Revenge is Sweet [Fade-in/T'kal & Aliscia]

[Avu]

There was no motion, no flicker of life. Truthfully, there hadn't been for awhile. Namely, since the occupants of said weyr were sleeping off the results of Flightlust. Said occupants included Aliscia and T'kal. The brownrider's arm twitched slightly as his eyelids fluttered open, raising one arm groggily to push his hair out of his eyes, an automatic gesture. The young man sighed, comfortably warm and - and - what was this? T'kal had intended to simply roll out of bed, keep his eyes firmly shut, and blunder his way into the bathing room - he was much too sleepy, still, to rouse himself enough to open his eyes, except - in moving - one leg had touched - something. Something that felt surprisingly like flesh. Mine... The word, uttered in his mind, was not in the tone that Leweleth generally used in addressing T'kal - indeed, the brown rarely resorted to using the simple 'Mine,' preferring 'T'kalmine,' or 'Kalmine'. Hmm. All mine... Leweleth? 'M not sharing, either!

With those words, spoken in an almost defiant manner, brought back the surge of memories, T'kal's eyes snapping open as he stared, torn between pride for Leweleth and consternation, at the Greenrider. Tanith's, to be precise, propped up on one elbow and gazing blankly down at her for a moment. What...? His eyes continued down her body and he froze abruptly, muscles stiffening in shock. Pregnant! She was clearly gravid, and heavily so. Had he hurt her? Hurt her baby? The concern was so great that any awkwardness that might have - but most likely would not have - risen was forgotten as he hesitantly reached out, intending to wake her, and then faltered, pulled back. Perhaps it'd be better if he got some clothes on first...

Cautiously untangling himself from the woman - her name was Aliscia, wasn't it? T'kal thought so, although he couldn't be certain - the Brownrider's eyes flicked the length of the weyr until he caught sight of his pants, examining them warily in case they had been torn in Flightlust. But no, they were whole, if barely. The seams looked a bit stretched...ah well. They'd have to do. After he'd pulled them on, T'kal returned, slightly wary, to the bed again. No, he normally wasn't this nervous, but shardit, this woman was pregnant. That one, simple fact changed a lot of things. A vague, blank part of his mind sent up a curious query: To whom did the babe unborn belong to? The (slightly more sane) remainder of his mind dismissed the question instantly as he leaned over, gently touching Aliscia's shoulder. "Hey, wake up..."

Leweleth was much more content to simply lay curled with Tanith than his Rider seemed to be. The brown was awake, not bothering to disguise the fact, as he was humming, a low, pleased noise, the vibrations perceptible in his throat, which was rested lightly against Tanith's flank. He would speak to his lovely green when she awoke...but unlike His, Leweleth was not quite so stupid as to wake up a green when she was so clearly asleep. That was as foolish as that ridiculous blue had been...Yes, Leweleth was reviewing his memory of the Flight. Kindrith, hadn't he been? Humph. Silly blue. Well, he'd learned his lesson now, hadn't he? The hum broke into a brief, contented croon as Leweleth settled more snugly into Tanith, eyes lidded lightly.

[kysseh]

Aliscia had stirred, groaning softly as the warmth that had been so close... limbs entangled with hers... was suddenly gone. She had been resting half-awake for quite awhile, but she was loathe to move, too luxuriously comfortable and deliciously exhausted after.... that. After a good dozen Turns of Tanith Rising to mate, Aliscia was well used to situations like this. They were not always favorable, true, but this was one of those rare instances where she was so delightfully sated that she had not the will to evict her flight partner any time soon. That he had gotten up on his own had her complaining quietly, but she didn't bother to restrain him or open her eyes. She would-

Oh, he was coming back. She sensed his approach and immediately lifted one of her slim hands to encircle his wrist, tugging lightly. "I am," she grumbled, her voice rough with sleep. Her near-gold eyes finally fluttered open to regard him, the pregnant woman rolling onto her back with a bit of difficulty to get a better view. The result was an instantaneous moan of discomfort, and she used her free arm to prop herself up and scoot back toward the headboard. Modesty was of no concern, and she managed to get herself halfway to a sitting position, leaning back against the solid wood with one arm draped across her swollen abdomen. "Sorry... keep forgetting that... laying on my back hurts," she muttered softly, leaning her head towards him to look him over.

Her nose wrinkled a bit, quickly followed by a chuckle as the woman shifted again. " What'd you put pants on for? Rude to leave before your flight partner is awake, you know, kiddo." Her tone was anything but accusatory, though. The happily tired greenrider was quite unashamedly teasing the young man, in fact. And young, he was, indeed. Younger than Savitri, which was young indeed in comparison to Aliscia herself. She wasn't into young, young men as a general rule, but.... well, she had no complaints. "Oh... 'm Aliscia. That's Tanith. Who're you?" She knew who Leweleth was, given Tanith's knowledge of the brown, but this young'un's name escaped her.

It did belatedly occur to her that her gravid state might be a complete turnoff to him, but she didn't even bother trying to cover up, simply curling her legs on the bed and draping her arms around the kicking, squirming mound of her belly. Her concern had awoken the child. Shardit.

