and away flew the moth [open]

[Avu]

Watch out, Tr'esnlovemine, there's a kitten in our bed.

"There's a...a kitten? Um...why?" The Greenweyrling blinked, clearly bewildered, at the dragon who lay neatly, forelegs crossed, on the stone dragoncouch. Oquith blinked calmly at Hers, who was wrapped waist-down in a towel, dirty clothes carried over one hand, his hair dripping onto his shoulders and almost completely obscuring his view, so long was the front. Raising one hand -- the other twisted tightly around the towel to keep it from dropping as he slid into the doorway -- to push the curls out of his eyes, the boy's gaze lit instantly on the little bundle of pure white, scruffy fur that was curled up in the middle of his furs, fast asleep with belly bulging. Tr'esn edged into the room, cocking his head to eye the kitten curiously. "Where'd the kitten come from? Is s -- er, he? She? Whose is it?"

She is Moth, Oquith stated passively, blinking calmly, but then a tinge of pain suffused her quick-whirling, jewel-faceted eyes. Leweleth, the brown whose Mine passed. She was His, but then he went /between/. Oquith squirmed, wings flaring in agitation until Tr'esn, grabbing underwear and pants, pulled them on and then plopped himself next to the green on the couch, wrapping one arm around the muscled neck. "Sorry. You like Leweleth?" He was nice and he told me what happened, the green responded seriously with a soft whuff of dismay. But he told me about Moth and showed me an image of her, and I recognized her when I saw her. She was wandering by the Rider Weyrs. "You were down there, while I was bathing?" Yes. I thought maybe I could see what happened to Leweleth's. And so I saw her, and brought her back here. She liked getting a ride. I think Leweleth must have done it.

"Qui, I told you what happened to Leweleth," Tr'esn pointed out gently. "Remember? Poison. There was wine, spilled..." Like Aslath's, the green agreed softly, eyes flashing in sorrow. "Like that. Anyway, what'm I supposed to do with a kitten?" You said you didn't want a little cousin, Oquith pointed out, clearly thinking her reasoning was the epitome of sensible. But I want a little pet, and I don't want the Moth to starve. Can we keep her, please? The green eyed him hopefully, butting his arm with her muzzle and then rubbing her nose hopefully against his bare chest, whuffling and sending her warm breath across his skin. Leaning against Oquith, Tr'esn eyed Moth. "She won't destroy anything, will she...?" No, no. She is a lovely Moth, Oquith reassured him.

At that point, said Moth stirred, and both dragon and boy froze, and then the kitten raised her head, brilliant, emerald green eyes blinking curiously at Tr'esn as her lips opened, tongue uncurling in a soft mrow. Completely unafraid as Oquith leaned over to snuffle softly at her, the kitten even went as far as to purr, rubbing against the dragon's muzzle. You see? The Moth is nice, Oquith stated, completely unfazed by the affections being graced upon her snout. Tr'esn stepped over cautiously, offering his fingers for the kitten's sniffing. He'd seen this before. The animal would smell, consider, and then either accept or deny the offered caresses. However, Moth had never read the how-to handbook, for she entirely bypassed sniffing and immediately butted her head against Tr'esn's hand, purring as she sought his attention.

You see? She's a lovely Moth. Can we keep her? Tr'esn barely considered for a moment as he bit back a grin, rubbing the white feline's ears and neck, amused by her stormy purring. "All right -- but if we're not allowed to, you can't complain, okay?" Don't be silly, Tr'esnlovemine. Of course we'll be allowed to. If we can't, we can ask Wymethlove if Hers can keep the Moth in the Drumheights! Pleased by this plan, Oquith whuffled at Moth, making the feline arch her back defiantly, and then, thinking it a game, hopped off the bed, darting towards the door and sliding lithely through the door that Tr'esn had forgotten to close, rushing down the hallway with a catch-me-if-you-can twitch of her tail. Oh, Mine! protested a distressed Oquith. The Moth is flying away, Mine, don't let her! With that, the green lumbered up from the dragoncouch and started after Moth, followed by a bewildered Tr'esn.

"Wait..."

