clever as the devil and twice as pretty

Random prompt: You came across a large prey half-eaten, but seemingly left behind. You don't notice anyone else around, or any other predator within the vicinity.

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 Being on his own was certainly not something Icarus was a stranger to. He enjoyed spending time by himself and enjoyed the company of his own thoughts as they certainly were not as turbulent as he knew some others could be. Alas, that didn't stop the male from missing the presence of another nearby. Regardless of the reason for their attendance, he enjoyed all walks of life. He could find enjoyment even in the most serious wolves. But he had yet to come across another soul in some moons, and he feared he was going to go mad. The world was large and vast and he wanted to explore it all, but it was becoming quite a lonely prospect.

 The blackened sire scoffed at his thoughts. How could he even begin to think of himself as lonely? Perhaps he was further gone than he thought, already arguing with the voice inside of his head. Luckily — or perhaps unluckily — the scent of a fresh kill wafted gently around his nose. He followed the scent near a small lake, a cozy little place where he would surely dip his paws in for a small wade. His grumbling stomach reminded him that he was on a trail, so he continued to weave through the woods. Not far from the shore was a large elk, the prize of his find. It was half-eaten, he could tell from a distance. Yet as his gaze scanned his surroundings, he couldn't spot the owner of such a kill. Nor were there any other kinds of predators he could see or smell.

 Approaching cautiously, he lowered his head slightly to further inspect the potential meal. It was odd that it was left like this, but it didn't smell as though there was anything wrong with it. After another glance around him, Icarus reached down and took a small bite out of the carcass. It tasted just as fresh as it smelled, easing the hunger pains that had been rattling his stomach.

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misc skill: escort

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Waking in a sea of oranges and greens was not something the witch expected. The last thing Blythe could remember was her ritual, the fire blazing within the circle of her sisters as they embraced her. But as she slowly blinked open cerulean pools, she found herself without their warm presence. Gone was the chatter of the women as they went about their duties and the aromatic scent of the herbs they collected for their spells. And now in the silent forest, she yearned to hear them once again.

Blythe needed their presence to function. The bustling of their sacred hollow reminded her that she wasn't alone, that she'd always have a sister around to keep her company or join her on a moonlit stroll. There was always someone around, and now? Now they were all gone. Only a scene in a memory she could never return to.

“Well, no use moping around. It won't take me back to my sisters.” Bly murmured as she rose onto unsteady limbs, her gaze sweeping the area. It seemed the femme was alone. The low protesting of her stomach pulled her from her thoughts and brought her to the present. That was something she could take care of. Her nares wriggled as she lifted her snout to a breeze, hoping to find a small animal to hunt or the remnants of another's hunt. While Blythe hated doing the dirty work herself, there was no handsome man to do the hard work for her.

Bingo. A bittersweet aroma called to her like a siren's song, beckoning her to its location. A smile appeared on her lips once she realized it was not too far from where she currently was. With a small shake of her fur, the femme began to track down her meal. But the closer she got to the scent, another began to rise and mix with the original. Bly couldn't quite tell if it was another canid or predator. But it was at her meal, and she was not having it.

As Blythe came closer to what she could now see was a half-eaten elk carcass, her eyes landed on what she assumed was a dark-furred man. A handsome dark-furred man. A pout appeared on her lips as her face fell into a softer expression. Blythe cautiously stepped out of the thicket, immediately shrinking in on herself. If she planned to take her meal, she knew she'd need to play on this man's instincts. “I, I'm sorry to bother you. But, would it be alright if I joined you in dining on your prize?” Flattery always worked on a man. That she knew from prior experiences. The woman blinked a few times, fluttering her lashes in hopes of winning over the man. She was hungry, and would do anything she needed to get that meal.

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 The faint pattering of paw steps barely reached the male's ears. He merely flicked one of them, not caring much to see who or what could be stalking him. For now, he simply wanted to focus on the meal in front of him. He took another bite, rather large this time in case it would be taken from him for some reason. His ear flicked again as the sound seemed to come closer, the scent of something else just barely penetrating the overwhelming scent of the kill below his nose. He was ready to defend it from any aggressive canine or other predator, especially being as hungry as he was right now.

 Only when he looked at who stepped out of the thicket, it was not at all what he was expecting. She appeared to be small and in need of help. And of course, Icarus would be happy to oblige to whatever a pretty lady might need. But for now, he would simply raise his head as she spoke, gazing at her with carefully gentle blue eyes. A small little stutter as she asked to share the meal he had claimed, blinking her lashes at him as if that would make him more inclined to share. He didn't need that much encouragement to allow such a beauty into his space, but he would play into this little game; a game to him, if nothing else.

 "Why, of course, my dear," he replied, his smooth vocals rumbling easily across the short distance between them. "It would be quite rude of me to defy another from such a large meal. I couldn't possibly have all of this myself, anyway." He smiled at her as he stood, shifting his position so she could get to the better part of the meat. Perhaps to selfishly see if she would get close to him, but he was sure he could safely invade her space by the end of this.

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misc skill: escort

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The man she had happened upon was just like the one her sisters liked: Brimming with masculine energy and the looks to match. He was a complete gentleman, with polite and friendly words. Even then, he just might need a little push.

Blythe sashayed her way toward the dark man; lips quirked with a small smile, her cerulean gaze never leaving his. While Blythe knew she could escape this anytime, she just really wanted to eat. Her tummy made its presence known once again, and the woman tried her best to ignore its protests. How embarrassing.

“My dear? You are very kind, Sir.” She could barely restrain the smile threatening to break through her façade. Oh, Blythe could already tell her sisters would love to have a man like him for themselves. “Vous êtes un tel gentleman, Monsieur. Je vous remercie d'avoir partagé votre carrière avec moi. — You are such a gentleman, Sir. I thank you for sharing your quarry with me.” Blythe gave the man a smile and a flutter of her lashes. She slipped into her mother's natal tongue, hoping to win the man's favor. Blythe knew that most men loved when a woman spoke another language, especially her mother's tongue. For some reason, they loved it. And she'd take advantage of this odd quirk of theirs.

Blythe kept a respectable distance between their bodies, but she could feel the warmth radiating from his lean physique. For being an absolute stranger, Blythe was not afraid of him. While she knew this man could commit serious harm against her, she did not feel like he would. He was too friendly to seem like a real danger. But then again, it could be part of a game.

“What do you call yourself, Sir?” She asked, her eyes flickering from the man's face to the kill before them. While the man was kind enough to share, Blythe knew there would be a price to pay. But the man at her side would decide what that payment is.

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