[ P ] Lavender Hymn

[This thread takes place at the onset of Spring, just when the Protests are starting.]

A R Y T H M E T I K

Only a few days passed since the most important ceremony of his life, and with the onset of spring, the future felt bright. If it weren’t for the longing weighing him down, Arythmetik Hardin would be dancing on the clouds. There was no doubt in his mind that the life he crafted with his husband would be incredible—in fact, it would be nothing short of perfect. An effervescent giddiness flooded his vessels, spurring random laughter and constant smiles. This must have been the “honeymoon stage” he read about in the poetry anthology he borrowed from Nimue. Of course, Arythmetik and Grigori were not newcomers to passion. Their real vacation, where they spent weeks relaxing and reveling in one another’s company, was an entire season ago. Today’s trip was simpler: they sought a place for privacy, to exchange gifts and…celebrate their wedding vows.


But the men were particular romantics. During the first year of their romance, on Eleanor’s Day no less, they found the most wonderful lavender field. It was where Arythmetik first experienced physical love. Grigori, as brawny and gruff as he looked, was the charmer who came up with the idea to find another lavender patch. Needless to say, the professor was smitten with the idea. But they had yet to find lavender among the spring blossoms, and the tension was becoming…unbearable. Even for the oft-aloof scholar.


The pair strolled now through the woods, Aryth’s russet pelt brushing against Grigori’s tousled, blond fur. In his maw, he carried a package wrapped in damp leaves, anticipating the moment he and his husband would exchange gifts. “Do you shell dat?” Aryth asked around his mouthful. The intoxicating scent of lavender drifted on the breeze. There was so much on his mind, the distracted male didn’t notice when they crossed territory into the Fae Forest. The trees grew closer together, and Aryth’s steps faltered, his thigh grazing against the cowboy’s muzzles. Heat instantly rose in Aryth’s belly and face. To his great satisfaction, a clearing opened before them, revealing more lavender than the scholar had seen for years. Their own secret cove in the wood, lush and purple and promising.

code by claerie

@Grigori <3

There has been a fair amount of monumental moments in his life. Moments that change everything, points of no return and new beginnings. It never was easy to internalize that nothing will ever be the same again. Yet this milestone was different - for all intents and purposes, nothing has changed. A mere technicality that the loveliest wolf in the world and his longtime partner was now his husband... And yet, it was more unbelievable than anything Grigori has ever experienced. He kept glancing towards the russet male, making sure this isn't some dream and that he won't vanish into the thin air when left out of sight for a moment too long. If it was a dream, he'd never want to wake. This, and nothing else, was how his life was supposed to be.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason why his eyes kept gravitating towards the scholar. If anything, it'd be a crime not to look; the early spring air was invigorating, they just got married, and most importantly, his heart raced at every motion of Aryth's body. With how fine he looked, Grigori was starting to doubt if he'll be able to endure this search for lavender...

As if to answer his prayers, the air filled with the distinctive, relaxing aroma. At least relaxation is what it's known for, but the cowboy could swear there was something sensual about it as well.. He nodded, then almost jumped when the other bumped into him. The anticipation must have made him more tense than he realized. He shook his head, willing himself to focus. The lavender clearing was beautiful. Perfect, even.. or, not quite. There was something missing - namely the two of them in the flowers.

Grigori set his gift down carefully, then poised himself, wiggling his rear a bit before he pounced into the flowers like a fox might into snow. "Yeehaw!" But flowers aren't as deep as snow can be, so when the ground threatened to push him back, he instead flipped onto his side and rolled on his back. It was silly, but it's just the two of them - so why the hell not? And though he really wanted to see Aryth in the flowers, he wanted to return the favor from the last time. Back then, the scholar has been the first one to lie down, so it was only right to do this the other way around now. He turned his head, looking at the other longingly. "Well, husband? The flowers are fine."

„*”

A R Y T H M E T I K

Grigori’s exclamation filled Arythmetik to the brim with joy. He barked a hearty laugh, the parcel immediately dropping from his mouth. His emerald eyes popped wide. In a surprising moment of agility, Aryth snatched the leafy bundle out of the air before it could spill on the ground and unravel. Yes! If wolves could sweat, a droplet surely would have formed on the professor’s forehead. But his victory was short won. He glanced up, eyes trailing eagerly over the cowboy’s lounging frame. Even amongst the gently-swaying lavender, Grigori’s broad chest and muscular shoulders were so evident. And staring at the handsome male’s exposed belly stoked the fire in the shy scholar’s gut. His jaw dropped at the sight, his gift making a small thump as it hit the grass and rolled out of the wrapping.


“Oh losh, dafty…gowk.” Aryth mumbled the worst words he could think of as he scrambled forward. Then he sighed, smiling sheepishly and shaking his head. “Well, husband, the flowers are fine, but not as fine as you.” He sought his lover’s gaze apologetically. “You’re getting your gift first, love. Here.” His russet paw pressed something forward through the greenery. Luckily, the fall was only a few inches, and Grigori’s wedding gift was still intact.


