Wild Cherry Orchard Dime a Dozen

The crisp morning air blew through the barren trees, rustling branches. A singular twig fell and drifted down to the cold ground. The sun was creeping behind broken clouds, in and out of view. The young male rested against the rough bark of a cherry trunk. His honey-brown eyes fluttered to the twig momentarily.

The wolf returned to grooming himself, raking his pink tongue down his leg to catch any debris. He took pride in his appearance. His dark brown fur in particular. He had a thick pelt, even in the warmer months, and it suited his scrawny frame well. If it weren't for the volume he might not have been as handsome as he was. Tall and slender was an understatement, Cashew was secretly built like the twig resting against his claw. One would never know unless they tried to cuddle the sack of bones.

Eros was starting to feel a certain type of way, and it only partially had to do with the impending turn of season. Growing up, there had been a specific group of wolves that he had thought he would always be able to turn to. Now an adult, the truth was glaringly clear that wasn't true. When he most need others emotionally, they walked away from him, without fail. This left him feeling alone even as his pack continued to thrive.

He decided to take a few days away to look for @Ally and Archer, giving @Viorel a heads up of his intentions before setting out. It served two purposes, in also allowing him a chance to exist without needing to mask.

His paws took him north, amongst the ice-coated cherry fields, where he caught wind of a stranger. When he tracked the other down, the warm earthen tones of their fur stood out starkly against the cold white of winter's blanket. A painted mask of paradoxically angular curves defined the loner's features, wholly unique to Eros' citrus eyes.

He found himself a little more aware of his own appearance then, posture straightening a touch as he approached. Warm curiosity shone in his gaze, and his tone contained a subtle lilt of teasing.

"Could I uh, interrupt for a moment?"

The voice drew his gaze upwards to meet citrus eyes. Cashew hadn't seen the shade before, at least, not on the face of a wolf. He chuckled, his subtle southern twang emerging as he spoke. "Someone as handsome as you can interrupt me anytime" he spoke, the words casually rolling off his tongue with a gentle jest. He gave a playful wink. This was all in fun and games, what was the harm? The wolf looked over the stranger, not bad, he thought. Of course, Cashew was easily swayed by looks, and he often found attractiveness in others somewhere. This particular wolf, he found himself smitten with his peachy-hued eyes. Not to mention the framing of lighter tawny fur and charcoal around them.

He lifted himself from the ground so that he was sitting upright. His height was evident even in a seated position. "The name's Cashew Lakewood." He introduced himself in a tone that suggested he carried pride in his last name.

We'll get him falling for a stranger, a player

The stranger spoke with a cadence equal to his appearance, complimenting Eros freely. It wasn't his first time around Cashew's type, but it had still been some time since he'd gotten anything close to that kind of attention. A gentle heat came to his cheeks, and his own smile turned lopsided as a sparkle in his eyes hinted that he was game for some banter while his tail swayed at his wolfish ankles.

"Eros Valle," he answered with a similar dose of confidence to it.

"Have you happened to of met an Archer or Ally recently? His fur's black and greys and his eyes are silver, she's gonna be a year old soon, marked like me but with one eye blue and one yellow."

That was of course still the priority. He didn't expect an affirmative answer, but Eros did still hope for one.

Quietly he studied the male's reaction, trying to gauge his interest in the game Cashew was initiating. He couldn't quite tell whether or not the fellow was interested. He looked intrigued, but his words were all business, an honest disappointment. Being a loner meant long stents without physical contact. He'd seen that dark female recently, but she hadn't piqued his interest more than a little flirtation. She was just another black wolf with pretty yellow eyes. Those were a dime a dozen.

Cashew was still adjusting to life alone in some ways. He was a glass-half-full sort of man-child, but that didn't mean he didn't struggle with going to bed alone. "Afraid not." He shook his head, rolling his shoulders in a wolfish shrug. He wasn't too sure where to go from here. He couldn't help the fellow with information on this Archer and Ally pair.

We'll get him falling for a stranger, a player

The other answered simply, apparently having no information at all for Eros. He sighed, gaze wandering a moment. It was hard sometimes to avoid the knowledge that he might never see either of them again. The thought caused his emotions to threaten a surge, but he steeled himself and swallowed them down, looking back to the distraction that Cashew presently was.

"Shame," he answered with mild intonation, successfully masking the various things he felt about the response.

"What're you out here for, in the middle of nowhere?"

Cashew wondered how important the pair was to the stranger, thinking about his own family. He didn't know where they were or how to go about finding them. He didn't bother either, he felt they'd cross paths on their own. He wasn't worried about it because his life always worked out for the best. He smiled, "You'll find them." His voice was overly confident, the comment well-meaning, despite being blatantly out of place. The man-child thoroughly believed the words he spoke.

He smirked at the question, "Aside from meeting handsome strangers, just a temporary lodging until I move on." If they had been closer to his log he would've gestured towards it. The Lakewood boy had been out on a stroll before he'd settled down to pamper himself. A well-needed groom had been in order, and the tree seemed a nice enough spot to rest. His den was a hop and a skip away.

We'll get him falling for a stranger, a player

Eros didn't take offense. He smiled instead, appreciative of the support even if it just boiled down to pleasantry. He sure as well hoped he found them, and soon... before either of them got into trouble that they couldn't get out of. He walked closer, assuming that Cashew wasn't about to mind if he stuck around for a little bit to chat. He lowered to his haunches just out of reach, still respecting the other wolf's personal space.

Was he flirting again, or was it just a personality quirk of his? Eros wasn't one to trip over himself assuming someone thought him anything special. Anyways, there was something about the other's air, that he couldn't quite put his paw on but whispered that he should take Cash said with a grain of salt.

It kind of made Eros want to tease him.

"Kind of boring so far. What else you got?" he asked with a smirk, inviting the other to tell more about himself.

Cashew watched the male draw closer with a smirk on his features. To his disappointment the other stopped short of his reach, eliciting a comment, "I don't bite." He paused to wink, "Unless you want me to." He tried to pull the strings in his favor. He gave an obvious once-over of the equally large wolf. He was the typical tawny for the most part.

His haughty expression didn't waver at the comment. He chuckled, So that's how it's going be? A challenge could be fun. "Hmmm." His low voice rumbled out as he thought to himself. "I'm letting the wanderlust lead me. I was separated from my family, so I've been traveling around sightseeing." He paused long enough for his answer to sink in, "And you, what's your position in life?"

We'll get him falling for a stranger, a player

'I don't bite. Unless you want me to.'

An amused sound hummed briefly in Eros' throat, answering as flippantly as he perceived the comment to be with a "I'm still deciding."

That Cash said he was separated from his family but didn't mention or show any concern about the fact was a bit off-putting, but the Valle heir didn't know what his story and wasn't about to reprimand a stranger about his own private matters. After all, it wasn't like he'd said he had kids or something.

"Alpha," he gave his own answer, a tinge of ego to the word. He motioned with his muzzle before expanding, "my packs not too far south of here. Don't think I'd take being separated from them so lightly."

Okay, maybe he'd give him a little bit of grief.

(This post was last modified: Mar 05, 2024, 08:36 AM by Eros.)