T he one major downside Requiem had discovered when it came to living in the north was the disappointing lack of viable herbs and plants. The harsh tundra environment was not the most conducive for growing healthy vegetation, especially the more sensitive plants like the poisonous ones he used frequently. Growing the flowers was a delicate business, and though he and Atropos had begun construction on the greenhouse back at the Antiox, he still had a pressing need for more of his special "medicines". So with a satchel around his neck, the red-furred brute made his way south to the old stone wall that guarded much of the north. Atropos had told him about some Jimson Weed that she had seen growing there, and to say the assassin was interested would have been an understatement. Though he didn't seem the type, flower picking was actually one of Requiem's most crucial skills to his trade.

A rriving at the crumbling ruins, argent silver eyes began to scan the ground along the bottom of the old wall segments, looking for the telltale white flowers he needed. Even with it being summer, the days were only mild at best, the chill of the north keeping it perpetually cool year round. Requiem meandered along the wall, keeping his eyes turned down in search of his floral prize. Hopefully he'd be able to find a good amount of the toxic flowers to keep himself well stocked for some time to come.


"Requiem" | "Latin"

After traveling down south in search of some excitement, Sephiran rounded back up to the north. Aside from running into the male wolf fighting the tigress, he found his vacation of sorts to be rather boring. He felt there was much more to offer in the north, given that his newest obsession lived up there, and he often found Aresenn wandering through the wildness. The duo always had fun slaughtering creatures together, or stirring up havoc within the ranks of the northern packs. What more convincing did he need to travel back into these desolate lands?

Only, they weren’t so desolate now that spring had transitioned into summer. A large majority of the snow had melted away in the northern territories that bordered the central, especially around the wall that separated the two areas. Small patches of frost were still scattered, but sprouting from the earth were tufts of shrubbery that only had a chance to grow in the warmer months. But he wasn’t here for scoping out the scenery, despite the opportunities presenting themselves to him. At least, that wasn’t his original plan.

But the universe had an odd way of shaping reality, for Sephiran would catch a glimpse of a crimson silhouette on the horizon, which stopped him from leaping over the wall. He stopped, eyes narrowing in just as the figure vanished around a bend in the stone. Aresenn. The pirate boy was the first to come to mind, a smirk contorting his lips as he strode forward after them. “Arse-“ He went to call out his name, but stopped as he approached, only a few yards away. He noticed this man’s scent wasn’t the usual musk that swathed his accomplice, and he was larger than Aresenn. Not to mention, he didn’t have the gold undertones either. Was this his father? The memory of the pirate party came to mind, as Aresenn’s father was off in the distance, drinking with their alpha. This man looked just like him, but didn’t smell like the pirates. Maybe he was conspiring with another pack?

It was confusing as hell.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

R equiem had not been anticipating any company coming his way this far up in the northern tundras, especially given how inviting the southern half of Boreas was during the summer months. So when a low, youthful voice spoke from behind him, it came as quite the surprise for the wandering alpha. Requiem did not startle, but did pop his head up and peer back over his shoulder to the brilliantly violet brute just behind him, piercing argent silver eyes meeting the other male's with a cold calculating appraisal. The brute was far younger than he, likely only in his adolescence, but he was large—not quite meeting the dire brute's size, but not far off. A pair of impressive looking saber fangs protruded from the lad's muzzle. He had definitely never met this stranger before, but it appeared he had mistaken the Mirovis wolf for someone he knew.

A wry smirk twisted up the corners of Requiem's lips as a husky chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Well, I've been called many things before, but never 'Arse'. Though mine does tend to be one of my finer features." The brute chuckled again, more audibly this time as he flicked his tail in a circle, giving his rump a shake. Was he coming on to the brute? No, not in the slightest. But it was fun to see what made others uncomfortable. The stranger had thoroughly tickled him with that little unexpected quip of swearing—at least he assumed it was swearing. "I'm assuming you thought I was someone else, and that you're not actually here for me. If you were, you made a grave mistake giving up the element of surprise." Was this wolf a relative of one of his art pieces or contracts here to seek vengeance on him? Requiem certainly hadn't been planning on killing anyone today, but hey, sometimes you just had to go with the flow!

R equiem flashed a casual smile at the younger brute, turning to face him properly though not yet approaching, maintaining a few paces of space between them just in case things turned entertaining. "Do you know who I am, lad?" he asked point blank, watching the stranger's expression intensely for any sign of recognition or realization to tip him off that this wolf was indeed hunting for him. If he genuinely didn't, then perhaps he could find some use for the extra set of eyes on this frustrating floral scavenger hunt.


