Haunted Wood Purgatory

These three need to talk about their feelings! So, here we go! ;>

Setting: 48 degrees, clear sky, around 5:00 pm in Cardinal Grove.

It was bound to happen. At first Santiago found himself emotionally inept when he fought in the ring and now he’s torn between two souls. How odd life works; he can’t seem to figure it out. Today he’ll confess; free what the beating of his heart whispers to him at low hours of the night. When the fog rolls in and he sees nothing but the vague, spindly arms of trees leaking into his vision and alarmingly real shadows that his mind creates to keep his hair standing on end.

Today is different. The fog will clear and he will see clearly. Or perhaps his mind will be more muddled by the end of it. Whichever fate decides is what must happen. Can’t fight fate, as they say.

Finding himself settling in the Cardinal Grove, where the hills look like they’ve been painted with the sweet crimson of blood and dotted with the burnt orange equivalent to the suns soon to be harsh rays. Padding into the clearing where the flowers are beginning to bug due to the changing weather, he breathes in; letting loose from his lungs a deep, souls rattling howl. Calling for @Serem and @Clarence to finally confess his sins.

She had finished fooling around with the two males and she thought she finally got it out of her system when she heard a familiar voices call and the raven rolled her eyes but promptly made her way towards the one she'd been avoiding. "You called for me?" She questioned

Clarence, too, had not thought he could feel these kinds of emotions for another wolf. It was odd, unsettling, and anxiety inducing, but it also somehow felt good. Right. Like maybe he belonged somewhere. 

However, his talk with Serem had left him nervous, tense. It had been a hard conversation, and he didn't doubt that the woman was hurt. He also knew that all three of them would have to have a talk at some point, but he didn't think it would be so soon. 

The boy padded after the howl, pausing and glancing between the two larger wolves. "Hi," he said, ears pressing back and tail setting at a hesitant wag near his hocks.

The first to come to his call is Serem. The elegant she-wolf with the blackest of fur. The plume of  the thick fur on her neck frames her face beautifully, yet as he gazes upon her he can sense something different. Not only the scent of other wolves, but stranger wolf’s no doubt–male too. The twinge of putrid jealously he feels winding it’s way into his guts confuses him, yet he’s not surprised by it. 

“Yo hice.” He says calmly to her with a light dusting of a smile.

Then only moments later the piebald male comes padding along, a light wagging of his tail a good sign for Santi. Those innocent eyes colored of blood gaze to the both of them. Santi chuckles at his innocence and borderline childlike mix of anxiety and excitement.

Though now his eyes flick to the pair before him. “I wanted to speak to you both.” He starts gingerly. “Iré directo al grano.” He states with an easygoing smile, voice more confident than his previous sentence. 

“I’ve been feeling things.” He squints his eyes trying to find the right words, obviously struggling. “An attraction, emocional y físicamente. I’m sure you both are aware.” He comments quickly, referencing his feeling towards the two. “I want to be with you both but the decision is a hard one. One that if I don’t have to make would be easier. I want to have both of you, if all parties agree.” The finality in his voice punctuates the sentence being more of a question to them both. Urging them to speak their opinion truthfully. He wants to have them both close to his heart. Yet their reactions will depend greatly on that outcome.

She could tell his reaction when she approached and it was one she had been counting on when she went off and did her little thing. What the male said next was also not completely unexpected and she listened on. Now she didn't particularly like what he said next but she kept it to herself and thought for a moment. She wanted the man to herself but if this is what was to happen she wouldn't mind it. "I don't completely hate that idea." She stated.

Feeling things? Clarence felt his ears press back and his eyes cast to the side. He'd known, really, that Santiago also liked Serem - it had been a source of jealousy for the young male - but he hadn't known it was going to be confirmed like... this. It wasn't even necessarily the offer that was unsettling, but rather the words - it sounded so professional and distant. 

Not to mention the words that Clarence was having a hard time deciphering. Emocional was easier, because it sounded like emotional, and he imagined fisicamente meant the opposite of that. 

"I talked to Memory once, about... love. For a mate," he began, still unable to make eye contact. Gaze trailed along the ground, part in thought, part nervous, part... something he couldn't quite name. He still skirted around the main question. "Is that what you mean?"

His silver moons stare intently at the raven pelted female. Her reaction and reply is simple, approving or at least something of the sort. He finds himself sighing internally when she decides that she wouldn’t detest the idea. Though now he knows the decision remains to be lying on Clarence. The boy is innocent and constantly craving his attention in ways that Serem doesn’t. The maturity difference he assumes is to blame here.

Giving Serem a cherished smile and a quaint nod he looks back to the other, awaiting his reaction. So he gazes upon the smaller, attempting to translate his body language and decipher the different plains of his voice. 

“Yes.” He hums to him gently. “Would you want to be with me even if I was with Serem as well?” He asks ever so cautiously.

Watching Santiago and Serem's body language was odd. Maybe it was just that Serem wasn't particularly expressive, but it didn't really seem to him like she was enthusiastic about the idea either. And she smelled... different. Like other guys. That was pretty odd. But the look in Santiago's eyes when he looked at the woman...

Santiago loves her, too.

The thought sent a spike of pain through his chest, and his tail slowly drooped down next to his hind legs. For a moment, he wanted nothing more than to run away and maybe find a good hole to hide in, just to process everything he was feeling right now. All of the emotions made his eyes burn and his belly clench. 

