MY PEACHES!!! [Tatara]

So this day was certainly turning out...completely unexpected.

Seeing as he had given her back seeds to replant, Lelianna bent down to start picking them up. Hey, waste not want not right? As she did she continued listening to the strange...being sitting in the trees above her, occasionally glancing up every now and then. The fact he used the word "mortal" and being unseen made Lelianna think that she just might be dealing with some sort of spirit.

If the fact she was talking to a tiny three-eyed winged goat man thing hadn't already clued her in that this was probably not a normal person/magi.

When Tatara repeated her question, Lelianna glanced up. He almost sounded...lost? But now he was mentioning she ought to know him? Lelianna's face spelled out her confusion for a moment before she tried racking her brain for an answer and the expression turned pensive.

Someone she often calls to...

That tidbit alone was what got Lelianna's attention. There were only a select few that she could think she "called to." Since she already felt this individual was somewhere on the spirit scale. What with his appearance and using the term "mortals" to describe her. Then there was that sort of playful smile she spotted that brought a certain someone (or rather something) to mind. Lelianna took a few more moments to think before she hesitantly gave her answer. "Are you...You couldn't be....Arecia, could you?" She could still feel that familiar and comforting hum in the back of her head. Yet she felt the sense that the forest was being drawn to this individual in a powerful way. Surely that had to mean something, right? Or, even if she was wrong, that the forest recognized something in this being.

Considering Lelianna had no idea exactly what or whom she was dealing with, she had actually been serious. She was guessing after all. Spirits indeed did live within Arecia Woods as far as she figured. And well as far as she knew this could be a Spirit.

One who was still eating her peaches!!!

Lelianna only huffed lightly at that, but she wasn't looking to pick a fight. Especially if it was actually a Spirit. She was aware of how powerful those could be. So for now she focused on gathering the seeds Tatara had dropped. Including the next three he dropped down; one of which hit Lelianna on the head. "Ow!" She yipped, glancing up and rubbing the spot that smarted. She would have said something but the little goat man's next words sort of halted the gears in her head.

"I am Tatara."
...Wait what?

Lelianna paused from where she'd put her hand on one of the depleted peach trees. Her power could help it regrow some of its fruit. However with what had been said she was...understandably distracted. Also confused. Also stunned. The expression on her face followed suit with such emotions, morphing through each one in quick succession before it all just got jumbled. It was really hard for her brain to start up again and process anything at the moment.

This was...Tatara?
Could you blame her for her shock?

Eventually Lelianna found herself looking back up at Tatara, not realizing that her powers may have been making the tree she'd been helping overgrow a little. "T-Tatara?" She repeated. Wow, nice going. Very astute, wasn't she? Could it be true? He wasn't really....what she expected. Yet there was a source of power to him even Lelianna couldn't deny. Mainly because the plantlife seemed to be reacting to him in some way. She certainly wasn't going to ignore that

"I-I...It's an honor to-" Her words ended up getting cut off when a fully grown peach landed on her head. 'ACH! HEY!" Came the protest as she looked accusingly at the tree she'd been helping along. It had indeed regrown its fruit. However they were pretty dang big now, as well as the tree inadvertently, because of her influence. One of the branches, while she'd been distracted, had shift until a ripe peach was directly over her head.

Now it was directly on her head.

"You big....mean bark head..." Lelianna grumbled, pulling off some of the pieces of peach from her hair. There was that faint groaning noise from the branches treetops that Lelianna could identify as "laughter." Her cheeks were absolutely burning. Of all the times it had to embarrass her, it choose now!? Which reminded her. green eyes flew up to the tiny goat man before averting themselves sheepishly. "Ah....s-sorry sir...I-I mean lord...er, your...worship?" How did someone address a god? "Uhhhhhh.....S-sorry if I talked out of turn or a-anything I ah...I-I wasn't, um, expecting....anything like this."

As if finding a god could be a casual thing in any way.

Oh come on your godliness, could you blame the girl for being surprised? It was strong enough that she didn't even realize her powers were still extending towards the peach tree until after the winged little goat man was out of the branches and suddenly right next to her. Blinking and wiping the rest of the peach away, Lelianna looked over to see-- Oh jeez yeah, that needed to stop.

Immediately Lelianna turned off her magic, grimacing at the sight a little. She reached out once more but did not expend any energy into the tree to help it grow even further. "Sorry boo..." The hermit whispered apologetically. It was far bigger than the other peach trees now; it's branches extended out far and even moved around some of the other trees' branches too. At least the fruit was back, though they too had grown a little in size. Not horrifically but definitely there was a small noticeable size difference in comparison to the other peaches. The hermit sighed and and smacked her forehead lightly.

