Herbalists' Cache you opiate this hazy head of mine

aw!! dont let him poison himself please :B

medicine - the 1975

Silently, as his namesake, a creature dipped in creamy grays and silvers paced through the forest with its head hanging low but its tail risen behind him. Remi, who had never expressed much interest on especializing on anything other than hunting, was (as usual) onto something. He stopped once or twice to give a more throrough inspection to a bush, but not because he thought whatever he was trailing (probably a rabbit) had taken it as cover but because suddenly he became much more interested on the little berries that filled the bush's little branches.

Now when it came to plants, Remi was a complete ignorant. 
But ignorance didn't stop him - if it did he wouldn't have even left his home.
Though he had already learned some of life's greatest lessons the hard way, Remi still believed that the only way to learn something was to try. 
Trial and error.

Though if he wasn't careful such mentality could lead him to make fatal errors.

Omg another Ostrega! <3  Nyx and Dirge tagged for visibility.

Summer was in full swing and the air was nearly stifling with its muggy, oppressive heat.  Saor panted, her mouth cottony with thirst and her feet feeling the effects of many miles sun-warmed rock and earth.  As the siblings settled in to their new surroundings, they expanded their explorations more and more.  As they had always been wanderers in their own right, each individual had no qualms with striking out on their own; thus it was that Saor left @Dirge and @Nyx that morning, letting them know they were welcome to tag along if they wanted but were not obligated to do so.

Now she walked in a serene forest, its floor dappled with broken shards of sunlight and its canopy alive with the music of summer.  It was a new place for her, almost entirely devoid of lupine presence, and she marveled at the beauty of it.  A curious scent had caught her attention and after a little easy tracking, she followed it to a lone wolf.  He was young, his lanky build a dead giveaway to his age, and draped in a gleaming coat of illustrious silvers.  She paused, momentarily undecided as to whether she should disturb him or not.  He seemed pretty interested in whatever was in that bush, and she certainly didn't want to spoil a hunt...

omg hiiiiii <3 thanks for jumping in
please save him lmao

Oblivious to the unexpected company, Remi continued to sniff and prod at the bush, his nose touching lightly the round, crimsom berries that clung from the branches. Jugding from how they smelled alone he guessed they had a sour, tangy taste to them, and if he was to judge by their look, the inexperienced Ostrega would give them a 4/5....and anything above a 3 was edible so...

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Slowly, Remi opened his mouth and snipped off the tip of a branch where at least three of the mysterious berries clung. Once they were on the ground, he lowered his head, ready to swallow them whole.

Your posts crack me up.  Remi is such a cute doofus.  <3

Saor observed him for a moment.  He seemed unaware of her presence, so she figured she'd just keep moving and he'd never know she had even been there save perhaps for her lingering scent on the leafy earth.  She took a few steps to leave and then noticed something peculiar -- the youngster was nibbling at some curiously bright-colored berries.  Saor furrowed her brow, troubled by the sight.  She was not an herbalist by any means and her knowledge of plants and berries was very limited, but she seemed to recall something her mother had told her about berries...

The anxiety coiling in her belly drove her forward, and she broke the peaceful silence with a soft bark.  "Um!" she suddenly felt very awkward as she approached the young grey wolf.  "I'm uh...not sure I would eat those, if I were you."

<3<3<3​

Like a child that has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner, Remi jumped brusquely at the other's sudden warning. He spun around, the darker colored fur that lined a rigde over his spine all prickled and his crystaline eyes widened in a mix of fear and shock( though if you were to ask Remi would completely deny the fear part). Then as they registered and assesed the face of the wolf in front of him, a pretty and seemingly harmless female, his whole demeanour changed.

"shit, so that's how it feels to be sneaked up on" he mused while giving the female a sneak peek of his mischievous grin. Now he could empathize with his siblings and mother, who he used to scare on a daily basis with his sneaking and scurring. The berries briefly forgotten came to mind again as she suggests he leaves them alone.

Remi's eyes narrow in both curiosity and incredulity. 
"why not?" he questioned, his tail not ceasing to wag but his face becoming a bit more serious as he waited for her response. 

She immediately felt a twinge of remorse as the youth was visibly surprised at her abrupt appearance.   She did her best to look friendly and nonthreatening, though, and it paid off after a few seconds when he relaxed and gave her a sly grin.   She smiled apologetically, feeling her cheeks flush beneath her fur.  

