Colors dancing on the ceiling [Tenile]

[rii]

Very colorful.

F'lix golden eyes lazily slid over to the corners to view his dark demoness perching high on a nearby rock. He snorted lightly while lifting a hand to rub at the side of his jaw with what he perceived to be the only clean spot on the side of his hand. A smear of blue colored the action despite his effort. Not that it matter anymore whether or not he got dirty. A line of green along his nose and ear, smudged fingerprints of mixing colors along his shoulders and neck because at some point he had taken off his shirt to avoid getting it stained from the oily paints. Paired with the tattoo lines sweeping up his left side, he made quite the sight.

Open jars laid strew around his feet, F'lix stepped back forward to add a few more golden leaves to a branch. A landscape unfamiliar to Selenitas given that they never saw snow. Rows of trees spanning in yellow-orange waves nestled in a valley. He was going for perspective, such as since he was up on a small rock face over-looking the canyon making up Selenitas, he had created a different world alongside this view. A little touch of the North to break up the mundane, endless green of the southern jungle. Had an eye for detail, the secretive Bendenite, and it showed in his effort to recreate the image to the best detail that he could with the paints. Mixing and matching the different hues by using nearby rocks or his own body as an artist's palette.

Not sure, you handsome blue or pretty green?

"Gold, can't you tell?" He ran his fingers down along his bare arm, streaking the yellow he had just used onto his skin. Should have thought to bring a cloth to wipe his hands, or actually brought brushes, but he liked the feeling of drawing with just his fingertips. It had been a whim, spotting the dust collecting jars in the far corner of the cabinet and decided that they needed to be used. F'ur's spontaneous nature must be rubbing off on him. So, out away from the rest of the weyr in a spot that F'lix assumed he would not be bothered by human or dragon, F'lix painted. The next rain would wash all the work away – but that was the point.

He didn't want anyone to see.

Stretching on her perch, Lilitu ambled down the side of the rock to view the nearly finished work of her silly rider. She frilled, flicking her tail and green eyes onto F'lix. Not very interesting. Why not paint Lilitu? Would be best. "I should paint you pink." A hiss and flash of venom green frill answered his suggestion.

[Ruby]

Tenlie hadn't intended to spy. She'd intended to simply catch Grip and bring him home - the Mandyr was barely two sevendays old, not anywhere near old enough to be out on his own. He'd escaped when Ten opened the door to let Duckling out to get a snack (sometimes it seemed like her shared weyr was becoming a menagerie, with two people, two dragons, a fire lizard, a baby swan and now two salamandyrs). Of course, at first Grip had just wanted to explore, but he pretty much immediately spotted a green fire lizard. He'd chased her out into the jungle, leaving Ten with a single word: Fritter. Ten had tried to explain, coax, summon... all to no avail. Grip was long gone.

So she'd reassured Rajnith and trudged off into the jungle, ready to show Grip what she meant by 'come home now'. Today was still warm enough not to need a jacket, although the tropically-bred Glasscrafter knew colder weather was coming. Northerners might not notice, but she could just tell this winter was going to be unplesant. Preoccupied by her search for her newest mindmate, Ten hadn't realized she'd stopped until she leaned up against a tree, watching totally unfamiliar landscape bloom on a rock through a screen of trees. She didn't recognize the paint-smeared man creating the image, or the speck of green he was talking to, but she was mesmerized.

She'd been watching silently through the trees for a good ten minutes before something landed on her shoulder, startling a squeak out of her. Grip trilled apology, crawling over to nuzzle her chin and share flashes of emotion from his recent adventures. Ten wasn't paying attention, though - her eyes had snapped to F'lix, looking to see if he'd heard. Instead of waiting to find out, though, Ten sighed and skulked into the clearing, offering a smile that clearly said 'oops'. "I, uh... I'm Ten," she began, offering a hand. "I do love your painting, sir. It, um, is quite lovely. I did no mean to intrude, it's just that I was out looking for Grip here." The salamandyr in question wrapped his extra-long tail securely around Ten's ear and waved, chirping a greeting to F'lix and Lilitu both.

