Quite the Handful(s) [Tags Ka'rys]

[kysseh]

Savitri carefully made her way along the hallway, trying to balance the tray without falling or dropping anything. This would not have seemed like a difficult task, but Savitri's hands were quite full, which complicated the effort. She had only one tagalong. The rest of her pets was hiding somewhere in her weyr, and she was happy to leave them there. Ras was stressful enough, and the very young green flit was curled around her neck and huffing indignantly that Savitri was not feeding her. Never mind that Ras had just downed an immense amount of food before being oiled a scant half-candlemark before. She was positively starving again, which Savi knew to be a lie. The flitter would pop if she had any more to eat.

The tray was fairly laden down with food. Klah, several cups, a plate practically overflowing with fruits and tubers, another plate was laden down with bread and cheese, and a bowl filled with fishy tidbits (for all of the many flitters they now possessed between the two of them) were crammed onto the overlarge tray, and Savitri had initially staggered a bit under the weight. It had taken her a little while get herself all the way up to outside of her favorite bronzerider's weyr, and that was hampered by the massive blanket that was draped (folded, of course) over one arm and her healer's bag that was draped over the opposite shoulder.

Yes, Savitri came well-prepared. Shadow had shown her the image of Rys' injury the day before, and the goldrider had promptly gone into a momentary flurry of panic. Her day had been too busy, though, for her to squeeze out time to visit him, so she had been forced to wait until today. Now, with her infirmary shifts done and the time for dinner approaching, she was dragging a meal that could feed four up to his weyr. She doubted he would have visitors, but it never hurt to be prepared. Besides, Savitri was finding herself strangely hungry, though the meat being cooked in the kitchens had turned her stomach. Food just did not want to sit properly on her stomach, given her anxious state of mind as of late.

"Rys? Rys? I hope you're hungry," she called aloud, not bothering to go through the formality of asking for access. His weyr was far too familiar to her. That... and she didn't think she could stand with holding the tray for much longer. Her arms were aching. "Please tell me you are not up and about on that foot." Did that come out too sharply? The young woman sighed, trying to locate where the bronzerider was in his weyr. "Rys?"

While Savitri had dispensed with the formalities, Hepaticath was slightly more polite, peeking up at her playmate's weyr from her perch on the very edge of her own ledge. The queen desperately wanted to come visit and make sure Hers ate something, but she was loathe to intrude on the bronze's weyrledge. It just wasn't proper. Ciceroth? May I come visit you, please? she asked politely, keeping her tones carefully even in an attempt to not startle him. She did not want to scare her poor playmate. That was just not nice at all. Mine is bringing Yours a meal.

[glamourie]

"Walking isn't quite the word I'd use to describe it, if that helps?" Ka'rys's voice came from near the bathing chamber of his weyr. His hair was still damp and mostly slicked out of his face, and from the way he was dressed it was clear he'd just gotten out of the bath -- likely when he heard Savitri come in. Had she been anyone else he might have bothered with more, but since it was Savitri, just a pair of dark gray pants worked fine; she'd seen the whole show before. (That, and he didn't plan on staying awake really -- he was bizarrely tired and in search of a nap, which he blamed on whatever the healers had him on for his ankle's pain.) His ankle was still wounded and was the only part of his body not wet; he'd propped it up to avoid an accident with the water and his... cast? Bandage? Whatever it was called; he couldn't think of the right way to describe it, really. His gaze fell on Savitri curiously and he gestured toward the table by his couch, for her to put down everything she was carrying. "You can put that stuff down on the table there. I'd offer to help you but I expect you'd kick me for trying to hop over there."

He was really quite slow moving of late. Sadly. Normally he was one of the faster people in the Weyr, his reflexes were good and so was his mental reaction time. Having a messed up ankle resulted in half-hopping, definite limping and a lot more needing to sit down. He wasn't completely helpless, but moving around was hard. He had no intentions of explaining that to Savitri, though. He wasn't in enough pain to admit it to her. The only time it hurt very much was when he actually stepped on that foot, in any case, and he was careful not to do that most of the time. Whenever he remembered, anyway, and accidents usually resulted in him remembering very quickly why he did not stand on that foot... He had a good reminder. Which brought up another question, "Who told you my ankle was injured?" It wasn't him. Not that he could have hidden it from her, and he was sure it was Kalierre, but he still wanted to know.

Wait, she'd brought food. Last time he spoke to her for any length of time, Savitri wasn't eating. He couldn't say as he blamed her too much. Though she was unaware, he knew what it felt like to lose a sibling and it was a terrible feeling. He couldn't tell her he understood, either, because as far as Savitri knew, he was an only child. So, to some degree he was forced to pretend to be more callous than he was -- but he wasn't able to be blatantly inconsiderate, either. His problem with her not eating stemmed from worry. He didn't want the only goldrider worth her salt at Selenitas to waste away. Ka'rys didn't want to lose the only person he really liked (other than Kale) either. Seeing her not eating, finding out she wasn't taking care of herself, upset him severely. All in all it was an awkward situation.

He hoped she didn't bring him any red meat.

On the weyrledge, Ciceroth turned and crooned a greeting to Savitri. His eyes whirled his affection for the goldrider, but his attention was immediately snagged by her dragon. Sprawled out as he was on the ledge, it was very easy to identify Ciceroth; he was one of the few bronzes whose coloration was closer to that of a gold, complete with the shiny highlights that made him stand out. There was also something in his posture most of his color didn't have - a casual confidence that was displayed most prominently in the way he draped his body out to full length with his wings stretched for proper sunning. He took up a considerable amount of room, but not too much to be problematic for a visitor, and Hepaticath's question made him sit up properly. His tail swung around his body and he turned his head to look down toward her weyr before crooning a greeting to her.

Of course you are welcome. You needn't ever ask me that. There was plenty of room for them both. Besides, he had a tendency of going to visit her at her weyr without asking; it would have been rude for him to decline... and it wasn't as though he minded at all. SavitriYours interrupted Rysmine's bath. He is very drippy now. The bronze sounded amused as he explained that, and he was sure Hepaticath would find it equally amusing. Did she bring him red meat? He doesn't eat what humans call 'red meat.' It makes him sick. I hope she didn't bring him any...

[kysseh]

Kick him for helping? Perhaps not, but she would yell. Savitri opted to not say that aloud, just because it took valuable energy that could better be spent carting the tray over to the table he indicated. Her gaze did flick over to him on occasion, wondering how he was able to take a bath with one leg… obviously bandaged. He did not bother to get fully dressed, she noted. She just shook her head and set down the heavy tray on the table and the blanket on the couch, lifting a hand to brush her too-short hair from her face as it was obstructing her vision. She had dressed simply for the infirmary, and her sleeveless shirt gave her a bit of a chill. The skirt was for Rys, though, mostly so he would stop yammering on about her lack of femininity in dressing.

