Cut From the Same Cloth

In the past season, Alastor had met more of Manea's extended family and learned so much of their customs than he had expected to. The way she drew the others to her was a testament to her charisma and ability as a leader. She was born to be the Matriarch of the family. Yet of all the Mendaciums Alastor had met so far, one stood out to him far more than the others. Imperia. The young woman that bore none of the family's usual gifts of mutations, and her coat—while striking and unique—was as plainly colored as Alastor's own was. Both wolves lacked the unusual and glamorous colors of the rest of the family, and neither had any mutations to speak of. But while it had never bothered Alastor, he knew what it felt like to be an outcast, to be shunned and felt like he was lesser or broken by those around him. The Mendaciums certainly didn't intend to make Imperia feel that way, but Alastor knew those emotions would happen nonetheless.

In an effort to get to know the wild card of the Mendaciums, Alastor had asked Imperia to meet him at a small taiga forest just to the north of where the family was residing on Alias Island. He wanted to have a heart to heart, to see where she was coming from, where she had been, and who Imperia Mendacium was. Maybe it was his attempt to let her know she wasn't alone; that someone else in the family knew what it felt like to be outcast and strange. The dark-furred monster of a wolf waited for her to show up, sniffing the air for traces of entertainment. He thought they could get better acquainted while hunting something fun, like a bear. Or, if she was more interested in it, he'd be more than happy to spar with the smaller woman. The day would be hers to decide.


"Alastor"