Wound Too Tight (Open)

[Ember]

The soft strumming of a guitar broke the night quiet. Silence fell again for a moment as a man fiddled with the nobs at the end of the neck. He tested the sound and hummed the same tone with satisfaction. Now it was properly tuned. A bit too tight before. "Which song should I sing?" Eikane asked of his audience; Eikask and Nocturne. He didn't actually expect an answer from either of them, since one rarely talked and the other couldn't. Imagine his surprise as both managed to find a way to not only respond but to agree! The gold crooned out a small part of a song he rarely played but she'd taken the care to remember. Is good one. Play?

Well if both of them insisted he could hardly refuse. He had to please his best audience. Eikane started playing the intro to the sad song and smiled slightly in the darkness as he felt Eikask rest her head on his legs. The gold had her front half sprawled over his outstretched legs and was completely relaxed that way. His blue salamandyr on the other hand was comfortably nestled in Eikane's dirty-blonde hair and was secretly on the alert for anyone approaching.

The song was one he sang rarely for a reason: it struck too close to home for him. A sad love song where both parties have to seperate in the end. His voice spilled out into the night, emotion clear in the words. He was glad for the darkness and the fact that the chance of anyone hearing this particular song was relatively small. Why his mindmates wanted him to sing such a song he didn't really know but he was glad for the opportunity to just let it all out. Surely that wasn't the reason? Eikask ought to have been jealous that he was thinking of another female not so understanding. If it was the case she was being a real gem.

The last notes of the song fell away and he rested his hand on Eikask's pale head. Her feelings of self-satisfaction made it clear that it really had been her goal. Conniving little gold. "I have the best girl around, and yet I can't forget that one hmm?" Eikane pet his wher gratefully and she faintly crooned. That other one had hurt Hers but Eikask was there now and she wouldn't let him be hurt again. She would never allow another female to claim him. She hadn't wanted to allow that blue pest to stick around either but she was an intelligent wher and could tell when someone would not go away. Her solution had been to claim the blue too. If the were both hers she was mostly okay with it.

[Requiem]

"I don't really like this, you know."
You could always jump down.
"Sure. And you'd drag me or something."
Why do you say that?
"You always do. If I don't do exactly what you want..."
Poor baby.

He didn't know how other handlers and whers communicated, but Dmisk's language was precise enough (with the added benefit of having the interpretation connected in his mind) that they might as well have been holding a discussion in Pernese. It was not pondering this oddity that caused him to leave off arguing with the blue, however. The voice was familiar, if soft, and one he strangely hadn't heard much outside of lessons in months. Not doing his job, either. He'd managed to get lost, chased by wherries, beat up by a mindhealer and pounced by 'vicious' dogs since last he saw Eikane. Some guardian.

He clung to Dmisk's back as the wher bounded forward, the boy plastered to the draconid's back. They were almost full-grown now, and it was becoming clear the blue would be larger than normal for his color. At any rate, Dmitri hardly weighed anything, and it was easy enough to carry him. The harper was not...pleased. Riding whers was most certainly not a comfortable situation.

Especially when Dmisk came to a halt without warning and Dmitri slid forward. The wher lowered his head out of the way, resulting in the boy taking an ungainly slide over the earth. He turned his head to the side, spitting the dirt from his mouth and cursing the blue roundly, who just planted himself on his haunches and greeted Eikask ever so formally. Straightening himself into a cross-legged position, Dmitri glared at Dmisk, the expression no more friendly when it swung to focus on Eikane.

"Don't. Laugh."

[Ember]

To his credit he did try not to laugh. There were few who could resist laughing at an entrance like that and Eikane wasn't one of them. The older Harper was laughing hard enough that Eikask grumbled with annoyance. Her pillow was moving too much. What was so funny, anyways? The loud one had just had an ungraceful landing. He ought to be pitied, not laughed at. The gold wher's opinion only increased Eikane's amusement however he needed to breathe.

