Who: Wild Child and Mastermind When: Sunday May 3rd, just before sunset Where: The Canadian Rockies What: Jason has taken Gibney home Notes: Log Format/to be finished Kyle Gibney felt alive. For the first time in years, there was something truly worth living for. He was his own Owner, he held his life in his own hands, it was thrilling, invigorating, relieving. And on top of that, he was going home. He had been a bundle of anxious nerves on the flight to Canada, afraid that it was a trick, afraid that it had all somehow been a dream and that the paradise his fuzzy memories spoke of did not truly exist, afraid for no real reason that he could find. Just fear. The feral had nearly cried upon seeing the mountains spread out before him, still white with snow.
Snow. Oh God how much had he missed snow! Remaining still in the car as they drove to the cabin Jason had rented had been a chore. He wanted to rip the car door clean off and just run. To howl at the moon and run through the snow and just be who his instincts begged him to be. His efforts at restraining himself had left him literally panting for air by the time they at last arrived at the secluded cabin in the woods. "Cabin" was hardly a word for it, it was larger than most houses Kyle had remembered seeing, though their lodgings were honestly the last thing on the feral's mind. The moment the car stopped, the mutt was out the door and gone into the woods.
His leg had healed enough to allow him to run on all fours easily, he was still to take it 'easy' on his leg, but Kyle had never been one to play things safe. The joy of the frigid air, the familiar scent of the woods, the knowledge that he could just run free in this isolated little get away, it would have overridden any warning, order or threat regardless. His mind manged to override his instinctual joy often enough to let him check in and assure Jason that he had not simply taken off and run away into the woods, but the old man had hardly seen the mutt outside of those brief "Hi I'm here I'm alive" check ins and the mealtime appearances that seemed to fall like clockwork. His hunting instinct had apparently not grown rusty, as he had appeared several times with various fresh kills to be cooked up and served, the rabbit stew had been a particularly tasty meal.
At last, late in the day on Sunday, the youth appeared at the door, and did not just peek his head inside, but actually tromped in, leaving chunks of snow in his wake in the process. He was still barefooted, even out in feet of snow, wearing his ripped, and now soaking and muddy jeans, he had at least been talked into wearing a jacket over his t-shirt. He raked a big hand through his hair to get it out of his face, blue eyes drifting around the warm room.
"Jason?" He called, sniffing the air to try and follow the familiar scent to the elder mutant. "Jason, ya 'ere? I got somethin' I wanna show ya. Uh... ya should like... uh..." what was the word his mother had used? Not dress up, not clean up... bundle. That was it. "Bundle up, 's cold out 'ere..." Jason was so thin, he rather wondered if the wind truly would go right through the man. -- Jason had been stuck between wanting to give Kyle his own time, and wanting to track him as far as he could manage. Every instinct he had screamed at him to realize that his companion was leaving, and that now was the time for fierce, if not deadly action. He had to remind his instincts that he was an owner without a pet. He did not truly own the boy, not anymore, and thus the brief check ins were melancholy at best. He was trying, however, too appreciate the beauty around them, even if this whole thing felt like a silent death sentence.
Being that his mood was so sullen, it was no surprise that he had started drinking early. He had resisted the urge to get drunk, however, as he knew that wouldn't go over well with the pup on hand. He simply had a glass or two so that he could manage to take the edge off and feel the buzz through the slow day as the snow fell along the grounds.
"I'm here, Kyle." He spoke it gently, and it echoed through the room in the back of the cabin. The fire was on, and Jason, with his thin frame was bundled under a blanket near by, with his feet up. "Careful not to drag too much snow in with you." He figured the whelp's sensitive ears would pick up on his statements without too much yelling involved. -- Kyle perked up at hearing the taller's voice, he grinning and starting to step closer to the tall man at the back of the room. He was grinning, his eyes lit up, he looked entirely relaxed, happy, comfortable. It had been a very, very long time since he had been comfortable in his own skin. He blinked at that reminder, looking down at his feet, snow frozen to his fur, clinging to his jeans.
