In Dire Straits - and kill my mind [prp zanna]

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#6b658e

A chill gripped the air in the early morning hours, before the sun had a chance to climb the mountains and spill warm sunlight into the valley, like pour honey into a bowl. There was a frost on the ground, probably the first of the season. Summer was over and autumn was quickly careening toward winter. Snow would be without a doubt on their doorstep.

But for now, periwinkle skies of early dawn would be there to greet the large male as he pulled himself from the warmth of the family den, a caring lap placed against each sibling that slumbered in a pile. His paws met the crunch of cold grass and he had to shake the chill form his bones, nostrils flaring, sending vapors into the air every time he exhaled.

Shaggy haired bangs blocking his vision, but his wet nose was assaulted by an array of scents, and his ears perked to the sound of birdsong. High above in the sky there was the twinkling of fading stars, the pale face of a moon, the swirling pastel hues of purple and blue that ebbed toward dawn. The slab ebbed with them.

Snaking his way around pines with something dead dangling in his jaws, he'd come to the familiar clearing, the sound of rushing water far ahead, he'd drop the small carcass licking the blood from his jaws and snorting away fur that stuck to his nose, Saturn would laid down with a harsh grunt, his heavy paws resting atop what appeared to be his kill of dead hare. Teeth biting down on the neck until it gave a sickening snap, ripping and pulling.

But he wasn't the only one out here at this hour, he'd come to find out, sooner than he'd realize.

Zanna didn’t remember what it was like to feel such a biting chill in the air. After having lived in the sticky climates of the swamp for an extended amount of time, she had easily become acclimated to those temperatures. Her mind and body too quickly forgot what it was like to feel frost beneath her feet; to feel her lungs wince from the cold air. In fact, she was feeling pretty bitter about it. It could have been the overall frustration of her lack of rank, or perhaps general grouchiness of being up so early in the morning, but she was feeling particularly hateful toward the sudden drop in temperature.

Huffing a hot puff of air out of her nose and watching as her breath crystalized before her, she looked up to the sky. The sun hadn’t even fully risen yet and somehow, she was wide awake. Her schedule had been less than ideal since they had moved to the new territory – she failed to find a regular sleeping pattern that worked for her. She often couldn’t sleep at night due to sore muscles or an aching chest, but she was feeling back to normal health these days and was running out of excuses.

Maybe she was just anxious.

The still silence around her broke when she heard a grunt coming from the distance, her ears swiveling toward the sound. It seemed she wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep. Or perhaps the people of Saboro were starting to appreciate the sunrise.

With a light snort, Zanna decided to find out who her early morning companion was, figuring she may as well entertain herself if she wasn’t going to be dreaming.

Cold paws carried her from the trees into a clearing, and she saw a hulking mass of blueish fur within. She didn’t recognize this person immediately, unsure of who it could be. It seemed they were having an early breakfast, and Zanna hesitated for a moment. No, she wasn’t afraid, but she considered her own grumpy morning mood and wondered if she should really be approaching this stranger while they were working to fill an empty stomach at the crack of dawn.

Mentally shrugging, she decided to approach them.

“Morning,” she’d call out to them, her voice not soft, but not abrupt. The crimson girl stopped a couple meters away, observing as a bloodied maw tore apart a hare, the face covered by a thick mop of hair. She’d sit then, waiting patiently, not wanting to intrude on meal time.

Though she had to admit that watching him eat made her stomach growl.

A E S T H E T I C

#6b658e

It wasn't until his company spoke that he even took notice of their presence, grunting in surprise and lowering his head just a bit, but not like it made much difference he couldn't see who it was anyway and he couldn't match the voice to any he recognized. "One sec, I can't see." He responded in a soft tone, licking away the blood on his lips as he threw his head back and moved a paw to stop the rush of fluffy bangs of blue speckled with stars.

Pupils contracted when met with the light of morning and wine colored eyes settled on the female, he blinked. "Oh, hey." The youth gave her a bit of a nod. "I don't know who you are, but I'm Saturn." Soft voice spoke plainly, as his eyes studied her intricate markings. Ah, there it was again. The tightening in his chest. Niph would have called it unreal, he always did, but not this was the blossoming of LOVE. The boy sighed almost dreamily at her.

Oh yeah, how rude of him, attention panned back to the rabbit that rested between his forelegs. In a flash his teeth were upon it again, a sickening crunch of bones and tearing of ligaments that didn't want to be torn, with enough effort he ripped the head clean off, rolling it to the side, the rest of the body however. The bangs slumped around his face and his vision went dark once more.

Teeth reached out to grab what was left of the carcasses scruff and moved to grab the head by the ears as well, standing up he moved to where his guest was and dropped them in front of her. Licking his lips as soon as they left his mouth, stepping closer into her personal space, lowering his head just enough. "You can have it if you want, like a gift." A gift for..... lovers.

