Early to Rise (Kisha/Open)

[Rowana]

Sunset bathed the river in liquid golds and fiery reds. Even the dam a short way upstream, looked beautiful under this light. Roivao leaned back against Roisk's steady hide and sighed in content. He liked getting up this early to see the last rays of the sun. He missed it sometimes, living nocturnally as he did. At least Roisk's eyes didn't mind dimming light like this, though the wher was happy to snooze with his head under a wing. Soon it would be time to patrol and generally keep their noses out of trouble. Roi supposed he should be grateful that the Wastelanders left them mostly alone. Their presence brought back too many uncomfortable memories of the North.

Maybe that was why he'd gone back to being such a loner again. Sel'n was gone, who knew where, and he didn't have many he might consider friends. Roisk had been trying to convince him to do more with the others, but that only got him so far. Still, Roisk's children had introduced seven new handlers to the group including a few other dragonless. Maybe he might have an easier time with them.

Precious love Tiida? the salamandyr begged, rolling over on her belly. Roi raised an eyebrow at this odd show of affection. It usually meant Tiida wanted something she didn't think she could get by just asking. Still, he rubbed the little green with a finger. Puddleglum was off somewhere, probably with Three, lucky devil. Tiida hummed happily, her tiny mind delighting in her powers of persuasion.

[Kisha-Ra]

Yoalla liked to rise early, although a wherhandler’s early to rise was pretty much everyone else’s early to bed. It was just as well that she did really because her mindmates all tended to wake up early, mostly thanks to Denial’s ongoing quest to eat The Devil; The Devil’s insults and pleas for help tended to get everyone moving early in the evening and by the time the sun was vanishing for the night Yoalla and Yosk were normally ready to get outside and enjoy a bit of leisure time before the night’s watch started.

Yosk bounded ahead of and around her bonded, her bouncing gait uninhibited by the presence of others and her mood buoyed up by having some time to spend with her bonded, the collection of smaller dragon kin around her were mostly ignored, Yosk was used to the three that belonged to Yoalla now, and their visiting bronze salamandyr had already vanished, Yosk wasn’t quite sure why Imp didn’t just move in with Darmosk’s if his mate lived there but she didn’t like to ask in case the salamandyr though her stupid. She was already not too pretty, she didn’t need a reputation for being none too bright as well. Abruptly the green wher changed from her bounding to her more usual slinking movement, her wings unconsciously moving out from her body. Roisk was out here with his, maybe they should go elsewhere? Wouldn’t want to make Roisk mad, he was big, and handsome, and Eikask’s.

Yoalla could just tell, from the way her wher dropped out of a joyous bounding gait to a guilty slink that Yosk had seen, or more likely scented, someone else. Roisk. Yoalla had no problem with Roisk or Roivao, the pair were pretty introverted, and as such often overlook in the wher quarters, which were absolutely full of extroverts. However if for some reason Yosk wanted to avoid the bronzepair she really could not have phrased her request in a worse manner. Yoalla let her thoughts float to the surface, as she often did these days when she knew Yosk would catch them, the was no real need for words between them, though Yoalla did sometimes like to hear the sound of her own voice. Roisk was always polite, Roivao too, Eikask didn’t actually happen to run Yoalla’s life thank you so very much, and Yoalla wanted to go swimming before the water got too chilly, Yosk could go if she wanted though.

No! No. Yosk immediately circled back to press against her bonded’s side, she wouldn’t leave, she wanted to stay with her Yoalla, she did. Yoalla nodded once to indicate everything was settled, and marched down to the riverbank with an almost tangible aura of defiance about her. ‘Roivao, Roisk.’ Yoalla greeted the bronzepair cordially enough, then proceeded to find a conveniently sized rock to sit on and begin divesting herself of her boots. Yosk trotted along behind with a slightly guilty look to her, then stopped and consciously sorted out her stance, legs straight, wings furled, head up, look at Roisk. Perfect! Only when she was sure she matched the stance her bonded felt she should have when addressing others did Yosk brush her mind gently against the older wher’s, then equally softly against the other handler’s in a gesture that was half greeting and half apology. Yoalla was going to do whatever she wanted whatever Yosk said, better to just go along with it and try to smooth the way a bit.

[Rowana]

Roivao and Roisk looked up at almost the same time. The older bronze rumbled pleasantly for Yosk. She didn't have to be so shy, he was always happy to see her. Hers was welcome to do whatever she wished too. Tiida on the other hand was less than pleased to have strangers come and steal the attention. Pretty groundbeast, she spat darkly. Clearly she did not think Yosk was pretty at all. Precious love Tiida! Roisk snorted at the salamandyr, giving her a warning eye. Please do not mind the little one, he told Yosk. She's possessive.

Roi continued to rub Tiida absently, nodding to Yoalla in greeting. He was content with just that, figuring she was on a walk or the like, until it looked like she was going to stay. It also looked like she was about to go swimming. Roi blushed and started to turn his head. "Oh...um...good evening, Yoalla," he managed.

[Kisha-Ra]

Yosk reacted to Roisk’s statement that she was welcome with a disbelieving look that made her eyes widen briefly before she squinted them half shut again and a thread of timorous gratitude for the welcome. However the green’s stance seemed to shrink inward as the salamandyr made it just as clear that Yosk wasn’t welcome. Oh, well, she didn’t want to steal away their bonded, she had her own of course. Yosk responded shifting further toward Yoalla, maybe if she showed that clearly, the little green wouldn’t be so upset.

