Wrong Place, Wrong Time [Requiem]

[sin]

The sun was high above the trees as Sin made his merry little way through the forest of the Kamari lands. The sight was nothing unusual, nothing he hadn't seen. The heat wasn't even too bad. Not as bad as the desert land he knew this island held as well. Only once had he passed through those lands and he vowed he never would go back. The heat was almost stifling with his dense, black-furred coat. Especially in the summertime when it was at its hottest and the sun was out for longer periods of time to bear down on him with the heat. This was why he hated the season in general. Too much heat, not enough shade to cool off with. There never seemed to be any relief from it either even with the shade. It was never cool enough during summer.

Sighing heavily, Sin's tongue lolled unceremoniously out the side of his mouth, trying to cool him off, but without much relief at all. Sin wanted shade--cold shade--but all there was was the cool shade of the trees he was currently passing under. There wasn't even any cold water sources around for him to drink out of or swim in. He needed someone to show him to the hearest water source. Cold water source. "Where's a sucker when you need one?" His words were followed by another sigh, amber-colored orbs darting around to sight the area he was walking through. He didn't worry about trespassing on another's lands because he was likely able to talk his way out of it. If not, then there was always running away; something undignified, but dignity meant nothing if you were dead.

It was then that the young brute scented water. It was trailed by an odd scent, but Sin wasn't concerned with that right now. He just wanted to wade in and cool off his overheated body. The drive of needing the water sent him speeding through the underbrush without much regards to the noise he was probably making. If there was a packmember of these lands here then so be it. There was water and he was going for it whether they tried to stop him or not.

As he arrived at the water source, Sin skidded to a halt and growled low in his throat. It was a hot spring. The water had no use to him here in the summer, but at least it was noted for future references in the winter months. "F*ck, I wanted cold water. Not hot." It was terribly discouraging to be standing in front of hot water and not cold, but Sin decided he might as well make the best of the shade around it. Even if the heat was awful as it rolled off the water in waves. Sin had spent much of his energy in racing for the water, so he needed rest. As much as he wanted to find a colder water source.

Panting, Sin went and found himself a nice piece of shade under a large tree and laid down rather gruffly. It was a sin to deny him of water. Haha, it's a sin to do anything to or with me. It was a little vain joke of his that he rather liked, but he'd never say such a thing aloud to another wolf since he was so adamant about seeming anything but himself. When he was around other wolves he would be what they wanted him to be, but when he was alone he didn't care how he acted. There was no one to trick or fool. Unless he knew someone was watching him from afar and it would be hard to see him underneath the shade of a tree, so he didn't worry all too much.

[requiem]

Fear. Requiem was dominated by fear. From a young age the emotion had been instilled in him. First there was the fear of abandonment, having been ripped away from his mother and raised solely by human hands. Then there was the fear of his own kind, brought about by spending most of his time as the controll for various animal enhancement experiments. Finally, there was the fear he unintentionally instilled in others. The large Arctic brute by no means had a conventional appearance, his body alone able to tell the story of his wretched past. Replacing one leg was mechanized steel, and where one eye should have rested all that remained was a hollow socket.

Currently fear clawed at his stomach and strangled his heart. The summer sun was no aide to his frantic pace, his only salvation the fact that his snowy white pelt was not prone to absorbing heat. The wolves of the Haishin pack had sent him packing, though not intentionally. Had Requiem been a braver brute, he could have found acceptance within their ranks. Then again, did he really want to live out the rest of his life in Kamari? The lands already haunted his past. Maybe it was best they would not taint his future. Reguardless, right now all the brute wanted was to escape. He desired to be as far away from the raging tempers, the violence, the talk of death; he wanted to be as far away from it all as physically possible. Haishin's members had inadvertantly terrified him, and chances were he wouldn't stop running until he'd found total isolation.

Unfortunately, the heat eventually took a toll on his stamina. The sound of metal striking earth slowed as he eased into a slow trot. Soft pink tongue lolled from his jaw, his tail slowly unfurling from its coward's home. He had to be far enough away from On-aldirr to be able to breath somewhat easily again. Surely no one had followed him, the members too caught up in their own little scuffle to pay a complete stranger much mind. He'd proven he was no threat. What incentive would they have to track him down and hold him against his will? Hopefully none, if he had judged them correctly.

