Steal Away (Tags: K'lir)

[nightingale]

It was raining today, and as she watched the jungle dance to the rhythm of the storm Saeo was convinced that she could hear the herdsman cheering in the fields beyond. The drought was over, and with that small fortune came a promise that the girl had chosen to nestle close to her heart -things did get better

Mine, are you quite sure that it is safe to be out here? Cherilith warbled, shifting his wing so that he could peer anxiously the girl cocooned within it’s rain-spattered membrane. What if the falling water doesn’t stop for a very long time? It may get very, very deep...what if it gets so deep that pirates sail up the river from the ocean and try to pillage us? We’ll fight them off of course. She assured him, a tiny grin gleaming in the corner of her mouth as she watched the ripples humming across the river’s surface. They would have to be rather foolish pirates to attack a Weyr, darling. Everyone knows that a handful of scurvy pirates wouldn’t stand a chance against even one skilled rider and his mount. The bluepair had situated themselves beneath the spreading branches of their favourite oak tree earlier that morning, when clouds first started to grey the sky. Now they watched, hypnotized by the rhythmic beating of water against soil, an act which the dragon had never witnessed and the girl had long forgotten about.

Pest rain! Pest!

Oh, and there was Freckle of course. The little green was not nearly so enthusiastic about watching the water cycle in action, especially considering that a single raindrop was sufficient to completely drench her. The salamandyr had snuggled herself into the warm hollow between her humanpet’s breasts, tail wrapped around the elastic of her brasserie to keep herself firmly anchored in place should the girl choose to move.
“Freckle, the rain isn’t bad.” Saeo sighed, the noise brushing loose what remained of her smile. “In fact, I don’t know how much longer we could have gone on without it. The river-” Bad rainpest bad Freckle vile rain bad- “Don’t interrupt when I’m explaining something to you. Now without the rain, the plants can’t grow. If there are no plans to eat, the herdbeasts die and because we eat the herdbeasts we need the rain to keep falling.”

But Mine? Cherilith crooned softly, giving his rider’s head a little nudge with the end of his velvety nose. Mine. Freckle corrected bitterly. We kill the herdbeasts before we eat them, don’t we? So why does it matter if they die? “Because,” the girl answered with a soft grunt as she reached up to tug the little blue’s wing into a position more suitable for deflecting the few bold raindrops that managed to fight their way through the tree’s canopy. “If they all die at once, they’ll rot before we can eat them.” Oh, I see. Pest beastpest. Freckle huffed, unable to argue on the grounds that she hadn’t a clue what ‘rot’ meant, but unwilling to let the subject drop without getting the last word in.

And then it did drop, sending ripples all across the wet landscape.

[glamourie]

Red streaked across the slick grass. Or, at least, at first glance it appeared red, save for when lightning wove through the black clouds high above; then the brilliant bronze of the salamandyr's coloration shimmered through, undeniably among the most vivid of his color. Showoff was nearly unmistakable, even in the rising heat of a storm only the southern continent could brew. Over the highest shrubbery he leaped, his little wings acting as sails on the small gusts of wind that were almost imperceptible to humans; to him they were strong enough to fly on for short periods of time, little bursts that kept him far ahead of his pursuer. Not that it was particularly difficult to stay ahead of Dunghead-His.

Catchmecatchme Ne'ergonnagimme! the salamandyr delightfully creeled back to his bonded as he zipped over a rock. He could see the presence of others, out in the growing storm, but Showoff ignored them. For the moment, he was the center of His's world, and that was good enough for him. Ne'ergonnagimme!