[dragon]

Spotting a fluffy white thing bolting down the hallway, Storm really, truely, plainly ... could not resist. The bronze flitter swooped low off his perch atop his pet's door, and zoomed after the kitten. Zooming past the strange white thing, Storm swirled around in a flurry of wings, and plopped down on the stone floor infront of the kitten.

With a hiss, Storm warned the perceived intruder to stop. But from there, the flitter completely changed tactics. Ooching forward curiously, Storm inched toward the kitten, stretching his own snout out to sniff the kitten's nose to the best of his ability.

He had seen a kitten before ... but it had not been snowy white at all. Not at all. Rather, it had been Elle, Saeo's kitten. The one that was being hidden in the barracks, against regulations. So the snowy white aspect had Storm completely curious about the kitten that otherwise would have been completely ignored.

Curious to know what it was that had his flitter's attention so, C'oar appeared in his own doorway to look down the hall at where Storm had gone. Seeing the white kitten scampering down the hall in a roly poly type fashion made him grin slightly, even though he did wonder where the white kitten had come from. Wander bugs, that's what kittens were. No telling where they'd find themselves, if they weren't watched.

And, curious to know what had caught first Storm, and the his' attention, too, Frosstyth poked his head out of the door, past C'oar's knee, to see. What is it? It's white! What is it? Is it a 'mandyr? Frosstyth asked of Oquith, unable to clearly see what the white thing over yonder was.

[Avu]

Mini winged, ahoy!

Moth stopped at Storm's hiss, one ear flicking in surprise. No, no. Hisses were bad! But nonetheless, the kitten had been raised with an even bigger winged one -- even if she couldn't find him anymore -- and found no fear of the little flitter. He was still larger than she -- Moth was simply small -- but that was okay. The bronze was still nearer her size than Leweleth had been, and the green dragon currently in pursuit was. As the flitter stretched out his snout, Moth mrowed cheerfully at him, her emerald green eyes widening as she inched forward, eager for attention and lacking the dignity that most felines had, as she flopped happily next to the bronze, a purr rumbling in her throat as she blinked cheerfully at Storm with another hopeful meow.

Winged ones didn't generally pet her, but then, winged ones weren't generally this small, either. Maybe this one was special! The feline kitten squirmed hopefully, rolling onto her back and wriggling as she peered up at Storm, emerald eyes sliding over the bronze flitter and then back at Oquith, who had just caught up with him, the green snorting in surprise at the bronze flitter and promptly sitting down, dropping her head to poke at Moth with her muzzle. She recieved a rumbly purr as Moth pawed gently at the muzzle next to her. Oh, the green dragon said, blinking at Moth. Mine, I found the Moth. And a bronze fire lizard. Her head cocked curiously at the bronze in question. I didn't know we had a bronze fire lizard, she commented mildly, meaning her Weyrling group as "we".

"We don't. Do we?" Tr'esn, catching up to his dragon and leaning against her shoulder. "Oh. Hey, Moth...c'mere, please? Don't..." He stepped forward, but the feline, mrowling excitedly at him, squirmed to her feet and then started down the hall again, the grace that came naturally to felines starting to show in her step -- just a bit. "Hey!" the Greenweyrling protested, waving one arm feebly after the kitten, and then staring blankly at Storm. "Uh...sorry. Hello." He was no expert on flitters and didn't know at all how much they were capable of understanding -- actually, he'd never tried talking to them before -- except that they grasped much less than a dragon was able to. Oh, Tr'esnlove. The little brother is very smart, I'm sure, Oquith said reproachfully, craning her head to keep sight of Moth, who turned her head, meowing loudly to make sure she still had their attention.

Aren't you, little brother? I think you're very smart. I'm Oquith, and this is Tr'esnmine, and that is the Moth. Oquith nodded emphatically, and then shifted, neatly, letting Tr'esn start after Moth. "Hey...come back! I'm going to get in trouble, hoarding you, especially if you take off like -- oh." His face drained of color, and Tr'esn cocked his head uneasily, eyeing C'oar in confusion. Having been on Oquith's other side, and mostly focused on Moth, he hadn't noticed the brownweyrling -- or his dragon -- standing at the door. Oquith, however, gave a short croon of greeting, blinking at Frosstyth as Moth did a double take, swinging around and then bounding back to Tr'esn, who was obviously more interested in this other boy than playing with her.

