The young wolf was spending part of the evening with his mom and a slave.  He wasn’t one to talk about feelings and caring for others and useless stuff but, for all that he was keeping an eye on Recluse to make sure she stayed safe.  The rocky mountain was veritably littered with the strange crystals that had been growing lately.  Fireflies swarmed here and there and the moon was absurdly bright.  Strange times but nothing overly concerning.  

The odd crystals were a strange thing that Misery had been looking at throughout the last few days.  He was curious about the crystals in numerous ways but also cautious.  The odd way they were popping up and on anything from rocks to trees reminded him of something like moss in wet areas. Were they linked to everything else?  Misery had started to think something about the glowing crystals that summoned the fireflies from where they might normally be.  It was a working theory.  The boy hadn’t figured out a way to test it.  The fireflies did seem attracted to the crystals but they seemed attracted to more than just the crystals.

His gaze swept to mom and the slave, a grin forming over his face as an idea came to his mind.  He headed towards the bunch, cat ate the canary smile, “Those crystals are strange things, do you think they’re dangerous in any way?” The question was innocently asked in generic for mom or the slave to respond.

"Misery"

Nighttime seemed neverending, but in Medusa's head, she didn't mind it at all. She quite enjoyed it. It brought all manner of creatures around for her to catch, decapitate, and stick in front of her den. The girl often smelled of dead flesh, and today was no different. With fresh heads staked haphazardly in her little gruesome garden, she was never in short supply of food or things to roll in. It was comforting to her. Though not so much to others.

She followed the woman that looked to be getting fatter, and the boy with the skunk tail. She hadn't had much interaction with either of them, but she wasn't complaining. She had still yet to understand much of anything, and she was often too busy occupying herself with her gruesome little experiments, anyway. She did notice all manner of glowing things cropping up everywhere, from crystals to mushrooms and even freaky blue fireflies and other glowing things. When the skunk boy spoke, her head ticked for a moment as she stared at a cluster of crystals, a look of longing in her gaze. "I dunno but Medusa wants it!" She exclaimed as she stepped closer until her nose was pressed up against it.

Would her children ever get to have a goddamn normal winter? Recluse wasn't sure it would ever happen again, so far her first litter had been born in the midst of a cold snap the likes of which she had never seen and her newest brood seemed like they would be born under a streaked night sky with a moon too bright and fireflies and voices abound. Not to mention the glowing fungi and rocks! The woman walked alongside her son, she knew he was keeping an eye on her, and though she wouldn't push him on it she appreciated it. The woman knew few among her oldest children were that big on talking about mushy things and that was fine by her she still could tell they cared and that was what mattered. Plus it meant another set of eyes to keep a watch on Medusa who was frankly irritating in her sheer inability to grasp anything at all going on around her. Some part of Recluse regretted ever claiming the woman but she also simply couldn't let her wander into the pack lands and go unchallenged. But at the same time the woman had done nothing at all to improve her station. Might be time to force her to start accepting the reality of her situation. Maybe Kali would want a challenge...

But that thought was pushed away when her son asked about one of the crystal outcroppings. She waddled over towards her son, though she kept her distance from the jutting stones. "I don't know." She narrowed her eyes against the glare. Gods it sucked that she was being afflicted by her damn light blindness even as the sun barely rose above the horizon anymore. "I'd avoid touching it though." Then she cast a knowing glance towards Medusa, wondering if her son would have the same thought she did, if the woman wasn't going to be useful on her own... Maybe she could be useful here instead...



Speech

Art by Vethysnia

If he got lucky the slave could be amusing soon.  Whether this meant crystals cutting her throat, choking her, or poisoning her, hopefully, there would be a reaction of some kind.  A paw hovers over the gem, “Slave, c’mere.”  Sure, it had a name but calling her slave was a reminder of station.  “You want it? That’s great.”  Misery tapped the crystal ever so gently with his paw, “Eat it.”  Her wanting it was a question but the command to eat it wasn’t.  The boy offered her a thin smile, “Prove you can be useful to the pack.”   If she couldn’t do this maybe mom would really let Medusa be nothing more than a chew toy.  It’d be a short-lived job if she did become a chew toy.  Her odds were better with the crystal regardless of what it did.

