You’ve learned to hide so well. (Tags Dmitri)

[Rei]

[Okay so this is another blast from the past thread >> This one takes place about ten days after the little spat Dmitri and Elysia had during the fighting lessons. Enjoy ^^]

~~~

Elysia had her evenings pretty much free now. No more teaching Dmitri. No more lessons or the like, just drills, and some days a whole bunch of free time she had /no/ idea what to do with. Boring. Very much so. Sad thing was the greenrider didn’t know what to do with the free time she had gained. Normally she would go out hunting for amusement. But lately she hadn’t been in the mood. In fact she had been strangely subdued and it all came back to one thing….that idiot she had let herself get slightly attached to. The Benden woman’s steps became more rapid as she approached closer to her weyr. Stupid of her really. Why did she even care? Why let it bother her? That questions still continued to haunt her. Even now days later, despite Onyth’s opinion that the harper clearly wasn’t worth her thoughts.

One hand came up to continue the towel drying of her hair. Just coming back from a long bath in the bathing cavern, the only thing Elysia really wanted to do was get home and relax. Maybe do a bit of weapon care. Oiling and cleaning the like. Maybe she should have waited until after she had bathed. Yeah that was an oversight on her part. Maybe she would just flop with Onyth and go to bed early. Surefire way to get rid of pesky thoughts. Word games with her love. At least with the green she never had to worry about rejection or disloyalty. The thoughts and emotions of the two where so tightly bound that never did one experience something the other did not in some way. No confusion present. Ever.

Tossing the towel over her shoulder Elysia turned the corner and stopped dead in her tracks. A familiar figure leaning against the wall. Tall, blonde hair ,blue grey eyes, with their, by now, familiar cold expression. One could almost get the suspicion that he had been waiting for her. The greenrider’s dark eyes briefly glanced over his form as he uttered one word, the tone near indecipherable. “Yo.”

Silence followed the word as the benden woman’s eyes flicked from Dmitri to the door of her weyr further down the stone hallway. Onyth’s disproval and irritation where foremost in her mind at the moment. What was he doing here?, was the gist of the dragon’s thoughts. Her rider however swallowed down on the emotion, pushing it aside to let her own surprise show faintly. What indeed.

Elysia slightly narrowed her eyes and gave Dmitri a searching look. Hadn’t seen him in days and he just showed up to say hi? Highly unlikely that was all he was there for. Emotion warred with logic and a few sentences came to mind that where just as quickly abandoned. Finally the greenrider hinged on something useable. Raising her head and giving Dmitri another long look, this one with some mild confusion thrown in. She snorted dryly. “Yo yourself. Are you lost?" Almost idly she shifted around him. "Excuse me if I don’t have time to stand and shoot the breeze with you. Things to attend to. You understand.” With that she stepped past the handler, eyes focused on her weyr door.

[Requiem]

Ten nights. On the tenth he'd awoken early, curled up in his furs with his poisonous beauty crooning lovingly to him even in her sleep. The faint gleam of still blue drew his attention to Dmisk, who then shifted to carefully finish cleaning the space between his claws with a long tongue.

It wasn't planned. The Sentinel was taking shape in his mind and implementing it took some effort and a whole lot of discussion with several key people. Fortunately, the main ones he needed - Eikane, Nautic and Roivao - all were responding favorably. R'ven, Erilena and Ruliana consumed the early morning hours before he returned to his furs. It wasn't planned. Playing in the evenings, he lost himself in the music, painting new pictures and modifying old ones. Sometimes just feeling through the strings. No, it wasn't planned. He didn't even notice it. Only once or twice, when the grass shifted beneath a light step and he found himself glancing up with a certain expectancy...only those couple of times a night did she cross through his mind at all.

So it was a little surprising to him that, as his mind wandered over the familiar trails worn smooth from consideration, his feet blindly took him not toward the apartments, not toward the baths, or even to R'ven's weyr. Instead, it was a hallway he'd only been in once before, and upon realizing where he was, Dmitri sunk back against the wall, turning his stylus over between his fingers within his pants pocket. What was he doing outside her weyr? It was a curious question, and certainly wasn't planned. For all that Dmitri wasn't a 'go with your gut' sort, he still paused to consider before heading back.

Elysia had not returned. He'd demanded too much of her, apparently, insisting that she let down her defenses if she wanted him to stop skirting her warily. The teenager labeled her response a childish tantrum, a protest to not getting her way when he changed the game. It was simple reciprocation; he refused to let her in if she wouldn't do the same. But, judging by her absence, even a relationship of mutual guarded wariness wasn't enough. (He'd been willing enough to continue with how they'd been, as evidenced by not bothering to hide from her.) Apparently, if he didn't expose his throat to her while she continued to safeguard hers, she had no desire to deal with him at all. The terms were unacceptable to the harper. He was not toy, nor pet, nor slave to anyone. Thus the matter should have been settled. Done.

Should have.

