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The Cohen Clover

Mason & Lark B

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Mason closely watched every micro-expression and subconscious body movement from Lark as the two faced one another down across the table. The Oolau sat straight, ears up, eyes focused wholly on him, zeroed in on the moment with obvious concentration. Slowly, Mason's hand went down to a stack of large index cards situated between them and, with a quick motion, the Human turned the top one over, revealing a cartoon picture of an oak tree.

Lark's response was immediate. "Three."

The two of them had spent a week working on Lark's pronunciation and he was getting the hang of English comprehension, but also managing on some of the more difficult sounds that Oolau didn't normally use. In that case, however, the flash cards were about nouns and not difficult sounds. He addressed the incorrect answer by speaking in the Oolau language, save for the single word in English. "Close. 'Three' is the number three."

Lark immediately barked out another word. "Tree."

It had been a constant problem for the young Oolau; words that sounded similar in English would often get mixed up for him but it was still progress. "Very good, Lark. Yes-- that is a 'tree'. You are doing well."

The Wolf didn't seem to agree. Letting out a huff through his nose, Lark folded his arms across his chest. "I would do better if I did not make mistakes, Nason."

Mason wasn't quite as concerned about it as his student was. "You are understanding things more quickly. It has barely been a week and a half and you are already doing so well with different English words. Before long we may have you putting together sentences. Now.. how about this one?"

The Human flipped over another card, revealing a cartoon picture of the moon. Lark didn't even hesitate. "The noon."

The young man nodded in response. "Right. That is a picture of the moon."

Lark nodded, the tip of his tail twitching just a little. "Yes.... 'noon'. 'Noon'." he growled softly. "NNNNnnoon."

The letter 'm' was one of the hardest ones for Oolau to learn and it continued to elude Lark. Reaching out, Mason rested a hand on his student's paw. "Do not be frustrated, Lark... we will continue to work on it. We can spend some time on pronunciation, but right now I just want to see how you are doing with vocabulary memorization."

Even though the vast majority of their interaction since being assigned to one another was repetitive language discussion and general human sociology, Mason also wanted to make sure that Lark got to learn some of the things he was interested in, which included Human physical sciences, basic understanding of Human technology and, most important, pronunciation. Half of their day ever day was taken up with scheduled learning as planned by Mason, and a quarter of it was spent on whatever it was Lark wanted-- most of the time that was general Q&A, or pronunciation... usually pronunciation.

That wasn't to say that their interactions were wholly to Lark's benefit-- far from it. Mason had thought that he learned almost everything there was to know about the Oolau but, after even just a day with the Wolf he came to realize that he only knew about the Seekers; the Stewards had many similarities but they were a completely new topic and Mason reveled every opportunity to learn. Lark, as it turned out, was a very decent teacher, with a surprising amount of patience-- in everything except his own pace of learning. "I do not want to sound stupid when I speak your language, Nason. I want to learn better."

Mason gave the furred paw under his hand a gentle pat before slowly standing. "Even if you do not pronounce everything perfect I do not think anyone would say you sound stupid, Lark. Our language is a little more difficult for you because your muzzle does not work the same way our mouths do. You will learn in time."

The Wolf, in his usual competitive manner snorted. "The Dreamer bitch sounded like she spoke Eng-lish like a Hunan."

The Human didn't need the reminder that the two different Oolau people were at odds but it still popped up from time to time. Moving away from the table, he spoke over his shoulder. "I am going to get dinner started-- and, yes... Narri spoke English well, but she still had an accent. And, besides, that took her YEARS to master... you are doing great and you have not even been learning for a month."

The comparison mixed with praise was enough to get Lark's tail moving again. His ears slowly raised and, as Mason glanced at the Wolf, he could tell his student was hard at work. "That word... month. In Eng-lish it is 'nonth'... right?"

Mason nodded while pulling a pan out from under the counter. "Right. 'Month'. Try the 'th' again-- you're getting good at that."

Lark stood, padding into the kitchen to join the Human. "Nontt. Nontt.... Nonthhhhh. Yes: Nonthhhhh."

Although the Wolf's focus on the 'm' word meant his 'th' suffered, the over-exaggeration of the sound helped and Mason smiled. "Good. Very good, Lark. See? It will come with practice."

Lark immediately went to one of the practice an English sentence he'd been given to work on his 'm' sound. "The nunny went to the nountains and ate narshnallows and nacaroni."