Oops, how embarrassing. She really didn't want to make it awkward for the artist, who obviously didn't want his work seen if he was painting way out here in the jungle. Or maybe he didn't care, he was just inspired by this particular spot? Yes, Ten decided, she'd go with that assumption unless he said otherwise. She hadn't intended to be here at all, anyway.

[rii]

Needed more of that burnt orange – rusted – color to those leaves there. Unwittingly, F'lix rubbed the side of his chin while his mind remained temporarily lost to the images seen only in his mind's eye. Yellow smeared along his faintly tanned skin (he was still impressively pale in comparison to the true residences of the southern continent). He doubled to lift up the rough clay jar housing the vibrant shade of red. A startled noise behind him had the bluerider's golden eyes slitting into a familiar glare as he slowly righted himself. Not the most favorable position to be caught in, but the impulse to snap straight was curbed. His fingers dipped into the crimson liquid as he pivoted to face the unwanted company. Part of him tempted to throw the jar at the person's head to make it clear that the direction they should be heading is away from him.

No need, Lixmine. Lilitu purred, not bothering to make her messages private. The impossibly dark green swiveled about with her tail flicking flirtatiously around her small body. Her face much red. No need to paint it so.

Quietly F'lix threaded through her peculiar speech pattern, offering no immediate response to her approach other than to further narrow his gaze. Instead he traced those invisible lines to determine how much of a threat she presented. Her face snared as familiar and it bothered him he couldn't immediate place it. The searching gaze dipped down to the extended hand. Ten, who named their child after a number.

"Don't–" He voiced in a soft tone, the more words that were strung together revealed his accented mix between Benden and Fort. Fingers came out of the paint, flicking the color directly at Tenile's face. "–call me sir." He wasn't that old, was he? The facial scars that clawed down his face likely gave him a turn or two more than he deserved. His eyebrows lifted, the faintest twitch of a smirk on his features as he cocked his head at the weyrling. No need for her to be awkward – not now when she too was starting to be flecked with paint to fit in with the scene.

A tug on Tenile's pant leg announced Lilitu's ascent. Perching on the opposite shoulder of Grip, Lilitu peered around the curve of the girl's neck to watch the blue salamandyr. Come to admire, yes? Lilitu welcome always a good blue. An obedient blue, of course.

"Do you?" His gaze flicked to the side, chin briefly turning toward the painted rock wall before returning attention to the glass crafter. "Or are you just babbling to make up for being outed as a spy?" So rude, is mine. the little green nudged Tenile's jaw affectionately, slitting her eyes at her bonded – amusement spilling over their bond. Not know how to woo a green. Is sad, yes?

[Ruby]

Tenlie only blushed darker when she caught Lilitu's comment, ducking her head in a slight bow of apology. Then she waited anxiously for... what? Acknowledgement? Approval? Whatever she wanted it was clear it wasn't immediately forthcoming. She flicked her downcast eyes up to F'lix's - just in time to catch a faceful of paint.

Blinking in surprise, it took her a second to move her mouth out of the 'o' shape it had assumed. "Aye, si- er. " The automatic response made Ten laugh, dabbing paint off her eyelid with the back of her wrist. "Aye," she tried again, giving up on the remaining paint, "What do I call you, then? Artist? Paint-man? Rainbow?" she tried, her tone light. Sure, F'lix's partial smirk had been only the barest hint of a smile, but there it was. A hint of a smile. Ten always felt better when she was smiling, or working, or with friends. Speaking of friends, it didn't look like Tenlie's offered hand was going to be taken, but she wasn't exactly upset. F'lix really did have paint everywhere. She wiped it on her pants anyway, then raised it to inspect her red-tinted wrist - only to be immediately interrupted by Lilitu's ascent.