Several faintly fuzzy fruits, small and round and the color of the sunset, were paired with dried pink flowers. The smell was pleasant, but it was obvious they’d been preserved for some time, and would have a chewy, not juicy, quality. Arythmetik was a bit embarrassed that his gift wasn’t permanent, but when he saw them in the market, he couldn’t resist. “It’s a specimen of Prunus andersonii, otherwise known as Desert Peach. I read that the berries are a medicinal delicacy, and the seeds are heart-shaped stones. An oasis of joy from the desert…it reminded me of you.” Aryth stepped a little closer to his husband (his husband), his tail wagging with nervous anticipation.

code by claerie

@Grigori <3

It was Grigori's turn to laugh when the sight of him caught the other so much off guard. Aryth's string of 'curses' was entertainingly innocent, though the satisfaction of getting such a reaction played a part as well. "Y'know, I'm surprised I ain't at all rubbin' off on ye after all this time." Admittedly, he tried to watch his mouth and not be too crude when in his fine lover's company, but that is not to say a swear word or two never slipped through whenever he got too caught up in the moment.

He could only grin in response to the scholar's compliment, but he couldn't deny that curiosity was starting to eat away at him - so when the incidentally unwrapped gift was brought up, he eagerly rolled onto his belly so that he could examine it carefully. It was... surprisingly familiar, nostalgic even. A small, pleasant thing from his old life, one that he never expected to see here. "A gift from the poet in ye, eh? That or yer gettin' more sly 'bout adding variety to my diet." he joked, smiling fondly as he glanced towards the russet male. "Thank ye, it's lovely" And it no doubt came with a luxury pricetag, considering the distance someone had to cover to bring it here.. even if was just a snack, in the end. Honestly, he'd be more than happy even without eating it - Aryth's words were enough to make him happy. That being said... "I have an idea... but, first things first!"

The cowboy stood up and quickly walked over to the package he'd dropped earlier, then brought it over to set it down next to the fruit. "It's a book.. predictably." One of these days, he'll try to surprise Aryth with something new.. but this idea came first. He unwrapped the cloth, revealing a heavy tome bound in a durable cover. Its peculiar nature was likely the only reason he was able to afford a book of this size. Before the other wolf could try to open it, he placed a paw on the cover. "It's... empty inside. I thought it was clever, but one of yer guests, that shady lookin' one, had the same idea it seems." Grigori frowned, frankly unsure if he should feel frustrated or apologetic. But there wasn't much he could do about it, save for maybe getting Aryth another gift in the future - even if he knew that the scholar would never ask for it.

"Anyhow, I know our paws and muzzles are way too clumsy to make all those letters. But I thought, maybe ye could come up with simpler symbols to use instead? If anyone can figure it out, I'm sure it's ye. And then ye could write 'bout anythin' ye want: yer life, yer knowledge, major events in Rionnach..." What use would that be, when learning a whole new alphabet for a single book written by a wolf wasn't something even the college wolves wouldn't likely care for? Well, he came up with a solution for that as well. "And then, ye could teach our kids to read it. I'm hopin' we'll do a got enough job as parents when the time comes that they'd want to know this kind of recent past... our family's origins, I s'pose. It could be a Hardin tradition, or somethin' like that." Grigori chuckled, part nervous about this presentation and part giddy about this vision of the future. Though for him, it was just a fanciful dream - only Aryth could realize it.

But for now, they were in the present, and the gift he received happened to be one for the present moment. "Anyway, 'bout the fruit.." He looked at Aryth, then hesitated and shifted his gaze to his paws, smiling sheepishly. "Could ye, uhm... f... feed me... please..?" For all intents and purposes, it was just asking for a kiss, even if a sweeter tasting one than the norm. Just making the moment of eating that luxurious and nostalgic snack that much more memorable. Yet there was something about, that if he could blush, right now he'd be bright red.

„*”

A R Y T H M E T I K

The professor quirked a wry eyebrow at his husband, grinning sheepishly. “Oh, you didn’t grow up around here, but trust me. All I’d need to do was add the word ‘bloody’ in there somewhere, and I’d be plain vulgar.” Aryth was half-joking, but he chuckled, waiting hopefully for Grigori’s reaction to the gift. He seemed to recognize it, and Aryth’s tail wagged harder. He wanted to kiss the cowboy right then and there. When Grigori stood, he almost expected it to be for just that reason—and his heart dropped a little when Grigori walked past him. The impatience was powerful. Part of him didn’t want his gift if it meant he could jump on the rugged man’s back. But he waited, ever in control, and sat politely as the book was presented.


Aryth’s emerald eyes flickered between the empty journal and the handsome cowboy’s face. The more Grigori explained, the faster the scholar’s heart pounded. By the end, Aryth’s delight, joy, and love were radiating from every pore. Tiny tears moistened the corners of his gaze but he blinked them away, smiling widely. “It’s a brilliant idea,” he insisted. The russet wolf set his paw atop Grigori’s on the surface of the book. Its empty pages were the symbol of endless possibility. Just like their future together. And the more Aryth seriously contemplated a written wolf language, the more realistic and incredible it sounded. “A Hardin tradition.” Grigori’s gift was really a gift to all their children, to all of Rionnach if things went well.