“Glad to know you’re being gentle on it,” she muttered softly before sweeping over to him, wrinkling her nose a bit at the realization that he was still wet. She leaned in to carefully kiss his cheek and immediately sighed. “You’re practically dripping, Rys. I’m getting you a towel before you get me wet.” Her mind wanted to wander with that thought, but she kept it in check. Instead, the goldrider disappeared into the bathing room and reappeared with a towel. “Now… couch. Don’t make me carry you over there,” she added moving to his side if he needed the support. She didn’t doubt that she could carry him, even if he outweighed her. Still, she doubted his pride would permit it. Men.

She didn’t answer his query at first, mostly because she was distracted by Ciceroth and smiled over at the lazy bronze. “Hello, Ciceroth. She’s coming,” she called to the bronze, alerted by Hepaticath’s delight at coming over to visit her playmate. The gold insisted on asking first before intruding on others’ weyrledges. Savitri found it endearing and quite mannerly. “Shadow… err… showed me? I wanted to come visit you yesterday, but… I got bogged down in work…”

Hepaticath crooned in delight and extended her massive wings, happily taking to the air and winging outward and upward. It was harder to gain altitude in the canyon, but the young queen managed. Her landing on Ciceroth’s ledge was not the most graceful, but she managed to get down on the limited space without trampling on the bronze or falling off. It was hard to get a large body coordinated in a small space! Thank you. I will always ask, though. I did not want to intrude.

The gold settled down on the open ledge space, rumbling happily as Ciceroth’s statements registered. Drippy? Mine keeps thinking about wet and water, and then she gets embarrassed. Humans are so odd. Her eyes whirled a contented blue-green, focusing first on Hers to ensure the goldrider was alive and unharmed. Ciceroth had her full attention then, though, and she touched on Hers’ mind to answer the bronze’s query. Red meat? No... I think no red meat. There was meat cooking, but the smell made her feel sick. She brought fish bits for the little flitters, though…

[glamourie]

Ka'rys's dark brown eyes followed Savitri as she set the tray down on the table. Curiosity welled in the back of his mind, but he didn't inquire; he was too busy being glad that she'd finally taken initiative where food was concerned... again. It bothered him when she didn't eat. Yes, he had many habits most people considered unhealthy, but not eating was not one of them. He always made sure to eat. He was never intentionally self-destructive. He just... tended to have too much pride. Food didn't usually come into question. Staying off of his ankle was another story, but he was making an effort (primarily due to the excruciating amount of pain caused by not staying off of it and a lack of desire to visit the infirmary). Changing one's lifestyle and was took time, though, and for all of his complaining, Ka'rys was someone who spent most of his time in motion. He didn't socialize but he kept a very busy schedule, usually involving training in some way, and having it disrupted due to injury was highly unpleasant. Likely that was the source of his bad mood.

He raised an eyebrow. His head cocked to the side. And he snorted. "Exactly what did you expect? I was soaking when you came in and you kept repeating my name before I could properly dry myself off. If I'd waited any longer I expect you'd have had a fit," he replied, tempted to wring his hair out onto her in retaliation. He was also tempted to point out that he had enough muscle that she probably couldn't carry him, even if she thought she could. He was pure muscle. Yes, small in size compared to most men at Selenitas (land of the giants?) but not tiny, and certainly not easy to tote around. He decided against saying it; it would be picking a fight (intentionally) and he wasn't in the mood to bicker. Instead, he sniffed indignantly and stalked over toward the couch... but he did not sit down. He leaned his good leg against it and held out his hand for the towel Savitri carried; he'd dry himself off first then sit down.

"Your salamandyr is stalking me now? How kind of him." Mental note: Alert Ophelie and convince her to remove said white nuisance. "I'm fine, though. You didn't need to visit. Odds are, I'd have been busy anyway. Just because I hurt my ankle doesn't mean that I don't have things to be doing. Towel, please?"

Savitri's response earned only the minimal flick of tail that was acknowledgment; yes, he already knew Hepaticath was coming. As she arrived on his weyrledge, he moved over to allow her more room and watched the gold settle herself. Then he nudged her affectionately and sprawled out right against her, with absolutely no shame whatsoever. Hepaticath was one of the few dragons he had no problem being himself around, even if that meant he appeared bizarre to others. With creatures he liked, he was highly touchy-feely; he required constant physical contact. He would even nudge and affectionately touch Ka'rys in public, usually just a brush of his tail but enough; he liked the reassurance that touch caused. That and his ledge was not nearly so large as hers. If he was going to sprawl he'd end up touching her anyway, so why bother worrying about it?

He rested his head against her back and crooned again. I think Rysmine is teaching SavitriYours bad habits, he admitted with an amused edge to his tone. He understood what the reference was. Most dragons wouldn't, but Ciceroth plucked thoughts out of Ka'rys's head often without his rider ever realizing. I do not like Rysmine's new flitter. She is very easily distracted and keeps coming over and looking at me as if she's never seen me before. I have the feeling she is distracted by my hide. His eyes whirled a hint of annoyance, but Ciceroth was a patient creature... he'd be fine, soon enough. Why does the white thing follow around Ka'rysMine?

[kysseh]

Perhaps it was unwise to show as much emotion as Savitri did, but she could scarcely contain the scowl that decorated her face at the bronzerider's words. There were days when she did not wish to claim knowledge of him. Men. Men. When was he going to learn that not needing to do something was not the same as not wanting to do it?! She kept her mouth shut, though, and just eyed Ka'rys, debating how to proceed without throwing a childish tantrum. As tempting as it was to just go take over his furs and hide there to cry in absolute and utter frustration, that would have been highly impractical. Useless. Tempting... but useless and thoroughly unhelpful.

His words stung more than she realized, and after practically shoving the towel into his hands, Savitri moved--Ras hissing at Rys from her perch around the goldrider's neck--to sit on the couch, crossing one leg over the other and folding her arms over her chest. "You're right, Rys. I didn't need to come visit. I didn't need to make sure you were all right... or worry about how you were feeling. And I probably would've pulled a complete fit if you just called out and said 'I'm in the bath; I'll be out in a minute.' Those are entirely rational, reasonable ways for me to act, so I commend you for knowing me well enough understand my motives and reactions to everything."

She took a deep breath, and that should have heralded the end of the tantrum but for the overwhelming feelings of contentment emanating from her dragon. Her narrowed eyes moved to focus on the sprawled masses of dragonflesh, and the young woman groaned aloud in frustration, letting her head thump back against the back of the couch. "Rys... I came by because I was worried. I wanted to make sure you're okay, and I had something to give you. Since you're obviously busy taking a bath and making assumptions, though, should I leave you to your solitude and take my dinner elsewhere?" Her head came up again, eyes focused tiredly on her... friend? lover? "I came up to apologize for... not being a good friend lately." Her voice was quiet now, and one hand fussed idly with the folded blanket that sat on the couch beside her. "... I've missed you."

Ciceroth's sprawling had resulted in Hepaticath lazily stretching as well, rubbing her head against the bronze with obvious affection. Her favorite playmate, he was. Her favorite bronze too, though she would not be rude enough to make that known. No, no... that would be impolite, even if SavitriHers insisted that it was perfectly obvious. That thought made the gold snort in quiet amusement, and she nosed at every available spot of bronze hide that she could reach. Looking him over, she was, like she did with SavitriHers on occasion. It was an exercise borne of paranoia over Hers becoming injured. Now she extended that paranoia to include her Ciceroth. Her Ciceroth.