It took every ounce of effort in Mason's dwindling willpower to avoid cracking up at the poor Wolf's difficulty; the Human realized that laughing at Lark would not do him any favors. Quickly bracing himself, he managed to convey encouragement. "See? Your 'T.H.'s are improving greatly!"

The Oolau stared at him blandly. "I am practicing my 'n's. My 'n's..." he paused with a growl. "My 'n's-- you know what I am practicing!"

With another grumble, the Wolf bumped the Human's hip with his own, taking over Mason's spot at the counter and he began to chop the carrots the young man had taken out. Lark had a tendency to help out even when not asked to and, often enough, in so insistent a manner that Mason was sometimes left wondering who was in charge. Rather than create an issue out of it, the Human began preparing the pans; they could easily get a meal in the cafeteria, but he'd learned to enjoy cooking occasionally and with all the frustrations Lark had faced during their lessons that evening he figured it'd be safest to eat in.

It had taken Lark awhile to get used to the kitchen; according to him, all he'd ever dealt with was camping over a fire with skewers, spits, and heated rocks. As far as Mason was concerned, the 'tough way' had set the Wolf up for success; Lark was quite skilled in the kitchen. "Sometimes I am amazed at how well you do in the kithen... it took me a few years before I could make anything without my mom's help."

Lark offered a faint snicker. "The Hunan way of doing things is easy... I like your 'knithes' and your 'nixing doles' and your 'hrying hans'."

Mason admired Lark's willingness to use the English words for the items he was counting off. "Well, you have been as good a student in the kitchen as you have elsewhere... and I am pleased that you have managed to teach me a few things too!"

Lark finished with the carrots and began working on the potatoes, cutting everything up at least twice as fast as the Human could have managed. "You teach me, and I teach you. That is how this is supposed to work, yes? You are my Rorsk so I will do whatever it is you want, Nason."

It wasn't the first time Lark had deferred to him on the basis of Mason being the Rorsk and, just like the other times, Mason was quick to object. "That is not how Humans handle being teachers and students."

Lark looked at the Human as if Mason were speaking gibberish. "A Rorsk is not a teacher, Nason. A teacher is a teacher." The Wolf cocked his head to the side. "Is this a language problem?"

The Seekers and the Stewards used the same language, but their specific terminology occasionally differed; the more time Mason spent with Lark the clearer that became. The Oolau word 'Inuk' was the literal word for teacher. The few times Mason had heard the word 'Rorsk' used by Seekers it referenced the ranking party a Master-and-Apprentice relationship. The young man considered 'Garcc' the other word he knew, which specifically referenced a Master. "Okay. I mean, more like a Garcc... right?"

The dark furred Seeker lowered his eyes, letting out a long sigh. "Closer... a Rorsk is a kind of a Garcc, but they are still not the same."

Mason emptied all of the prepared vegetables and a large slab of meat into the stew pot he'd been preparing. Closing the lid, he gestured to the table. "Okay... explain it to me."

Lark obediently took a seat, and did so in a simple and straight forward manner. "A Rorsk controls their Uhnyl. They guide them and teach them and make decisions for them. A Rorsk has all of the rights over their Uhnyl... in all ways."

The word 'rights' in the Oolau language was complicated; there were four different ways to reference them based on whether they were socially agreed upon, provided by a superior, inalienable, or conditional. The word Lark had used referenced none of them, meaning only one thing. Having just sat down, Mason shot right back up as he gasped incredulously. "That is-- it is not a SLAVE thing... is it?"

As far as Mason knew there was only one word for 'slave' among the Oolau and it was considered a foul word. Thankfully, Lark shook his head; it was one of several mannerisms he'd learned since they'd been living together. "No, Nason. Slaves get nothing from their Masters. Although a Rorsk rules over all parts of the Uhnyl's life, the Uhnyl has them as a..." he paused. "Do you know the word Ghalan?"

That was a word Mason knew, repeating it. "Yes. I know the word 'mentor'."

Lark gestured to the affirmative. "The Rorsk gets everything from their Uhnyl, and the Uhnyl gets the Rorsk as a teacher, and a guide, and a mentor. It makes things... much more... simple."

There was some hesitance in Lark's search for the right word, and that hesitance caused Mason to dig a little deeper. "Simple... but more complex?"

