Dragoncrest Cliffs Choose drugs AND hugs.

The satchel hung freely in his muzzle. He trusted Leto, but there was no way he was ingesting any sort of plant without an expert opinion. Meat was different. Meat never had side-effects. 

He found the wolf in their den. The satchel dropped with a damp thud and a small puff of dust from the dry ground. 

"You busy?" he asked, eyes grazing his clearly not-busy mate.

A day of collecting the remaining herbs of the season had been planned to end with a well-earned old man nap. Phobos lifted his head from where he lay curled up in their nest, eyes half lidded with sleep. Not exactly. He grunted.

Eyes then went to the satchel his mate had dropped, nose wrinkling at the potent smell. Just what had he brought back now? He was used to a trophy or two, but not strange herbs.

You decide to take up herbalism? A brow was raised.

He almost replied to the question with a laugh. They both knew Pepper had no interest in green things. 

”Naw. That Leto girl I was travelin’ with before you brought it from her pack, said it’d make me feel better.” 

He looked at the wolf expectantly. 

”Don’t look like nothin’ you’ve ever given me.”

Pepper's words puzzled him. He had nearly forgotten about his previous traveling partner. Yeah? Is she doing alright? Looking healthy? He did not care much for the girl, he did not know her after all, but if she had handed off unfamiliar herbs to Pepper then her own state was rather important.

Pulling the bundle towards him, he gave it a careful sniff before opening it up. It was strange, Phobos did not trust it. Something was wrong.

Did she tell you where she was coming from?

He furrowed a brow at his question. It seemed.. odd, but so was the black and white wolf. So it checked out in a way. 

"Yeah. Yeah, she's good. She said her pack made it in the lowlands." 

In all honesty, he didn't know where that was. Or if she said they made it. Made or found, one of those two. He hoped Phobos would know more.

He was silent for a moment, eyes never leaving the bundle.

I don't want you taking this. It was worded like a suggestion, but spoken as a demand. He doubted that Pepper would argue, but if he defied his expectations he simply would not allow him to.

He had visited the Lowlands before his time with Pepper, and he had never seen anything like this. There was no way of knowing if it was safe. He could not follow the woman, and he had his doubts that she knew what it was either.

It made him curious admittedly. If his health allowed him and Pepper wouldn't try to stop him, he would investigate for himself.

The wolf sat, the bag still between them. 

"Somethin' wrong with it?" 

He obviously had no intention of taking it if Phobos didn't approve. But Leto had mentioned doing so herself. And as far as he could tell, she had no intention of hurting him. So she didn't know any better.

Maybe, maybe not. He responded. That's the issue. I don't know what it is or what it will do.

Pepper's stories of the girl did not make her sound harmful in the least. He doubted that she had brought anything harmful on purpose. After a moment of further contemplation, Phobos licked up a portion of the strange herbs.

If he wished to know what it was, he thought this to be the most efficient way to learn.

I have some herbs stored in here. If I start foaming at the mouth grab them for me, will you? He was partially attempting to insert humour into the situation, but he was serious.

Had he been given the chance he would've stopped Phobos. In fact, it didn't sit right with him that the wolf ingested it without even giving Pepper a heads up. But it was done. Still, Pepper made no effort to laugh at the joke. 

"Why'd ya do that?" he asked, hoping to make the disappointment audible in his tone.

You aren't the herbalist here, and one of us had to test it. He responded, laying on his side and appearing rather relaxed. I'll survive. If it goes well, maybe then I'll let you take it too.

Should it carry any sort of effect, Phobos wondered how long it would be until he began to feel it. Clearly not too long, as he was beginning to feel a bit dazed already. He shook his head, blinking harshly to shoo it away.

No sense in wasting an opportunity to learn, hm?

The large wolf sat down with a grumble. 

"Sure." he said. Phobos was the healer here. Pepper could do nothing if something were to happen.

Good god, he had never taken anything like this before. The drug took effect quickly, overpopulating his mind with thoughts both good, bad, and.. degenerate. He looked up to Pepper, his eyes growing heavy. Are you sure your friend is as innocent as you make her out to be..? His words were growing to be a bit slow.

I don't think this is medicine. He grumbled, pushing to his paws. It was more like what a bad mushroom could do to you.

He sat up now, ears pivoted in his mate’s direction. 

”You alright?” he was ready to spring up if needed, but he didn’t know what the black and white wolf meant. Was it poisonous?

He nodded, tongue hanging out of his mouth for a moment. I'm fine. He responded. It's uh.. He paused. It was growing difficult to focus. It isn't poisonous.

He didn't think so, at least. But damn - was this really what Pepper's friend was doing? Had Pepper been using drugs when he was with her or was this new? And she sounded so sweet!

