Shallows Edge What you know

@Cancer , you know what I'm after ;D

It wasn't often that Askan sought out the Shallow's resident Birdboy. Usually, he was content to leave the blue eyed bugger to his own devices but the Edge Lord was in need of his unique skill set. It wasn't important per se, he would live if he couldn't find him but...it was important to Askan. At the very least, it was worth giving it a shot and if things didn't work out then at least he had tried.

By the lakeshore, knee deep in snow, Askan tipped his head high and let out a call for his subordinate. There was very little urgency infused in his howl, but if he was paying close enough attention Cancer would pick up on the traces of importance lingering in his low tune. If he was out hunting or patrolling the borders then the Edge Lord didn't want to pull him away, but there was something he wanted. And if he wanted to find out what then he needed to show his face sooner rather than later.

It wasn't often that he was sought out, and man if that wasn't the bee's knees. More and more Cancer found himself thinking that he maybe, if he absolutely had to, he could see himself settling down kind of... sort of permanently here. Of course, once those infectious thoughts found their way in he was quick to shoo them out with legions of excuses. He'd look for flaws, convince himself it was just the lull of winter or something, think on the futility of expecting anything to last, and anyways, he had to like, see the world still. Even if he hated the world, that was still a thing, right?

But here was one of those rare days, with an request on the air that would spare him from those conflicting thoughts for this turn of the earth. Askan was calling for him specifically, which was odd and put the teen on edge. Had he slipped up somewhere? Was @Risaela back? Did he have a job for him? While he by no means raced to his alpha's side, Cancer didn't exactly dally either.

When the burnt-brown man came into view, the lanky youth woofed to announce his arrival.

"Yo, what is it?"

Yo, what is it?

Cancer certainly had an amusing way of speaking. Someone else might've snapped and told him to speak properly but not Askan, in all honesty he didn't give a shit. Just because the Edge Lord had been raised to speak formally, as though he was some mighty Lord didn't mean he was going to. It all felt so stiff and unnatural, like he was trying to fit his paws into a stranger's footprints. Askan liked the way he spoke just fine, crass and all, even if he knew his Mother would have chewed on his ear. This of course, in turn meant he didn't care how casually Cancer addressed him, as long as he was semi-polite then the Selwyn could deal with it.

"I wanted to ask you a favour, if you're game.He began, getting to his feet so he could stand just a little closer, in case someone was listening."When Reyes speaks that language of his, do you understand it?" That question would naturally lead onto his request, but first he wanted to see if he was wasting both of their time.

Cancer was figuring Askan wanted him to go track a herd or take on a patrol shift, something routine and impersonal. So the moment he used the word favor, one of his brows arched a fraction of an inch and he felt on guard, though an effort was made to not have it be too obvious. Oh god, maybe Risaela was back.

But no, her name didn't come off the alpha's tongue. Instead, it was his co-leader, @Reyes, a man who Cancer hadn't dealt with as much.

"... you mean espanol? Yeah, I got uh. Some experience with it."

He didn't bother to ask why, certain Askan would follow up with some kind of explanation or further questioning. His blue eyes made it clear that he was curious now, though.

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

Espangy? Yeah, sounded about right, like something Reyes would say. Askan nodded, wondering just how much experience 'some' was. He guessed there was only one way to find out.

"Yes, that. I was wondering if you'd be willing to teach me." He sounded so stiff and formal, Askan couldn't help but grimace as his tail flicked behind in him mounting frustration.

This wasn't anything serious, why was he treating it as such? He sighed as he pushed his paws deeper into the snow. Even now he wasn't good at this socialising thing, it tired him out a lot faster than it should've. He set his rump onto the floor, having decided he no longer wanted to stand, lest he start pacing.

"How'd you know it anyway? You from the south as well?" Not many wolves from these parts came from Reyes' homeland, and understandably so, it must be far away for such a different climate, all hot and sunny. Askan's idea of hell.

Wanted him to teach him another language, the one Reyes seemed fluent in? That didn't quite add up for Cancer. Why didn't he just ask the guy himself? What were they exactly to each other? Couldn't be brothers, less they'd been separated at birth or some drama like that. Maybe more distant relatives? Besties? Did Askan think his co-lead was talking shit in this other language? Cancer wanted to ask, but then his alpha shot him a question.

"Uh, yeah, a bit. They spoke it in a pack I stayed with, so I don't really like, know the rules of it or anything, I just know some of the vocabulary. It'd be easier for you to just tell me what you wanna say and I'll try to translate."

It worked better the other way around, Cancer could do a lot more turning Spanish into English, but he could give this a shot too, would be some kind of help he guessed. This was still weird though, and he was a little more uncomfortable than he had been in a while since coming to the Edge.

"Is there uh, somethin' goin' on?"

