Blue form would prowl forward under the moonlight. A puff of vapor rising from her jaws with each exhale. The biting cold was numbing, a welcome feeling to the lioness that wandered, curious about this new haven her dear brother had led her to. There were so many things to question, so many things to explore it was nearly overwhelming. There really wasn’t enough time during the day to do it all, thus, she had continued her exploration into the dead of night. Her prowling had brought her to a watering hole, even at night she could see the glare of eyes as creatures wandered in for a drink. Even more entertaining was the eyes in the water, lurking and waiting for an easy meal.

Skorvaga would pause beneath a tree, breathing quietly as she watched the creatures near the watering hole. The woman would recline back onto her haunches, taking a moment to rest and simply observe. Many of the creatures she saw were the same as those in her homeland, but others were not. Hippo- for one, were not something regularly seen in the cult’s lands. The big fat beasts looked daunting, but Skorvaga merely regarded them with curiosity- not fear. Why should she fear a land whale?

"Skorvaga speech." "Acheron speech."

Art by Kim | Code by Zodiac

It was not safe to venture out at night.

It was never safe, of course, but the gods awoke when the sun went down. The little wolf creeps through the darkness with raised hackles; when you were shackled to monsters, it was hard not to see them in each passing shadow. But as she creeps past the borders of the tundra -- and her prison -- there is little to see.

She used to hate to be alone. Now, she craves it.

Gentle puffs of air uncurl from her mouth as she goes, quietly pacing forward with no real end in sight. Only when the scent of water catches her attention does she divert her course, arriving at the watering hole with little fanfare. She is careful as she laps at the water -- fortunately, whatever predators lurk there must not think her a worthy meal and she is left unbothered. She almost turns to go when she spots @SKORVAGA.

She almost does a double take, seeing such a blue pelt beneath the moon; at first, she thinks of the brothers. But, no. It is only a woman -- a stranger, sitting quiet and alone. Gently she chuffs as she takes a step forward, following the other womans gaze with a slight frown. Do you know, the little wolf asks, her voice quiet -- scarce above a whisper. As if she is worrying about the peace of the night, or startling the other woman. What those are? She, too, has never seen a hippo but the beast gives her pause. Steel grey, darkened by the moon's light, and large -- bigger than even the brothers. A behemoth of it's own right.

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She watched, learning about the disturbingly large creatures that wandered just outside the water. Did the predators in the water bother them? She could not help but wonder how tough it would be to bring one down. Did their skin provide protection or was it tender like that of a gazelle? Her attention would divert as another interesting creature appeared at the Watering Hole. A ghost? A ghoul? Icy blue eyes would fixate on the woman with such an interesting pelt. A woman about the size of herself, perhaps a bit smaller but not by much, she was beautify- what the fuck was wrong with her tail. Sharp gaze zeroed in on the blemish. A twin tail. Nose would wrinkle slightly at the sight. Such deformities would have been removed in her homeland but this woman did not seem bothered by the extra piece.

It seemed that Skorvaga was not the only one to do a double take, the woman would finally see her, looking twice before deciding to come closer. Lips would tighten ever so slightly, how was she supposed to behave with that abomination on her tail? Aside from the tail, the fog like creature was also extremely furry, perhaps she lived in a colder environment? It was breathtaking, but she imagined miserable in the summer. The Savage would speak, her brow rising slightly as the girl whispered so quietly next to her. Finally, Skorvaga would shake her head. " “No, they don’t live where I hail from.” She would answer, her own voice hushed in the darkness. Skorvaga would turn her attention back to the land whale, watching as one entered the water to make a ruckus. " “Interesting, the land whale also swims.” She murmured, shifting excitedly on her feet as she glanced from the woman to the hippo and back.

" “want to get closer?” She asked, really she wanted to ask ‘do you want to go touch it?’ but these were delicate matters, one had to ease into it.

@Faolán

"Skorvaga speech." "Acheron speech."

Art by Kim | Code by Zodiac

she moves closer to the stranger — curious and intent, both about the hippos ( strange, giant creatures that they are ) and of the other woman herself. @skorvaga is almost familiar in a way that should be alarming, but isn't; instead, it's almost comforting. if Faolán allowed her eyes to blend and blur, she might mistake the woman for one of the many sisters she'd left behind — the very same ones who'd been slain in the brothers' wake. she does not, though; it is not a mistake she is keen to make. still, it breeds familiarity — and here, with their shared curiosity, it makes the night a little easier to bare.

( still, the she-wolf does not lessen her guard. her body is still but her mind is not, gaze shifting towards the shadows every other heartbeat. )

the other woman, it seems, does not have any idea what the creature is, either. ears tuck forward, considering. it did not seem to shy at the predators lurking beneath the water — a fact made clear when it heaves itself into the water. despite its girth, the creature does not seem terribly burdened by being submerged. fast, she remarks softly, on the heels of skorvaga's comment.

as for getting closer... the little wolf glances to her companion, head tilting slightly. a small moment of consideration, before she gives a small nod. careful. the word is uttered softly, the ghost of a plea. gracefully she rises to her feet, venturing a few steps closer to the water's edge where the large creature either has not noticed them yet, or simply doesn't care. the little wolf isn't sure which reason she'd prefer.

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"4 years, no bonus."

The strange woman would move closer and Skorvaga would find her weight shifting away from the other lioness. Eyes shifting from the hippos to her with intrigue. Why did she keep edging closer? The constantly shifting gaze of the woman did not go unnoticed and for a moment she wondered what the stranger was so worried lurked in the dark?

The lioness would turn her attention back to the hippo as it submerged into the water. It was fast, her new comrade would remark the same and she nodded, undeterred by its speed. They could surely be faster, right? There was no reason to fear the behemoth. Her remark of moving closer would earn a glance and a pause of consideration. Finally there would be an answer. A soft agreement, but it came across as more of a plea. Caution. Skorvaga would nod, but she had little intention of being careful.

The pale one would rise gracefully, elegantly moving a few steps closer, Skorvaga would follow suit, though she dared to walk even closer to the waters edge with confidence and less caution. Quietly she would sit, tail twitching on the ground as her nose wrinkled with disgust. They smelled awful. Worse than the elders that had defecated on themselves and the youth that had managed to get sprayed by skunks in her homeland. The hippo seemed slightly more alert to the lions presence but it still hadn’t came towards them.

Brow furrowed, the lioness would look down and begin rolling the clump beneath her paw gently in the mud, smoothening its surface and making it a tad larger. What if she just…threw it at them. “Want to try?” She asked quietly, gaze shifting down to the ball of mud, maybe the ghost would want to join in on the fun. These beasts clearly did not see them as a threat they wouldn’t do anything.

@Faolán

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS