There was a change in the air as she began her walk back to the Scorched Wilds to see what might have happened to the land. The eerie feeling that she had gotten from it and the momentous occasion of seeing her young son after so many years. She might have felt dismayed still at the death of her son but she knew that there were now plenty of Valours in the afterlife to keep the young boy entertained. It didn't soften the event of why he was in the afterlife but she could find comfort in knowing he wasn't alone.

That being said, there was still something more to this place than there was before. A feeling that she had whenever she traipsed through it and while the veil had broken here, which was odd in itself, there was something else afoot and as a spiritual leader she felt inclined to discover the why's and how's (and who's).

Rolling wildsevent 1d13: 7
Spots of green seem to be under the ash. Will you try to uncover it or will you leave it to rot away?

please don't claim / meant to be a fun thread, et cetera

^{ART BY CUSH, CODE BY CALA}

Mom has been acting a little weird. She's often been coming out this way and comes home smelling like smoke. Cornelius isn't the biggest fan of it. And so he's asked her if he might come along this time and try to understand what she does on the days that she leaves home.

"'scuse me " Comes a little voice from at @Talisa's side. He looks up at her, incredibly nervous looking and shaking a bit like a leaf. "I don't know where my mom went. She said to stay in one spot when you're lost so I can sit with you?" Being alone was a far more terrifying fate than meeting a stranger for the first time...

While it was one of the best things that could happen to Talisa, she was surprised to find that a young cub had suddenly appeared out of thin air. It was no ghostly child nor one of ill fates, but the closer @Cornelius got the weightier her heart and mind became. As though there was a solid knock upon the door of her mind and memory that told her that something was present. An important something hidden upon the face of young Cornelius that was rattling. Of course you may, though she felt it might be prudent to warn that not every lion was good to sit next to. The young boy had simply gotten quite lucky that he found someone will no ill intentions (and also unintentionally found his "grandmama").

Your mother sounds like a smart lady, she says quietly as she peers around sneakily to see if she spies said parent. Not at all wanting to appear to this parent that she was sitting beside her child, still a stranger. Not quite yet aware that this youngling was, in fact, family, even if her brain was triggering every bell and whistle present to alert her that this was no random child.

ART • CODE

Phew. He feels a bit of relief that this other he's found is amicable to his company. And now that he's closer to her it feels that much safer to be out here waiting for his mother to come back around and find him. Cornelius is no longer alone and at his side is someone who feels the most calm and gentle that he's ever known someone to feel. "She is. My Dad too." They both seemed to know so much about the world around them. And Cornelius feels tempted to tell more, he's proud of his family, but it seems as though nerves grab hold of him and hold back his voice. Reminding him this is still very much a strange woman...

"What's that?" He asks then from his spot at @Talisa's side. His paw is extended to point at the bit of green that is slowly being more and more exposed in front of him. Amidst the grey and ash, the smell of brimstone, seeing such a sign of life was odd to him.

As Talisa sat there and kept her eyes quite firmly upon @Cornelius, she couldn't help but wonder where he had come from. Though, the longer he sat next to her the more potent the smell of the Lagoon and its seawater was more apparent. This was not one of Isla's, that she certain of... but as she looked to the child as he looked elsewhere — her eyes found his. Talisa's body felt frozen in a time bubble. Warped into those eyes as that spark of familiarity found her and embraced her with little warning. Aquila. While she did not know the boy's father as well as she would like, she was beginning to connect the dots that showed themselves to her second by second.

Though as the boy questioned something beyond them her head turned up briefly to the grass that she had noticed coming up only moment's before he had come along. It seems Maua must be trying to regrow these Wilds, for she had no reason to believe that it would be Maua attempting to rejuvenate such a desolate destruction. Stay close, she says as she moved to stand so that they could get closer and have a nice look at the beautiful green that was growing. Talisa hoped that whatever Maua was doing was not expending all their energies but she off-handedly supplied whatever faith and belief she had so that they could do the job.

As the two got closer, however, it was the scattered array of five pumpkins that caught her eye. They weren't far from the green that was sprouting. A couple of them were small and lay on their sides while another had already been split open to reveal very orange and stick looking insides. Oh, orange fruit. She said out loud, obviously not at all aware that they were called something very different and most certainly did not taste anything like fruit but she had very little else to go by.

ART • CODE

The name of Maua brings a recognition into Cornelius's eyes. His mouth widens in a slow, quiet but excited, gasp of air and his eyes for a few seconds lose all fear and nerves. "My mama talks about Maua too." And as beloved as they were to Dio it certainly gave her young son some additional confidence and faith in this stranger. He just knew she felt kind and he was very right so it seems. "Is that what my mama is doing out here? Helping Maua?" His entire reason for tagging along was answers after all. And in a very kiddish way he assumes this adult must have all of the answers because so far in his life they usually do.

He sees it too- the specs of bright orange that jumped out of the grey ash and green growth both. He wrinkles his nose up at the unknown and curls around to half hide behind one of Talisa's forelegs. "Eww." Comes his judgement. "What do we do with them?"

@Talisa

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: 100 petals!

"Cornelius?!" Came her worried voice over the landscape of the wilds. Dio swore he had just been a few steps behind but when she turned around there was only her paw prints in the ash and dust. Her heart sank and she began retracing her steps as quick as she could. Eyes frantically scanning around as she tried to keep the worst of the panic at bay until it was absolutely clear her little son hasn't just fallen a bit behind and got too scared to do anything. "Cornelius??" Again she calls and bites at her lip. Shapes have appeared and towards them Dio begins to rapidly move.

@Talisa

art by scarf & code by me

I think so, she said with sure certainty if she was guessing the parentage right. If this young boy was in fact the child of her pseudo-niece then yes, she would likely be out there trying to find a conclusion to this strange discovery. As for the pumpkins, though, she grinned a little bit and ushered the young @Cornelius to inspect and adventure. As long as she was present, he was knowingly safe. We won't know unless we go look, hm? Talisa wished for the youth to always be curious about their environment, especially when she knew that Maua was likely nearby. Of course, nothing was known for certain whether it was safe or not so Talisa managed to find some confidence and then some to spare to the boy.

Not even one step was made before the pumpkin simply split before them. Thank you. She quietly said in thanks for she knew that Maua, or another, was here and watching. Allowing the boy to have some things to take home with him and show off. Though, it appeared he might get to show them off a wee bit earlier. He is with me! she cried over the strange atmosphere as she no doubt heard @Diomedeidae's frantic voice shouting for a Cornelius and knew that this must be him.

ART • CODE

There's a soft muted crack and the pumpkin splits. Cornelius is briefly mesmerized by the flow of treasures that come spilling out and he whips his eyes up and over to look at @Talisa with a big loud audible gasp. But before the little lion can say anything, can ask his new friend just what magic was going on, his mother's voice catches his attention and once again his face turns rapidly in the direction of the sound. "Mama!" He calls, quickly trying to pull in as many gems towards his feet as he could. "Come see what we found!!"