"Heh, sorry..." he murmured sheepishly, stepping back closer to the door to try and shake some of the snow off himself. "...Are ya too cold? C'n ya come out? I... there's somethin' I wanna show ya... we gotta 'urry... 's gonna be gone soon..." He studied the gentleman, head canting to one side as concern touched his furry features. Jason was down, unhappy, why? Kyle had been so caught up in his own joy, his own instincts and memories that he had not taken notice. He cared, he genuinely cared, but he was not always the most observant, not always the most considerate person. His compassion and consideration often fell second to his instincts more often than not. -- Jason shifted under the blankets. "I should have a large coat awaiting me in the other room near the door. Would you bring it to me, Kyle?" He would go with the whelp, even though he despised the cold and the snow. Being out in the snow was like having ice water flow through his veins, but he would deal with it because Kyle needed something. His knee joints cracked, protesting loudly to the snow and the cold around their fire toasted room, as he clambered out from the over sized chair he had settled his old rump in. He wrapped himself in his formal overcoat before pulling on the thick wool walking coat he had brought along just in case. His ideas of 'just in case' had ended up being more than necessary. He traipsed through their cabin and moved out into the wilderness. The frigid air of the wild around them wasn't the only thing that took his breath away. "It's very pretty here, Kyle." His statement was more based in revealing the obvious than it was anything else. Jason had never considered the mutt a lair, but at the same time, he had never considered it to possibly be this beautiful. -- Gibney nodded and bounded over to get the jacked, blinking as he turned it over in his big hands. It was nice... damn. Everything Jason had was nice. He did wonder how such a thin man could move under so many heavy clothes, of course. He tossed his hair as they went outside, bounding eagerly through the snow, kicking up as he sprinted about, like a hyper puppy out to play. He was far too caught up in his own joy of being home to notice Jason's displeasure. "Ya 'aven' seen ANYTHIN' yet!" He insisted brightly as he went off to one side, nodding his head one direction, motioning Jason to follow. The snow was not exceptionally deep, at least not to Kyle's mind, only around two feet. It dusted the Evergreens and made everything seem so still and soft, everything save Kyle's mad running, chuckling and all.
"'Ere!" he said brightly as he stopped before a cliff. It was not quite straight up, but something close to it. It looked to go up for about twenty feet, what was beyond it was anyone's guess. "Ya c'n 'ang ont' m' back, right?" He looked eager and slightly worried suddenly. "I didn' think ya could climb it all yererself... an' we don' 'ave a lotta time..." It was strange for Kyle, who seemed to have a clock run only by his stomach, to be in such a rush. -- Jason sighed, knowing full well that Kyle could basically drop him to his doom, on accident or on purpose, as he looked up into the surrounding foothills and cliff edges. The snow suddenly wasn't so bad. The old man despised heights. "I... um. Yes." But instead of moving, the elder could do nothing but stare. "We... aren't going up there, are we?" His voice held a slight tremor over the word 'up', but he cleared his throat to attempt to mask it. Something about being that far up wasn't every appealing at that moment, nor did he think it would ever be. No, indeed, the old man could not climb it himself and he wouldn't ever want to. -- He blinked, confused by that statement, head canting to one side. "A course we are..." He returned, scratching at the top of his head. "...whut else'd we be doin'? 'S not 'at far." He assured, flashing a toothy grin. Indeed, he had jumped from much greater heights without an issue. As Jason did not seem to be moving, he did. He stepped closer and turned his back to Jason, looking over his shoulder as bushy brows lifted, he waiting for the elder to grab onto his back. They had to get going or they were going to be too late... -- Jason looked down, noticing the feral shifting closer so that he could clamber onto the other's back. An ironic joke lit up his mind for a moment before he looked back up and silently paled at the simple height before him. This was going to be mildly horrific. "If you drop me...." Though he didn't continue that threatening promise, he moved instead. Swinging long legs astride the smaller creature, Jason attempted to settle his stomach and wind long arms around his companion. He closed his eyes, and muttered into Kyle's neck. "Go ahead, whelp."