"Hi there," she commented, waggling fingers in the green salamandyr's direction. Grip liked to be scratched under the chin; if Lilitu was interested, Ten was happy to oblige. As Grip chattered aloud at his new companion, Tenlie shifted so she could see around F'lix, furrowing her brow. She hadn't thought she knew the man, but there was something, about his face, maybe... hm. She wished she could place it. Something about the way he tilted his head, maybe. "A spy? Never," she claimed. She would have been offended if it hadn't been true, but she had no ground to stand on, there. "I do be an admirer, simply. A fellow artist, if you will," she added, picking up a pot of bright orange paint and sniffing it pensively while she continued her contemplation of the painting. "And I do really like it. That do be the North, no? It certainly is no anywhere near Selenitas."

Grip leaned out so he could touch noses respectfully with the Green, continuing to cheep aloud but augmenting his noises with, Yes. Yes, yes yes yes! Wait. He drew back and went around Ten's neck on the other side, contemplating. Sad yes? he asked, eyes crossed as he tried to sort out this sudden, confusing development. No... know... Giving up on speech, the blue just nodded enthusiastically, willing to agree with whatever Lilitu was suggesting. Thinking was way too hard. Tenlie smiled down at her shoulder ornaments momentarily, translating. "I think Grip do be trying to say that I'm not here to be wooed, either way. Just to look at a pretty thing," she added, glancing up at F'lix for confirmation before realizing exactly what that insinuated when combined with the glance. She made a face when she realized, her cheeks flushing pink again, then flicked a drop of orange paint at her companion. “I do no mean you!” she clarified, laughing at her own mistake, and brushed a stray hair off her face, leaving a trail of orange on her cheek. No, Grip offered helpfully.

[rii]

With veiled interest F'lix observed Tenile's good-natured response to his decidedly abrupt behavior. She took it all in the best lighting. It surprised the Bendenite – a rider who was prone to purposely jabbing at people to see if they came seeking a fight. Flicking paint at another person didn't constitute as outright aggression, but it certainly sat on the clouded line and it's purpose waited to be decided by the eye of the beholder. Odd circumstances, yes, F'lix couldn't help himself from presenting such scenarios if only to gauge the resulting reaction.

"Nine," His eyes strayed to the red on her wrist – just paint. "To your Ten."

He showed no protest to her move to take on of the clay jars. Only wrinkling his nose at her choice to smell the colored oils. Artist, was she. F'lix had never discussed art with another. It seemed a rather whimsical topic at times. F'ur often enough gave him those – what F'lix perceived to be – humoring looks when such comments were slipped. Least to say F'lix didn't feel exactly comfortable broaching the topic. Still, his stained fingers gestured to the mural. "Feel free." It seemed she wanted to, if the retrieval of the orange paint and study of the rock canvas served as a hint. F'lix had no qualms with the idea. Rather, he was interested to see what this fellow artist would add – even if he feigned apathy to her company.

"That it be," F'lix commented quietly, mimicking her speech pattern in subdued amusement. "In the fall, now, the trees shift from green to oranges, reds, yellows.. until the leaves fall off." He didn't know how much the weyrling knew of the northern lands. Could be she knew all about the seasons – the actually change in seasons that the jungle never cycled through – and found it amusing he thought to inform her of the basic knowledge. He missed these priceless sights.

Lilitu purred at Grip, slipping around the back of Tenile's neck to sit on the same side as the blue. Shamelessly she arched against him – did so love obedience, and this one agreed to her every word ever so nicely. Althought he chittered a bit much like a flitter. Lilitu nipped licked reassuringly at Grip's muzzle. He didn't need to make any sense – or speak at all. As long as he obeyed her, and praised her, he was more than accepted. A slave, more so than less.

Brow arching, F'lix smirked at the young woman in clear amusement. "So you mean to say I'm ugly to look at?" Very ugly. Yes? Lilitu chimed, then directed the last questioning word to Grip in clear expectancy of him to mindlessly agree. "Must be the paint." Only cover so much. F'lix drew a step closer to Tenile, golden eyes on his salamandyr as if he sought to snatch her up for the cheek. "She suggests that I haven't used enough to be considered as pretty as the painting. Well.."