Actually, he was midway through apologizing -- "I'm sorry -- I didn't see you, and -- um, ye -- " when Moth interrupted, claws she rarely used tangling with the boy's pants as she pulled herself up his leg and clung there, at his waist, lacking the fabric needed to go further, with an insistent mrowl. "Ouch!" Tr'esn blinked down at her, shocked, and then one hand instinctively slid under her to support her, the other absently smoothing the scruffy fur down as he blinked nervously at C'oar. "Um...you won't...tell the Weyrlingmaster, will you? About Moth, I mean? I don't know...if we're supposed to have them, but Qui wanted her, and..." He shrugged nervously, hitching the kitten up to chest level for convienence. "Um, well -- I don't know, I didn't want her to starve...and she used to belong to Leweleth's Rider, so...so she hasn't got an owner, now, I guess," he finished lamely. He hadn't known Leweleth's, so it was hard to say exactly why he was sad -- he supposed it was Oquith, missing Leweleth, or some such.

Oh, no, Oquith was informing Frosstyth serenely, curling her tail happily around Hers' legs. Not a 'mandyr. Mine doesn't want one -- he says they're very obnoxious and they scare him. It's a feline. A Moth. I was just explaining it to the little bronze brother -- is he yours? The Moth used to be Leweleth's pet, and I found him today. She's lovely, though. The green nodded, turning her head to watch the white kitten, who was pressed happily against the greenweyrling's chest, rumbling happily under his caresses. A lovely Moth indeed!

[dragon]

Storm fluttered, and looked at the kitten funny when she plopped down next to him. Snaking his head around, he poked her furry side with his snout, sniffing curiously. And then a giant green snout arrived there, too. Well ... giant compared to him. Storm trilled, and reached up to nose that face, too. He warbled a welcom to her, and then looked up at Tr'esn curiously. Seeing nothing wrong with replying, the flitter peeped a return hello. And then the kitten was off and going again... to where??

Storm jumped to his feet, and trotted after her to see where she was going, snout to tail. And then the kitten stopped, so he did, too! Coming up alongside Moth, he sat down and looked at her curiously again. All soft ... fuzzy ... white. Storm wondered if maybe she was akin to the colored one that Saeo kept around? He jumped back to his feet, flaring his wings when she turned around and started back again.

Loopy kitten??

C'oar waited until Tr'esn stopped stuttering and rambling all over the place, and silence finally happened. And then he merely shook his head slightly. "I won't tell." He said. As far as he saw it ... it was none of his business. And felines certainly didn't bother him. He really didn't see why they were forbidden.

He listened for a moment as Frosstyth relayed what Oquith had said, and then he nodded. "It's good of you to take in someone else's pet." he remarked. Not everyone would do that ... "You might want to try a little harder in keeping her confined, though, if you want to keep her and stay out of trouble." he suggested. Probably a pointless and needless comment, but maybe it needed reinforced. Never know with some people.

Frosstyth bobbed his head once, looking at Oquith, Moth, and then Tr'esn. The little bronze brother belongs to mine, yes. He can be quite silly some times, mine says. Where did you find her? He replied. I wonder if mine would let me get a pet, too?[/color] The brown mused.

[Avu]

Still stroking Moth absently to appease the kitten's efforts for attention, the Greenweyrling couldn't repress an embarrassed flush that rose in his cheeks. He shifted uncertainly, leaning against Oquith for comfort under the silence. He hated when silence fell in a conversation, be it one like this or any other -- it was simply so awkward, and -- specifically in this conversation (of sorts; the other hadn't done much talking), it made him dread what might happen if the Weyrlingmaster found out. He liked Sel'n, kind of -- not as a friend, but as a Weyrlingmaster. And he knew he'd never be able to look at him without feeling sick if he disposed of Moth, with all she'd been though already -- loosing the first person to take her in, and then wandering around before being carted away by Oquith...

Said kitten didn't seem to feel any sadness, though, for her purring rose to a stormy level. Oh, yes, yes, yes, she liked being petted, she did. But Tr'esn was altogether too tense; the muscles of his stomach were contracted and not squishy and comfortable. Moth wriggled, and then poked her cold nose into the boy's stomach just as C'oar spoke. Tr'esn gulped, one finger gently pressing Moth's nose away from him as the kitten squirmed again, happily. "Thanks," he whispered softly in response, raising the kitten to Oquith's back and absently dropping her onto the green's back. Clearly the kitten felt just as home on the dragon as on her Rider, for she slid lithely to the small dip between neck and back and promptly curled up there, earning a croon from Oquith as the green huffed affectionately at the kitten.

