You should see me in a crown;
Watch me make 'em bow, one by one!

Today was a rare day for the not-so-young devil, there was a spring in her step and she felt absolutely wonderful. If she had been a wolf given to depression, she would wonder at the mood she was in and would see it as a portent of doom. Things just seemed brighter. Maybe it was because she felt so good, but the gold and silver brindled beast simply began to sing and hum in those strange vocals. It was a haunting melody that could bring in even the most hateful of creatures. Lurid found her paws dancing in the snow that caked the deck of her make-shift home, the metallic clicking of her claws against its surface echoed over the ice as her vocalizations danced across the icy expanse. Her song was longing and sad but in the deeper tones, there was an angry sub-message, like a low roar under the beautiful - yet haunting - contralto that rang in crystalline breaths through the air. There was an invitation for company, but a low-hummed warning not to make the sleeping dragon angry. Her anger at the firefly god rang into her song, he had taken everything away from her. Sadness rang out for the loss of her family, her pack, her kingdom, and the king that was lost to her as well.

Lurid had spent countless months trying to get back home to Boreas, thwarted each time by the hateful being who had trapped her in her homelands. There had been no trace of Alastor nor Kichi, Kefka was nowhere to be found, and his little pink daughter was lost as well. If any of them had lived, she had not seen hide nor hair of them. Eventually, she gave up trying to get home to them. No doubt they had given up on her ever returning after two years had passed. She had also ruled over Old Mirovis for a span of time before she killed the ones who decided to attempt a coup, putting to death most of her pack members - twenty out of her large kingdom of forty. What remained was twenty wolves, and fifteen of those fled in terror. She had only five wolves waiting and those were her main siblings and one cousin. Morbid, Sanguin, Atropos, Cairn, and her cousin Sarachael were one buzzard call away from coming to Boreas. Sanguin was in charge of the remainder of Mirovis, one of two siblings spared from her fang in the battles they had been forced to fight between each other. They owed her their lives and were fiercely loyal. Plus, Mirovians never turned on family - another reason so many had been put to death by her and the five's teeth.

Once she made it home and let a few weeks go by so she could gain her weight back, Lurid found herself wanting company more than a general populace to fear her. Now was the time to gather the monsters of this land and allow them to spread terror through the lands. Everyone would be terrified of her Mirovis, even the most battle-hardy. There would be no suppression of urges, she would protect her followers from the angry mobs. Hers would be the vastest kingdom as her monsters would be heavily encouraged to make their own families. What was unacceptable in other kingdoms would be celebrated and enabled, and her followers would love and adore her. They would have a healthy fear for her as well, knowing that betrayal would mean death and leaving was not an option. Blodreina - the blood queen - was home, The Night Mother, Breaker of Chains, Messiah of the Oppressed has come home, and her song was ringing for any creature with darkness in them to come home to her as well. When her song ended in the most beautiful and haunting howl, a cry for company, Lurid sat and waited.

Word count: 650 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: This is going to be so fun! Lurid rolled a 3 and a 5 on the dice!

ART

He returned to the ship where it had all begun and ended. It was the place he felt like his life had changed so much within these halls. He occasionally visited his old haunts, this one especially. The crimson male sat atop the deck, looking out over the horizon when he heard something. Someone else was here, though he didn't know who. The voice that sang was...haunting. And he recognized the notes within her song. Not in the sense that he knew what she was singing, but in the emotions behind it. They were all too familiar to him, and it only served to remind him of all that had been, and all that would be. Though he had no way of knowing how his life would go in the future...especially not with what resided within him. He listened to the song for as long as it went on, and when it ended, he waited for a few heartbeats before he rose.

Whoever it was, understood. He sought her out, walking the halls and following the haunting echo of her song as it reverberated in his head. He knew the halls of this ship better than he knew himself. Claws clicked on the cold surface of the ship, and the cloak he had made ages ago pulled up high over his neck and back to aid against the cold winds that blew over the ship. The scarred male moved from room to room, and finally, he found who he was looking for. "That was quite the song. If I didn't know better, I'd say you've been observing my life." His gaze found the pale babe as he sat down to regard her. She was of impressive stature, and despite her song, seemed to hold herself in a way that felt all too familiar.


