+376 // Blargh. This post sucks.

After having met miss Sage, the pretty coyote girl from Inferni, Gotham had gone home, only to be barked at by his mother about leaving the packlands for so long without warning. He'd accepted some extra chores in exchange of avoiding any more lectures, glad to be alone to his thoughts. The days that followed went on in this way, constantly bogging him down with various thoughts and daydreams.

He was glad to spend what time he did with Aro, but still that coyote had him wondering; what was life like outside of Crimson Dreams and inside other packs? What was it like to be a member of say, Inferni or Anathema? Did they have the same customs, the same ideals? He had to know more. He had to find someone, maybe not Sage, but someone, to tell him more.

And so, on a cool spring morning a few days after his previous venture, he headed out again. This time, his trek started in his Optime form, changing over to Secui once outside of the general area, his clothing in a small bag, dangling from his jaws. He made quicker work of getting there this time, having discovered a quicker route than before, and by noon, he'd reached the borders of Inferni yet again.

Gotham stopped and shifted back to Optime, quickly dressing back into his black dress-shirt, leather jacket and denim cargos, only slowing down as he came to wrap his paws (now sore from the walk there) in black wrappings, and to tie his hair back into a ponytail. He gave a heavy sigh, sitting down on one of the various rocks, and looking across at the borders. Those borders, marked clearly, were roughly a yard away; not too far, but far enough that he posed to instant threat.

He was unsure of what to do next; before, Sage had found him day dreaming a little further East of here. Now, he was left to wonder if he should howl or if he should just sit and wait... a few minutes, and surely someone would spot him, right? With a frown, he sat back some and grabbed up his pocket knife and a stick, deciding to carve himself a dragonfly figurine as he waited.

+304 // Ramblerambleramble

Gotham's ears caught her voice before he noticed her scent or form. He lifted his head from his work, eyes curious. This wasn't Sage, and she almost didn't look a thing like any coyote he'd met. He stopped carving, knife still in mid-stroke, so those blue eyes could scan the girl over, checking for danger or hostility. Nothing but interest and curiousity was found, so he set his knife back into its sheath and smiled that handsome smile.

"Buon pomeriggio" He greeted in that Italian way, tail swishing contently. "I beg your pardon, but would you be a member of Inferni?" He stood then, hands shoving into his pockets casually, still completely relaxed and friendly in posture.

She doesn't look a thing like any Coyote I've met. Her scent says Inferni, but I thought they only took in coyotes... not dogs or wolves of any sort. He silently admitted to himself that whoever this was, she was rather pretty, with probably the purest white hair he'd seen in a long time and lovely red fur. And those eyes...! Silver like moonlight! I wonder if she knows just how lovely she looks.

Anyone who knew Gotham knew that he was a drop-dead charmer, even when he didn't mean to be. That smile, those eyes, that innocent but oh so lovable look about him... he wasn't prince charming... more like, Aladdin or something. Another thing about Gotham was that he had a habit of finding beauty in nearly everything, even horrible things like skulls and toads. Whenever the boy was in the company of someone who happened to be attractive as it was, he somehow managed to block out those little flaws. In turn, it made him feel someone shy, or sometimes it made him come off as if he were flirting, even when he wasn't.

Gotham the undercover prince. God I love this character. XD

Gotham couldn't help but feel a bit of pride as the female obviously took time to look him over as well. That didn't stop the blush from crossing his cheeks, however. She confirmed her place in Inferni, and he made a note that she had to have been at least half coyote to be such, considering the one rule he knew already about the pack.

She went on to introduce herself, and he just barely remembered his own 'alias' when meeting others without his mother's permission. Though her double name perked his interest, he made sure to introduce himself first. "You can call me Phoenix." He smiled, then finally gave in and asked. "The double name... is that a sort of 'depends on who you ask' thing, or...?"

He'd never met anyone, as far as he knew, with two different personalities, so the thought never crossed his mind. He, himself, took on the alias of Phoenix (with no last name) when greeting other packs, if only to save himself the trouble that came with being in what could've been an enemy pack. He loved his family, but at times, especially when meeting with Inferni, the Marino name could cause him plenty of trouble. Being the son of the alpha of Crimson Dreams made him an important person, and a damned good target for any inside scoops.

