Lion Head Mesa The sun doesn't give light to the moon assuming the moon's gonna owe it one

he's on the borders, trying to gather info
any member of akashingo is welcome!
early evening, 68 F

He couldn't explain his absence; it was a need from somewhere deep within—a voice in his mind that told him he was better off alone. He still believed he was best on his own, but guilt brought him back to this place of nightmares and memories he had been trying to avoid. He hadn't spoken to his cousin before he left, and Kallik thought it was only right to come check in. Only he had no idea where Merrit was.

So his first order of business now that he had returned was to try and track his cousin down. His searching brought him to the edge of a territory he was unfamiliar with. There were many scents, and so he paused near the invisible line and released a long, deep howl. This was as good of a place to start as any. His expression remained blank as his olive gaze scanned the distance for whomever would answer his call first.

pharaoh lay sleeping and wounded.
no one knew yet if maggie would live.
jawahir was a shadow that circled and circled the mesa.
the gloaming came to swallow akashingo. the sight of white fur half-visible in the night stopped the jewel in their tracks. for now, jawahir said nothing, only watched from a stone's throw away.

For a few quiet, long moments, Kallik neither heard nor saw anything. No one came from the shadows to question his presence on the border of the territory. 

It was strange that his call had been met with nothing. He wondered if maybe no one actually lived here. He considered just crossing over the scent-drawn line but decided he would call out once more before doing that. So he raised his muzzle to howl but before he opened his mouth, the scent of someone made him pause. They were close, he thought, but he couldn't quite pin point the origin of the scent. 

His muted green eyes scanned the area he could see, pausing when they picked out the outline of a figure. They just stood there and watched him. Kallik was unsure why they had not come to answer his call, and no words seemed appropriate right then. So he just stood, icy and tall against the light cast down from the moon, and he stared at the stranger, ready to react to whatever came next.

the eyes that fell at last upon the jewel were a soft greenery. beautiful one, jawahir greeted, stepping closer. and yet they did not stand within reach. the wolves of akashingo were known. this one was not, and they would have preferred not to meet such an end as that of maggie.
you have found akashingo. and jawahir. their eyes were welcoming, lithe figure softened into pleasant lines as the harlot sought to stoke the wolf's interest.

Beautiful one

He wasn't sure he had ever been called beautiful before, but he wasn't a humble man, and so he knew how striking he was. He merely raised an eyebrow at the woman and watched closely as her soft, graceful form moved a little closer. It was then he realized she was coyote and not wolf. He had never spent much time with their cousins, only seen them from time to time. Most of his young adult life had been spent in solitude, so he really hadn't spent much time with anyone—not for any length of time anyway.

The tone of her voice further grasped his focus, and he watched her with silent interest. When she finished introducing herself and her pack, he gave her a slight nod. Kallik, he answered in return. I'm looking for my cousin, Merrit. Have you heard of anyone by that name? He had come here to gather information, regardless of how the inviting look from the stranger made his stomach clench.

jawahir shook their head. no merrit has come here. the man before them had a grace unknown to the majority of his demographic. it intrigued the jewel
perhaps while you search, the mesa might be a place to rest and to be refreshed.
jawahir was careful. this kallik was calm for now. but they had developed a distaste for the white wolves.

What she proposed seemed far too kind to offer a stranger. And with no request to join their pack in return, or so it seemed that way to him. He was hesitant to believe that she would grant him somewhere safe to rest from his traveling without wanting something from him.  

He was quiet a few moments as he considered her words. He couldn't keep the interest from his expression. It would be nice to have somewhere to go when he was tired and hungry. And what would you want in return for such a gracious offer? he asked. Surely she wasn't being kind just for the sake of it. No one ever offered anything without wanting some kind of payment.

jawahir smiled at the shrewdness of the stranger. maggie would have called him a cull. that is not for me to say.
they slipped closer, meeting the intrigue in the wolf's eyes with a look of their own. i will only bathe the dust from your paws and warm you in the hours that follow.
jawahir met his stare with a brazen look, urging the man forward and in the direction of the mesa.

He wanted to ask who's decision it was. He wanted to ask if he could meet them and work out the terms of this agreement, but he was a man, after all—a young one, often led by things that didn't involve logic. He was calculating and collected most of the time, but he had his weaknesses like everyone else. And this woman seemed to know that, or assumed his weakness based off of experience. 

So his questions were forgotten for the moment as his expression finally softened. He answered her silent invitation and stepped across the borders, brushing his nose through her nape as he stopped near her. His tone was soft and playful when he spoke. And what would you like in return?