And yet, though Ely had been dismissed from conscious thought, while lost in his ruminations it was here that his feet led him. Perhaps because there was something lingering, unresolved, in the depths of his mind. Details that didn't add up. Inconsistencies. Or perhaps it was just an unwillingness to let this one go just yet. It was unknowable, and maybe that was what made him linger in indecision, the need to answer for himself why he was here at all.

Circumstances decided for him. The woman hadn't been in her weyr at all, it seemed, and before she could think he was trying to sneak up on her, the wherhandler uttered a rather inflectionless, "Yo." He didn't move from his half-lounging position, eyes fixed on the tallish woman's face as emotions and thoughts played over it fluidly. Would seem that Elysia could be caught out when surprised. (He didn't blame her; his presence was also a mystery to himself.) The harper waited until she'd stepped past him, barely raising his voice. "Never did come back out again. A person might think something had happened to you, disappearing like that." A probing, perhaps. Testing the waters. Or more likely all he could think to come up with off the top of his head. His eyes flicked toward her briefly, voice lowering almost to the point of being inaudible. "I wouldn't have pegged you for someone who could just give up so easily."

[Rei]

Elysia fixed her eyes on her goal, her weyr door, and kept moving until Dmitri softly spoke. Damn it. Her body immediately stopped, ears straining to catch his softly spoken words. Why? Why stop? Why did she care what he had to say? The harper had made himself very clear. Still…. One more glance was give her distant door. Through which Onyth was waiting a bit impatiently. Expecting and demanding she blow the man off and keep walking. Show him now not worth your attention he is. Hush love please.

The dark green snorted from upon her ledge but relented coiling up into her tail tip twitching in barely suppressed worry. It wasn’t that she truly disliked the boy. It was more the desire to keep her bonded from harm both mental and physical that rejected the idea of her even speaking to the wher handler.

Half turning Elysia threw a glance over her shoulder. The look was mostly confusion mixed with a bit of uncertainty. “I had no reason to come back. You made it pretty clear that you where done with me. I quite vividly remember the phrase, ‘You’re not worth it.’” Soft the words where and they held an icy edge. A humorless and dry chuckle was given then before she continued. “Besides, you couldn’t get lucky enough for something to happen to me. I’m a disease. Hard to fight and even harder to kill.” Dark eyes closed and the greenrider took one deep breath. What had Dmitri come here to gloat about how he had won? It made no sense to the benden rider. None at all. What reason could he possibly have for seeking her out? Besides rubbing her nose in her loss. Or maybe the harper had been waiting for someone else? If that was the case why say something at all? With her mind running rapidly down different paths Elysia turned on her heel to face him again.

Still enough distance between to make her have to concentrate to hear the next words the handler spoke. Facing Dmitri as she was there was no way to hide the irritation that flashed across her face. “Give up?” The words where icy. “I don’t give up. Never have. Why do you think I came back night after night despite the fact I could tell you where trying to push me away by intentional failing? I knew you could do better. You did it on purpose and still I came back. Because I don’t give up.”

Elysia’s eyes closed momentarily and she sighed her voice lowering. “You wanted out. I gave you want you wanted. In my book that is not giving up. That is losing. Happy? You won.” As she finished the greenrider spread her arms in an all encompassing gesture. “I didn’t give up. You won what you where after. I’m leaving you alone.” Smiling humorlessly her dark eyes fixed on Dmitri. “If you came to gloat Dmitri. I’m not interested in having my failures shoved in my face. I don’t react well and I don’t want to hurt you.”

[Requiem]

The neutral cast to his face didn't change, though this time it hid his own confusion. While attempting to digest her words, the boy's eyes responded to her tone, taking on an even chillier cast than normal. The edge in her words made about as much sense to him as her continuous condescension always had. As if she caught herself being nice and had to quickly make up for it, that condescension...and the cold edge also had an element of defensiveness to it. The words still made very little sense to him, though. Perhaps that was what rendered him silent throughout her rather expansive delivery on how she hadn't given up.

Ignoring all the fallacies in that line of logic for now - it wasn't a loss if, in order to lose you simply stopped going anywhere near someone else. That was a forfeit. She'd given up. And yes, it annoyed him that she'd rejected even a casual non-friendship. How much effort did that sort of relationship really take, after all? Show up, say hi, play the condescension game in her usual attempts to belittle him...shouldn't take much effort at all. Ignoring those fallacies, he addressed the heart of the issue, and if her tone was ice, his was stone. With just enough incredulity to make his point all too clear. "Are you really trying to tell me that when I said you're not worth exposing myself for when you insist on keeping to that arrogant, untouchable condescension mask, you got offended? I didn't even use the wording I wanted to." Which was more or less the wording he'd just used. "Is this some sort of childish tantrum you're throwing, that I won't fall into line for you? You know, I didn't come here looking for you. Found myself here. Because if I'd thought for a moment about where my feet were taking me I'd have changed course. If anyone has a right to be offended, it's me. I was even willing to just let you play your high and mighty games, if that's the only way you could interact, but no, you throw a fit and disappear."

