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Continuing her exploration of Amaryllis has been a priority to Ghyslaine, and today was no exception to that goal. She'd left the Mire yesterday, off on another adventure for herself- to gain more understanding of the lands around her, and perhaps meet some more of the inhabitants. She found herself among tall, towering pine trees, her paws carrying her along the paths of others and prey who had been worn into the earth.

She moved silently, her pawsteps easily muffled by the pine needles beneath her feet, as she strolled through the forest. Here and there, she could hear scurrying and shuffling as small animals moved about under bushes and brush, but she paid them no mind. Her hunger today wasn't for prey- it was for adventure.

She kept walking through the grove, until she came upon a clearing, where grasses softened the ground, and frail dying flowers slowly succumbed to the colder nights and days. Winter was coming soon, and she wondered what this land looked like in the thrall of winter. Would there be snow? Did the entire land grow cold? She had no idea, really.

As the breeze shifted, cutting across the clearing, it sent a shiver down her spine. She sniffed at a bush, curious about the dying flowers there, and what they were. She appeared, probably to anyone else, completely unaware of the world around her, as she studied the plant intently. However, she kept her senses trained on the world around her, and with a sigh, she lifted her head from the plant, and looked around her, speaking out-loud to no one, really. "Of course, no one is around," the words are a mere scoff, as she sits back, her gaze flicking back to the plant- apparently her only company.

@Caelum

_{— art by yumpy}

He had seen her through the brush, wandering into the grove seemingly without a care in the world. Caelum had been lounging beneath the brush, allowing the ache in his limbs to dissipate as he took a break. However, seeing the golden body of a lioness appear piqued his interest almost immediately, and he crawled forward to get a better look at her without her being able to see him - just yet.

She was a pretty thing with beautiful blue eyes. She had odd markings that almost looked like tribal paint, though the way they dulled in the shadows and shined in the light told him that they were a permanent part of her... no matter how peculiar. Icy eyes peered up at her from the brush, and he made an effort to stand - to let her see him, too.

"Not quite," he murmured, stretching and taking a couple steps toward her. However, there were still several bushes and trees between them, and he was several feet away. He held a predatory gaze in his icy eyes, but he said nothing to @Ghyslaine for the moment. He simply looked on with curiosity.

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Ghyslaine

One would think, that by now she would have gotten used to the surprises of others merely appearing out of seemingly nowhere.

She turned her head towards the movement, and the sound of words- appraising the large male with a friendly smile. He was massive compared to her- which, nearly everyone seemed to be. Black was his dominant color but the feature that stood out to her immediately, was the white mask upon his face- and the icy blue eyes.

Her mind, had forgotten the plant for the moment- rather focusing on the male, when as she speaks, "Oh, hello!" The words are warmed, and punctuated with a wide smile, her expression solely on the male. "Are you exploring as well?" Maybe he was friendly- and needed a companion to explore these groves of trees.

Ghyslaine always needed new friends, after all.

@Caelum

"I am a pretty lady,"

_{art by yumpy}

She was even prettier without the leaves and branches of the brush in his way. And, much to his surprise, she seemed friendly - even to a face that had seemingly sat up from the underbrush of the forest without any other warning at all. Perhaps he'd play "nice guy" here and entertain her for a while.

Caelum slowly approached closer, stretching out his back legs now. Everything was sore and tense, but perhaps @Ghyslaine would help him forget about that. "You can call it that," Caelum replied, smirking faintly. Truthfully, he was seeking solace and a good, quiet nap, but he wasn't angered by her presence either.

Aside from the endless trees in these woods, what was there to really discover here? Or explore? Perhaps if they found a cave or a large burrow, they could crawl into it and see if there was anything they could eat... but Caelum was doubtful she'd find anything worth exploring in this boring Grove. "Have you found anything of interest yet?" he asked her, quirking an ear to hear her reply.

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It was instinct for the wheaten lioness to share her “sunshine” personality with anyone she met. She had long ago decided that one could catch more flies with honey than with mud! Ghyslaine rarely met a stranger, and perhaps it was foolish of her to easily trust anyone and everyone, but she wasn’t deterred. So she sat down, neatly on her haunches and studied the stranger with a polite smile and a curious sort of expression.

When he speaks, she beams at him. ”I guess I found you- and you seem interesting!” Perhaps the words are a touch cheeky, but she says them with a grin, smiling at him as she speaks. “I’m Ghyslaine, may I ask your name?” She asked politely. ”Do you happen to know of anything cool to check out around here? I could use something interesting to make this adventure worthwhile.” She can’t help but ask, clearly, okay with engaging his presence a while longer.

@Caelum

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_{— art by yumpy}

Oh, ho she had no idea just how interesting he truly was...