Being a sort of prince made him a target for being used, also, and that always left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Nice table! :o

Io went on to explain that it was a disorder, and when she named it off, he remembered hearing about it once during his yearling travels. He nodded with a soft 'ah' sound when she mentioned it, then went on to smile as she asked him where he came from. He shrugged. "I travel. I don't suppose my heritage matters much these days. You must see plenty on loners around these parts, yeah?" Not a word of it a lie. Even though he belonged to a pack and a family, the boy honestly did travel a lot, preferring the open spaces of the unclaimed territories to his cramped manor back home.

"I won't bring it up again after this, but I just want to know for sure; MPD is a multiple personality thing, right?" His tone said there was more. "So which one am I talking to now? Io or Vesper?" His smile, and that look in his eyes, said he was perfectly fine with her 'issue', Gotham being a very open minded wolf indeed. He was a black sheep compared to his family these days; it probably had something to do with his affections for a certain male cousin.

Cue flirting.

Gotham found himself smiling somewhat childishly as she told him why only coyotes came this close to Inferni. "I have coyote-bred friends all over the province. I don't see what difference breed has in our relations as luperci." It was true. The young prince couldn't care less about the differences in breed. Canines were canines, simple as that. Coyotes happened to strike the young male as attractive and sharp minded characters, so in a few ways he envied them.

He smiled some as she explained the difference between herself and her alter-ego, Io, and then nodded. "I'll be sure to watch myself if she comes out then. I wouldn't want to upset either personality." He allowed almost a flirtatious grin to pass his face, showing mostly in his eyes as he watch her shift her weight and fix the top she wore.

Or barely wore. Now that he noticed it, he couldn't help but let his imagination wander a bit. The bikini top barely covered her, and even though he'd seen women go about without clothing, wearing things like that proved to be teasing to the boy. Those blue eyes lingered for a moment until she gave a tiny giggle, and he caught those silver eyes staring back at his.

He fought back a blush of his own and when he noticed the occasional glance away, a light came on. "I've never seen anyone with silver eyes before... they're very lovely." His tone changed from casual to soft, suiting his handsome appearance nicely. Boy became that much more a prince as he shifted his weight to stand up, brushing off a few flakes of wood from his carving. "It suits you."

Okay, now... find me another word that means Flirting without meaning something bad as well. :/

It wasn't everyday that you met someone who'd readily agree with your rather rebellious opinions. The fact that Vesper did made his interest in her increase just that much, and he found himself relaxing just a bit more around her. He wasn't sure what Io's opinion on the matter would be, but surely the girl wouldn't be too dangerous if she switched, right?

His compliment worked like a charm, and Vesper seemed to want to return the favor, commenting on how clear his eyes were. He'd been told his eyes were lovely before, but hearing this from a complete (maybe not total) stranger was always nice, and what's more, the fact that she was a coyote made it all the more welcome. He smiled a charming smile, one that made those very eyes shine, and for some reason, he matched her movement; just one inch...

"You know miss Vesper, you're supposed to be taking all the compliments.... not giving them back as they go." At his taller height, boy curved his spine a bit to look down at her, his posture one of obvious flirting, tail curled. "I'm pretty sure that's how it works when a man is trying to flatter a lovely woman, yes?" Amusement was written across his features as he said this, but his tone was not that of complete laughter... more like, light-hearted teasing. Friendly. Flirting, still.

XD Half of those make him look like a scumbag. I'll stick to 'flirting'.

Gotham found Vesper's reaction to be one of the most adorable things he'd seen since his little siblings were born. He grinned, letting a casual chuckle escape as she tripped over her own words. Another apology came, and he felt (but resisted) the urge to shush her. He was glad he hadn't, because the girl came right back into the game, taking up what used to be his personal space a bit, readily losing herself in his eyes.

And he lost himself in hers for a moment. That playful expression slowly, softly, died away into one of wonder and contentment. Without looking to the rest of her, his eyes locked on hers, he whispered out in a soft tone, "Gods, you're beautiful.." The moment the words left his mouth, he felt another new temptation come over him. Curiously, his mind played over this new urge, exploring it. ...I wonder what her fur feels like? What about... For a very slight moment, he eyes flickered down to her mouth. ...suddenly, I kind of want to...

When his eyes returned to hers, they sort of showed off his thoughts. That was the thing about Gotham's eyes; his emotions were clear as day. Though you couldn't see that he was lying or not with them, you could tell if his emotions were good or bad by the way they shone. Little movements in the iris, really. It was extraordinary how it showed, and right at that moment, the boy really, really, wanted to kiss her.

I hereby declare Gotham to forever be an amazing lover, from this day forward. ._.

