Today was more pleasant than most others she had endured since traveling to this strange, new realm. Sephira had started to worry that every day would bring her oppressive gray skies and rain, but this morning was heralded by vibrant blue and dry air, much to her delight. It was certainly hot, but at least is was not humid. The sun was bright overhead as Sephi struck out, eager to find something with which to fill her belly, if only for a day. She traced a meandering river as it wound along, widening eventually and splitting off until it had become a vast delta. Sephira sat there at its edge, marveling at the beauty of the wetlands, and watching the flocks of waterfowl come and go with a critical eye. Gods, she was hungry. It had been too long since she'd tasted the rich, fatty meat of a duck or goose. She was more likely to catch the former than the latter, but she knew if she spooked one flock every bird in the delta would be swept up in the instinctual need to flee in the face of danger, whether they saw her or not. A ripple effect, she supposed, and so Sephi knew she would have to be careful. Her stomach rumbled out its discontent but she was well-practiced in the art of ignoring her bodily needs. Er.. Well, most of them, anyways. Hunger was ever present, it was just that some days were better than others. Things had been better since coming here. The prey was not so paltry, not so scare or sickly. She had put fat on her bones since arriving, but perhaps she had reawakened parts of her insides that never knew they were deprived. She was hungry constantly these days, as she fought to build strength to mach a place where the world around her was not just as withered as she was. She let out a quiet, long breath, worried even then of startling what might soon be her next meal. The opportunity would arrive, if she was patient. The kicker was that patience had never really been one of her strong points. "TALK" "YOU" THINK

Kai, too, was grateful for a reprieve from the too-frequent rains that had been plaguing these lands as of late. The Jarvela loved unpredictable weather as much as any other free-spirited rogue, but... he was a wolf, not a fish, and being soaked to the core every day was becoming annoying rather quickly. Luckily for him, on this fine summer day he saw no hint of rain in the sky, which was almost completely free of clouds and a crisp, vibrant blue. Kai's spirits were soaring, his mind and body rejuvenated after a pleasantly long sleep. Ready to start the day, ventured out from the makeshift den he'd found for himself under a fallen tree, and headed even further east than usual -  trekking through the swampy mangrove forest and toward the coastline. The ocean was not his favorite place in the world, but there was something about the bitter winds that came in from the sea that made him feel distinctively alive in a way that was difficult to replicate. Intent on chasing that feeling again today, he quickened his pace once the briny scent of sea-water hit his nostrils, flaring them to get a better sense of where he ought to be headed. Eventually the trees cleared, giving way to flat lands and long winding rivers. Interested in one in particular, he loped beside it and followed the gentle stream toward where it let out into the ocean. He hadn't really expected to find another here, but he spotted her from a great distance and his interest was immediately piqued. Holy shit, even the view of her hindquarters was downright gorgeous, and Kai decided instantly that he needed to know her, sooner rather than later. Though her fur was dark, splendid trails of color marked her tail and up her back, not totally dissimilar to the colors of a rainbow. Damn, what a hottie. Not bothering to mask the foolish grin that threatened to overtake his features, Kai increased his pace and let out a bark of approval. "I knew I was looking for a gorgeous view today, but who knew I'd see one quite this fine?" Amused, he raised a brow in appreciation as he sought to close the distance between them and veer to her side to get  a better look at that pretty face of hers.

Sephira only sensed the arrival of a stranger moments before his voice made him known. She bristled on instinct. First of all she hated being startled, and the frustration with herself that she'd let it happen in the first place boiled quickly over to frustration at this male. She shot him a wry glare, half-hearted while she puzzled out whether or not he was actually poking fun at her. She was too used to pompous southern wolves mocking her multi-colored coats, such that the surprise and adoration of the bland local wolves would still catch her off guard. She at last came to the conclusion that he really thought that was a good attempt at a smooth line. Unable to shake her frustration entirely, but chuckled under her breath despite herself. Keeping her voice low, and a hearty meal at the forefront of her mind, Sephi replied in a near purr, "You and me both, big boy. In fact I trekked all the way out into this godsforsaken marsh just on the off-chance I'd find a strong, handsoommeee..." She dragged the word out, trailing her tone deeper until dropping it entirely and turning away from him once again. "Duck." Concluding in a harsh deadpan. "And chit chat ain't gonna help that." Was it rude? Yes. But she couldn't care less. She'd pack on a few more calories and then set out to find Ig again. An endless cycle of her wandering attention span, need for food, and desire to track down her sibling. She was content with that. Maybe if Flirty McSilvereyes had found her with even one of those goals tacked off for the time being she would have loved to reciprocate. She had half a mind to remind him that the way to a woman's heart was through her stomach, but she knew if she opened her mouth again, there was a higher chance he would as well. Couldn't have that, now could they? "TALK" "YOU" THINK