Tsking softly, he turned his head away from her, glancing moodily in the direction of the stairs. "By the way. Your reasoning is bullshit. If I really wanted you to leave me alone, it wouldn't have taken me over a month to do it." He regarded her out of the corner of his eye. "Stop blaming your own cowardice on me. Is it really too much to ask for you to stop being so damned defensive when I let you in? Is it really so distasteful to you to be on equal footing that you expect me to let you see all my weak spots without revealing yours? All I wanted was some form of equality, and yeah, maybe I'd prefer it if you weren't so distant, maybe I actually like you for some undefinable reason, but it's not like I said you had to be open with me. I was fine continuing the masquerade."

The words had all tumbled out with no room for her to speak without interrupting him, but he was already past annoyed again, and he didn't wait for a response. Most likely it would just be some form of evasion or she'd argue with him, another lesson in supremely faulty logic. "Tch." He pushed off the wall. "This is pointless." Turning, he clearly intended that to be the end of it.

[Rei]

Still Elysia stayed through Dmitri’s delivery. Because in all honesty what could she do? Nothing. It was obvious by now, in her mind, that anything she said or did was wrong. Anything she tried backfired and it was not only infuriating it was disappointing. Again the question begged an answer. Why? Why did she bother stopping to listen. Why even bother trying to explain her reasoning to someone who would never understand it. All the greenrider got in return was more reasons why she was wrong and more upset. This was why you kept away from things such as caring. Dipping her head the benden rider kept silent waiting for the harper to finish. When he turned to leave she stepped forward but stopped herself. No point. Let it go.

Still….Elysia just couldn’t just ‘let it go’. Not like this. Not without at least understanding some of what made him think she had given up. If anything the greenrider was stubborn. To stubborn for her own good more than half the time and it was this stubbornness that even now refused to let her just turn and leave him to walk. Even though obviously it was probably the smarter choice. Cut your losses and all that crap they pound into your head during weyrling training. Well screw them for the moment. Maybe it was a mistake but couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t try. So the benden rider raised a hand as if to reach to physically stop Dmitri, and then thought better of it letting the hand drop back to her side. Instead she spoke, the words loud enough to be clearly heard even if the tone was soft and a hint desperate perhaps. “Wait. Please?”

Addressing the handler’s back seemed so very impersonal. But at this point Elysia was far from complaining. You got what you got right? “I don’t understand what makes you think I just gave up. I didn’t just give up. I kept coming back because I wanted to. Not because I owed a debt but because I cared about you. I wanted to make sure you’d be okay and the easiest way to do that was to train you myself. You seemed like you where done. You said I ‘wasn’t worth your time. I took that as you being through. So I let you win. I stopped coming because I was sure that was what you wanted.”

Nervously she rubbed her arm and sighed. “And I left you alone because damn it I liked you Dmitri. I don’t let people in. I never have. It never works and it isn’t smart to let people hurt you. So yes you could call that hiding, but I prefer to call it defense. I don’t like to hurt. So I protect myself the only way I can.” Taking a breath she let her gaze travel to the back of his head. “So yeah. It’s only pointless if you let it be. I don’t really want to watch you walk away and I can’t let you without at least trying something.” Making a vague gesture Elysia dropped her hand and fixed her eyes momentarily on the floor to let her hair drape to obscure her face partially. “If you don’t want to talk though that’s your decision. I’m not going to physically stop you.”

Alright. That was about as open as he was getting currently and even this much was probably a huge mistake.

[Requiem]

It was the quiet vulnerability in her voice that stayed him, despite himself. Though he didn't turn. He didn't want to see her face. Easier, to listen to her without seeing, and where she couldn't see him. Couldn't see the cold fury icing his already unforgiving eyes. She didn't speak right away, and he had just about decided to resume his walk when her words finally came. His head dipped slightly, teeth grinding slowly against each other.

Again about how she hadn't given up. Didn't she understand? It was these ten nights that he spoke of. It was that night. Was she being so willfully blind as all that? There was a brokenness behind her words that made him want to soften, but, at the same time, no one had spurned him so thoroughly. No one. His head turned just enough to view her from the corner of one eye. Still she didn't understand. Or maybe he didn't. Another flicker of uncertainty welled inside him. Was it really, truly possible that she hadn't heard what he'd said at all, taking those words and hearing nothing else? Even so. That wasn't his fault. It wasn't if she only listened but didn't hear. And why they should matter at all, even so grievously out of context, he couldn't fathom. Or perhaps he could, and that only made his stomach tighten more.

Still with his back to her, his fingers curled lightly around the stylus in his pocket, turning it in a wordless manifestation of thought. He wasn't really sure of what she was trying to say, whether to explain or defend herself, or...he wasn't sure. Dmitri didn't like uncertainty. But he finally turned toward her, half his body presented, the stance still guarded, and when his words came they were soft. "I wasn't the one who walked away." Intentional or not - most likely not given how little Dmitri was in favor of allowing others to see - a touch of bitter hurt slid behind the words, subtle but there. "What you heard wasn't what I said, Ely. I never said you weren't worth it." He shook his head, unable to explain further. Hadn't he already? If she'd been listening - though now it seemed that she didn't listen at all. "I didn't walk away. You did. Even though I didn't like that you kept to your defenses, I still came to the same place, every night. And here I am again. If I walk away now, it's only accepting the precedent you already set."