Fingers quickly swiping into her orange paint, F'lix lifted his touch to slide across Tenile's cheek – creating a line to match the one on the opposite side. "I refuse to be the only one in need of paint."

[Ruby]

"...Ni- Oh, of course!" Tenlie couldn't help but laugh again. No one had ever connected her nickname to the number before, but then again, she usually introduced herself with her full name first. "Ten from Tenlie, but Tenlie... just... urgh. I do prefer Ten," she added. "Nine, then. Lovely to meet you." She mimed a surprisingly graceful curtsy that made Grip cheep, then straightened and went back to examining the painting and the paints, heedless of F'lix's scrutiny. She had hoped that she could identify the pigment by smell, but the binding agent covered it up, at least in the orange. It was such a rich color, she had been hoping she could experiment with whatever she smelled to tint glass. Unfortunately no, and she doubted 'Nine' would know.

"Oh... I do no be that kind of artist," she corrected, still holding the paint pot. "Or, at least, I have no painted in years. I do work in glass," she added, fiddling with a tiny glass drop hanging from one ear by a cleverly concealed magnet as the salamandyrs moved to her other shoulder. "Unless you do no mind if I smear it or paint a bloated shipfish by accident, or something." She waited to see if he would retract the offer, but that didn't seem to be the case. With careful precision, she mixed a bit of orange with red still drying on her wrist, using the deeper shade to depict a tiny patch of autumn flowers. F'lix would recognize them, if he had come from the cooler regions of the north east - they bloomed for just about a week before shriveling in the dropping temperatures. Ista was too warm, but Ten remembered seeing them as a child, visiting other Holds in Benden territory. "Aye, though we did no get much of that in Ista," she mused. It could be dangerous to name her hold of origin, but as Ten saw it, she was a Crafter - friend and foe to no hold, and she and F'lix were both Selenitas riders. No hard feelings, she hoped.

Oblivious to the painting, Grip had snuggled enthusiastically into Lilitu's cuddle, humming gently when she made it clear he didn't have to speak. Lovely little Green, she was. If only she were a fire lizard... but he wasn't about to complain. His tail curled around hers, holding on gently, before he cocked his head to one side and tried to figure out what was going on with the people. A lost cause, of course, but he tried. He figured a Yes, to agree with Lilitu was a safe bet, so he offered the single word, nodding enthusiastically.

Tenlie, for her part, was trying to smother another blush, but instead just managed to paint red-orange finger prints all around one eye. "Oh no, never! You do be quite..." Luckily, F'lix and Lilitu cut her blathering off, moving right along. Eventually, Ten realized he'd been sarcastic, and figured she could play along. "Well, in comparison to the painting, I do agree with the beautiful Green," she agreed, "Her hide do be a much prettier color than yours. Although you do be making progress." Arms crossed, she raised an eyebrow as she surveyed the paint criss-crossing his abdomen, unprepared for the coming assault.

The coldness on her cheek (not to mention F'lix's sudden closeness) made her take a step back, catching her heel on a root and sitting down hard. Orange had slopped on to her pants, now, and she examined it, face curtained by stray hairs as Grip chattered from a tree not far away. She was a perfect picture of startled dejection, complete with... evil grin? F'lix would have only a moment to notice the change in expression before Ten's hand closed on a deep purple paint pot and one finger traced a line down whatever part of F'lix was closest. She hopped up with a delighted giggle, holding a purple smeared finger out towards F'lix as if it were a weapon. "She did say nothing about ME needing more paint!" the Weyrling challenged, half-crouching as if ready for an attack.

[rii]

F'lix's eyes tracked Tenlie's hand movements as the fingers toyed with the bauble at her ear. It was easy to forget that glasscrafters did more than just cups and bowls. At least it was to him since he didn't wear a single piece of jewelry metal or glass. He wasn't even sure how the glass craft was done. Fairly sure it required the use of a forge. A musing for another time. F'lix's attention strayed to her addition to the rock face. It took him a second or two to recognize the flowers – a faint smirk on his features as he commented nearly to himself in the background. "Doesn't look like a bloated shipfish to me."