Kai hadn't really expected his approach to go over super smoothly. No, in fact he'd discovered that most wolves he met didn't like being snuck up on, and most were at the very least wary of strangers who dared come up to them - always wondering what the other might want. Kai wasn't like most of those other wolves, though; he couldn't remember a time when he'd ever sought out anyone for anything besides his own mere amusement. Which was precisely what was happening right now. The slight glare she cast him was returned with a sly smile, watching as she turned to assess him. He got a better look at her now too, admiring the gorgeous colors that painted her face, a perfect opposite of each eye color, deciding that this lady was somehow just as beautiful from the front as she had been from the back. He was immediately pleased with her change of heart, his grin growing as she spoke. Her voice had a playfulness that mirrored his own, and he decided he'd made a damn good choice in approaching her. Her words certainly caught his attention, though when she started he had a pretty damn good idea how she was going to end her sentence. But instead, she caught him off guard and his shit-eating grin soured quite suddenly. "Chit chat can't really hurt then, either," Kai retorted quite quickly. Was she implying she was hungry and looking for food rather than company? As far as he was concerned, hunting was just as good when it was treated as a social activity rather than a solo endeavor. His features had contorted just a bit, though he fought back a scowl. He didn't totally appreciate her taunting, and he wasn't fully convinced that she didn't want his company either. Obviously she was just playing hard to get. He considered it for a moment, giving her another good look over. "Unless you're one of those weird, brooding, loner types?" Kai squinted, silver gaze fixing more acutely on her. "But you're far too gorgeous for that sort of nonsense, at least I think," he commented nonchalantly, that smile creeping back over his youthful features and his brows lifting suggestively.

The male seemed a bit off put by her response, but honestly? Sephira couldn't find it in herself to care. Not only had he startled her, but he had startled her out of a pursuit for food. That was a cardinal sin in her book. On any other day she probably would have appreciated a bit of flirting, even if he wasn't really her type, but today she was hangry and if he wanted to stick around he was just going to have to deal. He seemed startled by her response, so maybe she'd blame that on the fact that she couldn't make much sense of his reply. Chit chat couldn't hurt? On a duck hunt? Okay, maybe she hadn't been clear enough, but instead of replying she rolled her eyes. The tentative plan was to keep her mouth shut until he decided she was boring and left her alone, but unfortunately he continued to talk. "Unless you're one of those weird, brooding, loner types?" Even the repeated attempt at flirtation he tacked onto the end couldn't keep her from bristling. Her eyes narrowed, whipping her head back around to level him with a firm glare. "Could be. Or I'm just your average everyday wolf who hasn't eaten in a few days, who would really prefer you keep it sheathed, thankyouverymuch." Gods, was it just her or did all males seem to resort to the 'horndog' setting when thrown off their game? Not like it was her fault, but she had more or less given up on the prospect of eating today. She let out a long breath and allowed her shoulders to droop, head dipping down in resignation. She grumbled, "If my chances were slim before, I don't even wanna know what they look like now. I give." Turning her entire body this time, Seph shifted to face him. "No offense, I'm not sure your company is going to stack up against finding a meal, but you seem determined to try anyways. You sure you're gonna be able to make it worth my while?" Sephira waited, unimpressed, to see if maybe her garish social skills would scare him off after all. "TALK" "YOU" THINK

