Oak Tree Bend You've Got Me Under Your Skin

for @Kino
Day or two after acceptance-ish?

After he'd found the cache, Larkspur had everything he wanted. A nice spot to sun, a large deer leg, and peace. Keeping to himself was easiest when he could just lay around, woolgathering as he gnawed on the scraps of meat that clung to the leg he'd grabbed. It felt nice to not worry so much, but if he'd told anyone that he enjoyed the lazy, subordinate pack-life, then he'd be a liar. He liked being on top too much, he liked having control over his own situation, and carefully surrounding himself around wolves that he deemed useful. Like, for example, Sahalie.

Eventually, he'd have to move on. He couldn't say within the Bend, even if he was starting to feel a little bit safer there. Lark knew better than to get comfortable, but sometimes when you were given a nice, sunny spot to nap and a good meal, and someone to patch your boo-boos up,  you couldn't help but to just be comfortable. Even then, he didn't want the tranquility of the moment to be gone. He was happy, content with chewing on a bone, even if he didn't really want to be. It felt wrong.

He didn't deserve to be happy.

 

Kino was feeling lighter than he’d felt in a long time with Hal’s acceptance of him. It felt…good to walk without a secret, even though he was still lying to everyone else. But, to him…she was really the only one that mattered. He could live with everyone else’s rejection, but her’s would have killed him. Yet…there was something that was bothering him still. When doing his usual border patrols, he’d scented something a little…off. It was new that much was certain, and he figured it was likely a new member. He was surprised to have not met them yet, but the Bend was a large place after all and he knew that when he’d first joined he hadn’t stayed in the communal den. Hell, he still frequently didn’t stay in the communal den. The boy was a known night own, keeping things in check while the others slept at night, then bedding down some time just before dawn and sleeping in until the sun was high in the sky. Perhaps that was a reason that he hadn’t seen them, and while the scent seemed oddly familiar he didn’t think much of it.

That’s why, when he caught wind of the scent of the newcomer again he’d decided to investigate and perhaps introduce himself. My, how far he’d come. He was still rather anti-social, but at least now most of the pack knew him decently well and he wasn’t so much of an enigma. Trotting at a leisurely pace, tail swinging gently at his hocks, he rounded a bush and stopped cold. His auds flew back and his muscles tensed beneath his pelt. Before him stood the very man he’d gotten into a fight with, and the most sickening part was the Bend lingering acceptingly in his pelt. He didn’t even need to ask, he knew how he’d gotten there and accepted in.

Sahalie.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

It was lucky (or unlucky, if you thought that way) for Larkspur, the world was a cruel place. Happiness was found in small slivers, in moments like mindless bone-chewing or naps in the sun. Then briskly swept away by other moments, and this one happened to be the arrival of Alastor. The silvery man barely gave the boy a glance, but a toothy, twisted sort of smile found him. "Alas, the hero enters. I'd say a day or two late," he abandoned the bone to get a good look at the boy's wounds. "The dragon's burned up your city, gobbled up your princess," he was feeling confident, so slowly got up so he could size up the boy. "What will you do now, Alastor?"

Larkspur limped forward, almost slinking, and still with that ugly smirk. "Nothing, I suppose. You can't touch me now," the man had never bothered with letting others have their own personal space. This was no exception. Lark felt strong in his heart, mighty and unstoppable. Alastor might have won any physical battle, but in his own paws, Larkspur held the key to the real battle. His sweet little Sahalie, too sweet for her own good. It wouldn't last, he supposed, but he'd hold tightly to what power he could while he had it. "We're brothers, and now we've got to watch each others' backs," his voice was thick with sarcasm.

 

He didn’t even get a moment to process before the old man was on his paws, a disgustingly yellow grin on his face that made Kino’s skin crawl. "The dragon's burned up your city, gobbled up your princess. What will you do now, Alastor?" he said, looking him up and down. Well, more or less up since Kino had about 7 inches on him. He resisted the urge to snap, jaws salivating and his nostrils flared. Lark was right, he couldn’t touch him now that he was in the pack but that didn’t mean he didn’t trust him any more. And, one could bet that Kino would be taking his knowledge to Spieden or Serach. Surely they wouldn’t appreciate having such a character in their ranks.

"We're brothers, and now we've got to watch each others' backs," the man snickered and the boy’s icey eyes narrowed, tail swinging behind his frame. He took a step forward, ensuring that he knew that if he wanted to play the intimidation game the silver yearling could play right back. Kino wasn’t just brawn, he had a fair amount of brain as well. “I suppose you could pass for my brothers.” he snarked. “They’ve never failed to stab me in the back.” which is exactly what he expected Larkspur to do. “You may be in this pack, but I can assure you that you aren’t one of us. And stay away from Sahalie.”he rumbled.