Which, may have been as close to a compliment as F'lix was willing to venture.

Lilitu was much more rewarding than her mindmate. She gifted Grip with another lick – coiling her small, dark body over his in a companionable snuggle. Friendly enough, even if it was Lilitu's means of being possessive over her slaves. The sudden jostling forced Lilitu – spreading her short wings – to make the sharp dive to land safely on a set of rocks aside from Tenile. Venom green frill flashed in displeasure.

The Bendenite danced away after taking her purple slash along the outside of his panted thigh. The playful smile on his features was undeniable. His chin lifted in challenge at her aggressive finger-pointing stance. "Ah, she was only being polite by not saying anything. But, if this is the way it must be.." The red-filled pot still in hand, F'lix made a quick sweep of his arm to send the paint falling in an arc – to slash a crimson line across the ground.

Apparently it didn't matter to the Bendenite that they were wasting paint. He had come out this far with plans of using the majority of it up so it didn't takes up space in the already cluttered weyr. F'lixed faded back a step, his dripping fingers held loose at his side as he watched the glasscrafter. "Cross that line and there will be no turning back."

[Ruby]

Ten hid her smile at F'lix's compliment - yes, she absolutely took it that way. Tilting her head to one side much like a bird, she regarded her work, adding a final touch of red-orange. "Yes, I did decide that a bloated shipfish would no fit in the image as it stands... they do be more of a southern thing, after all. Although I suppose it could represent the mixing of the North's culture with the South's..." Of course, that wasn't very complimentary to the south, but Ten would let F'lix pick that one up on his own, if he so chose. She did not object to Selenitas - with a climate much like Ista's, she felt mostly at home, and most of the people at the Weyr at least had been perfectly lovely. Still, she'd return to the Glasscraft Hall if she could, at least to visit - now that she had Rajnith, permanent relocation was unlikely, unless of course someone resurrected Ista Weyr. As if.

With a flare of his own spiky non-frill and his eye-spotted wings, Grip joined Lilitu on her rocks, twittering at the humans as he settled back in next to her. Silly people, what were they doing? And why had his lovely Mine made Lilitu angry? He liked the green, and didn't want her to be upset, especially when they had been getting along so well. Good? he asked, twining his tail around Lilitu's once again, trying to draw her attention away from the silly playful humans.

Still half crouched, kept up her challenging smile, flicking her eyes to Lilitu for just a moment (she did not plan to take her eyes off F'lix for longer than she had to - she was no fighter, but she knew enough not to trust anyone with a 'weapon' in their hand, no matter that the weapon was paint). "What a gentleman he do be," she said, addressing Lilitu with her eyes still on the bluerider. "I call him pretty, he tells me I do need more paint, then tries to blame it on you," she mused. She was just teasing, of course; her smile made that clear, but she only had a moment to contemplate before hopping backwards to avoid splatters of red paint on her shoes.

"No turning back, aye?" she asked, intrigued against her will. She knew, sensibly, that Rajnith would wake soon, and that she should probably excuse herself before she got involved in a full-scale paint war or something. Really, being out in the middle of the jungle with a strange man was not a good position for any young female to be in, no matter the man's intentions, but Ten wasn't thinking even vaguely along those lines. Instead, she took a step forward so her toes were just barely shy of the red paint, then leaned forward, almost over the line. "So what happens if I do?"

[rii]

Abandoning her ire, Lilitu turned her attention back to Grip. Pleasant greens washed away any hints of crimson in her eyes. A clawed foot found the back of Grip's neck, pushing the other salamandyr down only slightly while tugging him closer. Very good, she purred from where she stood poised over him. He didn't shake and quiver as much as Terror did, but his willingness to please matched all of those of her 'harem'.