Behind him ran K'lir. Like his pet, he was impossible to miss, but for a completely different reason. The nickname 'Hurricane K'lir' hadn't spawned for no reason. Even though chasing Showoff was actually fun for once (primarily because the salamandyr hadn't misbehaved since he decided to demolish the main hall and K'lir shoved him in a wooden box with airholes for a week), he was by no means a quiet individual. Quite the contrary, his bare feet slapped loudly against the wet grass and, periodically, he fell flat on his face and let loose with a string of curses that made it obvious just where Showoff learned half of his so-delightful language. The rain had the 18-turn-old completely soaked, too. His hair was drenched and brushed back from his face, slicked and dripping, with the dark red appearing black from the texture. His shin-length loose tan leggings were sticking to his legs as he ran and his shirt was clinging to him in such a manner as to emphasize just how slight he was. Between his outbursts of cursing and occasional face-plant, it was hard to miss K'lir.

He was quite sure the vines on the ground were plotting to keep him from catching up to the little worm, too. It couldn't have been that he was out of shape from spending all of his free time with his baby over the past few months. Kahrelir was not that much of an attention-absorbent. Or... so he hoped. Yet, as he pulled himself up from the muddy ground and pushed aside some of the leaves and forest debris that was splashed over his face and hands (effectively smearing mud over his cheeks, though he didn't appear to notice), he had to admit: Showoff was right. He was not having an easy time keeping up with him.

Who knew a creature barely as long as his finger could be so bleeding fast?!

Ne'ergonnagimme! Showoff repeated, his eyes falling on the looming presence of something blue in the distance that was not the sky. A plan hatched and without waiting, he turned and zoomed in the direction of Cherilith. It was a great big ugly blue thing, like the green-thing that refused to come out in the rain because she thought it gross. He would hide by it and Dunghead-His would never notice him there, and he would win. And then, then he'd never get put back in the box again! It was a plan.

Unfortunately, his plan came to an abrupt and sudden halt just a leap away from his intended target. He was just out of reach of the blue dragon's sheltering wing when he sprung forward and a small droplet of water caught him off-guard, knocking the bronze salamandyr to the ground, completely drenched and panting. That one second of surprise was all that K'lir needed and the greenrider sprang forward on his toes, hands outward to grab Showoff. At the same moment, K'lir tripped and skidded into the mud, knocking it all around his face, his hands digging up some of the ground along with Showoff as he came to rest flat on his chest, arms stretched out in front of him, directly in front of Saeo and her dragon.

"Hello," he said lamely, but made no effort to stand or, indeed, apologize for the scene he'd just made. K'lir and shame were total strangers.

[nightingale]

If Saeo was at all disturbed by the fact that a soaking wet young man now lay sprawled on the grass less than half a foot in front of her face, neither her eyes nor actions betrayed her.

“Hello.”

She said simply, emphasizing the curiosity in her expression by tilting her head to one side. Her mind was telling her that she knew this boy from somewhere -she certainly recognized his salamandyr- but for some reason she simply couldn't bring his name to mind. Bad bad mine bad mine mine mine mine minemineminemineMINE! Presently, an electric green head and two tiny paws emerged from the boated neckline of her blouse. Freckle’s globe-like eyes whirled a gold and scarlet maelstrom as she leaned forward to glare at the intruders who dared to approach Hers. She blinked once, then chirped softly in what might have been a salamandyr version of 'oh'.
Hello. Hello shineylove, hello. The tiny green warbled, realizing now that is was Showoff whom she had been chiding. The red faded from her eyes in an obvious show of embarrassment at having mistaken him for one of those ‘mandyrs.

“I do hope you haven’t hurt yourself.”

Saeo commented, reaching a hand up to stroke her dragon’s face as he blew warm air onto the back of her neck. Saeomine...why is sister Freckle being...nice? I’ve no clue darling, but let’s not check our tithes before they come in.

“You have to be careful when the grass get’s slippery, or else you might end up with your head dashed against a sharp rock...but it is a lovely day, isn’t it? I’ve never seen such lightning! If ever I had to choose a day to usher in the rainy season, this would certainly be it.”

Here she smiled and closed her eyes as a peal of thunder washed across the valley floor, drenching them in rich sound. It was definately a day that she considered worth watching and listening to...but perhaps not one that she would have put high on her list of days suitable for a game of outdoor tag. Perhaps she would be convinced otherwise?

