Athena makes her way up toward the carnival, the bright colors and loud noises drawing the wolf closer. Golden eyes scan the entrance as she waits to get an admittance bracelet, uncertain if she should be here. Just as she talks herself out of it, a coydog steps up, flashes some golden teeth and slaps a bracelet around her wrist. Okay… With a shrug, the earthen hued wolf crosses into the fairgrounds, looking from side to side at all the strange booths. Sure, she has seen festivals before but nothing on this grand of a scale. The smells of delicious food hit her nostrils and Athena finds herself moving toward one of the sources.

Her paws deposit her in front of a booth where a coydog is spreading cinnamon and sugar over some puffy pastry. Eyes widen in wonder as she watches him work, the is smell is intoxicating and causes her stomach to rumble in anticipation. Swallowing the saliva that floods her mouth the coydog looks over at her and chuckles, asking if she would like one. Athena hums and haws, trying to pretend like she can afford something so delectable. She lingers at the booth, drinking in the aroma as her golden gaze watches the coydog work his magic with the pastry.

Ruga wandered around the carnival, sea foam green eyes taking it all in. This was a bit too crowded of an affair for his usual tastes and the coydogs barking from their stalls to get their attention was grating on his nerves, but occasionally he'd come across a stall where they were crafting or making something with a skill he didn't often come across and that made the experience feel like it was worth it. He enjoyed seeing the craftsmen at work, making everything from treats and foods to jewelry and accessories. He unfortunately hadn't come across any other armor smiths, but perhaps he'd find one eventually.

As he was walking by one of the stands that was making pastries dusted with cinnamon and sugar, he paused to look at them with interest, but ultimately decided he'd rather move on to something else. Before he walked away though, he noticed a woman painted with earthen hues that had been standing there when he walked up and was still eyeing the treats behind the counter hungrily. He smirked a little and hesitated for a moment before finally stepping over to where she was standing, before dipping his muzzle into his satchel and pulling out a small piece of silver and handing it over to the coydog manning the booth. "Two please," he rumbled, and the smaller canine quickly complied, handing over two of the treats over the counter.

He took one for himself and passed over the other to the woman beside him, looking down at her with a friendly grin. "For you," he insisted while he enjoyed her amber gaze. "I'm Ruga by the way," he added, taking the pastry that was wrapped in a piece of paper into his satchel for later. There didn't seem to be anyone else with her and he didn't even smell a pack's scent on her so he could only assume that she was here by herself. "I think there's a spot over that way where we could sit and eat if you wanted?"

"Ruga Amanto"

The sounds of the carnival have the earthen hued wolf’s ears twitching as she watches the coydog make his tasty treats. For someone who is use to her small tribe, this event is huge step out of her comfort zone and she has to work on not bolting away every time there is a loud noise. Because Athena’s ears are sensitive to all racket around her, she is able to pick out the sound of soft paw steps moving towards her. Ducking her head shyly, the earthen wolf feels the heat of embarrassment flush her cheeks as she realizes that she is taking up space at the stall without having any money to be able to afford the delectable pastries and she quickly moves to make room at the booth. The man that steps up next to her is tall, his giant frame easily dwarfing her own and Athena finds her eyes moving away from the sweets to silently inspect the handsome wolf. His pelt is fire and earth, red hues stand in brilliant contrast against the darker brown and soft tans of his body. Her amber eyes trail appreciatively across his body, noting the thick cords of muscle underneath the fiery cloak and she is so captivated with her inspection that she misses when he orders two treats. Athena mouth is slightly agape, heart thrumming with nervous energy as she stands admiring the wolf next to her. Suddenly he turns toward her, sea foam green eyes capturing her own amber gaze and he offers Athena a friendly grin. His rumbling tones catch her attention and dark eyebrows shoot upward as the earthen woman looks down at the offered, paper wrapped pastry, heat flushing her cheeks when she looks back up to those beautiful eyes. She is glad for the fur that hides the flush across her cheeks,  knowing it grows deeper as Athena gazes into green depths that remind her of ocean waves spilling softly across a sandy beach. Her voice breaks the silence that follows his offer, her own tones sound grating after his beautiful, rumbling voice and she fumbles out, “Tha… thank you.” Athena’s gaze softens as she smiles, happiness plainly written in her amber gaze as her tail gives a gently wag. He introduces himself as Ruga and the spell his presence seems to have cast over the earthen wolf finally shatters, and she blinks suddenly realizing what a fool she must look like. Clearing her throat, she dips her head, shy voice saying, “It is nice to meet you Ruga. My name is Athena.” Another smile, bright with joy and tinted with embarrassment appears as she watches him gather his own sweet into his satchel. Ruga talks about a spot to sit and eat and Athena feels warmth spread inside her chest. The handsome wolf wants to talk to her? Even after she has made a complete fool of herself? Quickly, before the earthen woman can give herself the chance to talk herself out of it, she says, “That would be very nice.” Gathering the paper wrapped pastry to follow the fiery wolf, Athena chides herself silently, question why she doing this. Why is she acting like a pup with a crush, rushing to trip over her own paws just so she can get closer to this wolf? Still, Athena steps up next to Ruga, doubt making her steps falter a moment before she moves to follow after him. ”Speech”  ’Thought’

