I'm on a boat motherfucker take a look at me
Straight floatin' on a boat on the deep blue sea
Busting five knots, wind whipping out my coat
You can't stop me motherfucker cause I'm on a boat

He'd been bugging someone, anyone, to go out and explore this giant, shipwrecked boat with him. He was about to go on his own with the company of some ravens when he finally convinced someone to join him; but not just anyone- his mother. There was no doubt in his mind that she had already explored this boat at least once, but he hardly cared. Certainly there were treasures inside! He didn't know the difference between a cruise ship, a cargo ship, or any other kind of ship... but in his mind, this had to be a pirate ship! And with pirates came treasure!

Once they got there, he bounded off into the ship without waiting to listen to anything Absinth had to say. He was far too excited for that! He'd only been wanting to explore this place for like days now and he finally had the chance! Besides, he was certainly big enough to take anything on (he thought), so what did he have to worry about? Certainly not the one-eyed coyote that seemed to be making the ship its home, they should've been worried about him!

It had barely put up much of a fight, really, but he was still proud of himself. Dragging the now-dead coyote back to Absinth by a rear leg with a smile on his bloodied face, his tail wagged rapidly as he showed her the treasure he found. "Look, Mama! A pirate!" he said with much excitement in his voice, because certainly anything living inside a ship just had to be a pirate.

Speech ─ Think

─ by Skelle !

Absinth watched her son dart ahead, his eagerness a force she couldn't rein in even if she tried. The creaking hull and salt-laden air of the shipwreck were familiar to her, but she let him believe it was untouched. His imagination ran wild, painting tales of pirates and treasure where she saw only rust and decay. She followed silently, her pace unhurried, as ravens cawed above, circling like shadows.

The moment he returned, dragging the limp coyote behind him, Absinth's eyes narrowed slightly. Blood smeared his fur, excitement beaming from his face as he paraded his kill like a prized trophy. She stepped closer, her cold gaze taking in the lifeless creature at her paws, but her attention shifted quickly to him. This large boy, so full of potential.

"Oh? A pirate?" she mused, her voice low, a touch of amusement flickering in her tone. "What fight did this brute give you?" She studied his bloodied muzzle, the wagging tail, pride radiating from every inch of him. "Hardly a challenge for you, was it?"

She leaned down, inspecting the coyote with a detached, mischievous curiosity, then flicked her gaze back to him. With a flick of her tail, she moved past him toward the heart of the ship. “Come, Dracun.”
"Absinth Artemisia Inferos"

"Prince of Darkness?" Fuck that, I'm the King

It was clear that he was proud of his kill, and even though Absinth's excitement didn't match his own, he expected nothing less. If she was too excited, his head might get too big... and it was already pretty big, both figuratively and literally. At least one he would grow into, but the other left unchecked would just get worse. It didn't dampen him though, and her questions were answered with a mouthful of coyote leg still present, muffling his words.

"It was no challenge at all, momma!" he said with morbid, childlike enthusiasm. He held it still proudly as she leaned down to inspect it, but she did surprise him by venturing off to the ship and telling him to come with. He wouldn't deny her of course, and quickly turned to follow, coyote still in tow. "Yes, momma!"


Speech ─ Think

─ by Skelle !

Absinth’s gaze lingered on him, watching the way he stood there, chest puffed out like some triumphant little conqueror. He was growing fast—both in size and in arrogance. And while the former was expected, the latter was something she would need to temper before it became a liability. She didn’t show any of this on her face, though. Instead, her expression remained composed, mildly intrigued, as if his boasting was just another breeze blowing past her. Still grinning though.

“Hmm,” she murmured thoughtfully, one brow lifting slightly as he mumbled through his blood-slicked maw. His words, garbled and half-choked by the coyote’s limp leg, were met with a faint, almost imperceptible smile. “No challenge, you say? Well, I should hope not. Can’t have my son struggling against such pathetic foes.”

The excitement in his eyes was endearing in its own way, though she would never admit it aloud. There was an innocence still clinging to his eagerness, a dangerous naivety that both worried and intrigued her. He was still a child despite his growing fangs and the violence in his gaze. Perhaps too young to fully understand what he was becoming—what she was shaping him into.

When he scrambled to follow, dragging the unfortunate carcass behind him, she didn’t slow her pace or look back. The sound of his paws scrabbling over the weathered deck, the wet thud of the coyote’s body against rotting wood—it all blended into the eerie silence of the shipwreck.

“Do you know why I’m not as thrilled as you are?” she asked suddenly, her voice soft, drifting back to him like the murmur of waves. “Because this, Dracun, isn’t the true prize.” She didn’t pause to explain, her silhouette cutting through the dimness as she moved deeper into the belly of the ship. “It’s not enough to be strong. You must be more.” A purr of her voice, beckoning him onward.

A faint metallic creak echoed as she turned a corner, vanishing into the maze of corridors that twisted through the wreck. “Leave that carcass here. You’ll need your jaws free for what comes next.” Yes, because she could smell what was to come.

"Absinth Artemisia Inferos"