The reproving words that followed made Tr'esn shrink back slightly, dropping his eyes guiltily. Should he have? He didn't think he could have, honestly. Oquith hadn't warned him until he'd already entered the room -- possibly because she wanted Moth's sweetness to work its magic -- and as thus, Tr'esn had left the door to his barracks open, which meant that a big sign flashing "EXIT THIS WAY" lit up in Moth's mind. Before his arrival at the Weyr, he would have taken the criticism with no comment, and simply gone on his way, but a small, blurry, defiant voice had woken up with his Impression of Oquith.

Looping one arm around the green's neck and feeling Moth nibble on his fingers, Tr'esn answered defensively, "I didn't know she was there...Oquith just found her. Besides, it's only for a month -- the Tidal Weyrlings'll be moving out of the Barracks soon, and there's no rule against keeping felines in the actual weyrs." However, he cocked his head, his eyes slightly questioning at the other's comment. Not take in a kitten they'd found? After their human had died and left them alone? Let the kitten starve? In Benden Weyr, maybe, but surely not here? People had some decent humanity, some sympathy, here, didn't they? He bit his lip, shrugging as he leaned more tightly against Oquith -- a habit he'd acquired and had never tried to break himself of. The green's empathy, her presence, soothed him immeasurably.

Oquith blinked slightly at Frosstyth, and a hint of amusement slipped into her eyes. The bronze brother can be silly? Bronzes are supposed to be dignified, though, she commented, amused as she craned her neck to nuzzle at Moth, the feline batting at her muzzle with one paw. Aberath, the bronze who shares the Barracks with Mine and I -- he is. She nodded, and Moth mrowled happily, still trying to snag onto her muzzle. I found the Moth near the Rider Weyrs. Mine was in the Bathingrooms, and so I went over there. The green huffed slightly. The Moth was just there, and Leweleth had spoken about him before. So I brought him back for Mine. Perhaps Yours can have a little Moth when she clutches? She is, after all, a clutching female.

[dragon]

Tr'esn wasn't saying much. More specfically, Tr'esn hadn't said anything since C'oar had spoken. Which was ... more than a little awkward. Okay. Maybe something he'd said had gone over wrong. Way wrong. But the expressions flitting across the lad's face were ... well ... expressive. C'oar watched that for a time, wondering if what he thought he was seeing was actually what Tr'esn was thinking.

Ah, he finally said something. A month? "Shouldn't be a problem. Just keep her confined and you should be alright. So long as your roommate doesn't rat you out. Might be safer to let someone else keep her for said month ..." C'oar suggested, just as an idea. "Unless you're certain they'll agree to not tell the weyrling master." he ammended, thinking quickly. And then his brows ooched upward a bit. "Your dragon fetched her in?" he repeated, interested. "I guess it's her pet, now, then?" He inquired.

Frosstyth watched with interest, as Storm clambered up onto Oquith's shoulders to peer at Moth. Chirrr?? Peep? Warble warble warble? Storm sat down, and then poked at Oquith's nose, too, before patting at Moth with his forefeet. He was quite curious about the little Moth, and her actions. That and Oquith was interesting to talk to, too.

Young are often silly, before they realize they are supposed to be important. he mentioned. Mine says I am silly, too. I guess it's all perspective. Frosstyth mused. Is it really that easy to get a pet? Furry things are interesting! Frosstyth admitted, almost shyly.

[Avu]

Funny, it was, how the other boy was giving him advice on keeping Moth. Simple advice, things he already had known, but advice nonetheless. Ironic, considering Tr'esn doubted -- due to Storm's curiosity of Moth -- that he had a kitten of his own, or this fire lizard would have been much less openly curious. He propped his elbow against Oquith's shoulder, leaning against the green dragon as Moth mrowled, her rough tongue rasping over the fingers of his other hand as he bounced her absently, as one might a baby. "Ah...Ki'ner..." The Greenweyrling hesitated, glancing up at Oquith for support. "Ki'ner won't -- won't tell." He hoped the boy wouldn't, anyway. The bronzeweyrling wasn't half bad, Tr'esn supposed, even if his dragon did scare Tr'esn, though Oquith didn't mind him. "Not...not if Qui asks Aberath not to, I guess. I hope." Anyway, what was the worst that could happen? He didn't trust anyone enough to keep the kitten for the month, except for Vashti and K'iel, and they were Weyrlings, too.

