Tired of feeling lost, tired of letting go;
Tear the whole world down, tear the whole world down!

Everything had been lost, even some of her family members had seemed to disappear from the face of the world. Cough, cough, cough. A growl rumbled in the chest of the beast, followed by more coughing and a whimper of pain. Even now her mysterious illness haunted her. No longer could she hide in her old den in the red forest, avoiding assassins and family alike. No, she had to be accountable, she had to face the ire of her family. Requiem would no doubt be pissed at her disappearance, she had done her best to stay hidden from her beloved. In the early days of her sickness he had done his best with Atropos to find a cure for whatever it was that ailed her, he protected and shielded her, and done his best to keep her family together. When it became clear that her illness had no fix, Lurid had slipped away from them in the night. In her mind, it was better to slip away and die in peace than to force her family to mourn her twice. Over the seasons, she began to mend, save for a lingering cough she couldn't shake. During her sickness she had grown thin, and had to rebuild herself. Now, she returned home to the Antiox. It seemed so much more dark and cold now that her family had gone, the ghost of Mirovis lingering in the labyrinthine hallways. How could it have been taken so easily? No mortal force could have stolen it with the ease that sickness had. Another coughing spell stopped her in her tracks, this one so hard it caused her to gag and spit, ending with a weak growl of irritation. Of course it would have been illness or death that took everything from her, only the gods would dare to stand in her way. Dwelling on it would only cause rage and madness, instead she focused on what was left of her pack and family.

Requiem had not been here in some time, she could tell by the scent of him. It was faint, but there, showing he did come back and check the ship rather often. How lost he must be. Shame filled her heart and mind, making her look down at alabaster paws in a girlish expression of her guilt. Lurid would have her kingdom, one day, for now she assumed she must repair her mate. To do that, she had to find him. With a deep breath, as deep as she could muster without coughing, Lurid let out a call meant only for the crimson devil. She could find the other members of her family soon enough, her only focus was Requiem. She refused to let the thought that he may have abandoned her like the rest of them had enter her mind, he had always been faithful to her. There was a brief moment when she thought he would, but she would not entertain such foolishness. He was not Alastor, he would not lose faith in her. Their love was real, and she put her faith in it. Requiem would come to her, she had to believe he would, otherwise there was no point in trying to come home. He was her Haihefa, the dark lord of her heart, he had to come.

Word count: 553 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART

T hough the call the ethereal goddess put out was for her crimson devil, it was not the scarlet brute who responded to it. Instead, it was another male—a stranger who had taken up the ancient wreckage as his home—as large and heavyset as a bear, clothed in patchwork brown fur. He had been dwelling on the upper deck, in the chamber that had once been the Blodreina and Haihefa's private quarters, now desecrated by the cur. The call roused him from slumber, and realizing that there was a female on board his ship, a wicked grin peeled across his lips. The earthen-coated brute stood and plodded down the corridors of the ship, following the scent of female that lingered where she had walked.

I t took him a little bit, but eventually he found the white bitch, waiting and looking rather vulnerable all alone. "Well well, what have we here?" he taunted and teased Lurid, not even bothering his salacious gaze as it freely roamed down the once-alphess' form. "A pretty piece of tail coming right to me? Must be my lucky day." The brute chuckled, a rumbling peel of amusement beneath his husky breath as he stalked closer to Lurid. She was such a pretty thing, albeit looking a bit frail, and the coughing he heard earlier tipped him off that she likely wouldn't be able to fight him off. Oh, he would have such fun with her... Giant paws stomping on the steel floor, he prowled towards her, a grin of malice painted on his face. "Don't you worry, gorgeous, I'm gonna take good care of you... Now be a good girl, and don't ru-"

* * *

T he stranger wasn't the only wolf who had heard Lurid's call. He had been near the ship, roaming the nearby areas as he had been since her disappearance, holding out a dying hope that she would one day return. When his auds picked up her call, it was as if the world had stopped turning. Head shooting up so argent silver eyes could snap towards the ship, he hesitated only for a moment for his brain to register if what he had heard was real, and then he was sprinting for the ship. Agile paws and limber legs followed familiar paths as he darted intthoe wrecked ship via the hole in the hull like he had never left his home, paws moving swiftly and silently along the metal. The familiar scent of butterscotch and rum filled his nostrils, arousing a part of his brain that had been dormant for seasons. She was alive! She was alive and he had to find her.