The dazed expression written across her face as she looked up at him to mutter a shy thank you made him grin wider, her reaction to him endearing and flattering. She seemed to catch herself and dipped her head as she introduced herself in turn, but now he just wanted to get her to react like that again. She was a pretty little thing and it had been far too long since he had anyone to spend some time with. He'd kept himself busy with his new job forging armors and weapons for Armada, but that didn't stop the free roaming brute he was at heart. When she agreed to go sit and talk with him while they ate treats he flashed her another toothy grin and nodded for her to follow. Right this way then." What better way to spend time at a Love Day carnival anyway? If he left the event without at least trying to snag some time with a beautiful woman why did he even bother coming?

He led her away from he bustling carnival booths, moving off to a less populated portion of the carnival where some draping fabric had been tied up between a few trees, creating a shaded, grassy area. There were a few couples and groups clustered around the area and he found a secluded spot under one of the large trees for them to claim. He settled onto his stomach with a relaxed sigh, slipping his satchel off and setting it off to the side after he pulled out the cinnamon sugar dusted pastry from the bag. He hadn't been planning on eating right now, but he didn't mind a change of plans if it gave him an excuse to get to know Athena a bit better. He waited till she had gotten comfortable as well and he smiled while he admired her for a moment with casual glances down along her earthen-hued frame. He had tried to pin down what was his type a few times, but he had been interested in ladies of all heights, sizes, fur colors and patterns. He enjoyed all of them for different reasons.

He took a bite of the pastry between his dark paws and was actually surprised at how much he enjoyed the flakey treat, the cinnamon adding a nice hint of spice to the sweetness. He hummed appreciatively and looked back up to Athena again, catching her amber gaze with a little smirk. "You have a good eye for tasty treats it seems," he told her with a chuckle. He took another bite and swiped his tongue across his lips as he sat back a bit to look at her appreciatively again. "So, what brings a pretty girl like you out here on your own? I'm surprised you didn't already have a guy chasing you around."

"Ruga Amanto"

This seems so surreal. Athena ponders the magic of the carnival that has brought this handsome wolf across her path. Paws follow the tall wolf, heart fluttering with giddiness as the pair move to shaded area. The paper wrapped pastry fills her nostrils with its intoxicating scent but the earthen hued wolf barely notices it. Her attention is focused solely on Ruga and, when the man finds them a secluded spot by a large tree, Athena steps up across from him. Amber eyes catch his sea form green gaze and she feels the edges of her lips tick up around the pastry. Ruga settles in with a relaxed sigh and the earthen wolf realizes she is still standing. A sheepish look crosses her face as Athena lowers herself gently onto the soft grass.

