Jack had come to realize that she really did like it here. This continent was lush and gorgeous, and she was learning more and more about the land with every passing day. Yes, every single day she was learning new things and seeing new things. Seeing all of the wonderful things. Wonderful, beautiful things... all Jack needed to do was learn. She could learn and explore. Brilliant, blonde, and shining, the girl could take to the world around her. It was upon a slight rise, just on the edge of the orchard, that Jack rested. She was taking in the world around her, gaze bright as she took everything in. Her shoulders were starting to ache, having taken to running so keenly on the new ground... with little rest. Jack was, after all, the king of overdoing it. With her eyes fixed on the orchard itself, the girl figured this would be an ideal place to spend the night. Prey, shelter from the stiff spring breezes that kicked up in the evening, and plenty of places to hide away. Ideal. There were still a good few hours of daylight, and she'd make the best of them before tucking in for the evening.

To the massive dire wolf prowling the old orchard, the world that had always seemed to be a drab pile of shit had spontaneously come to life in a whole new way. Perhaps it was the numerous brushes with death he’d encountered during the nighttime apocalypse that had swallowed the world for a whole season. Perhaps it was the newfound appreciation for how sunlight felt on his fur or fresh air tasted in his lungs. Whatever it was, Sitka had never felt more alive than he did right now. His silver and earthen brown fur seemed to glow in the afternoon sun, massive paws crunching fresh spring grass beneath his toes, a gentle late seasonal breeze tousling his coat just right. Sometimes the beauty of Boreas was lost of the heathen. Sometimes he could appreciate it. Today would be the latter it seemed.

Sauntering leisurely through the orchard thick with blooming apple trees, Sitka gazed around his surroundings, partly out of idle curiosity, and partly out of caution. He knew he was close to pack lands here, and the last thing he wanted was to be caught unawares by a less than friendly welcome. If he was getting into a scuffle, he wanted the upper hand always. Being as large as he was, the dire brute’s form was barely obscured through the trunks of the trees as he walked. Everything was so peaceful and quiet right now… a little too much so. It bored Sitka, and when the renegade got bored, he usually found himself in a fun bit of trouble.

And speaking of trouble, it came as a subtle perfume on the wind. The scent of a wolf—a fae at that—somewhere nearby. Sitka’s muzzle tipped up to sample the air, an intrigued rumble in his chest while his nostrils flared. Other than Lorikeet, it had been a while since he’d met another wolf that didn’t want to kill him on sight. That wasn’t to say this stranger wouldn’t try, but that was all part of the fun, wasn’t it? Changing direction, the massive brute began to follow the scent through the orchard, finding her resting on a small hill near the edge of the orchard. She was a lovely blonde color with brassy highlights in that wheat-colored coat. Her eyes were like a more vivid version of his own, bright and saturated where his were cool and very nearly a gray.

"Lady," he greeted her in his rough, husky tones, dipping his head as he created the hill near her. "You look a mite bored. I can’t rightly let that stand." He cocked a wry smirk her way as he brought his hulking form to have a seat near her on the hilltop.

"Sitka Thánatos"

A zest and a zeal for life, insatiable hunger that took her over. Seized her. Kept her. They were the same things that kept her on this plane of being. Tastes of blood, of love, of brilliance, of passion-- those were the only things that seemed to keep Jack wanting and needing. An addict. Addicted to what? Life. Adrenaline. All of the positives. She'd trade all of the negatives for another taste of the positive, and another instance of brilliance. Fresh air and the spring afternoons, those were the things that kept Jack going. Days like today were the ones that made her feel alive. Jack traced a path through the orchard with her gaze. There were overgrown patches and pieces, and the sandy girl wanted to throw herself into the thickets. There would be adventure here, and she hungered for it. Starved for it. So many things going on in her mind, but trouble was chief among them. Trouble. Either Jack would find trouble, or trouble would find her. If Jack was really lucky, she'd get both. For a girl that lived for excitement, downtime didn't come easily. The inside of her head was busy. So busy. Too many thoughts, far too many. A scent came to her on the shifting spring breezes, and it wasn't the fermenting orchard fruit. No, there was a man here. Hell, maybe it was the trouble that Jack was hoping for. She allowed a rakish grin to spread over her features, a glimmer in her eye. From her perch on the hill, Hazel could see him. He was big. Taller than Jack, from what she could tell at this distance. As he neared, the difference was significant. The blonde girl allowed herself to remain perfectly relaxed as he spoke, as he came even closer. Lady, that was a new one. "What are you going to do about it, hmm?" Her head tipped to the side for just a moment, openly studying the stranger. Not bad, if she had to say for herself. Silver swirled with darkness and pallor, long in the limbs, and a sight to be seen. Was it trouble that Jack caught in his steely eyes? She could certainly hope so.