A nd find her he did—with a strange brute advancing on her like she was some helpless prey. He froze, analyzing the situation from down the corridor. While he knew Lurid as a capable fighter able to hold her own, he did not know how the sickness would have affected her. And even if she could take this lecher with no problem, what sort of man didn't act when a stranger made moves on his woman? Silver eyes narrowed to lethal points, the crimson brute stalked closer, keeping his claws lifted so they didn't click on the metal floor. He got up right behind the male, moving like a wraith gliding across the walls. As he snuck up behind his foe, he stealthily drew his knife from the bracer on his leg. "Don't you worry, gorgeous, I'm gonna take good care of you..." He barely contained a growl as he slid up along the other male's side. "Now be a good girl, and don't ru-"

T he stranger's words were cut off with a gasp of pain and shock as Requiem drove his blade into the brute's chest from just behind his shoulder, plunging the knife between two ribs to puncture his lung. In a flurry of movement, Requiem left his knife lodged in the brute's chest as he grabbed his shoulder in his jaws, holding him steady while he brought a strong paw down to slam into the back of the wolf's leg joint. There was a snap of bone as Req broke the brute's leg, followed by a howl of pain as he went tumbling to the floor. The stranger glanced up in a panic at his attacker, a look of shock and fear in his eyes as he gazed up at Requiem. "That's no way to speak to royalty," he chastised the crippled wolf, his husky voice low and edged with a dangerous irritation. The brute tried to stand again, but his broken leg gave out immediately, sending him crashing to the floor with a yelp of pain. His breathing was short and ragged, his whole body running on only one lung's worth of air.

L eering down with little mirth on his features, Requiem climbed over the wolf and leaned down to pull his knife out of the stranger's chest. Blood began to gush from the wound, pouring out onto the floor with each beat of his dying foe's heart. The wolf tried to crawl away, but it was far too late. Requiem placed a dire-sized paw down on his head and pressed down hard, hard enough it made the stranger wince and whine. Leaning down until his muzzle was beside the wolf's ear, the crimson devil whispered in a cold, mocking tone, "Don't you worry, I'm gonna take good care of you..." The stranger's struggling resumed, but Requiem was having none of it. Turning the blade in his jaws, Req shoved the knife down into the stranger's throat, piercing through his windpipe, jugular, and carotid in one fell swoop. The stranger gagged and choked as blood flooded his throat, and when Requiem pulled his knife back out, that same viscous fluid poured from the dying wolf's neck.

T he stranger lasted only a few seconds more after that, clawing in vain at his throat to try and stop the bleeding, choking and drowning in his own blood as he looked between Requiem and Lurid. Requiem simply wiped the bloody knife off on the wolf's own coat before stowing it away, then stood over and watched as the stranger expired. His eyes glazed over, turning into empty glassy pools as the life ebbed from his body and darkness claimed him. When he had stilled and his paw fell limp from his throat, Requiem gave a little shudder of euphoria, then finally turned his eyes up to meet Lurid's. There she was... After all this time, seeing her again still made his heart miss beats as he drank in the sight of her. A mixture of emotions stirred within him, but none stronger than the relief he felt at seeing her alive. So long he had thought she might be dead, gone from him forever. He could have said anything to her in that moment, but nothing felt more fitting than the words that came out on his smooth, purring vocals. "Grata domo, mea reina."


"Requiem" | "Latin"

Tired of feeling lost, tired of letting go;
Tear the whole world down, tear the whole world down!

