[Dullahan]

d u l l a h a n //

While he was still angry at the colorful queen for knocking down one of his most cherished pieces of work, he knew he could not hold a grudge for long.  He also knew he had to do something to make up for his showmanship at the border when their little friends came to visit.  Apparently, he had never learned to smile without it looking like he wanted to skin anyone alive.  That could be considered a positive by some people as well he supposed, but not Telana.  

No not sweet, proper Telana.  

To her, Dullahan was nothing but the dirt under her claws he was sure.  Regardless, he had to put up a good show, he had to remain on the good side of the Royals if he was going to survive in this dying forest.  In this regime of dragons.  

So, going almost out of his normal routine of collecting his precious bones, he had been out all night scouring the dying forest for florals.  He had already found a well-preserved Ibex Skull, all he needed now were decorations suited more towards the queen's preference.  Surely she would prefer a more floral decoration, then a bare bit of bone (which Dullahan would always prefer).  

It had taken him all night to gather up the flowers he had searched for, all the best for her.  Some purple bitterroot, a few yellow sunflowers, and a few rare columbines all woven into through the skull of the Ibex, a crown fit for a queen of her stature.  

He carried it the only way he could, atop his own head, he made his way through the forest, gathering a few looks of confusion as he passed the gaze of other Alteron citizens.  He ignored them of course as he always did, paying them no mind, even though he could hear the whispers behind his back, they served him no purpose, so why engage?  Of course, he'd keep an eye on them for later purposes.  

It did not take long to track down the dainty, proper queen.  No, she did move with purpose, but she had a distinct- smell to her that Dullahan could not quite put his nose on yet.  It would be determined later though, he was sure.  "Ain't you lookin' all prim and proper this evenin' Miss Telana." The dirty wolf called to her from a distance as not to startle her as she would turn to see-  you know something with the head of a dead ibex covered in flowers.  That ain't nothing anyone is expecting to see in the creeping hours of dusk.  "I am awares that my-mm- hobby created a bit of a concernin' show when our dignified guests came ta visit, 'n I wanted to give you an apology if'n any of that created a wedge between ah potential alliance with them pansy dainty friend o' ours."  He could see why she liked 'em so much.  "I broughtcha this,"  He said, dipping his head so the flower encrusted ibex head slipped off onto the ground. "As a bit of a- 'M sorry If I fucked things up-- offering."

But he really wasn't- he just wanted to stay on the good side of the law.  But Telana didn't need to know the truth.  Dullahan was, after all, a phenominal actor.  (Unless it came to smiling)

[Telana]

@Gyr

#e34234

There were days when the pain within her legs wasn't quite as stabbing, where she actually felt restless, and it was on those days she walked and meandered through her mind, who would have though that a once priestess that was once looked down upon, a flower hidden in the shadows, would get her chance to mumble about the politics of her own little slice of pack.

But on her mind was their dealing with Inaria, but more to the heart of it, their king, Ghost. She regarded him with respect when first meeting him, though she thought very little of him or for him beyond that. Respect was the easiest thing she could offer, a chance at resecuring an alliance was pivotal part of getting Alteron back on the playing board. The invitation to a party was good in terms of getting closer to that goal, but also could put a spanner in the works. Especially with how his party was greeted, she mumbled something under her breath, lost deep within thought.

Alteron could not afford a hair out of place, only show them what WE want them to see, nothing more and nothing less. She knew how unfit her people were when shoved out of their element and surrounded by strangers where first impressions were their dictated past, present, and future. Yikes, did they have their work cut out for them.

However! It was a snap of a twig behind her and that broke her from her thoughts, she turned then, brows knitting together by the voice greeting her and that southern drawl. A skull placed upon his face, weaved throughout were flowers. What on earth? Her gaze flared to life as he went on with his apology. "You?" Her tone even, but did little to hide her displeasure at that memory.

The ginger female to a step forward, she seemed tired and irritated by the disruption and more than a little disgusted by the skull he was offering her. Her eyes bounced from the ground to the hellion, mouth pressed in tiny fine line. "At least you had the forethought to apologize. I tend to forget that we're all new to this." Her tone calm, though the discomfort was evident in her body language. "Thanks, for the, uh, gift? Just don't let behavior like that happen again. Remember, we want our allies to see only what WE want them to see. Only positives, not.... the bad and or social unacceptable." She took this moment to offer him a pearl of wisdom, to correct any behavior and make it crystal clear, that it was not to happen again.

Paw stretching out hesitantly to drag the skull closer to herself as she sat, at least the flowers were pretty. "I didn't catch your name?" She bounced her gaze back to Dull.

[Dullahan]

d u l l a h a n //

He had hoped that maybe- just maybe she would have forgotten about him, and about what happened on the border, and would attest his apology as no big deal, or just offer him a wave of a paw to dismiss his heartfelt apology.  Of course, that was so far from what he actually thought.  The prim and proper queen always remembered those who had put a paw in the wrong place, or perhaps put some younglings at unease.  

Her lifted brow, and unfiltered gaze gave him the impression that she had most certainly not forgotten, and was, in fact, a little disgusted by either his presence or his gift.  Hell, he'd even go so far as to say both.  The tone in her voice when she practically spat out the word "YOU?" was a tiny clue to her true feelings about the bone collector.  

"Me."

He didn't mind though, there were far dirtier, more rotten types of folk around, she would find out.  

Dullahan, she'd find, was not all that bad.  Not at first glance anyway.  

"At least you had the forethought to apologize.."  

He caught himself before he smiled - yes, forethought, that's why he was here of course.  "New to makin' friends?  - ah yes.  I don' have many o' them, as ye can imagine.  'S why I stick ta bones - they don't tend ta talk back."  They do listen though, very good listeners.  As was Dullahan.  He was skilled at listening, and gathering, it was the blessing he had from not having any close friends to talk his ear off.  

Telana speech blah blah

Again- Dullahan had to hide his entertainment at Telana's apparent uncomfortableness at his gift.  The nerve, he'd even decorated it for her.  But after a few seconds, and dropping what he could only assume to be was a word to the wise (wasted on Dullahan, to be honest here).  But the bone collector nodded solemnly, agreeing with the fragile queen's words.  "O' Course Ma'am.  I'll be making sure ta keep my - social unaccetablilities - out of the eyes and ears of anyone who ain't us."  He said with a grin, watching with delayed satisfaction as Telana carefully, slowly, and most likely painstakingly, pulled the decorated skull towards her.  She asked his name, and with that same empty smile, he'd offer it to her.  "Name's Dullahan ma'am, one o' yer pages, as you prolly already know."

And if she didn't, she did now.  

"If ye don't like that there gift ma'am, I kin always make ye somethin' a bit less - complex... I don't want that skull ta end up in the moat, if ye know what I mean."

He hoped she would.  Dullahan never forgets.