(This post was last modified: Nov 30, 2016, 12:15 AM by Kino.)

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

Larkspur didn't flinch as the boy stepped closer to him, and only dared the boy to step again. The way he got all big and tough was endearing. He stared directly into Kino's eyes for a few moments before taking a step back. He needed to relax a little bit, at least while he settled down and healed in his new home. "Alastor, you can push me away as much as you'd like, but I'm here to stay. Your act does not scare me," he'd faced bigger, badder wolves in his time. Hell, he'd managed to get ahead of the one wolf he'd thought highest of. And somehow, it still didn't really make Larkspur above him. Even in the grave, the white man thought more highly of his dead brother than he did of himself.


Some things were just harder to kill than others.

Lark stretched slowly, then yawned. "No." he said, though was certain that Alastor wouldn't take him seriously. "You're too below me to take orders from. Plus, I won't hurt her. Wouldn't hurt a hair on her sweet little head," he scraped off a good chunk of meat from the deer leg.. "So quit the act. I'm sure you can be an adult and we can put our differences aside. I think your girlfriend would appreciate it."

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

Larkspur refused to back down and for a moment Kino thought that they were going to have a repeat of what had happened before. His lips slowly peeled back to reveal points of teeth before the older male stepped back, the silver boy letting out a snort of annoyance and a flick of his tail. His next words he already knew, but they did little to make him settle down. A burning dislike of this man had settled in the yearling’s chest and he didn’t think it was going anywhere soon. He’d already gotten in a giant fight with Hal over the pale man, though it still baffled him as to how she could allow him to stay, and he wouldn’t allow him the pleasure of ripping them apart.

His next words struck another chord in the boy and he breathed in deeply through his nose. Too below him? Larkspur had just joined. He was only below him because the man was older for crying out loud. Fuck age, he only respected someone if they were someone he deemed respectable and the old fart was far from it. “She’s not my girlfriend. But, the only reason I’m not ripping you a new ass IS because of her so be thankful,” he countered, backing up a few steps himself before sitting down unhappily.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

He would have rolled his eyes, but right then he needed to focus on not getting attacked again. Which didn't mean he wasn't allowed to poke the bear, he just needed to make sure to not wake it up. The boy denied that Sahalie was his girlfriend, which is exactly what the girl had done. Larkspur snorted, and then gave his companion a big grin. "Sure," he teased.

The boy surprised him when he didn't do the whole 'storming off because I am a child and I can't do anything about it.' In fact, Alastor sat down with that grumpy sort of expression on his face. Needless to say, Larkspur was entertained, letting the boy know this with the pleased expression on his face. "I am always thankful for the kind strangers in my life," the girl was no exception. Because of her, he had food, a comfortable place to rest, and even a grumpy boyfriend to poke at. Had he not been so concerned with his venture north, he might have planned to stay a bit longer. Or, at least that was his plan for now.

"So your plan is to sit there and scowl at me?"

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

"I am always thankful for the kind strangers in my life," the man stated and to this the boy raised a brow. If Larkspur was ever thankful for anything he had a funny way of showing it. If he was thankful to Hal then why did he snarl in her face and just about attack her? Even he wouldn’t attack such a small girl, especially if they were just trying to help. But, he himself had made some questionable decisions in his life and he couldn’t quite fault him for making a bad decision. No, but his verdict on threatening someone close to Kino was shown quite plainly in the injuries on the older male.

“So your plan is to just sit there and scowl at me?” he said and Kino ground his teeth. “And have to keep looking at your ugly mug? Fat chance, just want to make sure you don’t go off and try to maim any other nice little girls,” he retorted. If only the boy realized how he was nearly mimicking the mood that the other male put off, but alas he was content to live in blissful ignorance.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

"You think I'm here because I want to maul someone?" he laughed the words, guffawing to the point where his ribs were hurting. "You're probably too young to understand, Little Boy, but right now the last thing I want to do is maul any of the little girlfriends you have hanging around here. I'll be out of your hair, sooner or later," Or never, as the both of them would soon find out in a few months. This was besides the point. Larkspur stretched his front legs in front of him, wincing in pain as he did so. He chewed at the skin around one of the wounds, wishing he could scratch at his face a little bit better.  "So go on, little Alastor. I'm in no condition to maim anyone," and maybe the boy didn't understand the life as a loner. Maybe he'd been in his pack his whole life, and had no idea how hard it was to be out there. Not only alone, but alone an injured. Lark would stay as long as he could, he'd heal up, and move on.

North. The world had to end eventually.

"Plus, if I had wanted to hurt anyone, I would have. There's been plenty of opportunities put in front of me. I'm happier sitting here, chewing on this leg," and to demonstrate, Larkspur continued to work on the deer leg.

@Kino

(This post was last modified: Feb 06, 2017, 04:36 AM by Larkspur.)