A foul odor reached her nose, something close to a bull mixed with stagnant water. Lurid wrinkled her nose in disgust, turning to see what caused such a smell and being met with an earthen hued male who had answered her call. He was not her crimson devil, and therefore fair game for hunting. The dribble that fell from his lips painted a smile on her face, she was used to males making advances, but what this brute didn't know was Lurid hunted males like him. "Your lucky day? No, sweetheart, it is my lucky day." Dual-toned vocals sounded a bit ragged - hoarse with her lingering sickness - but they still purred with saccharine tones. As he advanced on her, Lurid prepared for a fight. Until she caught the flash of red behind the male. Saying nothing, Lurid simply gave a giant smile to the male, and wagged her tail with excitement. 'Don't you worry, gorgeous, I'm gonna take good care of you... Now be a good girl, and don't ru-' The male's words were cut off by his sounds of pain, bringing even more excitement to the unnatural predatory woman.

She had known Requiem wouldn't keep her waiting long, but for him to show up with a defensive murder made her happier than she ever thought she would be. The pale queen knew better than to get between her red knight and his prey, she would wait until he was done with his victim.  Idly she watched the savagery of her mate with gleeful joy, cheering him on through coughs - as such breathy exclamations were still taxing for her. Each yelp of pain brought a barking laugh from the mad woman, the strange male going down in record time as Requiem ripped his way through him. When it was done, Requiem gave a shudder then turned those beautiful silver and black eyes toward her. Holographic lavender met those silver pools with tears in them, though there was a broad smile on her face as he spoke with welcoming vocals. "Bonum est regredi, mi rex" With that, she moved to embrace her Haihefa, her mate, her love - her nose meeting his neck before she wrapped herself around him and held him tight. "I am so sorry for being gone so long, my love." Her tones were sad and sincere, dual vocals both whispered and said aloud as she buried her face into his neck.

Word count: 402 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART

L urid’s barely contained excitement to see him made those flutters flurry back up in his chest, making Requiem feel a bit like an adolescent harboring a juvenile crush once more. He knew he should be mad at her or upset for her prolonged absence, but he couldn’t bring himself to be so. He had spent his whole life living in Alastor’s shadow and pining for the alabaster goddess he would never have… what was a few more months of waiting? The worst part had been not knowing whether or not she lived. Dark thoughts of his mate slinking off somewhere to die cold and alone had plagued his nightmares since Mirovis had fallen. Had that been the case, the crimson devil wouldn’t have known what to do with himself. Did Lurid not realize how much she mattered to them—to him?

A fter his slaughter was finished, his queen approached him, still maintaining all of her regality and grace, but definitely looking thinner than he remembered. She spoke with a roughness to her voice that came from lungs still recovering from her illness. He knew not what sickness had befallen her, but as a healer he knew many could leave lasting scars on lung tissue. He just hoped Lurid had overcome the worst of it. Lurid came closer, but Requiem held his position over the corpse at his paws. He still wasn’t totally convinced that this wasn’t some blissful dream he was in—not until he felt the press of her nose into the side of his neck. That first contact broke Req out of his trancelike state and the red devil immediately scooped his pallid queen up in his arms, surrounding her in his embrace as she wrapped herself around him. Snout buried into the thick of her scruff, Requiem drank in her scent, letting those butterscotch-rum pheromones intoxicate his brain once more. She was real. She was real and she was alive. Nothing else mattered now.

T he pair held onto each other like that for several long minutes. Requiem was not an emotional wolf, but in this case he found himself overcome with relief and joy. Lurid apologized to him and he simply shook his head. "You’re alive, that’s all that matters. I was afraid I’d lost you forever." Strong forelegs squeezed her around her midsection while holding her close to him. He was never gonna let her go ever again. "We held Mirovis a long as we could. Those that tried to usurp you, I slew. The rest just left. When the scavengers came to lay claim to the remains, I fled rather than be taken by them. Im sorry I couldn’t do more." A deep sense of guilt and failure tore at Requiem’s heart. Knowing he had failed always felt like a slap in the face. Knowing he had failed Lurid, his love, felt a thousandfold worse. Slowly drawing back, the crimson brute took a look over his glimmering fae, appraising her appearance with a half smile. "You look like you haven’t eaten in days," he remarked, a darker look crossing his eyes. "Truly eaten." Lu would know what he was alluding to. Releasing her so he could gesture to the still warm body bleeding out on the floor, he shot a toothy, wicked grin to his lover. "Devorate, amica mea." He would join her, as was their way, but as her man he needed to make sure she was provided for first, and that started with a full belly. Afterwards, he could work on satisfying her other baser needs.