Admittedly he hadn’t asked his mom if it was alright but he assumed she wouldn't stop the slave now that Misery had ordered it.  If mom was against he’d just have to apologize later.  If the slave died there was always bound to be new ones they could get.  Misery so often acted nice and cheery to other wolves in the pack but right now the twisted smile and bright eyes threw a darker look to his features.  He dared this wolf to deny him.

"Misery"

With her nose pressed up against the crystal, she couldn't help but zone in on the succulent sweet scent that came from it. It was tempting her. Willing her to taste it, but what if the skunk boy or the fat lady wanted it? While she wasn't the smartest grape on the vine, she was still considerate. sort of. She was so focused on the crystal before her and glowing beautifulness that she almost didn't hear skunk boy tell her to eat it. "Prove you can be useful to the pack." He added. Her head quickly turned to him, then to the crystal, then to him again, and a slow, wide grin spread on her face as her tail wagged. "Medusa can have it!?" She giggled as her head ticked to the left before her head swooped back to her crystal. "My crystal. My precious..." She murmured to herself as she pressed her cheek against it and seemingly caressed it with her paws. She licked her lips first, then licked the crystal. It was surprisingly sweet. Like sugar on her tongue...though of course, she didn't know what sugar tasted like. Before long, she was gnawing on the end of it until she broke off a piece, practically swallowing a good sized chunk whole. "Medusa likes the crystal!" Shee exclaimed as she went for another bite.

Recluse stepped back as her son beckoned the slave woman forth, she wanted nothing to do with being all up in that business. She watched with narrowed cherry eyes, giving Medusa a nod of her head when she asked if she could have it. Then settled in to wait. It was a disgusting display really, the woman was practically falling over herself to "have" the crystal. Recluse wrinkled her nose and tried not to gag when she watched the woman take a big ol' bite out of the stone. She was well past the morning sickness phase of her pregnancy but in that moment all she could think about was how that would affect her pups if it had been her and she fought the urge to wretch.  

"Good for you." She muttered under her breath. For now she was content to watch this farce of a wolf slaver all over the glowing stone, though she kept her attention rapt, just in case it did something to her... Anything at all that would endanger her pregnancy.


Speech

Art by Vethysnia

Surely most slaves at least had more common sense than this one.  She was so excited to eat the thing not even knowing how dangerous it might be?  Misery stepped back ways then moved to sit down near his mom.  Glancing up to Recluse he muttered softly, “how can anyone be so dumb?”  The words said with a hint of disgust before looking back with that cruel smile at the slave.

“If you like it why don’t you go ahead and take the rest and save it for later.” Some poisons took more than one round of eating to take effect.  Misery was no healer but he at least knew that much, it just made sense.  Misery noted how some of the fireflies seemed to fly farther up above the broken crystal before moving off to their flitting one way then another.  Strange bugs seemed attracted to the crystals at times though it could just seem that way with how many of them there were.

Another thought occurred, his eyes flicking up, “If I had a kid that clueless I’d kill it.”Misery was still a pup but the slave was an embarrassment as a slave it would be disgusting for something like that to have the family name.  Yet so family out there had allowed it to live.  They’d see if it lived after eating the crystal.

"Misery"

Lost in her own little crystal eating world, she didn't really have the sense to understand that she wasn't what other considered normal. She didn't really know better though. Her mother had abandoned her when she was really young and never taught her a thing. And she had no idea who her father was. She had been lucky to make it this far, though if she knew better, she was sure she'd chalk it up to all the rotten shit she'd eaten trying to survive that contributed to the way she was now. “If you like it why don’t you go ahead and take the rest and save it for later.” She stopped mid-bite on a crystal, slowly backing away as she considered it. "Good idea, skunk boy!" She exclaimed as she broke off a particularly large chunk for later.