Luckily for Kai, and perhaps unluckily for Sephira, Kai wasn't the sort easily deterred by bad attitudes. No, he saw something interested in this gorgeous female and he was fiercely determined to figure out what sort of creature she was, no matter how close he might come to getting mauled by her. He didn't give a damn that he wasn't her type; she most definitely was his and he had a hard time believing he couldn't convince her to at least humor him, if just for a short while. He refrained from rolling his own eyes as she cast an annoyed expression his way, wishing badly that she'd simply lighten up and enjoy some easy company like he was trying to do. "Keep it sheathed? Don't you think you're being a bit presumptuous, beautiful?" Thus returned that amused, shit-eating grin of his, engulfing his previously perplexed features. "I mean, it's not that you're not my type, and I'll flirt all day but I'm not really the type to screw on the first date. Maybe the second?" Kai raised his brows, grinning suggestively now. He was mostly kidding - his romantic encounters had been much fewer than he dared admit, and he was especially wary when it came to females. Though some of his family might be eager to procreate, he had a more traditional approach to things, and the thought of leaving one of his kids somewhere doing god knows what didn't settle well with him. Nah, he wanted to get to know any kids he might have, and he wasn't overly eager to leave little Jarvela babies wandering the world without any guidance. When she finally conceded, he let out a low, hearty chuckle. "Don't worry, we'll find you a meal," Kai assured her, shaking his head. He considered her resignation to his company a victory in itself, and as he wasn't a fan of starving his buddies, he wouldn't be inclined to entirely distract her from her hunt. "And I can assure you you're going to enjoy my company just fine. Eventually." Cocky, perhaps? Most definitely. But it was a lackadaisical kind of arrogance, good-natured if not slightly annoying, and not at all malicious. Without hesitating, he began to head down the river, beckoning her to follow. "Let's get some food, hm?" "TALK" "YOU" THINK

The fact that this male remained largely unruffled was an annoyance in of itself. He was persistent, she'd give him that. He brushed off her comment, calling her presumptuous. She rolled her eyes. Sure. She'd seen enough cocky young wolves in her day, and when one opened a conversation the way this had begun, it was typically only leading in one direction. "Right." She blinked, unimpressed. Were her ears deceiving her, or was he hedging for a second date? She laughed, despite herself. "Sure thing, wise guy. Thanks for the warning." Well at least now if she ever caught wind of him again she'd know whether to stick around or not. She was much more fond of the female persuasion if she was being honest with herself, so good luck to him. "Don't worry, we'll find you a meal," he assured, followed by a promise that she would learn to tolerate him eventually. We'll see about that. This guy certainly had confidence, she'd give him that. She stood and shook her coat gently. "You find me something to eat, maybe I won't head for the hills next time I smell you coming my way. Big talk only does so much to fill me up." She winked and stalked after him, careful to creep among the reeds so as not to startle any waterfowl that could be drifting unawares nearby. "Talk" "You" Think

Life was too short to be annoyed by anything, and so Kai brushed off her seemingly incessant eye-rolling as though it was nothing at all - and certainly nothing that would deter him. Either way, she didn't seem impressed with his charm, so Kai would try a new approach. He wasn't offended by her disinterest in his normally quite effective flirting, but that didn't mean he couldn't be somewhat friendly even still. He found himself rolling his eyes at her stubbornness. "With that attitude, you'll be lucky if I bother even saying hi next time," Kai snorted, keeping his voice low. Whatever. She was clearly disinterested in chatting about it any further, and the thought of a meal now was greatly appealing to him. Besides that, he was determined to prove that he could be a decent hunter partner. In a way, she'd implied that he doubted that, and that wariness rubbed him the wrong way. "But since you did find a half decent hunting spot, I might as well stick around now," he huffed, resisting the urge to ask if she had a stick shoved somewhere that might be contributing to her foul mood. Instead, he trudged on, sniffing carefully near the edge of the reeds that sat beside the delta. He bit his tongue as they walked, deciding better than to irritate her further, which in turn would only annoy himself just as much. The day was a pleasant one, at least, and the vast expanse of rivers that lie ahead of them surely held something they could snack on. He was quiet for some time as he stalked along the edge of one of the wider streams, until something up ahead caught his attention. "Look, up ahead," he halted quickly to whisper to her, though his silver gaze was fixed on something in the distance. They looked like ducks, if he wasn't mistaken, though their approach would be hard to mask if they decided to go after them. "TALK" "YOU" THINK