Mature Content Warning

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The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: deep erotic suggestion

jawahir arched their shoulders as the man caressed their inviting figure. to make you cry out
a brazen answer. they led their winter companion to the gates of the pleasure-house. a quiet nod was passed to @sabah the guard. the royal lord was elsewhere, hopefully with satsu. coyote eyes watched from the shadows.
they led the young traveller below the mesa, to the slanting shafts of faded light and slow trajectory of water warmed earlier in the day by the sun.
jawahir smiled. what is your name?

Surprise painted his expression, his eyebrows lifting a little. He had not expected such a forward answer—or a selfless one. The surprise melted away, leaving heat in his gaze and a sultry curve to his lips. 

He followed silently as she led him farther into the territory, his gaze shifting occasionally to watch the shifting of muscle under her skin as she moved. Anticipation warmed his blood as she nodded to a packmemeber and continued to lead him down below the mesa. As distracted as he was, he did not fail to notice the eyes watching them from the darkness. He pinned the observation to the back of his mind for now, more interested in the pair of eyes that continued to pull him to some unknown place. 

When she asked for his name, a low, gravely chuckle rumbled from his chest. You've forgotten already? he asked, clearly not upset she hadn't remembered. Kallik, he offered, remnants of a smile pulling one corner of his lips. His eyes scanned the area around them, both out of habit and from intrigue. Lovely, he said after a few moments, as if she had been waiting for his opinion.

no.
jawahir encircled him and set their chin against his chest for a moment. that is the name you would give anyone. they reached to run their lips along the side of his mouth, skimming there and then away. what is the name you will give me?
kallik. kallik ... what?
they waded into the pools now, allowing the fur of their hips to begin to clutch their body, to highlight the prize that the young wanderer with a single name might later claim.

No? So she hadn't forgotten. His eyes closed as he felt her warmth against his chest and her lips brush against his, opening as she moved away.

kallik...what

He understood now that she wanted his full name. His father's name. The father who had died and abandoned him to a world with almost no family. He hadn't said the word in a long time and it stuck in the back of his throat like his lips weren't sure how to form it. His expression hardened some and his jaw tightened. But then the sight of the water clinging to Jawahir's sides pulled him from the ghosts and memories of his past. 

He moved forward, stepping into the water after her. Ateneq, he finally offered, the name sounding strange spoken out loud after so long. He reached down to nip at the damp fur of her neck. But don't call me by that name. His tone was more stern this time, holding none of the playfulness that was there before.

this boy carried secrets. jawahir saw it in the long tension of his body. but they saw also how the creeping dream was dissolved by how his pretty eyes settled upon the figure he wished to possess.
jawahir saw his hunger.
kallik, they murmured in answer and in recognition of the order he had given. his teeth plied the harlot's glossy nape. let me bathe you.
indicating where he should lie back against the stone wall, jawahir moved closer and began to sluice water from slim jaws over one colorless shoulder.

She honored his request without any further prodding, and he was grateful. Those memories were ones he preferred to keep locked up deep in his mind if given the choice. 

He moved willingly against the wall, saying nothing as she offered to bathe him. He watched intently as she scooped up the warm water and released it down his tense shoulder. That in combination with the heat from her closeness was soothing—more than he was expecting. The feeling was intense, and it forced his eyes closed and pulled a shudder from his lips. He was touch-starved he realized then. He had been alone for a long time, numb to his wants and needs in order to survive. But he didn't have to survive here; he could just enjoy the feeling of something so basic turned tender by the mere fact that she was doing the bathing for him. 

It had also been a while since he had bothered to wash the dirt from his thick, northern coat. It showed as dirt tainted the water, leaving his fur snowy white and soft grey in the places she tended to. He wanted to say something, to reach down and nuzzle his nose into the fur of her neck. But all he managed to get out was a soft: hmmmm. and long, relaxed sigh.

kallik relaxed under their careful movements. jawahir licked along his ears, reaching up along his cheeks and the sides of his throat. they raked small paws through the pelt of his chest, feeling how the tight and thick white hairs separated and untangled beneath their claws.
who is merrit? only your cousin? jawahir murmured, pressing the side of their muzzle to his own, plucking at a particularly stubborn knot of fur.
men were easy. it did not mean that there was no pleasure in their actions, no enjoyment in how kallik allowed himself to be soothed and cleansed.
it did not mean that jawahir did not anticipate what was to come.

His eyes remained closed as his mind took in the sensory feedback from her touches—the way her tongue moved gently over the fur of his cheeks and neck—the feeling of her paws brushing against the fur of his broad chest, rough and soothing at the same time. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before, and he was quickly getting lost in all of it. 