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.  I was just passing by.  I wasn't going to bother you but I saw you checking out those berries --" she gestured at the offending fruits as she moved closer to inspect them.  She couldn't be completely sure, but she thought they were the ones her mom had shown her when she was younger.  "I've been told they tear up your stomach.  Like bad."

Remi's head shook as she began to apologize, quickly, and quite not honestly not paying much attention to what she said after the word sorry, the young Ostrega boy let out a "pffffft its fine,you just caught me off guard" he assured. He would never admit to being afraid, even if this feeling was not as foreign to him. Tango, his eldest brother, had always been more fearless, Remi was just a more convincing actor.
Plus once, before Remi had become the Ostrega-Azren siblings' self proclaimed leader, Tango had told him that being afraid was being weak inside.
But that was something else.

Now back to the berries.
With his ears pointed towards the girl, and this time taking the bother to actually listen what she said about the berries and their possible side effects, Remi let his mouth contort into a little 'o'. Then, casting his gaze back down at the decievingly innocent round things he gave them a good kick with one of his front paws while exclaiming "well good thing you told me then!" .

 Then he looked up at her again, another preview of a smile drawing itself upon his face. If it hadn't been for her, things could have had a shitty ending - in more than one way. "what's your name berry girl?" he asked then, though technically it was him the berry boy. Still, he wanted to know the name of his possible saviour.

She grinned at the youth's genial nature, already wondering if she might have made her first friend in the area.  She couldn't wait to tell Dirge and Nyx that she had saved a kid's life...or at least saved him from a horrendously bad case of the runs.  She didn't know what poisonous berries would do, exactly -- her mom's simple command not to eat the berries had been enough for her at the time.  Meat was better anyway.

A bee buzzed around her head a few times and she gracelessly swatted at it as he asked her what her name was.  "Saor," she replied, and then added with a mischievous grin of her own: "But 'Berry Girl' works too, if you like that better.  How 'bout you?"  She wasn't very good at navigating this sort of social situation, and she couldn't shake the slightly awkward feeling that nagged at her now that the crisis was over.  Where she came from, everybody already knew who she was.  The anonymity of being a stranger in a strange land now was unnerving and yet also weirdly liberating.

heheh i couldnt help myself
you're some sort of dinasour now sorry

Unlike her, Remi had no one to gush about the day's fortunes and misfortunes.
He truly was alone. A lonely loner! Ah, at what point had Remi become such a cliché?
His siblings were probably messing around in the Pier, where he was sure (in his biased mind) his parents slept now more soundly now that he was gone. 

"Berry-saor!" he piped after she offered her real name.
Even if it was easy enough to remember and pronounce, Remi had a penchant for giving nicknames. He had shared that with Rilke, who without knowing it, had given Remi more than just his current alias, but an identity.

"i'm mouse" he barked with a happy swish of his tail, deciding to introduce himself not as Remi but as what his heart felt he should be named.
Although Remi liked the name his parents had given him he would forever cherish the one his sister had gifted him with.

XD!!

Saor laughed aloud at the ridiculous name he concocted for her.  "That works!" she commented with amusement.  She had the briefest urge to go all godzilla on the berries he had dropped on the ground and kicked away, smashing them to red jelly just to further solidify her image as a dinosaur.  But she refrained, having to strongly remind herself that she was, after all, an adult.  Meh.

When he offered his own name, she was momentarily puzzled.  "Uh, why are you named after...food?"  She had eaten a lot of mice in her time.  They were tasty.  Why anyone would name their child -- a wolf, no less -- after a prey animal was a mystery to her.  Her genuine curiosity was clear in her expression and the tilt of her head.

hellur~

At some point the trio had branched off on that day, early enough that it wasn't uncomfortably warm and damp. It made for good travel, to start early and rest during the hottest stretch, even if truth be told things weren't that hot here. The broad valleys and the little crannies therein provided relief from the would be oppression Dirge would have attributed to summer. And wherever he was now, well, that seemed to contribute too.

His own directionless venture hadn't proven fruitful. Resting hadn't interested him either. He had come back to their informal resting locale to find neither of his siblings there, and so he had headed off trailing one of them. Initially he didn't question whether it was Saor or Nyx, but through the weaving and bobbing of the territory he figured it out.