Sephira wasn't known by many for her manners. She was a wolf most mothers steered pups away from when they saw her coming their way. Even before her first year she had received a well earned reputation for being... brash. To some degree it was a front, sure, but it was also an undeniable fact that Sephira had a hard time keeping her mouth shut when she was feeling "passionate." That could mean excited, or frustrated, or angry. Occasionally hungry. On this day, and in this moment specifically, she was feeling most of those things. Kai's offhand water-off-a-duck's-wing responses weren't doing a damn thing to help either, but if she tried to sink her teeth into him the odds of then finding a meal after the resulting ruckus would be even lower. What had she ever done in her life to deserve this? "You don't like my attitude, you are free to leave at any time," she griped back, eyes narrowed. Who did he think he was? Moderately handsome smooth talker, obviously expected wolves to fall to his paws in gratitude for his presence. She'd seen his type before. And whether that was true or not, the impression had been made and she wasn't one to change her mind easily. He was welcome to prove her wrong, but she'd be dead before she admitted it so it didn't really matter either way. Luckily for them both perhaps, neither spoke for a long while as they made their way as stealthy as possible through the reeds and occasional wet patches. Kai froze and Sephira paused in turn, waiting to catch sight of whatever had his attention. But then, drifting shadows beyond the cattails ahead solidified into ducks. A rough estimate told her there were perhaps four or five at least, but they would be difficult to get to. They could travel up the stream's edge for a bit, but to get close would be... tricksy. Sephira pointed her nose to a clump of cattails near by, growing at the edge of a raised section of bank which had fallen away a foot or two above the water's surface. If they were lucky, it seemed a good enough spot as any for an ambush. Under her breath, only slightly louder than her rumbling stomach, she said, "If we can get to the bit of bank there without them seeing us, we can lie in wait for them to swim close enough." It would require a fair bit of luck, and she would come away even more soaked than she already was, but it would be worth it with a full belly. She waited to see what the irritant would have to say about her plan, though frankly if he didn't like it he was welcome to go find his food elsewhere. She slowly, keeping her body low and pawsteps light, began to creep for it, mindful that the ducks did not pick up on her approach. "Talk" "You" Think

Well hot damn, wasn't she a sassy one? He resisted the rather powerful urge to roll his eyes at her own commentary, deciding she must've just woken up on the wrong side of her den today. "I didn't say I disliked it," he countered lazily, as if arguing over the meaning of words with a female quite clearly irritated him was the most normal thing in the world. Perhaps in his, it was. "It's just not... favorable. You'd look an awful lot prettier without that scowl on your face. That's all I'm getting at." Kai shrugged, the comment a casual one and his voice devoid of the initial flirtatiousness he'd demonstrated upon first meeting her. He made a mental note to avoid her the next time he saw her, if she looked even half as grouchy as she sounded today - but for now, he'd made up his mind to pester her for a bit longer. At least long enough to find a decent meal, he'd already decided, and once he made up his mind about something he wasn't quick to back down. Luckily, both of their attentions seemed to snap to the nearby waterfowl after a moment, temporarily making Kai forget about how irritatingly annoyed Sephira seemed with his presence. Maybe she'd lighten up once she got some food in her stomach. Wasn't food the quickest way to a woman's heart? He briefly remembered his father telling him something like that once.. but then again, Kai had an inkling that Aki's interested had weighed heavily toward the other sex, as his own were seeming to. Women were just way more difficult, he was beginning to realize. Instead of rolling his eyes he found himself narrowing them as he zeroed in on the ducks. Sephira suggested they lay in wait, glancing over toward the cattails, and he nodded in agreement. Waiting, while not his preferred method of hunting, seemed like a reasonable approach in this scenario. He wasn't able to tell her that her idea was a good one, though, wary that she meant gloat about it, so he was nonchalant as he headed toward the edge of the banking. He moved as quietly as he could, which was a difficult feat for the oversized male, though neither of them managed to startle the ducks quite yet as they settled into place. He could only hope that they wouldn't have to wait long, lest he feel inclined to poke and prod at her with his words even more, equally inclined to try to cheer her up and irritate her further. His growing hunger apparently outweighed his mischievousness, though, as he refrained from making much noise as at as they waited. Slowly, the group of birds drifted closer, rolling lazily down the river - seconds turned into minutes and finally they were just barely within reach. Casting Sephira an inquisitive look, gauging to see if she was ready, Kai made his move - diving almost headfirst toward the water, plowing through the cattails like a bull in a stampede, aiming his jaws straight for one of the ducks. He was rewarded by the flapping of wings as his chosen target tried to escape, but his teeth found purchase as he shook his jaws and secured his meal., wondering if Sephira had been quite as lucky beside him. "TALK" "YOU" THINK

