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