Oh, but the woman was wily! She asked what he intended to do about her boredom and wasted no time in looking him over. He hoped she liked what she saw, because it was what she was getting. Sitka never hid behind false pretenses, never wore a mask unless it was for a job. His intentions were always out for the world to see and he never held back. Life was too short for roadblocks and second thoughts. This woman was like a wild stallion, sizing him up and daring him with brilliant eyes that shone like blue topaz. He grinned, the smile of a rogue without a fuck to give, and chuckled in his low baritones.

"That's the million dollar question, ain't it? S'pose I could just try to kill you. Might keep us entertained for a while til one of us gives out. Reckon it'd be a shame to damage somethin' so easy on the eyes though." Another chuckle while Sitka looked her over once more as if to emphasize his point. Steely eyes turned back out over the quiet orchard then, considering her question. "We could set fire to the orchard. Maybe it'd even spread to that pack nearby. Heard they have "fire" in their name, so they might be keen for it, actually. We could go find a stash of liquor and drink til we can't stand up. We could find some of those herbs the healers use to make you feel nothin' and everythin' at the same time. We could hunt somethin' or explore somewhere." Sitka turned another grin of an untamed soul back to his fair new acquaintance. "Guess what I'm sayin' is the world is ours if we want it."

Oh, right, he supposed he should at least be polite and introduce himself, especially since he did just sort of threaten to kill her if she wanted. Least she could have is his name if that was the option she picked. "Sitka," he introduced himself with a dip of his head and a mock salute with two toes to his forehead. "And the beauty makin' me look bad by comparison is...?" A shameless flirt til the end, but Sitka would never change. Life was far too much fun this way.

"Sitka Thánatos"

Jack is wild. There's something that can't hold her back... can't be held, can't be chained. Can't be held back by a damn thing. The bold stranger was decent looking, not paining her with his presence at least. The antihero tossed her head, a smirk playing on her face. Life was, in fact, too short for second thoughts. It was too short to look back, or look over her shoulder. Jack is far too bold and far too wild to even consider being held back or tamed or any of the other bullshit. Still, her tail wagged slowly, watching the strange man ever so carefully. I could just try to kill you, at that, Jack grinned even wider. She stretched into a bow for just a moment, yawning wide. "Shit, you're welcome to try. At least it's something to do," there was a chuckle too. So easy on the eyes, damn he laid things on as thick as Jack did. She wasn't used to being on the receiving end of such treatment, but it was actually... nice. She certainly wouldn't say no to the attention, even if it was from a man. "You wanna set fire to the world and call it rain?" Her gaze flickered from the stranger to the orchard, laughing low to herself. The orchard looked nice as it was, but damn could it be even better. Nature had a burn cycle, right? Accelerating that... Jack didn't have any matches. The world was theirs if they wanted it. What did Jack want? Hm. That was the question. Her grin was rakish, eyebrows raised as she took his name. "Sitka." She repeated, tasting the syllables as they rest in her mouth. It was short and sweet, not overly flowery... she could work with that. "Jack," she rested lazily, weight over one hind leg. Her head tossed, and she smirked. Finally, someone with enough guts to keep up with her. Jack was grateful that there was a challenge here. "You wanna give it a shot cowboy?" It wasn't a taunt necessarily, but an invitation. She bowed low for just a moment, sneezing as she did. Right, wouldn't want to accidentally lose her life over a for-fun sort of brawl. Jack was having too much fun. Lively, her blue eyes gleaming as she tucked her chin to a degree and waited. Maybe he was all talk. Maybe it would be the most goddamn fun she'd had since washing up on the beach in the spring. Either way, there was never a dull moment. "Loser has to catch dinner." Why not throw some stakes into it, just for fun.