Tanith had been rather lazily dozing as well, not quite asleep but not quite awake either, a curious awareness without any real consciousness. When the humming of her youthful mate turned into a quiet croon, she was alerted and came fully awake, if a little slowly. The lids retracted one at a time until contented blue-green eyes could regard the large brown head that rested near her. The normally-aggressive dragon was as happily sedate as her rider and merely offered a quiet croon, nuzzling lightly at the brown's shoulder. What a nice young dragon she was. Hers. All hers. Good morning, young thing. I must say... this is a highly pleasant way to awaken. she said mildly, flicking out her tongue to touch his hide. Oh, yes, she liked him just fine.

[Avu]

T'kal hadn't noticed the fact that Aliscia had been, indeed, awake the entire time - he'd been a bit distracted by the very obvious pregnancy, and he was already feeling guilty, along with concerned. Had he hurt the baby? He couldn't remember, exactly, what he'd done, what if - ? These thoughts were cut off as, almost immediately, the woman's hand raised, encircling his wrist, T'kal blinking in surprise. "Oh." The Brownrider absently claimed an empty spot on the bed as a seat, drawing up one leg and draping his free arm across it, idly tugging the hem of his pants as Aliscia rolled onto her back - and groaned, T'kal's eyes widening as he hesitantly extended a hand to help her, completely bewildered as to what he should do. Had he hurt her that badly? The Greenrider seemed to be capable of pulling herself up, though - to T'kal at least - it still looked rather pained.

The Brownrider winced slightly at her comment, his gaze sliding down to her swollen stomach again, though he assumed that, if she'd forgotten that it hurt, it meant it had been happening for a while...right? So it hadn't been him. At least, not...entirely. That was good, at least...her baby, though? "Sorry..." The apology slipped out before T'kal could stop it, raising his bright golden eyes anxiously to Aliscia's face to check for any traces of pain. "I mean, you know...I didn't hurt you or - or your baby, did I?" There. It was out, despite the discomfort he felt uttering the words. He hadn't hurt anybody before...and he'd had enough times at High Reaches when a random somebody else had shared his furs. None of them had complained; now, the words felt odd, foreign, on his tongue.

One brow quirked slightly at her next words, a slightly wry grin flickering across his mouth as T'kal shrugged. "I was a bit too busy being concerned to think about post-Flight etiquette," he answered, the words half-sincere and half-playful. Surely if she was well enough to tease him, that was all right...? You worry too much. I'm sure she liked it, Leweleth stated firmly, though the last traces of sleep still lingered in even his mind 'voice'. At her introduction - her name was Aliscia, then! - he nodded. Tanith he was certain of. "T'kal, and that's Leweleth." A grin, bordering on a smirk, tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Though I'm sure he wouldn't object to Tanith calling him Leth."

The motion the Greenrider made, draping her arms over her abdomen, did not escape T'kal, whose gaze was clearly anxious, but the Brownrider simply bit his tongue. If she didn't feel good, she could tell him...meanwhile, it'd never really appealed to him to probe about it, although he had to admit to curiosity as to the father of the child - not to mention a rather surprising, vague wonder about whether the pregnancy had occured in Flightlust or not. Did it matter? Certainly not.

If T'kal had not noticed Aliscia's being conscious, neither was Leweleth aware that Tanith was until the green's eyelids withdrew, one layer at a time, till the whirling, jeweled orbs were regarding him, their blues and greens reassuring as the brown crooned again, this time in a good-morning without words. Sounds, especially musical ones, had always been a large part of Leweleth's life - the brown's Rider was so musically educated that even Leweleth knew the scales by heart - and that short, soft croon worked just as well as words did, in Leweleth's opinion. He dipped his head in greeting, too, as she spoke, not resenting the - nickname, of sorts. Yes, he supposed he was rather young - Tanith's Flight was his first, and in that light, he was really highly inexperienced. You can't feel any better than I do, Tanith, he answered simply, Though I can't pretend to be any expert. The latter was admitted in an almost anxious tone as he raised his head from the green's flank briefly, eyes a bright, clear blue at her caress, before he dropped his dark brown head back to Tanith, running it down her spine lightly before coming to a rest again.

[kysseh]

Aliscia watched his eyes roam over her and noticed that his gaze was not greedy, not demanding. Strange, but the lad almost seemed concerned about her, and she arched an eyebrow and then looked down at herself. Her legs were draped almost lazily in the furs, and she was completely unclothed, head to toe. Odd. Most men--even if the brownrider was a little 'young' to be termed 'man'--would have taken the opportunity to attempt to touch... or at the very least just ogle. His anxiety would have made her wary, but when he stuttered out a question that illuminated the true source, her fears vanished. She was touched by that. Strange, how unused she was to being looked after.

"T'kal, then. Good thing you gave up a name, or I'd have resorted to calling you 'boy'," she commented easily, her expression turning into one of mild amusement. The little woman felt incredibly old in comparison, though she thought that was normal in this weyr. She seemed to have an age advantage on over half the inhabitants. "I'm fine. The babe is too. Alive and kicking, quite literally." The latter statement was accompanied by a mild grimace as her unborn offspring decided to give her a none-too-gentle kick, her belly noticeably protruding in the spot before returning to normal. "Behave, you," she grumbled before poking the spot and eliciting another unwanted kick.