And then he attempted to close off his senses of space and time around him. Instead, he focused on the furry body that he was riding though the wilderness at that moment. Warmth and a musky scent drifted through his nostrils, stirring through his blood, a momentary sensation of desire welled up within him. This could be almost comforting, desirable, if it wasn't for the circumstances. -- "'Ey, 's yer job t' hang on," he teased with a grin, chuckling. "'S not at far," he assured again. "Don' be such a scardie cat." He waited for Jason to latch onto his furry body before he dropped his weight lower, then bounded easily at the cliff. He jumped an easy eight feet up, he probably could have gone higher, but that would jostle Jason's old joints even more, and he did not want to risk shaking that long body from his back.
He easily scaled the cliff then, hand over hand with so very little effort, the added weight on his back doing little to throw him off his game. They climbed, looking rather like a lemur wrapped around a barn cat, before Kyle hauled himself up over the edge of the cliff, leaving his lower half dangling, laying his torso on the flattened surface to let Jason clamor off, ready to catch the man if he slipped. This side of the cliff had a steep slope downward into a valley, a true slope, not a cliff like what they had just climbed, but still not something you would want to fall down.
Before them, the valley opened, white and still under the snow, mountains looming all around. It was a vast valley, a river seen cutting through the snow like a dark ribbon. The sun was half hidden behind a cloud, the area a faint pink color as it reflected the twilight. "'S almost time!" Kyle said softly, grinning distantly as he shifted forward a bit, settling down in the snow, looking down over the valley. -- His mouth had been half open and ready to make a statement back, but he had made a mistake of opening his eyes as well just as the boy shifted, moving, and jumped. He had been enjoying the closeness, the feeling of that fur rubbing against parts of him that usually did not connect with anything, even if they were clothed, but after the truth of their leap through the air, Jason lost all excitement in the situation he could have had. It was the same moment when Jason lost his stomach and it dropped so somewhere near his bowels. His heart leaped into his throat and it hammered there, making him feel slightly sick before he instinctively hid his face behind Kyle's shoulder, clutching tight to that fur under his hands, likely leaving bruises as the whelp scaled the wall.
After what seemed like an eternity, the jerking motions stopped and Kyle waited for Jason to get off. "If you think I'm going to move off your skinny body while hanging off a cliff edge, you have another thing coming to you, boy." His grip tightened, which he didn't think was possible, and Kyle had to somehow pry his hands off and force the elder to stand on his own two feet. After a few moments of standing again, however, Jason had mostly recovered his composure, and managed to look around the beautiful scene before him. -- Gibney blinked as those fingers dug so deeply into his sides, he looking back at him in confusion as he climbed. "Whut's with yew?" Kyle knew so little of fear, fear of heights, fear of falling, fear of broken bones, even fear of dying was truly a very distant concept for him. He tossed his head back and laughed, a full, rumbling chuckle in his chest at Jason's comment. "Fine, fine." He grumbled, slowly dragging himself fully over the edge, Jason's added weight making this a bit more difficult, before he shrugged to show him it was ok, prying those fingers off and rubbing at the fast-fading bruises under his shirt. Crazy ass fucker, he thought with a grin.
"Fuck," he grumbled after a few moments as the colors of twilight shifted to a slightly more orange hue. "Fuckin' clouds.." he growled, sincerely hoping that all this was not a wasted effort. The sky was a hazy blue, the clouds a deep purple with pinks and hues of bright yellows, the colors reflected on the snow below them. Specks could be seen moving far off on the distance, Gibney could recognize them as a moose and a bear, a small family of deer foraging, likely too far off for Jason's eyes to detect.