As Hers' laughter died down Eikask looked over Dmisk and offered a polite enough bark in greeting. While he was hardly worth her time there was no one else she'd rather communicate with, other than Hers. So how was her clutchbrother? Was he and his loud one doing well? Eikask didn't often see the others outside of lessons, much to her dismay. How was she supposed to enact any of her plans without the backing of her faithful followers?

Eikane took a deep breath and finally figured he had his amusement under control. "You always were great with entrances. Looks like you need more practice riding your precious steed," he teased lightly. The goldhandler greeted Dmisk with a small wave but he left the majority of wher entertaining to Eikask. She may not be the most friendly wher but she certainly knew how to keep attention on her when she wanted it. "What brings you out here, little boy?"

[Requiem]

His loud one was aggravating as ever and, quite unfortunately, all too healthy, Dmisk responded in his typical droll fashion. Whether or not the full complexity of his meaning would be lost on Eikask was a rather moot point. He didn't actually expect her to remember this conversation past the next shiny object, after all. Especially if the shiny object had four claws, headknobs, and mush for brains. (Mush for brains was a new favorite phrase he'd picked up from Dmitri, and involved quite the amusing series of pictures and expressions, making it fun to use. Unfortunately, he rarely got the opportunity except when conversing with His, who apparently was getting tired of it.) Tail flicking, he addressed his golden clutchsister once more. Her musicmaker played the stringed thing quite well. Was the song a favorite?

Yes, talk to the gold wher that he didn't even like while Dmitri got laughed at. The bluehandler sniffed, clearly offended (if anyone was paying an ounce of attention at all.) Eikane certainly wasn't. Dmitri silently hoped that the gold wherhandler would laugh so hard that he peed himself. Now that would be amusing. "Try kidnapper. That would be far more accurate," Dmitri responded dryly. If you're quite finished now. It seemed that the other harper was, which was fortunate for all involved, as like as not. The boy was not above being particularly vicious. Teenagers weathered humiliation about as well as the next person.

Dmitri tapped his fingers lightly against his thigh. "I would think it would be obvious that the big blue ghost brought me out here. Since your old age is blinding you, however...Dmisk decided to come." He smiled winningly - and therefore quite mockingly, given Eikane knew him well enough not to be the least bit fooled - at the goldhandler. "Apparently he likes the music," Dmitri added, a touch more serious. "I can't quite place the tune, but then, I was listening to it through Dmisk and I'm pretty sure it got distorted." He ignored the slow swivel of the blue's head in his direction.

"You haven't been doing a very good job, you know. A couple of wild dogs almost ate me the other day. Tch." He sniffed testily. (No, he hadn't wanted anyone constantly shadowing him, but it was Eikane's job to make sure he didn't get eaten, and look at how well he was doing it? If Dmitri wasn't so charming he'd be in a pile of dung right now. How unsavory.)

[Ember]

Eikask was at least graceful when she was not moving. She laid with the air of a true queen, looking at everything as if she owned it. With the exception of Dmisk. She had not claimed the blue as of yet. She held no fondness for him or for His even though Hers had what could be considered a soft spot for the odd loud one. At the very least they had some things in common as far as they're music making went. She and Hers were obviously so superior to this pair that claiming one or both of them as yet was not even considered.

Despite her condescending attitude the gold listened well to her blue brother. She chuffed softly at his answer and glanced at the aptly called loud one before returning her attention to the blue. Hers was very skilled with the stringed musical thing. Eikask had no problem emphasizing that point for Dmisk. The song was no favourite but it meant something to Hers. It made Hers remember. What he remembered, though, was kept to herself. It was not important for Dmisk to know. As he turned to gaze at his loud one, Eikask lightly nosed Hers' leg.

Eikane crinkled his nose slightly at being called old. Revenge, perhaps, for the laughing? More likely just to be typical Dmitri behaviour though. The blue liked his playing? As always, it was pleasant to hear that his playing was liked. That was part of why he normally chose a more public spot. A bit hard to find a good audience so late at night though. Responding to the unspoken question the older Harper said, "Its not played all that often. Or maybe its too old for young kids like yourself to know."