A faux smile eased onto his lips at the compliment, and he nodded at @Ghyslaine. "Caelum," he replied to her, not taking much note in her name. He was terrible with them; not particularly on purpose, but he didn't care enough to remember them.

"You've come to quite the place for an 'adventure,'" he said, joining her on the main path now and walking a few steps ahead. "There's little here but grass and trees... maybe a few caves. Do you want to explore caves?" he asked, wondering if the lioness came from a place where caves weren't all that common. Aside from the caves, though, Caelum couldn't think of anything else to potentially impress her with... because as he said it, there wasn't much but trees and grass here.

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Ghyslaine

She beams at him as he tells her his name. @Caelum. “A pleasure to meet you!” She continues grinning, until he speaks again, and then it’s more of an inquisitive expression that comes over her face. Caves?

“There are caves?” She asks, her tail whipping behind her in excitement, as she looks up at him. “Let’s go!” She agrees, assuming his question of if she wanted to explore them was an offer to join her. “Where I’m from we didn’t have any caves. It was all pine trees and rivers.” Boring really.

“Where are you from?” She asks him, eager to keep the conversation going as she moves to follow him to these mysterious caves- wherever they may be.

_{art by yumpy}

A bit of this lioness reminded him of the one he met on the border of Caladan Cove last month. She was bubbly and kind, and oh so naive. He eyed her when she wasn't looking at him and noted the way she seemed to not have a care in the world, not a single suspicion. Perhaps she and him would cross paths again; perhaps he wouldn't be in such a forgiving mood when they did.

"Likewise," he spoke, eyeing her grin. What was she so happy about? Had she known his true nature, she might've shied away by now. "They're not as exciting as you may think..." he commented, following the makeshift path now. They were really just... rocks, dirt, and darkness. A perfect place to...

No, no, no. He was trying to be good.

She spoke of where she'd come from - a place full of trees and rivers, not unlike the grove they were in now, except it somehow excluded caves. She echoed the question back at him, and he answered without thinking. "Here." Which wasn't exactly the truth. He had come from a place outside of this island, but from what he remembered aside from the blood coating the dirt almost everywhere they travelled to was long, hot savannah grasslands. A sparse tree here and there, but unbearable sun for miles. He was relieved to make an island with seasons his new home because at least during the winter, he wasn't stuck under an unbearable sun.

"I was born somewhere else, but I don't remember it too well. The only home I know is here on this island." He tried not to relive his days under Renozuri's care too often; the memories always got him worked up, and he was trying so hard not to give in and kill this lioness.

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feel free to move them along in your post! I didn't want to make this a novel xD @Ghyslaine

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Ghyslaine

She followed him to the caves, following along oblivious to the fact that perhaps this male wasn’t a kind stranger. There weren’t others who walked around just wanting to hurt strangers- right?

She was excited as they moved in the caves. Her eyes roaming over the dimly lit walls, and as they ventured further and further inside she was forced to step closer to him, because she couldn’t easily see.

“How did you get here so young? Did your parents bring you?” She asked genuinely curious and assuming that he had to have come here early in his life if he couldn’t remember a home before here.

She fell silent as they walked, and as the path slowly came into view, she felt herself speeding up a bit, and then the path opened into a cavern. A crack in the rock illuminated the cavern, showing her the long spiky rock teeth from years of moisture forming them.

“Isn’t this cool? She asked him excitedly- no more a dignified lady, at the moment she was more of an excited child.

The very idea that she wasn’t behaving like a lady had her screeching to a halt, and apologizing. “I’m sorry that.... was rather unbecoming of a lady.” She said with a wince. She had been raised better than to act like a doe-eyed idiot!

@Caelum

_{art by yumpy}

He was the first to step foot into the darkness, though she was right behind him. Caves were a normal occurrance for him, so he wasn't particularly too excited about what he was seeing. Oddly shaped rocks that looked like melting teeth lined the floors and ceilings along the walls, but for the most part, aside from the darkness, there was little of value in here.

"My grandfather raised me, and he brought us here when we were about 1 year old. I have two sisters, but I haven't seen them in a long time." Perhaps if he had, he wouldn't be struggling so much with the urge to... rip everyone apart. He felt the beginnings of a growl scrape at his throat, and he tried clearing his throat to hide it. Stop it.

At one point, the back of the cave became narrower, and his new friend, this @Ghyslaine , had to step dangerously closer to him, which riled the beast inside just a bit. His heart leapt in his chest - but not because a pretty girl just touched him, but because she was in range to be snatched up and forced to the ground.

He thought of about five different ways he could do that while she bubbled with excitement, eventually breaking him out of his thoughts when she apologized for it. "No need," he grumbled, offering a half-smile. "I like that the rocks look like teeth. That's very cool..." It was perhaps one of the first things he'd noticed, but honestly, it wasn't that cool.

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