Tamsyn had requested that he set up a romantic date night for the two of them, private and intimate. It had been her request as her prize for winning his little wolfsbane challenge, but secretly, Kane was also using it as a birthday surprise for his girlfriend as well. With all the chaos that had taken over the first half of the season, followed by the attack on the Hallows, he and Tam had been more than a bit preoccupied to really enjoy time together or for him to properly celebrate with her, but now he was determined to make up for it! Kane knew Tamsyn was the kind of girl who valued sentiment and experience more than a grand physical gift, so he had wracked his brain trying to come up with the perfect date night idea for the two of them. Ironically, he ended up going to his stepson for some help. Artorias was understandably a little skeptical to offer thoughts, but did come around, suggesting the idea of a picnic date under the stars, something he'd apparently done with his own girlfriend that had been a smash hit.

And so that's how Kane found himself out in the wild gardens, putting the finishing touches on his surprise for her. He remembered how much Tamsyn had enjoyed stargazing with him and hearing the stories of his tribe, so he'd picked the most clear spot of the gardens, surrounded by fragrant wildflowers and a perfect view of the inky blue-black canvas of the night sky overhead. A half moon hung in a star-studded sky, casting a gentle silver veil over the sleepy world. Beside him, a small campfire crackled with life, throwing light and warmth across the blanket of furs he'd laid out for them. An assortment of skewered meats were hanging over the fire, cooking with aromatics and spices from his tribe's culinary culture. A little taste of his home for her. Tucked hidden away beneath a corner of the furs was a small box—a little birthday surprise for Tam that came from his heart. He hoped she'd like it, but he didn't have any reason to doubt she would.

Kane set a bottle of one of the Hallows' finest wines on the blanket—he hadn't asked permission for it, but he doubted anyone would notice it was missing—as well as a small bundle of fresh marijuana he'd harvested from around the gardens. He didn't know if Tam partook of any substances besides alcohol, which he remembered vividly from her night she'd gone off on Sirius, but he certainly did, and if she wanted to join him, all the better! All his little setup in place, Kane beamed proudly at what he'd created. Then he stepped towards the edge of the gardens and gave a gentle call for Tamsyn, sounding almost like a serenade for his lover.

"Kaneonuskatew"

As his mate, Tamsyn may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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Tamsyn hadn't seen Kane around for the last couple of hours and as it faded into evening she was beginning to wonder where he had run off too. As if reading her thoughts as she curiously padded through the castle's courtyard looking for her boyfriend she suddenly heard his sweet call beaconing her out to the nearby gardens and she paused with a smile on her lips as her head tipped slightly with curiosity. She had left all the planning for her prize up to him, wanting to see what he could come up with without direction from her, so she had no idea when or how her special date night might come to be, but when she started making her way out to the gardens and began to smell the delicious, fragrant meal he was cooking she realized that he had not only set it all up, but had made it a surprise as well.

She made her way around a row of bushes and found Kane along with a full picnic set up complete with a blanket, a fire cooking their dinner, and a bottle of wine. A grin crossed her lips and she chuckled as she walked over to him, beaming up at him with love while her tail wagged gently behind her. "You really went all out for my prize, hm?" she questioned, tipping her head back to be able to reach his muzzle and give him a tender, lingering kiss. "This smells amazing," she said as their lips parted, glancing toward the roasting meats, turning to examine them more while teasingly flicking her tail across his chin with a smirk she couldn't hide.

Tamsyn Carpathius

Though he knew he had no reason to be nervous, Kane still felt the excited jitters of anxiousness while he waited for Tamsyn to show up. He'd put a lot of thought and effort into making her birthday/victory surprise a memorable one and something she'd love. Knowing Tam, she'd be happy with anything he did for her, but he really wanted to blow her expectations away! Thankfully, Tamsyn didn't keep him waiting long. A few minutes after his call, he saw the beautiful lithe form of his little blackbird saunter around a row of hedges, loving the way her gorgeous mint eyes lit up when she saw the spread he'd prepared for them. Kane couldn't resist greeting his lover with an ear-to-ear grin, tail wagging gently behind him while she came up and examined everything. "Ah, well, y'know... I wanted to make your prize well worth it. And also because it's your birthday present too." He grinned wider at Tam, teeth and sabers flashing with mirth and pride.