Jack vs Sitka for spar
Round 1/?
Age: over 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Skills: Beginner Navigator & Intermediate Fighter

The unnamed woman shot him a grin and invited him to try to kill her. The dire wolf gave a barking laugh, enjoying her cool demeanor and edgy humor to a degree he hadn't with other wolves. Well at least she had the banter to keep up with him, so this wouldn't be as dull as he dreaded it might be. She asked if he wanted to set fire to the world and Sitka pursed his lips in pensive thought, nodding his head while he considered the notion. "Well fuck, might make the world a mite more interestin' that's for damn sure. Warmer too. I wouldn't mind that." Sure, it might be a shame to lose the lovely orchard, but hot damn, would it be fun to watch the forest get engulfed in flames! Maybe some of those wolves over in the nearby pack might panic and go fleeing or desperately try to put it out too. That would be a fun show to watch!

Cool steel-blue of his eyes held the woman's from the sideways glance he gave her while she shot him a rakish grin. Oh yeah, they were gonna be trouble together, that was for sure. Even if he didn't wind up wrapped up in those long legs, being the lecherous creature he was, the she-wolf had already proven she was going to be an interesting creature to hang around with. She matched his energy and his vibe, it seemed, and Sitka was eager to dig deeper beneath that pretty facade and see what was hiding underneath in that wicked mind. She spoke his name, and it sounded so good in her lyrics. Then she introduced herself as Jack, not a name he'd been expecting, but one that felt all the more fitting for her disposition. "Jack," he repeated back in much the same fashion she had done.

Jack asked if he wanted to take a shot at her, stretching her body in a languid bow while gracefully rising to her paws that ended in a sneeze. Sitka snickered and rose as well, rolling his shoulders and neck to loosen and limber up his joints. Okay, so they were gonna do this. Her demeanor set the tone; this would be a fun and somewhat friendly fight. No one would die today, but he couldn't promise blood wouldn't be spilled. It was far too much fun to play rough, after all! He squared off against the playful femme, eyes flaring up with wildfire and a roguish grin on his lips showing off flashes of sharp teeth. Jack raised the stakes by adding that the loser had to catch dinner for the two of them. Sitka was tempted to raise the stakes higher and include much more fun adult activities the two could do, but decided not to push his luck—this time, at least. "You're on, rambler."

Sitka took the initiative to kick off their fight. They had already been in close proximity to one another, so it only took a couple quick strides before he was upon her. He tucked his chin down to guard his throat while he rushed her, muzzle aimed to bite down on the back of Jack's neck, going to grab at her scruff. While he did this, he also brought a thickly muscled foreleg around to try to grapple around Jack's left shoulder, knowing that if he got her in a grapple, he could likely use his superior size and weight to his advantage.

Sitka vs Jack for Spar (Loser buys dinner)
Round 1/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Survival knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced Leather Breastplate
Companion 1: Peregrine falcon, Female - Flying
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Beginner Hunter

"Sitka Thánatos"

Wild... positively wild. "Plenty of ways to get warm out here, but sure that's one." Rakish. Brash. There wasn't much that could be said to keep Jack from saying all the dumb shit that came through her head, anyway. No filter on this mouth. If there was a back nearby, then it would be worth terrorizing... right? Raising more than a little hell for everyone around her came so easily to the antihero. It was a full contact sport. Her tail flicked, and she stood tall over steady paws. Trouble, trouble, trouble, it was written all over them. An electricity ran through her like a current, and she could feel it in the air between them. It had been far too long since anyone was interesting enough to hold her attention for even this long, so she'd take it. "I could get used to that," her head tossed as Sitka said her name. Oh yeah, she could certainly get used to it... maybe in the worst way. Hell, Jack did everything in the worst way. That was part of the fun. What was a little blood between friends, after all? Or a lot of blood, but someone would probably have to sign a waiver for that one. Something told her that it wouldn't be the last time they'd go looking for stakes to keep things interesting, so they'd keep it casual this time around. This time... sure. She watched as he stretched, and took his stance. While it was usually ladies first, it wasn't like Jack was much of a lady after all. The antihero grinned as Sitka made his first strike. A surge of adrenaline coursed through Jack's system as she felt Sitka's teeth on the back of her neck, and she let go a brilliant laugh. Someone that she could at least do her best to match... excellent. Positively excellent. The sandy girl writhed as he tried his best to gain control, to grapple her. It would be close, but close only counted in horseshoes (and hand grenades.) (Come to think of it, this was probably more of a hand grenades scenario.) Though off balance, Jack managed to maintain her footing and at least relative control of her body, paws dug firmly into the soft earth beneath them. With all of her might she pushed upwards with her back legs, hoping to scaffold herself against Sitka's shoulder. If she could get superior position, she'd be able to turn things, or at least she hoped. Savagely, wildly, (but not too hard,) she lashed out with her teeth. Anything to find purchase, she'd take, if she could find it at all.

