Well, well, well... {Reika}--Material Not Rated XD

[Plume of the Eagle]

((I am the first to welcome your Reika XD ))

There was no getting around it, he was tired. And the caverns, they smelled of wolves, yes, but still… it was a place to rest, no? ‘Twas a nice place to lay his head and rest his wings before heading off again, which was something the Keiyou needed to do badly. And the caverns had opened their dark maws at him, some large other small, all open and waiting. It was as if the salty sea air had permeated his very soul, for Plume had begun to feel healthy and rested before he’d even slept. The muscles in his wings throbbed but otherwise were not twitching, as they normally did after a long flight.

Before him spread the open, beckoning caves; the soft sound of bats certainly not to low for the wolf to hear, and there seemed to be a soft but odd hum in the air, though whether it was from the ocean or something deep within the caves, he could not say. In fact, with his perspicacious nature that discerned this hum as nothing more then the ocean, for it was only the echo of the waves.

The reflection of the water far below caused interesting patterns on the ceiling of the particular cave that Plume was in, and it gave him great joy to stare out over the water, and let his mind wander.

There had been a pack congregating, he’d seen them when he’d flown in, but they’d been on the beach, or at least at one point they had, and he felt no need to try and find them again. He walked over to the edge, the precipice, if you will, and spread his wings as an updraft came in, warming the cool and misty air.

The feathers on the underside of his body fluttered gently, and he could feel a loose one. Plume knew it was better to take out unnecessary feathers, as they broke loose or messed up your flight sometimes.

Waving his tail in a wagging motion, he scented the air. Wolves had been here; loner-scents going back months, for water rarely came in and washed the scents away. Some scents he recognized—other Keiyou, a Lupus or two, several Caels (it appeared to be a favorite and much used, as the same wolf’s scent would over lap itself.

He curled up in a ball, his wings open during sleep.

[Reika Hjarta]

Reika was bored.

He had searched high and low, over hill and vale, for someone to relieve his boredom, but nobody seemed able to help. Oh, the girls could bat their eyes at him, and coo all they liked, but he didn't want girls. He couldn't sleep with girls. Girls were strange, they were awkward, they liked to crush flowers and roll in the scent. Reika didn't like girls, and no matter how desperate he was, no matter how much he hated spending so many nights alone, he wouldn't ever have anything more than a pleasant conversation with one.

Now boys on the other hand...

Reika smiled, the terrible grin of a hunter who has sighted his prey. Yes, he could deal with boys. Being one himself, he understood how boys worked, what they wanted, and how they wanted it. He could play with boys and make them do as he pleased. It didn't matter how they thought they were, in the end, they all wanted to sleep with him. Even when they didn't, they did.

A faint smell drew Reika from his thoughts. In all his years of life and travelling, he had learned to identify the species and gender of wolves just by twitching his nose a few times. One twitch and he caught the scent of wind and sky. It was a clean, wild scent. A Keiyou, then, or some hybridization of one. Another twitch, and he could smell the sort of delicious scent that only a male could preserve. Another smile broke Reika's muzzle in two, and he trotted forward, following his nose to his target.

There...

He could see him now. His nose hadn't failed him: it was a Keiyou, alright. Reika lowered his head, peeking curiously at his latest find. Yes, definitely male, too! He licked his nose, already imagining how he would go about this. His antennae waved to and fro, just as impatient as he was. However, these things were delicate. He certainly couldn't just barge in, demanding things like that. No, no, no! He had to be charming, elegant, and patient. Most of all, patient.

Reika crept up to the sleeping wolf, relishing the scent. He usually didn't go for Keiyous. Much too bulky, far too short lived. However, desperation trumped personal opinion. He leaned forward, just barely brushing the wolf's ear.

"Boo." he whispered, his smile barely masking his inner desires.

[Plume of the Eagle]

Now, the most recent dream that Plume was having was one involving a very pretty female Sennyo, a loner he’d met before named Lily. And…the time…they’d spent…together…… Well, moving on—the word ‘boo’ woke the ever-alert Keiyou and, for a moment, he thought Lily had come from his dreams to spend more time with him. A grin spread across his groggy face, unaware that the wolf before him didn’t even contain the right genes.

“Well, I thought you’d never show up,” He said, standing and stretching, his rump sliding up and tail curling over his body, his wings remaining open; the pose seemed playful, like one a cub might use to get another to play, but Plume slid up into a regular standing position. Then, of course, another breeze played through his fur and brought the Sennyo’s scent to him. His ears flattened in dismay, his wings arching tensely, and tail whipping from side to side in a very cat-like way.

“Oh… you’re not Lily. Sorry, sir,” And then Plume noticed the smile on the Sennyo’s face, and he realized the Sennyo hadn’t come because he’d confused Plume with a female or a friend. He’d chosen him. Plume’s eyes widened and the cord-like muscles in his shoulders and wings grew tenser; for this situation was very foreign and uncomfortable.

