Firestone Hot Springs everyday I dream of you

thought I should get this up- lemme know when you think this should be dated for exactly @Howl

It had begun. Star had not known that it could hit her this late in life. She had thought she was too old by now, barren surely- but the feelings stirring in her gut and the familiar tell-tale scent spoke otherwise. She could not be near Sagtannet. Not now. She knew it was foolish to travel, that danger could befall her- but she doubted there was a man who would push himself onto one as aged as she. She was undesirable... right? Being around the younger wolves of her pack smelling like this was too embarassing. And so, like tied to an invisible rope, she wandered into the flatlands, seeking something. But she knew not what. She paused when she reached the edge of the springs, settling herself beside one pool of steaming water and basking in the cozy warmth with eyes closed.

Despite his conversation with Moon he still didn't feel better about the whole situation. For once in his life, he had done the right things, and now that he had karma was playing some sort of sick joke. Every time he tried to regain what he had lost with Heartha it wasn't quite the same. Either by his own hand or now by another it seemed he would never be able to settle down and live the life so many around him and younger than him had had the chance to live.

He wasn't sure what he needed, but he knew that being within Kaistleoki right now with his mindset was not right. He needed time to think and while he was thinking he knew his work wouldn't be up to his standards and may result in a hindrance to the pack. Especially with a possibly unknown threat looming in the area. 

As he stepped in among the hot springs the smell of sulfur hit his snout and with a few forced breaths began to cause less and less discomfort. Looking back to the river leading to the plateau he remembered meeting Pema here and all she had done, despite his actions. He shook his head vigorously as though it would rid the memories from his mind.

Looking back into the spring he began to trot through and around them, as though the physical act of turning and walking away from the plateau would rid his thoughts from his stationary mind. The scratching of his nails was a constant rhythm and only stopped when his eyes caught sight of a familiar white pelt among the green grass and gray stone. The reddened mark on her forehead distinguished her and allowed Howl to identify her instantly.

Seeing her lay peacefully among bubbling springs seemed to slow his own thoughts as his attention was suddenly veered in a different direction. He thought to call out to her but thought it would be a shame to wake her when she looked so comfortable and docile. The surrounding smell of sulfur was enough to mask her hormonal scent, ridding Howl of the signs of caution that should be taken in such a situation. A few yards away he sat down and gazed upon her as steam billowed around him.

Quiet footsteps nearby pushed her to open her eyes; she was a cautious girl, and once a warrior- safety was never ensured, certainly not in this state, and so she rose and whirled like a ballerina to greet the stranger-

Ah, no stranger. Howl. She should've known fate might bring them together once again, she was near Kaistleoki from what she knew and the sight of him was not such a surprise as it had been before. But her heart beat more wildly this time- the work of hormones, she was certain, and tried her best to quell the foolish puppy love. Her shoulders slumped slightly. No need to be defensive... even if he cane rather close and smelled the scent beneath the stronger scents of sulfur, Star knew he was not the type to do something harmful. 

She greeted him with a light wag of her tail, striding a little closer quietly, eyes still half-lidded with slight sleepiness. Star settled into a seat a few feet away. Howl. We meet again, She said in something like a purr. Dark eyes widened slightly, where had that come from? She cleared her throat. Come on, Star. Be more professional. Don't let this heat make you all weird. How've you been? You're not looking too happy, everything alright?

Phone Post

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His blissful gaze upon her was only held for a few moments as she sharply stood up and looked around. So easily woken by the mear sound of him sitting. He wondering what had trained her to be so alert whilst in a vulnerable state. Once she had time to recognize him she lower her haunches and her tail began to sway lightly. 

She took a few paces forward before sitting down herself and greeted him. Her voice seemed sweeter, lighter, something he assumed was due to her recent emergency from slumber. "I'm sorry to have startled you. You looked so peaceful I thought it might be a shame to disturb you" he explain in a soft tone. 

It seemed his conscience was weighing on him even now as she could see his visably less than joyful demenour. "Yeah, well ah..." he paused a moment. He didn't want to bring her down with his bad news as it was not her burden to know his tribulations. But he couldn't help but be honest with her after all the conversations they had had prior. "No... not really... I thought I was getting closer to that goal or dream" he said referring to their previous conversation "But I recently lost it or rather it was take from me" he said looking to the floor processing the situation further and further in some sort of perpetual cycle. 

omg im so sorry... I fell asleep.... :"0

He seemed unaware of her state, which she was for now, glad about. Don't worry- you didn't startle me. I just have... I'm trained to pay attention to my surroundings, so. She flicked an ear as if to emphasize the skill, accompanied by a little grin. Star felt now perhaps they could chat as usual, despite the hormones that flurried within her heart. She didn't even have to think about it. 

As he began to speak on his own feelings, the girl's ears pricked forward with interest as it seemed her intuition may have been right. Speaking on his dreams- often the subject of their chats, Star nodded wisely as he spoke. So he was close to the love he desired, eh? She felt happy for him momentarily, if only a tad jealous. But despite her jealousy there was no joy found in the fact that his hope had been taken away. She frowned abruptly, eyes turning downward. Taken? That's terrible. Was it... er, um, she... taken in the sense of, taken by another... suitor? She questioned, turning inquisitive gaze back up to him.