As it were, he also figured out that they were not alone in this habitual neck of the woods. He heard the voices long before he caught sight of Saor's lighter coat in the greens. The other as far as he could guess could not have been older than either of them; he lacked the reservation that Dirge had come to associate with age. Not that he or his sisters were crowning examples of reservation or maturity... yet. Quietly as he could muster, Dirge slipped between the bushes to catch the clipped end of their conversation to join Saor.

And without hesitation as he emerged: "Because he's delicious, presumably."

welcome  <3 

She accepted his nickname and Remi responded with a happy yip.
She was Saor no more, but Berry-saor. 

Then however the young Ostrega seemed to shift entirely.
Though Remi thought of himself as a goofy wolf with a good sense of humor her reply, which he still tried to make out whether it was meant as a joke or not, had struck a nerve. He was not named after food, for mice did not only roam the earth to serve as snacks. He tried his best not to give away his slight annoyance, but the sudden stillness of his tail would perhaps not go unnoticed.

With a small shake of his head he readied himself to break the silence that among other things made him more Mouse than Remi and explain everything to her. He was about to tell her about the Pier, about how he loved to hide from his mother just because of how fun it was to watch her freak out, about how always crept of Dharma and Karma and made them jump. He was about to tell her about Rilke, but as soon as the foreign voice of Dirge reached him ,he swallowed his words like the berries if Saor hadn't showed.

"among other things, yeah" he barked simply, his eyes now fixed on the newcomer before turning back to Saor and giving a small shrug. He had nothing more to comment of his name now that the words he had been wanting to say had left his mouth and slid back to the depths of the boy.  

"who're you?" was all that he said next, wondering his face was as foreign to Berry-saor as it was to him.

Saor wasn't the most socially gifted wolf, that much was clear.  But being female, she had a woman's knack for being more in tune with the subtler parts of conversations that went unspoken.  The sudden stillness of the young wolf's tail made her question if she had said something inappropriate.  She was confused for the space of a few breaths before she realized her gaffe.  Although the stubborn asshat side of her wondered what he expected with a name like that, the softer side of her immediately felt bad.  She really needed to learn to think before she spoke.

She took a breath and opened her mouth to speak an apology, but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Dirge.  He materialized out of the bushes like mist, bringing with him a comment that was hardly more appropriate than the one she'd made.  She suppressed a smile -- Dirge had always been rougher around the edges than even she was -- and shot him a look of gentle admonishment.  Sitting down and wrapping her tail around her paws, she remained quiet and allowed her brother to make his own introduction.

It was that scolding look from Saor that kept Dirge from rattling off another crass comment in regards to his identity. One corner of his mouth couldn't help but crinkle into the faintest of smug smirks — the temptation ever so evident — but in the end, he relented and the smirk faded away. She had already embarrassed herself enough from the sound of things and, well, he had overshadowed it. Typical. He'd have it no other way.

"The name's Dirge," he went on, "and if it's any consolation, I assure you that you smell better than a mouse." He probably tasted better than one too, but fortunately for him the trio hadn't felt the necessity to resort to cannibalism quite yet. Even that thought crossed his mind to be a rejoinder but that would surely earn him knots on his head. Instead, he turned his attention to his sister.

"So, eating berries and making friends then? You've found more excitement than I have all day."

Silently, Saor sat herself down, shooting a look at the stranger that hinted that these two weren't strangers after all. Remi stood where he was, immobile, as the mystery man, Dirge, introduced himself not without taking a last jab at the joke that had to Remi's annoyance presented itself. 
"hah" he barked in a plain tone, his face showing nothing but a distant neutrality.

Dirge wasn't really humoring him but at least he was answering his unspoken questions: they knew each other.
Without knowing what to say, or if he should even bother to say anything at all, Remi simply turned his attention to the girl, his ears flicking to the side once or twice before he caved to gravity and took a seat as well.

Lol -- Dirge randomly showing up and embarrassing Saor in front of boys.  XD

She rolled her eyes emphatically and shook her head at Dirge's comments, but couldn't help the grin that twitched the line of her lips upward.  He was such a turd.  Mouse, however, did not look amused and she felt a secret sense of panic that her brother's crude ways might cost her this shot at making a new friend.  