As Ruga pulls out his own sweet treat, she settles her own snack between her dark paws and Athena allows her tongue to quickly dart out of her mouth to lick away any excess drool. She shyly ducks her head at the unlady-like gesture, knowing her mother would be mortified at her action. Lowering her nose, she gathers a small bite of the treat in her mouth all while casting Ruga glances. Wide amber eyes watch the tall wolf, eager to catch his reaction to the pastry. Lifting her head up Athena catches his hum of approval and giggles she with delight, the edges of her eyes crinkling up with joy at his words. With her mouth clear of food, Athena gives him a wide, opened mouth smile as she playfully says, “Stick with me, Ruga, and I will show you all the delicious food.”

Was she flirting? Is… is this what flirting is? As she reaches down and gathers another mouthful of the tasty snack, Athena almost chokes on it at Ruga’s next words. Head shoots up as she becomes flustered, mouth opening and closing, teeth grazing her bottom lip, heat rising into cheeks once more. Her… pretty? After a couple seconds, the perplexed wolf gives an undignified snort and stutters out, “I… I just… got here?” Really, she doesn’t know how to respond but, the absurdness of her own answer is not lost on the woman. Athena’s eyes widen in shock, a giggle bubbling up into her chest. It causes her throat to itch and tickle until she allows the noise to spill out. Eyes crinkle, her body shakes and a huge smile rests on her lips.

When she finally calms down enough to speak, Athena asks, “What about you Ruga? Why isn’t a pretty wolf fawning over you? You are far too handsome to be alone at a carnival for love.” A coy smile appears as tilts her head, humming in curiosity at the tall, fire cloaked wolf before her. Okay. She is really bad at this flirting thing.

"Athena Nocturna"

Ruga laughed lightly with a grin when she promised to show him all kinds of delicious food if he stuck with her and a sly smirk crossed his face as he replied, "Well... Stick with me and you might find something else even more delicious than food." A salacious grin pulled as his lips and his sea foam eyes lingered on her as he bent his head to take another bite of the pastry between his paws. He had never claimed to be subtle and he certainly wasn't going to start now. He did wonder if he'd just end up breaking her entirely if he kept those kinds of comments up. Even just greeting her and inviting her to chat had gotten her shy and flustered. When she answered his question she struggled to just say that she had just gotten here without any further explanation or insight, falling into a giggling fit at her own absurdity. He laughed as well, giving her another lopsided grin. She felt so innocent and adorable in comparison to some other faes he had come across and while there was certainly a time and place for the bold, brash women that knew what they wanted and took it he was enjoying some of this game of cat and mouse, his flirtatious nature reveling in it.

When she turned the question back on him, asking why he didn't have a pretty wolf fawning over him at a carnival for love, he gave her a sly grin and cast her a knowing look at her with a raised brow. "Oh? Would you not consider this fawning over each other?" A chuckle rumbled in his chest, amusement in his gaze. He shrugged a little and added a bit more honestly, "I've been a bit too tied up in work to get out much these days. Besides... I like keeping my options open. Variety is the spice of life, right? I like going somewhere new and seeing who I meet." Another smirk tugged at his lips as his gaze boldly flicked down along her form that was was decorated with paint strokes of earthen hues. "I'd say I've gotten pretty lucky this time." His gaze returned to her amber gaze and he chuckled as he went to eat the last bite of his pastry, swiping his tongue over his lips to clean away the lingering bits of sugar and pastry. He didn't know what direction this little encounter would take, but whatever happened he was pretty pleased with it thus far.

"Ruga Amanto"

Athena is the process of reaching down to take another of her treat when Ruga answers her terrible attempt at flitting. Eyes dart up to his sea foam green graze and she finds the scandalous grin on his dark lips. Suddenly, the bite of food that been resting absolutely fine in her mouth, decides to lodge in her throat. Golden eyes round and the earthen hue wolf feels heat flood her face as she realizes exactly what Ruga had been suggesting. In a very undignified spectacle, she sputters, coughs and hacks in an attempt to dislodge the offending glob of food. Finally, it slides easily down her throat and the smaller woman clears her throat.

