Survival (Antiope)

[Venom]

Black legs clashed harshly with the bright red of flowers as Venom picked his way through the open field, his tall body keeping only slightly above the tops of the plants as he moved. Ever alert, the dark wolf moved his head, eyes, and ears constantly, paying attention to every detail he noticed until it was clear that it was not a threat. It was nearby that he had been seen brutally murdering a fellow wolf, though chances were good that the minuscule coyote who had witnessed the event was no longer in the area. After he had invaded Eden territory and left quickly, he had neither seen or smelled any trace of the canine, and so he assumed that she had left out of grief.

Slender paws crushed only blades of grass, the male being careful to avoid creating a followable trail, just in case one of the fools from a few days ago had decided to track him down. It would have been difficult for them, since he was so used to fleeing sticky situations and keeping hidden, but nothing was impossible, and Venom was too experienced to take chances. He did not make it to this age by being careless, that was for sure. Despite the fact that he was at a marked physical disadvantage compared to most wolves--lacking a leg really put a dent in his abilities--he was still an apex predator and had adapted to his disability better than he could have hoped.

It helped, perhaps, that he had taken the leg himself, and that it had not been taken from him forcibly. The avalanche that trapped him still haunted his dreams some nights, but his will to live had always helped him overcome any obstacle, and would continue until the day he was met with a challenge he could not defeat. The likelihood that it would happen sooner rather than later was high, but these were not thoughts he liked to concern himself with. Fearing the future was almost as bad as living in the past, and the wolf was not one to dwell on such negatives.

As he reached the middle of the huge field of red, Venom took a moment to relax; he was in an incredibly open space, and there was almost no danger that could sneak up on him here, unless it were something roughly the size of a squirrel. No large predators would have any hope of concealing themselves in the field, so although he was a stain on the beautiful landscape, he was as safe here as though he were hidden. There would be no finding breakfast, which he lamented only slightly as he felt the sun begin to warm his ebony pelt, but it was no matter. Food would come along when he needed it.

After taking his moment, Venom pushed his three legs back into motion, the hopping gait oddly graceful as he pushed himself closer to the trees once more, returning to his alert and receptive state in order to keep his wits about him and his attention sharp. The forest was where the danger truly lived, if there was any, though the male was well aware that he had precious few enemies to worry about aside from other wolves--and even then, he could either garner pity or talk himself out of most danger. One did not live as long as he had without picking up a few tricks and learning to survive, and Venom was well-versed in many different areas of life. It would take quite the disaster to take away what he fought so hard to keep.

Words || 608
Tags || Antiope
Notes || Here ya go friend. (: We can assume that he's juuuust about at the tree-line by the end.

[Antiope]

Something about the place set her on edge, and it was with growing frustration that she realized she could not quite pin point the source of her discomfort. Perhaps it was simply that she had never seen so much red in a single area before; the intensity of the sea of poppies was almost unnatural, and just standing there, looking at it, sent a prickling feeling down her spine. It felt almost as if she was being watched, though by what – or whom – she did not know. And that was no good. She had learned very quickly that survival as a lone wolf was dependent upon one’s awareness of his or her surroundings, and though she was confident that the only other wolf around her was the black one currently in the middle of the ocean of red, she could not shake the feeling. Another instinct that had proven itself important was her gut, and her gut was currently telling her that something was strange about this field.

She should leave.

But she had just arrived, and she rarely ever left an area so quickly after journeying to it. The young female wanted to stay and explore. Word of a brilliant field of crimson had traveled on the wind, and she had been given the impression that it was a sight worth seeing. Curiosity had driven her here, but now that she had seen the overwhelming number red flowers, she could leave. And yet, that felt too much like giving up. Besides, she knew herself well, and she could say with confidence that she was fully capable of holding her own should she need to. The only things that were here, she reasoned, were flowers and a midnight colored wolf out a safe distance from her. She was not going to be cowed a few plants, and it was unlikely that another loner would waste valuable energy by attacking her without good cause. She was being over paranoid, for she had nothing to fear in an area that was unclaimed by any packs; she did not have to be sure to avoid crossing any scent markers here, where no wolf had claim over any piece of land. Life was simpler that way, even if the north was a little colder than what she was used to. Without a territory to defend, it seemed as though fights between loners only happened if one felt threatened by the other, and both she and the black wolf were minding their own business.

