Peace and Safety (Open)

[kysseh]

((I feel obliged to make a note that Virast is not amongst the most social of creatures known to mankind. <3 Thank you for reading.))

The midday sun should have been stifling in its intensity, but the little bits of it that filtered in through the leaves resulted in a gorgeous patchwork effect that had the young teen entranced with its beauty, his dark eyes watching as the pattern on the junglefloor shifted with each light breeze that ruffled the leaves overhead. One of the trees had a massive root that jutted out about Virast's shoulder height, and the boy had climbed up on it to sit, drawing in his legs to seat himself on the flattest portion of the chunk of wood. It was warmer than the rocks from his home hold, which made it both safe and welcome.

The boy had sought the high ground to keep a close watch on the jungle around him, more than a little nervous with the violent upheaval of his life. Just over a sevenday ago, he had been at home and kissing Caelar, and then suddenly, his parents had been absolutely furious at him for his affection for the other boy. It had just been a simple touch of the lips, though they had been reaching for each other, but his parents had been making threats. Then, the nasty green and her little rider had come, and now, suddenly, he was reunited with his sister and her new dragon, the gorgeous beautiful dragon that she permitted him to help wash. The gold had spoken to him once too, when he first arrived, and he kept close in the hope she would do so again. Her mental voice was just too beautiful to be ignored.

Then again, his bias toward all things related to dragons made him prone to liking all of them, and the fact that she was his sister's made her all the more dear.

A meowing from his lap reminded him that he had been paying attention to Fish, and he dutifully stroked the silvery-gray feline, making a soothing noise down toward the creature. She had not seemed to mind the sudden change in their lifestyle, largely because Hepaticath had tolerated the feline nibbling on some of her herdbeast meat slices. Fish had always been tolerant that way, and Virast adored the feline. She loved him like nothing else could, barring, perhaps, his much-adored sister who had rescued him from his parents' fury.

He still did not understand what had been such a problem with kissing the other young teen, even if he had been a male. He had not intended to Join with the boy, but there had been a mutual curious attraction between them. Somehow, though, his parents had been furious, and then now, here, at the weyr, he learned that such attractions were normal. It confused him as to the nature of the mixed messages, but he was not about to argue with the fact that he was blindly accepted here, regardless of preferences. This place was chaotic in its activity, but people left him alone for the most part, which he enjoyed. Add in the amount of flits, dragons, 'mandyrs, and whers in the weyr, and it made a recipe for a very happy pubescent boy. There was little that could make this paradise any better... or worse, for that matter. Yes, very little at all...

[randi]

Noon was not Oraru's time. Noon was the complete opposite of his world, but he had to admit. He liked it. He liked the feel of the light, happy that the day did not reject him back to the night. Normally, after the events of the previous night, he would have been angry and super fussy about Orask's behavior. Normally, the bronze would want to go out, to walk and enjoy the night. Last night had been something completely different. The wher had simply lay by the exit to their apartment, intent on the outside. Oraru had tried to get him to move, but the bronze had hissed at him. When Oraru had tried stepping over him, Orask had nipped at his ankle until the boy retreated. For whatever insane reason, Orask had wanted to keep him prisoner. Unable to do anything without being punished with a hiss or a nip it he got too close, the wherhandler had retreated to his cot, surprisingly falling back to sleep until a few hours ago.

He had meandered about during the day, but the sights of the daywalkers running around everywhere had set in definite claustrophobia. He had retreated to the one place he thought he would be safe. The jungle's shade embraced him gently, welcoming him into the shade with the love given to one who has been absent for so long.

Grinning, Oraru stepped deeper into the jungle, expecting to be left alone. He could think of a thousand different ways he would rather be spending his day rather than hiding out in the jungle, most involving thoughts that would scandalize his mother, had she been able to see into his mind. It was the same urges that pushed every male teen mind, but he simply lacked the discipline to try and keep his holdbred past from interfering with the here and now.

Of course, all the bitter, lonely thoughts stopped with the sight of someone sitting not far away, uphill. He wasn't exactly sure whether it was the hormones or the sight of the boy with the patchwork of sunlight upon him that drew the soft "Hel-lo, what's this?" from him, an eyebrow slightly raised to appraise the newfound interest the jungle had been trying to cleverly hide from him.

Oraru was a lot of things. Fussy, whiny on occasions, easily able to switch between being the one giggling like a girl or being the one to cause the bubbly laughs, but he was not, by any definition of the word, shy. Grinning, he waved up at the other above. "Hey!"