The Arctic brute finally halted completely when the scent of water twisted on the breeze. Requiem was indeed thirsty, and though he knew the hot springs were probably not his best source of water, they were most likely his only one until he was deep within Chamoru. Water was hard to come by in such barren terrain, and if he did not pause for rest then he would surely run himself into exhaustion. As terrified as he was, exhaustion was not an option. Chances were it would only hinder him, not take his life. The brute did not want to drastically prolong his stay in Kamari if he could help it.

Of course, it seems that since Eudoxia had left his side the world was spinning on a new axis. Nothing was simple. Nothing so much as thought about making life remotely easier for the cowardly brute. With Eudoxia he had been able to make a step foreward. Without her it seemed he had taken two steps back. Every place he traveled was filled with more trouble than the last. Granted, he'd really only wandered into Kamari since leaving that small island. The lands most destroyed by humans still seemed to be the most dangerous.

The Enackir springs were barely within his sights when the unmistakable scent of canine mingled with the smell of warm water. Instantly Requiem was on high alert, ears perked tall as his tail once again tucked itself between his legs. Basking in the shade was a dark pelted male, a brute much harder to spot than Requiem himself. After the fear that had so strongly consumed him, however, his mind and body were about to shut down. There was nothing he could do. There was nowhere he could run. Requiem was out in the open, as visible as the sunlight catching on his metal limb.

Without much thought the white brute tucked his auds against his skull. His body dropped to the ground as his limbs pulled themselves towards his midsection. A slight tremble could be detected as his body curled in on itself, contorting him into the smallest ball he could possibly muster. When Req was afraid, his first flight instict was not to run. No. Instead, it was to hide. Unfortunately, he still hadn't learned that hiding in plain sight was not his best option. The Arctic brute was not invisible, and chances were this stranger would not ignore his intrusion.

[sin]

Momentarily Sin's eyes had fallen shut, making him near invisible in the shade of the large tree he was against. Luckily he was starting to cool off and he could pant with his mouth closed rather than with his maw hanging open and pink tongue lolling out to the side in a pup-ish way. The heat was bearing down on the tree above him, but hardly any actually reaching him. Sure he was mildly warm at the most, but he wasn't in the direct rays of the heated sun above. Thankfully, he didn't have to worry too much right now about overheating and dying. It would be an ironic death considering he had caused so many others to experience the coldness of death. Five to be exact.

Auds stood on end and flickered about as he sought to not be taken off guard with his eyes closed. In his mind he was thinking casually about what he might say to an alpha or packmember that could possibly stumble upon him where he lay in the terra of the Kamari. Sin wasn't even aware of who owned these lands, much less who might come upon him to drive him out. Not that it mattered. He was so adept to smooth-talking and conning people that he believed he could do it to just about any. From the whitest souls of goody two-shoes, to the blackest souls of hate and death. There was no one who wouldn't even think to doubt their judgment of him conning, no matter how much they tried to see through his lies and facades. It had been a practiced skill, as well as one he had been endowed with at birth.

Keeping his head above his paws rather than resting it--that would cause too much heat to gather in one area and he didn't want that--Sin was content to just lay here on the grass and dirt covered ground. There was no place he had to be, or needed to be. Nothing was ever pressing in his world and for that he was glad. Pressure was something he could deal with, and yet hated to all the same. In his mind he didn't take too kindly to orders and being told what to do, but in his facades he never seemed to mind much at all. Not to the untrained eye, at least.

Suddenly a sound caught his ears and he almost didn't believe it. It was the sound of metal hitting the earth, and vaguely he wondered if perhaps the humans were back in Anikira and out to capture the wolves for their tests again. He had heard many tales, and quite a few against his wanting because of a facade he would have up at the time.

Instantly amber eyes snapped open and searched the area around him. That sound was resonating, hitting his ears again and again, and coming closer all the while. Still, rather than panic he forced himself calm and to sniff the wind. He didn't know what those humans smelled like, but he wasn't smelling anything he hadn't before, and that helped to keep him calm. If only a bit. His mind was searching for escape routes should this actually be humans, but outwardly his body and appearance was nothing less than composed calm. Other than his panting, of course.

