Pull me closer if you think you can hang

Somewhere near Morðfjall
This is very intentionally AW. Any are welcome to join this late or not

---

Since returning to Morðfjall, Valmúa had not been sure how to feel about much of anything. Her brothers still largely held her at the end of a pointy stick, probably waiting for her to fuck shit up again. She had done well to stay away from Tsukiishi and their little empress @Reiko and @Izumi the poop cop; the fire woman did her best to take dumps just far enough away that they might not notice.
 The suncat, admittedly, had invaded her thoughts frequently. @"Thalia" had left, and rather than trail after her, the dragon's unappointed friend had spent a fair amount of time moping like an asshole. If Thalia did not like it on the mountain, then she didn't need to be there.
 Yet, the poppy girl had no one to reveal her truth to — it had begun to eat her alive. Her brothers had received their fair bits of torment from her needless physical displays of affection and annoyance. Beyond that, there was nothing to say, and so she had said little, retreating into the woods under the grand sequoia tree. Unable to find the fungal treats she had once depended on to seek truth, Valmúa left her mountain to find that truth instead.
 She did not tell anyone she was leaving nor how long she would be gone, as it seemed likely, with his eyes everywhere, that @Stjörnuáti would know regardless.
 Upon descending the mountain, it didn't take long before the prinsessa — princess had picked up the scent of @Kuhn. It surprised her, and for a moment, she stood still, blinking. Something in her stomach flapped. She smiled, staring at the ground, raising her head slowly, softly. A hunger bubbled and she tracked the cat's path, eventually finding fresh paw prints within a touch of mud at the base of a tree. She pressed her own toes into the pad of the print, grinning at the difference in size as she lifted it. Warmth rushed to her cheeks as a girlish glimmer took hold, recalling the heat of his forbidden embrace.
 She was not one to question the will of Freyja. So she followed the tracks, chuffing when she thought she could hear him.

the staff team luvs u

The cat had roamed far, reaping the benefits the standing he had gained with the nearby packs. His hunt in the north, and his unexpected meeting with @Reiko was complete, an it was time to return home.

Hunting far and wide had it's drawbacks, namely all the walking. Carrying his heavy body far over the half frozen grasslands, Kuhn once again passed the mountain, the one that made him think of @Valmúa. It still surprised him how that all happened. At first it was slow, then it happened so fast.

The great cat sat on his haunches, opting to rest for a moment as he attempted to gather a mix of feelings and thoughts. Did he want to venture further in, or should he just go home.

Though today it seemed fate had made the decision. Catching a glimpse from the way he came, was a familiar coat. Kuhn's ears and head fixated on it before his mind could catch up. It was her, the copper woman.
the staff team luvs u

 Valmúa had never been one to hesitate. She swiftly closed the distance between them, foregoing her once cautious self around him. He held every physical power over her, and he knew it; she no longer felt the need to remind him of this. When she was a mere metre from him, she slowed to a stop, standing tall and intentionally waiting for him to come to her. “My Lord Kuhn,” she said, tilting her head as her voice drifted like black silk.
 This was her version of begging to hear his voice again, though why she had fallen under such an obsession, she did not know. She was not the type. He was, technically, not her type.
 His gaze fell soft. She wanted to distill and drink the power he had over her, but she could not. Instead, she searched for words. “You are well?” She asked, quite directly. He appeared to have been eating well.

the staff team luvs u

Without warning, that copper form came darting for him. Instinctually, his body tensed, thinking she would plow into him, only releasing the tension when she slowed to a stride.

The massive feline's heart beat wildly as his stomach did flips. This woman, had a way about her, always keeping him on edge. It was as if she knew how to play to his tempo, taking a moment of his surprise, then adding to it with another moment of rhythm.

"Valmua..." He said simply, trying to conceal his shock or his nerves. Overcoming himself, his posture relaxed; uncocking the muscles in his back. Unintentionally, he took a long silent moment to give the woman what she wanted, only stepping towards her once his skittish nature had been pacified.