And then it happened.
A cloud moved, not much, just enough to let the sun peek out from behind it. The pinks faded away and gave way to a warm, rosy gold. The hills lit up, glistening with the rich, warm colors. Kyle held his breath as he looked, as if afraid that breathing would case it to fade faster. It was truly like a magic trick, all at once the frozen wilderness was full of warm, comforting color, which slowly faded away as the sun sank lower behind the cloud, letting pinks and purples deepen in the shadows and expand over the gold slowly. -- The clouds shifted and revealed a sight that was above and beyond what words could explain. Beauty sparkled along the sky, and the pure, raw, nature of it all took his breath away. This was what Kyle was missing all those years in Revolve. Suddenly, the old man didn't mind the height or the location in any manner. He understood the importance, feeling so very insignificant and small in comparison to that brilliant sunset. He couldn't speak. He couldn't do anything but smile and feel the touch of the sun along his body. It warmed him through his clothing and made the space behind his eyes seem to dazzle with the light as it painted wondrous color across the evening sky. He absorbed as much of it as he could while it lasted, wishing he had a way to take it and slip it into his pocket and watch it all again on the days when he felt down. This was really a sight to cheer up the old man's life for as long as he would live. -- The color lingered, it dazzled, then it faded quickly away. In the blink of an eye the gold was gone, faded into pinks and purples, certainly not an ugly sight, but not the dazzling unexpected look of the glittering gold surrounding them, from the sky to the snow of the valley below. Kyle took in a slow breath as the light faded, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. "...Nothin' gold c'n stay." He announced it softly, something akin to whimsy in his voice as he let his eyes linger out over the valley. "'M glad it did it... I thought t'day's weather looked right," he murmured, looking satisfied, at peace, breathing easy as he looked over the darkening land below them. -- It was a longer pause this time than he had ever taken previously. One long breath showed the old man that he had been holding it in his lungs before speaking. He smiled pleasantly, just accepting the feeling of the world around them, the freedom, the reality. This was a world removed from everything else. This was wonderful. He turned to his friend, a gentle look in his eyes. "Thank you." The statement wasn't referring to anything specifically, and yet, it was referring to everything. The sunset, the willingness to help him through the fear, and the openness to actually share something so wonderful with a previously brooding shut in like himself. This was more wonderful than he could ever have imagined it would have been. This wasn't just any sunset, this was perfect. "Thank you." It was all he found he could actually. -- Gibney smiled, it was toothy enough to be a grin, but there was something... more gentle to it than before, nodding his head. "Thanks fer comin'," he said softly, his voice low and rough. "...'s nice t' be able t' share it with someone... 'S... so perfect out 'ere but... So..." He bit his lip, pain reflecting in his eyes again as he looked out over the deepening purple before him. "...'s lonely." It was an honest truth, it was what had driven him away from this beautiful place, it was what had cost him his freedom. "'S nice t' be able t' share it." There was so little he had to offer anyone, but this? This was his greatest treasure, the biggest thing he had to share. He was very happy to share it today. -- "It's my pleasure, Pup." He smiled back, that same gentle look, the same caring eyes. In the last few seconds any insecurities he had held about giving Kyle the ownership papers vanished. The fears of the boy running to Canada and never coming back had just been wiped away as if they had never existed. "I think I understand now." Jason nodded, feeling the full force of everything he had began to accept. He stepped forward, setting all other emotions aside, and opened himself to his companion with a simple, gentle kiss. Out here where no one would notice or even care, they had nothing but them and the wilderness to stand witness. It was careful, but present, caring, but gentle. It was a statement. It said 'I'm here, no matter what.', and that's exactly how the old man wanted it to be in that moment. His hands gently settled on his pup's upper arms, so light it almost resembled a caress. -- His eyes suddenly lit up at that simple statement, they shining, his heart dancing in his chest suddenly. "Ya do..?" It was a relief, a joy, to know that someone did understand... could understand. The feral had started to doubt that it could eve happen. There was joy in him suddenly, he felt lighter, easier. Like everything in his life was suddenly working, making sense, like it was all going to be ok. The angst, the aggression, the jagged and raw emotions were lost in the easy, simple moment.