"Requiem" | "Latin"

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

There had been a short period of time when Lurid thought she would die. She had evaded Atropos when they couldn't find a cure for her disease, slinking off into the darkness to condemn herself to death; coughing and spewing her guts in a makeshift den hidden in the redwoods of the north. Running had even become taxing, and there was always a coughing fit that interrupted. If not for her sister, she would have starved in the second season of her self-imposed semi-isolation. She had all but given up on herself, perhaps she had been a drama queen about it, but she really thought she would die. Lurid had trouble even hunting rabbits! What was she to do but let herself go off somewhere to die? Waiting for Death proved useless, however, as Lurid had slowly begun to gain her strength back. Her appetite had returned, where before she could barely stomach the prey that little Atropos brought to her when she could no longer hunt for herself. The hacking cough that made her gag had faded, though it didn't disappear entirely - not yet. Vomiting was no longer an issue, she could hold food down, she just had to be careful about how much she ate.

Worry for Atropos sank in, what if she had infected her? Surely not, Atropos had a strong constitution, she would show herself soon. Lurid hoped she would anyway, along with the rest of her siblings. Now, she had no fear of being contagious to her family members, she could return to what was left of her kingdom.

In this moment, Lurid simply soaked up the warmth of her love, wrapping herself around him the best she could. She felt no anger from him, his embrace felt more like he latched onto a lifeline rather than something curt and formal. Her own relief showed in happy tears that welled in her eyes and the soft, excited whines that came unbidden from her throat. It took a special sort of devil to make a woman like Lurid cry from happiness at the very sight of him. "I thought I was lost forever, but I am here now, my love." Listening as he told her the fate of Mirovis and her followers, Lurid grinned despite the dour news. "A pack is only as strong as its leader, and I was weak so it fell. The fault is my own, but we will rise from the ashes once again." Confidence came naturally to the pale goddess, and her resolve was stronger now more than ever. She would regroup, recover, and raise her empire  - even if it killed her to do it. She buried her face further into Requiem's neck as he held onto her as if he might die without her. Palo Santo and patchouli filled her nose to the point she could taste his scent, and for a long while she bathed her senses in him.  

As they slowly pulled themselves from each other, Lurid's stomach rumbled just as Requiem remarked on her physical state. It was true, as a dire wolf rabbits and small deer didn't cut it. Lurid was starving for a real meal. Releasing her to gesture at the male he had felled, Requiem invited her to dine. "Coniunge me?" She asked him with a smile, just before moving to start her meal. Her stomach was pinching and the smell of blood clouded her nose, she wouldn't wait this time for his acceptance or rejection of her invitation. Semi-starvation demanded she eat her fill without any true decorum. Tearing into the male, Lurid gave a ragged purr as his blood lubricated the way for the meat to slide down. For a moment, her stomach pitched and she had to pause in her feast, but it passed quickly. "Thank you for coming to my rescue, I wasn't sure I could fight him off in my state." It was an admission she would give only to him. Trust was not something that came easily to monsters, much less the queen of monsters, but she put her faith and trust in the red devil at her side. Only he knew her soft spots, Requiem had always known her - even better than she knew herself.

With her face painted red with the blood of their victim, and her stomach finally - blessedly - full, Lurid sat back and allowed herself to relax onto the deck of the Antiox. "Quo hinc imus, amor?" She needed to get back up to par, and she did not want to wait. Mirovis would begin anew, she would not fail this time. Looking to Requiem, she sought to meet the black and silver of his gaze with the holographic lavender of her own, waiting to hear his thoughts on the rise of their pack.

