Noctisardor Bypass Stop posting the eyeballs -- if you don't stop I'm gonna take them away from you

Charles blinked as the woman got angry. He recoiled to the ground, pressing his belly against the ground and remaining silent, though he didn't look frightened per say. He had learned that if he was a good boy and didn't bother anyone the anger would go away again. He just needed to make them see that he wasn't dangerous at all. This all seemed to be based on a misunderstanding, really. Charles meant he didn't know what he wanted with his future, not with now. He thought they were pretty set on guiding him home, anyway, so he didn't think that required any answer from his side. He wasn't used to having to answer questions, because they were usually rhetorical, anyway.

His face remaining blank while he licked his lips in a subconscious show of submission, Charles just looked up. At first he was silent again, because he wasn't used to be given a choice. He was used to be given ultimatums -- used to be told to do or not do things -- but he wasn't usually asked: what do you want? So he didn't really think he would have a say in whether or not he'd get brought home, either.

Yes, you can bring me home, he said, the decision tasting weird on his tongue.

Mother would usually decide whether she wanted him anywhere near her or not.

Riley would decide whether he would get pummelled or not.

Leta would decide what sort of games they played.

Usually when Charles decided to do things, they were bad things, so that everyone would pay attention to him, even if just for a little bit. So that he could see that things he decided meant something, did something. So that he could see he could make a decision. But they didn't feel like real decisions, not really. When he did bad things, it felt more like a compulsion. Like he had to do a bad thing, because...

He didn't really know.

It didn't matter.

Only if Arbiter's body language would get less agitated by his decision Charles would get his belly off the floor and show the way back to Easthollow, if they didn't already know it themselves.

Do we wanna wrap up or have a couple of posts about the trip?

He continued to not act a way Arbiter expected. Her own children for the most part wanted to please her -- correcting themselves to do what she might actually be wanting instead of... She still didn't know what Charles was thinking. Or why. At least he was Easthollow's problem in the end -- she expected wolves to have some kind of drive in them. He was just kind of a shell for some reason. 

But it was good that he made a decision. Progress. Then let's go. We'll return you to your home. She was still kind of annoyed at it all, but having some sort of goal at the end of it made things more bearable. Pheiros, do you want to lead? She was around to make sure that the hollow youth didn't get Pheiros hurt, honestly. It would be an opportunity to show off his skills, potentially too, and so she wouldn't take that from him if it was something he wished.

i'm fine wrapping up here, but i also don't mind continuing if that's what you guys want to do

Pheiros' eyes widened at the other boy's reaction. He felt kind of bad for him, but he didn't dare voice that opinion. It wasn't helpful to the situation anyway. He just wanted to get this over with—get Charles home and the return to the hollow, preferably without incident, especially since this whole thing was his idea.

When Arbiter asked if he wanted to lead, his eyes widened again, but he quickly nodded. Um, yes. I think I know the way, but I might have some questions, he told her. He was more than excited to be given an opportunity to prove himself, but he didn't want to mess it up. He felt the pressure of his need to please Arbiter, and he didn't want to give her a reason to regret offering him this chance. 

He looked back to Charles then and waited to make sure he was ready before he proceeded forward to lead the way to Easthollow.

i'm good with a fade, too <3 my last post. thank you for the thread, it was interesting!

With his decision made, the leader lady of this legion place decided that they would escort him. It was still strange for Charles to see the impact of a decision he made (in some way), for him to have some kind of input. Mostly, it was strange to think that he could've said nah, I'm fine and they would've just stayed away from him, let him leave on his own. He wasn't used to having any kind of input in decisions made.

Pheiros, the funny-eared guy, got to lead the way. Charles just waited, silent and not sure what else to do. He wasn't very interested in being escorted, though he thought that the funny-eared guy was.. interesting.. because like himself, he had ears that were different. But Charles kept all those thoughts to himself, simply silently following the wolves on his escort, and after reaching Easthollow, offering them a thank-you before he would enter Easthollow territory and take a nap after all the travelling.

Indeed! Wrapping my part here.

And so they went. Arbiter wasn't exactly the chattiest of traveling companions. She would speak if questions were asked, but for the most part her attention flit between various bits on the horizon then to their charge and back again. She didn't think there was much in the way of news or anything to bring to the Easthollow wolves, so she wasn't going to go calling for Valette or anything. She'd have to give it some thought and see when would make sense to next stop by. Not now, at least.

She did wonder if he'd grow up -- or whatever it was that Charles needed to turn into something more resembling an individual -- but in the end she didn't spend too long thinking about it. There were other things that were more worth the time and energy. A trip there, a trip back, but at least she'd have a better sense of Pheiros' skills so far. It was at least one good thing.