I think that girl gave you a drug.

Not poisonous. That was good. But Phobos didn’t look great. 

His ear twitched. Drugs? He’d encountered stuff like that before. Old packs they used to raid, but it was never anything his father allowed in his pack. 

He knew enough about them to know better. Clearly Leto didn’t. 

”Must be that new pack she mentioned..” it was the only thing that made sense. He was pretty sure she hadn’t been taking them while they were together.

A pack? That only sparked his curiosity further.

I'm assuming you would stay no to me taking a trip to the lowlands? He offered a smile, staring up the other. For research. I'm only curious. His tail began to wave behind him, paws steadying momentarily to move to Pepper.

Sitting back down he pressed his head into the shoulder of his mate. He had not taken anything like this in some time. Not since settling with Pepper. It had only ever been for research - for the purpose of using it on other wolves.

So what were the positives of this? The drawbacks? Though in the moment, these questions were only a couple of the hundreds of other idle thoughts that pumped through his mind as a result of the strange plant.

”Absolutely not. Not with your old pack roaming around.” 

He didn’t have the chance to prevent Phobos from taking what he now knew to be a drug, but he was able and fully intended on saying no to this. 

Even with the wolf pressing his head into his shoulder. 

”I hope you can understand that.”

Oh but they'll be up in the mountains! His voice was nearly a whine. It was a tone he often used to try and get something from Pepper - but this was different from asking him to come back to bed, or convincing him to find a certain type of animal for Phobos to eat. I would be checking on your little friend too.

He frowned, his tail ceasing movement. Clearly he was not very tactful under the influence, but that may be for the best here.

Murderous ex-pack members or not, it was getting far too cold for Phobos to travel. His weak bones ached, some days he could not be bothered to walk to the other end of the territory even with the consumption of a pain-killing remedy. It was an ailment he had lived with his whole life, and yet he was still too stubborn to admit it. Even when Pepper often faced the same issues.

He wasn’t controlling, didn’t like telling Phobos no. He was an adult and could make decisions for himself. But this was different. It was too dangerous and Pepper had no means to protect him. 

He flicked a cold gaze to the wolf, who was being more touchy than usual. 

”Don’t make me keep saying no,” 

He was aggravated. Maybe a little harsher than usual. But Phobos hardly ever pushed him like this. The occasional cutesy pleading, sure, but never over anything like this.

Later then. His smile remained, and he seemed to be done with the conversation - for now. The wag returned to his tail, and his tired eyes shut momentarily.

He inhaled, tired and dazed. Phobos knew he was in no state to continue arguing. Maybe a nap, or a dinner would be good. Rabbits are still around this time of year, right? Do you think there's any in cache?

His mind now shifted to a new focus. No longer was he thinking about the lowlands.

No, not later. But whatever, he'd already moved on. 

Ah, right. Maybe Pepper was being too harsh with him. Clearly he wasn't acting himself. Just last week, Pepper had to eye him down to get him to eat a fish. Proactively asking about food was certainly unlike him. 

Pepper huffed an exhausted sigh. Would this be the rest of his day now? 

"Ain't sure about rabbits. But Val mentioned he'd be fishin' this morning. Want me to go look, hon?" 

If these were drugs, and if his mate was now on said drugs, he'd rather him stay confined to the den. They were generally frowned upon, and Pepper was very sure they had no place on Sapphique territory.

He gave a careful nod, silence returning to him as he turned to return to their nest with the grace of an eighty year-old man on a walker. He was tired.

Laying his head down he let out a sigh, I love you. Tail thumping against the ground, his eyes shut momentarily. He really did - enough to go against his own wishes at the very least.

Even when he was not in his right mind, Pepper was made a priority.

The heavy wolf rose to his paws when Phobos nodded. He’d look, then. Grab enough for two, because the thought of food was beginning to make his stomach growl, too. 

He was halfway out the den’s entrance when he heard the words, and offered a silent tail wag in response. Something told him Phobos would be asleep by the time he got back. 

We can close here, or he can come back and they can eat together uwu

I might need that in my life

He watched Pepper leave with somewhat glazed over eyes. After a moment he lifted himself to grab the bundle, carefully tucking it away in his store of herbal remedies.

Once satisfied, he returned to their nest to wait on his mate's return.

Val kept his word. The wolf returned to his mate carrying two fish by their tails. He set them down gently, then nudged one toward his half-out-of-it mate. 

He never enjoyed eating fish in the den. The smell was a bit overbearing, but an exception could be made. 

”Figured we’d eat. ‘N if you’re up to it after..” his tail swayed happily behind him. He wouldn’t have to spell it out for him. He figured by now, Phobos could tell when he wanted it. It’s not like it was rare.