Lion Head Mesa [ wp ] lost in love

evening 18th. for @Teya @Sorana

the ceremony was beautiful! beautiful!

and now, the eldest noble of akashingo swayed and stumbled trough the long legs of many wolves, the few berries he ate with intent to remain sensible having overtaken him.

he was looking for a something, someone, specific before... and what was it, again?

he headbutted a leg, and after a moment of recovering his stability, stepped back to offer an apology.

"beg, beg- beg forgiveness, fer inflictin' you an injury, mah-" he squinted. "mah lady. f-f-fessstivities git th' best'a'us... n all that."

the chihuahua stood in place, politely smiling at the unfamiliar face, lightly swaying.

a single spark of thought.

"uhm, by the, by the way, wouldja, uh, know where them brek-ah-lee-ent wolves're at in this now time?"

she was not sure of the hour, only that she had wandered, had dozed, had seen the lovely sights. she had walked with sorana; she had gotten lost in the redstone catacombs; then she had come back to the party, and now she wondered.
the collision almost bruised her leg, or would have had the raven been traveling faster. "oh!" she exclaimed, staring with wide round eyes down at the funny little beast with the long drawl.
"i from brecheliant. ah. name teya. i raven there." her face was drawn but her eyes remained invested.

it took him a moment he would later define as embarrassing, for the words to worm their way into his mind.

oh!

gucci shook his head in vain attempt to remove the heavy fog of inebriation, which only made him stumble. he ended up using a foreleg to support himself against... teya, was it?

"m-maaah lady teh-yah." he grinned up at her, patting her leg. "joy t' find you, much joy. how're ya enjoyin' th' party s' far? experiencin' any culture shock?"

his tail made a sweeping motion encompassing the festivities.

heck gotta specify this is before the Horse Murder but you can pick if it's before or after the charlilitu wedding<3

edited!

he was drunk with berries. she sat down to better access his level. "i have been here for wedding before," she said lightly, and hoped the truth did not show in her eyes.
"but it still beautiful. lavish." she laughed. "you happy then?" he certainly seemed it, they all did, and it was what she had expected upon leaving the caldera.

"oh! a returnin' customer!" gucci yap-laughed, and plopped down onto his own fuzzy rump. "ah m, jest th' mou-oussst delight'd! between, uh, me n you..." he dragged his seated self over to the side of the wolfess, leaned in and whispered conspirationally. 

"ah don' gah out much. not 't night naawt 't day. ne'e'er. but THIS!" he suddenly yapped, throwing his forelegs up to encompass the mingling currently occurring. "e'ery scent o' e'ery kind, n all 'ere in mah mesa! all a' th' wilds come together fer our king'n'his queen! outstandin'!" the nobleman barked with laughter, swaying around his axis.

it became a coughing fit, punctuated by giggles.

"oh... oh! lady teya!" his grinning face whipped around to face her, his batty ears needing a moment to do the same. "you, your kid, a daughter, yeah? how she likin' it 'ere? fellahin givin' 'er th' meal berries?"

he was drunk, she realized with an amused start. teya watched over the little noble a bit protectively before she answered. "no berries for sorana. she —" her eyes cast around for the girl. "she not sure what to make of it. me either. different this time."
different in many noticeable ways and small ones too; last time she had been here she had been with reyes. and then she had been with — 
"it is very good party. very beautiful. glad to be invited." she smiled. "it good to see lots of happiness."

only a part of his inebriated self was focused on her, as was visible, one ear permanently rotated towards the crowd.

"oh naw naw now, lady teya, 's nawt a good party 'nless everyone's havin age-'ppropriate fun!" 

the chihuahua got onto his feet (although he was having trouble standing).

"whyyy don't 'e go find ya girl, hm? ah'll give a tour, n ya can chat t' me 'bout whatever's on your mind." he smacked his lips (why was his mouth so dry?) and raised a paw to adjust his collar.

then, leaning in, in a low voice he (still slurring) added; "-sides, w' gotsa speak 'bout... revelal- revelr- reh-luh-vnt matters." 

his tail swept towards where nebet lilitu was in the crowd.

he was charming and he spoke of business to be had. "yes," teya said softly, rising gently to her paws. "we do that."
she would keep her pace even and gait light, suited to him as they went. "what are relevant matters, mr gucci?" the raven laughed softly, even as she lifted her head to look around the party for sorana.

had they been capable of it, the chihuahua would've offered his arm. the way they were, he merely kept close and pranced at an accelerated rate, for her convenience.

"mm, 's a good partay. gooood partay." he mumbled, as conversation filler, while the mother looked. "reed's're fram th' rivah, clay too b't lil' bit downstream, 's is th' fish, al-though he ain't got much good fishermen. berries plucked in th' meadow, deer caught 'n th' steppys, furs, furs ah think we trade for but ah might've misheard, honey..." gucci yawned, and unintentionally hard reset his brain.

"...wha's ah talkin' 'bout? mm, anyways. miss- reyyv'n? 's tha' ah shoul callja? miss reyv'n teya, wa'... couldja tell 'e o' princess lie-lie-too?"

so sorry oof wanna keep going or fade? <3

he described where the fineries and food had originated. he was very aware of details and it added to her growing perception of gucci as holding a powerful role inside the palace. "teya," she insisted with an awfully charmed smile. "i not use my title even at home."
she was a raven. but she was also a mother. and a wife. maybe. brecheliant was far more familial with its hierarchy. "lilitu. i knew her mother. she — ibis. she passed. lilitu raised by pack. lost sister arielle. but not to death, i think." she drew a breath. "why?" teya inquired, concern crowding her voice.

he paused to support his shoulder against a wall. like a cat grooming itself, gucci raised a paw to rub the doziness off his face.

"s nawthang serious, ma'am." he looked down the hall. "-s jes'." a little tongue flicked out at his whiskers.

( in his thoughts, he rotated the plans made with the pharaoh, like a pretty cake on a spinner. )

 "...packmately concern!" the chihuhua grinned at ms. teya.

his prancing continued. 

"ah'd appreciate hearin' any details 'bout 'er likes n dislikes, any persons o' interest t' her 'sides 'er... 'sides 'er..." he yawned. "...good n 'bviously kindly sistah. it's mah most sincerest wish t' see 'er prosper in th' 'shingo, 'longside 'er husband, mabbe see sum lil ones come warmer weather..."

he trailed off, intent to walk the woman around the halls, returning her to the party after successfully lying to himself that he did, what he did, because her was concerned.

sure <3

<3

teya saw no reason to distrust gucci. he seemed to have lilitu's well-being at heart, though she was unsure what she thought of the girl bearing the prince's children.
and so as they walked, she would speak what she knew, any anecdotes. the names she held. the girl's time in brecheliant. perhaps even the death of wraen, blurted though she did not want to say.
and when she and the neb parted ways, she thought nothing more of it, happy enough to return to sorana and the festivities.