As he took another step across their gap, the tiger caught scent, triggering memories of their night in the Everfrost. In the next stride the striped beast dipped his head, intending to rub his muzzle down her side; a fairly typical greeting for a feline.
the staff team luvs u

 Hearing the big cat slip her name over his tongue pushed a tang, like the string of an ancient instrument, right through her body. It vibrated through her and Valmúa felt her tongue wet her lips of their own accord. He moved toward her to greet her in his way. A strange grin found its way to her as he did exactly as she had wanted without her needing to ask.
 While he pushed his face against her, she rubbed back against him, easily taking on the feline gesture. For good measure, she nipped gently toward his side while she did so, similar to the way she did with her own pack mates. Theirs was a new and strange way of communicating.
 The fire woman could feel that this time, he was more nervous than she. It was curious to her indeed. He smelled vaguely of Tsukiishi, but she had thought little of it. She turned back 'round to face him, her metal eyes showing a softer nature as she eased herself quite intimately close to him. She could feel his warmth as she sat beside him so that they were one, no longer two parties facing each other.
 “The little empress, has she been giving you trouble?” The prinsessa asked, a touch of harshness in her question — she would happily harm those who tormented her feline friend.

the staff team luvs u

just a cameo! for now eheh

---

tove woke to dark so enfolding, so warm that for a moment she forgot why she was in such a situation and believed she'd returned to the womb of her mother; forgot the little hollow she'd dug into the forever white earth so many hours prior; forgot why in the stead of shrubbery, the snows of night had come to blanket over her entirely. up until now, she had rested in some heavy, winter-laden chrysalis and knew that upon emergence she would  ( must )  return to morðfjall with herbs aplenty she had gathered before slumber; those that lie wedged between belly and breast and whose mute tang had been the the thing aside from exhaustion to lull her into such a great rest. ...and when she eventually rose, she would have to return to the engi who had made a home in the heart that only beat for a dead mother.

but she did not deserve to hope that meadow might be proud of her.

and rise she might have done  —  had she not heard, through the packed snow, the muffled rise and fall of voices; had she not seen, through a button-small pocket of it, what took place some whiles away from her resting place. trapped now by trepidation that filled her gray stomach and made still her self, tove could only watch from her burial beneath the earth of what unfolded.

the staff team luvs u

Running, his muzzle down her side, he had another moment to take her in, her fur brushed against his nose as his whiskers drug across her hide. About half way down the cat jolted, reacting to her nipping at his side, only glancing back at her with a slight show of fangs; finally circling behind her and then back to her side.

He didn't resist her closeness, allowing the wolf against his side. He tossed his tail back and forth, burning off some remaining nerves. Setting his head atop of hers he responded, "The empress... I took care of that, no more trouble."

All the while they where being watched, the cat had not a clue, he was far to wrapped up with his current quarry.
the staff team luvs u

 As the great lord among cats rested his head on her, she delighted in his weight and rich musk. The poppy knew well that they were close her pack. Being a leader of that pack had given her an extra layer of boldness; she no longer seemed to care whether her rendezvous with the cat were noticed. The secrecy from their last meeting had been difficult to keep; @Ragnar had noticed almost immediately.
 It was better to live in the fire she had set, provided it didn't get them both killed.
 “Did you charm her, or eat her?” The flirtatious question was half-serious. Given that he appeared to have no injuries, she gathered quickly that he had been far more diplomatic than she. It seemed to be his nature to not harm others without necessity. She wondered if she could change that.
 “Please say eat.” She grinned, tilting her head to nibble at his chin affectionately.

the staff team luvs u

The poppy woman had wasted no time in coming close to him. Inserting herself under his chin, near his chest. It was a vital and vulnerable area to allow another predator so near. For whatever reason, today it didn't bother the solitary cat in the least, only enjoying her warmth.

Fading away, the last of his stubborn feline resistance washed away, letting free a warm rumble from his chest. It was pretty apparent even through his aloofness, he was taking a liking to this wolf.

Her question amused him, as he had half heartedly thought of eating @Reiko before. In addition, he could catch a hint of seriousness in Valuma's tone as she asked, probably already knowing the answer.

He took the nibbles in stride, while smiling in amusement. The tiger slowly pressed his muzzle into the side of the poppy woman's neck, and growled, "Then... I'll say I ate her.". He side eyed her mischievously, letting his growl slowly roll to a stop, while his tail continued to twist and flit behind them.
the staff team luvs u

 The rumbling of his deep, powerful growls stoked the fires that burned through her. How very like her it was to be moved by power; such attraction had never shown itself like this before, though. Had he been a wolf, her desire would have been to dominate rather than soothe and court. Perhaps it was its forbidden nature, or maybe it was simply because he was far beyond what any wolf would ever be. What had once been a monster was now a lord, transfixing his prinsessa with little more than a growl.
 Valmúa grinned, showing a hint of teeth to her strange companion, catching his glance. “I am rather offended you did not share this time, my lord,” she teased. “Especially if that idiotic goon was there with her,” she continued slyly, recalling @Tiberius's stupid face and wishing she could see what he looked like when afraid for his life.
 How she would have loved to piss from the top of their mountain, desecrating its floral forests and ending them all. In truth, the red woman had no beef with the Shiroshika — she simply did not like the thought of a tiny, weak little girl telling a suncat what he could and could not do.
 Perhaps wishing death on them was a bit much. “I sense others in this north. Perhaps it is all well and good if those veikburða — weak ones will play nice.” She sighed slightly. She knew that Ragnar must have others with him. The tundra seemed to be shrinking as more wolves dropped from the sky.

the staff team luvs u

The ring of the copper woman calling him lord never sat quite right. Although, he in a way liked it. It seemed to strike his ego just right, appealing to a more base desire for domination. But, while not in a haze of a carnal rhythm, he could never quite see it that way, he was only a lord of himself, a lord of dirt, snow, and blood.