Word count: 800 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART

T ruly in this moment, Requiem could not be sure he had not slipped into slumber and found himself in a wonderfully impossible dream. For so long he had held out hope for Lurid's return, only for her to come back to them and slip away to be taken by her illness. When Atropos left to care for her, the Mirovian brute knew that she would either return with Lurid or she would return alone. When even Atropos failed to come back home, his hopes that either of them had survived dwindled to nothing. He had spent every day of the past few months just looking for any traces of Lurid or Atropos he could find. When none could be found, he had been left adrift at sea with no signs of shore. He was alone, alone with his thoughts and anger and worry. How many lives had he claimed during his emotional rampage in the wake of Mirovis' fall? He could not be sure.

H aving Lurid here in his arms now... it was everything the crimson brute had hoped and dreamed for. It was everything he had lived and worked for, and though he may have lost his power when their pack crumbled, he had not lost everything he had gained so long as his goddess lived. The happy whines that came emanating from Lu made Requiem's fur bristle in all the best ways, chills of delight racing down his spine. It took a good bit of reminding himself that she was still fragile and needed caring for to keep himself from sweeping her off her paws and loving her senseless then and there. There would be plenty of time for catching up soon enough; they had all the time in the world now. Lurid took the blame for the loss of Mirovis, but reassured him that they would rise once more. Although Requiem doubted her family would still be around to help her forge a third attempt at an empire, he would not turn tail the way those cravens had. They were unworthy to carry the Amarix name in his opinion. Only Atropos got a pass for trying to aid her sickly sister, but even now, where the hell was she?

L urid accepted his offer to feast immediately and asked him to join her. The red devil gave his alabaster queen a fiendish grin and followed her to the freshly lain corpse of the fool who had tried his luck with his lady. "Cum voluptate," came the purred reply of the devil. He allowed his Empress to feed first, a habit ingrained in his brain from days of yore raised and training in the founding Mirovis pack, then settled in opposite Lu to dine with her. He bit down into the brute's chest and tore it open with brute force, snapping through several ribs to reach the prize he sought. Nestled between the dead wolf's lungs was his heart, and Req was swift to snatch up the now still muscle in his jaws and rip it from its arteries with a violent bloody squish. Sharp teeth chewed through the raw flesh, devouring his prey's heart in a matter of moments, his signature calling card for all his victims. Our spoke amidst mouthfuls of meat, thanking him for rescuing her. With blood still dripping from his jaws, the demon's abyssal silver eyes lifted to meet the goddess' holographic jewels with a look of deadly glee. "You could have taken him, but why pass up a chance to show off and turn on my mate?" He winked at her, a sly smirk painting his face as he dove in for a bite of lungs.

W hen both wolves had eaten their fill, Requiem kicked the remains of the carcass aside with a note of disgust towards the soul that had once inhabited this hunk of meat, then moved to settle down beside Lurid. He sat on his haunches as she relaxed out on the deck, leaning gently against her side for comfort and security. Her voice caught his attention, dark gaze turning down to find hers as she looked to him. Her question was not an easy one to answer, but he would answer her honestly. "Many in this land saw Mirovis fall. They likely assume you to be dead or gone. This gives us an advantage in that no one will be expecting anything from us. We can fly under the radar for as long as we need to. It also means we're starting from the bottom again, with little resources and no friends." Requiem thought on Lurid's siblings again and wondered if the fickle traitors would ever show their faces in Boreas again. "The choice for what comes next is up to you, Lurid. Do you still wish to rebuild your family's empire? Do you still desire to rule? Or have your priorities changed to something more... modest?" Requiem raised a brow as he watched Lu, wondering what her answer would be. Whatever she desired, he would help her achieve it. But what path they walked and what goals they set would depend entirely on her.


