It had been a few weeks since Kefka left for Auster. He went out to scout the southern lands and the southern continent to discover if the weather was any better than it was here. Sure the north was rather cold in general but this winter seemed to be a bit off. Kefka wasn't a fan of the cold, he had in fact been born in Auster. He and Agria had spent some time in the north in the beginning of their life on the run but Agria too wasn't fond of the snow covered lands. Still, it didn't hurt to become accustomed to such climate change and he saw the same adjustments for the better of Relm too. Since she was so young, maybe it would be easier for her to grow with the winter opposed to him. He waited until nighttime, tucking Relm in their cave-den of Dreamer's Col and taking a few moments to lay beside her before going out in search of Lurid. He would need to report back what he discovered, if not for her but for what was their small little family. He ventured out to the red forest and stalked around the tree trunks silently, not meaning to make his presence known but he knew she would know he was here. He wandered around the center of the forest, not wanting to go too far in her and Alastor's den site. Perhaps just a payment of respect for them. He'd continue around the forest and wait for her to come to him. Walk "Talk" Think

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

Soft snowflakes floated slowly down to the earth as Lurid watched the skies, the backlit clouds gleaming like silhouetted silver. Mirovis had been settled in the far north away from Boreas, the clouds formed patterns that seemed troubling, and the bitch-goddess found herself once again spending the sleepless night outside in quiet contemplation. There was a lot on her mind lately, but with the weather turning ominous, Lurid felt the urge to move her growing family somewhere sheltered. If they could not fully move south, that was. The ivory devil would have to take stock of those she called to follow her soon anyway, as well as send Samael off to hopefully bring her pack home. There was still a question of where to settle, but when she pulled everyone together she hoped to have an answer to that.

Despite the cold, her thick coat kept her warm enough that she wouldn't catch her death, though every now and then a particularly biting breeze would ruffle her crystalline pelt. The ones who knew Lurid understood that she much preferred the night to the glaring brightness of the day. Her eyes, while mystifying and hypnotic, were highly sensitive to the light and as a result, Lurid usually stuck to the less harsh times of the day. The winds shifted, bringing with it a signature cologne that wafted through the trees and announced his proximity long before he actually arrived.

The ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of rosy lips as she turned her head in the direction the scent originated, silent paws carrying her the short distance to meet him. Porcelain ears raising at the familiar painted form of Kefka as she approached from behind and to the left of him, her appearance would seem sudden to most. Kefka seemed to be the perceptive sort, though how perceptive she hadn't seen for herself, though even the most perceptive often startled when Lurid decided to reveal herself in such a ghostly fashion. "Good evening, Kefka, I hope you rested before seeking me out. How is little Relm?" Her duo-toned voice rang clear with genuine cordial tones, while they had not gotten to speak often, Lurid had invested care in the clown man's well-being and that of his daughter. Things were coming together, and soon her dreams would come true, Kefka was a part of that now.

Word count: 396 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART

Lurid's appearance from behind him wouldn't startle him. Maybe if they hadn't known each other he would have been even just the slightest amount alarmed, but he wasn't one to flee from danger or fear in any circumstance. And since he knew Lurid even as her wicked and demented self, he turned to welcome her presence with his usual clown grin, his face and eyes darkened by the forest around them. He paused, allowing Lurid with her recently healed leg to catch up beside him before going to continue the walk farther. "She's doing well, she's back in our den at Dreamer's Col." His voice was friendly as he went on, "She enjoyed our trip to Auster, she's a smart girl." It was honest and not only his opinion as her father. Sure Relm had a bit of an attitude that Kefka noticed towards other wolves, which Kefka couldn't deny he desired such sass in her. It meant she wouldn't let others push her around in his eyes. But she showed a lot of intelligence for her age. She read things differently than even he did as a child or even now. She still had a lot to learn and observe over the next couple years or even just through the course of her life, but she was a scholar no doubt. He didn't leave much room for silence but of course let Lurid get her piece if she had anything to comment on his little pride and joy. There was a job that had to be done on his journey, and it was time for him to deliver the message. "Auster was much better suited for the weather. But it's still troubling that the cold hasn't skipped over the Bifröst. There were some nights flurries blanketed over the land." He paused for a moment, but still had more to say, "Though, on my way back, a pack was settling into the lands just over the switch in continents. It seems like Auster is on the minds of other wolves around here. I wouldn't be surprised if others, even just bands have the same idea." Walk "Talk" Think