They didn’t know a war was about to tear such ambitions from their eager paws.


Suddenly, Grigori’s attitude shifted. For once, he seemed…shy. It was strange, seeing things from the other side. Aryth was feeling particularly forward, himself. Maybe it was the fact they were married now, or maybe Grigori was rubbing off on him more than the cowboy realized. Aryth’s brows lowered, his smile warping into a sly grin. Gently, he strode forward, pressing his nose to the broad man’s chest. Aryth pushed against him gently to guide him onto his back once more. Fragrant lavender swayed all around them, brushing tantalizingly against their fur. Aryth was happy to oblige, and he plucked a Desert Peach from its stem, standing over the larger man seductively to press it to his lips.


After Grigori took the juicy bite, Aryth would pull another closer with his paw, but glance back coyly. Then he would smile and lower his mouth to Grigori’s ear, nuzzling him as he whispered, “I’m hungry too, you know.”

code by claerie

@Grigori

"So.. a bloody gowk?" The cowboy mused, gazing upwards thoughtfully. "Naw, that's not it. Bloody dafty.. that does sound sort of disgustin'." Now he laughed. It was original, if nothing else - the best he could do with 'bloody' was adding 'fool' to it, though that of course was still a rather mild approach. "I s'pose even back when they were bein' made, books were too valuable to waste 'em on anythin' crass. Otherwise ye college wolves would outswear the best of 'em." Though his interest in history didn't run particularly deep, it was fun in its own right to make such guesses based on hardly related information. Maybe it was actually better the less related they were - it could escalate into painting a truly outlandish picture of the past. A game for another time, perhaps...

It was a great relief that his husband not only liked this gift idea, but he seemed to genuinely love it. It made all the effort of coming up with and obtaining it more than worth it, and he was excited to see what will come of it in the future. But it wasn't the only thing he was excited about, and it would appear in that regard they also were on the same page. His eyes widened when Aryth pushed him gently, urging him to lie down - and so he did, barely able to hear the sound of his own movements over the hammering of his heart. The flowers were soft, and up so close their sweet smell was thick and heady, enough so to normally be called overwhelming... but oh, Grigori scarcely had time to pay it any mind. The scholar standing over him in this manner stole all his attention, and was more than enough to make him hold his breath in anticipation. "Ye really should do this more often, it's-" Before he could elaborate, Aryth was already leaning in closer with a sweet treat. The cowboy grasped it easily, his teeth piercing the fruit's skin and releasing its taste just as he lifted his head up, extending the brief meeting of their lips as long as he could, until Aryth moved out of his reach. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and leaned back into the lavender.

The entire thing was a staggering juxtaposition. The desert peach and lavender, as close to a sensory overload as they might be, were still soft and gentle in their nature - something to savor slowly, along with the tingling, fleeting warmth on his lips. But his body was burning, his chest rising and falling quickly under his shallow breaths. He wanted, needed more. The two opposing forces in a single experience made his head spin.. and then, in a reminder that the world hasn't slowed down in accordance with his ability to process it, Aryth's voice send a shiver down his spine. Acting on pure instinctual desire, he sought the scholar's neck, tasting his scent more starkly than ever as it replaced the all-present lavender. It was perfect. Even so, he couldn't possibly ignore a request from the russet male, so as soon as his consciousness has caught up, he pulled back to grasp a fruit that's been conveniently placed next to him. But instead of handing it over, he let it drop from his muzzle, so that it bounced off his chest and rolled down his belly. Whether intentional or not, Grigorig couldn't complain about the outcome; he looked to the fruit, then to Aryth, raising a brow.

„*”

A R Y T H M E T I K

Every moment with Grigori Hardin was like a sunny afternoon. Laughter. Radiance. Warmth. A comfort that wrapped them together in a golden blanket. Subconsciously, somewhere in the back of Arythmetik’s mind, he knew he should tell Grigori the truth soon: this wasn’t a dream, their world, their reality, was harsher than this. That something was wrong with Grigori’s memory, and the life he lived before Rionnach still existed somewhere out there, haunting his past. That he was married before to a woman, that he had a son wondering whatever happened to his father… The same way Aryth wondered whatever happened to his parents. And maybe, despite all the scholar’s faith in science, there was a supernatural cause to the memory loss that haunted Aryth, too.


But he would tell the cowboy later. Spoiling the perfection of their honeymoon was the furthest thing from Aryth’s mind. After all, they had their entire lives together to discuss the past…right? It was time to focus on the present.


When Grigori lifted a fruit, the professor smirked and almost shook his head. That’s not what I’m hungry for. But just as the russet male parted his lips, the cowboy dropped the Desert Peach on purpose. Aryth paused…then laughed, unable to stop himself. “You think you’re sly,” he teased, his grin widening. But there was no hesitation as he settled his paws on either side of Grigori’s hips and leaned down.


[fade to black]

code by claerie

@Grigori