There was no ire in the words, merely weariness. Turning fully toward her, his eyes found her in silence. And it was in silence that he moved toward her, in silence that he backed her up toward the wall, until she had nowhere left to flee to unless she meant to hurt him. His hands found the wall beside her shoulders, one to each side. "You're this upset. Please...just, for once, don't get scared and brush me off. If what you're saying is at all true, Ely, then listen and don't say something stupid to make it anything less. I won't be jerked around again. I didn't win anything that night, and I don't want you out of my life. If you have to act like nothing touches you, fine. Just know I'll respond in kind. I...that's all that I meant, you understand? I'd like it to be different but if that's all I can have, it's better than nothing." He stared at her, waiting.

Half-expecting that he'd run into the same wall he always had.

[Rei]

Elysia had kept her head bowed even as she finished. The curtain of hair making a physical barrier in place of the emotional ones she had built. It was a struggle to keep them from going up, because they wanted to protect her and in a way the greenrider wanted them to as well. It was easy not to hurt. To hurt was something that she avoided at all costs. As Dmitri moved however the woman’s head lifted slightly, dark eyes watching as he half turned towards her. His own brand of defense. Even as her hair hid her face and eyes from view the stance of his body told her he to thought to guard himself in one way or another. That fact almost made her feel a bit better. The harper was not immune either. There were both playing this very carefully. Testing each other so to speak. Maybe…

When Dmitri started speaking Elysia further raised her head to better catch his words. It wasn’t so much the words themselves that made the greenrider pause. It was the slight undercurrent to them. It sounded as if he was upset? Upset that she had walked away. There was a part of her that wouldn’t acknowledge that she had. Mostly because the greenrider was such a stubborn creature. However the rest of her was willing to waver. Maybe she had fled in a way. However it had been necessary to do such. At least in her mind. Dark brown eyes fixed themselves on the harper the expression in them almost nervous, sad in a way. Swallowing to clear her dry throat as Dmitri stopped speaking Elysia shifted. “To me the words where pretty clear but maybe I shut down at the wrong time. I tend to do that often. Although you seem to have realized this by now. Maybe I did walk away…but it was because I was afraid..” Quiet the words where trailing off into silence as her eyes moved away from Dmitri’s face and then back. It was hard to keep his gaze. Difficult to keep that instinctive protection from rising.

Doubly difficult when Dmitri started walking towards her. Instead of moving the greenrider stood her ground, for the first few moments. Then found herself being backed towards the wall. The fighter in her longed to rebel, to fight back, but the feeling was subdued with a massive infusion of will. No. She refused to be scared. Elysia didn’t get scared. All the same it was almost disorienting to have him this close. Looming over her. Her eyes found his even as he started to speak, the words accepted and turned over before she dared to speak herself. One hand rose in the space between their bodies to come up and lay alongside Dmitri’s jaw. The touch was gentle, almost hesitant in nature. “I understand and I’m sorry.” The words where soft and sincere even as the greenrider gave a sad soft smile. “Just one question Demi. Why? Why would you want anything from someone broken like me? I think I have a hard time accepting that the most. I’m not a nice person. I almost feel undeserving.” A soft dry chuckle followed those words. “That being said. I’m glad you do want me to stay. I don’t want you to leave either. I actually missed you, not kicking you around. Just you.”

Slowly her eyes raised to his mildly hopeful. For what she wasn’t sure.

[Requiem]

Afraid...of what? He wanted to ask, but held his tongue. It would sound challenging and argumentative - which it would have been, in part. Dmitri wouldn't forgive her. There was nothing she could say that would bring that about. So why bother making her defend herself more, when she couldn't? He was harsh, was the harper from the north, unforgiving in his judgments and unwavering in his observations. This woman had chosen, and though she might make reparations for that choice, it would not be dismissed - only paid for. She was doing that to some extent now. He would not forget that she'd stopped him, that her words lacked the defensiveness he was accustomed to. The handler acknowledged that. It repaid some of the debt.

The apology without any excuses tacked on covered most of the rest.

Still, pricked pride stung, and something that wasn't pride held a phantom ache much removed. He watched her face for a long moment, considering the question she posed him and thinking it...a young question. Far too young for a woman of her age. Turning his head, he brushed lips against palm, then nipped the skin sharply. The eyes that regarded her askance narrowed. "You've a gift for kicking people around," he stated dryly. "Though I don't suppose it holds much allure with unblooded boys. Something else, then...and I don't think you know what it is." A brief flicker of a smile. Her eyes were soft. Open. Vulnerable. And he could understand, at that moment, why someone might want to take that vulnerability and crush it. But he didn't. Melting stone was harder than shattering glass, and the stone would not melt so easily again, if at all. "Would you be angry if I said I don't know?" The answer to the question he'd previously ignored, if she remembered it.