[glamourie]

Babies mine squish go splat, Showoff said from within K'lir's cupped hands. No amount of fingers and flesh could keep him silent, evidently, and it truly was a wonder that the greenrider managed to cage him without a fuss. (The only reason K'lir had any success in that endeavor was because Calistoth was a frightening force when angry, even to Showoff, who was normally quite fearless. The reason? She was loud.) It was not at all unusual for the bronze salamandyr to scream and shriek when he was displeased, for everyone to hear. Just like that one statement - which was broadcast to Freckle, Saeo, K'lir and the dragon without hesitation. Showoff wasn't shy. Like his pet, he knew all about how to be shameless. Hellohello greenling-mine. She was his because she was his baby. Plain and simple really.

Sitting up (slowly), K'lir rubbed his face on his shoulder. Then he fell back right on his butt, legs underneath him, and held his cupped hands in front of his face. Casually uncurling his fingers, he quirked an eyebrow. He was listening to the girl speak but his eyes were all for Showoff, who promptly leaped onto his shoulder and stood on his back legs, frill flaring for all to see but not in threat. The little bronze was living up to his name. Once he was sure the salamandyr was unharmed (and indeed, still his arrogant and insufferable self), he gazed at the bluerider with a noted curiosity. Unharmed? Did he look hurt? Just to make sure, he looked himself over, but aside from being completely covered in mud so that he resembled a monster from one of the lagoons, he wasn't at all harmed. And dirt was not something that frightened him. He liked getting down and messy with the best of 'em.

"Thanks, mom," he replied dryly, before answering her question with a light shrug. "I'm fine and so's the little bronze worm-monster, so while I appreciate the advice, it's really unwarrented. I knew I'd fall when I jumped at him, but if you'd been chasing him as long as I have, you'd probably have taken the risk, too." However, it was K'lir talking, which meant he probably would have done it even if he hadn't been chasing Showoff long. He didn't care if he got hurt as long as it was just bruises. Reckless? A little. His attitude was that nothing was without price, and he was having fun chasing Showoff around. So what if that meant he had to suffer a few nicks and scratches? Well worth it in the end.

The slight irritation in the back of his mind told him that Calistoth didn't like him talking to another female. Tough. He ignored the green and eyed Saeo thoughtfully. He couldn't remember her name. Or her dragon's. Not good. "This is a normal lightning storm for this time of year," he said, sounding thoughtful. He was born and raised in Selenitas, and most of the South had odd weather from what he heard. Then again, K'lir spent way too much time outside in storms. He found them therapeutic. Some people might have thought that odd, but he didn't care. What better way to relax than in the cold rain, especially when lightning danced above him? ... He was just asking to be hit by it, really. "I'm going to venture the guess that you don't spend much time outside in the rain. You should change that. When it stops, the air has the most amazing smell. Better than freshly baked bread..."

[nightingale]

Watching the rainstorm had put her into something of a lethargic, pleased-with-the-world-in-general sort of mood, and so the girl didn’t have to even bother fighting the urge to bristle at K’lir’s taunting. Considering that not many of the people she had met so far were so...spirited? Saeo hadn’t really expected his response to be as sharp as it was, but as an honest observation she found it quite refreshing.

“If I was your mother I would tan your hide when you got home. You look like a mountain spat on you.” She stated simply, once again adjusting Cherilith’s wing as a cold droplet found it’s way onto her shoulder. “My parents have very firm opinions about letting their children play outside during thunderstorms, as does my current roommate. I’m expecting her to find me and drag me inside by the collar any instant.”

Mine? MINE. Freckle hissed, firmly declaring her ownership of the young bluerider to all within reach of her mind’s voice. Her eyes flashed crimson as she whirled around to glare threateningly at Cherilith -losing her footing in the process and plopping unceremoniously back into Saeo’s shirt. Mine, will you not introduce us? He asked, completely disregarding the tiny green’s furious chattering as he looked first to His, then to K’lir and Showoff. Umm...well I would darling...but at the moment I can’t seem to recall who he is. He is the rider from the salamandyr hatching. The little blue chirped helpfully, tugging an image from the girl’s memories and placing it before her eyes -the young man with the baby who had been talking to goldweyrling Savitri.

