Although he despised how cold the northern territories had become now that winter was at its peak, Sephiran couldn’t bring himself to travel down south. Not while his toy was still evading him. He had decided to remain near the redwoods, intent on smoking Aurelia out of her hiding place to stake his claim over her once and for all. Which unfortunately for him, meant he had to endure the raging blizzards and downpours of snow until she made another appearance.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t scout for items in his spare time, especially if they were supplies he needed to get through the winter. Today he was intent on finding enough moss to create a bandage of some sort. One that could absorb blood, and be used to pack a laceration after being coated with a medicinal paste. His pursuit of this item brought him to the southernmost point of the north; the wall. Most of it was shrouded in snow but here and there one could find bunches of moss clinging to the stone where snow couldn’t collect due to the brick’s angles.

After he collected a small pile, he went to work on smashing them down onto a piece of redwood bark, with the mushy, green portion facing upward. With a sly smirk on his face, he leaned back onto his haunches and admired his work, thinking of how wonderful it would be to shove this into one of Aurelia’s wounds to hear her scream.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

Here kitty, kitty come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast!

Her illness was fading faster than she could have imagined, perhaps being home was the remedy. She had reunited with Requiem, her heart and soul, and now it was time to find what family lay dormant. No doubt they waited for her return, she simply had to find them. Amarix seemed to be scattered without her, they needed her to keep them together. She would, once she found them again. Hunting for her sister, Atropos, Lurid moved to the southern edge of the north. There was no calling out for Lurid, but she did leave a trail of scents behind her. Rubbing against what objects she could, be they rock or tree. Pale gold, quartz and silver brindled fur would be left behind, a sure sign that Lurid was in the area and Atropos should come find her quickly.

In the distance, Lurid could see the dark shape of a wolf moving purposefully toward the wall that dominated this part of the land. Curious about what the wolf was doing she decided to move toward him. The dire demon approached the wolf, taking him in as she did. His face and body said he was still young, around a year or so. The boy was a pretty thing, no doubt he would grow into a beautiful male once he was grown. As she came closer she noted his bi-colored eyes, his coat of purples and blacks and gold attracted the eyes there was no questioning that. "Salvete." She dipped her head with her sweetly said salutation, "What are you doing, if I might ask, I am curious." Latin accented dual vocals made her sound so innocent. Like a dream she appeared, angelic in looks but she is a devil in clever disguise.

Word count: 292 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: Hover over Latin to see translation.

ART

As Sephiran crafted his make-shift bandage, his mind ran wild with delusions. The texture of the moss, and malleability it exhibited beneath pressure… it was so similar to organs in his mind. Textured like the villi of the intestinal wall, squishy like the highly vascularized organ meat of the liver. He passed it back and forth between his paws, tracing the outline with a single claw. How well would this hold up against the spew of arterial blood he wondered? Or would it only be able to stop a venous bleed? Arterial blood was much sweeter. He licked his lips, tantalized by the thought of sucking the sinew off a split artery in the throat of a victim. In fact, it nearly turned him on.

Leaning forward on his haunches, Sephiran rocked himself up and onto his feet, intent on collecting his item to be on his way. But he was interrupted by something- no, someone who had suddenly appeared in the area, robbing him of his solitude. He smelt her before she came into view; the pheromones of a female, whose smell was increasing by the minute. As if she were rubbing her stench all over the territory. His skull lifted high, eyes roving the expanse of snow that lay beyond the wall. But no one came into his field of view.

She came from beyond a bend in the wall, appearing before him like a wraith in the darkness. Her ivory coat nearly blended with the snow, but upon closer exception, there were hues of dull gold and silver spread throughout the strands of hair. Sephiran’s head cocked to the side, lips twitching visibly but not curling back just yet. Salvete. She was within his proximity now, staring at him with unclear intent, asking what he was doing. “How bold of you.” He mused aloud, perversely tracing the outline of her larger body with his eyes. She was much older than him, that much he could tell. And she was cocky for approaching him so carelessly. “I created an apparatus for blood collection.” He found no reason to withhold the information from her. “Though, I’m still trying to decide something.” His mind wandered back to the argument of venous vs arterial blood, and whether the device would be able to stop both. “Perhaps you’ll offer yourself for my research?” His frame twisted then, pivoting so that they could face each other head-on, body morphing into a defensive stance. He wanted to make her bleed, whether it was voluntary or involuntary. Fueled by nothing more than blood-lust and gluttony.Unless she proposed a better idea.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

Here kitty, kitty come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast!