Tilting his head against the wind Sin scented around him once more. That's when he heard the sounds of metal closer than ever, but also slower and more time in between the sounds than had been before. It was odd. Almost like the incoming person or wolf or whatever it was had slowed down quite a bit. Had they seen him? Sensed him? That's when Sin saw him. A canine opposite to himself in color and in posture. The wolf was pure white and one of its legs appeared to have something wrong with it. As did its eye. Vaguely Sin wondered what had happened to this fellow, but he didn't seek to ask. Instead he watched as the wolf cowered to him, tail tucked completely against its body as well as its ears. What made it so fearful? Rather than decide to comfort, Sin found this an opportunity to con a helpless wolf.

Sin got his paws under him and stood tall, his form not much bigger than this guy's, and definitely less intimidating as far as being different went. "Who are you?" He demanded, tail raised halfway so it would seem as though he belonged here rather than was a trespasser as this fellow appeared to be. At least, that's what his demeanor suggested. Who else would cower to another wolf unless they were finding themselves in danger? Sin knew he wouldn't. But then again that was probably his pride talking.

[requiem]

The gentle shuffle foliage bowing beneath the force of paws was enough to signal the ebony male's approach. Even if it hadn't been, the gruff voice that accompanied the movement was enough to destroy Requiem's hope of a successful disguise. Of couse, he knew his invisibility theory was a bust. That had been proven time and time again. For some reason, however, his instincts always insisted on that defense mechanism. Why couldn't he have been born a chameleon, able to blend with his surroundings?

For several very long minutes the Arctic brute did not move, the only indication of his life being the shallow breathing that caused his back to rise and fall almost imperceptiblly. Maybe someone else had shown up and was being addressed. That was not the case though, and eventually the tention grew too great for him to completely ignore the acknowledgement. The sooner this problem was dealt with, the sooner he could once again isolate himself. Or... Maybe he would seek out Eudoxia. Though it seemed to him the fae did not want him around, she was still the only one he was willing to call friend.

Ever so slowly he unclampped the lids the enclosed his right eye, allowing it to ease into its readjustment towards the sunlight. When finally he could see again, he pulled his nose from the cranny of his side it'd been tucked into. Black lips were curved into a scowl as he untwisted just enough to observe the latest obstical in his escape from Kamari. The brute before him was indeed intimidating, in both tone of voice and posture. Vaguely Requiem wondered why the male wasn't with the rest of his pack. The conversation he'd intruded upon seemed too important for any one member to be left out of it.

With his auds still back against his head, the brute did his best to keep his calm. He had only been asked a simple question, and though aggressive, the black male did not seem like he was going to attack. This one on one situation was much easier to deal with than the meeting of the pack, and with a deep breath the Arctic male was sure he could handle this with a bit of composure. After all, it was only an exchange of information. Nothing more, nothing less... Right?

"I am Requiem," he finally spoke. Though his voice was low, he managed to keep the waver from it. Silently he chanted through various strategies to help himself stay calm. Though his body still trembled, he was able to keep the emotion from his voice. Right now that was most important. If he could answer this stranger's questions, maybe this encounter would be as painless as possible. Of course, it did not help that Requiem had a few questions of his own.

Who was this male? Was he really a member of the Haishin pack? Something at the back of Requiem's mind nagged him, telling him the stranger was not. Had this male been a part of Haishin, he would have been back at the dens with the rest of the pack. From what he'd inferred of the members, they were a tightknit, distrustful group. To let one of their own wander aimlessly throughout the territory was not likely. As such, the brute could not resist his own budding curiosity. Unlike the black male's voice, however, his held patience weakened by fear. "Who are you?"

[sin]

Sin's posture was bold as he watched the other brute tremble on the spot he stood. It was almost amusing the way the other seemed to fear him already. Was it for his black coat, or just the air about him? Sin didn't really care so long as this brute was afraid of him. Fear meant he wouldn't try anything funny other than possibly running off, and Sin could deal with that.

"Requiem, hmm?" He questioned, padding towards the male and starting to circle him, as if studying him. His tail wavered behind him like a fan, half erect in the air just to signal his own confidence and ability. That he didn't doubt himself for a minute. "Interesting name. You don't seem much like the type for handling the dead." He meant it in the sense of the meaning of the word requiem. This guy seemed more likely to flee from a dead body than he was to mourn it.