Tamsyn took him briefly by surprise when she leaned up and captured his lips in a lingering kiss. He gave a happy murr while his mouth pressed back against hers, only slipping away once she began to, a delighted grin on his face. "Thank you! It's a recipe from my tribe. The meats are just about ready. I have some honeyed berries for dessert too." His words slowly trailed off when he felt the soft plumage of Tamsyn's tail run a teasing brush beneath his chin. He gazed at her with wide, rapidly blinking hazel eyes, seeing her smirk and knowing exactly what was on her mind. It was on his too, especially when he breathed in the alluring perfume of her heat. It was hard to imagine doing anything other than getting his paws on her perfect slender body and having his way with her, but for the sake of her present, he would resist for now.

"I brought some wine too. The nicest vintage I could find. In case you wanted a repeat of the night you went off on Sirius." He chuckled and led her over onto the blanket of furs, sitting back on his haunches while he scooped up the bottle of fine merlot and popped the cork stopper out with a saber fang. He set the bottle down between them, sliding it towards her to enjoy the first sip. "I, uh... I don't know if you partake, but I did also bring a little something extra my tribe would enjoy during celebrations." With a roguish grin, he revealed the package of marijuana he'd harvested from the garden. "You don't have to, of course. I just wanted to share more of my culture with you."

He set the weed down between them on the furs again, reaching over to test the meats on the skewers, and deeming them ready, removed them from the campfire and laid them out with the honeyed berries on a tray he'd taken from the castle. "Dinner is served, my beautiful little blackbird!" With a large paw, he gestured across their bounty for the evening. It was theirs to enjoy to the fullest, and he would let Tamsyn decide how they started the evening off.

"Kaneonuskatew"

As his mate, Tamsyn may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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Tamsyn gave Kane a bit of a surprised glance with a touched smile that pulled across her lips when he mentioned that this spread doubled as her birthday gift as well. She had never really thought about celebrating her birthday. She had celebrated her children's birthday with Resin before she passed, but her own aging had never been something that felt like it should be celebrated or of note. If anything, when she was young growing older was something she dreaded because it only meant that she was marching closer to a fate she despised. Now though that reluctance to get older was gone and she was simply touched that Kane had thought to do anything for her at all. His thoughtfulness and sweetness truly knew no bounds and she loved him for it.

She continued to take in everything he had prepared for them, glancing to the wine when he mentioned it and giving a laugh when he mentioned doing a repeat of the night she went off on Sirius. "I don't think I ever need a repeat of that night, but I will still take you up on some wine!" Once he had popped the cork off of the bottle and slid it toward her, she tossed him a grin and settled back on her haunches before she lifted it to her lips, taking a long drink of the slightly sweet, slightly bitter drink. It was delicious though and he clearly had a good eye when it came to picking wines. She sat it back down and curiously looked to the other substance he brought, giving a little tilt of her head when she looked at the bundle of pointed leaves. She knew so little about plants, recreational or otherwise, but she knew that Kane was very knowlagable on the subject so she pretty easily made the connection that this was one of the intoxicating plants he had spoken about before. "I've honestly never taken anything like that, but I'm very much willing to try it! Try anything once, right?" she replied, giving him another smile.