Kuhn pulled his muzzle away from her neck, putting a bit of distance between his head and hers as he listened to her jokes about the rival pack. For a moment she broke her own spell, Kuhn's gaze momentarily became purely analytical. With perked ears, cogs began to turn behind his eyes.

"Hmm... Wolf doesn't taste great anyway" he responded with a bit of dry humor, as if to reset the rhythm. The cat placed his chin back onto the woman's head, resting it there as he continued to listen with eyes closed.

"I have noticed more wanderers lately. Are you worried they will come against you?"
the staff team luvs u

 Her brothers would have thought this was a cruel game. Given her history, they would have had every right to think so. Since puberty, the femme fatale had done her best to spin those she fancied to do whatever she wanted. Rarely did she offer more than a glimpse of herself to them.
 Yet Kuhn was hardly a dim-witted, lustful boy. He was far wiser than she. Whatever power she thought he held, it was not clear whether she sought to harness it or simply bask in his sunlight. For the moment, she seemed to be basking as she chuckled breathily at his dark sense of humour.
 “Worried? No.” Valmúa was not the type to feel worry over much. Perhaps that lack of worry is what had gotten her into trouble in the past. “Hrafnsvaktin is strong. I welcome the challenge, should they be so stupid.” If it sounded like she was warmongering, that was because she was. Thalia had left out of some fickle frustration and sense of boredom. Valmúa knew that there could only be so many stargazers like her brothers — she, in particular, wanted more.
 “Are you? Worried..” She couldn't imagine he would be. He had the world at his paws, hopefully with her continuing to slide her way into it.

the staff team luvs u

Resting his head with closed eyes, the cat was listening intently.  His posture was calm, still enjoying the closeness of his companion. Mulling over what she was saying, and the full context of her conversation so far, he got the feeling that she was in a militant and flighty mood. Most of what she was saying related to conquest or crushing/eating her enemies so far. It was in his nature to understand where she was coming from, who didn't feel like this from time to time, especially a tiger. 

"Why would I be worried, most want the same thing." He responded serenely, still atop of her head. It was all he really needed to say about it, he knew how he would get when he felt this way.  It could be exhilarating from time to time feeling the blood boil, dreaming of domination.  While debating egging her on, Kuhn's eyes opened as he ran his tongue up the base of her ear.  Talking of fighting was cheap and generally easy to get out of the system. Without much warning, his front teeth seized her ear, playfully growling and changing his posture to reflect.
the staff team luvs u

 Kuhn's voice, as they touched, soothed and caressed. Rare indeed was it that she trusted any to be this close to her. She had thrown caution to the wind and invited a large predator into this intimate space again; she felt at peace as his pull over her continued. Like the silk of his words, the wolf could not help but exhale with a foggy breath when she felt the familiarity of his rough tongue.
 His sensuality turned playful. She growled with an open mouth, shifting and tilting her head to rake her teeth close to his neck.
 The poppy's tail wagged about in strong yet excited motions, transporting her to somewhere girlish and delighted in the new desire for conquest of her newest striped enemy.
 She doubted that anyone wanted what she wanted — the evening she had spent with the cat had not been a mistake. But now, all Valmúa wished was to topple this cat, which she voiced with a, “How dare you challenge a prinsessa — princess.” She clacked her teeth at the air, shoving him with her body weight.

the staff team luvs u

The princess wasted no time, snapping back at his neck surprisingly quick. Taken by surprise after his own initiative, the cat put a bit of space between them, taking a moment to return to a playful posture. It seemed like what he intended worked and now he was the target of her desire for battle. Kuhn couldn't contain an amused and toothy smile. He could play along...

Her body weight came crashing into him shortly after.  Moving a paw out to keep his stability, he knew for sure it was on. 

Dipping his head below his shoulders, he reduced his height as he loaded his weight into his legs. In return for her snapping and taunting his face began to wrinkle, letting a threatening rumble come from his chest. The feline display would have been almost indistinguishable from real aggression, save for a small smirk at the corner of his lip.  
 