Jack vs Sitka for spar (and who pays on the first date)
Round 1/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Skills: Beginner Navigator & Intermediate Fighter

The feel of the lady's fur and flesh in his jaws brought another surge of endorphins rushing through Sitka's brain. The thrill of the fight, the pumping of blood through his beating heart as it pushed adrenaline to his every muscle, it was a high unlike anything else! Jack laughed, a lovely sound that simultaneously had no place and belonged everywhere on a battlefield. The smaller girl fought against his hold, and Sitka gripped even harder to maintain his control over her. Together they writhed and fought against one another, and try as he might, the brute just couldn't get a solid grasp around the fae. Then she pushed forward into him, and Sitka felt the weight of her body push up into his shoulder. He was already not on the best balance being up on his hind legs to try and grapple her, but with her surge forward, Sitka found himself toppling backwards with Jack as she rushed in.

The world tumbled, and Sitka felt the grass and earth meet his back. He refused to relinquish the upper hand so easily though, and while Jack's teeth snapped around his neck and collarbone, the dire wolf lashed out with large paws and strong forearms, aiming to connect with any part of Jack's face and head with solid punches. While he swung, he curled his hind legs up in between them, seeking to plant his hind paws on Jack's underside and either roll her off or kick her off of him, just enough to gain some space and get himself up from off his back and into a more favorable position.

Sitka vs Jack for Spar (Loser buys dinner)
Round 2/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Survival knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced Leather Breastplate
Companion 1: Peregrine falcon, Female - Flying
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Beginner Hunter

"Sitka Thánatos"

Thrilling, that was a good word for it. Jack was positively thrilled with it, and thrilled with her proximity to the man. He toppled over, and she went with him. There's no helping the way that she laughs as they go down, and she's positively dripping charm. The pair moves together in the throes of the fight rather inelegantly, but shit it's fun. They're tumbling together, rolling about in the soft grass. His paw caught the side of her face, accompanied by a firm oof cursing her lungs. "Ah come on now, not the face," she was far too pretty for that. Jack was still reeling from catching a smack to the side of the head when Sitka gathered to roll them over. It catches her by surprise, and he's slippery. Together they move, they fight. The surprise in her is clear, but she doesn't let it impact her too much. Jack could feel herself being lifted away, though she writhed in an attempt to loose his grasp. There was a grumble in her throat as she did, reluctant to give up her position, forcing down with her paws towards his chest in an attempt to maintain control. Still, it was futile, and Jack was rolled to the ground instead. She rolled, turning to face Sitka as she landed, still trying to bite at whatever she could reach-- shoulder, leg, paw, any of it. No, it's far more silly than serious, and she's in an excellent mood.

Jack vs Sitka for spar (and who pays on the first date)
Round 2/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Skills: Beginner Navigator & Intermediate Fighter

And the winner is...

SITKA

JACK must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: SITKA: Attack Roll: 63 Defense Roll: 53 Agility Roll: 23 Perception Roll: 66 Total: 205 Attack[63] + 25% Bonus[15.75]: 78.75 Defense[53] + 10% Bonus[5.30]: 58.30 Agility[23] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 23.00 Perception[66] + 10% Bonus[6.60]: 72.60 Total[232.65] + 10% Bonus[23.27]: 255.92 JACK: Attack Roll: 77 Defense Roll: 10 Agility Roll: 41 Perception Roll: 80 Total: 208 Attack[77] + 5% Bonus[3.85]: 80.85 Defense[10] + 5% Bonus[0.50]: 10.50 Agility[41] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 41.00 Perception[80] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 80.00 Total[212.35] + 10% Bonus[21.23]: 233.58