Where's the Whiskey? [ New Lupus ]

[Destiny]

As per usual, the flaming volcanic pits of Hellfire roared, scorching the damned and torturing the lost, occasionally reincarnating a wolf here or there. Sparks all over the place, general aura of damnation, horror, evil and so on. You get the picture.

Completely and utterly oblivious to the flames, or to anything that probably should've caused her 'pain' for that matter, a fairly large black wolf rambled along over the stoney terrain. Illumination from the orange glow of the firelight gave her a generally 'evil' appearance, and every so often the 'wind' would blow soot and ash from her coat. Perhaps it was the fact that she resided permanently in neither Hellfire nor the Twilight Realm that permitted her to escape the agony of this - but also the bliss and happiness of the latter. She didn't really care either way.

"Ooh, is that a bone?" Assuming that there was no one else around, she plopped down on the ground, ignoring the fact that she was sitting on a small ledge in between two very large lava pits, and started to gnaw on what appeared to be some wolf's femur. Yum yum.

[.Rabid Lycan.]

Sweet feathery Jesus Golden Wolf, how long had it been?
Never being one to enjoy the summer weather, it took a moment of adjustment before the heat of the inferno rolled “comfortably” off his shoulders. Nevertheless, Hell had been his domain for countless years—combined with the toughened exterior of a lesser god, walking on embers was akin to walking on freshly laid carpet.
Not that the bowels of Hell were entirely fire, no—there were strips of not-yet-molten stone that ribboned anaconda-like throughout the chamber of terror… if you knew where to look, that is. The layers, so close to the churning of lava soup below, blistered to the touch, but any long-tortured soul would consider these patches a heavenly sanctuary.
"Heavenly"… that’s funny.
So long ago, it seemed, had he dragged himself through the mists of Purgatory, tossing himself willingly into a masochistic hellhole where he might discover some sense of purpose. And he had, somewhat—just not until years later when he shifted and shaped his winter wonderland into his own being… when he had discovered Rhain.
But what happened? You went and fucked it all up, that’s what happened.
His second chance—or was it his third, fifth, tenth?—to make a comeback, to rest happily, and he had disregarded every warning, every plea. Rhain no doubt hated him right now, he assumed. What are marriage vows to a loveless marriage? His heart slopped filthily in his chest cavity, heavy with something he could vaguely identify but had no desire to face… or face again, one might say.
Somehow, he had ended up in one of the only places he knew Rhain wouldn’t willingly come looking for him—Hellfire. If she even had the will to look for him at all anymore.
Probably not.
Sighing, like a dejected puppy, Lupus stumbled through his demonic doghouse in search of a place to rest… and found, to his surprise, a familiar face. His brow lifted, his lycan posture straightened. Slowly, he half-padded, half-floated up behind her, and peered around her settled frame.
“Yes, I believe that is a bone.”

[Destiny]

It had not been a tormentingly long period of time since a friendly, or at least recognizable face had popped up in her proverbial corner of the world. That said, nothing related to 'time' had every really bothered the wolf - even in life - so it wasn't a big deal if moons upon moons passed by in real-time before anyone set eyes on her. Then again, a bit of company is of course welcome, should it come along, and had she known who was creeping up from the lava pits there would have been no stage-left exit. Over-all, Hellfire possessed a sort of permanent 'rumbling' sound, the noise made by millions of sparks simultaneously igniting and shifting into ash, of stone breaking away, of lava bubbling and broiling for leagues below. Therefore, her acute sense of hearing was not enough to pick up the very faint sound one makes when they 'float', as it were, and she was not prepared for a visitor.

Especially not this one.

Abruptly jerked from a blissful reverie involving a variety of scenarios where generally unpleasant methods of mild 'torture' are placed upon her brother - well, one of her brothers, New Moon did not, however, 'freak the fuck out'. Rather, both particularly black ears perked up, head raising in the direction of this all-to-familiar voice, and some sort of greeting was pronounced. Er, well, mumbled, really, due to the fact that the rather large femur was still clamped between her jaws. Unembarrassed by this, she made an awkward motion that involved placing the large, sopping wet bone on the ground where it sizzled and smoked for a few moments. Even more awkwardly, a paw came up to sort-of wipe a string of drool from the side of her face, and then she provided him with a startlingly almost-pleasant expression.

Apparently, she was not at all 'unnerved' about being in the presence of a God. And "Lupus," at that. "Fancy seeing you here."

[.Rabid Lycan.]

“Bonjour.”
A fanciful feast of awkward and pleasantry bloomed between them, though that was more than he could say of his marital relations, as of late. Of all the topics to ravenously quarrel upon, infidelity? Really? Right the hell outta nowhere. But the suggestion was enough to keep a brow slightly raised in New Moon’s presence, and an ear open for Rhain spontaneously charging in shouting ‘You see’s and ‘I told you so’s. Not that that was exactly her style, but he was growing a bit paranoid as of late.
I need a vacation…
Lupus offered a small smile and a nod, settling himself on a warm pocket of air beside her. Though it was no small feat, he managed to escape thoughts of Rhain long enough to drink in the presence of his new company. A good friend, a beautiful wolf… a familiar wolf at that.
His thoughts began to trail, until he realized he had fixated an awkward stare, which he then tried to pass off as inspecting a particularly engaging speck of soot. Smooth.
“Just taking a stroll. Hope I didn’t interrupt your lunch.”