So that didn't do them any good, though maybe if Sel'n demanded they get rid of Moth, he could ask Vashti to hoard the kitten in the Drumheights.

"Uh, yeah..." Tr'esn stroked the scruffy fur gingerly with one finger and Moth purred, flattening her ears playfully as she latched onto his finger with one claw, nibbling at his fingertips lightly, her tongue licking at the pads of his fingers. "She did...Qui calls her 'the Moth'. That's her name," he added belatedly, shrugging, as Moth mrowled loudly in greeting at C'oar, her emerald green eyes lighting upon the boy briefly before she was distracted again by Storm, who had landed on Oquith and started patting her. Oh, how nice! The meow turned into a stormy purring and the kitten squirmed to butt her head enthusiastically against the bronze flitter's forepaw, cooing sweetly to demand more attention. Oquith whistled at the kitten, who mrowled back, flattening her ears at the high-pitched noise, and then the green dragon snorted softly, eyeing Storm as well as she could manage with her head tilted to observe his actions closely.

Little bronze brother, you like the Moth? she queried, settling down slowly into a lying-down position so that the bronze could reach better; Tr'esnhers was small, he was, and though he could still wrap his arms around her neck, to be as small as Storm was and still manage to reach such a long ways down had to be relatively uncomfortable, it did. Silly? I don't think you're silly. I think Yours is like Mine -- he exaggerates, Oquith answered Frosstyth affably, her eyes whirling in quick amusement. He's called me silly before, too. But it was -- it was a /good/ silly. He was happy when he said it. Then she shook her head sideways, slowly, after a brief consideration. I think I got lucky, finding the Moth. They are not so easy to find, and she's the first one I've seen all on her own. Most not-Moths have people already. But they're sold at Gathers, if Yours wants to buy one.

[dragon]

C'oar nodded, only, in response to Tr'esn's evaluation of what his room mate would or would not do. C'oar didn't know either of them, to make any kind of comment in any direction at all. So ... whatever the lad thought was fine by him. He watched the kitten interacting with Storm, and then got off the doorframe to wander over and look at the newly acquired feline.

"Looks like it's from the same batch that Saeo got hers from, I think." He remarked, off hand, before looking over at Tre'sn. "Is it?" he asked, curiously. Since Moth was talking to him invitingly, he had no objections to reaching over and scrubbing the feline's ears, or between her shoulders. And while, no, he didn't have one of his own, his mother had had several back home, for rodent control. So, he did know a few things about them, though not a lot.

Storm decided that he liked this feline ... it was friendly! He patted at it some more, chirruping happily and he more or less fondled the kitten's face all over. Discovering whiskers, Storm grabbed a double handful of them, and peered at the stiff bits curiously. And then he gave them an experimental yank, to see if they'd come off.

Frosstyth sat down in the hallway, and tilted his head to one side. Mine doesn't want a kitty. Mine has Storm, and decided that was plenty enough for him. Why? I don't know. But I like to look at furries? He offered.

[Avu]

Had he expected an answer?

No, not entirely. Tr'esn didn't know C'oar, and he didn't know what to say to the boy -- not that he usually spoke that much anyway, but silence did unnerve him -- part of the reason why he liked the kitchens. It was always so noisy there, and the noise was comfortable. However, the kitchens were now a mixed blessing, for though he didn't have to work to be there -- he could just watch -- it meant that Oquith couldn't accompany him. Small she may be, but far too large to manage to wriggle through the distinctly human-sized door of the kitchens -- or so he thought. Neither Oquith nor Tr'esn had ever wanted to try; both weyrlings were all too aware of the chaos that would surely ensue should a green dragonet wriggle her way into the kitchens, so full of busy Drudges.

