Hideaway Strath run away

Seeing Lotus proper for the first time had changed something in Charles. He still felt rather pushed out by @Nyra, but he also felt some sort of need to be in the life of their child together. This hadn't actually prompted him to visit following Lotus' presentation to the pack; he had brought @Lotus a gnarled, sturdy stick for chewing once, but he hadn't stuck around to see if she'd find and use it. He'd brought Nyra food, like he had before, though only from caches since he was such a poor hunter. He hoped that it wouldn't show too much. He hoped that the one fresh catch he had brought was enough to soothe any second thoughts she might have about his lack of hunting skills. The last he needed was for the mother of his child and leader to realise what a deadbeat mooch he was.

He'd noticed the eyes of @Ramesses on him at the meeting, and could not help but wonder if it was because he was the one who'd gotten to lay with Nyra. Charles didn't feel particularly lucky (though if he were presented with Lotus right now, he might change his mind on the spot). He felt like he wanted to run away; no, needed to run away. He wanted so badly to stay here rather than follow Nyra and Lotus to the Archangels. Or better, perhaps, simply vanish without a trace, like he had before; from Easthollow, from Firefly Glen, from Redhawk Caldera. It would be so easy. Easier than staying here, for sure. He'd miss Whrist, but who else would really miss him? The gaze of this man had made him uneasy, because he felt like he was being envied for something that wasn't enviable in the least.

Today Charles was trying to track prey in a feeble attempt at hunting, but honestly, he was more than anything just trying to look productive so that nobody would call him out on his shitty lack of any real contribution to the pack.

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ramesses was collecting lore.
he thought of the things that kynareth had shared, mulled through the names provided by that rogue high priestess. congratulating himself with a silent grin, he pulled from his den, stretching beautifully before he went off for the day.
a drink of water before he sunned himself, offering a prayer to the true one, Amun, He Who Makes Life.
ramesses had become rather passable at hunting, though many times he emerged from the strathwood empty-jawed. today he did not mean to be the same, and took up the scent of quail bobbling through the undergrowth.
the man from the meeting.
if he applied his mind, he might have recognized that this man was in some way related to nyra's child, perhaps the pup's father. but he had not; he did not; he swanned forward with a feral little glint to his royal eyes, slipping to the other's flank before crossing his path and standing there.
"if you are half so enjoyable as your female counterparts, i will be a blessed man indeed," he purled with a lustful countenance, invading the other's space easily as he stared at the pretty coyoteblood features.

Charles turned his head when someone else approached. Oh, well, that was great, it was the creepy-vibes guy from the meeting. The coywolf blinked as he looked at the other, letting the words sink in. He had to repeat them in his own head three times before he could make sense of them. Was there really no other way to interpret those words? 'Enjoyable'? What did that even mean?

Charles stood and blinked owlishly for a few beats as he watched the man, clearly uncomfortable. In a subconscious sign of submission he licked his lips. Eventually he said, Enjoyable? What does that mean? There was a guardedness in his voice as he stared at the other.

the devious grin only deepened as the boy grew uncomfortable. he let his eyes drift over the beautiful large ears, the lithe musculature. "i mean that they sent me home tired. drained." he was crude and did not care; lust moving to near water his mouth. pharaoh thought not of orientation, only of appetite, and his own for coyotes was well-known and well-whet.
why had he been with savage nyra? pharaoh was disgusted at the implication, but slicked his own lips with tonguetip and stared brazenly at the other, hoping this time his meaning would be taken.

Honestly, perhaps on some level Charles registered what Ramesses was saying, but he certainly didn't want to register it. He blinked owlishly at the man at his words. A nervous twist knotted his stomach together as the man licked his lips. What was wrong with him?! Charles looked taken aback, but it was very clear from how shocked he looked that he understood very clearly the implications.

With a dry throat Charles said, Well that... Sounds not very — What was the word he had used? Enjoy-ble. Charles licked his own lips, except not in a sultry manner but with sandpaper tongue running across dry lips nervously. What was this guy's deal? He was a man, not a woman. Was this guy implying that he was into dudes?!

"playing the harlot suits you," ramesses said, reining himself back. kynareth; he did not think the grandmaster would have interest in the particulars of such a liaison. but the coyote had not responded as pharaoh expected. and so he gathered himself, not yet scorned, still thrumming with delight and a cultivated desire.
"it was quite enjoyable." pharaoh's lapis gaze stroked the other's features with a lascivious brush. "you know, it is customary to offer a token first," gaze cooling to something more acceptable given that they stood publically after all, tone conversational, as if he had not approached in such a manner.
"name it."

The next words that he used made no sense to Charles. He was growing more and more uncomfortable. What was a harlot? Charles surely wasn't playing, but it was implied that he very much was. Playing the... harlot, even. Whatever that meant. The question lay heavily on Charles' tongue, but he was too afraid to ask it, feeling shame burning for being so bad with language.

More words followed and Charles didn't know all of them. Customary to offer a token first? What did any of that mean?

Name it. Charles didn't know what 'it' was at all. I don't know what you mean, he said defensively, guarded, deciding it was better to say he didn't understand the meaning of it all rather than all of the difficult words.

what was this? in his land, the jackal-women and coyotes knew their role as pleasure-bringers to the blessed wolves. but this boy knew nothing. 
"i want to have you," pharaoh uttered, but the thrall of it was quickly lifting. the boy had lost a bit of his luster with this insistence. jealously he thought of kynareth. perhaps the coyote-blood was already beneath the patronage of another man.
"i favour your kind for this," he added, glimmering with appeal toward the other.
maybe he did not care for men in this way. a worthless notion in ramesses' mind.