[kysseh]

So absorbed was Virast in petting Fish and mulling over his own thoughts that he failed to notice the approach of another person until the sound of a voice stirred him. Blinking in mild confusion, the young teen raised his eyes to look around, eyes wide with caution. People could be... well, scary. He preferred the non-human residents of the weyr. They did not demand that he talk, and they were so lovely. The dragons... like his sister's beautiful--if slightly gawky--mindmate... were just the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen. The one watchwher he had seen was gorgeous as well, and the flitters... oh the flitters! He smiled at the thought.

Oh, wait, he was being spoken to, wasn't he?

It appeared that the other boy was not going to leave anytime soon, so Virast just flicked his gaze toward the other boy for a brief second to examine him. The other boy was not unattractive, he noted, but he would not give it much other thought. Or... he would not have, but he was being waved at with evident enthusiasm. He stared wide-eyed for a moment and then offered up a tentative sort of smile. It was about the best that most humans could manage to get from him. Even his sister rarely got much more acknowledgment than that.

Fish mrowed and peeked her head over Virast's arm to eye the newcomer, staring at the other junglegoer. Her meows turned plaintive after a moment until Virast continued to stroke her silver-gray back, a more genuine smile on his face. "Hello," he said quietly in response, not sure what else was expected of him. That was a greeting, wasn't it? That should satisfy the other's curiosity and make him move on. Virast was boring, rather on purpose.

Fish suddenly squirmed her way off Virast's lap and padded down along the tree root, scampering over to the older male to meow and rub herself against his ankles. She wanted more attention, and since her person was thinking, this one would do for the moment. When the attention was not forthcoming within half a second or so, a dainty paw batted insistently at the boy's leg. Yes, she was here and asking for attention, regardless of the look of dismay on her person's face. He had better start with the pettings, or Fish would resort to going back to the Quiet One for it, and this newcomer would not like that. Everyone should feel privileged to pay attention to Fish.

[randi]

Aww, was the other not going to let him come up? For a moment the silence made it appear so. He didn't want to be left out to dry. After all, it was bad enough that his wher was touchy, wasn't it? Shards, did fate just hate him today? Oraru wasn't going to take no for an answer, of course. He was lonely, and there was company not far away. It wasn't like the boy was anywhere near intimidating to the normal eye, for Faranth's sake. Even if a person wanted to be lonely, they should say something rather than just sit there like a log.

The smile and greeting was enough proof that Oraru was welcomed, at least in his mind. He was about to move towards the other, but someone else was coming to him first. He had seen felines, of course, and thought them nice creatures. He was more partial to them than to canines. Give him a creature with a brain over one that stupidly drools and was adorable simply because of their lack of intelligence. He figured it explained a lot about Orask's choice for Impression, though search him if he'd ever figure that one out.

The feline rubbed against his ankles, her soft fur making him smile, momentarily forgetting the other not far away. Oraru laughed quietly as she batted a paw at him, kneeling to be closer to her. His hands smoothed down the fur on her back before darting to her spine between her shoulders and scratching it gently. If she wanted him to pet elsewhere, she'd move so that the area was presented. At least, every other feline he'd encountered had been that way.

Remembering suddenly that he'd been distracted from his original goal, he peeked back up at the other, to see a look of unhappiness replacing the timid smile that Oraru had honestly thought rather cute. He pondered if he should stop scratching her to see if she'd return to him so that maybe he'd be happy, but, to be honest, Oraru thought this a better chance for him to get spoken to than if he let her. On the plus side, he rather liked the cat so far. Why couldn't his father have gotten him and Swithin felines instead of firelizards? Instantly, he felt someone get indignant at that, and he chuckled. So, Breeze was awake.

[kysseh]

Virast's eyes had widened upon seeing that the boy had intended to come closer. Closer.... why closer?! He was fine over there where Virast could keep a good sound eye on him to make sure there would be no disturbing of the peace. There was nothing special about this people-avoiding little boy still stuck in puberty, so why would the other lad want to investigate him? Then again, Fish seemed to not care what her person wanted, and he watched as the feline soaked up the attention that the boy offered, suddenly a bit jealous. It showed in his light pout. Why did she like that boy?! He was the one who fed her and let her sleep in his bed and cuddled her....