A faint moan left him as the other's lips moved over his own, a hint of a flush touching his cheeks. His hair was damp, the heat of his body melting the snow he had been kicking up all day, and Jason was warm. Even if the cold hardly bothered Kyle, he still liked the warmth. He returned the kiss, the tiniest, faintest hint of a return, but it was there, his eyes closed as he took in the affection, relaxing in the vast, icy wilderness. Revolve, the anger, the hurt, the frustration, it was all so very far away just now. -- His answer was a simple nod before the rest of his statement. "Yes, I think I understand better now. It would be very lonely not to have someone to share all this with." His eyes spoke volumes of caring, concern, and support, though his lips spoke in a bit deeper tonation of the same theme. Love rose to them as they met with Kyles, desire slowly heating his body.
"You can share anything you want with me, Kyle. I'll always be interested." He smiled and kiss the whelp again, still soft and gentle. "And I'll always be willing to listen. Especially if it's this beautiful." The last bit came out with a slight chuckle, though his hands wove around that furry body, holding the boy closer before placing another caring kiss upon his lips. -- His eyes were soft and warm as he looked up into Jason's, nodding as he relaxed into those arms that slid so easily around his body. It was strange, there was no way to get around that fact, but... he couldn't say he entirely minded it. Having someone to be with out here made it easier, anyone who would follow him out into the depths of the wilderness had to really care. Following a feral into the wilds, it was honestly rather foolish if one thought about it. Yet... Jason had done it, had willingly done it. He smiled slightly as he leaned himself further against that tall body. He frowned slightly after a moment, pulling the smallest bit back, worry in his eyes. "This... 's all I've got," he said softly, a big hand motioning over he valley. "This is th' best of me..." Concern, genuine concern. Jason wanted him to share beauty... he had already given all he had, the best he had, that which he cherished most. -- A very gentle, almost wounded look crossed the elder's features. He shook his head. "This might have been the best of your experiences, my friend, but whats in here is the best of you." He placed a gentle hand on the other's chest, feeling the rise and fall of breath as it moved about the others system underneath all that fur. "Your heart will hold the best of you, and all of this comes in second." He was so very positive of it. "You just have to take the time to let yourself see that as easily as I do." Jason knew violence. He knew anger and rage and pain. He knew all the dark sides of life, and had even known some of the good parts too. "Just give it time, time and happiness, and all of that wonderful stuff I keep seeing in you will be visible to everyone else too." He smiled, that same hand shifting again to hold Kyle's jaw gently in his palm, tilting those wonderful blue eyes in his direction. "You just need time to be free, to be you. You'll see." His tone had a sense of honor and trust, belief in the other, that spanned beyond what a usual friendship held. He cared, perhaps more than would be logical for any one else, and wished in his heart that Kyle really would see it all one day, just like he did. -- Lean shoulders rolled, Kyle muttering quietly, lowering his eye sand shifting n that way uneasy way he had. He tried to keep his eyes down when his jaw was gently caught, not allowing him to avert his eyes, thick brows arching up. "...yer... crazy," he spoke quietly. His eyes were entirely gentle, suddenly rather damp as emotions pulled up into them. His chest arched rather absently into that hand, his heart beating rather quickly suddenly as he dampened his lips. "I... 'anks..." He croaked out the words, trying to drop his gaze, avert his eyes yet again, shoulders rolling as if that would 'shrug' the emotions off his form. Of all the many things Kyle Gibney was capable of, dealing with himself was one of the things he found most difficult. -- Another kiss, this one with more purpose, slightly more weight to it, that hand never leaving Kyle's jawline. "It's true." His hands remained gentle as he leaned in and kisses the pup once more, a careful smile with each movement. He didn't' want to let go, didn't want to stop adoring the wild man before him, but couldn't happen to help it. If he had his choice, they'd both be curled up on top of this cliff and never go back down.
