Lion Head Mesa (ap) Snapped fingers break hypnosis

The party was in full swing. Reyes hadn't seen Teya in about an hour, but he recognized @Ruenna among the wolves gathered and as much as he disliked the idea of spending time with a Redhawk, the other visitors were preoccupied. He couldn't tell if she had arrived with anyone (and by this point her conversation with @Germanicus was at an end); rather than taking his chances getting to know the strange coyote servants or any of the guardians of Akashingo, Reyes chose to eat, drink, and attempt merriment. 

By the time he'd made his way over to where Ruenna lingered, Reyes smelled strongly of the fermented fruit that was being shared. He reached to pluck a mouthful from @Sayf as the servant passed, and then as he chewed and felt the berries burst across his tongue, he noticed the aureate man who owned the palace within which everyone cavorted: @Ramesses.

Licking his lips, Reyes stood a little taller and began to mentally compare himself to the pompous king, staring daggers across the room.

@Sayyadina and @Kasmut had been at his side for some time. ramesses held himself back from indulging them. he would be seen as regal this day. 
but it was not his way; he longed to be swayed by them, put beneath their intoxication as always before. the rein of control was a heavy burden.
pharaoh searched for a distraction and he found it in the bright-red creature from some rural bog. 
his lazuli eyes locked with the intensity of a falcon. ramesses descended his stone dais and approached directly, near unblinking.
he slowly swept his gaze from the man's dusty paws to the expression upon his face.
"how do you enjoy the festivities?"

Rue is skippable

Ruenna lingered near one of the refreshments locations, her dubious gaze drifting over the exotic offerings. Her mind was still whirling from her conversation with Germanicus. She had not yet imbibed of the fermented fruit, and so she was sharp enough to catch on to Reyes's trajectory when his movements became visible out of the corner of her eye. 

Eyes still on the food, Ruenna casually moved around the back of the display so that she was partially hidden from Reyes. She peeked out. It seemed that her little escape ploy had worked: Reyes was now staring at Ramesses, stopped in his tracks, his pursuit of Ruenna presumably forgotten. The bridegroom began to move toward Reyes, no doubt sensing the Brecheliant man's eyes upon him. 

Ruenna was an intuitive woman, and she didn't like where this was headed. She looked over her shoulder and caught the attention of the first pair of robust-looking Akashingo males she could find, who happened to be Arsenio and Shoko. She slid over to the pair of Mazoi.

"Hey, um.." she began, voice low. Her gaze flickered between @Arsenio and @Shoko. "D'you see the wolf talking to your Pharaoh? That's Reyes. He's got a reputation as a wild card, and that's when he's sober. You might just keep an eye on the situation..?" 

There. She had done her due diligence by her hosts, she felt. It was now time to remove herself from this particular scene... maybe she would see about tracking down the bride? Rue still needed to congratulate the newlyweds, and she wasn't about to go anywhere near the tinderbox that was Reyes and Ramesses.

Unaware of Ruenna's involvement with the celebrating mazoi, Reyes' full focus was upon the gilded man that stole the attention of everyone as he passed.

They locked gazes for a moment — and while Reyes knew he should avert his gaze and be respectful, there was something about the man, and about himself under the influence of these berries, that made him unable to.

The way Ramesses looked at him made Reyes incredibly uncomfortable. Here was this sublime masculine creature parading about, followed by multiple doting women, yet he was looking Reyes up and down.

Aye, this is quite the rabble-rousin' you've got goin' on.

The comment earned a prideful smile, as if Reyes were trying to mimic the king, or maybe someone else — an impression of a foolhardy pirate, drunk on too much grog. At least some of that was true.

Much joy to you an' the young bride, wherever she's wandered off too. That was, unfortunately, a genuine sentiment. Even though Reyes was reaching for more berries halfway through speaking it, dividing his attention briefly.

the dog did not look away.
inside himself, ramesses began to curdle with the anger of the disrespected. it showed only as a cooler sheen settled over his face. his lips smiled. the dark-lined eyes remained implacable.
so close he could smell the fruit the man had grabbed, and watched him take more.
ramesses motioned toward the fellahin darting to and fro. "surely you will not refuse my offer to come to the wellspring below."
it was not a question.
the man's mention of satsu provoked pharaoh.
"perhaps it is where your woman is. they are quite skilled with their tongues, our servants. shall we go and find her?"
a honeyed, floating laugh followed.

The fuck was a wellspring? The thought pierced Reyes' expression cleanly, displaying confusion first of all, and then when he heard the next comment and Teya was brought in to the conversation, all bets were off. He went from confused to agitated to — laughing.

Deep, belly-rich laughter poured out of Reyes. What a ridiculous thing for a married man to say! How ludicrous the thought, of Teya with anyone but himself! But most of all Reyes was beside himself with boyish amusement. This was the kind of talk between crewmates, not kings and their visitors.