So yeah, maybe Sephira was in a grumpy mood today. She could almost bear to admit it, even. She was a hair's breadth away from just letting it all go. After all, Kai was walking quietly enough, so she got the sense that he wouldn't be the worst hunting partner under normal circumstances. But the dim brute just had to keep runnin' his mouth. "You'd look an awful lot prettier without that scowl on your face. That's all I'm getting at." Her head whipped sideways, and her glare simmered. Excuuuse me? Oh, he did not just say what I think he did... Her scowl grew into half a snarl, and if looks could kill... But the ducks were right there and it came down to tearing this impudent little shit a new asshole, or getting a meal. With her, food usually won out. Luckily they both made it to the bank without incident. And yes, she did spend the first long few minutes stewing on various mental images of what she could construct as proper penance for Kai, but as the ducks began drifting closer her focus shifted to the task at hand. Closer, closer, and then... finally. She saw Kai shift a glance towards her from the corner of her eye and took it as about as much signal as she was going to get. Both wolves tensed, then leapt. The water exploded in a spray of chilly droplets and feathers. The alarmed squawking of the birds was only just audible over their splashing. Sephira felt her jaws grave a wing, but she was buffeted by the feathers and the bird dropped away. "Ohh, no ya fuckin' don't," she swore under her breath. There was no earthly way she would lose her catch after a hunt like this. She charged after it through the shallows as it struggled to fly. Two of it's feathers seemed to be bent or mangled, so it only managed a skipping motion over the water's surface. Sephira plunged through the wakes, toes squelching amongst the mud until she was close enough to leap. She came down upon the bird's back like a falling boulder, pinning it with one final garbled honk beneath the waves. She was quick to snatch it up and shake. Soaking wet, she made her way back to shore. She left a trail of driplets in the dirt to mark where she passed, and her ears were pressed low in displeasure. She did not spare Kai a glance as she passed him, not really caring one way or the other if he got a catch of his own. Well, actually, her nose made that pretty clear but she had her mind set on being petty. Now she was cold and wet, and the only thing on the shewolf's mind was finding a peaceful sunny clearing to enjoy her meal in. Preferably, one far away from him. -Exit?- "Talk" "You" Think

He hadn't expected his comment to be an overly controversial one, all things considered, but he was surprised when her head whipped around and she shot a glare at him. If he was any less mature he would've stuck his tongue out at her, but instead he merely rolled his eyes at what he considered her melodramatics. Her expression shifted into a snarl, and he rolled his eyes even harder - if such a thing was possible - but turned back to focus on their task at hand. He couldn't help but let his own mind drift, wondering what on earth had happened to this female to make her so dreadful, deciding that her life must not be half as enjoyable as his. Poor girl. Whatever, not his problem anymore. He squinted hard and focused on the ducks rather than Sephira, finally leaping forward to ensure his own kill. He didn't really care now if she actually caught her own lunch, but he watched as she moved beside him and snapped her jaws at the ducks she'd been charging at. Even she hadn't been successful at first, proved by the sudden flurry of winds flapping and the subsequent splashing of water that followed, it wasn't long before she emerged from the water soaking wet and with a fat duck in her jaws. He, too, was soaked now, but he decided against shaking out his coat directly beside her (as tempting as the thought was). Shooting her a final glare, he dragged his own kill away from her, deciding that he too wanted to eat in peace now. What a buzzkill. -exit Kai- "TALK" "YOU" THINK