"Speech"

You should see me in a crown;
Watch me make 'em bow, one by one!

Metallic clicking and heavy paws reached her ears, drawing closer to her, followed closely by the scent of the male as the winds shifted. When he entered her sunning room, an extremely rare sight greeted him. Sparkling in the rays of the sun, her gold and silver markings were dazzling to the eye and the crystalline white of her quartz fur set her appearance off quite stunningly. The bright red of his pelt gave the translucent white of her coat a soft pink hue, bringing a smile to the empress's face. Her holographic eyes turned to regard him in return as he complimented her song, making her smile grow all the more. "Perhaps, it is simply a coincidence, as I was singing of my own life. I do thank you for the compliment."

Lurid was nothing if not tactful in her delivery, eloquent even. Her dual-toned vocals were soft, mesmerizing, and inviting for conversation, "Will you stay a while and tell me about it, or do you prefer not to speak of what you recognize in my ballad of monsters?" Either way, the witch found herself captivated by his coat, his scars, and the way his bobbed tail was held. He seemed to be a proud creature, one who held himself the way she did, like a king in his own right. Maybe it was the cloak he wore, but to Lurid, he looked like a red knight coming to rescue his queen of hearts from loneliness.

Word count: 247 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: Lu might actually stalk him now XD idfk maybe I'll roll for it lol

ART

"Talk" Walk "Perhaps, it is simply a coincidence, as I was singing of my own life. I do thank you for the compliment." His untorn ear tilted forward as she spoke. Perhaps it really was a coincidence...but what were the odds that someone lived a life so similar to his own? Maybe it was more common than he thought. The light seemed to reflect around them. Off his pelt and onto hers, bathing her in a soft pink glow. Metallic gaze met crimson, and his interest in what she said was piqued. "Your ballad of monsters...is that what I should be calling it?" He mused as he stepped into the room. If she decided he wasn't welcome in her space, she was more than welcome to kick him out, though he doubted it would come to that. It was an interesting way to think about it. Though he wasn't entirely open about his demons except to those he trusted, and those wolves were few and far in between. Likely either dead or gone. Even his own kids didn't know his secrets. "I'm afraid my life is a bit...complicated. We would probably be here for hours." Did he have hours to spare? Sure. But he was erring on the side of caution, simply for the fact that he didn't yet know if he could trust her with his Demons. He'd been fighting for years to keep them at bay, only to fail time and time again. Though it had been quiet as of late...he wasn't sure that he was willing to risk it coming out on this stranger. "This ship used to be mine. But fate had other plans for me, I suppose." It was that damned demons fault... He thought bitterly. "Glad someone is making good use of it." He shifted his cloak to better settle on his shoulders, "Does the singer have a name?"

You should see me in a crown;
Watch me make 'em bow, one by one!

The red of his coat was captivating, but perhaps it was because he reminded her of another. Either way, she listened when he spoke and kept her manners, not wishing to provoke anything he wasn't sharing. She could use a good fight, but the male seemed beat up enough, and the way he spoke said it did some internal damage as well. Perhaps he was already maddened by genetics or life, whatever it was had scored deep enough in his mind that he identified with her song. He spoke of owning the ship once, and Lurid could recall a time when she had coveted the ship in her younger years...with Alastor. Perhaps, he had held the ship then, but now it was open to all and she had taken it as her own. "I have time to kill..." She answered, "I intend to make this ship my own someday. I like it here, the cold bites like my homeland." He asked for her name, to which she could only smile. "Does the listener have a name? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." Her tail waved playfully, to show she was only teasing him. Of course, she had a name, but not everyone got to know it so easily.

Word count: 211 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: Sorry it's so short.