I think I do not want to know what these bad habits are. she remarked, nuzzling lightly at his foreleg. No swelling, no discolorations, no wounds... no injuries there! The new flitter must admire your hide, like I do. It is very nice, after all. As to why the white thing follows Yours... I think he thinks that Yours is his. He thinks that Mine is his, and I am Mine's, so I belong to him. And he thinks that Yours belongs to Mine, so Yours is his too. It is very confusing. Mine says his picture-voice does not make much sense. the gold confided in her friend, flicking out her tongue to touch his hide and then nosing at the same spot. Is the new flitter very annoying? Mine's is. She thinks she is queen, and she makes horribly loud noises when she is not fed or oiled soon enough. It is very irritating.

[glamourie]

Why was she throwing a fit? By Faranth, did he do nothing right? Ka'rys squinted slightly as he took the towel (not that he had much choice) and waited, patiently, for Savitri to finish her little rant. His eyebrow raised slightly and he lifted it to dry his hair as best he could while she spoke. Yes, definitely a tantrum. Misunderstanding too. He dried his hair, moved down his chest and hobbled away from the couch toward his wardrobe. The towel was set down against the side of the trunk before he grabbed a pair of clean, dry pants and tossed them onto his furs; then he removed the damp ones (never mind that Savitri was standing right there, he had no sense of modesty where she was concerned), dried his legs off the rest of the way, and pulled the clean pants on. It was a difficult task, given that his ankle was exceptionally sore, but he managed without asking for help. When he was done, he tossed the towel to the side (he could pick it up later) and limped back to the couch where Savitri was sitting and looking very, very sulky.

Standing right in front of her, Ka'rys curled one hand behind the base of her neck, then leaned down and kissed her square on the mouth. It was a forceful enough kiss to make a point, but it only lasted a few seconds before he tilted his head to the side and whispered right against her mouth, "When will you learn to hush when you're winning?"

Without waiting for a response to that, he moved to sit (because she would fuss at him for not doing so if he didn't hurry it up and plop down somewhere) next to her and half-lounged on the couch, so as to prop his ankle up. It was a little bit awkward, since he was trying to avoid climbing ontop of her, but he managed all right. Once he was settled, he raised an eyebrow. "I'm making assumptions? Oh yes. I'm making assumptions. Savitri, I meant that you needn't worry about not visiting me, not that I didn't want you to. You tend to stress yourself over every little thing. I was trying to say you needn't worry that I'd taken offense. I didn't." As for the bath, he'd been half-fibbing; really, he'd come out still damp solely because he wanted her to look. Was that wrong? No - no. There was nothing wrong with wanting her to see him, shard it. It was normal. And if it wasn't, he intended to blame the whole thing on Ciceroth's blatant fondness for Hepaticath. His fault. Right right.

One hand moved to poke the blanket next to him (he'd been careful not to lay on top of it, because he didn't know if there was something under it or not). "'Friends' is not the term I would have used to describe us." He didn't know what term he would have used, but friends was not it. Friends didn't just happen to jump into furs together after a flight. Okay, sometimes it happened, but not the way it had with them. He wasn't blind enough to believe he was alone in that feeling, either. She felt the same way, she had to have. He leaned back slightly, so that he was resting against her, which put his head against her chest. Odd position, it was, and it forced him to tilt his head up to meet her gaze evenly. Still, it was more comfortable than sitting normally and trying to put his foot up on the table.. near the food. "You haven't been a bad 'friend' either. You've had a lot going on. You don't owe me any apologies for that. I just wish you took better care of yourself when stressed out. Hepaticath is not the only one who grows concerned for your welfare."

Squirming slightly (as though to make himself comfortable), Ciceroth crooned. Again. No small amount of affection was left in that sound, either; it was blatantly obvious he liked Hepaticath. Not that Ciceroth was unkind to any creature. As far as others went, he tried to always be nice. But the amount of dragons he liked was small in number, indeed, and Hepaticath was at the top of that list. It was very obvious, he knew, and he did not care at all. What bronze would hide their affection for a gold? Or any dragon for that matter? And why should he hide it at all? Hmph.

I do not know. The new flitter is very odd, I think. She grows distracted so easily. Rysmine adores her, and I do not know why. I much prefer the more beautiful little cousin. Ophelie was far, far better behaved. She was very easy-going. Ciceroth liked her. I am sorry that the new green thinks she is a queen. The white thing must dislike her immensely. His eyes whirled slowly and he flicked his tail. The gentle affection was welcome, appreciated even; he liked being touched as much as he did the touching. Did you know that Rysmine's hatchling has a strange brown-gray thing? Rysmine called it a crawlie. The hatchling likes it very much. It eats bugs.

[kysseh]

Why did it not surprise her that her Rys had no sense of modesty, Savitri wondered? The fact that he simply rid himself of the sopping wet pants to dry himself off was neither shocking nor disturbing, and, in fact, the young woman found it rather... interesting. Fuming though she was at him, her mood did not prevent her from admiring his form from her perch on the couch. It was quite the nice body that he had, and she even went so far as to tilt her head to watch, toeing off her sandals and curling her feet up beside her on the couch, no small feat while wearing a skirt. She hated skirts...

So absorbed was she in staring at him and then in adjusting her position on the couch, that she failed to see him get dressed and approach. Thus, the squeal that she emitted upon being snagged for a none-too-gentle kiss was purely involuntary, and her cheeks flushed in a combination of arousal and embarrassment. Shard him. He pulled back all too soon, and his whispered words had her leaning forward in an attempt to close the distance, though he was already gone. Her scowl returned for the briefest of instants, transforming to a look of bewilderment and then to resignation. Shard the man. Did they never cease to misunderstand each other? "I'll worry if I sharding feel like it," she grumbled, though there was no real ire in the statement. It was hard to stay mad at him, particularly with the way he was leaning back against her.

It did give her an idea, though, and she squirmed around so that one of her legs was extended alongside his body, her toes pressed against one of his feet. Warm feet, warm feet. One hand looped around his midsection, fingers splayed over his exposed abdomen in an undeniably possessive and suggestive gesture. She liked his muscles, she did. Was she teasing him? A little, she admitted, though it was decent revenge for making her squeal. She hated sounding like a little girl. "I used 'friend' because I don't have another word for... what we are," she admitted aloud, bending her head to press her lips to his forehead. "And I-"

She cut off mid-statement as his words registered, pulling back enough to look down into his face. Concerned... about her welfare? Concerned. Cared. Ka'rys cared. Her head ducked, and the young woman immediately tried to bury her face in his hair to hide her growing smile and flush. "Sometimes, other things come first... before taking care of me," she mumbled softly, her voice muffled even to her own ears. She did lift her free hand to gesture at the blanket on the couch beside the bronzerider before letting that hand join the other one on his torso. She far too much enjoyed touching him. "That's for you. To say I'm sorry. It reminded me of you too." The blanket was unquestionably more than big enough for one and perhaps even for two. The colors, though, were what had made her think of Rys. Lovely patterns in varying shades of light gray and pale blue had made her shake her head in remembrance of those horrid shirts. Well, this would be a good replacement, wouldn't it?