He would give her one more shot, then the next move would be his.

the staff team luvs u

For anyone thinking of crashing this — their play fight could look real from a distance

---

 Kuhn looked altogether terrifying as the earth vibrated from his rumbling chest. His wild, primal mane that lined his head and neck caught in the breeze, making him look as formidable as he had on the day they had met. She recalled feeling hatred toward him then. She remembered fearing for Thalia, knowing that the great beast could take the life of a wolf if he so chose.
 Knowing that this was not a fight she could win, she decided to do what any canine would do — work him down like a prey animal. Snarling and spitting as though she was serious, a small laugh escaping her. She rounded about, rushing forward as like she was going to attack him head on, only to feint and go for his thigh toward the back.
 Her aim was off because of the way he had settled his weight so low, not that it would have mattered; her teeth flailed at his behind to mouth rather than harm, of course.

the staff team luvs u

He too remembered the day he met the copper woman. Her snarling and nipping brought back memories of that day on this very same mountain. Kuhn noticed the same fire she had that day, yet now it was tempered with a more joyful tune. She didn't back down in their first encounter, and if she didn't then, than, she certainly wouldn't now.

For a moment, he watched the well muscled copper woman put on a show of aggression doubting if she would really try and take him head on. Just like that she rushed forward. Reeling back on to his hind legs, the massive feline intended to sprawl down on her. But, to his surprise, she had feinted the attack, and circled to his rump. Only having enough movement to twist to her half way, she managed to get a mouthful of hide.

Roaring in protest, Kuhn dropped his hips lower to the ground, partially tucking his tail, to instinctually trying to protect his vital parts. His protest died into a slight laugh, as he snapped back around, still keeping his hips low. In retaliation, he attacked a similar area, lightly grabbing on to her backside, holding each side of her hips lopsided in his Jaws, and throwing a paw around her side.
the staff team luvs u

 As a reward, she received a mouthful of fur stuck to her tongue, coughing dryly as she half-laughed. Growling in a tone that slid into the most unferocious, Valmúa moved her teeth across his hindquarter as though she was shaking him, though it did little but comb through his scarlet fur coat. The intoxication from his scent was nearly blinding to her as memories were once more triggered, but she pressed on.
 As he moved to spin about, she may or may not have snuck in a lick to parts she probably shouldn't have. His move to protect the goods made her unable to resist doing so. This lost her valuable time, and he had his great paw on her immediately as she fell to her side. The suncat's mouth was a whole lot bigger than hers, and somehow he could contain quite a good portion of her hips which prevented her backend from entirely touching the ground.
 So, she bunny-kicked him to the best of her ability, yipping in protest and curling her head forward to snap at his paw.

the staff team luvs u

Dipping his hips to the ground had clearly only been an invitation to the wolf, making it only more fun to chase.  A mixture of shock and something else washed over him, sending a sensation up his spine, and puffing up his coat.  Hardly having the thought to react,  instinct took him and he doubled back around to her and seized her hips, with another vocal growl. 

It was instinct that took him here, sitting on top of her as she collapsed to the floor, not unlike the final throws of a hunt.  Now that he had her in his jaws, he could even more clearly remember the taste of her coat that night, her smell. Only a moment later, the fear of her previous contact, faded away as he realized he was still in one piece, and that stomach wrenching feeling was replaced by something else...  

Kicking and thrashing in the tiger's jaws, his whickers seemed to grip out at his quarry.  He had to let her go, the motion was to much like that of an animal about to meet its end. In a confusing torrent of instinct and emotion, he had to compromise with whatever was driving him now.  Circling away from her kicking legs and snapping jaws after taking a few good kicks, the big cat scrambled to get behind her,  pulling a his paw off her side and attempting to use the opposite wrist to hook her her neck, and restrain her head to the tundra soil.
the staff team luvs u

 Should she have been his prey, she would be dead, and this was what most excited her. While the cat released his grip, she had to roll over and about herself in order to right her body enough to leap away. Her movement still wasn't in time — he seemed almost to know her movements, mirroring what he would do were she the hunted. His paw almost slipped past, but instead grazed and pushed on her neck in mid-leap. It was a strange ballet for a fleeting moment as the two beasts tested one another.
 Pulled to the ground so suddenly, the wind was knocked from her as he held her. She flattened herself to the ground, trying to check for a way out of it, but unable to without her vision — because Kuhn held her head in one place, her eyes could only flit to her immediate visual sphere.
 “Fffuck you,” she heaved, half-grinning, half-panting as she found herself rather entirely bested quickly by the great Lord of the tundra. Sneakily, though, she reached as she was saying this with her hind leg, trying to kick him at his underside. Intentionally, she did not aim for anything particularly sensitive, though she couldn't see.

the staff team luvs u

For a moment he looked down at her breathing in and out rhythmically, adding to the growing cloud of fog spawned by their spar.  He had finally caught her, and for a moment he was entranced thinking that she had given up. The expression on his face began to warm, when suddenly, a treacherous foot was jammed up near his abdomen pressing into the cats loose skin and fur.  With a delay he winced, retroactively guarding his most vital parts.   His momentary discomfort was appetent by the extension of his claws into the loam.  With his wrist holding her head in place, his claws cut into the soil right before her eyes. 