He blinked slightly in surprise before smiling. "Oh really? What a shame that would have been," he teased Dmitri. Eikane started plucking a couple strings idly. "And here I thought it would be okay to give you more room to breathe." Sigh. "What ever am I going to do with you?" The real truth was that Nocturne had made him a bit antisocial due to his influence. He was getting better at seperating the feelings from his own, as he had done with Eikask as well. Hence why he was more willing for Dmitri's intrusion than the thing in his hair was.

[Requiem]

Dmisk was, as ever, respectfully proper in his posture...and, as ever, it ill-suited him. As if he simply wore that particular submissive face out of necessity, the truth something else entirely. Or maybe it was just that he exuded chill, without saying a thing, without reaching out to touch with his mind. It simply was a part of his carriage that was, in the end, unalterable.

His disdain was far less personal, far less heated than that of the gold queen - but no less real for all that. And it came across clearly as he replied. What point was there, in remembering? Unless the present - Eikask included - was so terribly dull that he had to retreat to the past to get any form of enjoyment. So saying, in the peculiar, pointed way that was distinctly Dmisk, he padded silently over to Dmitri and curled his tail around the boy's ankle. It was the only outward sign of the blue's affection for his chosen - and often, the only sign at all.

"Must be it. Tell me, Eikane...what was it like when the holds first sprung into being?" Dmitri queried dryly. "Seeing as how all other firsthand accounts have been lost." The boy didn't bother to wait for an answer; it was a jibe, clearly, and didn't require one. His arm curled almost absently around Dmisk's leg, and he leaned against his wher.

The younger of the harpers simply eyed Eikane for a long moment. "Nothing's been working quite well," he stated, his tone droll. "I've managed not to contract the plague, not to disappear, and the wherries haven't eaten me yet. Don't let me be an inconvenience to you." Whoops, that almost sounded bitter. He chased it with a wry smile. "What with being so important now and all. Have all the pretty brown and bronze wherhandlers started hitting on you yet?"

[Ember]

Eikask's low growl was felt through the older Harper's legs and he glanced at her curiously. None too pleased with that nasty blue was she. How dare he! What did such an ignorant blue know about such complicated things, or about Hers? The gold's eyes whirled a distinctly annoyed colour. Perhaps if he apologized for saying what he had she'd forgive him. Just maybe. Imagine her ire when Dmisk had the nerve to just get up and walk away from her! After she'd bothered to give him the time of night he just acted like that?

Eikask was about to get up when she felt a single knuckled tap agaisnt her side. She looked to Hers and grumbled slightly. But he deserved it! When the answer came back more like a plea than a command she huffed. Fine. She'd leave him be, but in return Hers ought to pet her, yes? So obliged, the queen's eyes slowly returned to a more passive colour and she rested her head on Eikane's leg again. She really was easier to please than a lot of others thought. If they humoured her every so often she'd be much more manageable.

Eikane snorted at the joke while he slowly stroked his wher's hide. It was always a bit weird to think of how they'd been at first compared to how they were now. They could be so in tune and yet seperate that it was slightly scary. He often wondered what would have happened to her had he not been there. She was hardly graceful enough to handle living in the wild. The gold firmly informed him that she'd have found him. He was the only one good enough for her and she did not want to live in the wild, thank you.

The goldhandler's eyes flicked over to Dmitri at the prolonged silence. He looked away thoughtfully at the boy's words, torn between amusement and shame. The attempt to change the topic didn't distract him either. He ought to squash any ill feelings right away, considering Dmitri was the only one he was even remotely comfortable around. Although he still had to make it seem like he didn't care that much...pride and all. "Considering most of the bronze and brownhandlers are guys, no they haven't. Without inconveniences every now and then I would get so bored."

[Requiem]

His eyes narrowed slightly, watching the man with an intensity that wasn't much like Dmitri. His nose wrinkled with whatever thought passed through his mind. Whatever it was, it caused Dmisk to glance at His and a subtle shifting in their positioning. "And what of...Ar...Ari...Ar-something?" The cheeky smile didn't quite carry its usual bite. "Far as I can tell, she's a she." What was the likelihood of that bronze winning Eikask, though? Dmisk exhaled softly. Good, musicmaker; both are inherently ridiculous. The boy snerked.

