Big Salmon Lake summerlight [m]
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Ooc — Kris
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#26
Luke shifted to tuck himself further into the embrace, one in which he could lay for hours, spent from their passion and contented by the absent preening. Slowly, his breath steadied, and his panting subsided. As he rested securely against Lasher's chest, his mind wandered a path parallel to his: he thought of the plateau, and of how all the more tempting it was becoming to him. For he, too, felt his lover wind deeper into his heart, past the threshold where many lurked into the sanctuary only a few were permitted.

He rolled and placed himself more so on his back, so that he could gaze up on a face that was already looking to him. He smiled fondly, then lifted a blue-padded paw and gently touched it to the darker man's cheek. "I want to know more about you," he said softly, his silver eyes meeting those of steel blue. They had found themselves trapped in each other's spell and yet neither knew much about the other.
i was born to the witch boleyn
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#27
luke's words roused lasher; he gave a slow blink into the spring warmth and grew pensive. what was it the pale wolf wished to know? but he was truthful in his thoughts. great physicality had they shared, but none of themselves. "i do not remember my origins," he began, deciding then to speak of his life to its fullest, and leave no detail unsaid. "suzanne -- she called me into being, i believe, drew me from the ether. i served her faithfully. chronologically, i have seen five years, but in my mind, i have existed through several ages, it seems."

taltos paused, aware of how unlikely his tale sounded to the unknowing ear. "after that, there was charlotte, petyr. my beloved deborah. my witches, i called them, and i their doting servant. jean-louise, angelique, marie claudette, katherine, mary beth, stella, antha, deirdre, rowan ..." his voice had grown wan and wistful as he repeated the names of the witches he had loved with utmost soul, whom he had served. "and julien. julien was the first man i ever loved, and though he was a doting teacher, he was also cool. i left the glen of donnelaith, where i had been born, and traveled alone for many months, until i met siku of tartok. her daughter, tonravik, rules the spine even now."

"she taught me the savagery of loyal friendship; i had intended to become her consort, but kilgarrah was stronger and more assertive than i. she abandoned us to raise his children, and i wandered, bereft once more. i had formed a bond with a man named eismitte then, but he too departed for unknown territories."

lasher stopped again to kiss gently one pallid ear. "i found blacktail deer plateau, then, and peregrine. summarily i rose through the ranks and became his lover. i was his first male," taltos laughed. "he was a willing pupil. but he changed, so swiftly did he change," the earthen man mused sadly. "he took a woman named fox as his second mate, and soon grew apart from the children of his first mateship. and in short time, he abandoned the plateau to found the caldera with her. it was abrupt, and by proxy i was left behind as well. blue willow, the healer, and myself were delivered of children. we are not mates, but her betrothed was presumed dead and i saw no reason why she should not have a family. and they are beautiful, the children."

realizing he had spoken at length, lasher fell silent then, a sheepish curve to his lips.
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#28
When Lasher began to speak, Luke drew his paw back and folded above his chest like the other. He was attentive to each word, though at first he found it difficult to follow, and did not truly understand what he was being told. In time, he believed he would come to understand more of his enigmatic lover's origins. For now, after a pause to bestow a kiss to Luke's ear, to which the white wolf crooned, Lasher continued on, speaking of life at the plateau, of Peregrine and of his status as the beta male, and of his arrangement with one Blue Willow. He smiled sheepish then, and Luke leaned up to brush his muzzle against the darker wolf's, to reassure that everything he had said had been accepted openly.

Luke knew beforehand that Lasher and Peregrine had been lovers, and that Fox was involved in that too, but though he did not know that Lasher was currently involved with someone or that he had children bothered him not. He thought only of how he'd like to meet them, and then mused to himself how he never would have guessed his lover a beta male, but after his intense show today could see it easily. It was his turn to speak then, and though he shifted slightly, he remained where he was, comfortable on his back.

"I don't have as much to say," he began. "I was born up north to the beta pair of the pack. Standard upbringing. I had always wanted to strike off on my own, see the world kind of thing. I did so when I was a year and a half," he paused. In many cases he would skip over the subject of his late sister, but Lasher had been so open, he reciprocated. "I would have left sooner but I couldn't. My sister was killed when I was 5 months old, and I blamed myself for it, because she was following me when it happened. Some of the pack blamed me too. I stayed out of guilt until my mother encouraged me to go."