Fish was not stuck with any such notions of loyalty and was merely rubbing herself against the boy's ankles with much gusto, purring loudly at the attention she received. She arched her back to indicate that the area along her spine and at the base of her tail were in need of similar scritchings. Yes, he was a good humanpet, though not as good as her own. She meowed softly in the direction of the tree and her boypet, wishing he would similarly revere her right now. Stupid humans did not do things properly. Two could pet her at once!

Virast caught the other boy sneaking a look at him, and he formed his face into a light scowl. He wanted his pet back, and he wanted to avoid this other boy that was so intruding on his safety and his peace with Fish. The boy was laughing at something, and that only made him sulk a bit more, and he unfolded his legs and slunk down off the tree root, inching closer in the hopes of enticing his pet back. "Her name's Fish," he said in the hopes of distracting the boy. Yes... snatch the little kitty and run. That was the plan.

Fish, however, was enjoying the attention far too much and meowed plaintively at the boy to not stop his pettings, much to Virast's upset. The boy edged closer, still not wanting to get too close for fear of the boy touching him or some other such people-like nonsense. People liked to shake hands and hug and do all sorts of things, but Virast didn't... not with most people. Occasionally, when he really liked a person, he would try to do the touching thing. But otherwise... he avoided all contact. People were, for the most part, icky. Furries and dragon-things were not. Thus, he did not want to get within the boy's arm reach, which was exactly where his beloved pet was. Decisions, decisions. "Can... can I have her back now?" he asked a bit timidly.

[randi]

Oraru moved his hand to the areas the cat had indicated, ignoring the boy's pout. Honestly, who could expect loyalty from any creature? Sometimes the same thing got boring, and one had to take it into one's own paws, as the case currently was, to investigate the new. He grinned as she purred, glad to be of service to her. At her meow, he glanced up again, trying to ignore the scowl. The other didn't want him here? His eyes flickered back to the feline, though he caught the movement of the other in his peripheral vision. He was going to try and run, wasn't he? That was unacceptable. But how to distract him?

The giving of her name made him giggle slightly, unable to help but like the name. It fit her, even though it was odd. "She's cute," he informed the other, trying to ignore his nearing. Distraction, distractions, what could he do to distract the boy and leave him to petting the lovely Fish until the other was in a more agreeable mood? Oraru sighed slightly. He just wanted company. Okay, he wanted a few more things too, he wasn't going to lie, but for now someone to talk to would be acceptable.

The question made his head tilt up. "I guess that's up to her," he admitted, thinking of a way to get the nagging in the back of his mind to be present. Feeling Breeze's connection to him, he forced the image out of the other boy with food nearby. A small pop sounded as the firelizard came out from between.

The fat blue barely even acknowledged His before landing beside the other, unfamiliar male. Sniffing about, he flutter around him, peeking for the food, convinced that Oraru wouldn't lie to him about such an important matter. The boy must have hid it, that was it. Clever was he, but not enough for the mighty Breeze! Landing, the firelizard peered at the boy, chirping shortly. He better not just sit there. If he did not have things on which to munch, he had better give him attention, for he was in a mood and did not like being compared as a lesser to the feline currently distracting Oraru.

[kysseh]

Virast wrinkled up his nose, a little dismayed at the boy's giggles at his feline's name. Yes, it was an odd name, but it suited her, didn't it? She was all glinty like a fish was, and she moved gracefully across the ground like a fish moved through water. Thus... Fish! However, said feline seemed very content to make his life miserable and continue to bask in the other's attentions, so Virast had to wait, just morosely watching until he could reclaim his pet and escape this intrusion upon his relaxation. People always intruded. It was so rude of them, wasn't it?

The other boy's compliment toward Fish elicited a loud purr from the object of attention, and Virast's scowl faded a bit. At least the boy was acknowledging what a lovely creature his pet was, and Fish was lovely indeed. She was rubbing her head against his leg and mrowing quietly, still offering up a purr when any scritching was forthcoming. The other boy's statement had him wanting to protest, but he had no opportunity to do so. As soon as he opened his mouth to insist that the feline be handed back to her proper attention giver, a blast of cold air and the appearance of a large blue something had him sufficiently distracted.

