This was the only ugly part of this beautiful land he had seen so far. It was dry and dusty. The merciless afternoon sun beat down on his night black pelt. His tail drooped, but only a tiny fraction. He was too strong to let that happen. Beaten steel and burning gold slid over the horizon, letting nothing escape his eagle-eyed gaze. His white feet carried his body forward, the white stained a bit more gray-brown now.

It was so hot out.

Why had he come here? Curiosity? Fate? There was the scent of other wolves here, some recent. This had to be a meeting place, or a battleground. There were dried bloodstains every now and again. This was an interesting place alright. It seemed empty at the moment though. Would it stay that way? Or wold he encounter someone in this hot and currently dry land?

OOC: Short and sweet. Anyone care to take Greed in?

It'd been a month since she'd killed him.



Paws cycled slowly, pressing softly against the ground as she approached the bloody plane of earth that was the battlefield, breathing slow and measured, ears torn between pressing forward and pinning back, lips twisted into a permanent frown. The previous cycle of the moon had passed too quickly for her liking--as she neared, she half-expected to still see the bloodied splotch in the snow still growing as he bled without relent onto the ground, crimson bubbling freely from his throat as he murmured the stupidest last words she'd ever heard in her life.



In her absence the battlefield had trudged on without her, plunging itself into spring as it indulged on the mineral-rich blood it'd been drenched in, the verdant grass and scenery almost enough to make it seem like it'd never happened.



Almost.



She'd returned with the intention of returning to the spot and searching around a little--maybe a tooth or a claw of his that she could... well, she wasn't sure what she'd do with it. Burn it, maybe. Throw it into the pool of lava at the top of Mount Volcan. Somehow string it into a necklace of sorts to wear triumphantly about her shoulders, tauntingly allowing for the fang to rest upon the heart he'd wished to rip out in that battle. Instead of a souvenir, though, the fiery-pelted fae's optics of cool violet happened upon a figure of obsidian fur. Alabaster paws and ear tip, dulled seemingly by dirt and general grime, caught her attention due to their lack of blood.



The planet-marked fae allowed for her pace to be unchanging as she meandered forth, observing the brute as she came closer, posture straightening a bit. The Ludicael alpha paused a few yards from him, stance passive and steady despite the heat that bore down upon her.



"You tread dangerous earth," she warned with a chuckle, voice low but colored with friendly humor. "What brings you forth on this sweltering day?" Celestial eyes lingered momentarily on him, seeking his heterochromic eyes for a second before sweeping out, unconsciously searching for the spot where she'd killed Kaios, breathing still slow and calm.

"speech"

His massive head turned as a glint of something that looked like fire caught in the corner of his view. That was impossible, though. There was nothing here to burn. So it couldn't be a fire. No, it wasn't a fire. It was a woman. A woman that had to have come from the stars themselves. A beautiful creature. An angel. It stopped the man shrouded in night in his tracks. The surprise lasted only a moment before a charming mask snapped in to place. He stayed stopped as she approached, eyes trained on her. Such grace, such beauty. A powerful beauty that he wanted to get closer too, but feared would burn him to nothing but ash if he got too close.



"You tread dangerous earth."



A sweet tone was a caress over the senses. Greed gave a low chuckle and gave a charmingly friendly reply, that did not lack in a bit of arrogance, "Yes, but I am a dangerous man." He gave a small curving smile at the end of his low rumble. He would not try to seduce this woman. There seemed to be something about her that told him that she wielded power in her home. If she was in a pack, possibly a beta or head of something. He mentally threw around the possibility of her even being an alpha, but no. She wasn't strutting and puffing like the alphas he had known in the past.



"What brings you forth on this sweltering day?"



Greed gave another smile and shrugged, or shrugged as much as a wolf could. He replied in the same voice as before, except with a polite note added in also, "I'm not really sure. I travel around and go where my feet take me. I guess I just wandered in to this place and could bear to turn back." He had never turned back. Turning back was like giving up. It was living in the past, not in the moment like he did now. Life was too short to waste away reminiscing about days long gone.

Speech!

She looked upon the creature of partial night with mild interest, maintaining an expression that reflected such to protect him from believing that she was bored by the whole ordeal of his presence. In reality, Jupiter wasn't sure how she felt about much anymore. Many things seemed petty--borders, battlefields, wolves in general. It was difficult now to truly pique her interest as her heart edged very, very slowly downwards on its descent into shadows. Was she aware of it? Maybe, maybe not. Would she ever be? Yes, one day, she would. When the burning itch for blood in her paws was attempting to be sated on the life another once more, she would know. After a moment of her gaze wandering, she realized that the reason why she couldn't find the spot she'd killed him was because they were standing on it.



