.Candy.Corn.Necklaces. (Zethro X Ventura)

[Destiny]

Sweet, sugary, brightly colored...
Unless you're a wolf, in which case...
It doesn't taste quite so good...

Lush, life filled, deliciously real, clean, healthy stalks of perfectly real grass were actually growing. Well, in all technicality, it was more like a tiny patch of grass the size of wolf's paw that had somehow managed to escape the furious flames of fire that had licked at the sky. It was a last reminder of what life had once been. Real, beautiful, peaceful, delightfully enjoyable. Even the dark, foreboding, a-cursed clouds of dark, unruly smoke that hung over the pack lands like a cat leaning over the side of a fish bowl, waiting to pounce, had not scared off this last remainder.

But it looks good, oh so good.
Irresistibly tempting, just sitting there, waiting...
Waiting to be gulped down.

An obnoxiously audible, frustrated, famished grumbling from starved belly interrupted the wolf's reverie. "Oh..oh... it looks so good right now..." Long, soft, pink tongue dragged over muzzle. Eyes stared hungrily down at the small patch of grass. Zethro scooted forward, on belly, a little ways. Almost as if he thought the grass might run away if he leaped at it. ... Freak.

[.Rabid Lycan.]

((LOL-- I <3 Zethro ;D ))

Dust skidded outward from the paws of the two traveling wolves, swirling in eddies of dead and charred earth. The land was barren now, with the bark of the trees stained black with smears of soot and a fine layer of smoke still hanging about. Yet the two wolves were glancing around warily, as if they had bigger problems to worry about.

"Seems like the place."
An old voice croaked from one of the wolves, distinctly female and faint with age. She walked with a small limp, but lifted her head in an air of confidence.

"Everything is burnt, Mom. It all looks the same."
A smaller she-wolf sighed, flowing cream-white fur flowing behind her as she dejectedly followed in her mother's pawsteps.
This is going no where-- she said we were there hours ago...

"Nonsense, Ventura. You can smell the wolves from here, no?"

Although hesitant, Ventura inhaled deeply... and was surprised to detect the fresh scent of wolf on the smoke-tinged breeze.
"...you're right," she woofed, sounding fairly surprised. "Sounds like we're on the right track after all..."
Silently, she added, If they welcome us, that is...
Minutes later, the two wolves came to a stop at a particularly smoggy area. Glancing around and scenting the breeze, they couldn't distinguish the way to the pack.

"Perfect," Aspen growled.

"What if we split up?" Ventura suggested. "You head that way, and I'll head this way... we could howl if we find the pack."

Aspen looked at her daughter for a long moment before nodding.
"...alright. But if you get into trouble, you better run as fast as you can."

Will do, Mom. Will do."
With that, Ventura raced into the forest, heading unknowingly toward a certain brute crouched in the grass...

[Destiny]

I could just eat one, they're harmless after all.
No one would see, no one would no.
It could be my dirty little secret.
Heh.. I like the sound of that.

Completely and totally oblivious to the fact that two other wolves were nearby, Zethro crawled forward just another pace. Muzzle parted, a swift intake of breath. Nostrils flared a tad, as well. The only scent that could be determined was that of the smoke, the lake's water not to far by, and the tempting grass. There was wolf, but Zethro, unable to distinguish it, simply assumed it to be his own scent. Idiot.

One little tiny bite.
It's not like I'm eating wolf nip or anything....

"..Not that wolf nip isn't good, but that's besides the point.." Paying such a low amount of attention, brute didn't even realize it when the words were spoken out loud. Suddenly, he dove at the patch of grass, as if it were a rabbit that was ready to hop away from him. Fangs tore and ripped at the helpless stalks as he hungrily gulped it down. Dirt and grass stained his muzzle brown and green. An odd mixture on such a white pelt. No matter, it'd come out with a good washing later on.

[.Rabid Lycan.]