Ciceroth's croon elicited a similar one from Hepaticath, the gold lifting her head to rub it along the bronze's back in undeniable affection. It was nice to just lie here in the sun with him, and she snorted softly and then settled her head down on the warm rock, flaring out one wing to catch more of the warming rays. The sun would not stay up forever, and she did not want to miss an instant of it. She liked her warmth too much, and already her first set of eyelids was drooping. It made her sleepy, the sun did. Shame on it.

Perhaps the new flitter is like human hatchlings? Mine says they are distracted easily. I want one. Tanith has /two/, and I do not have one... the young queen huffed quietly, though she was far too contented to be really irritated. She would bug Hers about it later. I am sorry if the little flitter bugs you. You should tell Yours to get a shiny little flitter for her to follow. Then she will not have to bug you... though... that may not entirely work. The little things do not always get along. That thought was aimed at Ras, who had abandoned Savitri in favor of coming to bother Hepaticath. The young flitter had sat her little rump down on Hepaticath's nose and was now chirruping imperiously, though what she wanted was unclear. Hepaticath had her doubts about the creature's intelligence. A crawlie? I have never seen one. It sounds very useful if it eats the bugs. What does it look like?

[glamourie]

Why did he take such delight in making her squeal...? Perhaps because she tried so hard to be anything but feminine. He felt certain the skirt was a show for him (which he appreciated). He also appreciated the feeling of her touch. Each individual contact was welcome. Strangers touching him would earn the most horrible looks -- but Savitri wasn't a stranger, and he liked it when she did it. He closed his eyes, relaxing back against her. He relished in that one touch, so gentle and teasing, her fingers gliding over his body and he was all-too-annoyed when she spoke and distracted him from the sensation. No words! Words were bad. Words meant conversation, conversation meant they would almost certainly bicker, and he did not want to argue. Didn't she realize that? Ka'rys opened one eye and tilted his head back slightly. His eyebrows raised to almost his hairline and, in place of a real response to her words (which may or may not have instigated a fight; Ka'rys had a tendency to unknowingly make things worse), he curled his hands over hers and smiled. It was a very, very evil little smile.

"Still cold toes. Can't blame me this time..." He didn't want to fight, so he was not going to argue. The best way to avoid that was topic changes, although he had no problem half-turning to nuzzle the side of her jaw affectionately. He couldn't comment on what word fit them anyway; he didn't know either. But 'friend' wasn't it. 'Friend' implied there was less... just less and he didn't like being relegated to the friend category. Part of that was in his head... but he'd decided he wasn't letting her go any time soon. She was his, and he didn't want to lose her. Ka'rys was very tired of losing the people who mattered in his life, and to some degree, he was also tired of being completely, utterly alone. Savitri was the only one he'd let in. She wasn't allowed to go anywhere. Not emotionally and, for the moment, not physically. She felt lovely against him, her body winding with his. It was extremely satisfying to lay there comfortably with her.

Oh, but wait! ... Gift? Squinting slightly, Ka'rys turned his head to look at the blanket she pointed at before snatching it with one hand. His head cocked to the side and he unfolded it, carefully, to spread over himself and Savitri. No more cold toes. Then he turned over onto his side (slightly dislodging her hands but oh well) so that he could face her more effectively. If she was uncomfortable with him sprawled mostly against her, she could speak up -- otherwise he fully intended to climb on her like Kalerary's feline did him. Though, he would be kind enough to not try and kill her by running under her feet (he was still mad at Reggie for that). "You bought me a blanket to apologize?" he inquired, a slight smile on his face. "For something you didn't need to apologize for? -- I'm just going to pretend you bought it in apology for cutting off your hair instead." One hand lifted to bat the strands falling around her face and the smile on his face grew slightly. "I like it better long when I can run my fingers endlessly through it... but this is cute. Makes you look older, it does. Still long enough for me to play with." Pausing slightly, Ka'rys nuzzled his head into her neck. "I like that you can't tie it up at this length, though...." His lips pressed against her jaw, that light touch affectionate in its own way. He'd missed her, too - even if he didn't say it. Communication (verbally) wasn't his strong point. "You picked my favorite colors, too... thank you."

Crooning lowly, Ciceroth nudged Hepaticath. That one touch was more forceful than normal, but it was lined with the affection he felt and thus not too rough. His ledge really was much smaller than Hers, he realized, though he hadn't noticed before because it was just him. Not that he minded. If worse came to worse they could just pile on top of one another. Somehow he doubted Hepaticath would mind that very much and he wouldn't have, either. She was welcome any time, he'd said, and he meant it; there was no dragon he liked as much as her, and he went to no efforts to disguise his blatant fondness for the young gold. 'Flirting', RysHis called it, and perhaps he was right.

You can borrow Rysmine's hatchling, Ciceroth said sincerely, his eyes whirling rapid shades of blue. The hatchling likes to put bows on me. I am sure she will put bows on you. I'm surprised she hasn't done it to Jessereth. She is very fond of bows and ribbons... His head lifted and swiveled around to look at the firelizard perching on Hepaticath. Curious, he leaned his nose close enough to sniff at her, as if he was trying to decide what he thought. Is this the queen-thinking one, or a different one? It is a very odd creature, making so much noise. Do you think it will leave if I make a loud noise back? I do not like the racket; it is bothersome. Oh, but her suggestion had merit. Perhaps he'd suggest that the annoying little one follow around Checkoth's little gold. Hmm. The crawlie looks like a deformed salamandyr. It eats bugs. I do not know what other purpose it has, but hatchling is very happy. I am sure she would show you if you asked.

[kysseh]

The fact that Ka'rys was relaxing into her touch warmed Savitri, and she cuddled his torso a bit closer to herself, not the least bit ashamed of her fondness for him. As of yet, he had not pulled away, so she assumed this sort of thing was permitted, though her eyebrows did raise when he turned that smile to her. Ka'rys did not smile at her often--though she often wished he would--and the fact that his hands were moving over hers did not give her hope that he was about to behave. His words confirmed that, and she followed through on the impulse to give him a reproachful sort of look. Here she was trying to be nice, and the sharding bronzerider was being a-

-manchild, she decided, watching the eagerness with which he snatched up his gift and unfolded it to spread it over the both of them. It was a ridiculous idea for him to ask, after all, and she quite liked the feel of cuddling him beneath the blanket. Their position and the beautiful coincidence of it suddenly struck her, and she turned her head to hide a smile and a quiet laugh, her attention appropriately snagged again by the bronzerider's squirming to lay on his side. He was still sprawled out on her, though, and she simply moved her hands to rest on his sides, resisting the urge to tickle him. That would have been childish... as well as counter-productive, though it was certainly tempting now that he was harping on about her hair. Men. "I bought it as an apology, yes, but not about the hair. Somehow, I knew you'd fuss, though," she groused, attempting to nip at the fingers that came up to bat at her hair.