Fingers found her chin, lifted it, and though he was a boy in his experiences as well as his form, he was no stranger to a kiss; the press of his lips against hers was a steady smolder, and he possessed her mouth utterly. When he at last broke the kiss, he brought his lips to her ear, cheeks lightly touching, lips brushing the lobe. "You intrigue me, woman." Dmitri withdrew his arm, then, straightening, but he didn't move to back up, and the fingers at her chin kept it tilted up. "You and your dances and guises. I want to strip it all away. I want to know the Elysia that keeps peeking out but never really emerging. If that answer isn't enough, I can't give you another." Two steps back and his hands found his pockets, eyes still on her face searchingly.

[Rei]

Elysia stayed completely still, eyes searching Dmitri’s face as she waited. For an answer she guessed. The brush of lips and the nip was unexpected and a hesitant smile graced her features for a moment. The words he offered where simply accepted. He was right after all. She didn’t know what it was she was feeling. Or rather she understood it to an extend but it was confusing…worrisome in ways. New actually. So was it any wonder the greenrider was treating the whole thing with caution? However it seemed caution was the wrong way to go. That in a sense had frightened her. No safeguards. It was a tall order really, but one she would hazard if only to keep the harper around. Dark damp hair spilling over one shoulder his answer drew a faint smile. “Angry? No. How can I be when I can’t say I understand it currently either?” Elysia’s hand lingered on Dmitri’s face, fingers lightly running over his skin so she could caress the faint scars. The greenrider had wanted to do that for some time now.

Before the woman could do much of anything else the harpers fingers had found her chin tilting it up towards him. The kiss was unexpected but she booked no complaint. Quite to the contrary. Instead she responded almost immediately, the hand that had been ghosting over his cheek trailing upwards until fingertips could thread in his hair. Her other hand coming up to caress over his chest, a mild irritation rising that it was clothed. This time, although at first hesitant, Elysia allowed Dmitri to keep control of her mouth. Perhaps as another way to show she was being serious about this. Oh a large part of the greenrider wanted to pull him forward, deepen the kiss and refuse to let him go. But this was his dance. She would, this time, allow him the lead.

When the kiss broke Elysia slowly opened her dark eyes. Eyes that she hadn’t remembered closing. Her hand further caressing down Dmitri’s chest before dropping back to her side. The whispered words the harper offered as his lips brushed over her ear caused a pleasant shiver to run down her spine. Surprise washed over her features at the words and then with a small smile Elysia stepped forward, one measured step. “Be careful what you wish for Demi. I’ll let you see, but I can’t promise that you’ll like it.” It was hard. So used to hiding behind the masks as she was. This was a risk the greenrider wasn’t sure she should take but all the same she was a bit determined to. Maybe it would come back to bite her in the end. But nothing lost nothing gained.

“Your answer is acceptable.” Another smile given to the harper before she held out her hand towards him. What Elysia expected him to do she wasn’t sure but she was interested to see what Dmitri would make of the gesture. Her eyes held a spark of playfulness as she watched him for a reaction. “You aren’t going now are you?”

[Requiem]

It should have been the phantom of a kiss that lingered, if anything at all, but it wasn't; no, it was the feel of her fingers stroking his face. The right side of his face. Oh, he got looks of fascination - and often barely concealed revulsion - so he knew the scars were a matter of curiosity, even to those who knew exactly how he'd won them. (He preferred to let people wonder, since happening into the line of fire and getting half his flesh boiled wasn't a set of circumstances you could very well boast about.) It was a queer sensation to be sure, as if the fingers had touched and withdrawn in quick succession, the nerves of his face not registering them through the parts of his skin already deadened. He didn't trace his own fingertips over his cheek, though he had to consciously keep himself from doing so. There was a darkness in his eyes as he regarded her, though, one that held the phantom pain of flames bursting over him, half his clothing seared away in an instant and watching the skin of his arm boiling and warping before his mind shut down to the agony of it and he couldn't see anything.

Dmitri had endured nothing else in his life that could be considered severe, but still and all he thought there was probably nothing so painful or hideous as feeling fire crisping you. The moisture leeched from the skin, the layers dying of an instant, peeling away, nerve endings fried, and beneath, boils, angry and red or black with death. The lesser burns turned pale and white, dead to all but mere spiderwebbings of scars. The worst of it was misshapen, all manner of unnatural colors, and the whole had cracked and oozed and reeked of mortification. A bloody, puss-filled mess. All of this creeped back to his mind at the unexpected touch, and he felt suddenly cold, his stomach clenching. He'd been far braver then. There was nothing but to be brave, the damage already done. But he couldn't abide an open flame, and his hair was kept short, the uneasy fear of a random spark catching enough to make him feel a child again, wholly unmanned. It was the curiosity in her eyes that almost made him angry, though. There was nothing interesting about it. They were a horror he relived all too often in his nightmares.

