Phantom quite liked the North. But he had to admit, flowers and plants he could find and test was hard to come by. He had found a cluster of purple flowers (purple saxifrage) nearby, but they seemed to mostly grow on rocks...luckily, there was a small cluster of rocks just outside of pack borders. And while he knew he wasn't supposed to go beyond at his age, he didn't really have a choice. He didn't want to ask anyone to move the rocks into the territory because that just sounded dumb. So of course, he stepped past the pack lines and headed straight to the cluster he had found a few days ago. It was still within eyeshot of the borders sort of...or at the very least, earshot. He was sure that if something were to happen, someone would hear and come running. But the ghoulish little boy didn't quite care enough to respect the fact he shouldn't be out here at all. The purple flowers were calling, and he wanted to move them closer so he could check them out better once they were fully bloomed. He didn't know what they were called yet, but he was sure he'd figure it out someday.

When he got to the cluster, inspected it with care. Little purple blooms were present, the stems underneath growing tightly together like a mat. He walked around it, checking it out from every angle as he looked for a way he could move at least some of it without damaging such a small plant. He needed it to survive, otherwise, he would be wasting his time. His claws were blunt though, and he was sure that at his age, he didn't exactly have the coordination to surgically remove this thing from the ground without some help...hmm...what do....

WC: 301/1,500

The Northern territories were home to the man. He had mostly been staying in the Red Forest but something still called him back to the Pines. They had been home, and though there was now a pack border around the area, Florian could not help but stray somewhat close. He longed for the days of Winterfell, even questioned if they really should have ever left… but… Florian let out a small sigh. He missed the family, and the unity they had as a whole. Sure he still had Ngurulivu, but even now she was out goodness knew where. She was more often than not wandering throughout Boreas on her own, leaving him to his own devices. It started to get a bit lonely… but Flo wanted to see her happy. Even if that meant he was alone. He was still somewhat close to the borders of the pack when he caught the scent of a… pup? What was a pup doing out by the borders? He checked the scent again, noticing that there didn’t seem to be an adult scent mingling with that of the pup. He breathed a small sigh. He couldn’t just ignore this information. He padded along, his ears perked forward, as he sought to find the source of the scent. He wasn’t sure what sort of kid he’d find but he couldn’t leave them alone. Florian didn’t have to travel much further before he found a kid. The young one was dark with black furs and dark eyes. Goodness, was the kid melanistic? Florian had never met a melanistic creature before, it was kind of neat. He approached the kid slowly, not wanting to startle him. “Hello there.” Florian said softly to the kid. It seemed the young one was pretty focused on some rocks and a glance at them revealed that there were flowers growing among them. Huh, curious. Purple saxifrage, if he remembered correctly. He couldn’t recall a medical use for the plant off the top of his head but they were pretty. “Examining the flowers, huh? They’re pretty, aren’t they? Are you hoping to bring some back closer to your pack?” —----- 659 / 1,500 Words "Talk, 'Think.'

Engrossed in his inspection of the plant and trying to figure out a way to move it, he didn't hear the approach of the stranger until he was practically on top of him, the hello the only thing that had made the boy realize he wasn't alone. He slowly turned around, seemingly lifeless eyes staring at the stranger, a tilt of his head as he looked at the larger male. He was older, clearly. Much older than himself. He considered ignoring the male and going back to his side of the border, unsure if the male was friendly or if it was some sort of trick. But then...“Examining the flowers, huh? They’re pretty, aren’t they? Are you hoping to bring some back closer to your pack?” Phantom's ears perked up a little more, glancing between the flowers he was looking at, and the stranger. Finally, he decided to answer. "Yes," His voice was monotone. Almost lifeless. Robotic. He didn't talk a lot, but even if he did, it's just how his voice sounded. "I don't know what they are, but I want to move some to my side of the border so I can test them." He circled around the cluster of flowers that grew in the crevices of the rocks, gently lifting a piece with a paw so as not to accidentally rip it from the ground. "They grow too close to the ground. I don't know how to lift them without hurting the roots." He frowned, turning to look at the stranger for a moment, "Do you know what they're called? Or what they do?" Might as well ask, right? If the guy didn't know, then Phantom would simply have to test them after they were transplanted and settled in. WC: 951/1,500 "Phantom"