“One sec, I can’t see,” said the stranger as he grunted in what she assumed was a little bit of surprise at her presence. She watched as he licked his maw clean, then threw his head back to throw his hair out of the way, using a paw to assist.

Beneath the mop of hair lie two deep crimson eyes. The color sort of clashed with the gentle blue and purple hues of his pelt, but somehow they managed to compliment his general colors at the same time. A nice accent, she decided.

“Oh hey. I don’t know who you are, but I’m Saturn.” He eloquently introduced himself and Zanna nodded respectfully. She watched him as he studied her in depth, his eyes tracing the edges of her frame. He let out a soft sigh.

Shifting, somewhat uncomfortable, Zanna cleared her throat. “Zanna.” She offered, her voice level and smooth.

Before she could say anything else, he was nose deep in his meal again, tearing away at flesh, crunching at bones. Zanna raised a brow as she watched, realizing she was very much interrupting meal time. She made a mental note that the next time she stumbled upon Saturn, she’d make sure he was already well fed.

As he finished up his meal, Zanna simply sat and watched. He gathered a few of the pieces then – some tattered fur, the head – and approached the maroon girl. He came close to her, a lot closer than she would ever find herself approaching a stranger. She resisted the urge to pull her lips over her teeth, sensing no malice from Saturn.

He dropped the remnants of the rabbit at her feet, lowering his head as he inched closer still. “You can have it if you want, like a gift.” He offered, remaining very close to her.

Instinctively, she rose back to her feet and stepped back a bit. “Thanks…” she said in a low voice, extremely confused by this young male’s actions. She stared down at the rabbit, or what was left of it, and furrowed her brow. It wasn’t like there was any meat left there for her to snack on. What exactly did he want her to do with this? Hang it in her den?

“You look young, Saturn.” Zanna stated, eyeing the boy up. “Did your mother not teach you any manners? About ah… Personal space?” Her tone was not to imply reprimand, but more or less a friendly reminder that Saturn could possibly be stepping on toes. Step on the wrong toes and you might face teeth. She was sure he was of no ill intent, and so she offered him a small half smile to punctuate her words.

She reached a paw out then, rolling the hare’s head toward her so its lifeless eyes stared wide at her. “What do you propose I do with this?” She was honestly curious, wondering if perhaps Saturn had some strange ritual he performed with the heads of the dead.

A E S T H E T I C

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#6b658e

Her name awarded another dreamy sigh, what a perfect name for a perfect angel. Maybe she fell outta the sky, like angels usually do, because someone pushed her while trying to kill her or something, as again what usually happens to angels. "That's a nice name. Pretty, very.... pretty." Eyes stared at her intently, boring holes into her.

He blinked at her, though she didn't seem thrilled by the gift, she said thanks all the same so that meant she super loved it. Gosh, she loved it and him, wow. "You're welcome." He said, a smile twitching at his jaws as he tried to lean in closer to her, nostrils flaring to try and sniff her. How simply romantic, what an absolutely pure moment. He'd treasure it forever, just like he hoped that she would.

Throwing his head back to move the long bangs of fringe from his eyes, the young boy's vision would rest upon her again. That smile twitching upon his lips, it looked almost as if he were pain, but nope, that was just his 'charmer' smile, sighing once more at her. "Yeah, I guess I'm young. I dunno." The youth said with a shrug, tilting his head at her curiously. "Don't have one of thems, I have a Nebula. That's my sister, she's nice. I also have Niph, he's my brother. He's really smart and good at explaining things. They both are." Wine colored eyes blinked, another inch closer. "What about manners?."

"Heads are good for rolling and throwing, you can do whatever though, it's a gift. Crack it open and see what's inside, mushy brain tissue and fluid. Keep it in your den for long enough it'll start to smell, but I kinda like it." Then again his other siblings did not and there were countless times that he found his heads tossed out the den and in nearby freshly dug holes. "It's an interesting smell."

"But were you saying you want a mother? Do you want one? Do you want me to get you one? Would that make you happy.... if I got you one, Zanna?" He towered over her, lowering himself just a smidge to nearly push his face into her own. "I can do it, I can get you one, if that's what you want." His voice nearly a whisper, an intensely blank look in his eyes as the fur from his bangs dropped and darkened his vision once more. For you, I would.

Zanna didn’t really think Saturn could get any closer to her, and yet somehow, he did. His nostrils flared as he took in her scent, and Zanna did her best not to grimace. She could feel her patience slipping away from her, her heart beat beginning to pick up pace slowly.

Saturn agreed that he was young, and mentioned that he doesn’t have a mother. Instead, he has a ‘Nebula’, who he said is his sister, and a brother named Niph. He complimented them both and Zanna reminded herself that this boy seemed to be very kind and selfless, albeit a little bit oblivious.

“What about manners?” He asked, but Zanna simply pursed her lips and shook her head slightly, not sure if she could make that hint any clearer.