Abruptly stopping in his place--directly in front of Requiem's good eye--Sin cocked his head to the side and studied the form before him. The half-metal leg and the only one eye. What had this brute gotten into a fight with? "For your sake I hope whoever you fought looks worse than you do." It was an off-hand remark, and Sin didn't particularly care if Requiem took offense or not. Perhaps if this male showed interest in conversation then he might actually see if he could brainwash him somehow. Play the friend and get whatever he wanted out of him. If this male could even provide anything.

"Anyway, I'm Sin. That's all you really need to know about me." Maw twisted into a light grin and Sin retreated back over to his shade tree, glad for the coolness once more. "Do you, by chance, know of any cold water spots? Like a river, or a lake, or anything? I could use a drink and a swim right now." Whether the brute was anymore used to these lands than he was, Sin didn't know, but he was sure he would find out. This guy didn't seem like the type to withhold information.

Sun high above the trees, the heat bore down on both wolves, though opposite in appearance. One black and absorbing the heat, and the other white and reflecting it. Sin would have said he envied the other male's coat if admitting that didn't demean his pride. Requiem's fur wasn't exactly the most tame, nor beautiful, but Sin guessed that was for each wolf to decide upon seeing him.

---

Craptastic post, but I wanted to get this out before my job interview.

[requiem]

The black male's circling was unnerving, the motion causing Requiem's breath to hitch. In a fit of nerves the white brute rose to his feet and squared his posture. His tail made its home between his legs, ears refusing to unmold themselves from the top of his cranium. Being on a more level footing with the stranger was slightly better than his position on the ground though. Now, if need be, he could run for the hills without tripping over his own paws. The last thing Requiem wanted right now was a fight. He had no desire to play punching bag for the umpteenth time in his life. Even though he took great offense to many of the words spilling from the ebony brute's maw, he was already resolved to not fight back. Pacifist by nature, Requiem would rather rejoin the dead then condemn another.

Lone eye fixed on the form that suddenly halted before him, fear plainly showing in the stormy oculars. As he opened his mouth to speak, however, the voice that came out was unnaturally calm. Though his body still trembled his voice had taken on that wisdom filled tone, that tone he could not help whenever he took time to educate strangers on horrors they could not possibly fathom. "I was not so named because I mourn the dead. I was so named because I've walked among them." He paused momentarily, eye blinking as he took a breath. "Our kind are unforgiving. With a name like Sin, you probably already knew that though. And if not your name, then your posture clearly states so."

He shuffled his feet slightly, nerves making it hard to stay perfectly still. Requiem felt far from safe in the presence of Sin, only able to calm himself slightly as the midnight male retreated back into the shade. For a long moment he let the silence lapse, mind running through an internal monologue in an attempt to calm himself down. The Arctic male was never one to handle social situations well, and though he had the information requested he still desired to take advantage of the silence. With a bit of quiet and some distance, it was just enough for him to quell his trembling body.

Though still weary, the deformed white brute knew it was better to simply share his knowledge of the land. It would save Sin the trouble of dealing with a possibly angry alpha, and hopefully keep Requiem out of a fight he did not wish to partake in. "This territory's main water source are these hot-springs. A river runs through the Occasus, guarded by a desert pack. The Drarynough is also a source of water, but I believe it too is protected by a pack, as is Nyspoli's Pool. The free lands have no major water source, though puddles like to gather and there are many runoff streams in the plains."

As his voice trailed off, his haunches lowered themselves to the ground. Though the sun beat down harshly on his cool climate adapted body, the heat was the least of his worries. His eye never left dark shadow that was Sin. What the stranger decided to do with his new found knowledge was unknown. Requiem simply prayed it would not involve himself. Right now he wanted to be as far away from others as possible. Providing a tour of Anikira to an intimidating stranger just was not on his current agenda, especially if it involved intruding into the lands of yet another pack. At the moment the brute was positive he would not be able to handle being face to face with another pack.

Edit:
Requiem could not sit still for long though. His anxiety was building. The social situations he'd found himself in were just too much. He could not shake the sheer terror he'd felt while encountering the Haishin pack-mates. He also could not chase away that feeling of foreboding that seemed to emanate from his current companion. The white hued brute was quite uncomfortable, and when he was uncomfortable he tended to run. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must take my leave." The brute then left in silence, the only hint to his presence the soft echo of clanging metal as he faded into the distance.