He drew a deep breath, releasing it as soft, drawn out sigh. "I was pretty miserable. I was depressed. I was angry. That was why my mother sent me off. So I could find my place, and my sun, and I did along the way as I travelled. I forgave myself, and learned to live life one moment at a time, to not take it for granted. Now I'm here," He glanced away. He pursed his lips and his ear twitched. "Now I'm here, and I thought I had found my place... but now I'm not so sure." He looked back to Lasher, his eyes betraying that he felt torn, torn between the pack he promised himself to, that did not yet exist, and the plateau that did. Torn between the druid with whom he shared a strong friendship, and the man with whom he had shared not only friendship but intimacy, and perhaps could share even more with.
i was born to the witch boleyn
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#29
he listened, ears cupping to hear the man's words. his brow furrowed as he heard of the pain that luke had taken into himself, the blame he had carried these years. but he did not linger on it -- the pallid man had surpassed the moment in his mind, and so would lasher. he preened gently one velveteen cheek and remained in quietude for a moment after luke had spoken.

their stories had been shared with one another -- very little was unspoken between them. while he understood and respected that luke had pledged himself to a fledgling pack, lasher with a growing want desired the pallid wolf alongside him at the plateau.

"you have a place with me," he ventured -- he would not speak of always, or the future -- now was not the time for such things. theirs was the moment to be contented with the lot they had been dealt -- luke would make the choice best suited for himself.
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#30
"You have a place with me."

For a long, quiet moment, he did not but rest his fond gaze on the man's face. He was not sure what to say, or what to think. There was but one thing he was sure of: that he was unsure, and that he needed to speak with Harlyn.

He rolled, shifting himself off his back to an upright position. He leaned in to press his blue nose firmly against Lasher's neck, to breathe his lover's scent. His teeth moved to comb the dark fur there then, slowly trailing to the man's shoulder as Luke's mind worked to untangle the weave of thoughts, questions, and emotions within. He picked a bit of grass from Lasher's ruff, then shuffled closer as he laid his head across the other's back with a deep sigh.

"I may come to you," he murmured, "but I do not know yet." He playfully nipped an ear, interrupting the soberness of the mood. "I thought I had this all figured you, you know," he mused. "Then you came along, with your elegant words and handsome face." His tail swept the ground in wide strokes, and he chuffed softly as a grin formed.
i was born to the witch boleyn
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#31
he closed his eyes beneath luke's gentle ministrations, basking in the reverie of consummated love. giving a wide grin to the pale man, he proffered a responding nip to the bulb of one ear. "likewise, you have brought a certain lovely quality into my life." he felt that they could exist happily at the plateau, but, as with all things, he would leave that to the other man.

he was pleased that they had found such comfort within one another's arms -- it seemed they had stemmed from a place of kindred affection, and he was loathe suddenly to be parted from luke, to be removed from the gentle kisses of the other, his soft preenings.

"walk with me," he urged suddenly, mouth curving into a bow as he gathered himself to his paws. taltos had but a short time before he would return home, as he missed blue willow and the growing children, but for the moment he was content with luke's presence.
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#32
Despite the turmoil of his thoughts and the weight of the decision he had to make, he was content to be here. He could have laid like this indefinitely, but Lasher rose to his paws with another idea. Luke slowly gathered his feet, bowing into a long stretch and shaking his pelt before he padded after the enigmatic plateau wolf.

"Where are we headed?" he asked as he nipped the dark man's flank. He moved past then so they could walk shoulder to shoulder. His head was turned, eyes focused expectantly on Lasher. He had to restrain himself, for he could feel it in his legs, the urge to frolic and romp, to play and be silly. But he wanted to see what plans his companion had in mind.
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#33
sorry for the wait? wrap up after another round?

lasher loved luke's antics, and would have welcomed the cambering frolic of the pale wolf. but he himself was not somber -- merely pensive with the wonderment of his life's changing. "oh, for a mere walk," he answered, leaning over to bump luke's shoulder with his own. "i wished to extend my limbs in this warm light."

a thought came to him then, that he wished for luke to meet the children, but he hesitated. perhaps the pallid man need be part of the plateau before that occurred, but lasher cursed his trepidation. luke had given him no reason to be mistrustful.

"regardless of what occurs, would you care to meet blue willow and the pups?" he asked, suddenly shy of what the answer would be.
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#34
No worries at all! :) Yep we can wrap up ;)

Luke was not known for his restraint. He strolled astride Lasher for some distance, affectionately returning the shoulder bump. But when his darkly furred lover asked if he would like to meet his mate and pups, his tempered composure was lost to a graceful leap ahead. He pivoted on his forepaws, nimbly throwing his hindquarters around so that now he was striding backwards, as confidently as he had been going forwards. His tail rose above his spine with his excitement, complimented by an open-mouthed grin and the appearance of his blue tongue as it lolled to the side.

"Well yeah!" he exclaimed bright eyed, as close to a jovial duh as Lasher would get without him saying just that.
i was born to the witch boleyn
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#35
fading here!

lasher beamed, laughing as luke strode backward. "then we will set a time," he chortled, pretending to swipe playfully at the other's forelegs as if to trip him. the two lingered together for some time, before exchanging gentle kisses and whispered words prior to the turn of their bodies toward respective homes.