Once he had pulled their dinner off the fire and served it up next to the honied berries, wine, and marijuana, she gave him a grin with her tail wagging behind her. "This looks fantastic, my love. Thank you for doing this for me. You're so good to me." She reached up to give him another kiss before settling down on the furs to dive into the fares in front of her. She took another drink of the wine first before passing it over to Kane and then turning her attention to the meat he had prepared. She held a chunk of it under her paw and pulled off a bite, the seasoned flavor of it quickly filling her mouth. A pleased groan escaped her as she closed her eyes and savored it, her tail brushing against the furs. "It's so good!" she exclaimed, looking up at him with a big smile before she took a couple more bites. While she at she glanced over at the plant he had offered, giving a little nod of her head. "So... do you just eat it?"

Tamsyn Carpathius

Kane gave a barking laugh when Tamsyn commented how she never needed a repeat of that night, grinning while he laid out their meal. No, he would much rather prefer his little blackbird didn't fly off the handle again, but it had been a bit humorous to watch her get drunk and go off like she did. She'd needed to vent her frustrations away, and after all was said and done, he thought she was better for it. To none of his surprise, Tam said she had never tried any recreational plants of any kind—but much to his surprise, she said she was willing to try them! Kane looked at her with a surprised yet very pleased grin. "Try anything once," he repeated her words in agreement. "Cannabis is a very mild plant, so you won't have any sort of trips or hallucinations like your son did. Mostly you'll probably just feel very relaxed, maybe some heightened sensitivity, and some euphoria or warmth." Of course, the effects were different from wolf to wolf, and with Tamsyn being much smaller than he was, it was hard for him to gauge how the drug might effect her. But hey, if she enjoyed the experience, Kane would be happy to share it with her again as often as she wanted!

Once their meal was spread out and prepared, Kane caught Tam's bright grin and excitedly wagging tail and couldn't help the swell of love he felt in his chest for the beautiful fae. He puffed up with pride, overjoyed to have done something for her that worked out so well! "I wanted to show you how much I love you. How much you mean to me and how grateful I am that the Universe put you in my life. This is how you deserve to be treated, Tamsyn." Was that a slight jab at the giant black bastard from her past? Maybe. But Kane reveled in the kiss that Tamsyn leaned up to give him before they began to eat.

He gladly took the bottle of wine from her when she'd finished her drink and threw back a long glug of the rich alcohol. He began to devour a rasher of roast meat, watching while Tam ate hers to see her reaction and gauge his cooking abilities. When that pleased groan left her lips and her tail began to beat against the furs, Kane's own tail joined hers in its happy thumping. "I'm glad you like it!" he said. "I wasn't sure how good of a cook I'd be, but I'm glad it's tasty! I was just going for edible." Another rumbling chuckle from the dire brute while he ate, passing the bottle of wine back and forth between himself and Tamsyn as they went. Though he was a large wolf, Kane could already feel a slight buzz from the wine, this nicer vintage clearly having a higher alcohol concentration than the others the Hallows usually drank. That was fine; he'd brought them both out here with the intention of them cutting loose, celebrating Tamsyn, and enjoying each other to the absolute fullest.

Kane was mid bite when Tamsyn motioned to the package of cannabis, asking if she just ate it. The hunter gave a muffled hum of laughter, swallowed his mouthful, then shook his head. "I don't think your stomach would be very happy with you if you ate it straight," he stated, picking up the package and opening it up to more easily access the weed. "You can make extracts and drink it, cook it in food, or dab it on furs, bedding, pillows like an oil. In this form, it can be burned to create an incense, or if you want a stronger hit, you chew it into a paste and keep it under your tongue." To demonstrate, Kane took a decent sized wad of the cannabis in his paw and popped the plants in his mouth, chewing dutifully until the leaves were mashed up into a green paste, then wedged it beneath his tongue. "Just a few minutes is all you need for it to get started. Then you spit out the rest."

Kane waited until he began to feel a familiar tingling sensation beneath his tongue, then he turned and spat the mush out of his mouth on the ground away from them. "You'll know when it starts to hit," he remarked with a rakish grin, flashing teeth and sabers in a wide smile as he took a swig of wine to rinse out his mouth. He pulled apart another piece of roast meat, chowing down on it. If tonight went as he planned, they'd both be needing all the fuel their bodies could get. "Wanna give it a try, little blackbird?"