Picking up the long braid, he tsked softly at the leaves that had already gathered in it, beginning to pick them out with nimble fingers. Long hair had never been an issue within the confines of Harper Hall. Here, though, the trees and the leaves liked to catch in it and yes, he was considering....but he was loathe to give up that one last little act of rebellion against the north and especially the dragonriders. Pondering for a moment, he wrapped the braid several times around his neck, pleased at that. At least while he was sitting and it had a tendency of dragging in the dirt.

"I'm not his lackey," he said, of a sudden, running his fingers through the tuft of curls at the end of the braid. "Whatever rumors you may have heard." The soft eyes came up, searching Eikane's face for a long moment. They fell again, the boy worrying his lip. "I don't think grandfather knew...when he left me at the Hall." And asked Camlin to protect him. A joke, really. Protect him from what? The north? Pulling his legs up, he wrapped his arms around them, still leaning against Dmisk. "I guess I thought...that it wasn't just orders. Silly, huh? Well, you needn't worry. I won't bother you. And Camlin won't know - about the whers or anything else. I don't need a babysitter."

Just a friend. Still, he'd made a couple here, and if Eikane had no use for him outside of the Masterharper's direction - then so be it. It wasn't as if anything Camlin had ever asked of Dmitri turned out well. Pulling out his pipes, he arched a brow in silence at Eikane. Played the melody he'd heard a moment ago - and not truly recognized. A few bars, then split off into a countermelody of his own making. His one true talent, a knack for creating...A harper was not made by his voice, and his pipe playing was mediocre at best, but music was alive to him and he saw it as living.

[Ember]

No one could say Eikask was unintelligent. She picked up on what Dmitri was talking about easily enough and a low growl sounded came from her. With a small sigh the older Harper waved his free hand in her direction. "That's what she thinks of Ari-whatever. It seems that the that the majority of the bronze and brownhandlers being male is no problem for her." The goldhandler was already resigned to the fact that associating with women would be hard but taking one as a lover? Nearly impossible now.

Eikane watched with a tolerantly amused expression as Dmitri wrapped his hair about his neck. The boy's hair was far too long for his own good but it was another thing that he was forced to accept. The mere suggestion of cutting it wasn't worth the other's reaction. He was convicned it would make an awesome rope though. Tempting to tease Dmitri about it but he seemed to have other plans. It seemed that he hadn't gotten the hint. Bugger.

Eikane matched Dmitri's gaze before the boy looked away and he nearly sighed. The pose coupled with those eyes...impossible to ignore, really. He leaned over slightly and knocked his knuckled against the bluehandler's forehead lightly. He kept his face averted as he said, "Mm yes. Very silly. And yet it wasn't - isn't just orders..." Eikane trailed off a bit awkwardly. He hoped that was sufficient.

The goldhandler snorted as Dmitri strayed from the melody. Brat. "Showing off, huh?" The other Harper knew by then that the one thing he truly lacked any skill in was creating music. He could merely mimic what others had written. His keen ears listened to Dmitri's playing. Skilled brat, but still a brat in the end.

[Requiem]

Dmitri wasn't paying particular attention to Eikask. Really, it didn't much matter to him what wher ended up catching her. It wouldn't be Dmisk. That, in the end, was enough for him. No, he didn't wish any particular distress on Eikane, but it wasn't as if he could effect events in any way, so he didn't waste time dwelling on it. (Besides, actually picturing Eikane with anyone was so far beyond disturbing he just didn't go there.)

The human may not have been particularly interested, but Dmisk counted it as one of the first - if not the first - sign of intelligent life given off by the gold. He rumbled in...was that amusement? The blue regarded her mildly, addressing her with much the same distance as before. You mean you don't wish to let yourself be caught by that paragon of male virility and glitter? It is a strange bronze who believes himself above his queen, he added, almost thoughtfully.