[Destiny]

A lesser wolf might have been intimated by the presence of a star-born God, a son of Golden Wolf himself. A lesser wolf might also have been more modest. New Moon was neither of these things, and therefore, not a single fuck was given that day.

In a manner verging on bashful, she raised a paw in the way one might in order to indicate that they were comically talking about themselves, as if to say 'Me? Interrupted by you? Don't be silly'. Mustering the best and most obviously fake-surprised expression she could, New Moon proceeded to pick up her still weakly smoking femur, and then tossed it at Lupus' feet. It landed without hitting him, but left no room to question her intent. "What's mine is yours. Not bothered at all." The look could have been a grin, if wolves could grin, but it had an unmistakeably 'jester-ly' quality. Like a street clown dressed up in a suit for a funeral. She'd always been that way - a graceful, elegant appearance despite her size and broadness, yet a fool deep down. There was no harm in fun, after all!

Clearing her throat rather loudly, she proceeded to turn her head left and right, searching for something. Finally, one 'brow' raised and the other lowered, she set her stare on Lupus once again. "Funny you should be walking about in Hellfire. I mean I know it's your domain and all, but ever since the wedding I've barely let eyes on you, old friend." She gave him a knowing look.

[.Rabid Lycan.]

A melodramatic bow weighted his torso to the floor, and after several long seconds, he finally recovered with an eager grin. “Why thank you, your highness. What a marvelous feast you have prepared!” Truth be told, he hadn’t eaten in… how long, exactly? Could have been days, for all he knew. Self-pity was a time-consuming occupation.
Nevertheless, he made dainty work of a section of bone, not wanting to obliterate it from the earth just yet. Part of it was some distant sense of proper etiquette that compelled him to save some for the fine lady, lest she regret sharing her meal; on the other hand, there was something far more sinister lurking in his gut, which rudely obstructed his hunger. Reduced to gnawing contemplatively, Lupus eyed his companion, listening carefully to her voice.
“It has been awhile, hasn’t it. Heh…” He set down the remainder of the bone, passing it under his paw as he rose to a crouch. Even from this position, he remained slightly taller than New Moon, and it crossed his mind that he should morph into something less… conspicuous?
What, you think someone is waiting to snipe you or something? Leave it.
“From the looks of it, I’ll be spending more time among this crowd—well, my crowd—for the timing being. Winter’s come a bit early upstairs.” He swallowed roughly, gazing somewhere between New Moon and the cavernous walls. “I just… I feel like I’m losing her, you know? No, I am losing her… and it just… it’s like it’s already too late to turn around. Our future’s boxed and packaged and ready to go, and… I’m not sure if it’s…” He shook his head, bending a knee to nestle under the crook of his arm. The bone spun idly under the direction of his feral hands, and his appetite shriveled. But, oddly, his mood did not. Entirely, anyway.
His muzzle angled toward New Moon, studying her—though with more informality than one would a painting—and tilting his head slightly. His features were saddened, but a slight upward curve to his jowls crossed his face. “I don’t suppose you have any less-discouraging news to share? How’s life—err, death, or whatever this is—treating you?”
He managed to poke her lightly, playfully, in the ribs with a wandering foot, and the curve tightened. “Been living it up, partyin’ lately? Any romantic dinners with shady fellows?”

[Destiny]

Ahh, I see.. Trouble in paradise. Or, shall we say, an excommunication fo the Lupus genre. Terrible thing, terrible thing indeed.

In an unmistakeably sage-like manner, that of one far too old to appear so fresh and youthful - perhaps it was the Neutrogena. Morning, noon and night, after all! Beauty never rests. - one brow appeared to raise in a 'I understand, my friend, I understand' sort of manner, while her head made a sort of nodding motion. Just enough to show that she was, indeed, listening intently to his woes and worries. "Not all love is meant to last, my friend. You should know that better than any." Bitter-sweetly, she thought of Regulus, but let it pass. He was happy with that other lady now, and frankly, he was far beneath a wolf of her stature. Not to say she'd ever been of any high standing amongst the living, but she had always been an intelligent and sly wolf, shifting from pack to pack as it benefited her survival most. Double-crossing even her own brother, her own half-sister, when it was possible. All for the wolf she had grown to call a good friend. Not because she knew him at the time, but simply for the reason that he had been the God of her pack for generations, and she had worshiper him, wished to prove her worth, and in the end gone against everything she believed in for her half-sister. Not publicly, of course. But Destiny knew. And that was what mattered.

The subject was being dropped, however, and thus she let her mind return to current and more important matters. With the masterful skill of a Broadway actress, her features composed an expression of utter seriousness that only the truest of friends could even question. "Well, that depends. Are you a shady fellow?" Daringly, she continued without pause. "And is this a romantic dinner?"