However, as he recalled his conversation with Memory again, Clarence tried to quell the jealousy churning in his stomach. After all, the love for a mate meant someone who you would do anything to see happy. That was one of the things that the man had said about someone you were in love with. And Clarence did want to see Santiago happy, more than anything, so... if this was what it would take. He just had never thought that that would mean sharing the person he loved with another. 

"If this is what will make you happiest," he began, glancing from Santiago to Serem, then back to the man again. "If she makes you happy, too, then... I want you to be happy." There. Perhaps not the most eloquent thing, but he'd said it nonetheless.

When she heard what the boy said her tail swayed happily behind her and she knew it took a lot for the boy to say this and she walked over and gave him a small nudge of reassurance and looked over to Santiago, this was all new to her and she was intrigued to figure it out.

Santi’s heart stops beating all together at the words Clarence hesitantly puts out. If she makes you happy too, then I want you to be happy. He almost wheezes in sheer astonishment. He doesn’t want Clarence or Serem to be constantly irked with jealousy over one another. He has no choice but to give them both the amount of attention they deserve. It would be infinite and Santiago almost can’t handle it. Something very out of character for him. This whole situation makes him out of character, it puts his lunch on hold as he held his breath until they started to burn. 

Finally, he inhales sharply and gives a relieved laugh. Silver moons watch as Serem extends her olive branch with a comforting nudge to the nervous male. Alas Santi has yet to speak words, so odd for him especially.

“It would make me happy, cariño.” He says down to the other, knowing how different all this is to him. “You both make me happy, I will do the same for you.” The deep rolling voice drips with confidence and a winning smirk causes teeth to show.

Stepping closer to the two he lowers his head to nudge the smaller male enthusiastically with a head to Clarence’s neck and cheek. Leaving him with a brief lick to his chops, he steps closer to Serem. Rubbing his cheek along her own in an affectionate nudge as well. A blackened tongue swiping along her leathery nose and a devious yet playful wink to follow. He didn’t want to scare off Clarence by giving the other male a dangerous wink. He knows he needs something more comforting right now if anything.

Taking a step back his silvery eyes meet the ones of his mates. Pride swelling in his breast he chuckles. “I’m lucky to have you both.” 

This was all new territory for the boy - first of all, the whole love part. But before now, he hadn't known that a wolf could even love two others at the same time. It was a strange mixture of heartbreak, because the wolf he loved also loved another wolf, and happiness, because he was still loved. 

Serem stepped closer and nudged him and Clarence, forever seeking contact and physical reassurance - especially in this sort of new situation, leaned after her almost embarrassingly when she pulled away again. The boy caught himself, however, and continued to look between the two, relaxing slightly when the other man confirmed that he was happy. 

Clarence brushed his cheek along Santiago's as well, closing his eyes briefly and watching him do the same to Serem. An uncertain smile formed on his own maw and he paused, thoughtful, before speaking again. "Wait a second," he began, brows knitting together. He had to be sure he wasn't reading things incorrectly. "This does mean you love me - us, doesn't it? So... we're mates now?" His ears pressed back, hoping he wasn't sounding too childish. "How does it all work? I don't really... there weren't mates, where I was from."

Clarences own confused thoughts brought upon more terrifying ones of his own. Is that what is making him soft? Is that what has forced him to see better in his pack, maybe even others in general. He has yet to see about that last part.

It occurs to him that yes he could definitely be in love with the two of them. The desire to give them both an unmeasurable amount of affection and to make their life better than it was previously. It makes his chest tight and finally he decides–yes this is exactly what he feels.

“Yes we’re mates now, cariño. I love you both.”  He confesses with a tightness in his throat. The words so foreign they almost catch in his throat. 

Then finally some comedic relief brings him back from that ethereal plain he finds himself on. Chuckling softly at Clarences easy confusion he paws at the others own softly. “That’s what it’s called when you’re with someone you love. You’re called mates.” He replies as simply as possible as to not overwhelm him.

The boy seemed to be okay with her little affection and the woman could feel her heart melt a little bit even though she was still new to the whole feeling thing. He then asked what mates were and she had thought about speaking but her ears flattened to her skull once she realized she never truly knew what it meant to truly be ones mate and not just someone's baby factory. So she listened and once the man said what he did she felt her heart skip a beat and her tail sway more.

Wow. This might be the first time Clarence had ever heard those words. The boy relaxed and sighed through his nose, body draining of its previous tension as he looked between the two. 

"I love you, too," he told Santiago with a wag of his tail, stepping forward and bumping his head lightly beneath the man's chin, ensconsing himself in the dense fur on his chest. Red eyes sought out Serem and he offered the woman a shy smile, proverbially extending a hand. 

She was pretty, he thought, even if he didn't feel the same attraction that he felt toward Santiago. It was simply that he couldn't swing her way, so to speak. But that didn't mean that he wasn't going to try to be a good co-mate. "And I think I could love you, too," he said quietly, safely hiding in Santiago's chest. "If that's okay..."

They can get into a cute cuddle circle and have it fade?

He concludes that the feeling he gets when Clarence or Serem look at him is indeed–love. When Clarence tucks beneath his chin and comfortably into his chest, mumbling those words, he almost loses his mind. The fact that the piebald male drifts red eyes bad to Serem and says that he could love her too. Santi’s eyes settle intently on Serem as well and tips his chin up in a type of nod to tell her to come closer and join the cuddle.

The appreciates what the boy said and she was down to give this a shot as she went to an open spot and snuggled close to the two and her tail continued to sway on the ground and their warmth was a nice new feeling she was not used to but could.