Her focus on the word "taken' made him realize his poor choice of words. It was entirely possible that she could have been physically taken of kidnapped. Something that had happened to a few females he had known... and currently knew. Luckily it seemed she knew what his true connotation was.

He laughed sarcastically and rolled his eyes. "Yeah. 'Suiter' is too kind a word" he remarked at her own word choice and not towards her directly. "It implies that I as well as a 'suitor'"

He looked at her apologetically not meaning for his angry to be directed at her. "It's just..." he signed "It was different than the other times. We had committed to one another wholly... At least... that's what I thought... before I saw her..." he paused looking for an appropriate word "embracing another" he said with a hinting facial expression.

congrats on 600 posts!!

His heart seemed to boil with the unhappiness that she now knew lay under the surface. Star's dark eyes met his as he spoke, seeing the way he felt about the other man. The way he felt about the woman who had, in Star's perspective, betrayed him. She couldn't have known the circumstances of how well they knew eachother, but if she was supposedly committing herself to him, she ought to stick with her word. Not go romancing other men- or embracing them, she found as he spoke further.

Star was a businesswoman, and not one for cheap gossip, but those words alongside his facial expression keyed her in on the matter, and she understood instantly. The pale girl shook her head with something like disgust, face souring. Goddamn- whoever this girl was, she was lucky to have Howl's heart. Didn't she know that? How could she go hurting him? He was a fine specimen in Star's eyes; she knew if she ever got a hold of him, she wouldn't go around offering herself to other men. And so her heart boiled with him, and tail lashed in annoyance, spreading her scent thinly through the thick sulfur of the springs.

That's... terrible. No one should be treating you like that. I can't believe she- Star huffed, shaking her head once again with furrowed brows. I can't believe a woman would let down a guy like you. She doesn't deserve you. It seemed cliche to say such a thing, but Star was no counselor nor wordsmith, and so easing ones feelings was not her speciality. I'm sorry you had to witness that. I can't imagine how you're feeling- are you going to confront her about it? Or would you rather just move on?

Her response was one of annoyance once his hinting message was received. Bother verbally and physically Howl could see how it worked her up. Though angry her words were kind and Howl reached out his muzzle to touch hers. "Hey... I don't want my problems to get you all worked up... OK" he said kindly looking into her eyes. This close he was better able to smell her against the scent of sulfur, but it didn't smell like her, at least not her normal self.

He leaned back away from her to answer "We sorta talked... I don't know... It didn't seem finished, though perhaps there's no solution to this problem. An undo doesn't exist." he shrugged "In either case I don't see a future between us and I'm pretty sure she knows that too" 

She realized she was letting her emotions take control of her actions once he brushed against her, and shyly she dipped her head towards her own chest. She wasn't usually the emotional type- but the biological reactions that stirred within made everything feel ten times what it would regularly. Her anger, her joy, as well as her bashfulness, which overwhelmed her until he pulled away. 

He tells her then that they talked, though without particular resolution... how unfortunate. But what he said was true- an undo didn't exist. Life was like that- there were no take backs to mistakes, you had to own up to them. Once upon a time she a made a big mistake, the reminders of it still etched in her skin to this day- she had tried to run from the problems she'd caused, only to lose her sense of self. Time had taught her it was better to face your mistakes head-on. 

At his last comment, she leaned out to him this time, hoping to embrace him in a wolf-hug of sorts. Howl, I'm so sorry. To have your dream so close only for it to be... Ripped away. She sighed, letting the sentence trail off. But perhaps she was simply not destined to be the one for you. Maybe you still have your dream, reachable, somewhere not so far off.

As she stepped forward and rested herself against him he didn't startle. It was the first time the two had ever been this close, but it didn't feel like that. If felt natural, like this is what he needed, and he instinctually lifted his head and rested it upon hers. As he listened to her kind words he knew that nothing she could say would change his situation, but it was the first time since the incident that he wasn't completely filled with sorrow and anger. It was comforting to know she cared without knowing Moonshadow or his situation.

Kind enough to pay a compliment she stated that perhaps Moonshadow wasn't deserving. He wasn't sure about that. Even after everything she had done to him, he didn't feel as though she was lesser, but it was clear that the two were not meant for each other in the end, and the realization of the fact was a very hard pill to swallow. "I'm sure it'll come to me one day... or maybe it won't. I feel as though looking for it is a plan for disaster. Perhaps things like that shouldn't be planned, but meant to be" 

He didn't try to pull away. That was comforting to her, and she hoped she could comfort him in the same way. Now more than ever her heart thrummed within her chest till she worried that he might feel it through her fur- an exaggeration, of course- but in that moment she felt so nervous that she could swear her feelings would be betrayed. He spoke again, of how it might come to him, one day... or not. Yes, She hummed in agreement against him, Perhaps your love will find you on its own, She murmured quietly. Star could feel the hormones wanting to overtake her- and she wanted to kiss him then, but she could not let herself give in... not yet... though she was unsure how much longer she could resist him.

