The trip with Bones was nice. They took their time, walking leisurely, absent of a pressure to rush and be there at a certain time. It was nice to take the time to take in the scenery though the landscape held nothing for the pallid Princeling. In reality, he enjoyed simply being with Bones, glad that had wanted him to go along. Ira didn't like leaving her side but gave her space because he did not want to appear clingy — which he wasn't. He trusted that the wolves of Swiftcurrent Creek wouldn't harm her though the only one he knew besides Bones was Bazi and even then Ira couldn't say with any sort of conviction that he liked her. The pallid Princeling received the feeling that such was mutual. Ira minded his tongue in the wintery Queen's presence for Bones' sake alone. It was hard, surprisingly, but he did it, offering up a charm full of falsities and deceptions to ensure that he had a place alongside the Tortuga girl. Pretending to be something he wasn't was annoying but Bones was worth it. And...maybe someday he convince her to join him...if and when he decided to try to make a go of it. The whole leading thing. It was what Jinx had groomed him for, after all. Even Lecter had aided in his teachings.
Silver eyes moved to his dark companion when she spoke, asking him to help her hold strong to her loyalty to the Creek. “I promise,” Ira shot her a cheeky little grin but if she really wished to stay at the Creek then he would aid her in staying true to it. In truth, it didn't matter to him which pack they called home — as long as she wanted him with her he was contented with purely being by her side. She was all he wanted, and all that he needed. He drew to her side, careful not to touch her too much, having found (by accident) that she didn't like anyone getting too close to her bum. It filled Ira with horrible nightmares of what they had done to her, his lovely Crossbones, but knowing it he tried not to stay away from her more sensitive areas even though though it had been done purely on accident. He made to brush his muzzle against hers, and attempted to give her an encouraging lick to her cheek before he turned his eyes to the Plateau which loomed before them impressively. He had never before been to the home of her father — having had no real need — and admittedly it felt a little strange to be meeting her family now when they weren't, and as Bones had clearly told him, probably would never be anything but friends (not that Ira gave up that easily; he was surprisingly defiant) but he wanted to know that one of her parents wasn't a ruthless little bitch.
“I'm ready for anything,” Ira told Bones in a flippant manner, a smirk tugging at the edges of his lips. He tried to make it sound as casual as he could but he was nervous to meet Atticus, though he had no intentions of letting it be known. Ira supposed, in the truth of things, that it didn't matter what Atticus thought of him but still it was the first time that Ira actually wanted to make a good impression on somebody. Which was bizarre to the pallid Princeling. In that new territory he found his nervousness not sure what to make of his desire to appease Atticus' standards; and not quite so sure that Ira enjoyed the desperation that came with it, on top of that.