"Shameless," F'lix whispered toward the green, golden eyes brieftly narrowing on the two salamandyrs before returning to his paint-flicked opponent. His eyebrows raised, lips quirking in a smile at Tenile's jest at his dark salamandyr. Both need paint. Not as beautiful as Lilitu, Her hold tightened on Grip, her snout turning expectantly down at him as she added sweetly. Yes?

"Aye," F'lix matched Tenile's tone and accent. His eyes were narrowed, but all in amusement at the weyrling playing along with the game of paint. As she toed the line, F'lix was there fast as a striking snake. His face a hair's breath from hers. Softly his tone purred playfully at the young woman. "I believe the question you need to ask is, if you back down are you going to leave and keep wondering about what would have been if you were only brave enough to cross the line."

Canting his face away, F'lix eyes traced over Tenile's paint streaked features. The image finally clicking in his head when they had crossed paths. It had been during Fort's attack, Tenile had been the first one to get to F'ur and put out the fire that had caught on his pant leg. F'lix had a sharp memory and he distinctly recalled not being even remotely friendly with her at the time. Had just about scared her away from F'ur, shot her glares and gave her nothing but sharp orders. What could he say, he had been afraid at the time (not that F'lix was any more pleasant any other time).

Considering the way she was unafraid of him now, playful even, F'lix was concluding that she didn't recall.

[Ruby]

Grip was happy to snuggle in closer, murmuring Yes, yes yes yes, yes! since it seemed to please Lilitu so much. Why it pleased Lilitu, exactly, was beyond him, but he wasn't about to stop. Squashing the spines that replaced his frill as flat as he could so as not to accidentally stab, he allowed himself to be conquered, half-flattened beneath Lilitu's claws. Oh, so happy.

Tenlie rolled her eyes at both of them, resisting the urge to warn Grip about the wiles of females. It would only confuse the biggish blue, and Grip of all creatures didn't need any more confusing. F'lix was more interesting anyway.

She smiled and colored slightly when he so clearly imitated her, accent and all. C'oar had warned her, but then of course Jazz had refuted the warning, leaving Ten in a half-committed state, not sure how hard she should try to change her speech patterns. It didn't appear to be that much of a problem, especially since she really just sounded like a confused sailor rather than a Northerner, but to hear herself so closely mocked was still a strange experience.

And then he moved up again, so close! Didn't F'lix have any concept of personal space? She suppressed a grimace and forced herself to hold her ground, this time, although she couldn't quite meet his gaze. "Aye," she parroted, "I do no believe I could stand the suspense. I do suppose I'll have to try..." She let her voice trail away, meeting his eyes for real this time. There was something very familiar about them, but she couldn't place it - you'd think it would be easy with someone whose eyes were as golden as a cat's, but no such luck. Rajnith would be no help, but she shot a question to Big Brother even as she sidestepped around F'lix, pivoting to slash his back with paint as she crossed the line.

If anyone would know where she'd seen F'lix before, Big Brother would, even if the Blue might not be able to remember the circumstances. He didn't, he told her, but then again he didn't recognize F'lix at all beyond someone who hung around the Weyr (and, of course, had any number of diabolical schemes running at all times. Then again, so did everyone else in the world.) So before Big Brother was born, then. Hmmm.

[rii]

This one was wonderful, could they keep him? Lilitu curled up with the blue salamandyr – amusingly larger than her small, dark self – and nibbled at one of his folded spines. Pleased was an understatement with how she felt in that moment. This new pet would do for now, she decided. So much so that she didn't feel the need to needle her rider – for now.

The blushing was hard to detect under the paint coloring Tenile's face, but noted all the same. Testing boundaries, producing reactions; pushing buttons; a practice F'lix became well known for turns ago at Benden. Old habits were hard to shed. Though he rarely actually touched people.. only put forth the temptation for others to make contact – or flee from it.