“If I had a kid that clueless I’d kill it.” Now that she wasn't crunching and munching, she heard that. Her ear flicked as she kept her dual-toned gaze on the crystal. She didn't understand why he'd say something like that...even if she didn't fully understand what he meant by that. Clueless? Was she? Though she didn't quite know why, her brows furrowed together in confusion, head ticking to the side as she kept her gaze on the crystal. Was there something wrong with her? Why didn't they like her? Were they mad at her for eating the crystal? She didn't understand at all...all she wanted was to make friends, but it didn't ever seem like anyone wanted to be friends with her.

Recluse wasn't sure exactly how she felt about the slave woman but she had to admit this behaviour was certainly turning her stomach. Probably less because of Medusa specifically and more because she really couldn't stand the idea of being so close to the crystals... They made her feel rather... Uncomfortable. Still she wasn't sure how much she agreed with her son, her mind flashing briefly towards the son she'd given to his father... She'd been unable then to cull the boy, and she idly wondered if she would be able to do so if she had to for these children... Their father was not exactly readily available.

She gently cuffed her son over an ear with a forepaw. "Never look a gift horse in the mouth." She chastised him lightly. "Medusa has her uses, it would be unwise to be so dismissive." She gestured towards the woman, meeting her searching gaze for a moment. Though her words were not meant to comfort the woman but rather help her son realize that his view was narrow. She turned her attention back towards the woman and more specifically the crystal in her grasp, feeling her gaze drawn towards that damnable glowing thing.



Speech

Art by Vethysnia

Medusa

Even with the somewhat rude words of the yearling you chew the crystal. Mmm, it really is so sweet and just so crunchy. The other's don't know what they're missing!

Maybe you shouldn't have done that...

Misery

It builds slowly, you don't even notice it at first but it was set in motion the moment you tapped the crystal. But slowly it starts to set in, an unsettling feeling creeping up your toes and slowly it starts to settle in just what you're feeling. You feel itchy all over, deep as if it's within your bones. No doubt about it, it originated from the crystal.

Recluse

You watch Medusa and her crystal, suddenly aware of a voice inside your head telling you not to blink, not even for a second. You're entranced, unable to pull your eyes away.

Maybe you shouldn't have done that...

Misery had been feeling pretty smug with the turn of events.  Of course, the slave had no choice but to obey but he enjoyed the power trip of forcing her to do what he wanted.  It was amusing how dumb she was at so happily chewing on the crystal.  He hadn’t planned on Medusa hearing him which seemed evident by how she paused after he spoke.  Oh well, no point in hiding that thought from one of their own slaves.

Even as he watched the slave he twitched a bit in agitation as a toe was starting to itch but Misery ignored it.  The sensation was growing about his body and eventually was hard then impossible to ignore.  Misery stood up, scratching first at his neck, turning his head to chew at one side.  It was itching all over and it felt so deep!  With a growl of frustration, he lay down and started twisting and rolling on the ground as he tried to make the horrid sensation go away.  What the heck?? All he had done was tap the stupid thing.  

"Misery"

Misery - It Continues...

Huh? It doesn't seem like anything happened... Well, maybe that's for the best...

After a short moment, she shrugged off the feeling she had and decided to continue with her crystal. She slowly resumed eating the crystals, relishing how sweet and crunchy they were. It was like eating rock candy (if she ever knew what that was), and she practically decided that this cluster was hers and nobody else's! As she took a smaller piece to eat, she turned and watched as the mean boy writhed around on the ground, as if he were trying to scratch a really bad itch or like he had bugs crawling around in her fur. She took small bites from the crystal as if it were popcorn, giggling at Misery as her eyes danced with amusement.

It Continues for Medusa...

Huh? It doesn't seem like anything happened... Well, maybe that's for the best...