Lurid had always been a confident woman, trusting herself and her body to get her out of trouble should the need arise. Though she was healthier now than she had been, the pale fallen empress doubted she was up for any sort of altercation with the boy. She did not miss the way his lips twitched, making her eyebrow arch with a purposefully amused expression upon her delicate and noble features. 'How bold of you.' Yes, how bold of her to question him. Paint her curious, she had to know just what his contraption was made for. Lurid watched his every move, every twitch, for any signs of aggression. In her world, monsters often hid in clever disguises - most being such beautiful creatures. Beautiful monsters, something she had come to know well. While he showed no signs of true aggression, Lurid would keep her own composure.

He spoke again, telling her that his apparatus was for collecting blood. The boy went on to explain that he had a decision to make and wondered if she would lend herself to his research. Then he took up a defensive posture against her as if he would take what he wanted from her, bringing a smile to the devil's face. "You do not want my blood, boy. It is old and tasteless." She did not move against him, but she did tuck her head just a bit closer to her neck. "I can lend myself to your research in far better ways. We find someone young, say...about your age." Should he attack her, she would be ready. Perhaps a hunt would help him blow off that steam, a true hunt.

Lurid didn't waste a moment, she would not fall prey to some spunky kid. Scenting the air, Lurid focused on a mildly pleasant scent on the wind. With a look at the purple boy, she spoke again with a dark grin on her features. "Unless you like old and tasteless, there is something better on the line." She taunted him before dashing off after the scent of a wolf on the wind, fully expecting him to follow her - whether to attack her or go after the younger wolf did not matter. If he did not follow, it would be no skin off her back - literally. Perhaps, he would still attack her, but she put something better out there. Lurid would keep her blood to herself, thank you. She would fight if she had to, but she hoped the young man would take a more cooperative approach.

Word count: 427 words. || "Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: -------

Swinging machetes in a crowded room;
And now I'm coming after you!

ART

Sephiran hadn't expected the woman to smile in the face of his aggression, as if she weren’t afraid of what was to come. She claimed her blood was old and tasteless, and that he wouldn’t want it for his study. He noted the way her neck arched, bringing it close to her throat to protect the vital structures there. Trachea, carotid arteries, jugular veins. All pieces of anatomy that if penetrated, could kill a creature with ease. Her actions revealed that she may be seasoned in the art of battle… not that it mattered to Sephiran, who would pursue a battle no matter who the opponent was.

He went to take a step forward, ready to retort with an explanation of his own. He didn’t care if her blood was spoiled; his intentions were never to perform a taste test. He simply needed both venous and arterial blood, so he could test the patency of the apparatus. Muscles tensed, tail raising above his hips to take on a more aggressive stance. But just as he was about to impulsively lunge forward, the woman offered him a deal.

She could find him someone younger, around his age. “Oh?” He crooned, The concept causing him to freeze. His tail lowered slightly to align with his spine as he thought it over. The make-shift bandage was meant to be used on himself, so it made sense to test it on someone closer to his age. The composition of their blood was surely different than the old woman's… and so, Sephiran entertained her offering. "Then take me to them." As she turned away from him, dashing off into the distance in pursuit of another wolf, the Saxe boy raced after her. He fell in stride beside her, keeping her within his proximity. He wanted to keep her close enough to assault her should she be trying to deceive him.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

Here kitty, kitty come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast!

A smile crossed her face, pleased with the purple boy's choice to come along with her. His sinister intent was unknown to her, but she would have laughed anyway. While Requiem seemed to have other thoughts, the pale devil was not a delicate flower in need of protection. She was quite capable herself, as the boy would come to see. It was a short distance they had to cover, the scent leading them back around the bend she had come from. Truthfully, she had passed the young male on the way, marking him for later fun. She supposed later had come, otherwise, the purple wolf at her side might just try to take her blood by force. Looking at the multicolored male, his pelt an alluring combination of green and blue with white undersides, Lurid couldn't wait to have his coat. Her holographic gaze moved then to meet the bi-colored gaze of the not-so-little experimentalist. "You want this one? He looks much better suited to your needs."

