code (c) daanyen // art (c) Celestial-Drifter

The Oasis was her kingdom; a throne of warm sands and clear waters. A place where she sat with a small crown upon her brow — under the protection of her parents as they ruled over the sands. Each day food, entertainment, and conversation were provided. The girl wanted for naught yet wanders away from the threshold of protection and out into the wilds where the unwashed masses would gain the privilege of seeing her.

Ciela would slide her ears forward as she wove her way further away from home and into the distant area of the gardens. The girl would slide her gaze across the shadows of the gardens before she wanders towards a corner and begins working at the ground with her paw; digging rivets and prepping the land for planting.

After she was content she would turn towards the outskirts; tugging at a stray strand of basil from the ground. The girl would then rest it on the ground; carefully dusting off the roots before placing it out in the sun to dry. She would then turn back to the small patch of basil and carefully uproot another plant. Her paws would gently thud against the earth as lowers her body towards the cleared patch of land and awkwardly transplants the basil plant with a content flick of her tail.

[ tags]
@Guy

[ exp ]
+5 Collect herbs
+5 Create a garden of healing herbs
+5 Dry or prepare herbs for use

Guy did not know anything about this place, but she did know one thing (and knew it well). Where there were gardens, there were plants. And she knew plants. She knows plants. The bulky lioness makes her way into the gardens with a low humming noise, a song at the back of her throat. An expanse of great beauty greets her: wildflowers as far as the eye can see. Plants. She was right-- they spring up from the earth, and Guy flicks her tail.

Finally. Something good. Exhaustion hovers about her form perpetually, but the large brute is delighted with this. It makes her slitted eyes sparkle. Weary bones feel lighter as Guy plods through the garden field, tail swishing pleasantly.

A thought occurs to her, and she lowers her head to some of the flowers. A claw extends from one paw, and Guy carefully supports a petal on it, observing the divots in the flower's soft flesh. Her head raises, and Guy begins to peer about for other flowers of the same type-- this one, a bit larger and broader-petaled than its kin-flowers.

It is while she moves that Guy happens upon the cub, and perhaps it is a testament to Guy's own upbringing that she doesn't seem particularly alarmed to see a cub on its own. Her family, vast, allowed the youth to wander quite far without observation, for the sake of development. Instead of clucking her tongue, Guy hunkers down again, finding another broad-leaved flower and carefully touching it with a claw-tip. Then she speaks, her voice deep, rumbling, and heavily-accented.

"Y'seen flowers like this afore?" Curiosity tinges the edges of her voice as she speaks to the child.

[ +5 Study the flora of a neutral territory (1/2 posts)
+5 Dry or prepare herbs for use
+5 Collect herbs ]

code by corvus

code (c) daanyen // art (c) Celestial-Drifter

The cub continues to work; her paws carefully shoving the basil into the earth before shifting to pack the dirt about its roots — another place for basil to take root and sprout. Her eyes settle upon the stem and then up towards the roots as she quietly studies it for a moment before turning around only to come face to face with a stranger who was also examining the herbs.

There is a moment where Ciela just pauses; freezing in place as she stares at the other lioness — body stiff before her ears finally register the words. 'Y'seen flowers like this afore?' Two-toned eyes would dip down towards the flower being held; presented to her eyes as she quietly assessed it before shaking her head. "It is not familiar to me, no." The girl would admit before turning and pulling another basil from the ground, resting it next to the other and dusting off its roots — also left out to dry.

"Ciela," the youth would introduce herself while pulling another basil from the ground and resting it next to the others in a small pile; her attention turning back towards Guy as she quickly studies the maned woman. "What do they call you?" Words polite, measured, and well trained as she glances first towards the garden, then to the drying plants, before finally flicking back to the plant the maned woman held hostage.

[ tags]
@Guy

[ exp ]
+5 Collect herbs
+5 Create a garden of healing herbs
+5 Dry or prepare herbs for use

The kid's pretty well spoken, and Guy almost laughs. Almost. She hopes that not everyone in this place is so... composed. Though. It's a kid, so... who knows, right? Guy touches her teeth with the tip of her tongue and glances towards Ciela, head cocked. "'s odd, ain't it. It looks th'same as these other'ns, right..." The large paw lets this flower go, extends, and a claw prods another flower's petals.

