A reasonable man would have stayed home to be with his brand new puppies. But Ghoul was not always a reasonable man. He had no excuse to be away from the pack lands that day, but he did anyway. The sun was shining over head and the warmth felt good over his nearly white coat. His steps were slow and steady, taking his time to move from one area to the next. He didn't quite feel the exhaustion in his legs until he reached the rolling hills of the gulley. Flowers blossomed in patches of bright colors and the sweet scent of honey and lavender drew him in. Definitely a nice change from the fish he had been smelling for weeks now. Taking a rest upon a flat rock, Ghoul sits his butt down and daydreams.

The last batch of cannabis Jael had attempted to transplant hadn't lived long. It was too humid, and the plants were looking squidgy and waterlogged before long. Sighing to herself, she revised her strategy. It would be important to find a climate that was similar to their own, so the variety would have more success. At least it made sense in her head. Hell, it was all trial and error, but as long as she was being useful then she could pretend it was a shield against judgements that were too harsh.

In the afternoon sunlight, the girl moves, clutching her jar. Perhaps hyper aware of her surroundings after her last run in with a very large, very angry man, she's quick to spot the man on the rock. Basking in the warm sun, he looks terribly comfortable. Jael is quick to attempt to stay out of any potential danger zones, attract as little attention as possible. Gaze trained on the ground for her plants, but never letting him leave her periphery.

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The tiny dog is not lost on Ghoul as soon as she enters the rolling hills. Her small brown speckled frame is seen winding through the tall grasses heading in what seemed to be toward him. His gaze flickers to watch her, but he doesn't move. Was she feral? Uncertain that he might have to fend off a wild animal, he waits with bated breath. From this distance, he can scent that she might belong to a pack, but who? It's not until she stops and is staring at the ground does he really question what she was doing. With a knitted brow, Ghoul shifts himself so that he has a better view. He knows she's keeping him in her peripheral. The way her body is positioned makes it obvious that she too is on high alert. But why? Only someone with trauma would have that response. He's not exactly a social or nosy wolf though so instead of talking yet, he slides out his front paws until his belly is resting on the ground. Soaking up as much sun as he can before Autumn arrives, he enjoys the lovely summer day. After a minutes of watching her do whatever she was doing, he can't hold back. "What are you doing?" Ghoul asks finally, his head tilting lightly to the side in as much of a curious expression as he can muster.

Movements a bit stiff, though she goes about collecting her plants. Careful to preserve the root, carefully moving the dirt away with her nails. Scratching at it until she can gently tease the plant out of the ground. Healthy roots, good plant. Strong individual, though Jael wouldn't know much more about its potency until she got it home, she had high hopes. Herbal, grassy scent... she's a fan.

His gaze on her, too. Returning with just one plant wouldn't be worth the trip, but how long would she be able to take the unnerving presence in her periphery? Careful steps across the soft earth, nosing at the ground.

But when he speaks, she nearly jumps from her skin. Her eyes go wide, ears pinning to her head. Heart pounding... but he didn't look upset, at least. Curious, or something adjacent to it. Not malice, not yet. "Collecting some plants to transplant back home." Jael takes this as an excuse to work in his direction, stopping to inspect another cluster of cannabis plants. "What are you doing?" It looked like resting, but had she just brazenly admitted to stealing from him? It didn't smell like anyone lived here. Now she's nervous again. Shoot.

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A chuckle rests in his throat as he watches her jump from her skin. Skittish was she? Small like Cricket too. No wonder she was terrified of the world around her. Good thing he was one of those wolves she wouldn't have to worry about. Harming females was one thing, but ones who hadn't done anything to him never made any sense. That's not to say he was a patient man though. The longer she kept him waiting for a response, the longer he grew bored. If she didn't want to talk then she could go collect some silly little plants elsewhere. But then her tiny voice speaks out, working her way in his direction. Keeping his perch upon the large, smooth boulder, he watches her. Transplanting for home? His nose turns upward slightly, scenting the air. Pirates? Raiders? He wasn't sure who they called themselves anymore. Interesting. Glancing around, he can understand why she's here. From where he understands their location, it makes sense for plant collection. A thoughtful, almost curious hum before he lifts a brow, looking around once more. Well, what did it look like he was doing? Wasn't that obvious? "Resting," he mentions, voice level, nearly void of really any emotion. "As you've probably noticed, I have a pack scent," his gaze comes back around to rest on the girl, wondering how she will respond to that information.

Men who hung out, beating up girls who were minding their own business, collecting recreational plants. Sounded silly to Jael too, but then, here she was. Sighing to herself as she scooped the last of the root ball into her jar, situating it carefully. Making sure that there wouldn't be any more trauma than necessary to the cuttings. Hopefully these would do better than the last ones. The soil and weather here were more like things back on the archipelago, so it she could hope the plants would do better.

This one wasn't so aggressive. Her ears twitched as she processed the thought, creeping closer to the man. Getting a better look at him-- very large, pale, strong. Bulky. Jael was pretty sure she could have outrun him if she needed to, but right. He wasn't trying to hurt her. Willing herself to relax as he speaks. "A pack, but I don't know which one. You don't live here." She speculated out loud, assembling the pieces as she came closer.

"I'm Jael. Who are you?" The question is curious, hanging in the space between them. Finally coming to rest a comfortable distance from the man, taking him in.
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Ghoul watches her body language as she physically relaxes. Did she feel safe? Did she assume he wouldn't hurt her? Not that he had any reason to, but the idea that one could feel... safe around a stranger made him question her intelligence. If he truly had any gumption to be an asshole, he'd toy with her, keep her on edge just enough, but alas, all he really wanted to do was relax that day. "Perhaps then whatever pack you hail from should give you a lesson," a brow raises, monotone vocals slicing through the thick, summer air. She's close now. He can see how the spots speckle over her khaki and java coat. Her scent was thick, not only of pack but of someone specific. One singular masculine scent that forces his hackles to bristle slightly. Someone owned her, that much was for sure. "Jael, I am Ghoul Klein," he answers her curiosity simply because he has no reason not to. In a sense, he wants her to know his name. Wants the whole of Boreas and Auster to know who he is.