Long Time No See (Piden)

[Ember]

The trio that entered the Wherhandler Apartments seemed rather mismatched. A confident and calm young woman watched her green wher clumsily bounce around after a bronze firelizard doing slow loops and turns a few feet in front of her. The greenhandler looked at the common room curiously when she got there. It was all so...different. With a quiet sigh, Ceryl privately admitted that about six turns would do that to any place. Were her former classmates even around anymore? Time would tell, she supposed.

She decided to take a seat and rest rather than go straight to her apartment...not that she knew which one it was. She was certain there were free ones but she didn't feel right just randomly claiming one. She heard the new goldhandler (though apparently not that new, considering the gold was carrying her second clutch) was a guy and she considered trying to find them but decided against it. That would involve disturbing them and Ceryl understood how annoying it was when someone bothered her while she was working.

So absorbed by her own thoughts, Ceryl twitched in surprise when Heir landed on her shoulder with a rough cheep. He had had enough amusing the green for a while. He had done his job admirably. The Wherhandler reached up a hand to give the bronze a light caress before Cerysk came bounding over and all but climbed onto her lap. "Cerysk, you're tiny for a wher but you aren't that small anymore." Haven't been for some time now, Ceryl added privately. The green's tail swished backand forth gently as she climbed back down.

Sorry, sooooorry. Just so excited to see the brothers and sister, and of course all the little whers too. "You do realize they're all grown up now, right? And that you're probably smaller than all of them?" Soooo? They were younger and that made them littles. Ceryl leaned down to rest her chin on the wher's head affectionately. "Silly." Ceryl, alerted by the sound of a door opening and then closing somewhere, sat up straight and dignified while managing to look completely uninterested in everything. To her surprise, the one who had just stepped into the common room was someone she actually recognized, though he'd grown up since she last saw him. "Well...imagine meeting you here, of all places," she said to Piden while Cerysk bounded over with great excitement to Pidesk. Brotheeeeeeeeer!

[Ruby]

Mopey Red had decided to stay in tonight, clinging to a sock Piden had left her and wishing it would turn into Auran; Three was with Puddleglum, Piden assumed, based on the sudden, irrational desire to snuggle up with Roi; Shells... Shells was the only one without a mate. The Bronze was sulking, mostly muttering obscenities against Nocturne, who had clearly stolen his Dementia. Other names were thrown around (only partially intelligibly), but 'Menial' and 'Nocodumb' were the most common. Piden was already annoyed.

Plucking the Bronze off where he hung on the edge of Piden's shirt, the Bronzehandler settled his most obnoxious salamandyr on his shoulder instead, allowing Shells to curl angrily around his neck. A tap on Pidesk's head got the Bronze up and moving, leading the way through the door and towards the common room. Pidesk was hungry, and they had the night off of Watch - Tekivix and Tekivisk had proved apt enough Watchwhers, something Piden was very grateful for. He liked having at least some nights to himself again. Time to hunt for Pidesk, and Piden felt like getting some fresh air.

Pidesk, however, stopped as soon as he'd entered the common room. Piden crashed into his Wher's behind, then was immediately thrown off balance when Pidesk darted into the room like a bronze bullet, tackling something small and green with the kind of barks and exciting whining Piden hadn't heard from his Wher since he was a hatchling. The green looked familiar, but she wasn't any of the resident Selenitas greens, so Piden looked for the Handler as he smoothly regained his balance. There she was, she looked familiar too, and she recognized him.

Then the pieces clicked, and Piden had to keep his jaw from dropping.

"Ceryl?" he asked, pretty much floored, and unable to recover fast enough to stop himself from saying, "You got hot." Shells, excited by the change of pace, scampered around Piden's neck, cooing, Prettyfire sexytime! Yes no yes yes Dendenminez fire ties no? Piden resisted covering his face with his hand, regaining his composure and opening his arms for a hug instead. "Ignore the pest. It's good to see you. How... Where..." Pausing slightly, he forced himself to slow down a little, allowing his eyes to skim her neckline, which he'd been trying to resist before. "Where have you guys been?"

[Ember]

Ceryl rose a brow as Piden clued into who she was...and with a rather interesting declaration to go along with that. She stood up in a fluid movement, the fabric of her dress shifting as she moved towards him. "Should I be flattered by that comment or upset that to "get hot" I had to have not been before?" It would be hard to tell for most, but the woman was actually pleased. Her hard work on her appearance had not been in vain. To have that acknowledged by a man she had once (and possibly did, a tiny bit) harbored feelings for was gratifying.