One step. Stop. Listen. Another step. Stop. Listen. Another sep. Stop. Liste--
"Not that wolf nip isn't good..."
Startled by the voice of another wolf, Ventura swiveled about, positive that someone was directing the words at her.
I knew it-- this was a bad idea. We should have just ran to the mountains instead of to the packs... jeez, why did I listen to you mother?
But she soon realized that no one talking to her, and that the sound was coming from the other side of a fairly bare and blackened thicket.
Peering through its twisting and entangling branches, she stared in complete and utter confusion at the sight she beheld at the other side.
Is he... attacking... grass?
...are all pack wolves this stupid?
Slowly, Ventura slid out from her hiding spot, and coughed softly in an attempt to make her presence known. Then, in a 'you're creeping me out' voice, she added, "Umm... excuse me, but are you a local?"

[Destiny]

Awesome job, Zethro.
Sweet stealth, no one will ever-
Wait, what was that?

Ears swiveled as the sound of paw steps was made. It took the poor dumb creature far to long to figure out that someone else was nearby. By the time he actually did, the other wolf had already spoken.

Oh crap..
PLEASE don't be one of those sexy pack mates of mine..

Whirling around, Zethro nearly backed into a tree at the sight of a wolf that he didn't immediately recognize. Ears flicked back, then forward, catching her words. "There are no 'locals' of the Twilight Lake. But I am from a pack, yeah, if that's what y' mean." Nose twitched a little, trying to distinguish the other wolf's scent.

It took Zethro a few moments to realize it was a female wolf that he was talking to. But as soon as this was made note of, he immediately put on 'Zethro The Flirt' mode.

Swiping tongue over chest fur, brute pranced forward several paces. Completely and totally unaware of the piece of grass hanging from his muzzle. "So ah, are you new to these parts?" Creepily suggestive tone. Maybe it was time for the background wolves to step in. Oh, wait, they don't exist in the real world! Only in poor, idiotic Zethro's little tiny brain. Ah well, maybe he could manage on his own. .... HA!

[.Rabid Lycan.]

(( XD BG wolves... ahh, good times, eh? ))

At first, Ventura was afraid that the brute would swivel about and chase her from this place. But within the next five seconds, the male proved to be the complete opposite.
And Ventura was disgusted.
Side-stepping away from the brute, she cleared her throat loudly before continuing. "...err, yes, I am. My mother and I are searching for a pack... it's rather hard to live as loners during times like these, really. And, well... I was wondering if you could direct me to a pack alpha or someone..."
She shook her white fur as she finished her explanation, not wanting to give any details about why they were running from the packlands. At the moment, however, she was leaning towards running back toward the hills that she had came from.

[Destiny]

Smooth sherlock.
Real smooth.
You need therapy, you know that?
Seriously.

Snowy tail held high, clearly showing his dominance. Not that the wolf was any high ranking pack member, but whatever. Let the brute think he's all that if it keeps an argument from occurring, right? Then again, maybe not.

"Well, I can't introduce you to an alpha.. well I guess I could bring you right to Yago... But eh, that would make far to much sense." A little teasing smirk played across his maw. "Besides, I don't roll that way." Whatever the Hellfire he meant by that, it was NOT meant innocently.

You're going to scare her off!
Cool it down dipshit!

Slightly embarrassed with himself, male took a step away and scented the air. "Mother, eh?" Thoughtful flick of an ear. Maybe this mother of her's would be closer to his age.

............PERV

[.Rabid Lycan.]

Raising a questionable brow, Ventura took another step back-- this time, a much larger step back.
He may be a bit easy on the eyes, but what the frick is with his screwed up ego?
Coughing rather loudly, she nodded. "Yes, my mother," she confirmed. "She ran off in the other direction in search of this Alpha of yours... Yago, you said her name was... right?"
She paused, blinking at Zethro, wanting nothing more than to run away at this moment, but forcing herself to remain still.
"...why can't you introduce us, again?"

[Destiny]

Not far away, well hidden by the veil that she had created using the powers endowed upon her, a creamy color female cackled quietly in the smoke. Eyes glittered with mischief, and the 'Destinian' waited to see what would happen next.

