Sun Mote Copse Baby Daddy

Backdated to the morning of the 19th! Anyone welcome to pop in and meet the potential newcomer (maybe for a mercenary controlling the borders thread?) but for @Eshamun ! Please let aforementioned baby daddy post first ;)

 I don't know my final decision yet, but if you don't mind...I'd like to see where my children will be raised.

Giana had stood, silent, and motioned with a jerk of her chin for @Hadraniel to follow -- back down through the Twisted Slough, passing through Frogspawn to somewhat clean off, the Angelo led the father of her children to the borders of The Malkaria with ease, but with her widened sides, it had taken all the way until the rise of the sun until the borders were scentable. 

                        "Joining or not, you are to be respectful of my Ekar-Aji, Eshamun, Hadraniel. I will not speak for you, only that you are the father of my children and you wish to speak with her -- it's up to you to decide what you want from this interaction."

Not waiting for a response, Giana twisted around and threw her head up, calling with undending kindness to her Ekar-Aji: her affection for the woman was confusing but unbridled, and the ivory Baakar was excited to see her again -- she was always excited to see the little flame.

He followed without question and made a map in his head how to get here should he decide he did not wish to stay. For the most part the journey was awkward for the man and he kept quiet most of the way, but as they arrived on the borders of Giana's home he felt a sudden nervousness flutter inside him. He threw a scowl the ivory woman's way when she lectured him to be respectful and he rolled his eyes before finally muttering out a "yeah, yeah I know." 

A part of him wished to get the meeting over with already and see what would come of it but the other half wished to take his time and bath in the surroundings of this unfamiliar territory. This was all new to him and he was unable to remain still while the two waited for the leader to show. This was perhaps the most nervous he had ever felt and the man did not know if that was a good or bad sign, but either way he knew it meant something.

giana's voice rose, and a small grin lit eshamun's muzzle. the gravid wolfess was rather enamoured of her, she sensed, and it was a welcome bit of flattery to the red flame. a pang in her heart reminded her arunik'ra had not returned, but the pack sought to thrive all the same, and so the canaanite went down unto the border, where the fierce woman stood alongside a slight male.

he was flax and snow; masculine but not overbearingly so. comforting to the eyes. eshamun knew that giana had not brought him to their borders for a nonsensical reason -- she cupped her ears toward the she-wolf with a questioning look, before her green eyes settled in a slow appraisal of the male.

Though she curled her lip at his scowl and mumbles, Giana was focused wholly on the borders, stormy eyes searching for Eshamun's slim form. Chuffing happily as she finally did appear, Giana stepped forward to meet her with a lowered head, muzzle aimed to nuzzle at the little flames neck. Her name fell in a whisper from Gia, almost dazed, before the Angleo explained the stranger here at the borders. 

                        "Eshamun.... This is Hadraniel, the father of my children. He wished to speak with you about the Copse."

Turning awkwardly to stand at the side of the Ekar-Aji, gaze lingering on the leader before falling again to the Abernathy. A rare, however small, smile was spread on her snowy maw.

The wait was not long before the two were soon joined by another and upon hearing the stranger's name Hadraniel realized she was this Ekar-Aji that Giana had spoken about. The man dipped his head as a greeting and listened as the ivory woman spoke, his ears giving a twitch at the mention of being a father. 

"Yeah, I wanted to see where my kids will be raised since I don't if I'm going to stick around yet." He spoke as if he was walking on cracked eggshells, as he did not wish to offend either women in any way. Still, he was unsure what his heart felt or what it wanted, but he knew at the very least that he wished for his children to be raised in a safe environment even if he wasn't apart of their lives.

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at first glance, the man was quite feminine, curved hips and long limbs, and eshamun saw that giana's children would be the same, delicate as their sire and dam. perhaps it would annoy another wolfess, but was this not the way of the malkaria? hadraniel did not need to be involved. "in this place, children belong to their mothers. as giana carries them, and she is a member of the malkaria, so her children shall be. you have no claim to them, even if you decide to follow me."
her voice was firm but not unkind; her eyes glinted pleasantly. "they shall be well cared-for here. mothered by all and taught about the world. you need have no fear."[/tr][/td][/table]

Hadraniel spoke carefully, but Giana couldn't be sure if this was because of her words or if he'd made up his mind and secretly wanted to join, contrary to what he spoke of. Eshamun, while she was not angered, was firm with the pale man -- he might have made the puppies with her, but they were Malkaria children. They would be born and raised there, to follow Molech and Eshamun as devotedly as Giana herself did. The flame also let him know that they were safe here, and Gia's words from the night before rang through her mind.