Shaking her head, Antiope strode closer to the field and sniffed one of the flowers curiously. Plants of any kind had never held her attention for long, but there was something intriguing about this unique ocean. Perhaps it was the sheer number of them, or more likely, it was the fact that something about them made her so uncomfortable. They were flowers, nothing more. And yet… She glanced up again from her investigation of the curious flowers and saw with some surprise that the other canine was now in motion. Even from a – shortening, for he was headed almost directly toward her – distance, she could tell that something was off about his stride; she had never seen one like that before. Curiosity did not slow her reactions for long, and frowning slightly, she backed away with the intent of disappearing back into the cover of the forest. She had little desire to meet the other wolf when some unexplainable reason had already set her so on edge. However, even as she reached the trees once more, it seemed that the stranger had been moving faster than she had thought, for he was almost upon her. A meeting seemed inevitable, and she turned back, watching him warily. Perhaps they would simply exchange a brief greeting and be on their own ways.

639 | Venom | It's a little awkward because I lost my train of thought somewhere in the middle, but here you are.

[Venom]

As he moved through the flowers, Venom became acutely aware of a presence in the trees; his nose and eyes were the parts of him that caught her, though his ears eventually heard her as well. She was small, very small, and quiet, but tuned senses that were well-trained could not be eluded forever. Additionally, the dark wolf had been expecting some sort of interruption, as the world was not kind enough to him to keep annoyances at bay.

With a resigned sort of air, the male headed in the direction of the minuscule wolf, training his eyes upon her even as she shrunk back into the trees. Smirking, Venom slowed his pace and turned slightly, so as not to be headed straight toward her but instead at a point to her left, so that she would be able to see his missing right rear leg. Perhaps it would soothe and calm her, to know that while he was larger than she, it did not necessarily make him a threat. Had he been hungry, the threat would be more real; as it stood, he had no desire to take down prey that would fight back.

Closer and closer he moved, steadily closing the distance between himself and the female. Everything about his body language spoke of a pleasant openness, not a hint of danger about him, but he did not expect her to simply accept that. It might take a little more convincing, for him to truly earn her trust, but based on how easily he had tricked Jericho, he worried little.

Once within speaking distance, Venom stopped at the edge of the field and peered into the forest where the small wolf lingered, having not run off immediately when he spotted her. Green eyes inspected the wolf, taking in the details of her within seconds before he placed a soft, gentle smile upon his face. "Hello there," he purred, his voice dripping with charm, eyes nearly twinkling with a mischievous glint. "I don't mean to be rude, my dear, but I simply could not live with myself if I did not come over to say hello to the most beautiful wolf I've ever set my eyes upon."

The words flowed easily, calmly, and the male's smile grew as he finished speaking, wondering how the female would respond to his flattery. Despite his age and physical disability, he often was able to charm most other wolves without it being much of a challenge; after all, experience had given him an immense advantage over the years, and he had started life as a pretty charming wolf by default. "My name is Kimset," he added after a brief pause, using the same name he had pretended to own since his brother had left his side. Lowering his muzzle, the wolf fell into a deep bow, respectfully lowering his eyes and touching the ground with his nose before settling down before the strange female, adjusting his weight to sit comfortably and wrap his long tail around his stump of a leg.

Words || 518
Tags || Antiope
Notes || Look at this charming little devil. o:

[Antiope]

Yellow eyes warily watched the stranger drew closer to her, the amount of space between them steadily shrinking as the ground gradually disappeared under his distinct gait. His path did not seem to be taking him directly toward her, she noted, and a faint spark of hope – perhaps he had not noticed her after all – flickered within her before reason quickly extinguished it. She could not realistically believe that her presence had gone completely unnoticed, for had their positions been switched, she knew that she would have been acutely aware of the figure lurking among the shaded trees. What she saw as she continued observing the male, however, gave her pause. With the other loner’s trajectory directed ever so slightly toward her left, she could easily see the source of his unusual gait and realized exactly why she had never seen another wolf walk like that.

He only has three legs. Unbidden, something like horror – but perhaps also pity? – crept down her spine. Logically, she knew, of course, that it was possible, but she had never seen it. The thought of losing a piece of herself, especially a part as critical as one of her limbs, chilled her blood, and her own right hind leg twitched sympathetically. How did something like that happen? One’s leg did not simply fall off in the middle of the night – no, it was a brutal act that was undoubtedly the result of a ruthlessness that she was having trouble comprehending. How could he hunt? Fight? And, she realized, he had only three legs – an obvious disadvantage – yet still he survived, still he met the harsh demands of a loner’s life. Here was a wolf who must be very capable, very skilled.

In light of that startling revelation, she figured that an extra dose of wariness was not entirely unwarranted. Indeed, he had shown no sign of malicious intent, and as he loped toward her, she sensed an air of pleasant openness about him. And yet, she was a survivor in her own right. Perhaps she had never faced death head on, but she knew how to take care of herself. Life had hardened her heart. Anyone who was stronger than her was a potential threat, and only fools trusted the good intentions of strangers. She knew what happened to the weak ones, and she knew that she would never be counted among their number. If she was to make history, she could not afford to make those kinds of mistakes.