(..*cackle* >> <<;; xD)

"Yes.... her name is Yago..." Eyes scanned the smoke, searching for any sign of this mother of her's. Nostrils flared, scent being registered, and he took a step in the general direction that might lead him to Aspen. "I can't bring you because... I don't really want to..." Zethro chuckled, turning his smirk to Ventura. "Besides, she's more likely to stumble upon Selia, Tiah or even Pyre then she is Yago. They have a tendency to follow me..." Eyes seemed to roll back into his head for a moment, as if she knew exactly what he was talking about.

[.Rabid Lycan.]

((ahh, how evil ))

Ventura had to bite back the growl of frustration that had formed in her throat when the brute still refused to comply. Even worse, she could tell exactly what was on this male's mind...
...which compliments his ego nicely Ventura added with a disgusted inward scoff.
...but I suppose if I want something out of him, I'll have to try a different tactic...
She forced a small, mischievious little grin on her face. Her tail curled and she took a subtle step toward the Sheeran male. In a sweeter and softer voice, she mumured, "Hmm... I can see why."
She looked up at him, adding a sly, "Are you sure you couldn't at least, you know... show me around a little? I mean, who knows... I may end up staying 'round these parts for a while..."
She secretly wanted to gag at her own words and actions, but remained openly seductive, swishing her ivory tail back and forth as she waited for his reaction.

[Destiny]

Tail tip flicked teasingly, boldly, across her muzzle. If eyebrows could raise they'd be doing that little 'eyebrow wiggle' that human males sometimes did. Muzzle twisting into the sliest, sneaky-est little smirk that anyone had ever seen. Eyes glimmering with the treacherous mischief. "I suppose you can, pretty thing.." A sidestep in Ventura's direction, paw reaching out to flick her by the ear. "I suppose that would be the very least I could do.."

[.Rabid Lycan.]

((lmao-- he's such a creep XDXD))

Ventura nearly slapped him, inches away from just leaning forward and biting down, hard, on his nose. But she knew that she would have to keep this up for a little while at the very least if she wanted to find the pack.
...maybe I should just find the pack on my own...
Restraining a frustrated sigh, the ivory fae ducked down and came up on Zethro's other side, brushing her fur against his flank. Her tail swept under the brute's chin before sliding away. She slid behind him, a playful (fake) smile on her maw.
"Oh, I bet..."
Her ears going back a little and her tail swishing silently back and forth, she asked sweetly, "Any places I should know about around here? Hunting grounds?" She paused before adding a soft and suggestive, "...dens?"

[Destiny]

( xD A total creeper. Lmao. )

Oh yeah, that's right baby, you're a smart one aren't cha?
Tingling with horribly perverted lust, drool very nearly dripping from his large muzzle, the brute was barely managing to hold onto the very last bit of composure that he had. "Ohh yes, right this way, babe..." One step is all he took.

The snowy, ghostly, muscular brute's jaw dropped wide open. "B-but, but, that was, you were, she was...!" Icy eyes were staring, shocked, at the whisp-y image of a snowy, scarred, beaten female. Old, clearly, yet in her prime. Oozing wisdom. But she said nothing, simply stood there. "..That was... there was... rock... not pretty wolf... rock...."

What had Vetra Vaticana done now? Oh, that's right! Scare the crap out of Zethro, for the sake of tormenting him! Haha, what an evil little wretch, eh?

[.Rabid Lycan.]

Ventura rolled her eyes as soon as Zethro looked the other way. Keep dreaming, Romeo... He moved to follow him, but nearly ran into him when he came to an abrupt halt, stammering words that she couldn't make sense of.
"...huh? Is there something wrong?"
Ventura peered over Zethro to stare at a female that she couldn't recognize.
...uh... packmate? I don't know... but at this rate, I'll never find the pack camp...

[Destiny]

If it was possible his eyes would have been bulging out of their sockets as he STARED so rudely at the famous wolf. Yes, famous. "But she's.. not... alive.. Destiny.. famous.. dead... DEAD! You're dead!" Of course he'd recognize the past alphess who the Destinian Pack was named for. Though there was something clearly off about her... "Wrong? WRONG? She's DEAD!" Zethro took a step back, staring, still, at the ghostly figure.

"I am Destinyyyyy... I come to HAUNT YOU! BWAHAHAH!" The mouth never moved on the creature, and the voice seemed to come from everywhere. Vetra needed a life.