Deciding that aggravating the active infant would only bring her out of a surprisingly good mood, Aliscia just let the babe continue to pummel her whenever it so desired, wishing he--and oh, yes, she had decided it had to be a boy--would just go back to sleep. "Children. No respect for their elders these days," she said with a prim sniff, unable to keep the sparkle of joy out of her eyes. "In any case... you don't need to be concerned anymore... so these are free to come back off." She tugged lightly at the offending pants, a wicked grin forming on her face. "If you get to look at me, it's only fair that I get to return the favor." Was she hitting on him? Oh, blatantly so. Her gravid state and loneliness had her far past the point of shame, though, so she thought she was entitled to hit on a male when she wanted him... even if said male was likely a good ten Turns her junior.

Tanith rumbled in quiet delight, arching her back a bit beneath Leweleth's touch. She approved of this young thing, she did. Her tongue flickered out to touch his hide, and then her dark, scarred head lifted to rub against him. Yes, this was a mate she wholly approved of. He was not bronze, he was not arrogant, and he was appropriately affectionate. She thought she might keep him if the fancy struck her. The anxiety in his tone had her silent for a moment, thinking, but then it hit her. Was she... perhaps his first?! You do not need to be an expert to keep a female happy. We just appreciate it when you learn quickly. she replied to him, her mental voice practically a purr... or as close to it as the normally-aggressive green could manage. I am your first, am I? There was no mistaking the air of smugness about her. Tanith's pride was truly stoked now.

[Avu]

T'kal was oblivious to the fact that Aliscia would find concern surprising. The Brownrider, born and raised in the South - that last Turn at High Reaches didn't count - had always been concerned about someone that might be hurt - an almost maternal instinct that was, on the whole, unnecessary. Said instinct also had a habit of taking control and blanking out...most everything else, including the fact that the Greenrider was - very obviously - nude. Yes, that was just how oblivious he could be when the circumstances decided to turn against him - not that he regretted Leweleth Chasing. Far from it - but pregnant.

Was that a taunt? T'kal's lips quirked, torn between amusement and relief. The result was an odd half-smile, the right side of his lips pulling upwards while his left merely hinted at a smile. "It wouldn't be anything new," he commented wryly. It didn't seem many people did call him by his name - nope. They prefered 'Brownie,' or 'Brownrider,' or 'lad'. Or they just didn't use a name. The answer as to his question about her - and the baby's - well-being had him visibly relaxing, the half-smile stretching into a more convincing smile, the concern fading from the bright amber eyes, replaced by something close to amusement as the baby's kick was visible against Aliscia's skin, hesitantly leaning over to press his palm lightly against the woman's abdomen just as Aliscia muttered a command to quit at the baby, the responding kick felt quite clearly against the Brownrider's hand. "When's she - he - the baby - due?" Yes, he had a soft spot for babies and - basically all young creatures. He hadn't been kidding when he'd told Leweleth he was considering buying a feline from the Gather. Dropping his hand from Aliscia's stomach, the Brownrider quirked his eyebrow at her comment, raising his eyes to hers. Clearly she didn't feel half as harshly towards the baby as she pretended. "I'm sure asking nicely would work better than poking," he answered, mock innocence hovering around his voice.

His eyebrow rose towards the bright red hair that had fallen - displaying its tenacity - towards his eyes again as the Greenrider tugged at his pants. "What? And waste all that trouble I'd had finding them and getting them on?" His tenor tones had adopted a mock horror at the thought, and although T'kal was too proud of his voice to let it slip out of control and crack, it did waver dramatically, threatening to break. Even so, the Brownrider obediently tugged his belt, a mischevious grin flickering across his face as he undid the buckle, his eyes on Aliscia unwaveringly - half due to that, and half due to the fact that he merely wished to tease her a bit, the work was laboriously slow. The fact that the Greenrider was scarred didn't seem to register; one brow raised delicately, waiting for a reaction as he finished pulling off his pants. "Good enough for you?" The words were clearly teasing as T'kal plopped himself lightly back onto the furs.

Leweleth couldn't recall the last time he'd been so comfortable as he was now, curled up with Tanith - comfortable enough that even thoughts of Kindrith had faded away entirely. He purred softly as she rubbed her head against him, curling up a bit tighter around her, nuzzling her side lightly. The brown liked the feeling of Tanith pressed against him; it was a feeling of comfort, a level of intimacy, that he'd rarely felt before towards another dragon - one that pleased Leweleth. The way she spoke - it seemed his green dancer was satisfied, too? Happy? First Chased as well as Chosen, he admitted. Will you teach me, Tanith, and forgive my mistakes, then? Naive? Yes, perhaps, but the last thing Leweleth wanted was Tanith to be upset at something he'd accidentally done wrong.

[kysseh]

Bold little thing, wasn't he?