"Requiem" | "Latin"

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

She gave a bloody smile as Requiem joined her for their meal, her tail giving a rare wave to show she was pleased with his decision. There would have been no repercussions if he had not, but Lurid prefered he eat with her rather than watch her savagry from the sideline. Taking a break to let her stomach settle, Lurid watched as he fished inside the male's chest cavity. Utterly captivated when he pulled the heart out of his victim and began his own feast, the she-devil gave another blood-stained grin and made a purring sound low in her throat. There had been times when the red demon had brought hearts to her from his marks. In his words, he was paying homage to his queen. Now, Lurid knew the real reason he would bring them to her, as he had done so in romantic gestures before. Lurid shivered at the memories, her body heating up as she watched him. She knew she was in no shape for the activities she desired, but the want to was definitely there. As he spoke in return, that same red-painted smile stayed on her face even as she continued her meal after thanking him for her rescue.

After their meal, her love kicked the carcass aside and came to relax against her side. She curled around him the best she could, full and content as his warmth spread over her. Despite the heat she did feel warm, and she wondered if her fever had come back. Perhaps it was simply what happiness felt like. It was a rare moment when the pale bitch-goddess felt truly happy, but here by Requiem's side once again, she finally felt content. When he spoke in response to her question, Lurid listened intently, soaking up everything he said. Holographic lavender gaze was on the deck of the ship, his report making the gears in her head start turning. It was true, they had no backing for a pack, no friends. What came next was up to her. Did she truly wish to rule? Duh, it was what she was made for, despite her recent failure. In that moment she realized that her failure had not truly been her fault. She had gotten sick and lost the ability to keep up with pack duties. In the future, if Atropos ever showed her face again, Lurid would have to ask her if there were any plants that would prevent illness. The small wolf had tried to stay by Lurid's side, so perhaps she was lost somewhere in a fit of madness that she had lost her sister. Lurid would have to go find her.

They would need to find allies. wolves of like minds who would follow Lurid in her bid for her crown, and perhaps a more friendly place to live. Lurid loved her ship, but perhaps it was not the best place to raise a kingdom or a family. Looking over to Requiem, holographic lavender-white eyes met the black and shimmering silver of his, "I do still plan to rule, my love, there is no questioning that. Perhaps, though, it is wise to keep my sights on more modest dreams...for now. We can make friends along the way, and maybe something will come of it. I am no spring chicken, but I am young enough to wait for what I want. The time will be right one day, quidquid accidit, accidit." Her words were concise and matter-of-fact, the last was said with a small shrug. If she did not rule in this life, perhaps she would have a son or daughter to take up her mantle.

Word count: 614 words. || "Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: This one kind of sucks, lol, sorry.

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

ART

L urid was quiet all the while he spelled out their circumstances to her, likely taking in his insight and suggestions. She was as prudent as she was vicious, a quality Requiem admired in her, and one that would serve her well in her endeavors for her crown. But prudence alone would not put her on a throne. Lurid had suffered setbacks before, but now she would be starting from the bottom—square one, so to speak. Now she no longer had the backing or support of her family or the remnants of old Mirovis. Those were long gone; scattered to the wind like ashes in the aftermath of a forest fire. Anything they made from this point forward would be made by the salt on their brows and the sweat on their backs. If Lurid was willing to put in the effort and the work, then Requiem was ready to be by her side to see it done. He had enjoyed the tastes of power he'd gotten with her far too much to go cold turkey now.

A s he suspected, Lurid affirmed her stance and her desires to rule. Good. She would need that drive if they were to succeed. She was also willing to take the slow path to the top. It would take time, but they would get there eventually. Requiem scoffed when Lu called herself "no spring chicken" and shot his mate a wry smirk. "You are as young as you make yourself, darling. You're as capable now as you ever were," he remarked, pausing before adding, "although we will need to do something about that lingering cough. Can't have any signs of weakness broadcast to the public." The wolves they would need to rally around their cause would be like-minded to them; killers, monsters, demons and devils. The type that preyed on any shows of vulnerability. Lurid would be their queen, and a queen could not appear to be weaker than her subjects.