As he sucked a wayward breath in and the laughter died away, Reyes shook his head. I ain't goin' anywhere with you. The sudden calm of Reyes' voice was leagues different from the raucous laughter that had been on display moments ago.

C'mon, aren't you gonna indulge? Looks like you've indulged plenty already, he eyed one of the fellahin worming their way through the crowd, whose eyes were only for Ramesses. He motioned to the berries being carried around by various lithe little bodies and chuckled again; but he swayed too, trying to keep from touching anyone as they passed by.

the scarlet man matched his laughter.
and then he became dangerous and ramesses felt his own lips curl into an answering grin.
"disrespect to the son of the gods on his wedding day is quite daring."
the practiced placidity of his face did not change. his mouth was mobile and sweet.
"it seems you do not understand what power i have here. if i am moved to show you, i can assure what you find will be unpleasant."
the lapis eyes challenged.

Reyes had no idea what this man was on about. He did not see a god, or a son of a god, or anything beyond a predatory man standing before him. A pompous creature who believed himself above reproach, even on his wedding day.

Another crowing of laughter came from Reyes when the man's words hit his ears. I mean no disrespect, cap'n. Slipping easily in to the pirate's brogue.

That was a lie, and a poor one, but at least Reyes was making an effort to redeem himself even a smidge. His eyes finally averted; he did not like the feeling of those dark ocean blues upon himself, and liked it even less when he saw that others were watching their exchange.

Aye! Wotcha! Jus' two scallywags gettin' t' know one another! He paced, turning a bit too far as he addressed those watching him, and the resulting hush and shuffle of feet spoke volumes. But soon enough the party continued on as if nothing had happened.

Reyes ambled around the young pharaoh as he searched for another coyote, as they were the ones carrying the meat, the berries, and the aged chunks of agave. He could not see any, as they seemed to have dispersed.

Come now, 'ave rum wit' me. As a deckhand o' the Brecheliant crew, let me be a friend. But where the hell had all the rum gone? Reyes thought he spied a coyote off to one side, carrying something edible, but they were a ways apart from the pair, following a branching hallway.

soon all the assemblage saw that pharaoh cowed the scarlet man. it was in the way his eyes shifted, and moreso in the way that he pretended so loudly to only have been jesting with the Amun-blessed.
slowly and certainly he drew himself up and looked steadily down the length of his pale muzzle at the backwater peon. only a drunken and boasting man.
"you would enjoy the company of arsenio. he is a greek also." prejudice on his tongue and it tasted marvelous to the affirmed ramesses.
jawahir approached.
"go below and drink."
ramesses could not resist. "alone."
a malevolent, audible chuckle.
pharaoh brushed past the red man in the direction of the redhawk woman, whom he had not yet spotted in his extreme and overwhelming arrogance.

All Reyes knew of Greeks, he had learned from the pirates of Tortuga. Hearing the man speak openly of the sirens and to label him as such addled Reyes somewhat, but nothing sent him spiraling as when Ramesses decided he was done with it all. As the golden man moved to look down upon him and then to step towards him, as if to go around.

Except he didn't. The golden man brushed alongside Reyes as if to walk through him. The electric feeling of the man solidly connecting with Reyes' shoulder and then side, dulled somewhat by drink, had a sudden negative effect. Reyes bristled and moved sharply after Ramesses; he aimed poorly due to his state of mind, and nearly caught Jawahir by the hip.

The snap of his teeth was nothing compared to the din of conversation from every direction. Jawahir was unscathed, but moved snake-like around him to follow after Ramesses, scuttling, wild-eyed.

Hey naw! What sorta answer be that? I ought to toast the groom at least once, aye! You think you're better'n me, with yer wenches and your wench-wife?!

He could play that game too! Hell, Reyes practically had two wives to begin with! What did this guy have --? (So much more than you, fool.)

still skippable

Ruenna made some inquiries here and there, and the general consensus was that the bride had last been seen headed for her chamber. Should Ruenna wait for her to reemerge? Where would be the best place to wait? 

This time when a fellahin stopped to offer her berries, she accepted. She wrinkled her nose as the bitter tang hit the back of her tongue, forcing herself to swallow. Maybe she shouldn't be imbibing on an empty stomach? Ruenna changed course, scanning for something hearty to put in her stomach, and as she turned she was startled to find herself once more directly faced with Ramesses and Reyes. 

Ramesses gave Reyes the brush-off, gliding past him toward Ruenna. Ruenna's eyes widened as Reyes turned and snapped at a coyote in frustration. His teeth failed to connect, thankfully. That might have been the end of the exchange, if Reyes hadn't demanded Ramesses's attention once more by bellowing out an insult to his new bride. "Wench-wife??" Oh stars, it was going down now! 