His comments about her hair elicited a flush, and Savitri was grateful when he nuzzled up to her neck, tilting her head to give him better access. She liked those little touches. They were... caring. Affectionate. Loving, to use the trite and cliched term that Aliscia had slapped on the relationship between herself and Ka'rys. Savitri personally thought that 'love' might have been overdoing it a little. She doubted Ka'rys saw it that way, and she certainly found herself wanting to scold him as much as cuddle with him. Infuriating man. The blanket was an adequate new topic, though, so she jumped at the chance for a new discussion. "The colors reminded me of you. Subtle but attractive." She leaned her head against his for a moment, sighing in quiet contentment until her state of hunger decided to make itself known... loudly. Her stomach preferred to growl at the most inopportune times.

Groaning in frustration, she removed one hand from under the warmth of the blanket and reached for the table, managing to snag two slices of fruit from one of the plates. One went into her own mouth--aided by her other hand, which she had reluctantly moved from her Rys's warm, tantalizing skin--and the other was waggled in the bronzerider's line of sight. "If I dragged that tray up here, you'd better eat some too," she warned, though her voice held no real threat. Instead, she was preoccupied in trying to keep the ends of her hair from her mouth. Ugh. What a pain. "And... no, I didn't cut my hair this short on purpose. I was trying to get it up to my shoulders, and I... mangled it. I had some help fixing it, but now it's too sharding short."

Savitri's grumblings earned a soft snort from Hepaticath, who, as always, had some part of her conscious mind pressed against that of Hers. Since the clutchbrother had died, Hers had been prone to sad thoughts. Hepaticath had to cheer her up, and keeping an eye on Savitri was second nature. She was there to protect Hers, after all.

Such thoughts were distracted by the firm nudging, and the young gold snorted and flicked her tail lightly against Ciceroth's rump in playful affection. Were she less lazy, she would have suggested a game. Given the size of his weyrledge, though... perhaps a game was unwise. It is the queen-thinking one. I tried to make a loud noise at her before, but she made the horrible noises much louder. the queen stated rather glumly. I am sorry she is bothersome. I will see if I can make her go away if I tell her where the food is... The queen turned her head just enough to view the snuggling pair on the couch, ignoring Ras' insistent tail-thumpings and shrieks in favor of flashing the little green an image of the bowl of dried fish on the tray. Instantly, the green popped between and reappeared in the bowl to stuff her face, earning the gold a murderous glare from Hers. Mine is grumbly. The little thing overeats.

The silence was quite pleasing, though, and she crooned softly in apology at her playmate. Hers had such little pestilences. I would not borrow the hatchling from you, though I would love to see her crawlie and have her put bows on me. I have never had bows before. she added thoughtfully, her eyes whirling a brilliant blue-green in delight at the thought. What do you look like with bows?

[glamourie]

Of course he was fussing about her hair. He scrunched his nose up slightly, but didn't comment on that; it was pointless to remind her that he'd always focused on her hair. Odds were, Savitri would take offense. She took offense at the strangest things and he was not in the mood to fight with her, not when they had peace. He was determined not to fight, which meant holding back most of the comments that would slip out any other time with relative ease. Her hands at his sides were actually quite comforting... but it didn't stop him from turning over as she spoke, so that he was able to face her; that one movement changed their position drastically, so that she was half-pinned beneath him (beneath the blanket). No escaping! ... though, if she wanted to she could, but there was something amusing about that anyway. That and it gave him better access to looking at her when he spoke, and he preferred eye contact (except when he was angry). The position also gave him better access to touching her. He liked being close, but only to her, and he'd never tell her that. Ironically, the reason he had no intention of telling her was also one of the pettiest things he could think of: she'd probably tell him something like "I told you so." She had, in some ways. She'd fussed over him keeping his distance from her before. Hmpphhh. Woman. He was not about to give her the satisfaction of knowing she'd won in any way.

That and she was complimenting him. As much as he liked to pretend it didn't matter (and he was good at pretending), Ka'rys, like any self-respecting individual, did like being complimented. A lot. It meant more coming from Savitri but any compliment was appreciated. He got very few of them. Part of that was his alienating nature (people didn't seem to like him much), but most of it, Ka'rys deduced, was because there simply wasn't much to compliment him about. His head bowed slightly which was awkward given his position, but it hid the very faint smile that brushed over his face for all of two seconds before being washed away again. Ka'rys did not smile for real very often; his smiles were few and far between, and usually fake.

Her stomach was making funny noises. He could hear it, which struck him as amusing and he snickered before he could stop himself. Sitting up, Ka'rys pulled his blanket around himself like a cape (his, and he was not sharing), while moving to give Savitri more room to sit up properly. That one movement, though, jarred his ankle enough that he winced, and turned slightly to prop it up on the far end of the table. His expression was pained for only a second before he blanked it out, not wanting Savitri to see that; she was prone to fussing and he didn't feel like listening to her lecture him. He'd already received quite an earful from Kalierre, and he didn't think he could stand another healer at the moment. He was mentally labeling Savitri as anything but, and trying his best to forget that she was an apprentice in the craft. Healers were on his list of people to avoid until he was well. Bunch of overbearing sods and one madman.

"They remind me of thunderstorms," he said with a slight shrug. "It's why I like grays. The clouds when it's storming, they're dark grays with lighter tones, and some edges of blue. While I'm not as fond of them as R'wign - he likes to run around in the rain and behave like he's been into the fellis, maybe he is? - I find rain storms therapeutic." He paused, then quirked an eyebrow. "Recent weather changes here at Selenitas have left me in better spirits. Thank you for the blanket. It's lovely. Do you plan on returning my pillow with it?" There was a definite edge of playfulness in those words. He didn't need the pillow back but the blanket reminded him that Savitri did still have it; did she realize? Probably had thrown it off to the side, meant to return it and kept forgetting. That felt like so long ago. Months and months. Millieth's flight. That thought made him think of Aslath's, and he cast a glance toward Savitri before bowing his head with another slight smile.

She was always so bossy. "I'll eat a little. I'm not particularly hungry right now, though. You need to eat," he replied. Then he moved both of his hands to brush all of her hair back - all at once - from her face. "Dampen it, it'll stay back. It's long enough you can probably tuck it behind your ears, too." He'd know; his hair was a similar length. He usually wore it longer to hide his age... since he did lie about it at Selenitas. Amusingly, Savitri hadn't connected that. Yet. Yeeeet.

Ciceroth eyed Ras as Hepaticath explained who she was. His tail twitched and he ran through a list of options in his mind. Maybe he could eat it. Surely SavitriCath's would not mind if he ate the loud little thing. It was even more irritating than Checkoth's little green! His tail flicked animatedly. I bet I could run her off, he declared, though Hepaticath beat him to it. Why does it eat so much? Doesn't it know that eating too much makes it uncomfortable? I am almost glad for the one that stares at me. Why are they not all like the little beauty? 'Little beauty' referred solely to Ophelie; she was by far Ciceroth's favorite firelizard, primarily because she was so well behaved.