"See? Visual. Same thing. But this'n looks... more well-fed. Maybe 's the roots, y'think?" Guy's drawl is deep. She glances about the gardens as her ears swivel forward. The kid asks a -- oh. Ciela asks about her name, and Guy grins. Look at those chompers. "Nice t'meet'ya, Ciela. Ah'm Guy." She pauses, then looks at the kid again, and extends a paw, pads spread. There's clumps of fur down there, lynx-paw padding and webbed toes.

"Pawshake?" It's almost said idly. Guy isn't sure if the girl knows what that is. And, well, maybe she doesn't. But Guy's color-split gaze is sweeping past Ciela, and she observes something about the larger flowers that makes her tail-tip flick in pleasure.

Upon a closer look, a broad examination, Guy sees that the larger-petaled flowers are in clumps of plants that do look a bit... lesser. Yeah. It's got to be the roots, then, she supposes. Her attention turns back to Ciela. "It's gotta be th'roots." A satisfied sound hangs in the syllables.

[ +5 Study the flora of a neutral territory (2/2 posts)
+5 Dry or prepare herbs for use
+5 Collect herbs ]

@Ciela

code by corvus

code (c) daanyen // art (c) Celestial-Drifter

She turns — another basil removed from the ground and placed with the others out in the sun to dry before she turns her attention back towards Guy. The princess would push her whiskers forward; them twitching violently upon her face as she carefully sniffs at the stranger. The scent of a pride didn't cling to her and the cub couldn't help but tilt her head curiously.

Her gaze would slide towards one of the nearby flowers as she raised a paw and pointed toward it. "That one is castor bean, poison." The girl would comment; her tail gently swaying behind her before she lowered her head and wrapped her jaws about another basil plant and uprooted it. Yet the girl would pause her harvest as she glances towards the outstretched paw with webbed toes and heavy fur.

The princess would tilt her head. "What's that?" Ciela would question as she stares at the paw before her gaze tips back up towards the woman's face. Her gaze would then glance towards the other plants and then towards the slightly bigger one. "Maybe," Ciela would relent before lowering her haunches towards the ground; paws shifting uncomfortably under her. "Food?" The girl would inquiry as she glances up towards Guy almost expectantly.

[ Tags ]
@Guy

[ Exp ] [ Completed ]
+5 Collect herbs
+5 Create a garden of healing herbs
+5 Dry or prepare herbs for use

The girl's whiskers twitch rapidly and Guy sniffs at her carefully, not wanting to get up in her space. The cub's got a scent that seems... important? Like... belonging somewhere. Others. She smells kind of like others. Guy makes a little whuff noise and wriggles the beans of her massive paw.

"D'you want food? Pawshake ain't food. Whatcha do is ya smack her paw up against mine here, an' then we move'm up and down. It's a greetin', where Ah'm from." Guy's lips curl back from her teeth in a pleasant grin, and her eyes close. There's a curious learner, here, and Guy feels eager to -- educate? To learn? Who knows. Guy isn't sure, but it's something. She wants to talk more. Explore.

So, after a moment, Guy swivels her ears towards the castor bean. Sure enough, there's another close enough, and Guy extends her paw to carefully pick the plant out of the soil before laying it out so that it can dry up. She doesn't have anywhere to put it, yet, but she'll figure it out. Guy supposes she can always bury it with a marker of sorts. Make it easier to find later. "Nice job, knowin' Castor. Now... d'you know Devil's Claw?" A little pop quiz.



[ +5 Study the flora of a neutral territory (2/2 posts)
+5 Dry or prepare herbs for use
+5 Collect herbs ]

code by corvus

code (c) daanyen // art (c) Celestial-Drifter

The girl's whiskers would continue to bob up and down; marking the vigorous movement of her nose as she continued to try to examine this situation. The princess would flick her tongue out; allowing it to sweep along the surface of her upper lip in anticipation. 'D'you want food? Pawshake ain't food. Whatcha do is ya smack her paw up against mine here, an' then we move'm up and down. It's a greetin', where Ah'm from.' Moistened lips would pull down and then back in a scowl. If there was nothing in the paw why should she touch it? A greeting?

Why would she want to touch the unwashed masses? Simply walking on the same ground as them was enough to provide insult — yet the cub found herself bristling in indignation at the thought; hackles peaking up along her spine.

"Not proper," the cub would state — her head rising slightly in defiance. "Royalty." The princess would state with a ginger flick of her tail up and above her haunches; allowing it to sway with some subtle type of importance for even out here the girl was content with the idea that nothing was beyond her father's reach.