He was bigger than her, she noted idly as he positioned himself opposite her, not that it took much to accomplish such a feat. She was accustomed to being on the smaller side of the spectrum, and she had learned how to use her size to her advantage. A pleasant smile crossed his face, and green eyes seemed to shine with a playful glint. Ears flicked at his words. His voice was smooth and altogether not unpleasant to listen to. How long had it been since she had last heard another speak? Too long. With a jolt, she caught the corners of her lips begin to turn upwards ever so slightly and realized that, distracted by his flattery – she was never one to turn down a complement, though she disliked thinking that she ever preened – she had started to relax. That was no good, and she tensed again, not wanting to be caught off guard.

But then he – Kimset, he introduced himself – bent low into a bow. No one had ever bowed to her before, and even though the action seemed rather strange and out of place, she found herself liking the show of respect. Yes, she could get used to that. As he settled himself down comfortably, she found her body mirroring his actions, haunches lowering to the ground even as she tried to remember when exactly she had given them permission to do so. Perhaps a short conversation, and then she could leave. ”I’m Antiope,” She offered finally, voice somewhat croaky from disuse. Inclining her head slightly, she cleared her throat, and feeling somewhat obligated to attempt awkward conversation with a wolf far more charming than she could ever hope to be, she added, ”Nice to meet you, Kimset. Do you – ah – do you come here often?”

715 | Venom | sorry for taking so long to reply x.x

[Venom]

Venom's keen eye easily noticed when the female's body relaxed, only to tense up again as was wise; she was clearly no fool, but again, he was good at what he did. The male had spent years cultivating his charming personality and using it to take advantage, and though he had nothing to take advantage of from a single loner, he could not resist using his tongue as the weapon that it was. Some could argue it as a form of alturism, for he was gaining nothing from the experience and she was able to revel in his feigned kindness; more likely, it was practice for him to stay sharp, and had nothing at all to do with the female.

Regardless, he was now intent on continuing the interaction, especially when he watched her lower her own rump to the ground shortly after he did. His grin widened ever so slightly, sharp teeth glinting in the light that was slowly drifting across the sky. Sunset would not happen for several hours, but Venom eagerly awaited the sight; he had always been a fan of the colors that danced across the sky, as had his mother, and he liked to watch as many as he was able. Pushing thoughts of his past from his head, the male nodded to the female, accepting her name as true.

"Antiope," he repeated softly, his voice smooth as melted caramel. "A beautiful name to match the wolf. It's truly my pleasure." Venom lowered his head again in another respectful show, though he kept his brilliant eyes trained upon her this time, and did not come nearly as close to the grass at his feet. "I do not go anywhere often, I am afraid. I am the epitome of hopeless wanderer, always moving and exploring. I have only recently travelled here to the north, and will just as quickly descend back down the continent to search for the next rush."

His words, as always, came easily and smoothly, and he paused where appropriate, his tone and pronunciation absolutely impeccable. This Antiope was not as foolish as most, he assumed, but still she was foolish, and he would be just as much the fool if he was not a little careful. "Pardon my rudeness, Antiope, but I cannot help but be entranced by your coat. It had been a long while since I have seen such a bright red wolf," he said with feigned awe, his eyes following her body position as though he had not already inspected every inch of her. "I must ask, is the rest of you family as brilliantly colored? It really is entrancing."

The dark wolf cocked his head after he spoke, silently awaiting an answer. Venom was probing, clearly, but part of his game was figuring out just how far he could go before his quarry (or, in this case, the second player, for he had no intention of harming her) caught on and became suspicious. He, of course, would play it off as simple curiosity, and apologize profusely if he were to offend her. It was as though he had just as much fun almost getting caught as he did getting away with things completely.

Words || 548
Tags || Antiope
Notes || It may have been your autocorrect or just an honest mistake but the name he used was KimSET, not KisMET. I don't know how I came up with it or why it had to be different but it was like 10 years ago so I'm picky about it. xD NO WORRIES but just so you know. (: Also I know I'm obnoxious for having him use a fake name I'm totally the worst.