The creature that started speaking to her was met with open surprise from Ceryl. What? Oh, right. There had been such things at Selenitas, hadn't there? The corners of her mouth twitched up slightly as Heir gave a disgusted hiss at the salamandyr. Not only shouldn't such a thing be alive but it was also addressing His. Unacceptable. A short, sharp snap of "Heir!" was sufficient to bring the obedient firelizard's hissing to a stop. Instead he huffed and took to the air. A bronze such as himself being scolded so! How embarassing.

"I'll ignore yours if you ignore mine," the greenhandler offered. When he asked where she'd been she shrugged. "Everywhere, really. I think the only Hold I didn't hit was Bitra. Probably for the best anyways." She shook her head gently, brown curls bouncing and waving as she did so. "It's good to see you again," she said, a small smile finally showing as she stepped into his arms.

Cerysk was tackled part way to Pidesk, though the green didn't mind in the least. The two made considerable noise as she barked and whined right along with him, although he sounds were broken by the occasional affectionate lick. Brother, brother, broooother! It had been so long! She'd missed him so much. Now they could finally play together again! He was staying at the weyr, yes? Oh how she hoped he was!

[Ruby]

"Flattered, of course," Piden said, lowering his voice conspiratorially as he leaned in slightly. "You were always pretty, but I was an idiot, and there is a difference between pretty and hot. Now I'm less of an idiot, and clearly you've stepped it up." Or maybe just grew into her looks, but Piden wasn't about to say that. Let her think it was her effort that made her more attractive; couldn't hurt his case. Putting his hands on his hips and surveying her, he added, "That's a really good color for you. Brings out your eyes." It was true, too; once again, not hurting in the slightest.

Shells, however, was not so impressed. Nasty uglyglint Wingworm say have things to Shells? No like Shells? Say to face, hmmm, Fuggles! As Heir took off, he added, Running way way? Ownerpet have firetime wiv Denden, uglyglint Wingworm leave alone? No time good 'dea. What, no undersit Shells?

Shooing the abusive Bronze off his shoulder, Piden sighed. "Absolutely. No pets tonight, they don't exist." Shells started shouting obscenities from where he'd stopped at Piden's pocket. Pulling the bronze out, Piden set him on a table and said "Seriously, shut up or go bug Dmitri. I mean Dementia." That quieted Shells down (marginally), although he did stick his little tongue out at Heir, frilling regally. If only he could fly, he'd hop up to Heir's perch and teach the Uglything a lesson.

"Good to see you, too," Piden murmured into Ceryl's ear, holding her perhaps a moment longer than he should have. Releasing her, he reached up to tuck a stray curl back behind her ear, cocking his head as he did so. "I can't even believe you're here. Everyone from our clutch is gone - well, except Meira, but Meisk's long gone. She's a Goldrider now, Faranth save us all. I didn't think there was anyone else left to come back." Realizing he'd totally ignored hospitality, he gestured towards the couch near the chair she'd risen from, tacitly offering her a seat as he went on speaking. "I was in the North too - Weyrs mostly, though, High Reaches the longest. Pidesk made me come back; it's been... oh, two turns now? And as usual, it's dreadfully dull. How come you're back? C'mon, let me live vicariously. Catch me up on all your adventures."

Pidesk was over the moon. Every time Cerysk wiggled out of his tackle he took her down again, licking any bit of flesh he could reach. Sister sister! The last sister, the only sister! Of course he was staying at the Weyr, assuming Cerysk was of course. His was an idiot, and Pidesk wouldn't let His take him away from Cerysk again. They were the only ones left, they had to stick together! Oh, but she had to meet the other Whers, his babies, and his mates and friends! Squirming out of the tangle he and Cerysk were in, he started down the hall, only to realize that most if not all the Whers were out for the night. Oops, she would have to meet them later, it seemed. Oh well.

[Ember]

"Is that so?" She asked rhetorically, a hint of amusement coming into her voice. She decided she might as well be flattered...and proud. Stepped it up was a bit of an understatement. She'd been okay as a kid but now she cared far more about her appearance and took far better care of it in comparison. The hands on her hips were met with a slight shifting of her weight. She wouldn't say anything directly to Piden about but contact around her sides made her a little nervous; right ticklish woman, she was. "Of course," she responded confidently to the compliment.

Heir snorted at the ugly salamandyr on the man's shoulder. Feh. Not even worthy to be caleld a bronze, blabbering nonsense words and unable to soar in the skies like he ought. Served Shells right, getting placed on a table. The firelizard was not free of the little nuisance though. The tongue and frill were met with a growl and he swooped low, flashing claws at the salamandyr. He wouldn't do any harm to the creature...far too below him to do that.