His eyes widened as he recognized the creature as a flitter, albeit a very fat one. It seemed to barely acknowledge the other boy before turning its attention to him, and all he could do was stare appreciatively for a moment. He had always wanted a firelizard of his own, and he wondered if this was the boy's bonded. It had to be. It was too fearless of people to be anything else. But... so demanding! It kept fluttering around him and chirped as if giving an order for something, and Virast's eyes flicked to the bulge that was the creature's body. It was rather large... so perhaps it wanted more food? He immediately rummaged around in his pocket for the tidbit of cooked fish he had stashed in cloth earlier. The boy's eyes remained locked on the firelizard, intent on charming it into staying close.

Ah ha! The cloth-wrapped piece of fish appeared, and the boy knelt down to break off a piece and offer it to the flit, smiling widely at the sight of the gorgeous, if massively overweight, beast. Oh, how he wanted one of those! The other boy was momentarily forgotten, though Fish similarly forgot her new worshipper in favor of her favorite food. The feline meowed and scampered closer, batting at Virast's leg with one forepaw until a small piece was broken off and offered to her. The feline ate quickly but daintily. Her eye was on the firelizard, making sure this thing did not steal too much of her fish. Granted, she was not all that hungry, but it was still meant for her. The double attention made Virast grin broadly, annoyance forgotten. Ahh, how lovely these pets were!

[randi]

That was a good kitty, purring and being given attention like she deserved. Oraru grinned, aware that his response probably was not exactly what the other boy had been after. He would just have to get over it, wouldn't he? If Oraru could live for days not knowing where on Pern Breeze was, then surely the lad could survive another ten minutes of his feline getting attention from someone else.

Speaking of Breeze, the fat blue was watching the other stare at him, waiting for the food promised him by His. Not that Oraru would ever lie to him, of course. Not that the boy hadn't done it before, when the firelizard couldn't between, oh no. He'd never been forced to fly from his safe little niche in Hyphen's kitchens to some Faranth-awful hole where he was pretending to fish and had hoped the blue might be able to help, not His.

The smell of fish confirmed his suspicions and gave him a bit more trust in his bond. As the morsel was offered, Breeze extended his neck, grabbing onto the edge, nearly hitting the Not His's fingers as he took his piece. Glancing over at the feline, Breeze could care less. Orask ate more of his food than that puny thing was capable of.

Noting Breeze's quick snapping of the food, Oraru winced slightly, glad the boy hadn't gotten bitten. He remembered his first few times feeding the overzealous glutton. "Watch your fingers. He'll bite them and won't know the difference." And there was nothing funny about having a fat flit chewing on your finger like it's the only meal it's had in years. As for the feline's abandonment? He'd lived with the bigger whore for attention givers for years now, it was just habit now.

[kysseh]

Virast was unnerved by the intensity with which the fat little flit was watching him. Oh, all creatures liked food, but this one was looking like it'd eat him if the food was not coming forth within a short enough span of time. Thus, he was cautious when extending forth the morsel, and he was surprised when the blue fairly snatched it from his fingers without much concern for his wellbeing. Fish was gentler, and he made sure her mouth was very occupied before he returned his attention to the blue flit, eyeing him a bit warily now that he was sure the creature was aggressive.

The other boy's statement caught Virast by surprise, and he flicked his gaze over toward the speaker and then offered up the barest of nods. He fed Fish another little tidbit and then offered up a warning look to the flit, waggling a finger. If the flit was going to be so difficult, then there would be no treats. "You bite my fingers, I don't give any more food," he said in warning, and then he extended another piece of fish to the fat little bugger. "Gently... be nice."

It finally hit him that he did not know his new little 'friend's' name, and that bothered him. He could not continue to refer to him by 'that thing' or call him something mean like 'fat thing', so a name would be necessary. His gaze flicked toward the other boy for a moment. Yes, introductions were necessary. "What's his name?" Of course, introductions as far as their names were not necessary. But if he knew Fish's name, it was only fair that Virast know the name of this fat thing that was trying to munch his fingers.

On the topic of Fish...

Meowing and rubbing up against his leg distracted the kneeling teen, and he gently stroked the back of his pet, delighted by the purring she emitted. Despite all the other fantastic beasts in the weyr, she was his favorite creature of all, because she was his and no one else's. The feline meowed, and he gently scritched at the base of her tail, making the silvery-gray ball of fur arch her back in delight. Oh, yes... this was a good day to be alo-

Not alone. That boy still would not leave, and Virast just looked over at him to see what had him staying so close. He could just wait until the boy got bored, or he could shoo the flit off. That would chase this interloper off. Instead, he settled for a direct question. "Why're you here?" Yes, that would yield an answer that Virast could ignore to chase him off. He wanted to be all alone with the pretty critters, shardit!