Oh, but the hatchling was welcome to be shared? He did not understand... You are welcome to see the crawlie, and to borrow the hatchling, if you want. Her clutchmother is gone, and Rysmine would prefer she spend less time with Jessereth's. So would I. He did not like Jessereth one little bit. Rysmine says I look silly in ribbons. They feel ... odd. Like they are going to fall off of I move too much. I am told I look very funny. 'Cissy the Bronzey' she calls me. I do not know if I like it. He twitched his tail again before snorting. The hatchling is down in the infirmary with Checkoth's now. He is teaching her about healing. Yours should, too. She likes it.

The arrival of a green firelizard above the bowl of fish made Ka'rys quirk an eyebrow curiously. "That's your little noisemaker, isn't it?" he asked, head cocking to the side. "I hope Ophelie's not nearby. She's close to Rising... and gets antsy at other greens because of it."

[kysseh]

Savitri was hardly about to protest when he moved to face her, though it did dawn on her that he had now effectively pinned her between his body and the couch. Had it been any other male, a swift kick to the most painful of areas would have been an appropriate response, but Ka’rys was welcome in her space. In fact, she was planning on moving her hands just a tad to keep him from moving away, but he seemed to have predicted that. His snicker was the only warning before he sat fully upright, and Savitri wasted no time in following him, scooting over to press up against his blanket-covered side. His pained expression--brief though it was--did not escape her notice, but calling attention to it would only result in another circular argument. She was sure he knew how to take care of his ankle, and even though she wanted to fuss over and spoonfeed him, prop up his ankle and mother him to the point of near insanity, that would have been thoroughly unproductive.

Instead, she just leaned against his side a little, snagging the plate of fruit off her tray and resuming her munching with a will. Her appetite was not up to its usual standards, but the food at least tasted like food instead of dirt, as it had the last few sevendays. She attributed her lack of appetite to stress and to heartache, an ache which only intensified when her mind flashed on the room in the infirmary, her own hand drawing up the sheet to cover her brother’s face. Her eyes closed, and she instead absorbed herself in her bronzerider’s explanation for his favorite colors. Of course he would like thunderstorms, though the thought of the journeyman healer running around--probably naked as the day he was born too--in a storm was equally amusing. A good new subject for thought, it was, and she latched on to it, prepared to respond when his question stunned her.

He was teasing her, and she narrowed her eyes at him, not missing the glance he sent her way and the following inclination of his head. Her own head tilted, trying to get a better glimpse of his face. All for naught, of course, she thought in frustration as he proceeded to inform her that he was not very hungry. Ka’rys was excellent at hiding things, even good things, and she was hoping that he had been smiling and not smirking when he turned his head away. There hadn’t been a very good view. “I can tuck it behind my ears if I need to. I’d rather not, though. Every time I do, some women wants to ask me why I don’t wear earrings,” she groused quietly. “Can’t mind their own business.”

Her gaze was snagged by the green stuffing her face with dried fish, and Savitri buried her face in her hand. Why did she have to have the ridiculous little beasts like that?! Ras, sensing attention on her, immediately picked up a tidbit and winged her way over to the goldrider’s lap, chirruping for attention around a mouthful of meat. Reluctantly giving the obnoxious firelizard some attention, Savitri aimed an apologetic smile at Ka’rys. “Yes, this is Ras. I’ll send her away if Ophelie gets upset.” Her smile turned slightly smug, then. They needed to address another issue at the moment. “On the subject of your pillow, though, I’ll buy you a replacement. I like that pillow, and since I can’t keep you, I’ll keep it instead. If you really want that pillow back, I’m willing to negotiate a trade,” she said quite seriously. If she had to give up her favorite pillow, she was going to get him in trade for it. As of yet, the goldrider had not figured out a good way to get the bronzerider to join her in bed for an extended period of time. This was possible leverage, which she liked. If this failed, she was just going to ask. She wanted him. "So... what'll it be?"

If they were all the same, they would be boring, I think. I would rather them be nice and polite, though. It would make Mine much happier. Hepaticath was commenting on the subject of the annoying firelizard, glad that the green had deserted her. She forgets quickly too, so she never bothers anyone for very long. She does make an abominable amount of noise, though. Her own tail twined itself over Ciceroth’s, both to soothe the bronze and to increase the contact between them. The young gold loved touching her playmate.

The mention of his nickname had her rumbling softly. She politely turned her head aside to hide the rapid blue-green whirling of her eyes. The nickname was so unlike Ciceroth but still so filled with affection that she could not help but be entertained. Cissy the Bronzey? It is very cute. Mine says hatchlings give names like that when they like something. I am sure she does not intend to make you upset. I would be happy to see you with ribbons… and to see the hatchling puts ribbons on me. One of her wings flicked, indicating her preoccupation with her thoughts. It is sad that her clutchmother is gone. Mine would love to teach her healing. She thinks Yours has a very beautiful hatchling; she thinks about her often when she thinks about RysYours. That Hepaticath remembered Ka’rys’s nickname could have been significant. She barely noted it. Ciceroth was important to Her, and His was important to Hers. Thus, she remembered RysCiceroth’s. It all made sense to her.

[glamourie]

While Hepaticath and Ciceroth were talking, another had spotted them. Said individual was green all over and flew soundlessly through the air, awkward on her wings, darting back and forth. She was Liette, the youngest of Ka'rys's pets. She had a habit of perching on Ciceroth most of the time, because he was shiny and therefore held her attention. However, he was not alone. To her great surprise, there was a second shiny there on that weyrledge, equally shiny and distracting as her shiny was. The little green flew around behind the cuddling dragons, darting from behind Ciceroth to behind Hepaticath and back again, silent as the air itself. Her eyes were wide and whirling in rapid shades of blue and green. The quick way she went back and forth made it painfully clear that the little firelizard was having trouble focusing on which shiny was prettier than the other. Both were so - so - so shiny!

Ka'rys smirked slightly; he was oblivious to the turmoil Savitri was feeling, or he may have tried to comfort her (though likely to little avail; a creature of comfort, Ka'rys was not). One of his arms snaked possessively around her waist and he leaned his head against hers gently. That one comfort was welcoming. Pleasant even. It also took his mind off the dull ache in his ankle. Stay off it a few days, Kalierre had said; he'd tried his best to abide by her suggestions even if she was beyond unpleasant. It was hard since he couldn't really do anything if he was laying in bed. The furthest he went was his wash room usually. He was trying. He kept it propped. Kept it iced. He didn't walk on it except to hobble from one end of the room to the other and that could not have counted, since he would not be rendered helpless; Kalierre hadn't demanded he stay in the infirmary so he was expecting it was okay. If it wasn't, well, he had two other healers perfectly capable of reaming him (he was ever-so-grateful for S'lain being a dragonhealer, so he no longer needed Kalierre at all).

"Why don't you wear earrings?" he mused, more out of curiosity than anything else. He didn't mind whether she did or not. He wore them for a purely selfish reason. He'd pierced his left ear when he Impressed Ciceroth, and his right when they graduated Weyrling training. It was a reminder for him, of some of the things he'd accomplished in his life. He wasn't entirely without some fame to his name, so to speak. "It's a valid question. Or am I butting into things not my business?" The slight edge of teasing in his tone was undeniable; he was sure if it was too sensitive a topic, Savitri would be happy to fuss at him. She liked doing that. Sigh.

