DON'T SAY IT'S TOO LATE ― joiner

Hungry.

He was hungry, starving, fucking ravenous. Yet, unlike most uncivilised beasts that could do little but excessively salivate like dogs with a bone held under their nose who had their jaws wired shut, he did not let the starvation drive him. Good things come to those who wait. Mantra repeated in his head over and over as the record in his gramophone mind skipped to and fro between the same old song was beginning to bore him but that did not make the thought any less true. Good things did come to those who waited for them and as long as he, the sharp fanged monster, waited calmly enough and did well to play his cards right without dropping his royal flush on the table too soon then such good things would also be coming his way too. That was the plan, at least. Lie in wait as the trapdoor spider did in her well constructed nest to wait for just the right moment where it would be appropriate enough to launch forth and devour whoever lay in his path. Hiryur had been looking for a good chance to unnecessarily stuff his face as of late. Regarding his wondrous plans, they had worked well thus far so who was to say that it would stop working now?

Slowly drawing his tongue along his lips, a smooth and calculating motion giving weight to his pensive state, he thought in silence for a few moments as he stood on the unfamiliar borders of a place that he hoped he would be able to call his beloved home sweet home from now on. Dark Dynasty, if he had heard it correctly. Sure, he would need to remember the name, though it was not like he would care about the place. Not as much as others would, at least. Emotional attachments were far too fickle and far too human for his liking where he personally much rather preferred his own company and nothing more than that. A good actor did not show how he felt on the inside, however. Never would they exhibit a dislike for the role that they had worked oh so hard to be cast in and neither would he.

"Hello! This is the Dark Dynasty, right? I'm Hiryur Dairaku, I was wondering if you would be kind enough to let me join." Introduction is cast out loud and clear into the wind, flicking from a tongue that is not forked but might as well be what with his amiable yet serpentine smile. Waiting game that he has so skilfully set up for himself must now be played and, as in most cases, he was sure to be the winner. He always was.

The silver tongued in the world seemed to be rare to find nowadays, Hiryur strongly believing that he was one such individuals. Though, perhaps such a lack of them was not a physical thing to note but instead simply because they had gotten better at disguising themselves amongst the unsuspecting masses who expected honestly in turn for their own kind deeds. Such a pitfall of the mortal mind is a greatly troubling thing to the servaline devourer not because he had come across too many who were under the impression that he was obliged to pay them back for their samaritan behaviour but, at the end of the day, no one owed anything to anyone. Only a fool truly believes that the behaviours and actions of others are entirely void of selfishness on every occasion. If someone were to try and tell him that they had never in their lives acted in a manner that benefited them be it to solely serve them a purpose or it to be that they were helping themselves as well as a collective whilst putting others down in the process then the serpentine spinner of yarns would be so bold as to laugh right in their faces. To deny such mortality, even if it was a negative aspect of the 'human' psyche, would be to oppose life itself and he did not agree with that in the slightest. All were brought into the world in the same way and thus would leave similarly too, so who were they to believe that they deserved anything? Fools. That was what such hopes made them.

Little time is left for him to ponder such a concept however as he is swiftly made aware of some other creature in his general vicinity, sensing the male and then very quickly afterwards spotting him. Regality swirls around this approaching stranger in some faint aura as though his entire existence was under a rose tinted filter, so perfectly perfect that it near instantly lead the dragon ghoul to believe otherwise. Arched brows indicate these unspoken emotions in the form of brief greeting motion as he quirks them upwards as his own pale gaze meets dazzling cinnabar, carefully carved smile cracks a fissure in his lips to mimic the angelic curve of the royal entity that comes to stand before him with words of sugar and spice dissolving on his tongue. "Softvelvet, it's a pleasure to meet you." Dipping his head low, the male leans into a stooping bow with his nose grazing his paw for a few moments of reflection to the emperor's own movements. It is a motion that fills him with the utmost disgust, having to demonstrate physical inferiority to another simply for the sake of the role that he must fulfil proving to damage his pride. Hiryur knows better than to grow frustrated by the stage directions of his script.

Upon rising, he acknowledges some of the things that the angel has informed him of with thoughtful hum rumbling in his throat. So, this was the leader? What a shame, he looked quite delectable as if a bite from him would taste akin to some sweet berry or at least what he would expect such a thing to taste like since he was not able to eat such common foods due to his rather particular digestive system. Unfortunately for Hiryur, he was sure that this individual would be greatly missed by his subjects if he were to turn up with a bite or two or ten out of him. Interesting as it was to him to try and test the boundaries in order to see what kind of a reaction such a shameless act would yield, his curiosity to see how this fellow governed the group which he reigned over as well as Hiryur's own self-made pledge to not do anything foolishly reckless held him back.