Of course Tiida’s comment had drawn other attention from Yoalla’s entourage, which was bound to upset the green further as Denial settled on a rock of her own to eye the salamandyr. It seemed to the firelizard that there might be two tasty green snacks here for her to gobble up while no one was looking. She’d have to be sneaky though, they might be good snacks but they were very loud, The Devil was a master of calling for help… Denial gave a falsely sweet chirp and looked away for the moment, apparently interested in something else. Of course where one of Yoalla’s pets commented the others were swift to give their view. No. No precious, no love. No love Tiida. No love nonononono. The Devil twisted the other salamandyr’s words into a mocking denial as she darted out of a pocket and climbed up to frill defiantly from the top of Yoalla’s head. No one would ever love Tiida, not while The Devil was around to remind them how much better a salamandyr could be. Lao, ever being the most moderate of Yoalla’s mindmates, perched between Yosk’s wings and fluted a greeting to everyone. Couldn’t they all get along? They were all greens together, right? Except Roisk, obviously (yes, Lao was no closer to believing he was bronze than he’d been at his hatching).

Yoalla’s gaze darted about as her pets all decided to join the party, making sure that all of them were behaving as well as they ever did. Denial evidently noticed she was being watched, either that or the fact that neither of the salamandyrs present was in a position to be eaten discouraged her, The Devil was trying to be clever with words, which didn’t suit her since she could hardly recall any, and Lao… was just Lao, all fine for the moment. The greenhandler’s gaze shifted back to Roivao as he spoke, unfortunately for the bronzehandler it wasn’t his words that caught her attention, and she’d never quite gotten over the habit of just blurting out the first thing that came to mind. ‘Roivao, what in the world are you blushing for?’ The question was out before Yoalla had even considered that it might not be tactful, although once it was out she could easily tell it hadn’t been by Yosk’s mental reaction.

[Rowana]

Roisk heaved a sigh, rolling his head to give Tiida a withering look. It was a pity the brown flyer wasn't here, he confessed to Yosk. Tiida liked pestering him for his moods and it might have kept her busy. Maybe Puddleglum was the smarter one, spending so much time exploring or with Three. Tail curling passively, Roisk dipped his head towards the green wher in apology. It was lovely to see her just the same. His bonded needed to see others more, so he was especially glad she was here now.

Tiida ignored Yosk now, far more interested in the other usurpers of her quiet evening, especially The Devil. Denial got a passing look, and Lao was ignored completely, but The Devil was just downright rude. Tiida puffed herself up, hissing and frilling at the other green. Then she curled her odd fire lizard like body up around Roivao's neck. Poor, little greenling, she crooned sympathetically. Her eyes flashed sarcastically, even as she spoke. Jealous? No own precious? Precious love Tiida much! As if to prove it, she snuggled deeper into his neck.

Roi shushed Tiida with a finger. "Be nice," he begged in a whisper. Truthfully he was too distracted to mind much what she did or said, so long as they didn't end up fighting. He trusted Roisk to keep Tiida from getting herself killed. While Puddleglum was almost a misfit, Roi, Roisk and Tiida had been close for almost four years now. Yoalla's question had Roi in quite a spot and he responded almost without thinking. "Well, um," he began, waving at her position on the rock. "Did you want privacy?" After he said it, he realized that was silly. If she cared, she wouldn't picked another spot or gone to the bathing pools. He was never going to understand woman, he decided, no matter what the species.

[Kisha-Ra]

Yosk agreed quietly, firelizards were by far the more pleasant of the little ones, Lao was sweet and incredibly smart for a creature that didn’t know what colour he was and Denial was at least clever, in her way, but The Devil, she was another story. Roisk was glad to see Yosk? The green’s head dipped quizzically to one side, while she thought this over. Maybe she could encourage her handler to play with Roisk’s, she was grumpy with other humans most of the time, but she could be fun as well, honestly.

Poor little greenling. The Devil echoed, spitting the other green’s words back at her. Poor Tiida. No love no precious. She wasn’t quite sure why she was arguing with the other salamandyr when they could be teaming up to take a piece out of Denial, but if that was what Tiida really wanted…

Yoalla ignored the frilling salamandyr on her head with the ease of long practice, The Devil didn’t get any better for being acknowledged, in fact she normally got worse, Yoalla normally relied on Lao to fish the mouthy green out of whatever she got herself into. Roivao was slightly more interesting than the rambling of barely articulate lizards anyway, and his answer got a curious look, followed up by a light laugh. ‘If I did would I be here?’ she asked rhetorically. ‘No indeed, but I don’t, so I’m not. When you have my kind of background it’s easy not to care who sees you. Why, are you embarrassed? I would have thought you’d seen enough naked women by now to be over that stage.’

Yosk sighed heavily, maybe The Devil was the right pet for Yoalla she confessed to Roisk, both of them tended to be obnoxious, although in Yoalla’s case it was more because she didn’t bother to think than because she was trying. The wher sighed again and folded her legs under her since her bonded had decided to stay. What was she going to do with that pair?

[Rowana]

"Well, no. I suppose you wouldn't," Roivao admitted sheepishly. He scratched nervously at the back of his neck. He shifted in place and sighed. Back in his days at Fort, he never would have been this bothered by a woman's modest or lack there of. Somehow, between loosing Iloth, coming here, and bonding to Roisk, he'd developed a more conservative attitude. Maybe it was Roisk, with his never ending chivalry, but in truth it was probably that he was more self conscious now than he'd ever bothered to be before.

"Maybe I'm getting too old?" he suggested with a small smile. Roisk snorted at him with an amused sound. His bonded was far from too old. Perhaps playing with Yoalla would help convince the man of this, Roisk suggested to Yosk. It was possible both humans needed a little company. Humans seemed to need each other more than they liked to admit, Roisk noted thoughtfully. Tiida had apparently decided that The Devil being reduced to repeating what she said was good enough, and ignored the other salamandyr completely. Instead, she returned to gaining attention from Roi, even if he was mostly watching Yoalla.