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[tooktheblack]

There was a reason the direwolf was the sigil of House Stark: sheer stubbornness. Jon had run across that many times before now, certainly, but it was never quite so evident as when Ghost had managed to streak his fur with dirt and leaves and bits of gore from some kill in the jungle (monkey, Jon suspected, not that he'd ever seen one outside of a

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[highf]

Those who claimed that the imagination was always more powerful than reality were surely mistaken.

For all the times that Kurt had found himself falling for someone by his side, falling when there was no chance, falling when the man's affections were turned elsewhere, he didn't very often tried to tie sentiment to the physical. Didn't spend days dreaming of anyone's pectorals or abs, didn't flutter in the same way that Tina Cohen-Chang did after hooking up with Mike during Asian summer camp. To him, it was details like the height of one's cheekbones or the straight edge of a jaw that stood out, a well-tailored suit being just as attractive as any amount of skin might prove to be.

Supposedly. Theoretically. But, apparently, he had never witnessed a man bathing his dog.

Caught between endearment and something else that he couldn't quite define, Kurt took in a slow breath before he carefully made a quarter-turn, careful to keep his gaze slightly off as a flush rose to his cheeks.

"Need any help?"

[tooktheblack]

"Kurt! Yes, actually, I was just waiting for Ghost to get tired of me running after him for a bath and was having a swim. If you can get him in the water, it'd be appreciated. I did manage to get a little soap on him," Jon said, laughing at the absurdity of all of it.

"Neither of us are particularly fierce right now, are we?"

[highf]

"This... seems like a plan doomed to failure," Kurt whispers to himself, under his breath, even as he tries to keep a bright smile on for show, like the prospect of splashing about in the water next to a gorgeous man with the aim of pinning down his dog isn't overwhelming at all. Not one bit. Nope. A soft and slightly unsure laugh falls from his lips, but soon enough he's at the edge of the pool, staring down at the water, then at his clothing

[tooktheblack]

"The box is fickle on the best of days. I stripped down for much the same reasons," Jon said, smirking a little and whistling for Ghost. He darted a little closer to the edge of the pool but still seemed wary; Ghost had no love for soap and water, at least not now.

"If nothing else, we can just have a swim and ignore Ghost until he comes back around for attention, right?"

[burnwithus]

It's a wolf. A large wolf. A muttation. It has to be.

She can't see anything but that anymore, after being chased so far and so long by what the Capitol had created and sent after her. Wolves with the eyes of dead children, larger than normal and able to stand on hind legs. Katniss had been exploring the part of the island that she hadn't yet thoroughly combed when Ghost had come bounding in front of her. It's a good thing she hadn't gone with her first instinct and shot him at first sight.

"Is he yours?"

It can't be the Capitol's. It can't be. This is what Katniss tells herself, but her fingers around the bow and tight and she still looks scared to death regardless.

[tooktheblack]

"Yes," Jon said, sobering a little when he noticed she was tense. Maybe not scared, but alert, and Ghost took his cue to bound back into the water closer to Jon's side. He was always wary about newcomers, even on this island with relatively little danger, and this was no exception.

"He's called Ghost. I trust you don't have direwolves where you're from, then?"

[somanytitles]

The wolf covered in soap was definitely an odd sight. For a moment, he wondered how a wild animal would come to be covered in such things before he recalled that he had seen several such animals on the island that obviously had belonged to the person they were with. Aragorn doubted such a thing could ever be considered a 'pet', but they were certainly not wild wolves.

"He does not seem to be overly fond of his bath," Aragorn called out. "Though you seem to have accomplished some of the difficult work."

[tooktheblack]

"He's being difficult," Jon said, watching as Ghost streaked through the trees and got more dirt, leaves and twigs caught in his fur. It would come out in the water eventually, Jon wasn't that worried, but it did make for a long and tedious afternoon to try and get him in the water.

"He isn't fond of baths unless they're on his terms."

[somanytitles]

“He seems to be dictating them very strongly today,” Aragorn said with a chuckle as he watched the animal run around some more. It was a beautiful wolf, quite large in size, and had he not known better he would have wondered if it was an agent of Sauron.

“You must have had him since he was very young, for him to behave even this well though.”

[tooktheblack]

"Since he was a pup. His mother was dead," Jon explained, watching as Ghost darted around the pool to spite him. "He had five brothers and sisters, as well, but Ghost was the smallest and had trouble at first. I had to nurse him by hand. He's well-accustomed to me and humans, even if he isn't fond of most people at first."

[endlessdel]

She whistles, holding her hand out for the keys as Cerberus drops them into her hand and leaps into the water splashing like the over sized puppy he is. Looping the keys through a belt, Del smiled and clapped her hand for Barnabas who stood sentry, watching as wise as ever and barking to the other dog.

"Jon Snow," Del greeting wading into the water as Cerberus made his way to Robb's brother and barked happily at him. "You are looking less like Jon Snow and more like Jon Water."

[tooktheblack]

"Born a little too far North for Waters," Jon said wryly, managing a smile for Delirium. She was a little odd, certainly, but she seemed to be fond of Robb and Reynald and Jon supposed that was all that really mattered in the end.

"Born a Snow and I'll die a Snow, through and through."

[endlessdel]

"And yet to others you would be more born South, so you would in fact be water. All snow is water after all even if not all water is snow." Delirium replied, watching as Cerberus splashed about like an overly excited puppy though he was nearly five years old. "Through and through. I am not so sure. I am Endless, I was not born but I will die an Endless but which Endless well that can change. Will change. Has changed. You could change too."

[tooktheblack]

"I got offered the name Stark, once," Jon said, remembering. It might not have been a true offer, Stannis had never sat the Iron Throne despite his posturing, but it had been close enough to one that it left Jon uncomfortable to accept.

[wearestars]

Sweet merciful Jesus, Jon Snow is wet and shirtless and laid out like a present. All he needs is a big, red bow. Maybe someone up there loves Lionel after all.

"I'm assuming wolves like stinking like dead things as much as dogs do, then," he says as he steps carefully on bare feet to the edge of one of the larger boulders surrounding the pool. He pushes his sunglasses up into his pale hair and smiles down at Jon, casual as you please. "They were always getting into something nasty back home."

[tooktheblack]

"Just as much if not more than," Jon said, smiling when he saw it was Lionel. Just as well, they'd talked about finding other things to do with their lives on the island and actually attempting to wash Ghost was a divergence from anything Jon had ever done in Westeros. A fool's errand, maybe, but a divergence from the status quo all the same.

"I just gave up and went swimming. He'll get in eventually."

[wearestars]

"Definitely the better option." By this point, Lionel doesn't even concern himself with whether Jon will catch the obvious innuendo in his tone; the guy is so oblivious it's adorable. It's like he locked himself up in that giant ice wall of his and never learned how to be around people. Obviously they've both got things to learn from the other.

Lionel considers the pool a long moment and then settles onto the edge of the rock, his bare legs dangling over the side. As tempting as it is to get into the water with a shirtless hottie, he's not unaware of the fact that he's still kind of pasty and unimpressive beneath his t-shirt.

"Maybe someday you'll go swimming just for the hell of it, and not because you were doing something responsible first," he says with a smirk.

[tooktheblack]

"That would be dereliction of duty, Lionel," Jon said, smirk on his own lips by that point. It was easy to get along with him even if Lionel was completely different than any other man Jon had ever known. His world and Westeros were different, certainly, but it hadn't seemed to be a stumbling block on Jon's side.

"Of course, since I haven't sworn any oaths on the island I suppose I can't really be expected to have any duties. What do you say?"

Jon swam closer, turning to float on his back once again while he waited on a response.