Lark grabbed utensils from the cup at the center of the table and began distributing them. "Yes, Nason. There are many parts of being Uhnyl that are easy because you do as you are told. For some, problems arise when they are told things they do not want to do. Most Uhnyl must do them because it is part of the payment for learning from a Rorsk. Those who are too headstrong, willful, or ungrateful are often abandoned. Others, who are too proud to submit themselves to their Rorsk fare no better."

The way in which Lark phrased his statements gave Mason pause. "By 'submit', do you mean acknowledge their Rorsk's standing?"

Lark sat back down in his seat, eying Mason neutrally. "Yes. It is expected that a Uhnyl be willingly mounted by their Rorsk whenever the Rorsk desires. Some are unwilling to accept their role in such a way, and are disgracefully set aside because of that pride."

Mason was struck dumb by the statement; although Lark seemed to read into the young man's question, the resulting explanation was nowhere near what the Human had been expecting. It took several tries before his brain let another thought through. "So... an Uhnyl is expected to serve their Rorsk sexually?"

Lark continued staring, but he cocked his head to the side quizzically. "Yes. Did you not understand my meaning? I do not know how it works among the Dreamers, but the Stewards are careful not to mate-- coupling among the females is often based in social bonding and closeness; males do so with one another as a display of dominance, thus it is only right that a Uhnyl sees to his Rorsk's needs."

Still trying to come to grips with what he was hearing, Mason stalled for time by asking for clarification. "And... you-- you have had a Rorsk before?"

The Oolau's stare never wavered, but both his ears lowered, one flicking. "Yes. My brother was my first Rorsk. You are my second"

The one-two punch of such pressing reveals removed all of Mason's self-editing. "The brother who tore off your arm?"

The wince from his companion was enough to make Mason immediately regret asking the question but Lark responded nevertheless. "Yes, Nason. Garon was my only brother."

Still suffering from a major foot-in-mouth moment, Mason somehow managed to double down. "And did your brother ever--"

The Oolau's ears rose as his eyes finally left Mason, migrating down to looking at his own paws situated on the table in front of him. "Of course. He was my Rorsk. Garon was the only male who has mounted me."

The young man stared for many long moments, feeling his cheeks flush as he tried to find out what else to say, and to help steer the discussion in a different direction. "Oh... well... uh... Humans do NOT do that."

Lark cocked his head to the side again, furry brows furrowing. "No? I had understood that males and females among Humans mate with the same sex freely."

Mason coughed on his own saliva. "Oh... no, I mean, yes. Humans do THAT... just... not-- I mean... the whole forcing someone to mate because of a social position and... uh... they do not HAVE to choose someone of the same sex as a matter of birth control."

The Oolou managed to maintain a relatively neutral expression, but Mason had come to know him well enough to tell when Lark was injecting some mischievous antics into an otherwise benign discussion. "You did not know what you were getting yourself into when you proposed being my Rorsk... did you, Nason?"

Realizing he was at risk for letting his Oolau companion run roughshod over him and create an even more embarrassing situation, Mason quickly doubled-down and flipped the question back onto Lark. "Did you were expecting me to push my right for 'something like that' on you as your Rorsk?

Mason didn't realize he backed himself into a corner when Lark provided a very candid and very direct response "Yes. I honor my role as a Uhnyl and would do whatever is requested of me by my Rorsk."

The young man wasn't able to comprehend what he was hearing. "But... why?"

Lark offered a soft, almost demure smile as his ears folded backward submissively and his paw gently gripped hold of Mason's fingers. "You saved my life, Nason. I owe everything to you, and so I am willingly your Uhnyl."

The Human cleared his throat and then quickly reeled the discussion back in to make his assessment on the situation. "Well... that is not how Humans do things. I will never ask you to do anything you do not want to do without good cause... and me wanting something like THAT is not a good enough reason."

His Oolau companion remained passive, simply staring right at him without saying a word. There was something about the intensity of Lark's gaze that always made Mason a little uncomfortable, especially when it was not accompanied by any words, and doubly-so when the Wolf was stock still. Surprisingly, it didn't last very long as the Oolau, surprisingly, blinked and motioned to the smaller coffee table in the adjacent living room. "Should we return to flash cards, Nason?"