It had been a long while since she had a hunting partner who wasn't her mate, it felt foreign. Like driving on a street in a different country, it was a feeling Lurid wasn't used to. She felt rusty, and old next to the face of youth. Still, though, she would not let this purple beastie have any of her blood. That could be spilled at a different time, and it would not be a purple male but a red one with black and silver eyes. She motioned to her hunting companion to stay where he was, hidden behind the stones with her. Then, moving as if she were lost, Lurid went to approach the young green and blue male. "Can you help me?" She asked in nearly innocent-sounding tones. He turned to face her, putting his back to Sephiran, and giving the boy a shot to surprise him. Lurid gave a flick of her tail and a smile, hoping that the purple boy would catch on and come get this pound of flesh. Lurid was not prey, she was the predator. Should he not jump in, Lurid would take the male down herself.

Word count: 360 words. || "Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: Sorry it's choppy, the kids are being chaotic XD

Swinging machetes in a crowded room;
And now I'm coming after you!

ART

As he followed the woman away from the wall  Sephiran clutched his creation in his jaws, savoring the excitement that was starting to bubble inside of his chest. If she were telling the truth he would be able to test his apparatus, which was enthralling… and if she were lying, well, Sephiran would besiege until one of them was no longer standing. Both options were enticing. He kept glancing over at her as they traversed across the territory, forming assumptions about her inside of his mind. She was larger than him, a dire wolf some called it. Her pelt seemed faultless, and her flesh lacked any apparent scars… which he found odd, given how haughty she seemed. This better not be a disappointment.

As they approached a bend in the scenery, a multi-colored male whose attention was elsewhere came into view. In truth, Sephiran felt a wave of surprise roll through him, given he was reluctant to believe she could find someone so quickly. Slowing to a stop before lingering beside a large boulder, the Saxe boy peered into the clearing with malicious intent, licking his jowls and fantasizing about the crime he was about to commit. When she asked if this specimen would suffice, he gave her a single nod of his head as confirmation and set his apparatus on the ground.

Allowing her to make the first move, Sephiran watched from the sideline as she approached the other boy. She called out to him, asking if he could help her - what a sly woman - which caused him to turn and face her, exposing his back to Sephiran. He didn’t wait for a signal from her, nor did he care if he prematurely gave his position away. He impulsively leaped forward, unable to contain the bloodlust whirling inside of him. With bared fangs and a guttural snarl, he grabbed onto the boy’s right leg, where the Achilles tendon was hidden beneath thinner flesh.

His saber fangs sank deep, scraping against bone before he viciously ripped his head backward, tearing the tendon and filling his mouth with bloodied sinew.  Their quarry released a gurgled scream of anguish, stumbling forward while trying to comprehend what had just happened. He wanted to take his time with this one.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

Here kitty, kitty come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast!

As soon as the male's back was turned the purple boy shot out of hiding, needing no signal from her. Good, he was smart and showed initiative, making Lurid's smile grow. The blue and green male had no time to turn and meet his assailant before a  gurgled scream left his lungs. Lurid openly laughed, it came from somewhere deep inside her, unfurling like a crazed dragon until it bubbled up her throat in nearly coughing barks. Before the male could turn on the purple stranger, Lurid struck, quickly snapping at the blue and green boy's cheek to keep him from attacking. Her searching jaws were rewarded with a thick purchase of flesh, she crunched her teeth together as the male let loose another scream. Laughing, Lurid viciously whipped her head back and forth, sending her fangs deeper into the male's skin and ripping his cheek while she did. A piece pulled free in her mouth, and the blue and green male watched in horror as she ate it right before his pretty blue eyes. He tried to fight back but to no avail, Lurid would stop him from attacking the purple boy each time he tried, and when he was distracted by her maybe Sephiran would return the favor. It would go on like this for a while until the male was completely exhausted and broken from being their ping pong ball. She liked to take her time too.

Word count: 240 words. || "Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: Had to make this a quick one, sorry <3

Swinging machetes in a crowded room;
And now I'm coming after you!

ART

What felt like minutes to the boy, had actually been close to an hour of ripping their quarry to shreds. Each time Sephiran attacked, Lurid would find a way to hold the male back, so he could slowly chip away at the muscle and bone until there was nearly nothing left. For the first half, Sepiran didn’t offer the same behavior to the woman. He was far too consumed in his own gluttony, wanting to feed his blood lust until he felt some relief. Midway through he had already broken all of the male’s legs, which left no real means of escape. Now that he had him on the ground, he used his paws to keep him pinned on his side, so Sephiran had access to the side of his throat. Whatever the woman wanted to do in the background he didn’t care; she could start to skin him, feast upon him, hell, create a necklace out of entrails like he usually did. Right now, all he wanted to do was reach the vessels in his neck, to obtain the venous and arterial blood.