The words shook Charles to his core. I want to have you. What did that even mean? Did he want him as a slave? Did he want to make him do things? Did he — No, that would be wrong. Everyone knew that would be wrong. Did Kynareth know it was wrong? Was this perhaps some crazy sinner's paradise and Charles didn't realise it until this very moment? His heart rate quickened as Ramesses mentioned 'your kind'. What did that mean?

I'm not a tool for use, Charles said, somewhat annoyed, and struggling to find the words in his limited vocabulary to express himself. And my 'kind' is wolf. He said this last thing defensively; as though he understood perfectly fine what Ramesses meant when he said your kind but he didn't want to be referred to as anything coyote. He'd heard it meant bad things. He was tired of being seen as bad things.

Cameo for now? Unless interacted with ofc! <3 please lmk if I need to edit or delete :>

 


Nyra was patrolling at this time. After making sure Lotus was safe and taken care of, she had begun her usual routines next to motherhood. 

And now, she perked her ears at the sound of voices. Charles and Ramesses.
Quietly moving through the trees, the Overseer stopped somewhere in the shadows to watch the interaction. 
Hellfire gold hues trained on the ex-royal. He seemed insistent to bed Charles, and while Charles didn't seem like he completely got the references made, the coywolf also seemed defensive and on guard. 

Nyra continued to watch, to wait.
If Ramesses decided to advance on Charles physically, she would go forth with protective fury. 
If she saw the need at all, really, she would intercept. But for now, she only watched. Listening, waiting.

a testy little servant. ramesses' features were swiftly rearranged into an expression of pouting finery; he stepped past the untrained strumpet with a sharp sigh, glancing back along his shoulder. "are you with our overseer?" he asked gently, turning back with a wondering eye.
he felt the pressure of another gaze upon them, but did not react. "is that your child as well?" there had been no other reason for the pale warrior to have a man so close outside of kynareth that day, and yet —
no accounting for taste. pharaoh knew who the other was, or assumed to be. "which part is wolf?" he asked archly, turning, lifting a cruel brow.

Charles did not notice Nyra in the distance, for he was so focused on the threat at hand. He had his hands full with this conversation. Ramesses was handsome, but Charles would never admit that. He felt pushed and cornered and he certainly didn't want to do whatever it was that he was asked to do — insinuated to do. The question about the overseer came quite sudden to Charles, who blinked owlishly and then said, What? No, why do you — But he realised that it made sense for anyone to think that, since they had a child together and everything. Honestly, Charles himself didn't even know what he was with Nyra. All he knew was that he wasn't exactly with her.

Then as the question about Lotus was asked, Charles blinked again, but the pieces of the puzzle were falling together now. That is called Lotus, he said, a little agitatedly now as he felt a defensive rush, Yes, she's... What, exactly? Mine. She wasn't exactly 'his', but for lack of better phrasing, this would have to do for now.

Then as Ramesses asked him which part was wolf, Charles felt a hot rush to his cheeks. This guy was messing with him, and if he was going to let him, he'd be messed with all the time by everyone else, too. He had to stick up for himself. For now, the coywolf just hotly responded with, All part of me is wolf. I'm a wolf. while the hackles on his neck rose defensively.

ah, lotus. "it is a good name," he said with a genuine feeling, for he had not forgotten the way that the waterblooms had drifted beyond the river-carved palace. 
"what a pity. a loss for me, to be sure," pharaoh lamented, though there was nothing about his cunning, wanting expression that conveyed any sort of anguish. 
so, charles did not belong to nyra. this interested ramesses further. 
he swept his eyes to where he felt the stare rested, nestled amid the shadows.
"if you ever tire of fatherhood, discover me here in the strath. it will be worthwhile. let me judge the wolf in your veins for myself."
a teasing, mean laugh, a suggestive grin, and pharaoh turned away, trotting off toward the bordermarkings unless paused by a word.

The first and only thing that Ramesses did that didn't creep Charles out was say that his daughter's name was good. Charles was not so sure why it was a pity for Ramesses that Lotus was his. Perhaps because it meant he was moving with Nyra..? The coywolf did not dwell on it further.

Instead he was left to deal with more of Ramesses' words. Charles felt flustered once more and annoyed at the suggestion. He didn't want anyone to think — let alone know! — that he was into dudes. What a disgusting thought. Charles was quick to say, That will never happen. He didn't have a better comeback than that. Nothing he could think of before Ramesses left, anyway. Charles thought of ten better things to say right after the teasing laugh faded away as Ramesses took his teasing grin elsewhere.

Charles turned away from the scene and almost bumped into @Nyra as he headed her way. When he saw her, he startled a bit and realised with a start she might've heard his conversation. He is disgusting, Charles said derisively to Nyra, just to make it clear to her that he wasn't into that sort of stuff at all. He tried to say I was into men, but I would never be so disgusting! And unless Nyra responded to him, Charles would hastily make his way off to deal with his embarrassment alone.

The two kept on for a time, and eventually, Ramesses left. 

Nyra slowly relaxed, as Charles almost ran into her, protesting to the ex-royal's advances. 
To this, the Empress said nothing, instead watching him go and taking to her own path once more.