The phantom moved silently downhill following the various waterfalls. The delightful sound of rushing water soothed his alert ears as he carried on. There were numerous falls with pools beneath each one that fed the next, a nice view if anything. The temperature was a bit too cold to take a plunge but it would make a great watering hole for his evening venture in the east. His steps were careful, avoiding the crunchy dead leaves and various twigs that littered the earth. Now that he was wrapped up within a pack he actually had something to live for and attracting unwanted moody predators was not something he wanted in those moments. Hannibal moved with his tail aligned to his spine and his head low for added balance. It was a hill he moved downward with slick rocks from the splashing water, perhaps even ice due to the dropping temperatures. Soon the beast found a smaller and secluded pool which was the result of a lesser waterfall off to the side. As he came to a halt the male opened his mouth in order to take in the scents around him. After determining he was mostly alone the phantom sauntered closer towards the pool and leaned downward to take a sip. Hannibal lapped at the clear liquid with a tiny hum of joy. As he straightened up his jowls dripped with cool water and mismatch eyes flicked around to observe his surroundings. It was a beautiful night, the moon shined bright through the canopy allowing for his white fur to brighten slightly. Solemnly the albino lowered onto his rear into a seated position with his two toned tail curling around his lower leg. He silently took everything in with a clear mind and alert stature. speech action

He didn't plan on coming out tonight, but one of his little fox kits insisted on fish for dinner, and refused anything else Ace had tried to offer. Grumbling, Ace headed off to the nearby waterfalls where he knew there were smaller pools to make it easier to snag a couple of fish. He wasn't keen on fishing so late, but the boy would not go to sleep until he had his fish, and Ace didn't want to deal with having to stay up all night, either. So here he was, sweeping into the falls in search of a pool that had some decent fish in it. The moon lit up his pelt, making him appear almost ghostly as he lumbered through the trees and down to where he knew some pools to be. It didn't take him terribly long to find some, and each had some decent sized fish. Ace decided he oughta just start fishing now and get it over with so he could go back, feed the kit, and go to sleep. So that's what he did. He caught a couple of good sized fish after a few short minutes, and with his catch in his jaws, began his return to Abaven. However, shortly after leaving the fishing spot, he spotted someone else sitting by another pool. He was in the path that Ace was going to take back home, and he could easily avoid him by going around but...he didn't want to waste any more time then he had to. With a resigned sigh, he continued on his path until he was within earshot of the male. Carefully, he placed his catch at his feet, licking his lips free of any scales that might have tried to stick to his jaws. "Good evening, stranger. If you're looking for a good fishing spot, there's one over that way." Of course, he had no idea what this guy was doing, he was just trying to be polite and casual. speech action

So far detached from the 'normalcy' of sleeping at night the beast did not see the issue with being up so late. Wandering in the evening hours was his way of life due to his skin issues. Thus, he was wide awake during these witching hours. His life had been rather uneventful after joining the pack. He met a few delightful females, Spider, and a few other Wolves but there was no true entertainment coming from anything. Going from the kingdom he use to reside within to this life of a nobody was testing him in odd ways. Though, thoughts of his new pack invaded his mind. There was desire to put in some work for Tyranis and prepare for the winter. He had yet to really meet many of his fellow pack members so he couldn't assume the work would be done by others. Nor did the phantom know how the winter affected the souther. Back home his family's pack had tundra territory, the winters were horribly cruel and led Hannibal to a true hatred for the snow and chilly weather as a whole. Hannibal dove deep into his thoughts and his gaze never left the water below. Though, the pad-falls of another Wolf would not go unnoticed. His two toned ears perked up and his eyes lifted in order to scan for the source. Suddenly he locked onto an alabaster wolf with darker markings coming his way with a rather indifferent expression upon it's face. Hannibal raised his one true obsidian brow as he raised from his seated position. The male coming his way looked sturdy and there was no way the phantom would allow him to get the upper paw. But, just as the phantom began to raise his hackles the opposing Wolf let forth words that seemed to diffuse the initial tension. "Good evening, stranger. If you're looking for a good fishing spot, there's one over that way." The scent of both Spider's pack and fish came forth as well, causing the male to gain a bit of a curious look in his eyes. "Greetings." His tone was neutral and baritone as ever, lacking the usual flourish of femininity. "No fishing here. I've never particularly enjoyed the taste." Hannibal's nose wrinkled ever so slightly, "Mammals are more to my liking." He then eyed the pale Wolf before him, "Seems like you are fetching a midnight snack.. Do you have a case of the late night tummy grumbles?" His mannerism were much more playful now as a smirk slipped across his lips. He spoke himself into a much better mood, seemingly entertaining himself at this point. speech action

The male was a curious thing to look at. Albino with black markings...not something he saw everyday, if ever. He was a handsome man, Ace had to admit. And as baritone voice reached him offering a greeting and saying fish weren't really his cup of tea, Ace had to agree. Though the male's later sentence made one of Ace's darkened brows draw upward. Tummy...grumblies? Well that was a new one. "The fish aren't for me, but for my fox kits. I don't particularly like fish," He explained, "If they weren't being such brats right now, I wouldn't be out here fishing so late." An exasperated sigh left his lips. He was tired, but he didn't let that show. Crimson gaze rested on the male, watching him as the moonlight illuminated his pelt. He didn't recognize the male at all, obviously. So he was nothing but a stranger to him. "I imagine you're out and about at night, if you're like another albino I've met, I assume the sun isn't so kind to your skin." That was a thing that albinos tried to avoid, right? Although his own fur was pale, he didn't have the delicate skin that albinos had for the sun to torture. He was lucky, he supposed. speech action