With a guttural snarl, Sephiran’s jaws closed around the side of the male’s face, enveloping the majority of it before he pulled up and slammed it down against the ground. He did this several times, feeding off the cries he emitted each time he smashed his skull in. It wasn’t until brain matter was splattered against the ground that Sephiran would let him go, bringing a mouthful of bone and brain tissue with him. Continuing to ignore her, Sephiran went and grabbed his apparatus and swiftly returned to the mutilated pile of fur. Sitting before leaning down, he used his fangs like a scalpel after finding the correct anatomical landmark. Slicing through the flesh, he increased the depth until venous blood started weeping. He withdrew, found the next landmark, and repeated the process, until arterial blood was squirted onto the earth. Grabbing his apparatus, he pressed a corner against the venous blood, and then another corner against the arterial blood.  

"Speech"

Code by Sea

Here kitty, kitty come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast!

It felt like only a few minutes had passed as they decimated the poor blue and green boy. Lurid laughed with sickening delight at the poor thing’s fate, as they played back and forth with their toy. For an hour they tore him apart, his legs all broken in the end as the devils conquered him. It wasn't much of a fight, more of a bloodsport for the giants. Sephiran would bite, the boy would lash out at him, Lurid would catch him and rip him up, and so on until the boy was down. Sephiran pinned the boy on his side and Lurid watched as he savagely smashed the green and blue stranger's head in. Each cry had brought an absolutely magical laugh from the demonic queen while she methodically stripped away at his skin, aiming to steal his pelt in mostly one piece.

She let the purple boy do his work, waiting patiently for him to be done before working on the shoulders and neck. Lurid watched intently as he left to get his contraption and came back. When he leaned down and took the blood, Lurid found herself entranced in the process. She didn't say a word, just waited until he was done to see what he found and when he was done, she would finish skinning their test subject. Would he like his findings?

Word count: 228 words. || "Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: Sorry for the wait, I have wicked bad writer's block.

Swinging machetes in a crowded room;
And now I'm coming after you!

ART

While the woman went to work on peeling the skin from the muscle, Sephiran was far too entranced in his own work to pay her any attention. Now that he had dipped his apparatus in both types of blood, he placed it on the earth before him to analyze its efficacy. The arterial blood seemed to soak deeper into the moss, while the venous blood was more superficial and coagulated at the surface. Making a mental note of this, Sephiran waited a bit longer to observe. And, once he felt satisfied with his discovery, he would pull himself back onto all fours and shift his gaze to Lurid. She had skinned the boy, perhaps wanting his pelt as some type of trophy. Whatever the purpose, Sephiran didn’t care… but he did feel the urge to rip it out of her jaws, just to assert dominance.

Licking the dried blood from his jowls and whiskers, Sephiran took several steps toward her. “You delivered.” He said, somewhat in disbelief still. It wasn’t common to find like-minded wolves, who partook in the gluttony of bloodshed for no real reason at all. Other than to satiate their own needs. “Will you continue?” He stopped once he was in her proximity, wanting to feel the warmth of her flesh as it rolled off her body in waves. If she continued to prove herself as being useful, he had no qualms about allowing her to walk away unscathed. But that meant she would need to impress him in different ways - was she up for the challenge?  

"Speech"

Code by Sea

Here kitty, kitty come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast!

She wanted to drag the carcass off and feast on wolven meat, but the purple male was here and she wasn't sure if he would run and tell. He didn't seem the type, besides who would a loner have to tell? Still, certain lines were not crossed with strangers and the boy was, in fact, a stranger. Lurid didn't even know his name. As he approached her, she found it hard not to growl at him. She didn't want to start a fight now, after the crime they had committed together. It would be in bad form. "You delivered."Within her reach now, the purple boy didn't realize what sort of danger he put himself in, being so bold as to come into striking distance. Perhaps, he did know and that was why he came so close. "Will you continue?" She refused to step back though, her tail raising slightly behind her as she answered.

"I will continue if you will indulge me in something. Well, a couple of things, really." Her voice was lovely to the ear, duo-toned and Latin-accented. Requiem was right, she needed followers, and she wondered if she might tempt the boy to come with her. There had to be something he wanted, something he craved. All of her followers had something they needed. Lurid would do her best to satisfy that, and she wouldn't hold them back from their true natures. There would be time to sort things out, right now she focused on one wolf. One wolf at a time, that would be how she rebuilt her kingdom. One wolf at a time.