The brownweyrling did move closer, though, apparently examining Moth, and a vague sense of possessiveness overcame Tr'esn as C'oar reached out to rub Moth. "I don't know. Probably. She's not full grown, anyway." He shrugged, watching C'oar handle the kitten closely, anxious as to her reaction to such a caress, but the kitten was positively elated and mrowed delightedly, rubbing her head enthusiastically against C'oar's hand, purring in a way that closely resembled a dragon's rumble as her emerald eyes closed trustingly as she completely sank into the caresses. "Attention hog," Tr'esn murmured softly, touching the kitten's paw lightly and earning a gentle bat from the same paw as Moth purred at him, rolling over like a canine to playfully nibble on C'oar's fingers and cling to them, though her claws remained sheathed.

Didn't he want to play?!

However, playing came to an end as Storm, finished with his patting -- Moth enjoyed that, she did! -- decided to grab her whiskers and pull. Moth didn't mind them being touched, but pulled? That hurt! The feline hissed, squirming away and burying her muzzle between her paws, plopping herself down on Oquith's back a distance away from Storm in order to lick her nose cautiously with her sandpaper tongue, nearly going cross-eyed to make sure all whiskers were intact and uncrumpled, before she flattened her ears in silent reprimand to the bronze flitter. She wanted to play with him, but he was being mean! With a small huff, Moth eyed Storm warily.

Oh, well yes...the little brother is very lovely, Oquith agreed, neck still arched to watch the proceedings on her back, between her wings. Very much so...oh, Frosstyth? Will you tell the little brother that my Moth's whiskers do not come off? It hurts her when they're pulled and I don't think my Moth likes it. The green dragon eyed Moth with some concern, but as the kitten mrowed at her, pushing herself against the green's muzzle affectionately, she huffed again. I do believe she survived this time, but please don't let him do it again?

[dragon]

Frosstyth rumbled a little bit, and then soundly scolded Storm for yanking on the kitten's whiskers. That was not nice! How would you like for her to start chewing on your earknobs?? The brown demanded of the little bronze.

Storm looked over at the Moth, and then at Oquith, and then again at Frosstyth. And then realizing what he'd done, he looked properly cowed and apologetic. Peeping softly, he looked over at the Moth for forgiveness.

C'oar frowned as he witnessed the whisker pulling. But hearing what was going between Frosstyth and Storm, he didn't bother to reprimand the flitter any further. He got the point, that was all that mattered. He looked over at Tre'sn, instead. "Sorry about that ... Storm doesn't know any better, apparently." He explained. "He won't do it again."

Getting no answer to his query, and also witnessing the change in Tre'sn's expression upon his approach to the kitten, C'oar got the hint and backed off again, though he did give Moth one last farewell pat. "Nice kitten." He commented, instead.

[Avu]

Oquith's eyes whirled apologetically at the sound of the scolding Frosstyth gave to the bronze fire lizard, and she crooned slightly, almost reassuringly, at the fire lizard's reaction. She hadn't meant to scold him oh-so-soundly, she hadn't...just a gentle reminder. The little brother was smart enough, he was...Oquith was sure a gentle reminder would have worked just as well! But what was done was done, so she nuzzled Frosstyth on the shoulder. Thank you, Frosstyth; I do not know if he would have listened to me. And I don't think the Moth understood, but she would be grateful if she did -- I'm sure. She nodded as if to convince herself and then glanced back around at Moth and Storm, watching the kitten carefully.

Moth was still wrinkling her upper lip, licking her nose and whiskers, and pawing at them uncertainly. She hadn't lost any whiskers -- Storm hadn't pulled hard enough, or fast enough, to do that -- but it still felt -- felt funny. It didn't hurt anymore, but it still tingled slightly, sending alarms to her. Tingly whiskers meant something was up, and while Moth knew it wasn't that, the kitten didn't like it. Her whiskers were so precious, what if they were actually pulled off? But the fire lizard sounded apologetic, and Moth kind of wanted to play more, too...the white kitten licked her whiskers one last time, and then mrowed at Storm -- not loudly, but rather quietly, still wary. She didn't understand apologies, not really. Things were generally repetitive. If something hurt once, it was bound to hurt again, so she didn't let it hurt her again. (Like the bed. Oh, that hurt. She'd run into the post, once, and it had hurt her nose terribly, and thus she'd deduced that she couldn't go through it, and not to try.)