As they sat nuzzled against one another Howl could feel the warmth coming from Star. A quite astonishing feat seeing as how the hot springs were creating quite a bit of warmth themselves. "Are you feeling ok? You feel a bit warm" he stated with concern. Come to think of it why was she here in the first place. Surely she would want to find a place to cool off. And wasn't her pack miles from here. What had brought her all this way and so close to his pack? "You didn't come all this way just to see me, did you? he asked charmingly in a joking manner.

But just after he asked his question a gust of wind billowed towards the pair. Filled with the smell of sulfur that was already agitating Howl's nostrils he instinctively tucked his head into her scruff to shield his nose. As the wind passed and his muzzle remained he took in a deep whiff of her scent, now identifiable to the experienced veteran. "Or maybe you did" he said in a low hypnotized tone.

Eep... he'd noticed. Maybe not the beating of her heart, but the heat coming from her skin. She was no lier, but she might've blown it off as sickness as a last resort to resist her desires... until his next words came, and she had to keep herself from swooning. Ah, Howl, n-no- it's not like tha- She began awkwardly, but soon the wind rushed past them, and his face was further in her fur, making her positively bashful.

At the last phrase he uttered, she knew she'd been discovered. He knew she was in heat. She knew she was in heat. Where to go from here? I- I had to get away from my pack... I felt a bit too shy... but it is just a coincidence to meet you here. She explained, and in that moment was not sure whether it was a good or bad coincidence. All she knew now was that she wanted him. Or maybe it was fate, She murmured quieter, closing her eyes as she leaned into him, taking a deep whiff of his scent- intoxicating even without the help of nature.

Her bashful responses and flustered words now had reasoning behind them, a build-up of hormones due to her heat. The sheer smell of her was enough to put him under her spell but he had already felt at ease and comfortable with her at his side prior to being put under such a spell. But the same couldn't be said about Star, at least not from Howl's perspective. Was all of this due to shear hormones? She had left her pack to free herself from temptation there. Was his presence a temptation? He didn't wish to take advantage of her if that were the case. He didn't want to repeat his previous mistakes.

She spoke of fate and persistently claimed that their meet up wasn't planned. That was completely possible, but he needed to be sure. As she leaned against him he resisted his own urges. He needed to be sure this was something she truly wanted, he didn't want to hurt her. "I don't want to give you the wrong idea Star. I greatly enjoy you being here... next to me as you are. And I will never be able to tell you such a blatant lie and claim I don't find you divine" he said with a charming grin. "But I also know that you're vulnerable right now. And I don't want to take advantage of that" he said modestly.

It was getting harder for her to listen closely and think thoroughly... but she had not lost all sense of reason, and so as Howl spoke she listened intently, taking it all in. Her gaze fell and momentarily she pulled away slightly to look him in the eyes. I... it's not taking advantage of me, She sighed, I like you, Howl. And I want you, too. She admitted quietly. And then with a little chuckle, I'm 99% sure it's not just, um, hormones making me say that.

You are divine as well... and it would make me nothing but happy to meet you in this way. Perhaps she would be regretting those words when getting confronted by Wylla a few weeks from now... but all would be okay in the end, and ultimately their union would bring her a great miracle. The admission of her feelings made her bold, and she turned slowly against him, until her rump was against his chest. Allowing him the choice to make the move now if he wished.

I'll be semi vague and let you lead the "fade" ;)

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Her chuckle brought a smile to his face, and her shy confession was extraordinarily cute. Neither response was solely lustful and it was clear her actions weren't completely hormonally motivated. And if she truly hadn't sought him out then all the times they had run into one another was driven by fate. Was this the sign he was looking for, or rather shouldn't have been looking for. At every turning point since he had reentered the Teekon Wilds she had been there. Nothing felt forced with her and his reserve was only a clearer sign that he cared for her and didn't want anything to ruin what they had. Taking this step forward was a risk. It would change everything they currently had, but taking it meant a chance for it to grow rather than wither away. 

As she turned against him she only fueled the flame growing inside him that urged him to take her for his own. But he knew better and would be better. He stood up and grazed his muzzle against her before taking a step back away from her. "I can't do this... Not to you" he sighed and walked up to face her "You deserve more" he confessed as he kissed her passionately. He didn't want this to just be a one and done, she deserved to be cared for and he was more than willing to provide. "I like you too. And I am here for you" he said committing himself to her. He continued to leave kisses along her jaw and neck before making his way behind her. Sure she was pleasured he took mount and initiated the union between the two.

archiving!!! woooo puppies!!!

I can't do this... not to you. At that her spirits dropped as she incorrectly interpreted it as him saying that he might leave then and there, letting her boil in shame. But instead she was shocked by the pleasant surprise of his sweet romance- and it meant so much more than soke cheap fling. He was kind, gentle, loving- respectful of her and her identity, rather than seeing her as a slab of meat. I am here for you. She kissed him back sweetly, though allowed him to take the lead in trailing down her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. There were few times in her years that Star had felt a real romance, but this was one, and she was content to give in to him as he gave in to her, and they found eachother in a new way that would bring greater joy in the future.