Word count: 268 words. || "Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

Swinging machetes in a crowded room;
And now I'm coming after you!

ART

”I will continue if you will indulge me in something.” His head cocked slightly, a single brow raising upon his face. ”Well, a couple of things, really.” He hadn’t expected her to make a request, but it wasn’t unusual given she had just done something for him. Amethyst and emerald gaze shifted towards hers, aligning and creating an intensity that could only be formed between two monstrosities. “Oh?” He mused aloud, remaining in her proximity for now. They were both treading on thin ice, ready to indulge in a battle if it came down to it. Was her blood as sweet as her voice? “And what would you ask of me? The question dripped like venom from his bloodied jaws. He couldn’t predict what she may ask for, other than helping kill another wolf. Hitman service perhaps?

His mind ran wild with assumptions, as he waited for her to plead her case.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

Here kitty, kitty come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast!

It was not hard to see that she had caught her fellow monster off his guard, had he not expected her to request something from him after she had given him such a gift? Meeting his mismatched gaze, Lurid saw something in him, something one only sees in Sheidheda. He was a killer, savage and cold. He would do well in her Mirovis, if he so chose. 'Oh? And what would you ask of me? Lurid gave a bloodied smile, holding that tense eye contact without flinching. She was a queen, and she would never be the first to back down. The boy could try, but he would not find her submission. "I wonder if you even could help me, but..." Pausing for a moment to gauge his interest, Lurid's expression went serious.

"Would you help me build a home for creatures like us? It could only benefit you to have a base, we protect each other and hunt to our heart's content. I would only advance you, never hold you back." There was her pitch, she hoped it wasn't a swing and a miss. Wondering what he might say, Lurid held the amethyst and emerald stare with the holographic white to lavender of her own. The air practically crackled with electricity as they stared at one another. "My second request is to know the name of my hunting partner." The second wouldn't be as hard as the first, for most, unless he believed in anonymity.

Word count: 246 words. || "Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

Swinging machetes in a crowded room;
And now I'm coming after you!

ART

When her request finally came, Sephiran couldn’t hide the morphing of his expression. The bloodied smirk faded into a stoic, thin line of inky lips, ears falling to the sides of his skull. His stare was unwavering, aligning with those holographic orbs that would be a delightful treasure. In a few moments of silence following her words, Sephiran was trying to process what exactly she was looking for - primarily, the type of power she wanted, and how she envisioned him fitting into her ploys.

Staring back at her, he decided to fulfill her second request. “Sephiran Saxe.” Providing her with his name, he expected her to do the same. Reverting back to her original request, there was one thing Sephiran immediately wanted to know. “In this home you envision - do you serve me?” In other words, who was truly in charge? “Or, do you believe I will serve you?” His tail rose slightly, aligning with his hips. Sephiran was no pawn. If this woman believed he would work beneath her, she was gravely mistaken. He had his own plans to fulfill.  

"Speech"

Code by Sea

Here kitty, kitty come and tighten the leash;
How about a little discipline for the violent beast!

Lurid did not miss the way his ears fell at the sides of his skull, nor the way his smirk faded from sight. He was not pleased with her first request then, or not satisfied with it. Keeping firm contact with the treasures that were his own emerald and amethyst eyes, Lurid's trademark stare turned slightly warmer as he introduced himself after a bit of a long silence. "Lurid Amarix. It is a pleasure to meet you, Sephiran." Her voice lilted softly with a Latin accent, a smile once more gracing her delicate features as she watched his tail raise even with his hips. The questions he spoke only made her smile wider. "Well, Sephiran, that is a hard question to answer. A leader serves her people, does she not? In return, her people serve her. So truly, we would both be of service to each other. I could scratch your back, if you would only scratch mine."

She would not linger here much longer, there was a kingdom to build and monsters to house and she still had to find what remained of her family. Lurid hoped that Sephiran would come to see things her way without this turning into a contest of wills, though if his body language was anything to go by, it probably would get physical. Her own tail rose to be even with her hips, mirroring his motions. She would not bow down to a yearling, even if he thought to make her.

Word count: 248 words. || "Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: Sorry it's short, no time.

Swinging machetes in a crowded room;
And now I'm coming after you!

ART