The tap on the forehead and subsequent words had been met with only a half-startled blink and a nod. It was awkward, but part of his reason for providing no verbal response had more to do with how uneasy Eikane seemed. (Not that he'd ever admit to any show of kindness. All lies.) Strange, though, how much of a relief it was. Dmitri had no one from his former life but Eikane, and now that the both of them were stuck here interminably - he was grateful that Eikane wasn't growing completely weary of him.

Letting the pipes fall from his lips, he smirked at Eikane. The boy nodded to the older harper. "Was hoping for a chance to hear it again, actually." Dmitri shrugged one shoulder. "If you wouldn't mind?" Bringing the pipes back up, he skirted through an introduction incorporating parts of the melody line, sliding neatly into the beginning of the song with the hopes that Eikane would join in...

[Ember]

Oh so now he wanted to talk to her huh? She ought to just ignore him but there really wasn't anything to be gained by doing that. Eikask was more troubled by who the bronze's handler was than by the bronze himself, though his attitude did contribute to it. Glitter wasn't everything, or so she informed Dmisk. There was a lovely brown amongst their clutchmates that she had been watching for a little while. He had earned her favour.

Eikane was glad that Dmitri didn't say anything about their exchange. He wouldn't bet one way or another why the lad didn't speak. With their friendship confirmed did that mean Eikane had to do a better job of protecting the boy? But it is so much more fun tormenting him on occasion...Of course, if Dmitri thought that they had been friends even before this night and he'd still treated him like that then he didn't really have to change. That suited him well.

The goldhandler thus considered letting the boy attempt to play the song alone just to be annoying. Instead, Eikane shifted his grip on the guitar and joined in after the brief intro. "Since you asked so nicely.." he commented with a smirk before sliding into the first verse of the song. The second time around held less emotion considering his audience, though it was still there for Dmitri to pick up on. The song was about a love that came and went "without words." It described his previous relationship well enough.

[Requiem]

It would have been ridiculous to say that Dmisk's manner toward Eikask warmed. He wasn't a warm creature, even with His. The sense that his speaking to the gold was merely a matter of indulgence, or duty - or, at best, curiosity - faded, however. Dipping his head slightly, he eyed her for a long moment, finally settling to the ground and half-curling around Dmitri...which in itself was significant. The blue rarely permitted others to see his affection toward his bonded. Quintresk, he supplied for her, with just the barest hint of approval. Considering how careful he was with his words, it was no accident that he'd let that slip through. She was speaking of Quintresk, he continued. Yes, the brown clutchbrother was much smarter than the glittery one, and not convinced of his own superiority. Not that it likely mattered to Eikask that a blue approved of her considerations, he added. It was sincere enough. Dmisk wasn't capable of indirect speech, really.

Unaware of the conversation taking place, Dmitri leaned companionably against his blue, eyes closing as he listened and adjusted. The pipe music played lightly over the top first, almost tentatively, until he was certain of the melody. Then it skirted plaintively, mimicking the wind, or perhaps water on a shore, a gentle pull, a flurry, all within the confines of the song. He stopped halfway through, tapping the pipes against his mouth as he committed it to memory. Dmitri's ear was phenomenal...his playing, not so much. "You played it different before," he commented. Not a question. "I like it."

Then, perhaps because it was just too peaceful, he broke into a cheeky grin. "You play that thing well, old man. Makes me feel like I should hop the soonest flight back to Harper Hall and beg them to take me back and make a real harper out of me." Flicking the music away with his hand, he returned the pipes to his belt. "Of course, then who would all you wherhandlers have to pick on? Nautic's not half bad when he's not chasing after me complaining about my sorry excuse for a mustache, but I think Yoalla tries to melt me with her eyes alone. Or steal my marks. Depends on her mood. I told her I don't have so much as a sixteenth, or I'd gladly pay her to leave me alone but...she doesn't seem to believe me." He organized his features into a wounded expression, as if the very suggestion of someone not believing every word he said was hurtful.