Ras was all but ignored by the bronzerider, mainly because Savitri's next line of conversation made him lift his head to look at her. The expression on his face was close to laughter. Close, but not quite there. "It's just a pillow, 'vi. You can keep it. I've lasted this long without it, I expect I'm not going to wither away and be miserable any time soon." Whiff. Topic went right over his head. "You don't need to buy me a replacement. I don't even use pillows anymore." He slept on the couch primarily, because Kalerary had totally taken over his furs and as much as he adored her, she was an evil little child. She always went to sleep right at the center of the furs, and rolled around, kicked and flailed in her sleep. It was problematic for him, when he was an already disturbingly light sleeper, so he'd migrated to the couch for comfort purposes. That and he felt like he was in a better position to protect her, closer to the door. Ciceroth blocked the entrance from the weyr ledge, and the doorway was nearer to him. He was in prime position to flay anyone who entered without permission. Safer that way.

One hand lifted to poke Ras in the belly. Ka'rys eyed her tempestuously. "You're in an inconvenient place, little monster..."

I think I would prefer it if they were quiet, Ciceroth commented, relaxing completely against Hepaticath. They probably made quite a comical sight curled up there on the weyrledge. Or at least worthy of a few stares. It is an embarrassing nickname. Rysmine says I look like a female when she puts bows on me; he calls me 'female bronze.' I do not understand how that is possible. He snorted slightly, then added, The hatchling looks like Rysmine. Very much like him. Rysmine would like knowing that Yours likes her, though. He is very fond of her. He tells me when she was little he would spend more time with her than anyone else. He missed her terribly before she came here. Jessereth's brought her from that place, and we were grateful.

Liette twitched. Then she flew around so that she was in front of the dragons, able to see their faces. Ciceroth swiveled his head up to look at the firelizard hovering in the air above them and he crooned. The sound distracted her and the little green rapidly spun around, as though to locate the noise. But out of a corner of her eye, she caught a glint of Hepaticath's hide and squealed in delight. She turned back to face her - and then saw Ciceroth again. Two shinies! Two really, really big shinies! Oh they were so pretty. She wanted a shiny of her own. Liette twittered musically and lowered her body down toward Ciceroth, looking between him and Hepaticath frantically. Which one was prettier? She couldn't decide! Shiny! Glitter! Glimmer! Her wings flapped rapidly and then she abruptly fell out of the sky to land with a dull thump on Ciceroth's back (fortunately, unharmed), almost completely unconscious. Shiny overload.

[kysseh]

Ka'rys was an odd one when it came to physical contact. Savitri glanced down as an arm encircled her waist, and she obediently scooted closer, unashamed of the fact that they were practically joined from shoulder to hip, with only the blanket as a barrier. It was soothing, and she hummed quietly as his head rested against hers, nibbling her way through another slice of fruit. The fruit was taking the edge off her hunger, even if she could not eat very quickly. One hand had to remain occupied with petting the green firelizard in her lap, who was occasionally offering up an imperious trill. Ras wanted attention, thank you very much.

It did occur to Savitri that she had perfectly set herself up on the receiving end of such a question. Her frown increased, and she huffed out a sigh. "No, no, it's not intruding. I just... never bothered to pierce my ears, so I don't wear earrings. They're something of a pain, and I imagine they would get tangled in my hair. I don't wear much jewelry. I don't own much jewelry. No point to it, really." She shrugged the shoulder that was not cuddled up to the bronzerider, indicating her disinterest in the practice. "I just wish people didn't feel the constant need to ask about it. Women are horrible that way. I think they all delight in seeing women that are uglier and less feminine than themselves." She accompanied this with a rolling of her eyes, signifying the subject was now no longer up for discussion.

Instead, she lifted her head to stare in absolute bewilderment at her bronzerider companion. He looked... amused. Was he- no, he wouldn't laugh at her for suggesting... would he? No, she decided. Ka'rys was smarter than that... and kinder. She could not be imagining the interest he had in her. That was not all in her head. She watched him prod Ras, and the firelizard kindly responded by shrieking loudly at him for such an offense. Obviously, Ka'rys was not her new favorite person. Savitri took the opportunity to wonder why the bronzerider wanted the flitter off her lap. Ugh. Men. Couldn't they just say what they were thinking?

"If you're going to make her shriek, I'll put her on your shoulder," she threatened weakly, though her eyes remained fixed on Ka'rys's face. Her back straightened, and she let out a frustrated huff. Forget the rules. She needed answers. "Ka'rys-" Always a bad sign when she began with his full name, part of her brain mused. "-what is it going to take to get you back into my bed? I'll settle for a temporary or short-term arrangement, but I was rather hoping it could become a regular occurrence... which it... hasn't. Holding your pillow as a hostage doesn't seem to be working, so based on the fact that Ciceroth is attached to Hepaticath, I'm considering holding him as a bargaining item as well." Not really, of course, but Hepaticath would hardly mind having to constantly entertain her bronze playmate. In fact, she'd probably whine if Savitri enforced the idea of Ciceroth having to be away from her on a regular basis. Hepaticath liked her bronze, she did. "Is this really what I have to resort to, or is there some other, more widely-accepted method of seduction or bribery that I can try? I'm really not sure how to get the point across to you otherwise..."

It did dawn on her, only then, to just come out and ask. Oh. Oops. That would have been simpler, no? "Come over. ... sometime. After your leg is better, or before, if you think you can handle it." She doubted it, but she was trying to not fuss too much over the injury. He would likely have whined. "Please?"

Hepaticath, purposefully oblivious to Hers' plottings, crooned softly and rubbed the underside of her chin along Ciceroth's foreleg. He seemed so dismayed by being labelled in a female fashion. Silly male. It was all a game. I think Yours is just teasing you. They like to make fun of us like we like to throw them into the river. All amusing, it is. Hepaticath's attention was suddenly snagged by the airborne speck of green that was zooming overhead, and she tilted her head up to watch, eyes whirling in uncontained amusement at the little green thing. Eventually, it sort of... fell onto Ciceroth's back, and Hepaticath stretched out her neck to nose at it very, very gently.

This is the new little one, yes? It is very amusing. Is she unharmed? She looks fine. I think she might have fallen asleep in midair. the queen stated, obviously both bemused and amused by this strange new occurrence. Still watching the flitter, she returned her comments to the previous topic, her tones making her fondness obvious. I shall tell Mine to talk to RysYours about the hatchling later. Right now they are busy. It is good that Yours has a hatchling so that he is not alone. It is not good for Ours to be alone and lonely.