Tr'esn reached out a hand anxiously to the kitten, and Moth promptly butted her head against said hand, cooing a happy reassurance. The Greenweyrling's face broke into a tentative smile as he touched the whiskers gently. None fell out, and Moth seemed not to mind as long as the touch was a light one, so Tr'esn let her lick his fingertips with her raspy tongue, nodding slowly at C'oar. "It -- it's fine," he stammered, unused to apologies, even though this one was aimed more at Moth than at he; "She's not -- not hurt...it's fine." He shrugged, biting his lip slightly, and then grinned at Moth, who had started to lick the cut he'd gotten on his fingertip after he'd managed to trip over some rock down at the River, her rough tongue almost caressing as she firmly held his hand in place with her paws. "Has he never seen a kitten before?" Tr'esn added absently, nodding his head towards Storm even as his eyes remained on Moth.

[dragon]

"He's seen a kitten before. Several of them. He's just ... never gotten that close to one before. A couple of the other weyrlings have kittens that they're also hiding." C'oar mentioned, though he deliberatly neglected to mention which ones, this time around. "He tends to leave them alone, cause he's seen that they tend to terrorize the salamandyrs." C'oar explained.

Storm crept cautiously ... apologetically ... toward Moth. He peeped a little bit, and then bobbed his head up and down a few times. Creeping closer, he sat down closer to the kitten, and reached forward with his snout. Sniffing, Storm tried to offer a truce. Maybe the kitten would accept it? He really didn't know how to communicate with a kitten ... he spent most of his time avoiding them. But he hadn't ever seen Moth attack anyone, so he was figuring that maybe she was a different type of kitten. Certainly a different color!

Storm is still learning, I think. Frosstyth explained, though he never bothered to consider that maybe the flitter was older than he was. Frosstyth just automatically assumed that the flitter was younger, because he was smaller. Which, at the moment didn't make a whole lot of sense. In time, he might realize his strange thought patterns, and the folly thereof. But until then, he would continue to make strange remarks about stuff around him.

[Avu]

So...he had seen a kitten before. Tr'esn cocked his head slightly, eyeing the bronze fire lizard with a slightly detached curiosity. Really, he'd never considered trying for a fire lizard -- much less a Salamandyr. Oh, no, he was staying away from those horrible little things -- mainly because he was happy with Oquith. And now Moth. But Storm was...as Oquith had said (most emphatically, he noted wryly)...quite intelligent. Perhaps the next time...? Almost absently, he asked, regarding the Weyrlings hiding their kittens, "Saeo?" She was a Weyrling, he remembered, from the meeting with said "tree pirate" outside the stables, and C'oar had mentioned her having a kitten, something that Tr'esn hadn't been aware of previously. "Moth's never met a Salamandyr," he added quietly, "So I wouldn't know if -- if she does, or not." He paused, regarding the female steadily a minute. "She doesn't seem the type, does she...?"

Said kitten had regarded Storm cautiously as the bronze fire lizard -- so shiny, he was -- inched closer, and finally, as he sat down nearby, Moth wriggled uncertainly, studiously licking one paw, one emerald eye closed and the other staring solemnly at the fire lizard sitting so close to her. He hurt, he did! As he stretched out his muzzle, Moth's other eye opened and she stared at him for a moment, whiskers twitching in a faint remembrance of the pain. Nevertheless, her desire to play overcame such trivial things as pain, and the white kitten mrowed softly, cautiously extending her own cool, pink nose to press it against Storm's for a moment before the musky draconic scent of him, along with that of oil, made her whiskers twitch and she pulled back to sneeze before she extended a tentative paw to pat the air just before the fire lizard's muzzle.

Learning? Oh! The green dragon stared at the bronze on her back, mild surprise in her eyes before she nodded. I thought that he was the sire of the little golden sister's last clutch? Oquith cocked her head, almost in a perfect, unintended imitation of Hers, and huffed quietly. Of course, the little cousins aren't as intelligent as dragons... She spoke modestly, but crooned quietly nonetheless, as if in reassurance. Intelligent anyways, of course, but not /as/...you make a lovely teacher, I'm sure? she finished. Vashti works at the Drumheight's -- she's Wymeth's -- and she is a lovely teacher. And so is Wymeth, and they're ever-so-kind when I don't get it right away.