Such memories brought back other ones, though, in the quiet of his putrefraction. Of Eikane and Nautic, of Yoalla, of Erilena and even Darya. All come to draw from him the bratty, sarcastic arrogance that had burned away with the flames. Elysia had come too, hadn't she? Up to her usual tricks, yes, and he'd been in no mood to endure them, but still and all, she'd come. He wondered what had gone through her mind...she'd never seemed put off by the stench or the sight of him, even at its worst.

He wasn't hearing her. The movement of her hand jolted him from his musings, and though he didn't jump, the fall of his palm to his sheathed dirk spoke enough of the startlement. Eyes snapped back into focus, and he looked down at the hand offered him, hand falling from the hilt. His disfigured one lifted, running through his hair, and a softening came to the hard planes of his face. A flicker of a half-smile touched his lips, the partially frozen muscles on the right side of his face twitching. "That depends on what you plan...and how long you plan to keep me. It will be full dark in no more than two candlemarks," he added. Then, because Elysia was prone to false assumptions, if recent history was any indication, "My mind was wandering. Your hand on my face brought back memories." The same shadow from before passed behind his eyes, but vanished just as swift.

[Rei]

Dmitri’s sudden startle caused Elysia to frown slightly, but she didn’t react beyond a stiffening of muscles in preparation to move. Just in case. Especially since Dmitri’s hand had immediately went to his weapon. No matter who it was the greenrider wasn’t going to be caught unawares when it came down to weapons. Accidents happened. However the woman’s hand remained outstretched. A pensive expression dominated her features as the harper spoke. Noting the change in expression that appeared when he spoke of memories. Damn Fort. Elysia had seen what they had wrought on not only Dmitri, but many in the weyr and she couldn’t blame him for his darkness on the subject. Her hand dropped back to her side slowly, a teasing smile lighting her face for a moment. A bid to perhaps turn him from inward thoughts of dark and pain.

“Two candlemarks? I am sure we could find something to amuse us. If you want to stay that is.” Her dark eyes met his evenly before the greenrider again smiled softly. Just so her intentions would not be misunderstood she continued. “Don’t worry. I won’t touch you. Promise. I did send down for dinner though and it will be here shortly. You wouldn’t be interested in a bit of food before you left would you?” As she spoke she had Onyth check in with the drudges and change the order. Even if Dmitri chose not to stay her firelizards needed to be fed and Onyth herself never turned up food either.

The green was not ecstatic about the turn of events but hers wanted this, and so she behaved. With a snort the dark female curled up on her couch and lidded her whirling eyes. It is done. I hope you do not expect me to entertain. Of course not. Easy love. It’s just a bit of dinner. If he makes you cry again he will be dinner. Elysia resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the note of possession in the dragon’s voice. Enough Onyth.

It felt odd. Inviting him into her private quarters. Elysia had never done such before. Certainly not at Benden and not here either. It was a breech of an inward contract. An extension of an olive branch if you will. Half turning from him she looked back and awaited Dmitri’s answer. He was free to do as he chose but the greenrider was rather hoping he’d take her up on the invite.

[Requiem]

Perhaps it spoke to his state of mind that he'd immediately thought down those lines when she spoke of entertainment, or perhaps it was more a reflection of the way Elysia was wont to behave; most every comment or action seemed to be suggestive. And yes, he balked, more a brief flicker of panic in his eyes than anything else. He'd never taken to anyone's furs, after all, not once, and the greenrider...he had no intentions with her. She'd been with and seen too many men, and he'd lose every bit of ground he'd gained, he was certain. They were only on roughly equal footing now because he'd fought for every inch of it. No possible way she'd look at him as anything more than a boy after, and an ugly, mutilated one at that. No.

Whether she saw that panic or not, though, she chased it with a smile, her words making it seem almost as if she'd read his mind. He could have over-analyzed and worried about that as well, but he settled for keeping the relief from his face and simply being grateful for that. Whatever damage might have been done by the expression, it could be repaired far easier than the alternative. Food. He hadn't thought about being hungry since he came to this hall, but that had been his destination, hadn't it? As she turned away, he nodded, a small smile twitching at his lips. "I hope you've ordered enough; my appetite only seems to be increasing," he commented dryly. He remembered how skeptical she'd seemed of the sheer amount he'd gotten at the Gather a month ago. No one could say he was slender from lack of eating, if they'd seen him, at least.

He stepped around her, leaning against the doorframe and waiting for her to unlock the door. An assumption, yes, but a reasonable one; he knew no northerners who didn't secure their weyrs and valuables. If for no other reason than not wanting someone sneaking about whilst they slept. Of course, if you could sneak past a dragon, there wasn't much that could be done. Stairs were cut into the cliff face, after all. Nothing whatsoever to stop someone from stepping out onto a ledge and going through the inner chamber that housed the dragon's couch, gaining entrance to the weyr that way. "I caught you come back from your bath. Were you planning to sleep so early?" he questioned, curiously. It was only late afternoon, after all. Dmitri slept less than most of his fellow wherhandlers. In truth, he wanted to ask what she'd been doing when she hadn't been coming to see him, but...he elected for the more tactful route.