Visibly friendly smile lingers, etched masterfully into the grooves of his lips as though such thoughts of feasting had never even crossed his mind in the first place in an expression of respect. Once he has wormed his way into the woodwork of this place he is sure that he can go about his own private business without much problem because after all, who would really suspect such a sweet and charasmatic young man of anything particularly villainous? Although many nowadays were much more cautious towards strangers be it a scarred behemoth or an innocent youth before them, he knew that it was still far too easy to act as a trickster in a society where so much love and trust was so, so easily placed in complete and utter strangers. "I'm glad to know I can rely on you if I need anything around here but don't worry, I'm not the type who likes to bother others with my issues." Smoothly, he addresses the offer with his head tipped to the side slightly, flashing a bright grin to the saccharine catsune.

The warmth to be found in the ruler's eyes seem to harbour something unspoken, which is what he picks up on as he talks though covers over his curiosity in the midst of his speech. Malevolence, perhaps, is to be found though if it is present then there are no definite traces for him to pick up on. Still, as considered prior, no one can be as beautifully graceful as this one without there being some kind of expense to be paid for even daring to breathe the same air. It is not something that puts the devilish newcomer off, however, but instead acts well to incite further intrigue. "Nice as the offer is, I think I'll pass on the tour. I'd much rather get some rest now and figure things out a bit later instead of wasting your time." That, and he would like to scout out the area a bit for his own purposes, curious to find what spots were more hidden than others for his own future reference though that was not something that sweet Softvelvet needed to know about. Not yet, at least. "If that's fine by you, of course."

Even the most spiteful that walked the earth could appear as harmless innocence once the light was cast on their darling faces in such a way that flaws were near gone memory, only leaving behind the radiance of perfection. Of course, that did not mean that there were not signs that one could look for to identify someone who was wrong. Much like the truth teller pens utilised when attempting to identify whether money was counterfeit or not, individuals themselves were also capable of testing others to see if a jarring streak of coal black could appear upon rubbing them up the wrong way. It was simple enough to figure out, once you knew what to look for. Of course, that was only if you cared enough to wallow in barely contained patience which would be a tortuous waste if it came back that the results of such subtle testing came up to be false. Surely this man was not willing to waste his own precious time with such boring affairs though he could not say the same for himself. Waiting games came in many forms and Hiryur was not only playing one.

Hiryur himself being entirely oblivious of the winged royal's own subconscious thoughts though if he knew that he would in fact be literal with his remark, if it were to ever be made aloud, then the servaline male would not be surprised to be met with a bit more. Unlike vampires, the bloodsuckers of the supernatural world, he did not just stop at a light drink. Although sip of metallic wine was tempting from time to time, it was the crunch of bone between his clenched jaw and the warmth of fresh meat that proved to be much much more enticing. If he started, Hiryur would most certainly not stop at one modest chunk though it was not as if he particularly cared about whether such a thing would be met with any form of resistance. As far as he was concerned, everyone around him was a meal waiting to happen. Except, members of the dynasty are entirely off limits now, Hiryur. Get that into your head, and quick. He thinks after moment's pause, realising as he wanders into his thoughts that the emperor is talking to him once more and that his attention is needed completely here, not elsewhere within the recesses of his dark mind.

"I'll keep that in mind but, old habits die hard so excuse me if I do it again at some point." Sheepish smile blossoms at that, raising a paw to rub at the back of his neck in a unintentional embarrassment upon hearing that they were all equals here regardless of rank or social standing. Funny. He did not see himself as anywhere near equal to these folk. Superior, yes. Anything less was out of the question. Such a train of thought does not cross over into his expression which is slowly dissolving back into a more comfortable, less flustered smile. He is glad that the male does not take badly to his rejection of the offered tour, that being a minute weight off of his shoulders since it meant that he would have that little bit more freedom to do what he wanted without being questioned since here he was not being pressed for reasons. Responses given by him were being taken for their face value and it was delightful to see. Though what came next certainly soured his mood a tad.

"I'm afraid I'm much more of a coffee person myself. Though, who am I to deny your offer?" Thought of drinking tea, green tea specifically here, repulses him. However, after many months of forcing himself to taste vile foods against his tongue had steeled him for moments such as tis where his perfectly designed guise can keep working regardless of the circumstances that he finds himself in. Planning ahead, he was already making mental notes for him to keep an eye out for places where he would be able to expel the dreadful substance from his system once the whole affair was over. Head tilted to the side slightly, he seems to consider the offer for a few moments before a twinkle is renewed in his gaze. "Alright, I will take you up on that. Lead the way, leader o' mine. Is the palace quite far of a walk?" Hiryur hums with a nod to confirm his desire to be involved in this matter, moving forwards on slender legs with a few graceful strides as he came to stand besides the catsune, flashing a bright grin once more to reflect the princely charm on the other's mouth. Yes, he was sure that he would like it here. He would like it very much.