And then the entire situation roll back over on top of him. They were on top of a cliffs edge, and all the color drained out of the elder's face as he suddenly remembered that he was going to die up there. -- Kyle's eyes closed as those lips moved over his own again, his heart picking up a small bit, when he felt a sudden shift in the other's energy. brows knitting in confusion, blue eyes opened a small bit, he looking up into the man's face. He was white as they snow they were standing in, and looked shaken. He immediately looked behind himself, and at not seeing a grizzly, was even more confused. What had him like this? "Uh... ya ok?" he asked, his head canting to one side, he completely and entirely lost. -- That's when his old body decided to give out on him. With a loud creak, one leg buckled, and his ancient form was aiming directly for the snow under them both. It made a light crunching noise as he fell, butt first, into the bank underfoot, pulling Kyle down with him after wildly grabbing for the boy's arm. His face was still white however, and the clutching didn't lessen even while he was on the ground. "We have to go back down, don't we?" The expression on his face was the definition of terror. Oh, yes, the old man was fine, outside of the little problem of being able to basically touch the sky from there. -- Kyle was staring at him in confusion when the old man gave way and fell, dragging the feral down with him. Gibney yelped, grabbing at the man to try and keep him up, but only ended up falling froward, caught completely off balance, staring down at Jason ad if he were insane. "A course we gotta go down.." he muttered, blinking down at him. "Whut's with yew?" He asked, shaking his head with a short huff. Jason had lost it, he decided that very quickly. "We can't jus' stay up 'ere ferver." He explained, puling himself back and off the other's form and into a comfortable crouch, staring at him in utter confusion. Strange man, this Jason was.
--
For a moment, he felt safe and satisfied in the midst of Kyle picking him up. That was at least until he was slung over the boy's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. After that the only thing he felt was absolute fear. He tucked his face into Kyle's body in an attempt to not look down, but when someone was plumeting towards the earth like a rock there was little to be done about it. He couldn't help the fact that his eyes snapped open at the sound of the loud crack. After that all he could do was scream. It wasn't a shrill scream or a gentle scream, it was a full on, 'I'm going to die.' kind of scream, and it's tones echoed against the wall of solid rock behind them. "KYLE WHAT KIND OF A FUCKING CRAZY MUTT ARE YOU?!?!?" He started in on a rant and continued like that until his feet hit ground and his legs shook and crumpled under him once more. He ended up in the snow in a less than comfortable way, still ranting. "WE COULD HAVE DIED. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" His whole body shook from head to toe, his eyes were popping out of his head, and his face was a ghostly white.
--
Kyle should have felt bad. He should, and normally would, have felt guilt about how he had made the old man turn as pale as the snow, about how simply terrified he was. But all the silly mutt could do was laugh. They were safe, of course they had been safe, Gibney had done far more stupid, fool hardy things in his time. Jason's rant began and Kyle blinked in confusion, waiting for a breath to try and get a word in, but that breath never came, the old man went on and on, and the rumbling chuckles began to build up inside of Kyle. Then the illusionists legs gave out and the feral rushed foward to try and keep him upright, but the man was already in the snow, and still yelling!
It was at that point that the chuckled turned into rolling laughter. It was not mocking, Gibs simply could not help his furry self. He dropped down into the snow next to Jason, gangly arms moving about his quivering form try ry and comfort him as Gibney's body shook from laughter. At last he reached out a big hand to push it over Jason's mouth. If he did not stop ranting, Kyle was not going to stop laughing and he was very sure he would break another rib from it. "Shhhhhhh." He insisted between chuckles. "Yer ok, ya were never gonna die. Yer back on th' ground. Breath."