[dragon]

C'oar could only shrug. "Never know until it happens, I guess. Though ... I would wager now that Storm's gone and pulled her whiskers for her, she's got a measure of respect for things small and draconic. Maybe she won't be quite as quick to jump on a mandyr?" He mused, before shrugging again. He really didn't know Moth well enough to make a call like that. But Tre'sn had asked. That was not to say that C'oar condoned what Storm had done to the poor thing, but maybe it had done her some good in the long run.

He did. But ... that doesn't mean he's not still exceedingly young. I think he won that flight out of chance, myself. He was, after all, the youngest of the lot, and from what I recall being told ... the tail runner for the entire flight. Frosstyth remarked. He's still got a great deal to learn, and I beleive yet some growing to do, too. Frosstyth collected himself up, and sat down in the hallways, rustling his wings into a more comfortable and compact position, regarding Oquith with a similarly tilted head. I can't say as I've met those. I will have to ask mine. Mine! Have we met Wymeth and hers? He asked, turning his attention to C'oar.

"Not that I'm aware of." C'oar replied, without even bothering to glance at his dragon. He was busy watching to make sure that Storm didn't hurt Moth again. I guess not. Frosstyth told Oquith.

Storm jumped, when Moth sneezed, staring at the kitten with wide eyes indeed, jumping to his feet again. And he jerked his head back when she pawed at his face. The flitter just stared at the kitten for an interminable moement, and then returned the gesture, pawing at her paw-swipe.

Really, the whole debacle was quite hilarious to watch, a kitten and a flitter pawing at the air between them. But Storm was oblivous to this appearace, more focused along the lines of solving the puzzle usually called Moth.

[Avu]

Oh, dear.

Tr'esn hadn't known that he could get defensive -- at least, not this much -- until that precise moment. Oquith roused a natural defensiveness, too, but almost nobody made her upset, and, therefore, he never had to protect her because she handled things so well herself. Moth, however -- no. She couldn't not protect herself nearly as well as Oquith, sentinent as she was, could, and the desire to snap at C'oar was surprisingly strong. The greenweyrling shrugged, his face indecisive, but he was certain that C'oar couldn't possibly know that Tr'esn didn't approve of the comment. "From what I've seen thus far, she's not shy when it comes to dragons," he stated quietly, "but neither does she try to bully them. And she certainly didn't try to pounce on Storm -- and even their talking to her wouldn't make her upset; Oquith's talked to her." He was trying to convince himself as much as he was C'oar, and it showed as he absently tugged at Moth's tail, the motion affectionate; she paused to purr at him before going back to Storm, who was ultimately more interesting.

The tail runner? Oh, no. Oquith eyed Storm, surprise swirling in her eyes. Oh, he couldn't possibly have been. He must have done something, something to make the queen choose him. Queens were exceedingly picky, were they not? Especially in Flights; he wouldn't have been chosen if he hadn't...if he didn't...would he? Growing? Oh. He's quite large for a fire lizard, isn't he? Mine has seen some very, very small ones that are full-grown...but maybe that's just because he's bronze. I don't know...how did you get him? I want a little sister or brother for Mine...I suppose the Moth will do just as well, though. She's lovely, too, but she doesn't look like a cousin and she can't go /between/ and fetch him things or deliver messages, I don't think. She'd never tried to train a feline before! Maybe Leweleth's had trained her, a bit? You haven't met Wymeth or Vashti? What about K'iel and Qualuth? They're lovely, Oquith assured Frosstyth confidently.

Stare, stare...Moth stared right back at Storm, clearly thinking it a new game, her green eyes glued to the bronze flitter's. Whirling, those jewel-faceted eyes were. Like the dragons' all did...she tried to follow them and then blinked rapidly, dizzy. But oh, he was playing with her! Moth wriggled in delight, whisker-pulling entirely forgotten as she sidled forward, her paw still in motion, until she finally dropped it and purred happily at Storm, leaning forward to nudge his foreleg -- the one that had been previously pawing at the air -- and rub against it, trying to make him pet her the way humans did: Along her head, then her neck and back, her tail vibrating in a clear sign of affection. This was a good shiny playbuddy, Storm was...!