Straightening up slightly, trying her best to brush off the embarrassment of the scene she had caused, Athena hums. Finally, she says, “Yes well, I might just have to stick around.” A small, coy smile breaks across her white lips even as she fights the feeling to crawl into a hole and disappear. This cannot be happening. She really likes the fiery pelted wolf and the awkward woman is afraid she will scare him off. But he doesn’t retreat, his lopsided grins at her flustered comments causing her brows to furrow in confusion. Why does he have to be so cute? And tall? And… her thoughts are derailed as he answers her question about fawning and, once again she scoffs.

His rumbling chuckle sparks her own nervous, excited giggle and Athena captures those beautiful eyes with her own. Ruga’s words rumble out, her heart soaring with the tones of his voice. Her eyes trace his smirk, remembering the way his face creases when it appears. Sea foam green eyes flick down her body and Athena feels the familiar flash of heat in her cheeks. Then he speaks and the earthen hued wolf almost dies of happiness. For a moment, she sits in stunned silence, a silly, giddy smile tugging her lips apart. Looking down at the tasty treat, Athena takes the last, huge bite and quickly chews and swallows it.

Humming her delight, the earthen woman reaches out a small paw to lightly trace the knuckles of Ruga’s own paw. Shyly she darts a glance up and asks, “So what work has you so busy that you cannot enjoy the beauty of the wolves around you? It’s a shame such a handsome wolf doesn’t get the… appreciation he deserves.” Her paw continues to lightly run over the back of his, the feel of his fur causing heat to flood other places of her body. Amber eyes trace up his leg to the thick muscles of his chest, humming lightly as she traces his body.


"Athena Nocturna"

Ruga was certainly not disappointed in his not so subtle attempts to fluster the pretty fae across from him. He had worried that he might break her and for a moment he thought he might actually do just that when she got choked up on her pastry at his comment that promised her much more than food. He chuckled while she coughed and cleared the offending bit of pastry, reaching over to gently pat her back while she did so. Once she was able to speak again he pulled his paw back, but rested it near her own, his bright gaze lingering on her face with a smirk. "I'm glad to hear it," he replied when she said she'd have to stick around, giving her a charming grin. She was sweet and adorable in his eyes and clearly hadn't had a brute be so forward and direct before. He was more than happy to give her a new experience in that regard.

He gave a soft, rumbling hum when her paw reached for his, feeling her toes trace back and forth across his.. He was actually a bit impressed that she was able to recover enough to make the first move, even if it was just a simple bit of contact. It was a start and reaffirmed for him that she was as interested in him as he was in her. A sly smirk pulled across his features at the mention of the 'appreciation' he deserved, making him chuckle again. "I'm a blacksmith and leatherworker," he explained, lifting his other paw that wasn't claimed by hers to lightly trace along the inside of her foreleg, his claws lightly trailing across her skin. "Unsurprisingly, the pack I live with makes good use of my skills and keeps me busy." When his paw finished following her foreleg down to her paw where it was resting over his, he lifted the smaller paw in his own to bring it to his lips, his eyes lingering on hers as he pressed a kiss to her toes with a little grin. "I should really remember to take some more time for 'appreciation', as you put it. You're reminding me why I've missed it."

He released her paw and moved to shift closer to her side, fitting her smaller frame into the nook of his side, her fur mingling with his. He turned his head to lightly kiss the back of one of her ears, deciding that he wanted to see just how far this pretty little lady was going to let him go. "Should we make this Love Day festival more aptly named?" he questioned in a quiet rumble, the kiss behind her ear beginning a trail of kisses and light nibbles along the curve of her cheek. His tail curled around her hip while he watched for her reactions curiously, eager to see how this easily flustered fae reacted to him upping the stakes in their little chance interaction.

"Ruga Amanto"

Ruga’s attempts to fluster Athena work and, when the pastry lodges in her throat, she realized just how much he really is flustering her. As she coughed and hacked, the man’s chuckle reaches her ears, ringing like deep bells through her churning thoughts. One of his large paws reach over and gently pats the fluster wolf’s back and, if she wasn’t so focused on not dying, Athena might have realized just how nice it felt to have the large paw touch her. The earthen female has just entered the second year of her life and, with her coming age, came her heat. Maybe that is why she is so flustered, so… unsure of herself. The pastry dislodges and the pair continue to talk, the russet male stealing her attention away.