Ruenna backed away. "Um, do you know Teya?" she asked the person to her right. "Have you seen Teya?" She asked the same of the canid on her left, panic edging into her voice. "Teya?" she called softly, scanning the crowd of faces. Ruenna didn't know if @Teya would be able to successfully diffuse the situation, but she couldn't really come up with a better alternative.

heavy white teeth clipped for the jewel of akashingo.
ramesses whirled, and this time his face was a beautiful rictus of pure rage. his lazuli eyes slid to jawahir and then fixed horribly upon the bilgepeasant.
"you shame yourself and brecheliant before all of the mesa!" pharaoh thundered in a terrible voice. "you are a poor example of an ally invited to a special feast. therefore you will be removed."
"escort him to the gates." germanicus loomed closer. ramesses motioned toward @Sihaya as well, tipping his stare to arsenio and shoko. sabah would remain behind he felt.
in the churn he caught @Sayf's eye. 
as pharaoh saw neither the raven nor satsu, he inferred they were below, and that is where he intended to keep reyes' woman: distracted until she realized far too late that her man had been thrown out.
she would be the direct way to hurt this man.
ramesses himself was rigid, incensed; he stood ready to strike as an adder if further words went on.

The red guest was rowdy. Arsenio chatted with Shoko and watched the stranger behave in the most uncouth ways he could imagine. The ice of his eyes followed the red wolf on his tirade, coldly wondering what had caused such a fuss. 

When the Pharaoh spoke commands of his guards, Arsenio moved to step in the Greek woman's path. He smiled at her, a goofy and deliberate expression. 

The mercenary approached the ruckus and drew his head higher than the belligerent stranger's. The blue of his eyes latched on Reyes with smug amusement. Shame, shame, to insult the groom on such a day. Let us go in peace. I will escort you away from the joys, and to the border, he said, nudging the man on his way.

hopping in but @Ramesses and @Arsenio can powerplay me to skip me. this thread is going fast and i don't want to hold any folks up :D

"much obliged," shoko murmured to ruenna's backside as she retreated. he'd already spotted reyes out in the crowd but having someone approach him meant business. shoko was already making subtle moves closer to the duo when at last it seemed the pharaoh hit his limit.

shoko padded after arsenio, reaching for a clutch of spirit-ripened berries from one of the scuttling coyotes. he held it between his teeth with a dogged grin, lurching close to reyes with the parcel. "let's take this party outside, buddy. i'll even give you one for the road." the hefty guardsman gave a nudge aimed towards the big brute to get him marching.

The man spun, eyes aglow, and Reyes wondered if he'd broken through that veneer; but he need not wonder long, as Ramesses let the full heft of his position come in to play.

Everything he said was right: Reyes was being a piss poor guest and should have comported himself with more care, regardless of how much had been imbibed. He had no excuses. Neither did he feel particularly bad about the ruckus caused, even as a plethora of guards were summoned to escort him.

Pssfh, I'm going, m'liege. He responded in pure surly fashion. Reyes did not think twice about Teya in the moment. He saw the red-furred guard and sneered at him in mockery of that grin plastered dumbly upon his face.

I wasn't insultin' I was being friendly! Reyes claimed with a swagger, making for the door while Arsenio followed; the rest of Reyes' night would be spent outside of the palace walls, which was fine by him. Less people, less noise, less eyes upon him.

Reyes out!

The ruckus could be heard over the rest of the party-goers, at least for Sayf as he made his rounds with the special berries. It pulled him closer because above everything else he could hear his master's booming, angry voice. He wondered who dared to enrage the pharaoh, especially today. 
So he made his way towards the commotion, berries still held in his mouth. He stopped and offered some to the Redhawk woman again, and this time she took some. As she did, the pharaoh ordered that a man be escorted from the Mesa. The fellahin locked eyes with him then and could see the volatile anger in his gaze. It was not something he had seen there before, at least not to that degree. 

He placed the remaining berries down away from the crowd for safe-keeping and moved towards the golden god. Sayf brushed against him in an effort to comfort him. Thankfully by then the stupid man had agreed to leave. The fellalin stared disapprovingly after the wolf while he waited to see if the pharaoh needed anything.

ram out!

ramesses watched with pleasure as his orders were heeded.
for the first time, arsenio received a less-than-malicious look. shoko as well was given a level stare.
sayf approached.
ramesses dipped his muzzle toward the satin ear. 
"find the woman teya. take her to the wellspring." the light of a hateful intrigue was in his eyes. "i want her here till morning. do what you must."
he did not like to send the fellahin away, but in the next he too turned, making his way back to the stone lip where he and satsu had said their vows.