"Kaneonuskatew"

As his mate, Tamsyn may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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Tamsyn nibbled on her dinner and picked at the berries while Kane dutifully taught her about the herb he had brought, watching with curious mint eyes while he popped a portion of it in his mouth and crewed so that he could tuck it under his tongue. She was glad that this plant wasn't like the one Artorias had gotten into the one time that put him on a ridiculous trip and made him out of it for hours. She smirked a little as she thought about that, remembering Kane having to carry the boy back into the castle and the guilty, exasperated look on Gwynevere's face. It was such a silly, adolescent thing to do and it still made her laugh. She hoped that even though her children had been through so much darkness as of late and they had to grow up so quickly that they still got chances to make silly mistakes and enjoy their youth. Tam was pulled back out of her wandering thoughts when Kane spit out the green mush a few minutes later, telling her that she'd know it when it started to hit. She chuckled and replied, "Oh I have no doubt about that!"

She nodded when he asked if she wanted to give it a try, smirking as she held out her paw. "Give me how much you think I should have." She was interested in trying it, but she didn't trust herself enough to guess what dose she should take. Once he had portioned her out some of the marijuana she followed his lead and put it in her mouth, the odd flavor of the plant quickly filling her mouth as she chewed. She held the chewed up plant under her tongue for a couple minutes like he had done, feeling as it started to tingle and effect the nerves there. When she thought it had been long enough she spit it out on the ground as well and took a drink of the wine, washing away the taste of the weed. Already from the strong wine she was starting to feel some warmth and tingles through her limbs so she could only imagine what she was going to feel like once the alcohol and drug started to play together.

Tamsyn finished eating her portion of the delicious meal Kane prepared, steadily feeling more and more of the effects of the marijuana he had shared with her and of the wine she continued to sip on while she ate. By the time she was done with the meats she was starting to feel a very nice warmth throughout her body with little tingles dancing across her skin. She smirked at Kane and was about to say something as she stood to move around to where he was laying to lean into him, but as soon as she was on her paws the full effects of the strong wine hit her and she swayed a bit with a chuckle. "Hmm... Maybe should have gone a bit slower on the wine," she joked, walking over to where he was laying once she regained her balance. Settling in next to him, she leaned into his side with a happy hum, nuzzling into his neck with a grin. "This does feel nice," she commented with a giggle, her tail brushing against his thigh while she tipped her muzzle up to kiss along his jaw. "Now I just need to know how everything else feels with this stuff..." she hinted not so subtly.

Tamsyn Carpathius

Much to Kane's surprise and delight, Tamsyn nodded when offered the cannabis and asked him to give her however much he thought she should have. The dire brute grinned excitedly and began to portion out what he reasoned would be a good starter amount for someone new to recreational drugs, and based on her size, then placed the delicate leaves in her paw. He watched while she chewed them and followed his instructions, nodding his approval while he stowed the rest of the package away. Already, he was beginning to feel the warm euphoria creeping through his body, tingling across his skin like he was being swaddled in electrified air. His muscles relaxed, mind easing and a general sensation of contentment settling over him. For the next few minutes, Kane watched Tamsyn while they finished their meal, waiting to see her reactions when the cannabis kicked in. As soon as the food was gone, he saw Tam shoot him a sly smirk, causing him to raise a curious brow and grin back. Was she feeling it now?