Not little, Aliscia noted, but she arched an eyebrow as he extended a hand rest it on her belly. The warm skin contact made her squirm a bit and induced a flurry of kicks from the child curled in her belly. The discomfort was ignored in favor of the fact that she enjoyed the touch immensely. She briefly debated asking him to add the other hand, but then he withdrew it. She did not bother to hide the pout that formed, her full lips pulling downward at the corners. A mental note was made to get that hand back on her skin where it belonged. It was the least the boy could do, she figured. She had not left him unsatisfied during that flight, oh no. Pregnancy had not hampered her ability to...

Oh, the pants were coming off. Her pout immediately transformed to a wicked grin, her near-gold eyes widening and holding his gaze as her peripheral vision registered his slow motions to take off the offending garment. Good boy... obeying like that. Apparently, young things were more malleable than their supposedly older and wiser peers. "I'm satisfied," she responded to his query, waggling her eyebrows to indicate her approval. She managed to roll herself to her side facing him, snagging furs and tucking them around her belly to make sure it was comfortably padded. Her offspring disagreed, though, which elicited a groan from her as the child gave her a fierce kick to the underside of her ribs. Shardit.

Before she could answer his questions concerning his gravid state, which she fully intended to follow through with, Tanith gave her a rather interesting insight. Glancing toward the weyrledge for a moment, the woman let out a chuckle and unashamedly scooted closer to T'kal. "Tanith tells me this is the first time for you... as far as Flights go. Not a virgin, were you?" If she had known that, she would have worked to make it more special for him. "And... to answer your earlier questions... I think it's a boy because I wouldn't be this ridiculously large and getting this many kicks if it was a girl. And I have... two months to go?" Her nose wrinkled a bit in discomfort at the thought. Was it normal for someone her size to look near to full term at only seven months along? She was rather tiny....

A meowing sound echoed from the vicinity of the weyrledge, and Pie dislodged himself from where he had been curled in the spot between Tanith's forelegs. The green's movement had awakened him, and he mrowed piteously before scampering in a little orange blur over to the bed. Before Aliscia could register his approach, the half-grown orange kitten was up on the bed and clambering into T'kal's lap, meowing loudly in search of attention. He was heedless, of course, to where he happened to be stepping, and Aliscia almost immediately made as if to reach for the kitten. "Ugh... sorry. His manners need work...."

Her--and yes, he was hers--Leweleth made the loveliest noises, and Tanith suffered from undying envy. She had never, ever been a beautiful green or made any pretty noises like that. Her throat was made for growls and snarls and hisses. She could make nice croons, though, and she offered one up for him, shamelessly huddling against him. The fact that he curled tighter had the tiny green delighted beyond measure. Ahh, yes. Finally a male who could cuddle! Then I am your first. I would be happy to teach you, though you are off to a very good start. she said, her mental tones fairly oozing smug satisfaction. Her tail instinctively sought his to curl around it, enjoying that physical contact. Cuddling is always a good idea. But no rough cuddling, of course. Honestly, where did some males get the idea that roughly shoving their partner around counted as "cuddling"?! Really.

[Avu]

At least she hadn't protested his touch, though T'kal had been watching her face carefully in case of rejection - and now? An amused smile started at the corner of his mouth at her pout - yes, he saw it. How could he miss it? It wasn't like there was anyone else he wanted to look at. So she'd liked it? Even though the slight pressure had drawn more kicks still from the unborn babe? The Brownrider would have imagined that it hurt - part of the reason he'd dropped his hand so quickly - but - perhaps she was just used to it...although truthfully, T'kal rather pitied women for just that - having to carry a baby. Nine months without betweening; nine months where the discomfort simply grew. Ouch.

Neither had the Brownrider missed the undeniably wicked grin - and he didn't think that Aliscia would think that he had, either, since he'd been looking right at her, not bothering to conceal the fact. Satisfied - that was good...he couldn't help an indulgent wag of his head, amber eyes sparkling in amusement. "Any other important etiquette lessons I missed, for whatever reason?" he queried lightly, one brow rising as she rolled over towards him on the bed - and groaned. Groaned? Another flash of anxiety crossed the young man's features, replacing the amusement almost instantly before he realized what it was - undoubtedly the baby as he tilted his head slightly to one side, raising his eyebrows warily in a wordless query as to her well-being. She really did look close to being due...

No answer - at least immediately - to his question. Instead - T'kal followed her gaze towards the dragons on the Weyrledge, prodding lightly at Leweleth, who answered with a warm contentment - and a bit of smugness. No doubt it pleased the brown to no end that he'd Caught Tanith, especially after Kindrith's attack on him. So absorbed was he in Leweleth's almost alarming level of delight that he scarcely noticed Aliscia moving closer until she spoke, and he glanced down at her again, registering the closed distance with a wry smile. "First Flight, yes, but...no, I wasn't a virgin." His jaw tightened subtly - he half wished he could respond, truthfully, that he was, but T'kal didn't particularly like lying, and he'd shared his furs more times than he could recall in the past Turn. Ah, now his questions were being answered? A boy - and only seven months pregnant? Startling...T'kal was far from an expert, but - was she supposed to be so - large? Already? "Well - congratulations, I guess, assuming you have nothing against a son. Who's the father?" he added, carefully keeping too much curiosity from his tones. Yes, he did want to know.