Fox kits? Hannibal raised a brow as the other Wolf's vocals reach his pale tow toned ears. The hellhound had never heard of keeping Fox kits as pets.. or was this stranger raising them returned to the wild to fend for themselves? There were plenty of questions for the albino male had no desire to have other species companions in any sense of the word. He heard of Wolves taking in Snakes, felines, and many other creatures as companions and it was just so very odd. Hannibal saw other animals as prey or predator, not your friend. But, he was a close minded in some ways so how could speak on the behalf of others. "How peculiar.. How did Fox kits come to your possession?" The conversation carried on to Albinism which happened to be Hannibal's curse. It was something some saw as beauty and some saw as a mutation. The male was aware he was unique in the sense that he was only about 80% albino with some forms of pigment on portions of his bodice. It seemed as though he had not been fully impacted by the skin mutation which was seemingly more rare then albinism itself. Nevertheless, when the stranger spoke of his skin a nod could be seen in response. "The Sun is the bane of my existence." Even as dramatic as that may sound it held complete truth. "I am indeed nocturnal at this point in my life. There is no use tormenting myself with sun burns when I can lurk the night." speech action

Hannibal's reaction had not gone unnoticed. He supposed it was a strange concept, wolves and other species becoming friends. But he had seen it pretty often, especially in Abaven. Shaye and Rhyme had birds, and there were a few others he saw around that had companions of their own. While he didn't really consider companions of his own, the fox kits just so happened to need him...so he kept them. So when the albino male questioned how the kits came to be with him, he steadily gazed back. "I was checking out something at the maw when I came across a dead vixen. Coyotes are rampant in the area, and I knew she had more than likely been picked off by them and thought nothing else of it." He remembered the day. Chalking it up mostly to bad luck for the vixen..."The further I went, I came across the kits. They were...young. Barely weaned I think, and it was evident they had been alone for a couple of days at least. That's when I realized it was their mother I had found, and I decided to take them with me. It wouldn't have been right to leave a couple of orphaned fox kits. I imagine they would have died, either by cold, starvation, or the coyotes had I not come around." He knew most would have said, "fuck it, let nature take its course." But Ace couldn't leave them. When he saw them, it had reminded him of the time he had found Actaea in the den, scared and alone and left to die. He couldn't in good conscience, leave the kits behind to die when they had a lot to live for. He listened then to the male complain about the sun, and Ace couldn't help the tiniest of smirks that tugged the corner of his lips. All in amusement, of course. "That's a shame. I am sorry. There are some truly beautiful things in this world better seen in the daytime, I think." Well, it sucked that Albino's probably wouldn't get to see all of them, but there wasn't anything he could (or would) do to help that. Except maybe toss around ideas, but he wasn't about to go around rubbing sunscreen on them so they could enjoy the outdoors. "Have you considered some sort of protection? Perhaps a deer hide or the like, a cloak maybe?" Alternatively he supposed the guy could go around followed by someone holding a banana leaf over him, but he'd probably get weird looks. speech action

Hannibal had thought over ideas of various pelts he could wear or sunscreens. Back home his mother would rub aloe into his back each night so he could sleep off the burn. But, he inevitably just became nocturnal which solved most of his problems. The male thought over Acere's story about the Fox kits with a raised brow. Would Hannibal have rescued them? Probably. A fleet of Fox kits would be fun to have but would likely get tiresome after a bit. He would likely just get one of Erovrare's bond servants to look after them. "I am sure you will have a fun time raising them. I hear Fox's are rather hyper." A smile could be seen by the phantom before tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. "I am Hannibal Klein, by the way." He spared info about his pack, it was so small this male probably didn't even know it existed. His thoughts moved back to his albinism. It had been a common topic as of late and perhaps that meant he really did need a way to solve his problems. Everyone chalked it up to be such a horrible ailment and Hannibal had just learned to live with it. At least he was not born with ten toes or five tail and actually be a proper freak. Hannibal was just a bit more pale then others. "I have thought about getting a nice pelt to wear out in the daytime but I do not have the skills nor knowledge to craft one." speech action

"I am sure you will have a fun time raising them. I hear Fox's are rather hyper." Oh...if only he knew. Ace stifled a snort as he thought about how much of a handful the kits he had now were. They were definitely a handful, even now he was out here getting food for them in the middle of the night or else they wouldn't go to sleep. "It's been...quite interesting so far," He admits it freely. Though the kits kept him on his feet with their antics and awake at night sometimes, he didn't regret saving them. They were kids who needed to be taught, and he would do his best to teach them and raise them into adulthood. The pale ghost spoke his name, and so he was inclined to do the same. "Acere Praetor," He was blissfully unaware that this man was allied with his nephew's recently formed pack. So when Hannibal mentioned he didn't have the skills or knowledge to craft something useful that might help him, Ace did what he naturally did. "Perhaps I can help you. I've been practicing how to craft things for the past season or two, if you bring me the materials, I can try my paw at making something for you." It was a genuine offer. Though had he known that this male was one of Tyranis' followers, he would have likely told him to kick rocks or something... speech action