He went on to give some suggestions for her new gift, like rolling and throwing, or breaking it open to peer inside. Decoration, until it starts to stink – that was a good one. However, when he mentioned liking the smell of death, Zanna felt her stomach twist slightly. Something was wrong with this boy, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Before she could comment on his suggestions for the rabbit head he gave her, he circled back to the ‘mom’ thing, asking if she wanted a mom. “Do you want me to get you one? Would that make you happy… If I got you one, Zanna? I can do it, I can get you one, if that’s what you want.” He was strangely eager, and got uncomfortably close to her, his nose nearly inside of her own. His voice was low and eerie.

The maroon girl was struggling to compose herself at this point, clearly not enjoying the fact that this kid was right in her face. She stepped back, again, and fought the instinct of pulling her lips back. ‘He’s just being nice… He’s a bit confused and odd, but he’s just … Being nice.’ She reminded herself mentally, swallowing down the growl that rose in her throat.

“I don’t need a mother, no. Thank you.” She didn’t have one, but she didn’t need one anymore. She could only imagine what Saturn’s reply would be if she told him she didn’t already have one. It seemed he would go to great lengths to find her one, and she had no idea where this sudden infatuation with her came from – if that’s what this was.

Clenching her teeth, she looked at the boy with a furrowed brow. Where his siblings like this? Were they really fucking weird too? She honestly hoped not, if they were here in Saboro with him. One was probably … More than enough.

She needed to change the subject to something that he couldn’t twist into some weird obsessive thing. She knew straight up walking away likely wouldn’t work in this situation – he’d probably just follow her. “What do you do here? Are you ranked, Saturn?” An attempt, which she hoped worked well enough to at least get him off her face.

Zanna was sure if he got that close again, she’d have to do something about it.

A E S T H E T I C

#6b658e

He waited vacantly for her answer, ignoring how tense she looked, after all that was just nerves. She was feeling what he was feeling, love and all that stuff. It was so painfully obvious, he sighed dreamily again, though his ears twitched as she pulled back and though she couldn't see it behind his mop of fringe, he blinked as if confused by her actions. Maybe she was just overwhelmed with emotions? Yeah, pretty pretty Zanna was just so overwhelmed with positive feelings of affection that she needed to take a step back. He'd give her that space, tilting his head to the side.

Though she did reject his offer for finding her a mother. "Oh." He simply said, vacant and soft. "If you ever change your mind, I can still do it though, I don't mind." There was a certain chipperness to those usually vacant words, and why wouldn't there be? All Zanna would have to say is jump and Saturn would've done it right there and then.

Ear flicked at her question and the youth gave her a shrug at first, shaking the chill of his coat as his bangs flipped up and revealed his eyes again, staring her down intently. He could feel another dreamy sigh trying to work it's way out of his throat. "I'm a slab, we all are." (We all being his siblings too.) "We were puppies back in the old jungle and now we're old enough to be slabs." He had never given much thought in what he wanted to do or be within the pack, he usually left that up to his siblings to pick. "I just do my own things, Neb and Niph call them my Saturn things, I'm good at them." Play fighting, dragging heavy things long distances, hunting, and tracking.

"What do you do in Saboro, Zanna?" Wine colored eyes gleaming as he caught himself from stepping once again into her space and opted for shuffling just a little bit closer this time. "I bet it's something amazing." His breath heavy and uneven as a smile pulled at his lips.

Saturn responded surprisingly well to Zanna’s rejection. His voice was empty and yet still reflecting a positive tone. He really, truly meant that he would find her a mother if she so much as asked for one. Such a strange offer to make, and yet he meant it and backed his words 100%. If Zanna was more of a cruel being, she’d perhaps take him up on this offer simply to see what he came up with – but she knew better.

The boy flipped the hair out of his face and she could see his eyes once again, deep red and staring right through her. He told her that he and his siblings were all slabs, since they were only pups in the old territory and were old enough to find jobs for themselves. He mentioned ‘Saturn things’ and Zanna could only imagine what sort of tasks that encompassed.

He asked then what she did, barely moving closer to her. He seemed to have caught on that she didn’t like his face on her face, and she silently thanked him for that. Breathing heavily, he stared at her while waiting for her to answer.

Saturn had a way of causing Zanna to forget what they were talking about, staring at her so deeply and washing her in his hot breath while he got just a little bit to close each time. It was slightly unnerving. Clearing her throat lightly, she returned her focus to the question he’d asked. “I uh, I don’t really have a set job right now. I’m working towards a rank though. Hoping to get back to being a Spectre.” She felt like maybe that was an underwhelming answer considering he had such high hopes for her, but she wasn’t going to lie to the kid.

Curious about the boy and his skills, Zanna asked, “what sort of things are you good at, Saturn? What do you like to do?” She wondered if maybe she could help him find a rank to work toward, give him a goal or a task to set his mind to – since he seemed to be very determined, just … Misdirected.

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