When she spoke, it was to ask about Merrit. The question pulled him from his almost dissociated state, his eyes slowly flicking open to look at her as she worked. He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. Another subject he didn't want to get into, but he felt he could offer some glance into the turmoil of his past, especially as she worked so reverently on cleaning the months of travel from his fur. Yes, he is my cousin. Our mothers were sisters. Valette came to his mind then, the despair flooding his chest as he remembered her lifeless body—another loved one torn from him too soon. He swallowed. He is the only family I have left— Kallik paused a moment, swallowing again. I need to find him. He didn't want to feel these things right now, and escaping them was the only way he had ever coped. So he leaned down and nuzzled whatever part of Jawahir was within reach, his eyes closing again as he tried to relieve some of the tension that had creeped back into his muscles.

enough now. he sought the warmth and respite of their body, and jawahir responded with the same ardency that had so captivated pharaoh.
the water lapped and eddied around the pair in the pleasure pools. the harlot turned until kallik's breath was upon long ears and the back of a graceful neck. from here they were able to hear his heartbeat.
what meal will you have now? jawahir asked, leaning back against the strong whiteness of his chest in surrender at last. he would feel the relaxation of their body and know it as an invitation.

Thankfully, there were no more questions concerning his past or his reasons for wandering alone. He continued to push his muzzle through her soft fur, drawing in her scent and feeling the last of the tension melt away once more. She was too good to be true. He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve this, but he refused to question it. Maybe the stars had saw fit to gift him some peace after living so long in solitude and chaos. 

She leaned into his chest, and he delivered soft kisses to her jaw and cheek. Her question made him pause but he kept his face close to hers. I'm not hungry for food, he rumbled against her. Just for you. Eating was the absolute last thing on his mind. He nibbled along her lower jaw, using his nose to gently tilt up her chin so he could do the same to the sensitive skin of her throat.

jawahir allowed a purr to vibrate in their throat. the feel of him, eager and dripping warm water, sent a zeal through their blood.
follow me, beautiful one.
along the pool, a wide ledge formed entrances to a honeycombing of many darkened caves. the jewel's was closest.
they urged kallik along with soft kisses and lashes of their tongue, drawing him to the threshold of their den and then down onto a pile of skins.
after that, they did not expect more speaking for a while.

Kallik followed her eagerly, accepting every bit of affection she offered along the way. She led them to one cave of many and then guided him down to a soft bed of animal furs. It was dim but the light that crept inside highlighted her features perfectly. You are the beautiful one, he murmured into the rabbit-soft fur beneath her ear.

All their dancing had led them to this moment, and he was selfish and unwilling to let it pass quickly. He wouldn't rush or settle for just one round. He wanted her to himself for as long as she would allow. With his mind set, he softly and slowly kissed along her cheek and then her neck, and then to her throat. He was setting the pace for how they would spend the next few hours, if she would allow it of course.

they allowed it.
they and the white wolf forgot the world for a time.
jawahir had always seen the juncture of desire to skill.
eventually the akashingo creature returned to sentience and lifted their head to see if he slept or if he only lay in repose.
this time the jewel did not offer food; they waited for kallik to say something. or waited only to hear him breathe.

It had been a gift to escape in such a way. She had allowed him to savor the time in which they were the only things that mattered, and then he had fallen swiftly into a sound slumber—the first deep sleep he had been allowed in quite some time. But the issue with deep sleep was that the mind often took the opportunity to open the heavy door that trapped the memories he couldn't process. 

He was a child again, walking at his father's side on large, uncoordinated paws. They spoke in a dream language, happy and content, as they explored the territory. But then his paw was trapped within the gnarled roots of a tree, and no matter how much he cried out, his father didn't seem to hear him; he just kept walking on as if nothing had happened, eventually disappearing in the distance, swallowed by the horizon. Suddenly he was a man, alone in a cave, watching the rain pour down outside as he tried to shelter himself from the freezing wind. It had been the loneliest he ever felt in his life, and he had tucked the memory away as soon as he had been able to leave that place.

His eyes flicked open as he sensed her movement, even as slight as it was and as deep as his sleep was. Kallik stretched and curled himself around her, nuzzling into her fur and immensely grateful he was far from alone right now. Thank you, he breathed against her fur.

it brings me pleasure to have given you the same. jawahir pressed their mouth to his cheek, allowing them both the pleasure of mingling intimately after.
it was not the same as that shared between the lord of akashingo and themselves. ramesses was their only lover.
but kallik — they curled closer in his embrace, enjoying the excuse of being kept from satsu's never-ending commands. how have you enjoyed akashingo? jahwahir laughed.

Is that the only thing that brought you pleasure? he asked, his tone playful despite the blunt question. I hope I pleased you as much as you pleased me. He didn't have much experience with women, but he did pride himself on his ability to read others. He thought he had done this with her, watched for what she liked and didn't like. 

As for how he had enjoyed Akashingo: he chuckled, the sound rumbling low in his broad chest. I think it will impossible to stay away for too long, Kallik murmured, returning a kiss to her slender cheek. Really it would be too difficult to stay away from her for too long, especially with how many cold, lonely nights were ahead of him.