"Requiem" | "Latin"

The larger male lifted his head to peer over his shoulder, and Sephiran was met with cold, silver eyes that seemed to be inspecting him. He took this moment to complete his own assessment, as he noted their difference in age and height. At the same time, he was flipping through his memory, trying to remember what Aresenn’s dad looked like, aside from a crimson pelt. But he didn’t have enough information to conclude if this man was Ignis, the most unholy sin of the pirates.

Sephiran couldn’t help the raise of his brow when the man smirked at him, claiming he had been called worse while shaking his rump and laughing. He wasn’t used to this type of behavior, especially from another male. It left him more confused, if anything, especially if this was his friend’s dad. The pirates were a strange bunch. “I mistook you for an ally of mine.” He said, his head raising a bit as the man turned to face him. Now that they were square with one another, Sephiran was able to get a better look at his features. But he still didn’t know if this was Ignis or not.

And when the brute asked if Sephiran knew who he was, his head tipped slightly to the side, impulsively making an assumption by answering with, “Aresenn’s dad.” Though the statement sounded like an inquiry, given that he was unsure if he was right. He was yet again mistaking the male for someone else, he just didn’t know that yet. “Which makes me wonder, why you’re so far north.” He added, questioning what business a pirate would have so far away from home. Aresenn was a teenager like himself, so wandering to explore wasn’t abnormal. But his father held a high rank in the pack, and to Sephiran’s knowledge, had all the responsibilities that came with that.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

T he poor lad looked so perplexed by Requiem’s mere existence, it was almost endearing! Whoever the yearling had mistook him for, he must have been quite the doppelgänger to warrant such a reaction from the stranger. After some light inquisition, the stranger named him as Aresenn’s father, and Requiem gave a snicker, teeth flashing in a lewd grin. "Well, if I am the father of any pups, those faes haven’t done a very good job hunting me down for child support," he quipped back. "I fear you've mistaken me for someone else, dear lad. Which thankfully is best for the both of us. But to humor you, I'll give you my name and pack, then you can tell me if I do indeed have a long lost son somewhere." A touch of a crooked wry grin twisted at one corner of his burgundy muzzle. "My name is Requiem, and I'm a part of the Mirovis pack." How did this stack up against what the violet adolescent expected him to say? Requiem supposed he was about to find out whether or not he was the father of this "Aresenn" character. That would be a hard one to explain to Lurid if he was!

W hether the young stranger confirmed he was the wolf he suspected Requiem was or not, that still left the question of what to do with him. The lad had a curious aura about him, an energy that Requiem sensed could be similar to his own, and he hadn't caused any sort of offense or posed any threat to Requiem yet. So perhaps he could be of use to the crimson brute. After a moment more of studying the as-of-now unnamed stranger, Req made the decision. He would not kill the yearling—not unless given a reason to, that was. Instead, he was curious to see just how aligned their personalities were. "Do you have a name, lad? Unless you enjoy being called 'lad'," he asked, a curious, almost playful tilt to his head as he spoke, eager for the adolescent brute's response to know if he'd just found another kindred spirit or if the boy really was just another stray out of his element and wandering aimlessly around the north.


"Requiem" | "Latin"

To Sephiran’s surprise, he had mislabeled this stranger again. Having mistook him for Aresenn’s dad, he made the assumption that he was handling unsavory business given that he was so far north from their pack. But the stranger was quick to correct Sephiran, even making a joke in the process. This warranted another eyebrow raise from the boy, not finding his comment humorous, but it didn’t necessarily bother him either. Aside from lust and anger, it was hard to elicit other emotions and responses from him. So, he just stared at the man, waiting for more information, which he assumed was coming.

Requiem from Mirovis pack. It was a group he had never heard of, which correlated with his initial confusion about the unknown scent he carried. At that moment, he impulsively sniffed in his direction, taking note of the scent again. So if he encountered another wolf with it, he would know where they came from. To some, it was useless information. But for Sephiran, who hoped to step into the world of politics when he was older, it was pertinent. “I’ve never heard of it.” He mused aloud, still staring into those striking, argent eyes. Maybe this would prompt the man to give him more information about it, without having to ask. “But that confirms you aren’t Aresenn’s dad.” Not a pirate, nor Aresenn’s dad,  Sephiran had met someone new today. But whether or not that would be a good thing, was yet to be determined.

His gaze shifted down from Requiem, as he noticed there was a rather large cluster of odd white-looking flowers just beyond where they stood. He had never seen them before, and they would have been missed if he hadn’t been surveying the man before him. He was curious about them, nonetheless. “My name is Sephiran.” He said before he impulsively moved past Requiem to study the flowers. They weren’t chamomile, or meadowsweet… and their appearance didn’t match anything else he had seen before.


"Speech"

Code by Sea