Storm Watch Butte But Mama Says I'm Handsome

At home there had always been expectations, a need for him to carry himself with regality. But what about now?

For the first time in the prince's life he found himself free. He could act as recklessly as he pleased, flirt with whoever caught his eye, and nobody was here to stop him.

It was a lonely life, but no more than a life under his father's rule had been.

At times he wondered if anyone had been sent after him, if they cared to look, but the thought was swiftly pushed away. He had no time for such worries in his brand new, free life.

And so he wandered in search of his next thrill. After all, what else was there to do?

A blossom amongst the winter’s frost.

Whatever comfort the uniqueness the lowlands brought Hiro had slowly morphed to something less whimsical. In passing days he looked upon this new land with a more observant eye, and found it to be more strange than before. Its oddities were now amplified amongst newfound company.

There was no familiarity to be found, even outside the group’s claim. A companion's face still looked to be a stranger's.

Hiro approached with hesitance, drawn to him only by the commonality of their scent.

He spotted a face he recognized from the basin. The name he did not know, of course. A woman as far as he could tell.

Silently he stared, making his approach with little hesitation in his step. "Your name - what is it?" He asked, the question upfront and near confrontational.

His tail waved, his head moving forward to sniff at the other.

Their cautious step was met with confidence. An inquiring nose poked at their direction. They were prodded by a question. It all felt so interrogating so quickly, and Hiro couldn't stop themselves from leaning back on their haunches.

Too close— What had only meant to be a thought was murmured aloud. Thankfully the slip had been in their own tongue.

It did, however, inspire a thought. Would it be best to abandon the common tongue in these weeks to come? Perhaps they'd find comfort in the role of a silent number. They'd already begun to lay the pieces to this game, but they'd only truly player it for a few nights at most in the past. But an entire season? Was it wise?

He slowly rose to his full height, averting his gaze as he did so. Quietly came an answer; Chihiro.

This wolf is a quiet one. It leaves the lion unsure of what to think of them. But his question was answered, and so now it is his turn to offer his own name. "Arslan." He says simply.

Carefully he inspected the stranger, assessing their figure and demeanor. A decision must be made - not everyone is worth the prince's time.

They share each other's height with figures of similar athleticism - yet the other's coat contrasts his own completely. Cold and dim against his own bright, warm fur.

The man watched Hiro with an observant eye, as do they.

There is a sort of regality to him. Despite their similarity in size, Hiro felt so small in comparison. There was a confidence that exuded from his stature. A radiance that shown bright in those eyes of molten gold.

Arslan. A name befitting.

Insecurity coils around them then, and the mask of the silent other cracks.

You smell of… Verapaz. A name still foreign on their tongue. Have you been here long?

"Long enough." He responds. But just how many days has it been? He can't be sure. "And you? I'm not sure we have met until now."

He had decided to stay for some time - the comfort of a familiar scent nothing if not pleasant. He may not have been in Verapaz long, but the truth of the matter is that they are his people now - his family, if only by convenience.

Long enough was just detailed enough to not be completely meaningless. Though it's vagueness leaves something to be desired.

Not as long as you. Probably. In both this pack and the lowlands as whole. Hiro felt like an other more so in this moment than they had before. Did Ocho take you in too?

It took a moment to shake his head. "The smaller, pretty thing." He paused for a moment to remember the name. "Soto."

He was yet to formally meet Osiel, but then again he had not yet taken the time to meet the majority of the members of Verapaz. He simply did not have the desire to do so. When Soto inevitably began to bore him, he would move on to another. Maybe the plains man, the one who clung to the woman called Leto and brought her gold. He would not mind having a pretty runner the way he did back home.

But it was impolite to let his mind wander.

"Where have you come from? Another pack?"

It was implied that Ocho was not the only one providing sanitary to desert travelers. No, it was another that helped bring together this contrasting pair today. This Soto; small and pretty? It wasn't a very helpful description, nor was it particularly needed…

Hiro hadn’t much time to dwell on his language before the man pried into their past.

No. I've been traveling alone since.. hm.. Time has gone and slipped by. Early spring. I think.

They had been alone for much longer than he. They must have much more experience then, too.

"Really? And Verapaz caught your eye?" He asked, sitting himself down. Arslan thought it best to make himself comfortable. "It isn't much to look at."

Or at least that was what he thought. But then again, he paid little attention to what really went on within the pack.

Yeah? When it's pointed out, yes, the basin wasn't the most picturesque place to find oneself in. But beggars can't be choosers, Hiro thinks with a hint of bitterness, brow furrowed. And besides, they were never one to seek the pretty things in life.

What caught your eye then? Surely not a scenic view.

What had caught his eye? He thought it was obvious.

"The men."

Soto was not the only pretty thing in the basin. Arslan planned to have his fun with each, as much as they would allow at the very least.

When he was done, he would have to see where his.. 'heart' took him next.

You— you can't be serious. Hiro blinked, damn near dazed by the absurdity of the answer. Not shelter, or food, or stability. Just… the men?

Perhaps if circumstances were different they wouldn't find his motivation to be completely unbelievable. Lust always found its way to coil tightly around the minds of men, pulling them from one woman to the next. But this one…
Hiro looked him up and down once more.

You have peculiar taste, Arslan.

"Shelter is not necessary when you travel, and I can hunt on my own." He responded, quick to furrow his brow. Did Hiro not also enjoy the company of men? "Aren't you a woman? I thought you would understand such a thing."

The man was quick to puff out his chest. A protest, a show of confidence. "I want the same thing that anyone else does."

"A warm body, or three, to keep me busy."

He made the hardships of a nomadic life seem so easy. The bravado of his claims made Hiro wonder if they'd gone about their lonely months all wrong. That there was some secret guide to make that sort of life so much simpler. It's a thought that was entertained for no longer than a second. They wouldn't trust the word of some man so unapologetically guided by his little pecker.

Yes, a woman who'd rather not throw herself to any man she sees. They nearly rolled their eyes at his comment, but their cool expression remained unchanged.

I’m not here to seek for someone to warm my bed. Or someones. Gods! A man’s greed has no limits.

"More for me." He was left unbothered by the negative reaction. Away from his home, Arslan no longer saw a valid reason for him to hide his wishes. There was nobody to punish him here.

He then rose to his feet, stretching out his back legs individually before turning away from Hiro. He had grown hungry - he wished to track down Soto and ask him to hunt with him again.

"We'll get along well if you keep your word, hm?" He called back. "What's mine is mine."

A gentle warning, yet he did not give the other time to respond as he made his exit.

The man would leave with the satisfaction of knowing he'd have more bodies to gorge himself with. And a subtle threat, as though Hiro’s previous statement wasn't enough. How typical.

Well he could have his fill. Foreign as this land may be, difficult as it was to come this far, Hiro could find comfort in one thing; freedom to not entertain the likes of men such as Arslan.

Their glare followed his form as it disappeared from sight.