“Can I help you?” He asked after a moment, his eyes narrowed and gaze flickering around, trying to devise and escape route, this would only get worse, and then it would be awkward and uncomfortable and just…not right.

Of course, maybe this Sennyo just needed directions, and maybe he just enjoyed playing games and making jokes. Keiyou could fly, so he would be able to see ahead and warn him or guide him.

Even so, the theory just didn’t sit right, and there was a tingling in his marrow that told him to be on high alert for any tricks this Sennyo might pull. Maybe it wasn’t a Sennyo, maybe it was a Lumen, those were reportedly tricksters, which would fit the expression on the wolf’s face, waiting and interested, right? …right?

The cavern’s voluminous walls were full of little hiding spots, dry and safe from water; maybe he could run from the Sennyo and hide there, out of sight until you were right next to him. There was something about this that made the Keiyou, Plume of the Eagle, embarrassed and unsure, reminding him of the first time he’d talked to a female wolf who wasn’t related to him and was…pretty.

[Reika Hjarta]

Reika chuckled as the wolf awoke, seeming to temporarily confuse him for another. It was cute, the way he had looked around, his pose playful, then sitting down when he discovered the grinning Sennyo instead of the "Lily" he had spoken of.

"Can you help me...?" Reika pretended to think for a moment, his blue eyes lowered, "Perhaps you can..." he slunk in closer, not allowing himself to touch the Keiyou. He moved in a slow circle, examining every aspect of his prey. He was handsome, yes. He had lovely eyes, and he looked strong enough. Of course, he was much, much younger than Reika, but physically there wasn't much of an age difference. There was still a hint of disdain in the Sennyo's mind for the other wolf, however. That was nothing strange, though. He found most species to be beneath him, just immature little ticks for him to squash every now and again.

"I suppose I should introduce myself," Reika paused in his circling, "My name is Reika Hjarta, son of Duke Otta Hjarta. You've probably never heard of me. But that's fine. We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other." he noted the way that the Keiyou looked around. Planning an escape route, perhaps? It wasn't uncommon. Reika made all the boys uncomfortable. His grin widened, and he resumed his predatory circling.

"So, what brings a handsome fellow such as yourself to these parts?" the Sennyo cooed, "Sightseeing, maybe? Or... looking for something?" he flicked his antennae, taunting the Keiyou, willing him to fall under his spell.

[Plume of the Eagle]

What the heck is this creep-o playing at? The Keiyou growled to himself, his eyes flitting around. The wolf was what—attempting to murder him, maul him? The creeper’s smile, the the way he began to circle Plume reminded him of the stalking technique used by the wolves when they’d spotted their prey. The stalk used when checking for weaknesses, making their prey uncertain and slowly weakening its will and suffocating its hope.

The idea made his heart thump harder, and when the Sennyo spoke, somewhat behind him, he took a step forward, his wings no longer arched but ready to slam the Sennyo down with a well-aimed smack and fly him out of here. But the Sennyo’s voice was calming, if stalker-like, and made the Keiyou suddenly feel as if he was playing a game.

There would be no consequences to winning or losing this game.

"I suppose I should introduce myself, my name is Reika Hjarta, son of Duke Otta Hjarta. You've probably never heard of me. But that's fine. We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other."

The feather-like fur on the Keiyou’s spine relaxed, an expression fixing itself to his face, something like a cross between a poker-face and the flirtatious face he used when talking to the ladies. Suddenly, his body relaxed, as if he was flirting with Lily or Gazzé, the crow-Myou loner who he’d spent many a night with.

“I’m sure we will,” He responded softly, his eyes following Reika’s every movement. Of course, he knew now that Reika did not intend to murder him, instead Reika needed help, help that he could give. And how Plume did love helping people. The moments the words had crossed the Sennyo’s teeth, Plume had been sure.

“Name’s Plume of the Eagle, call me Plume,” The poker-face remained, impossible to decipher. “Doubtless, you haven’t heard of me, either… imagine the odds, two loners finding themselves in a place like this…” He said darkly.

“So, what brings a handsome fellow such as yourself to these parts? Sightseeing, maybe? Or... looking for something?"

“Maybe, maybe,” He was sure now, this wolf was not like most males, he didn’t go after females, he went after males.

“I normally come ’round these parts every now and then… though mostly I wander. What about yourself, hmm? Looking for a pack…something else?” His voice was quiet, almost masked by the sound of the sea, so far away. The open air was not here, the scent of wildness and wind and ozone that clung to the Keiyou’s pelt very different from the scents of earth and stone and snow that clung to the Sennyo’s own pelt, the contrast extreme.

The Sennyo taunted him, but his spell did not work, for Plume seemed to have found a part of himself that he'd been blatantly told to deny by the rest of him.