F'lix matched her side-step with one of his own, pivoting with a fighter's grace to deflect her slash with two stained fingers catching against her inner wrist. He lifted her arm half-way up with the touch, making another side step to invite her in a partial twirl with him – dancing with her in that brief couple of seconds before he drew away. What was a fight, albeit a harmless one, if not just another dance.

"Do you be a weyrling, Ten?" He didn't attend hatchings. Kept to himself for the most part, so he often found himself crossing paths with people he never knew (read: cared) existed. This girl was interesting enough. Different from the few that had tried to interact with him. His side faced her, his 'weapon' hand folding behind the small of his back to be out of play – silently inviting Tenile to try again.

[Ruby]

Grip stayed where he was, totally pleased with his position, for a good minute or two. Then something fluttered up in the canopy: a big, solid green firelizard, the one he's chased in here in the first place. With an incredibly upright bearing, she looked like a Queen in a Green's body, although her color was distinctly leafy. With a nuzzle and apologetic chirp for Lilitu, Grip detangled himself, flapping his over-sized wings once to give him enough loft to reach the lowest branches of the fire-lizard's tree. She eyed him regally, ignoring his peeps and questioning chirps, transferring her gaze to the now abandoned Lilitu after just a second. All she had to do was appear, and the male was hers. Ha.

Ten had begun studiously ignoring Grip as soon as she felt the desire to snuggle into F'lix's embrace rather than slash with paint and retreat. She still had trouble shutting her mindmates out - the same issues she had with Rajnith carried over to Grip; namely that while they seemed to have full and unlimited access to her mind, Ten had a huge amount of trouble shutting them out or entering theirs. It was a good thing Big Brother was a fire lizard, or she would be constantly locked in her room. It took enough concentration that she missed F'lix's back completely, finding herself spinning (quite gracefully) before being released and stumbling away. She was a surprisingly good dancer, but a terrible fighter.

She couldn't suppress the laughter that bubbled up (again), although this likely had more to do with Grip new interest than anything. Squaring off opposite her opponent, she attempted to stare F'lix down, ruining the moment with her obviously forced frown. She slashed wildly at his unprotected abdomen, believing she was being sneaky but really just being obvious, and easy to block. At least she was moving fast enough that some paint might splatter in his direction.

Using her momentum to slide past F'lix and gain her own ground again, Ten took a shallow breath before answering his question. "Aye, of Green Rajnith," she replied, practically glowing at the name. "Impressed from Hepaticath's last brood, so we do be Junior Weyrlings still, although Rajnith seems to get bigger every day. And you?" she added, punctuating her sentence with another clumsy slash.

[rii]

As Grip left, Lilitu didn't bother to loosen her claws, leaving a shallow trail of ichor as the blue wiggled off to chase after the fire lizard. She remained on the rock, casually licked away the stain from her small claws. Oh please. She crooned at the green looking at her. Minions were mindless things (grip being no exception) – pawns to do her bidding when she needed them. Let the silly blue appeal himself to the fire lizard, in the end she could easily have him back; be it out of fear or affection, Lilitu didn't care to the reasons, as long as they obeyed.

F'lix stepped back, turning his torso to try and avoid the small arc of paint tha flew off her finger in the missed attack. It still caught him across the hip bone, drawing a faint narrow of eyes in return. He danced around her, still keeping his painted fingers behind his back as he moved. Just like a dagger, it was interesting when a person's perspective focused on what they perceived to be the only dangerous item in hand.

"Brood," The bluerider quietly repeated with a twitch of a smile on his lips. He liked how she pronounced that with her peculiar accent. Another twist of his hips, and side step as he skimmed past her attack. He lifted his jar of paint as he moved, tilting it just over her shoulder blade to send a thin stream down toward her back.

"Of Blue Saboth," He continued moving, lifting the jar to cover his scarred features and single eye. "A one-eyed pain in the ass." Lixmine be the pain. Thank you demoness. Sooo welcome.