When Athena hums and starts to lightly trace the knuckles of his front paw, asking what work he does, he explains that he is a blacksmith and leatherworker. The earthen female continues to hum lightly, keeping her head down while bringing her eyes up to meet his sea foam green gaze. She gives him a coy smile and says, “Oh, so you’re good with your paws?” Heat floods her body at the thought of Ruga’s paws on her body and she has to mentally shake herself to hear the words he has to say. His own paw moves over to her leg as he lightly trails a claw along the inside of foreleg, the sensitive skin sending jolts of pleasure to her brain. He talks of the pack where he lives and she hums in response, no longer hearing his words as her focus is his the claw’s path.

Ruga’s paw finishes its work and he rests it over her smaller one before bring her paw to his lips. Eyelids flutter over warm amber eyes as he presses a kiss into her toes, pleasure and anticipation of more to come making the earthen female give a small moan. Everything feels heightened, Athena’s heat causing the simplest touch to feel electric. Ruga releases her small paw and shifts to fit her smaller frame into the nook of his side, the closeness of him and feel of his fur against her has a shiver racing along her spine. The light kiss on the back of her ear has another soft moan escaping as he questions her. The rumbled enquiry is answered with a sly smile and Athena breathlessly mumbles, “It does seem only fitting.”

The kisses start to trail down the curve of her cheek with light nibbles interspersed. Athena hates to admit her inexperience in sexual endeavors but Ruga seems to know what he is doing and so, the earthen female lets him work, craning her neck and giving yet another small moan. A small paw reaches for the russet male, searching for the soft fur on his leg. Slowly, carefully, she runs her paw along the fur, mummering her appreciation for the larger wolf as her heart flutters.


"Athena Nocturna"

Athena pulled a chuckle and a sly grin from him at her comment about him being good with his paws, the double meaning of that certainly not slipping by him. It had been a while since he had been with a female in heat and he had almost forgotten how even the smallest affection had such an impact. Everything from the kiss to her paw to the light, teasing kisses he gave her ears earned him quiet moans from the lovely lady at his side and he was already very much enjoying himself. He was far more of a giver than a taker in these things and greatly enjoyed bringing his partners pleasure—sometimes more than he cared about the pleasure he got himself. At her quiet, mumbled reply that agreed with his suggestion of making the "love" in "love day" more accurate, Ruga gave a low, pleased rumble and lifted one of his forelegs to slip it over her shoulders while he continued to kiss and nibble along her neck. There were no other questions that needed to be asked. She didn't make any moves or advances of her own and instead settled in to let him do his work which was perfectly fine with him.

He shifted and moved her body with him, moving them both onto their sides as he slipped one foreleg around her chest and another across her belly, pulling her slender frame back into his against his torso. He let her head rest on the upper part of his foreleg like a pillow while he cradled her against him and peppered the side of her neck with slow, lingering kisses and licks. His paws roamed across her torso, getting acquainted with her body and letting her enjoy the sensitivity that he knew came along with her current state. Her scent was intoxicating, especially with her this close, and he found himself nuzzling into her neck just to breathe her in and let himself get lost in her. The warmth and tension in his core naturally built with his desire while his paws worked her over, feeling every inch of her across her chest and belly for a few long moments just to let this time they had together last.

When his own desire for her built to a point where he just couldn't wait any longer, he held her tight against him with one paw hooked around her thigh to keep her in place as he started to join the two of them together. A low groan escaped him against her skin as he found the pleasure he needed from her and brought her the relief she undoubtedly needed as well. His paws continued to wander, enjoying her toned body while he made love to her, giving this celebration of love a real reason for its name. "Athena..." he moaned quietly against her neck, holding her tightly while he took them both to new heights.

-fade-

"Ruga Amanto"