A meow. Both brown dragon and Rider's heads came around almost simultaneously at the noise, Leweleth clearly amused while T'kal's eyes widened in surprise at the bolt of orange fur headed towards him. Tanith's kitten, the brown commented explanatorily - and yes, to him it was Tanith's and not Aliscia's. Had it not been curled up against Tanith? Thus, it 'belonged' to the green and not to her Bonded. T'kal didn't answer - mostly because said kitten was currently in his lap, which meant - a slight hiss, more of surprise than of pain, slipped from him as he stiffened, refraining from the desire to squirm as he caught Aliscia's wrist in one hand lightly. "Don't, it's okay," he assured her, grimacing playfully as he carefully scooped up the kitten with his other arm. At least it wasn't full-grown yet; that would hurt. Shifting the kitten's weight to his forearm and chest, the Brownrider dropped his head slightly, loosening his grasp on the Greenrider's wrist to rub the kitten absently. "What's his name?"

Leweleth was inordinately pleased by the croon; he rumbled in soft appreciation of the sound, his trained voice rising in a soft caressing croon to match hers, a few notes lower. Thank you, he stated solemnly at her comment, the croon fading as he tilted his head slightly to better study his Flightpartner. Small and dark green and, to Leweleth, lovely beyond words. Well, no. Perhaps not lovely - but nice. Nicer than the other greens at the Weyr, the other dragons as a whole. Kindrith didn't deserve her anyways. (Yes, the blue kept sneaking into his thoughts, curse him.) Cuddling I can do, he added, letting her twine her tail with his and drawing both of them, dark green and brown, against his flank.

[kysseh]

He was a sweet one, Aliscia observed. Or at least a good-natured one, for he seemed to have some great concerns for her well-being. She wanted desperately to roll him over onto his back, pin him down, and smother all of his worries with a good, solid kiss or two. Unfortunately, given the current size of her abdomen, she doubted she could even manage that. The normal activities of flight had been... interesting... with that in the mix. Not that she was complaining, of course.

All other thoughts were pushed aside, though, as her little kitten made himself quite comfortable in the worst possible spot on T'kal's lap. Her wrist was caught as she tried to intercept the little bugger, and she was at first concerned that he might do something to her pet. The ridiculous fears quickly faded, though, and she chuckled softly as T'kal released her wrist and began to pet the little beast she called hers. Pie had sprawled himself out against the brownrider's chest and was now purring madly, not bothered by the disturbance in position. He occasionally gave a contented mrow and rubbed his orange head against the attention-giving hand, shamelessly absorbing every bit of attention that was thrown his way.

"Pie," Aliscia admitted as she relaxed back down onto her side, just watching T'kal spoil the little beast. That kitten was going to be an extraordinarily spoiled little brat by the time he was grown, though she could scarcely protest. He was quite the sweetheart. "I got him when I was first showing. First night here, he hopped up onto my belly, curled up, and started purring. Sweet as pie... so... Pie. Don't put anything... dangly... near him, though. He gets mouthy." Considering Pie's previous position, that was perhaps a good warning for her to give him. She had plans for this brownrider, she did, and Pie sinking his little claws into... parts... would rather ruin that.

Her near-gold eyes flicked over his face, remembering the way he had tensed when she asked him if he had been virgin. Had he been forced, she wondered? Forced during candidacy or late weyrlinghood? He didn't seem the type to tolerate abuse, and he was a big enough man that she doubted another man would've tried taking advantage. Strange. She opted to let that slide, though, and merely reached out to pet Pie. If her hand happened to brush his arm, it was merely incidental. "S'rei... the weyrwoman's pet bronzerider... is the father. Tanith's last flight," she said quietly. A mirthless chuckle suddenly escaped him. "I couldn't even convince him to go again after we woke. No, he had to be a good weyrmate and slink back." And hadn't checked on her either, too preoccupied in his own misery, she supposed. It was probably selfish of her to ask any concern of the bronzerider, but... she didn't think that an occasional conversation would kill him.

But with bronzeriding fools, who knew?

I am very jealous of the nice sounds you can make. Tanith was informing Lewelth, uttering a deep rumble of mixed amusement and grumpiness at her own ability to be... pretty. His croon had her twitching a folded wing and pressing closer to him, not bothering to hide the fact that she liked the cuddles. Cuddling you do very well. You should teach Yours how to cuddle Mine properly. Too many males do not do it right. On a whim, she lifted her head and extended it to nuzzle at the side of his neck, near his face. Touch, touch, touch. She liked it, she did, which was probably what kept her normally active temperament cooled to laziness at the moment. She was a silly beast, indeed.

[Avu]

He liked kittens very much, yes he did, and it showed in the broad grin sprawled across the Brownrider's face as he rubbed the kitten's ears, running his fingers lightly underneath the creature's chin, and if he decided to nibble a bit, what of it? Fingers were just fingers, and the tips were calloused enough from playing the harp that it didn't really matter at all anyways. At least he was no longer in the highly inconvienient position across T'kal's lap. The feline's purring was quite audible, eliciting a slight chuckle from the Brownrider as he ran his fingers through the soft fur, down the spine, and then at the base of the kitten's ears. Hmm. Maybe he would splurge and get a kitten the next time a Gather rolled around.