He replied with wit and tact and her lips curled upwards a little, optics focusing on him, the slightest of bits of her feinted interest shifting to a genuine state, but not in the manner that one would think. The last time she'd met a 'dangerous man', she'd killed him, right here in this very spot. Perhaps she was lingering on the thoughts of his death for too long. The hated beast would have been delighted to know that his lack of existence haunted her thoughts in the most peculiar of ways and yet the celestial woman could not force her ponders from it. There was something about having killed him with his family watching... she wasn't certain how she felt about it anymore.



She listened to the remainder of his words and nodded as a shrug accompanied them. "Even dangerous men can die here," she replied, tone smooth and polished as she allowed her haunches to settle into the earth. "You had best let your paws take you elsewhere, then," came her remark, her timbre mixed with conflicting tones of darkness and humor. "Should your paws take you eastward, you'll find yourself near a river that courses into my home, known as Ludicael." A pause graced her lips as she baited him, testing his interest, gaze mild as it set upon him.

TABLE + CODING BY TIFF

prone to violent reaction. ic actions have ic consequences and she lives and breathes it.

public enemy #1

crawl. crawl more. drag your hands and knees across the destruction left in my wake to the ends of the earth. there's a green light of a shining star in my sky and there will not be an obstacle i will not overcome until i cup that star in my palms. the void in my will has been filled with purpose. so crawl. crawl more, love.

because i like it when you're on your knees.

Greed gave a laugh and replied to her comment on dangerous men and dying, "Everyone dies, Ma'am. I just prefer to push off my end as far as possible. Live long and die happy, if I can." It was truth too, for he did not tell lies. It wasn't that he couldn't tell a lie or was a bad liar, he just didn't do it. He doubted somewhat that he would live to a ripe old age like most, there was that saying after all. Violent delights had violent ends. And he did take part in violet delights.



He gave a charming smile and studied his lady of fire and amethyst, who was still nameless in his mind. Whatever label she possessed, it would be beautiful, and fit her perfectly. A name for her celestial coloring maybe. It was a name he could not guess though.



Oh. She was speaking again.



"You had best let your paws take you elsewhere, then. Should your paws take you eastward, you'll find yourself near a river that courses into my home, known as Ludicael."

Greed's ears perked slightly at the mention of a pack. A group of wolves, banded together to increase their odds of survival. Or maybe it was a family that didn't want to break apart and go their separate ways. Either way, it was an opportunity. What was this home like, though? He voiced this question with a slight smile tilting his lips, "Ludicael? What is this Ludicael like? I am not well versed in what the packs here are like." Another truth, and an unfortunate one if this beauty was what most packs held.



"What might you name be, dear lady? If you don't mind me knowing of course."

Speech!

OOC: Sorry if my replies aren't as often as they should be. I have family visiting until this weekend and I don't have much time for posting.

She rumbled with slight appreciation for his wit, but her thoughts were too lost in their currently dark realm to show much more on the matter. "No one dies happy here, m'dear." She paused with contemplation, audits flicking to signal that his lyrics had not been lost upon her. She took a moment to respond, but when she did, it seemed like her attention had completely drawn back to him, the thought-drowned look in her eyes flickering out of existence. "Ludicael is set in the east, upon the mangroves and the bay that glows when disturbed. Founded by myself. Jupiter Illiadis." She could have gone on to advertise her pack as some avenging crusaders' guild made up of universal good-doers of the land but they were not that, and never would be. "Should you decide to tell me a bit about yourself, you are welcome there. You're not expected to be there at all times, but whatever your specialty is, it is your responsibility."

TABLE + CODING BY TIFF

prone to violent reaction. ic actions have ic consequences and she lives and breathes it.

public enemy #1

crawl. crawl more. drag your hands and knees across the destruction left in my wake to the ends of the earth. there's a green light of a shining star in my sky and there will not be an obstacle i will not overcome until i cup that star in my palms. the void in my will has been filled with purpose. so crawl. crawl more, love.

because i like it when you're on your knees.

His ears perked up further as she spun her brief description of her home. He had not been to this place yet, but wanted to. It sounded like a beautiful place to be. He also wouldn't accept having a hole in his knowledge of this land. He had to see everything here. He wanted to own it all, deep deep down inside, but knew that wasn't possible at his current position in life. But, he couldn't go in to thought now. He had to reply to this fair maiden. "Your home sounds like a lovely place, Jupiter. I would be honored if you let me visit your home." An alpha then. She was in control of an entire pack. Wonderful. She would have to be a strong woman to create a pack and help it to thrive, in a swamp no less too. Power. The one thing he would follow with his whole heart. She was more powerful then himself, he could feel that. Something to be careful of.



"Should you decide to tell me a bit about yourself, you are welcome there. You're not expected to be there at all times, but whatever your specialty is, it is your responsibility."