[randi]

Breeze nibbled furiously at the fish, watching the boy, focusing the image of the lad in his mind. This one would feed him as well, and seemed to be lacking in any companion who was too annoying, such as the woman with the green wher who would insist that he play or the man with the crazy running around frilled thing and bronze dragon who seemed to welcome him. However, minor annoyances were certainly better than not being fed or paid attention to.

When he was done with his morsel, he watched the boy, trilling merrily when another piece was offered. As he prepared to snatch it swiftly before the feline could, he became aware of talking. The firelizard tilted his head to the side, feeling Oraru press the boy's words as utterly important in his mind. If His and his feeder said it to be so, he supposed he would comply. Nodding innocently, he took the scrap from Not His, though kept his head exposed for a moment, expecting at least a scratch for being more gentle.

So Breeze had taken the point. Oraru gave a small smirk in triumph, though he knew better than to think that Breeze wouldn't do anything for food. The question of names was called up again, and Oraru laughed lightly again. "His name's Breeze." Whereas Fish might be more true to her namesake, Breeze was not. Playful, active, lithe, fast, none of these were his true form. Breeze seemed to be the complete opposite of what his name implied, and Oraru liked it that way. Standing, he walked closer to the other, sitting cross-legged and watching the pets moreso that the other person.

At his question, Oraru's eyes lifted, thinking of the proper response. Finally, he offered up a shrug. "I couldn't sleep. Orask," he shouldn't have to explain that: anyone who had been at the Weyr long enough since the last wher Hatching would surely know who that was, "was being touchy last night. Fell back asleep on accident," he chuckled quietly, shaking his head. "Got up this morning and came out here to get away from the people. I forgot how much goes on in the day." Shrugging slightly, he looked back at Fish and Breeze. "And what about you?" He didn't think the boy to be a people person. He would have recommended Impressing a wher to the other, as a night schedule tended to put you away from most of the busyness of Rukbat's reign.

[kysseh]

Virast was aware that he was being closely studied, and he had to giggle quietly at the shamelessness with which the blue flit offered his head for a scratch. The retrieval of the second morsel of food had been much more gentle than the first, which delighted the boy. The flitter made such adorable and delightful little noises, and Virast wished he could borrow the little creature on occasion. He lifted a hand to gently scritch the blue's eyeridges to encourage him to behave. This new, less aggresive behavior was one that should be encouraged. Biting people's fingers was not nice, and it led to the withholding of treats.

Fish, however, was behaving herself quite well, and as Virast sat on the ground, she hopped right into his lap to curl up, ignoring the fishy tidbits that her person was giving to the other creature. That fat thing could have all he wanted. She got treats whenever she asked for them, so he was no threat to her great source of food and attention. And to add to that, she was now provided with a bed to take a nice nap while Her Person was not moving around and potentially leaving her behind. Life was good, indeed, and the feline emitted a quiet purring sound as she started to drift off to sleep.

...Breeze? Virast looked at the flit he was currently feeding, and he could find no logical reason why the creature would be named that. The flit was anything but graceful and flighty, and Virast had to wonder where the name had come from. Nothing about the blue even remotely reminded him of a breeze, and it made him giggle a little bit at the thought of such a greedy creature flying gracefully about. No.... that seemed highly unlikely. "Weird name for him. He doesn't look like a breeze," he pointed out needlessly as he offered up another little morsel should the flit want it.

His explanation about his 'Orask' made him curious. Orask? What as an 'Orask'? Wait.... he knew something about this! 'Th' meant dragon. 'Sk' meant wher. The boy had a watchwher?! The intruder gained some measure of respect in Virast's eyes, and the boy turned curious dark eyes toward the older teen. "What kind of wher? Why was he... she... he?... upset?" He could scarcely blame the other boy for wanting to avoid the people. Virast was not fond of crowds or people either, and the weyr was positively bustling during the day. He offered up a bit of a shrug, looking back down at the pair of pets. "Dunno. Getting away. Too busy around here. Lots of dragons 'n flits, though..." That was the sole reason he had not pitched a fit about coming here. Well... that and the fact that his parents had been about to inflict serious punishment on him. No, this place was preferable.