The last thing that the prince expected was for the small coyote girl to make the first move. Infact, he hadn't expected anything to happen, despite his best wishes. His mind sort of shorted out when her felt her lips against his, and because of that, it took him a moment to register what was happening. By the time the boy came back down to Earth, the kiss was over and Vesper was apologizing.

Gotham, or rather, Phoenix, would not settle for the girl saying sorry for something so dangerously right. All thoughts of his affections for Aro were gone for now, and this made the boy act out in a way not normal for him. Rather than brushing it off as 'heat of the moment' like he might've done any other time, Phoenix's hand found it's way to her cheek, the other to her waist, and he leaned down to kiss her again.

This time, god dammit, it'd be a proper kiss. This time, the boy wasn't caught off guard, so all of that passion he had in 'im went into this kiss. Gotham had actually never truely kissed a girl before. Somehow, though, it wasn't in the least bit obvious; Phoenix was a pretty damn good kisser. He knew what he was doing, despite having never done it before.

Well, we'll just call it Italian's Intuition.

Bwahaha. The "K" factor.

Gotham was in heaven. Paradise. He'd later swear he'd met an angel, or that he'd been blessed with a terrific opportunity. Vesper was a stunning girl was lovely looks and as far as he could tell, at least one great personality. She was everything he couldn't find in Crimson Dreams, save for Aro who, in all technicality, was off limits.

He loved the feeling of her hands on his chest, her body against his, her waist, those soft curves, under his hands. He was just starting to memorize it all when she, with a giggle, brought him back down to Earth. She had a point, and he hated it. Boy was about to frown, to protest, when she leaned in to give him just one more kiss.

He sighed as she pulled away from it, then her eyes changed slightly. That little spark of realization, he noticed, before she said those awful words. She had a secret, one she obviously was worried about. Brushing away his worry, Gotham smiled softly and perked his ears. "And what's that?" He stuck out his tongue and like any dorky male, he followed up his honest curiousity with another flirt. "You're really a princess and this is all the more forbidden?" Dork.

Gotham, or Phoenix, whatever, had no idea that this girl had a child. He'd never have guessed her to be a parent. To him, she seemed either too young or two amazing (dork) to have such a thing. The boy was someday going to be a great parent himself; it was in his genes, but being around kids, Phoenix got weirded out. He wasn't the best at dealing with their energy and curiousity. Boy was patient, but kids were his weak point. Still, he was a Marino. He was stubborn. No kid would send him running for the hills, and at that moment, Gotham was hoping Vesper would be something more than a one-night stand.

Pish Posh, and what not, my good fellow.

Governments? Maybe she was from out-of-territory, because there were no real governments here. He listened on hands still resting idly on her waist. Then, just loud enough for him to hear, she mentioned her son, and for a moment his heart sank. ...she's got a kid. Vesper's got a son. As she pulled herself back into his chest, he wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin atop her head and staring blankly ahead. His mind was racing.

On one hand, he was really starting to like her; she had this way about her that he'd noticed the moment she stepped foot into the area. She was attractive and had a sense of humor, and she was interesting. He'd probably find good in Io too, despite Vesper warning him about her other half.

On the other hand, could he really replace whoever had been the kid's father? It was obvious to Phoenix that Vesper didn't have a mate. He didn't mind kids; they scared him a little, but they were worth the attention sometimes. Another problem was the whole different packs thing, not to mention her being a coyote and his being a wolf.

"Ch..." His ears perked as he made a sort of thoughtful noise (the 'ch') and then he inhaled deeply. His ears perked as she pointed out the nearby hut (one he'd passed on his way there, actually) and he turned his head somewhat to look down at her. For a moment, he considered his options again. Those eyes were darker now, deep in thought...

...and then his mind was made, as he looked down at those silver eyes. "Better a roof over our heads than a gilotine." Agreeing with her idea of moving away from the border, he smirked and decided to change the mood. Quickly, without giving her too much time to react, boy would try and swoop her up bridal style, easily able to lift the light-weight girl. "I do believe our loveshack awaits us just over that hill, m'lady."

Goofy grin returned to his face, tail swishing. "After we've 'talked', I figure, picnic in the park with junior, and maybe from there we'll go check out the local zoo and pay some tribute to the monkeys." Total nonsense spilled from his mouth in an attempt to get her laughing, a 'pish posh' expression and tone clear across his face and in his voice, head tilting to put a flamboyant spark into his little act.