At the word - it seemed completely random for a moment - T'kal raised his eyes to Aliscia again before he comprehended. Pie was the kitten's name. Of course. Sweet...like pie? His mouth curled into a slight smile. "That fits," he admitted lightly, although the warning was taken much more seriously as he carefully shifted, putting his more private areas out of the kitten's immediate sight or reach, flashing the Greenrider a wry grin as he momentarily ceased his stroking to shift Pie from one arm to the other. "Appreciate the warning," he added, quirking a brow at Pie as he resumed the interrupted rubbing. "You're sweet, you know. Like Leth," he informed the kitten solemnly, remembering a few seconds too late that some people thought it crazy to speak to animals as if they could understand and raising his golden eyes, glancing almost apologetically at Aliscia, as if asking permission to keep on talking to the kitten. The Brownrider had always spoken to animals - since childhood, a habit that had started with the dolphins of Blossom Hold and had simply grown to include all animals - a habit he'd never quite broken himself of. To be fair, when he was younger - as in, ten Turns or so - he really had thought animals capable of understanding speech. Now he was quite past that, but - the habit still lingered.

T'kal automatically shifted Pie away from him for Aliscia's ease of reach as she reached out to stroke the kitten, though his brow did raise slightly at her comment. S'rei? T'kal, for one, still thought of the Bronzerider as the Weyrleader - as that was what he had been when he'd left - and while he was aware that Ka'rys had taken Weyrleadership since then, he still connected S'rei to said position - which made it rather surprising to hear him addressed as the Weyrwoman's "pet". Even more surprising was that, if it had occured due to Tanith's Flight, that she'd kept the baby instead of going between. The Brownrider was torn between amusement and discomfort. While it was nice to be having a relatively normal conversation - allowing for the circumstances - it was - odd - to be discussing the Greenrider's former Flightpartner. "I guess he's just worried about upsetting his Weyrmate," he pointed out, adding a bit more wryly, "I mean, if I had a Weyrmate, I'd be careful not to get her irritated too."

Leweleth fell silent, contemplating Tanith's comment as he fell briefly silent. She was jealous of his crooning? But she made lovely croons too. I have had a teacher, the brown stated, And I think you're very pretty even if you don't make nice sounds. An exaggeration? Only slightly. So what if she was scarred? That wasn't her fault. She couldn't control that. Therefore, it shouldn't affect whether or not she was counted pretty. Simple logic. Meanwhile, she was a very nice Flightpartner - something she could control - therefore making her pretty to Leweleth. The brown couldn't suppress the pleased croon at her comment on his skills at cuddling, so accustomed was he to using his voice. Thank you. A pause, then: Does Yours want T'kalmine to cuddle her? Another pause as the green nuzzled him and he arched his neck, drawing one wing lightly around the green and rubbing his neck against hers. I think he's concerned about her being eggheavy. And he likes your kitten. Well, that's what he's thinking about right now, anyway.

[kysseh]

Pie was horribly shameless, Aliscia had decided, for the orange kitten was pressing himself against the attention that T'kal freely gave. He meowed on occasion, so pitifully unashamed of the way that he was soaking up the caresses. Aliscia was horribly jealous too. She wanted those capable hands on her again, shardit!

When he shifted Pie for her to reach easier, she happily edged closer to him and settled along his side, grunting with the effort of getting her heavy body properly situated. This pregnancy needed to be over; she hated feeling like an overgrown herdbeast. Her child seemed to agree on the concept of getting out and gave her a powerful kick in the diaphragm in protest of the movement, making her lie perfectly still for a moment while she fought to get her breath back. By the time she did, she was still winded enough that it took energy to stroke the kitten. Pie seemed to pick up on her distress and mrowed softly, rubbing his head against her slim fingers and sticking out his rough tongue to lick at whatever hands came near his reach.

"Probably good that I told you," the greenrider said tiredly, taking the liberty of resting her head--tousled hair and all--against his arm. "Don't want him making a grab for anything sensitive." She could not resist a bit of a chuckle at his expense. Men and their protective tendencies toward... certain areas. Precious it was, however, that he spoke directly to the kitten in his grasp. She missed being that young and carefree. Those memories were Turns and Turns away. His words on S'rei emphasized that youthful inexperience. Poor uneducated little boy. Sweet, but.... he really didn't get it, did he?

It elicited a snicker from her, it did. Her laughter was bittersweet, though. The boy had a bit of a point, and it just served to remind her that she was being somewhat selfish on that count. As her child gave her another kick, she huffed softly. "I suppose. Flights are flights, though, kiddo. He never cheated on her." She was silent for a moment, exhaling slowly in an attempt to keep herself and her obviously-awake unborn offspring from getting riled up. "It just makes me sore that he insists he wants to be involved with this child, and he can't spare a breath to find out if I'm still alive." She sounded selfish and childish, she knew. Did she care, though? Not a whole lot.