“Oh.” She murmured, her sudden realization evident in the way her eyes widened. Today, they matched the sky perfectly. “I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced.” She commented, pondering only briefly on the ramifications of offering her hand to be shaken when it was currently wearing a red cotton glove that still smelled of it’s crafter’s workstation before doing so anyway. She had never been one to take good care of her things.

“Weyrling Saeo of blue Cherilith. I was at the hatching of Showoff and Dael's last clutch.” Freckle mine! Mine Freckle mine mine! The tiny green appeared once again above the hem of her humanpet’s shirt, flaring her pathetic excuse for a frill in what might have been an attempt to mimic her clutchfather’s self-assured flaunting. “And this is what I brought home from it. Her name is Freckle -darling, isn’t she?”

Saeo only hoped that the young man would read into her sarcasm and not say anything to provoke an attack from the self-conscious little green...actually, she was beginning to regret taking a chance on that already.

[glamourie]

What did she possibly know about parenting? .. He was being facetious, but her tone irritated him immensely. Trying to control him hadn't worked out well for anyone in his life, and he was tempted to introduce her to Salira, his birth mother, just to prove a point. She'd given up trying to "control" him and, in the end, letting him do what he wanted meant he didn't participate in more severe episodes of rebellion. K'lir was, as a child, decently behaved as a result. Decently. He was incapable of being a "good boy" even if he tried. It wasn't in his nature.

"Fortunately for me, you're neither my mother or my friend, and therefore, whether I look as though I've been wrestling with canines or not is irrelevant," he replied gruffly before indicating the sky. "Besides. By the time I return to the Weyr, there's little chance I'll still be dirty. It's wetter than a --" Realizing that to finish that sentence would be impolite in mixed company and would likely get him slapped (more his concern than offending her), K'lir cleared his throat. "Well. My point is that I won't be dirty any longer when I go inside. Dripping yes, dirty no, and you're not my mother, and as far as I know, you're not a parent. It's raining, yes, but I'm unlikely to get sick compared to inside, and I've been careful not to run under the trees. Therefore, I'll do what I please and your room mate can shove it if she's got a problem with my habits. Or better yet, she can hold a conversation with Calistoth on the subject and see how far it gets her!"

At the mention of the green, Showoff hissed. Loudly. The response was an insult that K'lir tuned out expertly. The bronze salamandyr and green dragon did not get along very well. Likely that stemmed from the unbelievable arrogance both shared, as neither Showoff nor Calistoth liked the idea of anything being better.. or equal... to them. Except Dael in Showoff's case. When Calistoth was younger, he'd ended up with headaches constantly. But he'd gotten used to the two of them over time... or as used to them as one could, and bizarrely, Showoff seemed to try not to make his head explode. Sometimes. Most of the time. (And other times he was just ornery for no reason and K'lir had no explanation for it.)

K'lir lifted one hand to run his index finger over Showoff's back, making the little male preen in delight. Or perhaps it was Freckle making Showoff preen? The bronze chittered to her, his tail wrapping into little coils and he bounced twice in his spot, evidently quite happy. K'lir ignored him.

"I'm K'lir. The green avoiding the rain is Calistoth. The overly arrogant bronze salamandyr --" Bigmouth Dunghead-mine noRIGHT! "-- is Showoff," the greenrider said in response to her introduction. His gaze remained on Freckle, and he asked quite shamelessly, "Is that the one that was practically foaming at the mouth, spitting and hissing? I can't recall, she seems much calmer now if she is. I was kind of busy at the last hatching, making sure no one sent Showoff into rages since Dael wasn't there. I think he wanted to pierce someone's nipple like Worm did, he certainly felt one-upped by her..." ... and he'd definitely liked the nipple piercing on Uu'n....