[Rei]

Elysia had in fact caught the mild twinge of panic and there was a part of her that desired to comfort. But as quickly as the flicker came it was gone and her reaction was quelled just as swiftly. It was difficult not to attempt to take complete control of the situation. Make the whole thing her terms only. But no. That would not help anything. Treading on ground that the greenrider had never been on before her mind begged caution. At least in some areas. Something subtle had changed and the woman had no desire to ruin it.

Instead she concentrated on how surprisingly good it felt to have Dmitri around again. Who would have guessed that in the end she would end up just craving his bratty comments and simple presence. It almost made her wonder what was wrong with her. I would pose the same question. Perhaps you are a glutton for punishment. Onyth I thought you said you where being quiet. I suggest you keep to that. There was enough irritation in the mind tone to cause pause in her dragon and a pulse of apology.

Titling her head back towards Dmitri as he spoke an amused smile lit up Elysia’s face. “Oh don’t worry. I am sure there will be plenty. I didn’t forget. My memory isn’t that bad yet.” It was an attempt at a joke even if the tone was a little dry. Poking fun at herself was not something the greenrider often did. Her eyes watched the harper as he stepped around her and made for the door a small smile lighting up her eyes. It was strange that she felt so relived, simply because he had accepted her small offer. Pushing the emotion aside for the moment, Elysia was quick to draw up alongside the taller teen. Procuring a key from a hidden pocket she quickly unlocked the door and then tucked the key back into a pocket. Pushing the heavy door open and listening to a chorus of welcoming croons from her two firelizards her dark eyes went back to Dmitri’s blue grey ones.

Momentarily the greenrider debated the question but there really was no reason not to be truthful. In fact current standing with the harper hinged on her staying that way. Besides, what did she seek to gain from hiding anything? Nothing. “Not sleep yet no. A bit of dinner and then I was going to play a little mind game with Onyth.” Two brown forms looped around the harper with welcomes, and one questioning flute from Amour who alighted on the harpers shoulder and rubbed his head affectionately under the boy’s chin. Why hello there! His gold never had brought a male back with her before. Curious. Quite curious. Baron on the other hand alighted on Elysia after giving Dmitri the briefest examination. Coiling his tail about the woman’s neck he gave one soft chirp. “I suppose my boys to would like some attention as well. Starved creatures they are.” Rolling her eyes she nevertheless scratched at one of Baron’s eye ridges and completely ignored Amour for the moment. Giving him attention now would be….disastrous.

With little hesitation Elysia made her way over to her table and brushed a hand over the already clean surface. She tended to keep her weyr tidy despite the fact that she never had visitors. Easier to find things in a clean weyr. The woman wasn’t obsessive over it but one could tell she definitely kept her things neat. A quick look thrown back at Dmitri and she gave a smile. “Wine? Or something else? I tend to keep klah around and I got some right before my bath so it should still be warm.” Without waiting for an answer she made for a cabinet and pulled out a pair of glasses.

“Hopefully it won’t take the drudge long. Horribly slow they can be sometimes.” It was odd but there was a small nearly imperceptible thread of nervousness in her tone. She was not used to having people over. At all. It have her butterflies which was just….odd. Onyth gave a soft rumble from her couch, whirling green eyes fixed on Dmitri. She offered the boy no words but it was obvious that she was ‘watching’ him.

[Requiem]

The cheeky flash of a grin that was more quirky than it would otherwise have been due to the damage to his face made it all too clear that Dmitri had a response to the comment about her memory, but for once he didn't voice it. The harper remembered how little she liked being reminded of her age - reserved it to use against her when she needed the wind taken out of her sails, in fact. So he said nothing about it, even though she left herself ridiculously wide open, trusting that the grin would convey enough to inspire a touch of irritation. He liked seeing the flash of annoyance in her eyes. The woman was so deadset on controlling everything that it was nice to see her expression wrest itself free.

Sure enough, there was the key. He was randomly grateful that he hadn't brought Dementia along. Truthfully, though, the salamandyr was developing a distinct bias against the 'daylighters', just as a good portion of the wherhandlers had. Out of sight, out of mind, in Dmitri's opinion. It wasn't so much that they were undervalued as forgotten about, and in some ways he didn't think that was altogether a bad thing. So long as they could get what materials and support they might need, let the rest of the Weyr operate in blessed ignorance of them; it made life more peaceful.

Nodding in silence to Elysia's response, he snorted at the browns. "Hey." Amour in particular got a look for his curious affections. "You act as if you've never met me," he commented wryly, stroking the firelizard with the ease of someone familiar with such pets as he entered Elysia's quarters, eyes scanning the room with mild interest. Kept a neat place for a single woman, didn't she? "I'm wounded, my amorous brown. I was there when you hatched, you know." He glanced sidelong at the greenrider. As a matter of fact, it was the first time he'd seen anything soft in Elysia at all, and that was what sparked his curiosity in the first place.