[Ember]

Eikask's tail flicked in an outward show of amused surprise. So he did know. The brown she had been hinting at was indeed Quintresk. She liked the clutchbrother though she had yet to claim him. The gold confirmed that he was right. She also agreed with his assesment, though in truth she liked her shinies as much as the next queen. While it wouldn't affect her choice she did appreciate his approval, she told him. To say she didn't care about the opinions of others was false. She cared but she wouldn't let their opinions stop her once she'd made up her mind.

Eikane kept playing the song but he dropped the humming for the sake of conversation. The comment made him crinkle his nose. "Different? I suppose that's the affect of emotions on playing." He would have shrugged but he couldn't shrug and play the guitar at the same time. He chuckled at the compliment and the hurt expression. "How rude of her to not believe you! Of course a Journeyman Harper would have no marks to his name," he responded in kind.

He wasn't entirely sure what made him speak next but when he did he said, "Well if you find the other wherhandlers bothering you too much you can always escape to my room for a while. But if you do come I'll be forced to try and teach you another instrument." Oh right, invite him to the living area. The dark thought came from the creature in his hair. Ah right...He reached into his hair - Don't. - and pulled out Nocturne. "Oh and this is Nocturne." The blue just glared at Dmitri. Glare glare glare.

[Requiem]

Dmisk let his head fall, his eyes closing in a show of casual contentment. How much of it was real, and how much show, only he knew. Quintresk he could deal with. The brown was intelligent. In general, he dealt better with intelligent whers. He humored the greens. And the little blue brother. It was only the stupid ones who thought they were intelligent that actually bothered Dmisk. He spoke to Eikask again, in his usual precise manner. Theirs seemed to be wanting more time together, yes? He was fine with that, if Eikask was.

Dmitri smirked slightly. "So I splurged a little at the Gather. Last I knew that wasn't a crime." Not that any evidence of splurging would be found in his apartment. The wherhandler was prone to random - anonymous - acts of generosity, that he would avidly deny should anyone call him out on it.

The harper stared...then, before he could quite wrap his mind around an actual invitation, there was Nocturne, who received yet another stare. He blinked at the little glaring creature. "Um, hi there," the harper stated awkwardly. He knew they talked...were intelligent. But they looked like bugs. It was very odd treating a bug like something that could actually understand you.

Glancing up at Eikane, he searched the man's eyes for a lingering moment, then sniffed mildly. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to have a goldhandler on my side. Or...at least...not attempting to cut off body parts under the guise of shaving facial hair. But I'm terrible at playing instruments. Are you sure you want to take on a task like that?" A touch of amusement threaded through his words.

[Ember]

Eikask glanced slightly at the humans and let out a low purring rumble. They hadn't seen each other in a while, so of course they needed more time to talk. Its not like they had much of anything else to do so she saw no problem letting the wherhandlers continue. Although...she mentally prodded Hers. She was still here. Any growing unease settled immediately as he placed a hand on her hide and lightly stroked. As long as he knew she was still there.

"Splurged?" The older man snorted in amusement. Yes he could see Dmitri doing that. If he had Yoalla pestering him he'd spend as much of his marks as he could too, though that may not have been his fellow Harper's only incentive. "That's one way to stop someone from getting your marks before you get to enjoy them." Speaking of salaries...how much would he be getting as a goldhandler while doing almost nothing? It seemed a bit odd to get paid simply to have a mind mate.

Glare. Glare. Glaaaaare. "You'd have to get used to a little thing possibly scrambling near your feet. I'd say he'd warm up to you but...I highly doubt it." Eikane felt a light scratching on his hand so he opened his fingers. A vague mental grumbling about being shown off like some prize before the blue scurried back into his thick hair. The goldhandler was amused and somewhat surprised that the salamandyr hadn't insulted Dmitri.

Eikane smirked a bit and replied, "Oh, I'm sure I could teach you something. I'll get Eikask to sit on you if you make too many mistakes," he said, half-jokingly. "Any instrument you'd prefer to try? The more interest the easier it is to learn." He owned a few different instruments, including a harp that he wouldn't let Dmitri near anytime soone.