Yours is right, little blue. Why aren't you two inside like sensible creatures? It wasn't unusual for Calistoth to speak... to male dragons. Particularly blues. She did not, however, leave her weyr or give her K'lir any indication of her interest in Cherilith. Stubborn female.

[nightingale]

“Mmmmm...you’re awfully quick to judge someone you’ve never met...” Saeo mused, her tone close to a purr as she snuggled against her dragon’s shoulder. Weyrlings gave off heat like little campfires -a trait which she was more than willing to take advantage of on a cold, wet day such as it was. The girl tried not to take it personally when she was forced to retract her hand unshaken, but curiosity overcame her sense of propriety when she failed to guess why that was.

“Tell me, are you generally this ill-mannered or is there something specific about me that sets you off?” It was difficult to tell weather the question was meant to be taken as sincere or sarcastic. She certainly looked genuinely curious, but then, so did most people when they were waiting for you to make a fool of yourself. “You realize that we could be friends if you would stop staring down your nose at me for a moment.”

As it was suggested that she might be have been a snarling, hissing beast at her hatching, Freckle immidiately sought to prove her accuser wrong -by snarling and hissing. Bad! Bad no mine! Pest, greenpest bad! The little green trilled in the back of her throat like a tiny jungle bird, her frill trembling as she tried to push it out further than her flawed anatomy would allow. “No.” Saeo answered quickly, not really stopping to think about it as she sought to keep Freckle from starting down the warpath. A quick review of the day’s events however, reassured her that she had spoken truthfully.

She certainly hadn’t been spitting.

“She was the last one to hatch - from the green egg? I believe you must be thinking of one of her sisters. I recall at least one other green with a perfectly obnoxious temperment.” Her humanpet's words seemed to placte Freckle somewhat, as her eyes slowly began to fade from dull orange to green. The girl hurriedly shoved the conversation forward lest another close call decide to approach.

“I wasn’t aware that salamandyrs were so fond of piercings.” she mused, adjusting the front of her shirt before Freckle was able to drag it down to a properly scandalous height. “I’ve a friend who received one from T’rid’s salamandyr. I think it would have been quite charming on him if he hadn’t been such a silly fool and let it heal.”

Cherilith warbled softly, forgetting the question he had been about to ask as an unseen speaker pressed against his thoughts. Hello? He greeted curiously, glancing around for the mind voice's owner out of habit even after she implied that she was not outside with them. We are watching...(here he paused to remember what the falling water was actually called) the rain. Why is it not sensible for us to be doing so? Oh, and I am Cherilith. You are Calistoth?[/i]

[glamourie]

Quick to judge - unpleasant - what planet was she on? He thought he was being remarkably nice. He hadn't, after all, doused her in mud, nor had he in any way gotten her dirty, and hey, he was still talking, wasn't he? The fact that he hadn't called her out and told her exactly what he thought of her - that was to say that he found her presumptuous and irritating already - was a miracle. Obviously she knew nothing about him if she thought he was being unpleasant intentionally. Was she expecting some innocent, sweet greenrider to converse with? She could go find someone else if that was what she sought. He wasn't nice, and he'd never claimed to be, thank you very much. Calistoth wasn't nice either. Nor was Showoff. Given the personality of his two bonded, to expect anything else would be ignorant and ridiculous. Honestly! Weyrlings. He thought for sure they were getting less intelligent as time went on. Most of the ones from the clutch he'd Impressed at were at least somewhat bearable. Then again, that was a long time ago...

"This isn't staring down my nose at you, this is being normal. It's cold. It's raining. I'm covered in muck and grime, and you are talking to me as if I'm a child." Sneering, K'lir gestured vaguely to his side before mimicking Saeo's voice to the best of his ability (which wasn't much, as he had no gift for mimicry), "You have to be careful when the grass gets slippery, or else you might end up with your head dashed against a sharp rock." He rolled his eyes, then gazed straight at her. "Do I look like I need you to preach at me? I'm well-aware of how slippery the grass can get, and how careful one should be, I'm not stupid, and you insist on pointing that out, then when I make my irritation clear, you take offense. Well, by Faranth, I couldn't care less if you find me unpleasant, you should learn not to assume everyone around you had the intelligence of one of the rocks nearby!"

