i met evil
when i was only a child

it should come as no surprise that he arrives with the dusk. not only had the weight of summer sun diminished as it sunk beneath the horizon but the watering hole was less occupied. draven was drawn to the lull, preferring to keep the company of his flock.

they perch, now, on the surrounding trees. quiet sentinels, sharp eyes tracking the heavy steps of the colossal brute. the god-beast pays little heed to his surroundings, his intent single-minded and focused. the liquid is cool and quenching, and he crouches to drink his fill, taking long pulls from the still pool of water.

postscript by aurora

Boredom is what drew Isla toward the fields, seeking something to keep her entertained more than what she could find up within the Summit’s borders. She carries herself with agile and grace despite her size, mastering the way of how to step softly and where to place the majority of her weight within her paws. Two toned eyes watch around her, the dimming sun causing for eyes to widen slightly so that they could take in what remaining light. Herds of different prey become a bit agitated as she skirts them, releasing warning bays and grunts to others.

But Isla wasn’t here to hunt, she was here to simply explore. She prowls closer toward the watering hole, taking in the company that were surrounding the expanse of water or swimming within it. She spots a white maned lion to the right of her several feet away, keeping her distance while taking in what she could see of him. An ear twitches while the Heiress releases a chuff to announce her arrival, brow then rising as she awaited his reaction. Nostrils flare as she sniffs the air quickly, not catching any particular pride scent wafting in the air from his direction; was he truly a rogue or did he prefer to stay outside of his pride’s borders?

@Draven

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i met evil
when i was only a child

they warn him, of course. they always do. quietly, subtly, with little more than a hushed call and a ruffle of feathers. a language that few are privy to, in words that he understands and accommodates. shifting slightly, body tensed lest there prove to be a threat. it is all for naught when she announces herself, and he takes his time in responding.

eventually he lifts his head, sparkling drops of water dripping from his chin, and turns to face her. the first thought draven has is that she is nearly as big as he is. this is a rare occurrence in these lands; few males and even fewer females stood as tall at the shoulder as he did. it is enough for his interest to be piqued, enough that he does not slip away.

an infinitesimal gesture is made towards the pool, a silent invitation to drink freely if that was her reason for coming.

@Isla ♔

postscript by aurora

She gives pause while she awaits his reaction, bracing herself in the event this turned bloody. But instead, he gives her a gesture toward the pool of water. She watches him intensely, as if trying to find some sort of tell that would alert her to true intentions. He had simply motioned toward the water, though, and after a moment Isla would pad closer toward it. She lowers her body into a crouch as tongue begins to lap slowly, droplets glistening to the fur around her muzzle. She drinks for several moments, ingesting long laps before pulling away and raising back to her full height.

A tongue rasps along her lips to catch whatever stray beads of water it could before her attention is drawn back toward the man. "Have I interrupted you?" Whether he were lost in his own thoughts or simply just passing by to get a drink, Isla was curious to know if she had soiled any part of his plans.

@Draven

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look in to my eyes
it's where my demons hide

she drinks and his ravens call. draven looks to them instead of her, silver eyes meeting beady black. silence lingers between him and the flock, long and stretched, until finally he gives a quiet huff and returns his attention to the stranger.

lost to his own thoughts he is confused by her question, shifting through his recollect of recent moments as if giving it consideration. had he been busy? was she interrupting?

and there is another infinitesimal gesture, the tiniest shake of his head, this time accompanied by the deep rasp of his voice. "there is nothing to interrupt." it was disturbingly true for a creature with a single purpose; one that seemed waylaid and unattainable, currently.

and so the curse remains.

@Isla ♔

postscript by aurora

It is the cawing that her attention redirects to what the man himself had turned to. A brow rises as she notices the ravens, wondering if they were some sort of pets to him. It was an interesting choice to her, to say the least. As he drops his attention back down to her Isla would do the same, giving a subtle nod once he responds. "I think your ravens may disagree." Her tone hold light humor, the corner of her lips twitching in a smirk. Paws pivot her body so that she were now padding along the edge of the watering hole, closing some of the distance between the two but still keeping just enough if she needed to retreat. "I'm Isla." Let's see how far you can get without another noticing who you are. "And you?"

@Draven

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look in to my eyes
it's where my demons hide

he would have mocked her for her thoughts. to think that they were pets, that he was their master. they were bonded, true, but it was more meaningful that some brainless creature in his care.

"they are not mine," he corrects her, though they have raised their own protest. a sharp sound from the raven he considers the lead, one that has his teeth peeking from between his lips in a sly grin, "they do not belong to anybody."

she introduces herself, this mistaken woman, and comes near enough he can truly appreciate her size. as large as him, indeed. "draven." the answer comes smoothly and without recognition; he knows nothing of @Isla ♔ or the family she is bound to. "bjorn." a second name more than a last, given only because his own felt empty on its own.

postscript by aurora

"I see," she muses, her attention once more going toward the murder of crows. She found them beautiful in their own mysterious way, and as they seemed to peer at the both of him Isla would give them a grin of her own. "I guess that goes for some of us, then, too?" A brow rises as she speaks, her eyes fluttering back to watch the man. "Belonging to someone?" The wildcat was beginning to see herself as an untamable beast, bound to live in a world where there were no chains to tie her down. It was what made her the happiest, the most powerful. Give another possession of you and they could bring you to ruin so easily.

@Draven reciprocates the introduction and dual toned eyes rove over what she could see of his body. "Your name suits you, Draven." The click of her tongue to the roof of her mouth would sound before she spoke, a forepaw rising partially from the dirt below. Toes curled to allow her claws to unsheathe themselves half way, trailing them across the ground to leave shallow lines in their wake. "Do you enjoy the rogue life or do none of the prides here interest you?" Isla had noticed shortly after making herself known that he had no pride scent clinging to his fur; either he was meticulous with making sure he never revealed where he lived or he truly wasn't apart of any pride.

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the question she returns is strange, discomfiting to the god-turned-man. draven has little patience for the ways of mortals, but he regards her with an even expression, playing well the role that was written for him. laying the trap he had long ago perfected, set to capture any unsuspecting doe.

or, wolf, he considered with a grin, teeth flashing only briefly. "nobody ever belongs to another," he chooses his words carefully, but he believes them in their entirety. "none can claim ownership over you."

oh sweet draven, isn't that what i have done? do you not belong to me?

bjorn's voice is poisonous in his mind, yet it is the sweetest drug. infusing him with just enough strength and power to become addicted before cutting off the flow, leaving him gasping and desperate for more.

and though he intends to join a pride (her pride) he rolls his shoulders in what could be called a lazy shrug. "i have no need for a pride." and then he flashes her a smile that is out of character for him, but donned so easily he could be convincing. "though perhaps i will start my own, someday..." and she would be deaf not to hear the suggestion in his voice.

@Isla ♔

He makes her curious, an ever watchful gaze never leaving his form. Isla couldn't quite place exactly why she found @Draven so interesting, but she wouldn't dwell on it for too long. She just assumed it was because he had a mysterious vibe to him. Tail flicks behind her before she allows her body to rock backward, hind end reclining so that she was now sitting. Her own shoulders roll as she listens to his next set of words, giving him a sort of stare that tells him full enough that she had caught the underlying meaning in his words. "A pride comes with a lot of responsibility." She had been thinking about it a lot as of late, especially with how the future was molding; she could be a ruler herself much sooner than later, and the thought made her heart feel as though it jumped right into her throat.

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