[Ruby]

As if in response to her name, Rajnith awoke, and Tenlie felt her 'turn over' in her mind. That distraction was more than enough for Ten to get a pot full of very, very cold paint down her back, drawing a surprised "Ah!" out of her as she danced away. "That be cold!" she added, twisting around to survey the damage. "You do be lucky I don't care about this shirt." Her tone was joking, and her smile hadn't faltered - but then again, Tenlie didn't own clothes she cared about. She made a habit of destroying them regularly.

The name F'lix gave for his dragon, coupled with Lilitu's second 'Lixmine' triggered something in Tenlie's mind. She was still working under the assumption that her companion was to be called Nine, but Saboth sounded familiar to her. "Wait..." she mused, connecting the dots. "You do be F'ur's mate, from the Seige. I had meant to visit, but then, well... Rajnith did come along. Did he turn out all right?" she asked, her voice full of compassion. Sure, he'd snapped and yelled and nearly panicked last time they'd met, but Ten wasn't about to hold that against a man whose mate had been grievously injured. All was forgiven, because there was nothing to forgive.

Saboth's, hmmm? Rajnith asked, filing the name away for future use. Now that you're done flirting, though, I'm staaarving. I don't want herdbeast, either. Or Wherry. I was thinking fish. Tenlie stiffened, then sighed, by now used to catering to her dragon's every whim. I was no flirting! she snapped, then turned her attention back to F'lix. "Rajnith says I do have to go," she said before realizing exactly how childish that sounded. Oops. "I mean, she do be hungry, and wants food." Not much better.

Grip? she called, adding some will behind that statement. The firelizard fluttered away and went between and Grip sighed, then scampered back down to Lilitu's rock. He hadn't even noticed that he was bleeding. Good know Lilitu! he exclaimed, nuzzling her carefully before hopping off the rock and gliding over towards Tenlie. Within moments he was settled on her shoulder, and the paint-covered Weyrling reached up two purple fingers to scratch him on the back of the neck, leaving a violet trail.

Almost ready to leave, Tenlie decided on one last ploy. Glancing at the paint in her hand as if she'd forgotten it was there, she returned it to the others - but not without making sure she had as much paint on her fingers as possible. Rubbing her hands together as if to get any residual wet paint off (but really smearing it all over her palms), she smiled innocently over at the Bluerider, batting her eyelashes prettily. "I did have a lovely time this afternoon, Nine. I do be very glad to... well, re-meet you. Shall I come visit some time?"

[rii]

Contact. The half-lidded gaze that F'lix kept on Tenile was nothing short of pleased that he had don't well to turn her into a living canvas. The red strokes of his paint were not as symbolic as he would have pleased, but Tenile also was not his usual .. company. Her statement, though, had him suddenly stiffening. No, it was no longer a secret that he and F'ur were together but.. F'lix's northern origins were still in evidence. For a quiet moment he simply watched the green weyrling – the distrust heavily veiled behind thoughtfulness.

Golden eyes dipped to his nearly empty jar of paint before he turned, walking over to his mural since it appeared the dance had ended with Tenile's sudden eagerness to edge away. "F'ur's good." Felt absolutely strange to talk about him to another person. A nervous smile flitted across his lips. "You'd never know he was even hurt with the way he behaves." Like an unbridled teenager more than half the time. The bluerider scoffed to himself, the sound itself chiding.. covering the existence of the small, affectionate smile he directed at the stone.

Tenile's words drew him back out of his thoughts, a flicker of a glance at where Lilitu gifted Grip a lick across his spiney neck before the silly thing could scamper off to his person. F'lix scoffed again, this time at Tenile's words. "You think your hatchling is pushy now, wait until she gets older. Dragons only get worse with age." Up on his ledge, Saboth snorted.

F'lix glanced back at Tenile, grinning at her. The idea of her showing up at his door was an amusing thought. He wondered what F'ur would make of that – probably be just as humored by the .. oddity.. of it. Especially if she kept calling him Nine. "You may be the only one at this weyr to utter such words." One shoulder raised in a shrug. "If you really want you can. I promise not to dump paint down your back if you do."