B reathing out a long sigh, Requiem cast his argent gaze out across the wintery tundra that surrounded the derelict ship. "We will need to establish a base for ourselves, make a more permanent and hospitable home. This winter weather up here will do your lungs no good. Perhaps some of the southern territories, or even the southern continent of Auster until you've fully recuperated." Now for the bombshell. Lurid would not like to hear it, but as her Haihefa it was his duty to keep the Blodreina abreast of all her standings, both positive and negative. "I would not count on your family being a part of your plans any longer, my love. When you left with Atropos, the rest… they either left of their own volition or fled en masse when the challengers came for Mirovis. I would not consider them to be our allies any longer." If they happened upon some of the Amarix family, perhaps they could be convinced to rejoin their cause—however, Req doubted many still lingered around Boreas. More likely, they had all ventured off to seek their own paths after two falls of Mirovis. That left them alone with just one another to rely on.


"Requiem" | "Latin"

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

Requiem's remark about being as young as you make yourself made the moonlit goddess smile, though it disappeared quickly as he mentioned her cough. Yes, they would need to fix that before she went out monster hunting unless she planned on serving herself up to them on a platter. There was no way she planned on making any moves until she got better. "What do we have to do? Atropos tried everything she knew to try; made such nasty concoctions..." She paused and shivered, her fur raised visibly as she caught chill bumps remembering the nasty potions the little witch had made her drink. "I think half of it was just to see what she could make me drink while I was down." Lurid said it jokingly, but there was a part of her that thought her sister took advantage of her weakness. Still, Lurid probably had Atropos to thank for not dying, and that fact alone kept Lurid from hunting her down for her pelt.

Looking out across her beloved tundra, Lurid gave a sigh in time with Requiem's. The sigh he gave meant he had more to say, and Lurid listened closely to his words. Licking her lips and swallowing hard, Lurid accepted his news about her family. Perhaps she couldn't count on them anymore, or maybe they were just as lost as Atropos must be. Maybe they waited for her to find them. There was still hope in the dark woman's heart, she wouldn't give up on her brothers and sisters. Furious as she may be at them, they were still her blood, she had to know what happened to them after she fell ill. "I would still like to look for them, they are my family. Knowing they haven't been hunted down would soothe me a little." Her siblings could be convinced to come back, she was sure of it. Until they found them though, it was just the two of them against the world. Lurid liked their odds because together they were unstoppable.

Lurid smiled while looking across the ice at the horizon. Holographic gaze seeming a bit far away, she gave a small cough to clear her throat. "Are you a family man, Requiem?" Her dual tones practically purred the question as she tuned that white-to-lavender gaze his way. She knew the answer, of course he was, but she needed to hear it. She missed motherhood, remembering times with Kichi as a pup. Lurid almost laughed out loud at one memory in particular: Kichi had scared her to death with a spider, making her angry at the time, but now she held such things close to her heart. She waited for the answer with bated breath, searching his face and gaze for any sign of revulsion or any microexpression she could see. There was a small part of her that whispered doubt into her mind, so she needed to hear it from him.

Word count: 493 words. || "Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ----

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

ART

T he question Lurid posed him was not an easy one for Requiem to answer. As far as medicines went, the crimson assassin was far more adept with the plants that took life rather than those that salvaged it, but he was not completely incompetent in that regard. He had an intimate familiarity with anatomy and the more potent herbs; perhaps they could find a remedy for her lasting side effects of her sickness. Her remark about Atropos using her as a Guinea pig for her potions brought a wry smirk from Requiem, a low chuckle rumbling in his throat. Yep, that sounded like Atropos all right…

O  n the note of her family, Lurid made mention of wanting to look for her relatives regardless of their loyalty levels. Requiem would only give an understanding nod in response, a loyal servant of the Amarix line until the end. If Lurid wished to look for her siblings and family, then he would assist her in every way he could. "Then we’ll just have to make sure we hunt them down first," he quipped back with a devilish grin directed to his alabaster goddess. So she wished it, so it would be. Requiem was not one to shy away from a hunt, especially not when he was so good at tracking down other wolves. Finding the wayward Amarixes shouldn’t prove too difficult for the two of them with their skills combined.