ART

"I have time to kill..." He was drawn to her, that he could not deny. It almost seemed like some inner ancient part of him had longed for something like this. Almost as if waiting for her. Her words flowed easily, and as he listened further to her and detected the playful notes in her words, he couldn't help but offer a small smirk of his own. "My place of birth was quite the opposite of this. The heat of fire and the smell of ash were constant. But the cold bites differently. I'm glad someone loves it as much as I once did." She wanted to know his name in turn, and he supposed it was only fair. Crimson gaze watched her for a moment, wondering which name to give...though it had been some time since his personal demon had surfaced, there was no denying the fact he was still there. Lying in wait. Ignis never knew when he would come out. He could only sense the feeling when he wanted to, his presence was always there, either dormant, or bubbling just beneath the surface. And it seemed that he was...purring...just beyond where Ignis could reach. Was he waiting for something? Had this woman's song lulled him? Drawn him closer to the surface? The crimson male never had any real control over it...but maybe this time...

"Blödhgarm." He murmured, crimson gaze looking up to meet her own pale gaze. He shook out his coat, the light in his eyes shifting in tone from deep red and darkening like a shadow had flickered across them for no more than a fleeting moment. "It means Blood-Wolf. A name passed down to me from Apollyon himself." There he was...Ignis himself never knew what the name meant. But his demon was surfacing now...was it because of the stranger before him? Or were there other forces at play...?


"Speech"

You should see me in a crown;
Watch me make 'em bow, one by one!

There were things at work here that even Lurid herself could not begin to describe, but she could feel them working in her favor. He introduced himself, explaining what his name meant and who gave it to him. Apollyon was a not a name she was familiar with, but she could tell it meant a lot to him. Her smile grew as his demeanor seemed to shift for a hint of a second, the darkness fleeting over his gaze was not lost on the wicked woman. "I am called Lurid or if you prefer, Blodreina. It means Blood Queen. It is my title, as I intend to raise my own house here. You wouldn't happen to need a home, do you?" She paused for a moment to allow him to answer before she continued. "My home is open to those who are...darker in nature. Those who can't keep a home due to internal demons or depravity, but I also house some who simply dabble in darkness." She did hope he would be interested in her pack, perhaps he would bring some others with him, who knew. Her Mirovis would be an insane asylum, and there would be no peace or asylum for Boreas once she got it going.

Word count: 208 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: sorry these are so short...

ART

A hint of a grin was shown when he learned the woman's name. Lurid. Or as she called herself, the Blood Queen. How interesting...perhaps he had stumbled upon something worth his time after all. The question posed to him brought a slight sigh to his lips, his head tilting slightly to the side as he offered a bit of a shrug. "At the moment, I am a member of a pack of Pirates. Though I suppose if I could be convinced to leave..." Was he loyal to Sparrow? Sure. But if something aligned better with who he was, then why not go for that chance? If it was worth it, anyway. He listened to her as she continued to explain more of her would-be pack. It was certainly something he was interested in. It sounded like just the place he would flourish...perhaps not so much Ignis himself, but the one that lurked within was sure to have a grand old time! "I don't mean to be one of those, but what's in it for me should I join? I'd be abandoning my loyalty to the Pirate King in favor of the Blood Queen. Where I stand currently in the Plunder is a favorable rank and the freedom to do what I wish. I am not the Sin of Wrath for nothing." He rumbled, gaze locking with hers to see if this new potential ally might be worth it or not. "Ignis"||"Blödhgarm"

You should see me in a crown;
Watch me make 'em bow, one by one!

He needed convincing, being a member of a pack already would do that. Lurid smiled a bit, the corners of her mouth lifting ever so slightly. "Well, my siblings would be mad at me, but I can try to give you an equal rank to what you have now; should you prove yourself. I offer protection, no matter what has been done. You would be truly free and safe at home...with the protection of your brothers and sisters in Mirovis behind you." With that Lurid rose to her paws, moving toward the exit of the room, though she would not leave the ship. "You know where to find me should you choose Blodreina over your...Pirate King." Maybe something she said would stick, she hoped he would choose to come home, he seemed like one who needed Mirovis. He would be a good bit of muscle for them as well if his scars were anything to go by. For now, she had much to do. Miles to go, and no time for sleep. There was a kingdom to build from the bottom up, and Lurid hoped maybe Blödhgarm would be a part of it. They were a tight-knit family, perhaps that was what he needed.

-exit Lurid-

Word count: 204 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART