She was back, and she was pissed. Paradox had taken off some time ago, during the Hellstrom siege against the two larger packs. It was bullshit, she knew they weren't going to win. Hellstrom's numbers were small, and to fight against two bigger packs was practically suicide, so she opted to take off and follow Squirrel and the brats as they were taken to Donostrea. After that, however, she left. What for, she could not say. But she hadn't come back until now, and things seemed...different. Donostrea was no longer around, neither was Imperium or Sonticus. She didn't know what else changed, but she hadn't been able to track down her fathers scent. Upon returning to Ardent, she had sent out a call to her kin, but nobody came. What the fuck was going on? She paced across the shores of the cove, her place of rest for the last few days. Her journey had been long and hard, though there wasn't really anything of significance out there, so she came back. But to what? What was left? She supposed she'd find out sooner or later... "Speak"

He had been alone now for some time, avoiding contact with anyone, and hoping that all the previous members of Vyper had dispersed so he wouldn't have to face them shamefully. He didn't want to see Jaelle - well, he did - but he didn't know how to face her, and how to address what she'd seen him do. And all the promises he'd made her, and never fulfilled. How had he ever become so awful and rotten? He shook his head as these thoughts ran through his mind, as they often did these days. However, he did hope that he would see his daughters. They had taken off on him, Memphis first, and then Saffron. It seemed even they didn't trust him now. So, after wandering through other territories, Xephyris had finally decided to come back to the cove, hoping to find a hint of either his girls. He hadn't scented them yet, however, and was becoming disheartened when he picked up a different scent. One of a female, but not one he recognized... or did he? He paused, inhaling several times as he tried to identify the scent. It became more and more familiar, until it was clear as day. This was the daughter of Sin. It was Paradox. At first, he felt a twinge of anger, recalling how she had abandoned Hellstrom when they had needed all the fighting power they could get. But then it occurred to him that really, he'd broken off any affiliation he'd once had with Hellstrom. Enigma had made certain of that. So what did it matter to him now? With his anger subsiding, he began to remember how he'd once been fond of Paradox. Would she remember him? Since she'd been gone for so long, she wouldn't know about anything that had happened since the siege. She wouldn't know about his fight with Enigma. Which got him to thinking... if he could charm his way along with Paradox, wouldn't that just be the ultimate way to get under Enigma's skin? He hadn't seen the brute in a long time, but he had no doubt the man was lingering in the shadows. Xephyris chuckled to himself. What a satisfying feeling it would be to rub salt into his enemy's wounds - Xephyris could help to carry on Sin's bloodline through Paradox, where Enigma would never pass on his own father's genes. That was, if he could get the girl on board with it. Suddenly he felt a thrill, a new goal to pursue. And not only would it be great to get back at Enigma, but he genuinely believed he would enjoy being around Paradox, if she allowed him. Perhaps she wouldn't remember him, and worst case scenario, she might reject him entirely, but he'd never know until he tried. So he followed her scent down the black-sand beach, until he could see fresh prints in the sand, and in the distance, a familiar snowy coat. He paused for a moment and tilted back his head to let out a low, gravelly howl to alert her to his presence, before he took off quickly to catch up with, as she was a good distance away still. At last, he was close enough to see her features, to recognize her truly, and he couldn't wait for her to turn around so he would see those cold blue eyes of hers. "Paradox," he called out, "Long time no see." He paused a few feet away from her, waiting for her to have a look at him, waiting to see if she remembered him at all. "Talk" "You" Think

Her family's scent was nowhere to be found here, so she debated moving on or staying here a couple of days to rest before moving on. Alabaster paws kissed the black sand as she continued her walk, that is, until a low howl caught up to her. Audits flicked back before her head followed, blue eyes finding and resting on a vaguely familiar form. She said nothing for a long moment as the man greeted her, then she realized who it was. A light smirk toyed at her lips, her tail slowly rising to come slightly over her hips. Likewise, her head followed suit until she was standing at her full height. "It has been a long time," She took a couple of steps closer to him, head tilting slightly as she seemed to inspect him. He still appeared to be as handsome as ever, just like he had been back in Hellstrom and before. "So tell me, Xephyris, how have things been since we last met? I've been...out of the loop for a while, not that I regret it or anything." Did she? She didn't think so. She wasn't the type to regret anything. "Speak"