"It is up to you how long you stay, but know you'd be breaking their hearts more to leave after they know you than for you to never have been there. My pack will support them and love them, and they'll be raised in the light as great and respected members of The Malkaria."

She felt inclined to share them again, but some part of her also wanted to sit back and allow the Ekar-Aji do what she did best. Lead. So, with but a nod of her head, swiping her tongue around her jaws and ears pressed forward, that was exactly what she did.

The leader's words though not meant to be rude, hit the man with force unlike anything he felt before. And upon hearing that he would have no claim to his children's life, Hadraniel turned and shot the ivory woman a nasty glare that covered up the brokenness he felt inside. "You knew I would have no claim to them and yet you brought me here anyway" he spat before turning to look away, ears pressed flat against his skull as he fought back the urge to turn and leave.

Hadraniel was a fool to actually believe he was wanted. "If I am not needed then I will be going" he said while looking up so that his wicked eyes would meet those of the Ekar-Aji's. He wanted to ask if he would be allowed to visit, to see them as they grew, but the man kept his tongue from speaking out of fear that he would be denied this right.

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eshamun did not like the way in which hadraniel whirled upon giana, but did not move to interfere. such a wounded creature, she decided, a man who had placed the onus of his responsibility upon the woman who carried his young, not himself. "did you not tell me mere moments ago you were unsure if you would stay about?" the ekar-aji murmured, holding the vibrant violence of his gaze. "you may not bring them out of these packlands, but you are able to have a hand in their rearing. they will call you father, and you may teach them what you know. but giana will be the arbiter of their lives, and above her, me."
the canaanite was silent now; did hadraniel now understand, and would he care? eshamun stood quietly, awaiting his response if he had one to give.[/tr][/td][/table]

Hadraniel's nasty words brought Giana's lips curling, and she stalked forward with a soft snarl as she spat her own heated breath his way, but didn't move to hurt him:

                 "I offered you the chance to be the father they deserved -- you said it yourself, no lovey dovey shit, right? If you don't want to be here, then get the fuck out -- I'm growing them, I'll provide for them, I'll protect them, and I will tell them that their father was too butthurt over Molech's rightful claim over them to stay around if you turn away now."

Eshamun's words were true, and she was glad the flame shared her opinion about where he could take them without her, but Giana felt shame at having brought her Ekar-Aji into this. She shouldn't have to deal with the mouthy man she'd let mount her one day.

He had never been good with situations like this and tended to let his emotions make decisions for him rather than his head. They would be protected, they would grow strong and most importantly they would be loved here. That was all he wished for them and seeing as how they would be cared for within this sanctuary, Hadraniel saw no reason to stick around. He had grown up without a father in his life, and despite the pain that it had brought him he was determined to believe that it made him stronger. If Hadraniel could grow up without a father he had faith his kids could do the same.

He sucked in a breath as he turned to glance at Giana's stomach one last time and let out a sigh when she finished her lecture. Such a horrid woman she was, and Hadraniel felty pity for the tiny creatures in her womb that were forced to listen to all her whining. He threw a final scowl towards the duo and then without warning turned and stormed off, mumbling one last curse under his breath as his silhouette faded in the distance. It was better this way, not just for his children but for everyone involved.

last post from me

same! <3

[table width=55%][tr][td]eshamun cast a glance upon giana as the woman lashed toward the father of her children, and then watched as hadraniel turned his back upon them and departed. she did not suspect he would return, but perhaps it was for the best. the malkaria did not need among them a man who wished not to serve beneath molech as the god wished.
"giana." it was a single syllable, a warm command — she wished the woman to walk with her then. let hadraniel leave them; eshamun cared only for the rust-marked woman and the children she carried.[/tr][/td][/table]

Hadraniel took another look at her stomach and sighed, and suddenly she was sure he would stay, heightening her hopes for a further plummet when he turned and stormed away without another word. A sob choked audibly in the ivory woman's throat, and her stormy eyes squeezed shut as she swung around to turn her back on the father of her children. He would not be back, she didn't think, but perhaps one day he would at least come and introduce himself to them. 

Eshamun called to her, and for a moment she only moved to press her face into the shoulder of her queen, sobbing once before being led into the Copse by the flame kissed woman. She would cling to the Ekar-Aji as long as the red one would have her, but surely go back to her den after to seclude herself and cry -- heaven help the soul who dared cross her then.