(This post was last modified: May 02, 2018, 08:41 PM by Cancer.)

Perhaps at first glance Reyes and Askan appeared to be similar, but after a moment or so of light scrutiny their differences soon became apparent. Reyes, for one, was dusted with a layer of grey hairs and for the most part his coat was darker, almost black in some lights. His eyes were yet another obvious feature, his were grey and Askan's were yellow.  The sun and the moon, two opposing sides that fit surprisingly well together.

Needless to say, Cancer was far more travelled than Askan ever hoped to be. He idly wondered why he roamed so much, what he was running from, but felt very little incentive to ask, yet. There was no use in steering the conversation in different direction when he was so close to getting what he wanted, it'd be stupid really, and a sure what to make Cancer clam up. He had a point though, that it would be easier to translate the words he wanted to say, rather than teach him everything from scratch. It was a sound plan, Askan couldn't fault his logic, and yet....He felt heat rush into his cheeks as his pupils widened in alarm. Thank God he was covered in fur, he'd never be able to explain his sudden reaction, let alone live it down. With a flick of his tail, he dismissed his worries as he pulled in a deep breath, then exhaled, a cloud of air escaping between his lips.

"That could work." Askan admitted, his voice cold and neutral, to hide the alarm, embarrassment ,threatening to surface. "Nothing's wrong." He was quick to reassure, then his jaw muscle twitched as it tightened beneath his skin. "I just... if you tell anyone about this, I will skin you myself. Do you hear?"

He huffed and rolled his shoulders. It was a bit of an empty threat, but if he did blab then there would be hell to pay.

"It's not exactly common knowledge, but Reyes and I- we...Ugh, I want to say nice things to him, in his language."

(This post was last modified: Apr 03, 2018, 05:15 PM by Askan.)

Despite himself, Cancer's ears smoothed back as Askan threatened him. It wasn't real, he was fairly certain, but it was still unexpected and given the fact that he really had absolutely no clue what was going on, he couldn't actually be totally sure he wasn't stepping into something dangerous. But, it was just a few words, right? This pack didn't have any deep dark secrets, did it?

Wait. Askan finished talking with something that wasn't really an explanation but after a few seconds clicked with the yearling.

"Oh," was all he could say for a beat as his mind struggled to compute something it had never had to consider before; two men, together like... that? Was he mistaking Askan's words? No, the way he was so flustered, he had to have it right.

"Ohhhh."

They were together. Steady dates. DTF. Did that even... work? No, he didn't wanna think about. Didn't like thinking about the kind of sex he already knew about, much less what Askan and Reyes were up to, 'cause he actually knew them and honestly he couldn't even begin to picture either of them being affectionate much less... yeah.

"Are you um, trying to like, uh... ask him out? Or is this already a uh, a thing?"

He swallowed. Maybe the whole conspiracy angle had been better. This was just awkward.

"Look I feel like an ass right now and that doesn't happen. I just never knew it could go that way and I thought you guys were like, cousins or something so. How... how do we make this not weird right now? I'll help ya be mushy but this dodgin' around is freaking me out."

S for swears

Askan side eyed his subordinate, wondering what he'd make of his empty threat. Cancer didn't seem to the sort cowed by words, but when all he said was 'oh' Askan's brows knitted together as he twisted his body to look at him head on. Realisation crept onto the black wolf's features as a longer, drawn out 'ohhhhh' passed his lips. That didn't sound good...at all. The Selwyn shifted, his stomach dropping as he continued to watch the emotions flicker across his subordinates face. Try as he might, Askan couldn't get a read on him, he didn't know what all of this meant but he quickly concluded that it was bad. Things were getting awkward and tricky and Askan regretted everything.

"Wait wait wait." Askan was quick to push himself to his feet, his tail lashed behind him but not in anger, desperation more like. "Whatever you're thinking, stop that. Right now." If he had hands he would have raised a finger high and drove his point home with a stab or two.

What was Cancer thinking? Askan was aghast. Admittedly, it was a bit of a weird request, but did he think he was asking for something sick and twisted, or worse yet, lewd? It was true he and Reyes had done some things together but he wasn't going to tell anyone about it, ever. And he'd certainly not smear it in Cancer's face like he was shoving his nose in shit.

"It's not weird, or creepy you're just...We're not related, at all. And what the fuck Cancer? I'm not even asking for that?" He blanched, repulsed with wide eyes that, in that moment, seemed sickly yellow. His muzzle wrinkled as he shook his head, trying to chase away the nasty thoughts Cancer's words had summoned. This was hell, he'd found it without even meaning to. Forget fire and brimstone, this was it, the real deal.

Askan sighed and hung his head.

"I'm asking for nice stuff, not filth." How else was he supposed to put it?