The length of the hug didn't bother Ceryl any. She didn't mind physical contact and she couldn't deny her wher's fondness for Pidesk was affecting her. The news that the rest of her class was gone for the most part made the greenhandler's eyes widen. "They're all gone?" She was ignoring the fact that Meira herself was alive. Without Meisk she was very much not a handler anymore. That meant she probably wouldn't see the goldrider at all. Once she'd adjusted to the night life she pretty much had never gone back.

Ceryl shook her head as she took a seat again. "Times do change," she commented, a barely noticeable sigh tacked on the end. At the request for more information about what she'd been up to her lips quirked upwards. "I can't say it was much of anything interesting, considering we spend our time awake at night. I travelled to the southern Holds first then moved on to the north. I really didn't intend to spend so much time away from here but me and Cerysk aren't really built for travel..." To think the pair she and her wher had been searching for had return two turns ago...it was a little irritating.

"We just moved place to place, making ourselves a life and then leaving it everywhere we went. We ended up coming back here because we'd heard it had been taken over. We never found what we were looking for, but it ended up turning out for the best," Ceryl added, thinking it really was an odd turn of fate. Cerysk was quite happy to hear that Pidesk wouldn't be leaving her again and assured him that she would never again leave him either.

The green was dying for the chance to meet the other new whers and only grew more excited when she learned that Pidesk was a daddy. So exciting! She sooooo wanted to meet his babies. oh yes, oh yes. She let out a quiet whine at the idea of Pidesk having mates though. Multiple? Well, Pidesk was a wonderful wher and brother so she could understand why. Surely all the whers were wonderful! She got up to follow him to meet them but he stopped. Well then...she made a running leap at him, trying to jump on him. Small as she was, though, she only managed to get her front paws on his back, back ones still firmly on the ground. Ehehe?

[Ruby]

Shells frilled again as the firelizard swooped in for the attack. This was a terrible idea - Shells had hardly anything when it came to wings, but his frill was extremely oversized, and prone to catching exactly the kind of wind gust that a firelizard's flapping wings sent his way. Squawking abuse, he was blown off the table to parachute down to the floor, twisting and thrashing the whole way. When he landed, he drew himself up to his full height (dramatic for a Salamandyr), his frill carefully tucked back against his neck. Why fufugly no say these thinks? Shells asked, trying to look down his nose even though he had to crane his neck up to look at Heir. Ugly no say, duh no think. Mus no head-thing. Grey slobber thing. No? Size of nuitz?

Piden withdrew his arms from Ceryl perhaps a little faster than he meant to, pulling them back against his sides as a flash of hatred from Shells made her wonder exactly how stupid she was. That was just dumb - of course he knew Ceryl wasn't stupid - but his salamandyrs' emotions still leaked over every once in a while. At least when he was fully in control of his mind he could tell which ones were which, though. If Ceryl noticed, though, she didn't comment, and Piden took a seat next to her on the couch, leaning back on the arm so he could face her.

"All gone," he confirmed, thinking back to see if there was anyone she might remember who was a Handler now. "They were dead or gone by the time I got back - I never really wanted to ask. I'm not exactly holding out hope, but... well, you came back, so I guess I wasn't totally wrong to assume everyone was dead! Cloar and Rawign, from Candidate Lessons, they're both Brownriders now. I guess those're the only other ones you might remember, that I know of anyway." A sudden moment of realization dawned on Piden, "Oh, and I suppose Meira's missing, along with about half the Weyr, so... I guess she doesn't really count either?"

Ceryl's comment about being awake at night drew a laugh from Piden. "Ain't that the truth? Silly day-folk, they don't know what they're missing." With that, he settled back to listen, nodding appropriately and spending more attention on Ceryl's chest than her mouth (although subtly). Something caught his attention, though - "What were you looking for?"

Oh, no sadness, Pidesk chided gently as he licked Cerysk's muzzle, silencing her whine. He had mates, but only one sister, and Cerysk was a million times better than the other Whers at Selenitas. Which, of course, meant he liked her a lot cause he liked the other whers a lot too. And really it was only Eikask and Nautsk - oh, she would love Nautsk! Maybe not Eikask so much, but he smothered that thought before it went too far. Eikask was the Queen, he could not think bad things about her. She was a good queen, after all. Twisting around to snap playfully at Cerysk's forepaws, he slithered out from under her, panting slightly. He was hungry - would she like to hunt with him? They could see the Weyr together, and try to find other Whers to meet. Fun, yes?