But then remembered: Oh yeah, there was a god present.

Turning back to Tatara the girl gave him a sheepish smile. "Ah...S-sorry. I just never really expected a g-god to be in my garden...ever, really." Nor did she expect said god to nearly eat her out of ever single peach she'd grown, but Lelianna didn't mention that little tidbit. Somehow she didn't think it would be the most wise. Instead she focused on the good bits. A god had eaten her peaches. That meant they had to be doing well and healthy right? "I'm...I-I"m glad you seem to like them though. That means they must be doing well if they taste good." hey even she could manage up a better smile thinking about that.

However something else was suddenly plaguing her mind.

If this was Tatara-- the Tatara-- then that meant he ruled the dead. Conflict filled her expression as she averted her eyes. She was debating with herself. Should she? Should she not? Was it too much to ask of a god? Was she breaking some sort of rule if she actually put the question out there? Shifting on her feet a little, the hermit's hands lifted to grab the upper part of her arms in a slightly nervous gesture. "I-I...I-I know it's probably not my place, Lord Tatara but um...I-I was wondering if I could...ask you a question?" The redhead managed to finally put out, glancing up with a mixture of terrible nerves and unsure hope playing in those green eyes and across her face.

Having a God comment on your peaches being quite well was a good thing, right? At least Lelianna thought so, and she'd take that little tidbit to heart. Besides, it wasn't like she was running into gods left and right. But she was getting off topic and already the question forming in her head was starting to bubble to the forefront.

Fortunately Tatara seemed willing enough to hear her out. Which was good! Though it still took the redhead a second or two to get words to leave her lips. The subject she wanted to ask about wasn't exactly...easy for her. "Oh! Ah....T-thank you." She said first with a tiny grateful bow to him. He was being nice listening, after all. With one last pause to bit and worry at her bottom lip, the hermit got talking again.

"Um....E-Eight years ago during the....during the riots both my...both of m-my parents were..." The words she nearly used got stuck in her throat. Cut down. Green eyes started to water subconsciously. Maybe that was the right way to describe it, but it wasn't the way she wanted to. It was too harsh. Too painfully close to her memory. "...T-They both died." She finished quietly instead, her voice holding a bit of shake to it now. "I-I buried them and everything but I just wanted to know...D-Did their souls pass on to you?" Now she finally raised her eyes back to Tatara instead of addressing the ground. A few tears were escaping here and there, but Lelianna wasn't aware of them. "T-They aren't wandering are they? Or refusing to pass on? Their souls are s-safe aren't they?"

Her parents had been slain in a whirl of chaos and slaughter. Even if the redhead could bury and give their bodies a proper ritual, he couldn't do anything about their souls. It had been a little question that had gnawed at her heart for 8 years now. Never knowing if her parents had gone into the cycle again or were somewhere out there, resentful and angered enough by their deaths to continue as ghosts.

It was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Lelianna visibly sagged. Not with exhaustion, but simply with relief from the god's words. As the emotion registered within her and a question that had been plaguing her for years was finally answered, the earth magi's legs simply buckled and she sat down on the ground with a graceless fwomp. "Oh thank you." She breathed, doing her best to wipe away her tears. They weren't ones of sadness now, but rather ones of joy.

Her parents had passed on. They weren't stuck as ghosts for gods only knew how long, bound to wander the earth. Spirits wouldn't end up eating their souls for a tasty snack. They'd get another chance. Hopefully one with a much happier ending than the one they'd gotten this time. As sad as Lelianna was about their passing, at least she could find comfort in knowing that they'd be alright in the end. That was important.

As Tatara spoke up again, Lelianna raised her eyes. She was doing her best to quench the tears. it was...a little hard. Hey when you worried about the state of your parents' souls for years it was going to take a little bit to shake off that relief. Still, at least she could muster up a genuinely happy smile for the god before glancing up at the newly hugeified peach tree. "Oh! O-Oh I'll take care of that." She promised through sniffles, doing one last wipe of her face before trying to gather herself. Come on girl. You're sobbing before a god. Have at least a little dignity.

"I'll remove the peaches so they don't end up falling on anyone. I'd feel horrible if someone got hurt by one. I'm sure the animals will love the peaches though. You could take some too, i-if you'd like." It was...weird to make an offer like that to a god. Technically speaking Tatara could simply take whatever he wanted and Lelianna wouldn't have a say in the matter. He was a god. But still, might as well, right? "I-It's the least I could offer, since you answered my question. I'm...I'm really glad to hear they're okay."