More than willing to change the topic for discussion, Mason happily went back to something much more comfortable and the next few hours were spent reviewing vocabulary and improving pronunciation; the Human was particularly pleased that Lark was improving, and even managed to correctly pronounce the letter 'F'. It was one of the most common difficult sounds for Oolau to get right, and was a sure sign that his companion was improving. They took a short break at that point, and only then did Mason realize just how late it had become. "It is getting close to midnight."

Lark, who was in the kitchen filling up a glass of water, glanced his way. "Is that a problem, Nason?"

The Human considered the question for a moment; it wasn't a 'problem' per se, but they did have things to accomplish in the morning. "We have to be up in less than seven hours-- you and I are going on a hike... remember?"

The Wolf's tail began to swing a faster tempo behind him; Lark always seemed to enjoy time out of the base walking around the island. There wasn't a lot of acreage, but the Oolau was obviously more at home in the open spaces outside of the Unity Programme structure. After drinking from his glass (it was a skill the Wolf had only recently developed), Lark set it down by the sink. "Yes. I look forward to it."

Mason offered a smile. "Alright... finish up in there and get ready for bed-- I am going to go brush my teeth."

The Human went into the bathroom, grabbing his tooth brush before applying some tooth paste. He began brushing and a moment later Lark joined him. The Oolau stepped past him and moved further into the rectangular space. "I enjoyed our time together tonight."

To anyone who didn't understand Lark's subtle mischievous side, the comment would have been any casual statement anyone could have made but, after living with him for more than a week and getting a peek at the Wolf's well-hidden personality, Mason knew full well that Lark was baiting him to talk while brushing. Mason didn't rise to the bait... until his companion unzipped and doffed his pants, exposing the slightly-lighter gray fur on his lower abdomen, groin, and inner-thighs. The Human felt his cheeks begin to tingle when he realized what was going on. A moment later the Oolau sat down on the toilet.

Using Human designed bathrooms had taken Lark some getting used-to, especially since the outpost didn't have any Oolau suitable ones. Considering the physiology of the Oolau male's penis placement, using one made for Humans required some alternative plans. Rather than standing and facing the toilet, Lark had taken to sitting down while facing it, resting his arms on the tank on the back with his hips tilted forward; while Oolau sheathes were semi flexible, leaning forward while straddling the seat was apparently far easier for him than trying to aim-- Mason's mind wandered back to the first few clean-ups; it had been messy.

That reverie was broken, however, when he caught himself staring at the Oolau's reflection in the mirror, and he only did that because Lark's gaze met his; the Wolf's pale blue stare locked onto his. Rather than chide the Human, Lark instead stated simply "You were not using it."

Feeling his cheeks burn even more, the Human looked away, focused on his tooth brushing all the more. He tried several times to come up with something to say in the Oolau language, but did not succeed very well with his toothbrush sticking out of one side of his face. Only once saliva mixed with foaming tooth paste dribbled out of the corner of his mouth did he see the smirk of victory on his companion's muzzle out at the edge of his vision.

Having finished his business, Lark straightened up and Mason caught the quick motion the Oolau did to ensure there were no more droplets clinging to the fur at the end of his sheath before standing and flushing. He kicked the crumpled clothing on the floor with one foot, hooking it with his claws and flinging it up into the air so he could catch it with a paw. The Wolf hefted the discarded pants so that they lay over one shoulder and walked past Mason. "I will be waiting for you to go to bed."

There was something so casual and at ease about the statement that further reinforced the Wolf's surprisingly vibrant sense of humor behind bland straight-forward discourse. Mason honestly didn't know if the Oolau was poking fun at him for frothing up tooth paste or for being so out-of-sorts while Lark urinated beside him. Lark was not usually one to be caught up on nudity or bodily functions, but the Wolf also knew that Humans usually were. Was that just his roommate messing with him?

Those thoughts followed him back to the living room where Lark was in his usual position on the floor at the foot of the sofa. The Wolf was laying casually atop his usual pile of blankets and pillows but, unlike normal, he remained naked. Mason called him on it, but did so subtly. "You are not going to change into bed clothes?"

Lark shrugged, laying on his side with his head propped up on one palm with the corresponding elbow pushed into the floor; his second paw reached down to idly scratch at his groin. "Stewards normally wear clothes to bed only when the weather is very cold. I have spent so much time in your Hunan clothes that I can feel it on my fur-- I would like time to let my fur be free, but if it bothers you I will wear what you wish me to."

