back to her loving parents, as she wasn't exactly fond of not being near to ensure their safety._{BG — ART — CODE}

Dumah froze as he noticed the joy in the woman’s eyes fade. Upon closer inspection, he noted subtle differences between them. Her appearance acted as a painful reminder of his sister, and his lips twitched into a pained smile. The preacher studied her, not unkindly, as he sought to learn more about her. The lioness appeared impassive, a trait he was familiar with — suggesting they may have shared experiences.

Despite the sadness in her tone, her voice was pleasing to his ears. Dumah wondered where she had come from. Amaryllis appeared to be a beacon for souls flung far and wide on life’s path. There was something special about the peninsula.

They were strangers after all, she revealed. “I have not heard of your family.” The male lowered his head, letting his mane tumble forward. Dumah is silent for a while, lost in thought. The young man is familiar with the pain of separation and suspects that the lioness may be experiencing it as well. “Are you by yourself?”

@Sunny ★ @Célestine

Potential EXP:
+5 Learn something interesting about a character

bg x art x code