The kid had seemed oblivious to his approach until Florian had something. That was a little alarming since not all strangers would be friendly or kind when they approached, but the pup seemed to realize that as well. It seemed that he took his time in considering if he should answer Florian or not, remaining quiet for a moment before he spoke in a surprisingly monotone voice for a child. This caught Florian off-guard; he’d never heard a kid sound so robotic, nor one without the gleam of life and excitement in their eyes. It was almost a little unsettling, Flo realized with a frown. To see a kid who seemed so much like a beaten, downtrodden or dull adult almost… Still, he would remain polite and listen to the younger wolf explain. He didn’t know what the flowers were but he wanted to move them to the right side of the border so he could test them. Interesting. It seemed the kid was already developing a scientific brain as well. Florian gave a small nod of understanding all the same. As a healer, it was not uncommon for him to test different herbs and see what sort of properties they might have. Granted their effects might be stronger or weaker depending on the creature it was given to and the dosage as well “I’d imagine you would need to remove the rocks, carefully of course, and then dig an area around the plant to keep the roots intact. Keeping some of the soil together certainly wouldn’t hurt the plant, and may even help it when it was transplanted. The hard part will be shifting the stones without damaging too much of the plant. It’ll be a delicate operation… though with smaller and nimbler paws you may do better at it than you think. I’d be happy to try giving you a paw though.” Florian explained. As for the follow-up question, Florian furrowed his brow. “I’m not entirely sure what they’re for, truth be told. I’ve never experimented with them before. But I am mostly certain they are called Purple saxifrage. They’re a pretty flower though, either way.” Florian furrowed his brow. “This may go without saying but… just be careful when you experiment with them, alright? I’m sure it goes without saying but never test on yourself or someone you care about when you don’t know what something does.” He moved closer to the rocks and the boy, moving forward to gingerly lift the stone out of the cluster of flowers and move it off to the side. ------------------------- 1,380 / 1,500 Words "Talk, 'Think.'

He didn't miss the way the stranger seemed to almost appear...unsettled. Hm. Odd. Phantom, of course, would be oblivious to this sort of thing for some time yet probably, but he'd maybe figure it out sooner rather than later. He wasn't sure if he even cared, honestly. Besides, who was to say what normal was anyway? As far as he was concerned, the things he did now and the way he acted along with the things he'd do later and who he'd grow up to be would be perfectly normal in his head. There was no room for illogical thoughts. No, everything had an answer and luckily for him, this stranger would provide him with one. "Purple Saxifrage..." A simple yet strange name. Perfect. Now he had a name to put to it. He looked at the flowers again, "Thank you," After all, this information warranted that, didn't it? “This may go without saying but… just be careful when you experiment with them, alright? I’m sure it goes without saying but never test on yourself or someone you care about when you don’t know what something does.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, an almost quiet chuckle slipping up when he thought. Dang, his siblings would make such good candidates! Or maybe even that strange fluffy white pup...hmm...yes...good candidates indeed. When Florian started to shift some of the rocks, Phantom moved opposite of him and started to carefully move some of the smaller ones that he could lift on his own. He would move them carefully, taking care to break as little of the roots and shoots as he could. If this stranger was willing to help him with his goal, then he could get to testing them and growing a cluster of his own soon enough. "Phantom." He said simply as he carefully lifted up a piece of the plant and carved out a small bit of dirt to lift it away as if he were doing surgery. "My name." He stated, turning a dead, dark eye to the stranger who was helping him. WC: 1,725 "Phantom"

The kid thanked him and Florian gave a small nod. “Of course. From a healer to an aspiring pup it is no problem. I’m always happy to answer if I know it.” The male continued to move the rocks slowly and carefully, picking them out from among the cluster of flowers and moving them off to the side. He couldn’t really talk to his siblings about this as much as he’d like, though he wished that he could. Ngurulivu just didn’t have as big an interest in herbs and he felt a little awkward whenever he tried to explain it to Gargoyle when their brother had been around… ah well. Maybe he’d find someone he could talk herbs with eventually. They were about to move to the transplanting part of moving the plant when the pup introduced himself as Phantom. Florian shifted his attention to the kid again, dipping his head. “Florian. Call me Flo if you want.” He mimicked Phantom’s action, carefully scooping out some of the flowers along with the dirt to keep the plant as intact as possible. It would struggle on the edges where the roots had gotten a little damaged but overall it should be fine. “Looks like we’ve got two good samples. Shall we take them to your pack’s borders?” "Talk, 'Think.'