[glamourie]

It was very tempting to point out that he could pierce her ears as well as any of the caravan and gather folks. He had enough spare pairs of earrings to go around. Showoff hadn't managed to steal them and keep them yet. He always wore studs, so they never got tangled. But the way she spoke suggested Savitri was not interested in that idea, and he wouldn't push the issue when she'd clearly dismissed it. Not worth the argument. Besides, he was focusing on other things - like their current line of conversation and a green blur near Ciceroth that was flying around rapidly before falling out of the air. Was that Liette? It looked like Liette. Faranth have mercy, what had she gotten into, he wondered with a squint. It wasn't worth moving from his very-comfortable position to find out, though. Ciceroth had it covered. He could handle one little firelizard. He was a big, strong bronze, and he had a queen to show off for. Certainly he'd want Hepaticath to think the best of him?

Besides. There was another more irritating green there. The only reason Ras annoyed him, though, was that he simply wanted Savitri all to himself... though he was sure the little white nuisance was on her person somewhere; he often was. However, that train of thought was abruptly cut off by Savitri speaking. Full name usage made him actually cringe away as if he was expecting to be scolded.

However, her statement/question made him blink. Repeatedly. His expression surely looked like he'd just been clonked in the head with something hard and heavy. Had she hit him with a mallet, he may have been more surprised. He tilted his head to the side inquisitively before raising an eyebrow. "I very highly doubt that Ciceroth would mind being dragon-napped," he said lamely, well-aware that that was not the answer she was looking for at all, but it was the first thing that ran through his mind. "He'd probably like it so long as you sufficiently doted on him and reminded him that he's basically the best bronze to hatch since the beginning of time. He thinks he is, anyway..." The bronzerider trailed off and turned to look down at his hands. There was a slight hint of embarrassment on his face. No other way of describing it, really; he looked as if he'd been caught naked in public.

"What did I tell you about making threats? Once you warn someone you're going to do it, the threat loses its power and then it doesn't work. Haven't I taught you anything?" he inquired, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. How many times did he need to lecture her about that? Still, despite himself, he leaned back on the couch and exhaled. "You like putting me in awkward positions, don't you?" His head leaned back slightly and he stared at the ceiling before answering, "I didn't come to visit you, because I didn't want you to feel like... you were being used. I thought if you wanted more, you'd come to me and say that. You didn't, so I didn't push the issue; I was going to wait until you brought it up, in case you weren't.. ready." He squinted slightly, then eyed her with a snort. "You're the one who said you didn't want to be seen as only - only the physical. So I didn't want you to take it that way and I thought that you would."

Hmph. Teasing or not, Ciceroth did not like it at all. He did not call RysHis a female. However, he didn't explain that to Hepaticath, as he instead chose to nudge her face with his. Liette went ignored for the moment as he lavished blatant attention on the gold next to him. Perched on the ledge as they were, anyone who happened to step onto their own ledge would see the pair. He didn't care at all. Hepaticath was his favorite. Besides, it felt good to be rubbing against her, and he brushed the side of his face against her neck affectionately. A low croon escaped him, before he finally lifted his head to look at Liette. A loud snort was answer enough to the queen's question, but to explain, he rumbled and flung one wing over his head in embarrassment.

She is unharmed, and she is the new little one. I think she was unable to handle the combined effects of both of our hides. He sounded almost annoyed. Almost. Rysmine is not alone anymore. He has SavitriYours. The rapid whirl in his eyes made it clear he approved of her, and his foul mood quickly vanished. Do you think we should put the little cousin in water to wake her? That is what I sometimes do to Rysmine. He makes the funniest noises. Do you want to? The river is not very far. I do not think she will wake before we get there, and I am sure she would not drown. She needs to wake up. That and his solution to every problem was to throw it in the river. Thus far, said solution worked just fine, so he saw no reason to change it. Don't fix what isn't broken, after all.

[kysseh]

Savitri’s heart sank to somewhere near the seat of the couch she sat on, not at all heartened by the expression on Ka’rys’s face. He looked… far too surprised. Immediately, she jumped to the conclusion that this was not at all what he had intended for their relationship. She tried not to let her apprehension--or disappointment—show, though how well she succeeded remained to be seen. Ras had decided to start bouncing up and down on her lap, her shrieks getting louder as the attention did not come quite fast enough. She looked rather like an overexcited canine puppy, save for the glaring and the unbelievably loud screeching. It did give the anxious goldrider something to focus on, and she shushed the obnoxious flitter, petting the green until the bouncing and screeching stopped.

Then, of course, Ras caught a glimpse of something shiny and promptly abandoned Savitri’s lap to go chasing it, leaving Savitri to eye Ka’rys in her peripheral vision. Shardit. That had been a good distraction from the fact that Ka’rys looked almost… bewildered by her suggestion. His initial distraction from the topic helped not at all, and Savitri managed the faintest smile. She could dote on Ciceroth. Or… Hepaticath could. The young gold was good at that. She glanced away to hide her anxiety, looking back just in time to see the embarrassed-looking bronzerider examining his hands. Now she was afraid, afraid he would cough out an awkward ‘no.’

Instead, he scolded her about threats, and the young woman snorted, rolling her eyes. Of course he would fixate on that. Her arms folded over her chest, clearly a defensive posture. At his question, she flinched and looked away, doing him the courtesy of listening in silence until he was finished. Her stomach was twisting in knots, and she wished ever-so-fervently that he could just spit out an answer instead of a lecture. Or… maybe it was his answer. She thought in silence for a moment, idly staring at some distant spot on the floor, away from the bronzerider. “I didn’t mean… to put you into an awkward position. I don’t feel like you see me in only the physical. I guess I just assumed… that you knew I was happy with things. If I don’t like something, I’ll say it. You know that.” Her gaze flicked back to him, focused on his face. “I’m asking you now. If you don’t want anything… more… just tell me now, please. Be honest.” Yes… be honest before she became more emotionally invested in him and ended up hurt more later. It ached to think that her favorite bronzerider--favorite man--didn't want her.

She wanted to tell him what her initial reaction to Virast’s death had been, that her gut instinct had been to go crawl into his lap and cry. She had wanted nothing more than to be held and feel less than alone. She felt very alone at that moment, watching the bronzerider and anxiously waiting for his response. Her arms stayed crossed tightly over her chest, and she volunteered no more comments, unwilling to make things worse.

Savitri might have been struggling, but Hepaticath was quite in her element, pressing against Ciceroth’s affections with delighted noises. He was her favorite, he was. She refused to say that aloud for fear of being rude, but he was. He always was so affectionate, and he never minded if she teased him. The young queen did rumble with amusement as Ciceroth hid behind his wing, tipping her shining head to try to peek at him beneath the wing. Do not hide, PlaymateMine! You need not be embarrassed by the little thing. She is just silly; she can not help it.

Such ridiculous wisdom, it was, but it made sense to her. We need not throw her in the water. We can wake her up. she added sensibly, sticking out her tongue to gently lick the little flitter. Wake up, little one. Wake up. Her attention was momentarily distracted by the thoughts emanating off Hers, and the young gold crooned anxiously, lifting her head to watch Hers over on the couch. Mine feels alone… especially with ClutchbrotherHers gone. She misses him. She shares my couch, and the fluffy feline-things come too. The fluffy feline-things were cute, but they made her sneeze. Their claws also tickled, the silly things. Such teensy claws. How did they do anything with those little things?