[Ember]

Heir was smugly amused when the salamandyr went flying. Served the ugly parasite right. Unfortunately, it did nothing to stop Shells from talking. He hissed angrily at the bronze, dipping down in height as if to swoop past the annoying creature again, only to remember his pride as a bronze. He made an almost audible sigh before winking away. He didn't actually leave so much as settle somewhere out of sight if the salamandyr. He needn't lower himself to deal with such a pest.

If Piden retreating so soon was unusual, it didn't register with Ceryl. She didn't really understand such things. Logic, common sense...those made sense to her. Emotions other than her own? Not so much. The greenhandler bit her bottom lip gently in thought. Well, beyond Piden and Pidesk she hadn't cared much for the other wherhandlers anyways. The weyr was no less foreign to her than it had been all those turns ago. It was just surprising. "Can't say I really remember anyone else from candidate lessons. Looks like you're the only one I know here anymore," she commented. The comment was just that, a comment, from anyone else...but Ceryl really meant that Piden was the only one she could rely on.

Whether he took it that way or not didn't really matter to the woman though. She'd rely on him, with or without him knowing she would do so beforehand. She blinked as he asked what she had been looking for. Well then..."You." She gestured vaguely at the whers and then shrugged. As simple as that. She had long since convinced herself that she wasn't the one who needed to search the man out but her wher. It hadn't needed much work to convince herself of that either. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to have the free time to get me settled in a room, would you?" As if she hadn't just admitted something surprising.

Cerysk was quite cheered up by what Pidesk said and she crooned happily. Happy night, happy night! She had never hated any of her brothers (though she couldn't properly recall any of the other ones anymore) but she definitely had liked Pidesk the best. That he was the only one left was both sad and a blessing. As Pidesk moved out from under her she dropped back onto all fours. Ooh, hunting. Fun! Yes! She was so totally in. Lead the way, brother!

[Ruby]

Shells crossed his over-long arms when Heir disappeared, sniffing at the bronze's sudden departure. Ruffling his frill, he continued to grumble abuse as he skittered across the floor and up Piden's leg, eventually reaching the Handler's shoulder. With an apologetic look for Ceryl, Piden turned to face the Salamandyr, asking, "Are you going to let him get away with that? I think I saw him go up the ramp, you should go find him." Shells perked up at that, long neck swiveling around so he could watch the tunnel entrance. True frue, very yes times, the bronze hissed, scampering away on his wild goose chase.

As Piden settled back into the pillows, he nodded. "Honestly, everyone else has their little cliques - I've always been a bit of an outsider, among the Handlers. Probably 'cause Pidesk is the only one who's not related, they all went through training together, etc. It'll nice to have my own person," he said. He'd been meaning to finish that sentence a little better - my own person to hang out with, to gossip with at hatchings, to stand with when Dmitri and Eikane and Nautic and the rest of them got into those little circles that he couldn't seem to break in to - but the words wouldn't quite come. Not that it bothered Piden; friends, after all, had always come second to 'romantic partners'. But still, it might be nice not to be quite so much of a lone wolf, for once.

He was still pondering these unfamiliar urges when Ceryl got his attention yet again. He actually let out a gentle little chuckle - clearly not at her motives - before shaking his head, glancing over at Pidesk and Cerysk where they still twisted over and around each other. "Oh, the irony," he said, reaching out to loop an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in to his side. "Didn't you know I was too busy running away from my own past to glance behind me, even for a second?" The part that made him laugh, of course, was how much it sounded like a Harper's tale of starcrossed lovers when it was put that way, despite the fact that they'd never been lovers, and clearly weren't much starcrossed either. Just a little overeager, perhaps. Both of them.

Well, Piden had never been much of one to dwell on the past, and of course he was egotistical enough not to think that Ceryl abandoning her life to come find him wasn't especially out of the ordinary. So he slid off the couch, pulling her to her feet and breaking whatever tension might have lingered between them with a smile. "Oh, I'm off duty tonight. I've got all night with nothing to do," he said, purring 'all night' as if he didn't always have all night off when he wasn't scheduled for Watch. "C'mon, I think there's an empty apartment down by me."

Cerysk didn't have to ask Pidesk twice. As soon as she'd agreed to the outing, the Bronze sped away up the tunnels, sure she'd be able to keep up. Pidesk was fast for a Bronze, but Cerysk was Green, and fast for her color, too. By the time they burst out into the darkness, she would be all caught up. He didn't slow when he reached the outside, though, instead tearing off into the forest. It was a beautiful night - a little chilly, but running would take care of that. Running felt good, they could stop to hunt a bit later.