As if to answer his question, Tamsyn stood up and began making her way across the furs towards him, wobbling only slightly, but enough to make Kane sit up in worry, ready to grab her if she stumbled. Fortunately, Tamsyn caught her feet, and the two shared a laugh over her inebriated state. "Nah, you're just enjoying yourself," he replied, lifting said bottle of wine to take another long swig, most of the alcohol already consumed and inside their bellies. His lover settled down beside him, pushing her supple body into his with a happy hum. Kane instinctively draped a strong foreleg across her side, running his paw ever so slowly and gently across her underbelly and over every curve of hers he could reach. "Feeling things, my love?" he asked with a knowing grin on his lips, a rumble of delight vibrating in his chest while his girlfriend nuzzled his neck and brushed her tail across his thigh in a not-so-subtle suggestion of what she wanted. His grin widened, turning salacious at her desire to find out how everything felt while high. "Oh don't you worry, my little blackbird. You will, many, many times tonight," he remarked with a husky chuckle, tipping his muzzle down to catch her lips in a slow, affectionate kiss.

But before he could allow himself to get too lost in their lusts and passions, Kane wanted to give her her actual birthday gift. "I have something for you first." Giving her a wink, Kane reclined back just enough to reach beneath the edge of the furs and pull out a small leather pouch. Sitting back up to curl around his lover, Kane presented her with the package, tied up with a thin leather strap. Holding it before her eyes, Kane untied the strap and opened the pouch, revealing the tribal hair tie within. It was an identical accessory to the feathers Kane wore in his fur, but these were a beautiful and pristine pair of white dove feathers, held together by a single chrysoprase bead, the color almost an exact match to Tamsyn's mint eyes with a thin strip of black leather connecting all the pieces together.

"I know you don't wear much in the way of jewelry, but I wanted to give you something from my heart for your birthday," he explained. "The feather fur ties my tribe wear are given to you by the wolf you wish to tie your spirit to. The two feathers represent the joining of your soul and the soul of your mate. I... never got to give Tiva a pair before she was killed." Kane lifted a giant paw to brush the tawny feathers in his own fur. "I made these for her, and after her death, I wore them as a reminder of what I was living for. Revenge. But... I think it might be time to learn to let go and move forward." Gazing upon his beautiful black fae with love in his eyes, Kane brought the tie around and gingerly wove it within her fur just behind her left ear. The black leather tie blended in with her fur perfectly, making the white feathers and mint-green bead appear to float in her fur. It was striking and gorgeous in contrast to her jet black fur; Kane hoped she'd like it. "I did all of this to ask you... to be with me forever. To let this weathered wanderer find his home with you for all time. And when our spirits return to the Universe, to let me find you once more." Kane leaned down and nuzzled behind Tamsyn's near, gently nudging the feathers in her fur. "Will you be my mate, Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley?"

"Kaneonuskatew"

As his mate, Tamsyn may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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Tamsyn settled into Kane happily as he wrapped a foreleg around her, his paw tracing over her stomach and side making her grin widen with a murr. "Mhmm..." she mumbled with a chuckle when he asked if she was feeling things nuzzling into his fur and enjoying how every touch felt even better and more hightened than she ever remembered it feeling—and it was only getting better as more time passed and the drink and alcohol really began to set in. She smirked and looked up at him with heavy lidded eyes at the promise that she would get to feel everything she hinted at many, many times tonight. First an amazing dinner, all these extra treats to go with it, and now the promise of fantastic mating for desert? What more could she want for her prize turned birthday surprise?

As if reading her thoughts, Kane mentioned that he had something for her, making her brows lift with surprise. "There's more?" she asked with a laugh. "You really are spoiling me today." Just the picnic and night out together was more than enough of a gift as far as she was concerned, but she was still interested to see what else he had up his sleeve when he leaned over to retrieve a leather pouch from where he had hidden it, eyeing it curiously as he opened it to reveal his gift. Her eyes widened when she saw the pair of feathers he presented her with that was adorned with a bead that very nearly matched the color of her eyes. She picked up on the fact that it was like the feathers he wore behind his ear pretty quickly, but she certainly didn't know the meaning behind them until he began to explain.