But the insult is forgotten momentarily as her gaze cuts towards the next plant. Her toes flex and separate for a moment as she listens to the question. "It's gathered a lot." Confession. The princess saw it often enough to know it's name and that it was used on lacerations and yet she didn't pay enough attention to her mother's lessons.

[ Tags ]
@Guy

[ Exp ] [ Completed ]
+5 Collect herbs
+5 Create a garden of healing herbs
+5 Dry or prepare herbs for use

Oh, this was new. Guy's eyes flickered down to the cub. There were all sorts of indignation signals on this one. The bristling, the tail lashing... Guy chuckled and wriggled her toes. "Sorry, yer majesty." There's not sarcasm in it, at least. Guy has her thoughts about the whole royalty deal, but she's not going to pick that bone with a child. Instead, she inhales, lungs filling with a sharp breath of air. Yeah. "s fresh out."

But then... "Sure is." Guy drawls again, her head turning to look out among the plants. As she speaks, she claws up another castor, picking it free with a strange tenderness that seems almost antithetical to her size and bulk. Guy's practiced, at least. She places the plant out, smooths it carefully, adjusting it so that the sun may beat down on it well enough.

After that, though, Guy squints at the kid, and says:

"Y'wanna pick some? Take it home, maybe? King'n'Queen gonna be proud of ya, Ah'd think." Guy gestures with her chin. "Ah done saw some." But she's not looking to move, because maybe the kid doesn't know what it looks like, and maybe Guy can... teach royalty a thing or two?

Now that feels like a punchline to a joke. Guy files it away for later.

exp completed
[ +5 Study the flora of a neutral territory (2/2 posts)
+5 Dry or prepare herbs for use
+5 Collect herbs ]

code by corvus

code (c) daanyen // art (c) Celestial-Drifter

'Sorry, yer majesty.'

The simple sentence made her features fall back into a gentle cascade of inquisitive light. Her ears would slide further forward; listening to the apology as her ego unfurls its wings under the weight of the words. Your Majesty; both title and acknowledgment of her station in life. It was presented to her on a plate for her to study and pick over, yet she could not help the butterflies that danced along the surface of her stomach as she soaked it all in.

"It's fine." The princess would relent for a moment as her weight rocked from side to side. The girl would swivel her gaze down toward the plants as she watched Guy pick and remove some of the castor. Ciela lightly wrinkles her nose as she stares down at it; her weight shifting once more as she bends down and carefully pulls the basil into a pile.

"They are always proud of me," Ciela would quietly mutter under her breath — even if the slump of her shoulders would tell a different story from the statement she spoke. "You come home with me?" Ciela would inquire before glancing down at the parcel of plants and then back toward the lioness. "Help me carry them." The cub would try to say with the shadows of authority — even as she innocently widens her eyes towards Guy; almost pleading.

[ Tags ]
@Guy

[ Exp ] [ Completed ]
+5 Collect herbs
+5 Create a garden of healing herbs
+5 Dry or prepare herbs for use

Now, if someone had told Guy that she'd be meeting royalty and escorting a kid home? She'd have thought they were yanking her chain. But here she is, looking down at the girl whose shoulders slump. Ah... that truly tugs the heartstrings. For a moment, Guy's looking down at Rickshaw when the kid was that age, all scraggly and blonde. Then she's back in the here-and-now, and she grins, because Ciela clearly needs it. Or at least, Guy's fairly sure she does.

"Ah was gonna suggest th'same myself," Guy says, her tail swishing side to side. "But y'got there first, Princess!" A quiet-but-verbal nod to the girl. Guy's trying to make her feel good. That's the thing Guy misses most from home, you know.

The kids. There were always kids around. Her family-- the biological one-- had a lot of little rascals tearing up the joint, so to speak, and Guy occasionally found herself missing the days and nights where she had to escort a dozen-and-some nieces, nephews, great-nieces, all about.

"Here-" She carefully scoops up the Castor. "We'll take this back, too. Show me th'way t'yer home? Ah'll keep ya covered." Just in case someone saw the girl and decided it would be a good time to try and steal a cub.

exit ?

exp completed
[ +5 Study the flora of a neutral territory (2/2 posts)
+5 Dry or prepare herbs for use
+5 Collect herbs ]

code by corvus