Hector looks sufficiently rattled by the time Calden extends the offer. The young man can stand up in front of a Sept full of complete strangers all higher ranked and judging him and he'll gladly embarrass the hell out of himself if it serves the purpose of the story and will make someone else look good. As far as goofing-off in the name of storytelling goes he has had ample practice. His pack was mostly tricksters when he joined them.
A part of him knows he needs to stop goofing off though. The knowledge that he managed to just-barely salvage Ingrid's first impression of him is no reassurance.
"Okay," he says to Calden, and he smiles a flicker-quick almost-grin that takes care not to show teeth because that's a sign of all sorts of things to his people. From where he sits all Calden can see is that the kid is embarrassed. "Thank you, sir."
With that he throws an arm over Jack's shoulders and marches him off. Shoots a look at Tamsin like to say gee thanks a lot even though it wasn't her fault. It's cut short by his inhaling too deep too close to Jack and coughing the cough of someone who's almost lost his lunch.
"Holy," he says and takes his arm off his packbrother as the lupus is grumbling, pushes him away playful and without force. "Hey, next time you see a Highlander riding towards us on a freakin' horse, warn me, would you?"
And off they go.
A part of him knows he needs to stop goofing off though. The knowledge that he managed to just-barely salvage Ingrid's first impression of him is no reassurance.
"Okay," he says to Calden, and he smiles a flicker-quick almost-grin that takes care not to show teeth because that's a sign of all sorts of things to his people. From where he sits all Calden can see is that the kid is embarrassed. "Thank you, sir."
With that he throws an arm over Jack's shoulders and marches him off. Shoots a look at Tamsin like to say gee thanks a lot even though it wasn't her fault. It's cut short by his inhaling too deep too close to Jack and coughing the cough of someone who's almost lost his lunch.
"Holy," he says and takes his arm off his packbrother as the lupus is grumbling, pushes him away playful and without force. "Hey, next time you see a Highlander riding towards us on a freakin' horse, warn me, would you?"
And off they go.