She lifted her gaze to look up at Kane while he told her what the feathers meant in his tribe, how important they were for two wolves that wanted to tie their spirits together, and how the feathers he wore now were the feathers he was supposed to give to his former mate to be. Emotion welled up in her chest as her foggy mind started to connect the dots and she looked back down at the beautiful white feathers he had put together for her, lifting a paw to brush them gently before they disappeared from view as Kane tied them into the fur behind her ear. Once she felt the slight weight of the bead in her fur and the slight brush of the feathers dangling against her neck she looked up at him again with tears starting to pool in her love filled gaze. What had felt like a sweet, fun evening suddenly felt like it had so much more meaning. She couldn't keep her tail from wagging like crazy as he continued with the sweetest words she thought she had ever heard.

A huge smile pulled across her lips as he asked her in the most beautiful, eloquent way she could have imagined to be his mate. She had gone from thinking that all hope had been lost, that she would never again find love like this or be loved by anyone in return to now laying here wrapped in Kane's arms, the most beautiful gift hanging from her fur as a constant reminder of the love they would always share. She was speechless in the best way as she replayed the new name he offered her in her mind over and over, looking up at him dumbfounded by the fact that he had given her this incredible, amazing hope and love and a whole new lease on her life that she now got to share with this wolf that made her feel so whole. Tears spilled over onto her cheeks as she laughed giddily and twisted to throw her forelegs around his neck, pressing her muzzle to his in a deep, passionate kiss to express her love and gratefulness for him in the only way she really knew how. Tamsyn pressed her body to his, holding him tight while she made out with him for several long, savoring moments until she finally broke away with a soft gasp, blinking her eyes open to look up at him again with a dazed grin. "Yes! Yes, of course I will!" she told him with another laugh to finally give him an official answer to his question before she kissed him again, sinking into him in a haze of love, desire, and passion all of which were sent into the stratosphere with the high she was floating on.

-fade-

Tamsyn Carpathius

The moments between when Tamsyn saw his surprise gift for her and her acceptance of his proposal felt like the longest of his life. Kane was scarcely breathing while he gauged her reactions, from her gasp and widening eyes, to the look of recognition of what he was doing the more he explained the cultural significance of the feathers to him and his tribe. She looked up to him, tears in her gorgeous mint-green eyes as their gazes met. His eyes only left hers for a moment to look at the twin white feathers hanging from her fur, thinking to himself how she made them appear even more beautiful next to her flawless black fur. Then her tail began to wag, beating gently against the side of his thigh and making him grin like an idiot. He knew what was coming next, but he was still taken by surprise by the intensity of the passion with which Tam kissed him, flinging her body around his and clinging to his larger form while their lips crushed together.

Kane hummed with bliss as he kissed her back, his own tail swaying like mad over the blankets while he kissed her with all the passion and intensity she gave to him. He tasted her answer through her lips and tongue, listening to her giddy giggles whenever their lips would part for the briefest of seconds only to reconnect again a moment later. He felt her tears dampening her fur, feeling like his heart was going to beat out of his chest it was thrumming so hard. After Tiva's death, Kane had resigned himself to the idea of a life of solitude, never finding love again for fear of the loss it might bring him. Tamsyn had ruined those plans in the best way possible. She reminded him of the joys of love, of discovering something new with someone he cared so deeply about. Thickly muscled forelegs tightened around Tam's slender sides, keeping her held tight to him throughout their celebratory making out. Then she gave him the answer he had dared to hope and dream for.

The moment Tamsyn said yes, his whole life exploded before his eyes. He saw the rest of their days spent in sheer bliss, euphoria of one another's presence while they explored the world, shared their lives, maybe even dared to try to start a family of their own. Kane was ready to let go of his past and embrace his future with Tamsyn. Lost in his inebriated state of love, alcohol, and drugs, Kane easily let Tamsyn grip to him and pull him over on top of her, finding his body entwining with hers easily as they culminated their love beneath the star-filled heavens and lost themselves to a euphoric haze of love and desire. Not once, but many times through the night until the world had become familiar with their wolven song of pleasure.

- fade -

"Kaneonuskatew"

As his mate, Tamsyn may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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