Greed nodded and replied in a light tone that faintly sounded like he was reading things off of a list, "I am a warrior without much honor left. I have a few lines that I can not ever cross, but there are not many. I fight to live, but don't really live to fight. I am not the best influence on children, and do not really like to be around them much either. Unless they are past the stage where they are weak and annoying, though. Training younger ones is actually something that I can enjoy, if they aren't completely useless imbeciles. Would you like me to tell you anything else, Lady Jupiter?" A curving smile was added to the title he gave her, aiming to keep her from thinking that he was kissing up to her. Should he say anything else? His love of women, perhaps? The fact that he used to have a wife and sons? Used to being the key words. He still probably did have the boys that didn't die yet, but he was gone from that past. he couldn't let the past keep him from the now.



I speak I think I hear

super-duper sorry for the wait--forgot about this. DX

She did not reply to his wish to see Ludicael; she only waited patiently for the information she so sought. When it came to her, swift and partially poetic, she couldn't help but laugh a bit on his confession about children. She thought of her own and pondered over this male and his potential relationship to them. The Sol could handle them getting their feelings hurt if he verbally snapped at them, but should any physical harm come to them, she would try her best to ensure it became a past offense, and that history would not repeat itself, even if she had to rip his teeth out to make it so.



"I have three of my own. You are welcome to Ludicael as a warrior, to redeem your honor, even--if you wish. But should harm come to my children--or any other Ludicael member, for that matter--at your claw or tooth, you will have greater things to worry about than annoying children." Her voice was stern and yet neutral. The threat was in the words and the expression, but was completely omitted from the tone. "All I need from you is your loyalty and later, a spar to prove your skill with. And, your name." She would explain the rest of the rules on the way there, but for now required only this.

TABLE + CODING BY TIFF

prone to violent reaction. ic actions have ic consequences and she lives and breathes it.

public enemy #1

crawl. crawl more. drag your hands and knees across the destruction left in my wake to the ends of the earth. there's a green light of a shining star in my sky and there will not be an obstacle i will not overcome until i cup that star in my palms. the void in my will has been filled with purpose. so crawl. crawl more, love.

because i like it when you're on your knees.

His head dipped at her conditions about her children, the stern tone that she used seeming like a deadly promise to his ears. He would never harm a child without a really really great reason, and sure as hell wasn't even going to let the thought enter his mind now. Putting up with annoying puppies was perfectly fine if it kept him away from being on this woman's bad side. She could probably crush a simple loner like himself, probably had before too. Best to tread with caution around her, even if he never did something wrong.



"All I need from you is your loyalty and later, a spar to prove your skill with. And, your name." His head lifted to watch her face as his mind chewed on this piece of information. Loyalty he could give until doing so would get him killed. Maimed or injured he could deal with in the name of loyalty. Finally, he spoke in a slow and clear tone, "I call myself Greed Desmonic, My lady, and I will give you my loyalty as long as you need it." Greed, a name he had given himself in his youth, something that had reflected his soul perfectly at the time. Not so much anymore, since he wasn't a greedy little prick any more.



I speak I think I hear

She nodded to him, a sigh passing through her. "Then, Greed, you are welcome to Ludicael as a member of the pack." She paused, audits twitching idly with thought. "Come, we'll discuss the rules and the matter of your rank on the way there." She heaved her hips from their settled nest upon the ground, stretching for a moment before beginning to saunter east, pausing only to ensure that he was following. As they would walk, she would speak, explaining the way their pack functioned and their alliances--closely-bound to Amenti and Seracia, loosely to Valhalla. And as they would move, she would think, realizing just how glad she was to be back and alive.



[ exit jupiter ]





ooc: Sorry for the wait and hope that you don't mind the slight powerplay. ^^;

TABLE + CODING BY TIFF

prone to violent reaction. ic actions have ic consequences and she lives and breathes it.

public enemy #1

crawl. crawl more. drag your hands and knees across the destruction left in my wake to the ends of the earth. there's a green light of a shining star in my sky and there will not be an obstacle i will not overcome until i cup that star in my palms. the void in my will has been filled with purpose. so crawl. crawl more, love.

because i like it when you're on your knees.

He gave a dip of his head and stood himself up, preparing to follow his new queen. He was a pack wolf now. No longer a loner. How did he feel about that, though? He would not have to follow rules, listen to others and call them his superior. Ah well, it would be easier to survive that way at least. And his lady Jupiter had said that he was not required to stay at the pack land all the time. He could still retain some freedom, at least.



Jupiter stood then and started to move away, Greed followed after her, silent now. He would be content to listen to this powerful woman as she laid down the law, maybe with a question or two if he needed clarification. His gold and steel eyes turned towards the direction they were heading, secretly eager to get a glimpse of this new pack land that he would live in, even though it was probably a ways off. He wouldn't be able to see it this soon.



(Exit Greed)




"Speech"

OOC: No problem. And I don't mind at all.