[Antiope]

A small smile briefly ghosted across her lips as he complimented her again, before answering her question. Something in his description of himself resonated with her, and she found herself nodding along ever so slightly with his words. It seemed as though the two of them were alike in their habits, always traveling from place to place and never staying in one area too long. Curiosity drove her to new lands, the young she-wolf had discovered. At times, it felt as though she had the entire world before her, and since she had only recently swam across the channel, she still had the entire south continent to explore and, she knew, a plethora of new sights to see. ”You must have seen quite a lot, then, if you’re always on the move,” Antiope spoke lightly, ears flicking. ”Do you have a favorite place you’ve seen?” A slight pause. ”Or perhaps one to settle down in?” Another hesitation as she realized that the question had suddenly become much more personal than she had originally intended, and she added somewhat sheepishly, ”If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

Despite her appreciation for the wanderlust that had held her in its grasp for the past few seasons, she found her longing for a permanent home growing with each passing day. Perhaps the near-constant solitude and the lack of stability – it was not often that she knew from the start where she would spend the night, after all – had begun to eat away at her. Now the feeling was small, but since the seed had been planted, she knew that it would only continue to grow insidiously with time. When the time was right, she would find somewhere to settle down, but she still had an entire island to explore before then. Because the packs seemed slightly more forgiving of loners skirting their territories than those who belonged to other groups, she suspected that it would be many months before that option ever became a decision she would seriously consider.

His smooth voice cut through her meandering thoughts, bringing her back to the present. At his words, she shifted slightly and glanced slightly self-consciously down at herself, as though she had forgotten exactly what shade of red colored her fur. Born into a family with coats of a similar hue, she had never given her pelt much thought beyond whether or not she had groomed it recently, and it was odd – though in retrospect, it made perfect sense – to think that others might see it as something unique; however, now that she thought about it, most of the other wolves she had met had fur that was brown, black, white, or somewhere in between.

But her family? It had been quite a while since any of them had occupied her thoughts. Her late brother, aptly named Copper, had had perhaps the deepest pelt of them all, though she was a close second, especially compared to the lighter hue of her mother. Idly, a small part of her wondered how they were doing, but she had long since reconciled herself with the fact that she would likely never cross paths with any of them again. The thought was brushed aside into the largely ignored corner of her mind lest she dwell on it too long and unearth emotions she would rather not face. Particularly in front of a stranger, charming though he was. ”Not as much,” She answered simply, ”Though everything is relative, of course.” Antiope had yet to meet another wolf who looked similar to herself, though she did not doubt their existence. ”Have you met many other wolves, Kimset?”

607 | Venom | Fixed his name. Sorry about that!

[Venom]

Venom matched Antiope's smile with his own as she spoke, amusement playing across his features. She, too, was probing for information, though her endgame was surely different from the male's. It would appear she was searching for a place to call home, or at least to investigate; some wolves were meant to be loners for life, but most were not, and so Venom was not surprised. "I have seen a lot, it's true," he answered smoothly, nodding his head, smile still present. "Most of the island, really, except a few select parts of the north here. I've also avoided the smaller island and the bit at the end of the land bridge to the east... I'm afraid I would be far outclassed by the gargantuan wolves there."

He laughed softly at that, as though he were nervous. Truthfully, he would have been able to sneak about like any other, but he had heard stories of Kairos and he was uninterested. There was too much danger for him in a land full of warriors weighing nearly three times as much as he, towering over him. Had he been a female, he would have been able to inspect them, if the rumors were true, but they had no need for a scrawny, three-legged male in their ranks, regardless of the skills he knew he could bring to the table. It was not worth his trouble, nor his life, to try.

Antiope now was inspecting her own pelt, and Venom's smile widened at her surprise. She was a somewhat bland female to him, but perhaps she would become more interesting if he asked her more questions. She, at least, was answering them, which was a step above many wolves he had interacted with recently. There was no chance he would see her again, he was sure, but the male planned to leave on good terms--or amicable, at least--so that if they ever did meet again, she had no reason to be suspicious. Doing something like that was odd for him, but he had sated his bloodlust with that dark loner a few weeks ago and he felt no need to kill again so soon without cause.

Another question was directed at him, and he glanced off into the trees for a moment before he answered. "In my wanderings? I've met countless others," he said enigmatically, flicking his bright eyes back to hers for a moment without moving his head. "Most recently, I met a wolf from a pack not far from here, called Eden. He was quite enamored with his home, despite having just joined the pack. Something about their entity of worship... I forget the name... appealed to him. We did not talk much, but he was a pleasant creature." Turning back, Venom arched an eyebrow, preparing to ask his own question.

"Are you looking for a home, Antiope?" he inquired, wondering where the small female would fit in. "If so, I could give you some details on the packs I've spoken to. Not the best way to determine where to make your home, but perhaps it will help." Venom was, it appeared, truly attempting to help her. Whether or not it would work out was a matter he did not concern himself with.

Words || 565
Tags || Antiope
Notes || Woops Venom is being kind of a softie. He always ends up that way. xD