[randi]

Breeze delightfully thrummed once the attention for his good behavior was properly paid. His neck arched, keeping his head in place for the scratchings as he nibbled on his food. Spotting movements, he glanced over at the feline going closer to His, which made the greedy fat flitter feel much happier. The source of food was now, temporarily at least, his. Hopping closer, the blue crooned, settling down. The next bit of food offered was taken just as gently as before, though he remained awaiting scratches.

Oraru was pleased that Fish had returned to him, settling in his lap. He ran a hand gently down her back as she laid down, letting her drift off to sleep undisturbed after that. Felines were so cute. If Breeze wouldn't eat one of the cubs, he would have likely bought one at the next opportune moment.

The giggle made Oraru grin happily. The statement made him shrug, returning a small laugh of his own. "Well, when I first saw him, he was a lot smaller that he was now. Certainly not as round," he pondered for a second, remembering the adorable baby firelizard as it slept in his hands for the first time, a brief show of affection drawing over his face at the memory. Shaking his head to clear it, the boy chuckled. "He sort of grew out of his name, in time."

At the other's questions, Oraru chuckled. "He's a bronze, six months old, thereabout." A pondering look crossed his face. "I don't know why he was upset. If I had to guess, though, I'd say it's because he's entered maturity, and I think Neisk, the gold wher, is going to Run soon." It was the only explanation he could come up with for the bronze's moodiness and his attempt to keep His trapped. "You like whers?" He asked idly. He hadn't really, not until he'd Impressed. Seeing the creatures with personality had drawn him out from the shallow thinking that had convinced him to stand.

"There are a lot of dragons and flits. If you like to watch them, your best bet is to sit around the river. They like to sun a lot around there." With a wise nod, Oraru continued to grin, peeking down at Fish, assuring himself that yes, she was still really cute, before his eyes returned to the other who seemed like he wasn't trying to drive him off any more.

[kysseh]

The blue flitter--Breeze, he reminded himself--seemed quite happy to be receiving of attention, and Virast was in no position to deny him that attention. Virast adored firelizards and anything even remotely related to dragons and had sought to have a flitter of his own for... oh, well, Turns. His sister had promised to do her best to find him one at some point, but that did not alleviate the immediate problem. Virast had never even considered Impressing a dragon or bonding to a wher. No, those were for people who liked people, and Virast did not like people, as a general rule. He liked dragons and flits and whers... and those strange little 'mandyr things like his sister had. Breeze seemed to be waiting for more scratches now, so Virast obeyed with enthusiasm, making sure that his lap was available for perching if the creature so desired. He did not mind being a perch in the least.

"He must have eaten a lot. He's pretty, so people probably feed him a lot," Virast admitted with another giggle, noting that expression of affection that passed over the other boy's face. That made him feel a little better, to think that the other boy liked his firelizard as much as Virast did. Oraru was... well, he was not going to be chased off. "Bronzes are supposed to chase queens," he commented quietly, nodding. That was one reason why his sister was upset. She was not happy about the bronzes chasing her Hepaticath. Why that was so, he did not know. She had muttered something about Flights and stopped talking about it. He would have to do some research. "He must be a very handsome bronze. He'll have her for sure." The conviction in his tone was obvious, and he had made that decision without ever having met the bronze or the queen. But, this boy was not half bad, so his wher had to be acceptable too. Certainly, more acceptable than the boy!

At the questions, he shrugged and nodded. He liked whers just fine, the few that he had met, anyway. But, he liked all sorts of animals, so whers were nothing special to him. They did not speak to people like dragons did, though, so that would always earn dragons a special place in Virast's heart. He still glowed at the thought of Hepaticath--the queen--speaking to him. It had been one of the finer moments of his short, young life. "Mmhmm. They're nice. They're not as fussy as dragons. But they don't speak like dragons do. But they're very nice and not so big. Can't step on you by mistake."

Virast made a slight face at the thought of going down to the river, not wanting to interact with all the people that went there. His eyes flicked down toward Fish curled up in Oraru's lap, and she was purring quietly in her sleep. He wondered if he should remove Fish from the other boy's lap, but he could not bring himself to get near the other human at the moment. Oh, Oraru was certainly quite attractive, and if he thought that any attention would come of it, he would show interest. But... well... boys did not usually like other boys. Virast had the advantage of not caring about gender and just liking his own special few people. "Too many people at the river. I don't like people. 'sides... my sister promised to help me get a flitter. I want a green one." The very thought of that was highly exciting, and he wriggled a bit. He so adored flitters!