Pretty? Tanith snorted softly. Obviously, the silly male had problems with his eyes. She was not pretty. But he was complimenting her, so she let him. Compliments always made her feel very, very nice, and she puffed up a bit in response. He crooned again, and she nibbled playfully at his neck. You shall have to teach me sometime, then. And.... yes, Mine does want to be cuddled. She lazed against him, snuggling beneath the wing that curled around her. Ohh, yes. A quick learner her little Leweleth was! Hers. All hers. Mine likes the kitten too. I said she needs a little cousin to scrub my ridges. Why is Yours worried about her being eggheavy? She is not fragile, Mine. We are good fighters, she and I. She fears no one. Was she proud of Hers?

Most certainly.

[Avu]

T'kal had been blissfully occupied stroking Pie - the kitten's clear delight at being scratched amused him; even Leweleth would get bored if the Brownrider just sat there rubbing him like this - and was, therefore, surprised when a movement from his Flightpartner was made, not to get up, but towards him; he raised his gaze from Pie, torn between helping her and confusion as to what she was doing. As she settled against his side, he couldn't resist a chuckle. Did she want attention too? Her position certainly made it seem so. Her shortness of breath was distressingly clear; surely that motion shouldn't take such effort? At least, not until she was closer to being due? The worries seemed to be echoed by Pie's actions. "You couldn't have just called me over there?" he chided gently, unable to repress himself. He was worried.

As her head came to rest on his arm, T'kal, more as an automatic response than anything else, draped said arm around the Greenrider's shoulders, a slight grin quirking at her chuckle. "I'm glad you can laugh at my pain." The comment was a light one, clearly teasing, though he did wince as she voiced his thoughts aloud. Yes, he'd much rather keep away from that scene. Undignified he would undoubtedly be if Pie decided to latch onto any - as Aliscia so eloquently put it - 'sensitive' parts. At least she hadn't thought odd that spoke to Pie - not that the kitten seemed to note that he was being addressed anyway. Well...it was the thought that counted, right?

Okay, so the Brownrider didn't approve of what S'rei did - it still made him uncomfortable to think about telling off the Bronzerider in any way. Yes, even if he'd never find out. S'rei was Weyrleader to him, and Weyrleader was to be respected and obeyed. He nodded in silent agreement to her first comment. Only Flight. Being Holdborn and raised previous to his Impression at the Weyr, 'only' didn't really describe Flight to T'kal; even the past Turn hadn't cured him entirely of his Hold-incited modesty, but - surely S'rei would appreciate that even if he couldn't...? One eyebrow inched towards his hairline, surprise flickering across his face at the last comment. So he'd wanted to be involved but - couldn't be, for whatever reason?

He paused, uncertain, but Leweleth took that moment to insert a thought, sounding inordinately pleased with the world at large. Tanith says Hers wants you to cuddle her - you should, I think. T'kal blinked in surprise, glancing towards the Weyrledge. So great was his surprise that he didn't consider it at all embarrassing when he blurted at random, "Leth says Tanith said you wanted to be - ah - cuddled?" The words came out with a slight awkwardness, but there was more amusement than anything else, a grin sliding across his face. Yes, it amused him - that Leweleth should state that their Flightpartner wanted to be cuddled in such a matter-of-fact, smug tone. There was no denying it: The brown was elated.

And it showed, too, in the soft hum at Tanith's caress and statement. Anytime, he promised quietly, confidence slipping into his tones. If there was anything the brown knew he was good at, it had to be music. That had been the one thing he'd latched onto at High Reaches; it had become more than a hobby - rather, it was a lifeline, a strong one that lasted even after the crisis was over. I've told T'kalmine, he added, nodding slightly. I think he should cuddle her instead of being worried about her being eggheavy too... Leweleth paused, head cocked slightly. He's worried because he always worries about others' well-being, especially when he likes those others, the brown explained after he'd organized the facts in his own mind. I think he needs a little cousin too, so he can worry about one of them instead of everyone else.

[kysseh]

It was blatantly obvious that the boy was scolding her, but Aliscia ignored that and settled as much of her weight as she could manage against his warm body. Warm... warm and cozy. "I could've. This way, you don't get an option," she said simply, resting her tousle-haired head more comfortably on his arm, her fingers still seeking to find the spot on her kitten's head that always had Pie melting into a puddle. He was a horrible attention-hog, that kitten. "Besides... I'm not helpless." The words themselves might have been scathing, but her tone was one of mild amusement. She was just teasing, after all.

Her amusement was displayed further in the smirk that split her face, and she snickered softly at his words, ducking her head beneath his arm to lean her head against his torso. Comfortable, he was, but he was such an obviously youthful creature. Clueless, of course. Age would probably knock that obliviousness right out of him. Of course she was laughing at him! She found the fussiness of males over their parts to be quite amusing. They did not realize that that made women more likely to aim for that, did they? She hummed in quiet appreciation as the arm settled around her shoulders, arching her back and maneuvering her unwieldy body to rest more of her weight against him. What a fast learner he was.