He paused as she stopped and turned to face him, standing to her true height and resting her brilliant sapphire eyes upon him. His thick tail lifted like a flag to match her stance, his head held upward with a slight tilt, a smirk upon his sly mug and a glimmer of mischief in his gaze. Silver eyes watched her expression as she looked him over, seeing the confusion and disinterest melt away into recognition, and as she stepped a little closer to him, his smirk only grew. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking thus far, but it was obvious that she remembered him well enough. She spoke, her voice gracing his ears, pulling him back to a time long before life had weaved its webs of complexity around him. Now, of course, he needed to find to a way to quickly and slyly express to her everything she needed to hear, without indulging too much information. Although, if he recalled clearly, she didn't seem to mind a play on words. "It's all gone downhill since we last met," he said with a chuckle, eyeing her for her response. Tail flicked, stepping a few feet closer to her, before moving off to try to circle around her, his claws leaving marks in the obsidian sand as he paced. "And what of you, darling?" he asked slyly, silver eyes searching her face, "Never thought I'd see you in these parts again... what brought you back?" It was clear that they were both trying to get a feel for one another - what was the purpose of this meeting? Where was it going to lead? And were there any feelings left to be sparked between them? Interest, resentment, or something else altogether? The brute wasn't sure, but he was certainly going to stick around to find out. The woman was snowy and gorgeous, but he had many reasons for wanting to reconnect with her, and he would play her game however she liked if it meant getting closer to her. "Talk" "You" Think

He was a bold one, wasn't he? His tail lifted, his stance matching hers as she surveyed him. Her own maw twisted into a grin, blue eyes as piercing as ever. "It's all gone downhill since we last met," He would state. "Oh?" Mock surprise, of course. She knew what had happened at least, after Hellstrom's fall. They lost the siege, her family more than likely dispersed, though she didn't know what had become of her father or the rest of her kin. She was surprised that her father hadn't tried again to raise another pack, had he given up after having been defeated? She didn't know. She was looking to find out though, so she sought information. And from the looks of it, Xephyris seemed to know what was going on, or at least, it sounded like more happened then he let on. She wanted to question him, grill him into telling her what had happened while she was gone, but before she could ask, he would ask her in return. "And what of you, darling?" Ears quirked forward as he continued with some questions of his own, to which a smirk of her own appeared. "Well, I came back to see if my father rebuilt what was lost. But I can't seem to find him or my siblings anywhere." She growled, not at Xephyris but at the thought of not having found anyone else. Looking away, she was beginning to grow angry over it, then her attention snapped back to him. "That whole siege was stupid...it was obvious we wouldn't win, so I left to keep my face intact." She huffed, gaze watching him as he decided to circle around her. As he passed by her rump, she sought to sweep her tail beneath his chin, eyes following. "What about you? Looks like you've got some nice scars during my absence, what the fuck happened while I was gone?" She hoped he had some good story to tell her, because as it was, she was getting grumpy about coming back to find disappointment in the fact that there was no Hellstrom stronghold to return to. "Speak"

The grin that was ever-present upon his scarred muzzle faded slightly as she mentioned that she hadn't found a trace of her father, or her kin. Internally, he groaned. Where did he begin? Why did he have to be the bearer of bad news at such a time? Before he had time to find a reply, he found himself with her tail under his chin, his eyes looking up to meet hers as she explained her disappearance during the siege. He blinked, shrugging. It was so long ago now, he no longer cared. Not to mention there was bad blood between he and Enigma now, and Hellstrom was merely a distant memory he chose to ignore. However, he wouldn't mention it, instead feigning interest in the fallen pack and the kin she still wanted to find. As she asked about the scars he'd obtained, he tipped his head slightly. It wasn't often someone asked about them. "I acquired some from the siege," he said in short, thick tail swishing, "The rest are from some personal disagreements and scraps." Silver eyes wandered over her face, and his mind wandered back to her pressing interest in what had happened since she'd left. The banter was fun, but it was obvious that she wanted some real answers. He sighed, straightening himself up as he prepared to tell her the realities of some of the things that had happened. "Let me be honest with you," he said, his voice a low rumble, "I have some bad news for you. Your father... he was killed in a death match." He stopped there, knowing it may take her several moments to register what he'd said. He wasn't going to stand here and dump all of the bad news on her all at once. And surely she would have questions. He would wait, wondering how she would react, and wondering what he would do, whatever her reaction was. "Talk" "You" Think