Returning to a half aggressive expression, he once again showed his fangs, and lowered his muzzle to her neck.  Pressing his muzzle into the side of her neck, he kept his teeth bared.  He could feel her fur on his nose, and feel the blood rush beneath her hide. All the while he let out a long and slow growl.  "It seems like you no longer fear me."  
 

the staff team luvs u

 Valmúa, being canine and thus largely unfamiliar by nature of cat anatomy, did not expect the size of the claws that he pushed into the floor of the earth. A light gasp stole her breath as her partial laughter ceased, eying this marvellous hidden weaponry. She knew that Kuhn had large paws and behind them immense power, but retractable claws seemed almost like a super power that Freyja had given him to be funny. The poppy girl grinned in fascination, her breath heavily laced with something between fear and desire.
 While he dominated by pressing his mouth to her neck, she shuddered. A low, consistent growl echoed from her throat at him as she continued to dare him. For a lengthy moment, they each let loose their own primal rumblings. The vibrations intertwined into a sickening and toxic display of lust for the hunt.
 He was not wrong. She no longer feared death by his crushing fangs. She had simply accepted it as a possibility, and then continued to enjoy bathing in his danger. “Do you want me to fear you?” growled the red warrior, side eying him while he held her down, still showing her teeth.

the staff team luvs u

Once again the tiger of the north found himself entwined with this woman, absorbed by her.  The vast mountain landscape around him seemed to spiral to a halt, though the world seemed more vast and beautiful than before, time stood still, and that small warm space that they shared became all that mattered. 

In the spirit of that silent music, the cat would play his next note, pressing his nose into her scruff and breathing in.  Within tempo of highs and lows, the cat once again relaxed his expression, closing his eyes.  He let that gentleness linger, running his tongue across her jawline.  He didn't feel the need to answer her question, aknolageing it only with a, "Mmm..."  softly behind her ear.  The question wasn't really about what he wanted.

True to the song, the next note played was decisive.  Quickly moving his head around, and without much warning he would attempt to seize the side of her neck in his jaws, only pressing hard enough to not do any serious damage.
the staff team luvs u

 As time stood still, she could feel his breath in the fur of her neck. What had posed a danger to her suddenly drifted into silken warmth as a dangerous call to action beat deep within, pumping like poison through her veins. His tongue was unlike any that she had known before. It was rough, like a comb, finding its way delicately through her thick coat. This time she would not try to hide his scent. This time she did not worry. Rather, she relished in it and stoked the odd-coloured flame they had sparked by reaching up to mouth the fur at his cheek, even as he held her.
 It was a harsh, soft moment. She did not second-guess herself. She knew then that her fate would forever be tied with his, that he was no mere pawn within a greater scheme.
 He seized her at the side of her neck and put pressure, effectively cutting off part of her air supply. She exhaled slowly through her nose, allowing a sly grin to follow as she opened her mouth, electrified by the touch. She could not speak in such a hold, but she eyed him quite openly and directly from her cornered view, something that a prey animal would never do.
 Her tail swayed slowly and awkwardly in her position, shuffling where it could as Valmúa remained entirely entranced by the suncat. Neither, of course, had much indication of another nearby. Perhaps a shift in the wind might be telling.

the staff team luvs u

Now even the background seemed to be fading from the cat's mind.  It was almost if his consciousness could only focus on this one thing: a mix of instinct and desire.  As the wind shifted, he would notice nothing, he was to singularly focused on her, and the scent of the woman was consuming his attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that she was eyeing him with a gaze like that of an animal who had excepted death and gave into his jaws.

Continuing at his silent song the cat kept his tempo of highs and lows relaxing his grip.  At the same time he lowered his chest down upon her, holding her half under his weight.  For a moment, his hind legs where left standing, while he gently adjusted his grip on her neck, to be firmly centered under her jaw, tilting her head upwards.  A soft growl escaped him as he then lowered his hind legs, relaxing over what was his. 

He had not a clue he was being watched, he continued blissfully unaware.
the staff team luvs u