Mason realized that Lark was certainly right; the Wolf always talked about his pressed and tangled his fur got due to the clothes and the young man rationalized the need for some understanding. "No. It is fine, Lark. I do not mind."

The Oolau pulled his legs up to his chest, giving Mason ample room to move past and onto the sofa. Once Mason had climbed up onto his 'bed', the Wolf spread his legs out again and rolled onto his back with a contented sigh. The Human glanced toward his partner, only to notice Lark splayed out, a bemused expression on his muzzle, eyes staring at the ceiling; the tip of the Oolau's tail was also twitching pleasantly. Without turning his way, Lark asked "You are sure you are not bothered?"

Having to come to grips with his fascination of the Wolf's body, Mason replied honestly. "No. I am alright with it. I am comfortable seeing all of you." and then, in English "Lights off."

The lights in the room dimmed and turned off in the span of a few seconds and when Lark finally glanced his way, Mason felt his heart skip a beat at the low-light reflective glimmer from his companion's eyes. "Clothes are worn by my people while on the hunt, for protection, and around strangers. When I am with you I am not hunting, I feel safe, and you are not a stranger. If it does not bother you, I may stay like this more often."

Mason realized it was probably just his imagination, but, for a moment, he almost felt like Lark was wrapping him around his little clawed finger. Pushing the thought aside, the Human reasoned that he was reading into things. "N-no. That is fine, Lark. If you feel better without clothing you do not have to wear any around me. I do not mind seeing you naked. I like how--" the young man realized too late as the words came out of his mouth how the statement must have sounded if he admitted to enjoying the Wolf aesthetically, but he was too far into it to not say SOMETHING "--comfortable you are around me."

Lark offered a casual nod, reaching down to adjust the way his furry testicles hung between his legs. "Good. I am also happy that you are comfortable around me."

The two continued talking quietly as they lay in the living room. Night time discussions before sleep were nothing new as the two engaged in them often. Mason, however, had trouble concentrating that night as he kept finding that his errant gaze kept meandering back to the naked Oolau laying beside him on the floor, voluminous fur highlighted by the moon's light shining in through the window on the far side of the room. Eventually Lark called him on it. "You seem distracted, Nason... are you alright?"

Mind awash with possible answers, Mason went with one that would deflect the situation but still try to pull his mind out of an endless loop it had been ever since learning about one element of Lark's past. "Was your brother a good Rorsk?"

If the question was too personal for Lark the Wolf didn't let it show. "He was good in many ways, yes. Rorsks do not remain Rorsks for long if they are not able to provide guidance to their Uhnyl."

The Human had his answer, but it somehow felt incomplete. "Oh."

The glint of saliva on a sharp tooth highlighted Lark's impish grin. A moment later, Mason's world tumbled around him after a firm grip grabbed him by the shoulder. He was pulled off the sofa and landed with a thump atop a warm, furry body and the Oolau pressed his nose right into the young man's ear as he spoke chidingly. "Are you jealous that Garon may have been a better Rorsk than you are?"

Mason managed to break himself free of the Wolf's grip but, rather than climb back up on the sofa, he couldn't bring himself to separate from his companion and, instead, made due with laying atop him; Lark didn't actually seem to mind. "I'm not that insecure... plus, I have not torn off your arm, so I KNOW I am better in that way."

Only after the words left his mouth did Mason realize that he might have gone too far; a cold stone weighed heavily in his stomach the moment he felt Lark tense beneath him. He was just aobut to attempt a speedy apologize when, surprisingly, the Wolf began to laugh-- loudly. The sound carried on so long and was so infectious that the Human had no option but to join in. Eventually, as the guffawing came to an end, Lark wrapped his arms around Mason and gave him a hearty hug. "You are a very good Rorsk, Nason... and, even if you DID tear my arm off, I might still consider you better than Garon."

Lark had never seemed to be one to praise needlessly, and the statement, seemingly offered freely and honestly, warmed the young man greatly. Although the Wolf slackened his hold, Mason didn't bother to climb back onto the sofa. He smiled himself to sleep, snuggled up in the arms of his student, his companion, his friend, his Uhnyl. At some point he registered that Lark's sheath had grown plump against his abdomen; Mason realized he was sporting his own erection too... but he'd stopped being concerned about it; the moment was wonderful.