T  here was a beat of silence while the pair of monsters gazed out across the frigid tundra that surrounded their once-home. Requiem would miss the place Mirovis had once been, but he was a more temperate wolf anyway. Lurid was the one to break the silence with a question that coaxed an amused chuckle from the scarlet brute at her side. Was he a family man? Well, that remained to be seen, given he was an orphan raised in the often brutal training barracks of the old Mirovis. Family was not something he was used to having around. Although given his proclivities towards certain extracurricular activities during his jobs, he wouldn’t be surprised if he’d already sired a few bastards somewhere around the world with some lucky ladies. Lu didn’t need to know those details thought.

"W  ell, you know better than most that family isn’t a concept I’m intimately familiar with," he remarked, turning a sly grin and mischievous argent and obsidian gaze down to his queen as he added, "But I am very fond of the making of a family." He chuckled again, a low and rumbling seductive purr of humor at his own innuendo. Despite his joking, there was no show of hesitance, no wariness or uncertainty when he looked at the beautiful femme he loved. He knew how important family was to Lurid, and also to continuing the Amarix line and dynasty. He was proud and honored to be able to contribute to furthering that line. The fact that it was an entirely pleasurable experience just made it all the more enticing to the lecherous brute.


"Requiem" | "Latin"

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

While she knew of Requiem's time in the barracks, and his orphaned status to match, Lurid did wonder if he longed for a family of his own. It may have only been a few seconds before he answered her question, but to the demonic queen, it felt like hours had gone by. She knew she wanted children, and though she may be getting on in years, it wasn't out of the question yet. Lurid simply needed a willing mate to contribute his part. When he gave his response, Lurid gave the biggest grin she could. From his answer, he was willing to do what was needed. Neither of them was opposed to the making of a family, Lurid loved making love to Requiem over and over again, no matter how bloody it may get.

"Well then, one step at a time," Lurid gave a small laugh at his suggestive purr. "First, I need to get better. I simply had to know your thoughts it. I know most of your past." She moved closer to him, almost curling around his frame with her slightly smaller body. "I am fond of making a family with you as well, my handsome Haihefa. Perhaps we should go look for better places to raise that family, hm?" Smiling up at Requiem, she reached up with her muzzle to kiss his cheek, not wanting to pass whatever illness she had to him with a kiss to his lips. Yes, they would need warmer temperatures and better air if they were to continue the Amarix line. And Lurid needed to rid herself of her cough, maybe Requiem had been the remedy she needed all along.

Word count: 278 words. || "Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: So...Bird brain is mush at night apparently XD

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

ART

H is response seemed to please the bitch goddess if the wide, fang-filled grin that peeled its way across her beautiful face was to be believed. Requiem grinned back at her, a roguish and debonair smile that had often been the final sight of many a poor soul. His argent eyes gleamed with thinly veiled mischief; oh how he did so love teasing his beloved queen! Lurid gave a lyrical laugh and reminded him that they needed to proceed one step at a time. Paramount to the baby making had to be her recovery. Lurid had fought through the worst of her illness, but her road to full health was still a long one. His pale goddess slid closer, practically wrapping her body around his. If her goal was to keep him from wanting to mount her immediately, she was failing spectacularly.

L urid earned a delighted rumble of a murr from the crimson brute as she planted a kiss to his cheek and suggested they go find a suitable home for their future family. "That sounds like a good plan, my beautiful Blodreina," he agreed, craning his muzzle down to nose and nuzzle through her scruff, breathing in her delectable scent of butterscotch-sweetened rum. "Perhaps somewhere warmer, dry and less inclined to nasty winters—at least until you manage to shake whatever this is." They would spend the night in the ship to give her time to regain enough strength to travel southward. Then they would need to find a suitable place to call their home and begin their search for the remnants of her wayward family.


"Requiem" | "Latin"