She couldn't remember when that had begun to matter so much to her -- making friends -- but it was definitely new to her.  Then again, that could be said for everything about this whole situation.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out as a sigh, she focused her attention on Mouse and said almost apologetically, "He's my brother.  Don't listen to him."  The latter was said with another of her sly grins.

His commentary wasn't well received once again, but it was not a bother to Dirge. The two seemed rather content on trying to have some sort of conversation, especially evident in the way that Saor brushed him off with words. This also was not a particular bother; he got the message loud and clear. She was trying to make a friend.

"Mm, yes, never pay any mind to the brother," he added on somewhere in the background. Less inclined to take a seat himself, his attention turned towards the berries beyond Mouse. "I suppose I'll leave you to it then," he went on to say, setting off past his sister to pause close to Mouse, "carry on. Don't do anything I wouldn't." The latter of which came with a smile, which no doubt would only serve as another jab towards the yearling.

He kept going then, this time slipping into the brush to entertain himself. Or eavesdrop.

i might have him pop up again later, but feel free to pass me along in the order

sorry mouse is so sensitive ugh

Quickly, the relation between the two was revealed.
They were siblings. 
Now that he knew, Remi felt a little silly for his reactions. He could easily see himself reacting the same joking way Dirge had if it were Karma or Dharma he had walked up on, or worse if it had been Rilke. With a simple shrug of his shoulders, he responded to her, and then turning to give a little, almost microscopic nod, he bid the brother a see ya and an im sorry bro at the same time. 

"im usually the brother they tell you not to listen to" he barked, loud enough that Dirge could comment if he wanted to. "where are you from?" he asked then, his eyes fixed on Saor alone. 

So sorry for the lengthy delay!  I started a new job and have been super busy with other stuff too.  :)

Saor rolled her eyes at her brother's comments, grinning as he made his way into the brush.  She was sure he'd probably linger somewhere nearby -- whether his reasons were noble and protective, or if he merely wished to eavesdrop and be a nuisance was up for debate.  Her attention came back to Mouse as he was asking where they came from.  While she knew nothing about the land she was in now, she could talk about her last home all day long.  There were a lot of mixed feelings, particularly where their grandfather was concerned, but overall she still felt a great deal of love for her home.  Most of that probably had a lot to do with her mother.

"We came from the south," she said after a moment of thought -- she had to think for a moment to get her direction right.  "A place much like this, actually, with lovely forests and tall mountains.  We called ourselves the Winterhearts -- that's where my name comes from, Saor Winterheart."  She felt a pang of remorse as she thought of her mother, left behind.  She missed her, as well as her sisters.  "What about you?  Are you from around here?"

dont worry! ♥

It seemed mixed feelings about home was just another of the things they unknowingly had in common. With his crystalline blue eyes fleeting momentarily to his paws and then back up to meet Saor's own, Remi felt something tug at his heart. He was somewhat embarrassed to dump his life story to a stranger, yet he too felt comfortable enough at the moment (especially with Dirge gone) to speak up a bit more.

"i was born far from here, by the coast - a place called Islamorada" he began, his ears swivelling back and then returning to face the girl. "my parents settled and led a pack, Havana Pier, down there" he continued, "probably still do" he then mused with a simple shrug of his shoulders. The only wolf that could pose a threat to his father's reign was probably Remi's own brother Tango. He wondered if his brother had ever been tempted to challenge Ciervo but the answer came back to him with a duh! in his head.

Ciervo wasn't above taking extreme measures to keep the Pier as he wanted it.
The second Tango became more of a nuisance than an aid, Remi knew he'd be put in his place.
Just like he had.
Though for Tango, he doubted exile would be on the cards.

Truth be told, sometimes Remi though he had been way too lucky to have been wordlessly 'banished' rather than buried.

Hey!  I'm going to be pulling Saor out of the game, so this'll be my last post.  I'll fade this so it can be archived!  Thanks for letting me meet your adorable guy.  I love Remi! <3

Saor listened to his brief history, somewhat brainlessly noting how nice the word 'Islamorada' sounded and wondering exactly where that was in relation to the lands with which she was familiar.  A noise in the brush distracted her for a moment and she cast a pointed glance that way, almost certain Dirge was still lurking there and spying on them (what the hell was he hoping to see, exactly?).  Gesturing to Mouse, she invited him to walk with her in the opposite direction, continuing their conversation and enjoying one another's easy company.