"Did you have a warmer and stone cups?" Dmitri stepped up near her, careful to keep Elysia between him and the dragon whose eyes stayed fixed on him like she was considering having him for her meal. Dragons. Violent creatures, the lot of them. He reached past her, rummaging through the shelves she'd already opened and locating what he wanted, including a pewter pitcher that clearly was meant for warming klah and a red wine. Pouring it into the pitcher, he added cinnamon and cloves as it heated slowly, leaving it to simmer. If it boiled it wouldn't do, so he leaned against the counter beside the warmer. "If you've never had hot spiced wine, you're missing out. Warms you up like nothing else, and the heat takes some of the strength out of the wine, though not all."

Not that either he or Elysia seemed to have trouble holding their liquor, and the alcohol would still be in it. Made for a nice sleeping draught, though, he'd discovered turns ago back at the Hall. Back when waking nightmares kept him up most nights. Or a good way to take the chill out of your bones.

"No doubt they're just busy. Drudges are always bustling about, you know, and this is a high traffic time for the kitchen drudges." Dmitri wasn't nervous in the slightest, and her anxiety was something of a curiosity to him. (Though maybe he should have been, given it was probably naive to assume a person would keep their word.) Nudging lightly at her with his hip, he nodded toward the wine. "See the light film on top? That means it's ready. Leave it on much longer and it will start to boil; you don't want that." A gloved hand curled around the handle, and he poured two cups, pressing one into her hands. "Come on. Try it."

[Rei]

If Elysia had caught the before mentioned grin in response to her comment she gave no indication. Perhaps in a bid to not show the prick of irritation it did give. Age was a touchy subject for Elysia. Solely because she took pride in the way she looked and appeared. To that end she took excellent care of herself and it showed. Despite the whip scars she had gained through her childhood, at the hands of a man she would prefer to let fade from her memory, her body was near unmarked and the greenrider planned to keep it that way. As she rustled through the cabinets she strove to keep Amour’s enthusiastic emotions at bay. And enthusiastic was only the tip on the iceberg. Silly twit.

Baron was proving to be well behaved. In fact when Elysia had moved in that direction the older brown had took to wing and ended up perched on a high shelf specifically set up for both firelizards. From that position he curled up and craned his neck to watch. Amour in turn arched his back into Dmitri’s touch and nuzzled along his jaw in clear affection. Silly. Of course he remembered. He was just happy to see him. A soft hum started in his throat and he flashed pictures of his gold as she had looked that night. See he remembered! He did. He was just surprised and why not? His never brought males to her quarters. With a soft trill he wrapped his tail partway around the harper’s neck as an anchor and folded his wings with a soft croon. Softly Amour bobbed his head at his bonded, as the greenrider turned at the comment about the hatching that gather night. “If I had know how annoying he could be I would have never spent the marks.” The words where made in jest and complete untrue and the smaller brown sensed his. Chirping he crooned lovingly to his bonded even as Dmitri started that way.

When the handler drew up alongside her Elysia almost reluctantly moved slightly aside and tilted her head up at the taller male. “Yes I have both.” Before she could show him Dmitri had reached past her and already found what he needed. With mild amusement she watched the harper at work a small smile forming on her lips. It was interesting how at ease he seemed. Although perhaps not totally at ease if the way he avoided Onyth’s gaze was any indication. As the teen set up the warmer the greenrider prodded lightly at Onyth. Why don’t you go visit Saboth for awhile? The dark dragon merely gave a soft snort. His ledge is quite crowded with two blues and I don’t fancy irritating Inocenth. Well if you are staying, quit staring at him. You are making him uncomfortable. With a soft hiss the dragon curled in on herself and lidded her eyes. Better? Elysia turned her gaze to her dragon for a moment but decided to leave it alone for now. No sense arguing.

Dark eyes going back to Dmitri the greenrider looked back at the simmering liquid. It certainly smelled good. “Can’t say I have had it. Smells good though. I tend to stick to klah and probably couldn’t cook to save my life. Never learned.” Unlike some females her education had revolved around pain and survival. Not that she envied other females their drudge work. Speaking of drudges Elysia gave a shrug. “I did add to the order. No doubt they are complaining of that even as we speak.” A nudge to her hip had her eyebrow raising as her gaze again traveled to the harper and then back to the warmer. When he pressed one of the cups into her hand the woman allowed her fingers to gently caress his gloved ones before taking control of the stoneware. Making a show of examining the liquid Elysia sniffed it experimentally before raising it to her lips.

The first sip had an expression of mild surprise dominating her features. “It is good. Thanks for the tip.” Not that she had thought Dmitri was lying. Amour tilted his head and clambered down the harper’s arm to sniff at the liquid. Elysia gave him a look of disproval and the small brown hastily chirped and apology before backtracking quickly, careful not to catch his claws anywhere. Settling himself again on the teen’s shoulder he quickly flashed the harper a picture of a very naked Elysia. Would he like to mate with her? His had yet to produce a baby, maybe that was why she had brought the male. Smart his. In the middle of a sip it was all the greenrider could do not to spit the liquid out as Onyth gave a rumble of amusement.