"Yes. You're allowed to touch me, you know," she answered him, ignoring his surprise at her opinion regarding the sire of her unborn child. The boy could be bemused all he wanted; it was really quite simple if he ever bothered to ask her. He didn't, though, so she was quite happy to change the subject. The topic of close physical contact was much more.... stimulating. She removed one hand from Pie and rested it flat on the front of T'kal's torso, running it slowly and very carefully up toward his neck. "I'm not breakable. If you didn't put a mark on me before-" Her smirk was wicked now, her tone sultry. "-you won't now. Might just wear me out a little."

One foot lifted slightly to drag along his calf, almost absentminded in its movements. She just wanted attention, really. The hand that was spoiling Pie could do much, much nicer things on her own body, and Pie couldn't give the boy a romp in the furs the way his human could...

Sensing that Hers was quite, quite delighted with this turn of events, Tanith rumbled deep in her chest, highly amused at the feelings that Hers was emanating. Yes, that was her intractable bonded, it was. She was so very proud of the eggheavy woman. I know you did. Mine is very happy about it. the green said, tilting her head to get a better view of the brown. With his head tilted that way, he looked adorably youthful, and she lifted her nose to nudge at the underside of his chin in affection and some possessive pride. Hers. All hers. Yours needs a kitten and a little cousin. Then he can bring his kitten and little cousin and spend more time with mine, and we can share the ledge. That was said with a tone of almost finality, as if the fierce little dragon had decided that that was just how things needed to be. Then everyone won... most especially Hers.

[Avu]

Hmm. His scolding seemed to have little effect. T'kal shrugged, one eyebrow quirking at the Greenrider's - very obvious - movements. Not that he wasn't comfortable. He was. The very fact that Aliscia didn't seem to care if she lost her dignity - it amused him. (Not that he'd had much dignity either previous to his arrival at Selenitas, but Aliscia didn't even have the excuse of being drugged into blissful oblivion.) "I would've gone," he assured her, a slight smirk flicking across his mouth. He was young, yes, but that didn't mean he wasn't male. Not helpless? "Not quite," he countered, his tone teasing again. Well, she'd brought it onto herself, in T'kal's mind. Clearly she shouldn't be putting that much strain on herself.

At least she could still laugh. At him. The Brownrider's lip twitched in amusement at her smirk. She just didn't understand how much it would hurt - the mere idea made him wince - if Pie decided to sink his claws into - parts. Was it surprising that he'd rather not offer said parts up to the kitten? Apparently the contact was enjoyed by the Greenrider, though; the quiet hum made him tilt his head, eyebrow raising playfully as she settled herself even more against him. Lack of shame - it was definitely noticeable. Surprising, but not unpleasantly so. Absently, he drew one finger lightly against her shoulder, following the swells and hills of bone and skin, in a circular motion as he flicked a glance at Aliscia, a slight, half-smirk, half-smile crossing his face. She so obviously liked the close contact, yes - but so did he, and the fact that neither of them were clothed - yes, he was perfectly fine with this.

Was she asking him to share her furs? Again? His hand stopped, surprise flickering across his face. Teasing - surely she was teasing? But no. Could anybody act that well? That she had her hand on his chest, moving it slowly towards his neck - tempting. Very tempting it was, to take her up on the offer. - the baby. The baby? Like she'd said, though, said a hopeful voice in his mind - if he hadn't hurt them before, why would he now? Flightlust was much more violent...T'kal had begun to absently rub the Greenrider's shoulder again, considering. He wanted to. Oh, he most definitely wanted to. So why not? The fact that he still held Pie flickered across the Brownrider's mind; he glanced at the kitten curiously. Where would Pie go? Back to Tanith, to Leweleth? Do you mind a kitten using your tail as a chewtoy? I suppose not...you're going to Fly Tanith's? Maybe... T'kal disengaged himself from Aliscia briefly, leaning over to deposit Pie lightly onto the ground, giving the kitten a nudge towards the Weyrledge. Twitch your tail. The brown's tailtip twitched obediently, flicking lightly.

Resettling himself against Aliscia, T'kal glanced down at the Greenrider. "Here's to hoping Leweleth can keep Pie amused," he stated quietly. He paused, smirked teasingly, studying her intently. "You get first move." And no, he wouldn't do anything - unless she started it. It was her call.

Leweleth flicked a glance towards the interior of the Weyr, tailtip still twitching lightly, trying to catch Pie's interest. The brown was content to be used as a chewtoy if it gave His the opportunity to Fly Tanith's. Lucky humans; they didn't need to Rise to mate. (In Leweleth's opinion, T'kal didn't take advantage of that often enough anymore.) T'kalmine's happy too, the brown commented, How long can your kitten stay entertained by one thing? he queried. T'kalmine doesn't want him in the way, so I'm supposed to be entertaining him with my tail. A slight snort of amusement as the brown ran his head lightly along Tanith's neck, coming to a rest on her shoulders. I think we're getting a feline whenever a Gather comes up again. He was thinking about it before. The statement held undeniable delight at the green's idea, blatantly clear - and Leweleth made no attempt to hide it.


((I'll let you fade-out or whatever you want to do...*nodnod* <3))