Women. This was why he liked men better in terms of long-term relationships. Ugh. Rolling his eyes again, K'lir rubbed his hands on his legs, until they were completely muck-free, and Showoff preened at him. Evidently the little salamandyr was pleased at his bonded's show of tantrum, and he went so far as to bounce in his spot twice before nipping the teenager's ear.

Like Showoff, the greenrider was completely oblivious - or perhaps immune would have been a better explanation - to Freckle's tantrum. He was not at all offended at her displaying or words, and he did not appear to react at all. Showoff looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, quite clearly, Freckle not Boom. His explanation was meant for K'lir, but offered to everyone, before the little bronze dove right down his bonded's shirt... evidently seeking warmth from the rain and the cold. It was a wonder he wasn't completely drowned yet from his boldness.

"T'rid's 'mandyr is actually one of the better tempered ones. I meant S'rei's Worm. She gave one to Uu'n and I'm pretty sure Dael did quite a number on S'rei at the time," he explained gruffly before indicating the lump settling at his waistband. "Guess I'm mistaking her for 'Boom' - whichever one that is. I don't know. There's been so many of the little nuisances I can't tell them apart anymore, aside from Dael, Showoff and Lust, who frequently sends Showoff into rages. I'm pretty sure if I didn't have his obnoxious self to remind me, I'd forget which one Lust is, too. I don't pay much attention to other people's pets, I have enough on my plate with Showoff and Calistoth." At the mention of her, Showoff spit, and K'lir rolled his eyes at his stomach. An odd sight to be sure. "Don't start. Lis isn't bothering you. In fact, she's totally ignoring us right now. Don't get her started or I'll feed you to her."

Ugly green blob I take I take I BOOM.

Giving weight to K'lir's statement, Calistoth quite neatly ignored the salamandyr. She was used to his obnoxious behavior and for the moment, would not let herself be distracted from her discussion with Cherilith. Yours will get wet, cold and sick, and then she will have to be tended to in the infirmary. Being wet for twoleggeds results in them being more likely to get sick. Then they whine and become very annoying, which in turn makes Checkoth's very annoying and I have to tell Checkoth to sit on him. Therefore, it isn't sensible. Calistoth I am. You would know me if you saw me. I am memorable. Not arrogant at all was she?

[nightingale]

Well, it seemed that unpleasant was K’lir’s default setting after all. Saeo couldn’t say that she was thrilled with this discovery, but at the same time she knew that it was necessary information. Nobody liked to hear that the Thread was falling, but you needed to know it if you hoped to deal with it properly. So then, did that make K’lir’s attitude like Thread falling? Not exactly...she’d have to think up a more appropriate metaphor for him when she got the chance.

“Well...if petty and rude is you being normal...and condescending and annoying is me being normal...perhaps we would be better off not trying to change one another?” She gave a little shrug, lips pouting into what could have been described a an ‘I dunno’ sort of expression. “After all, we would just end up bickering in the rain for hours and neither one of use would come away pleased from the experience.”

The mention of bronzerider S’rei inevitably brought Shmee to mind, and with Shmee came the still fresh memories accompanying her death. Saeo almost winced as she forced them back, completely unwilling to face them at a time like this. Yes, Shmee was dead. Yes, Raylin had been poisoned and almost died herself. Yes, there was nothing she could do about it -but all that helplessness was best saved for reflection on some quiet night when she could manage to sneak away from the barracks and have herself a good, pitiful cry.

“I’m not acquainted with Worm...” She murmured absently, toying with a blade of grass next to her thumb. “Come to think of it, I haven’t met very many salamandyrs at all. Wonders be, most of the people I know have fire lizards as pets.”

Being wet makes humans sick? Cherilith seemed both incredibly surprised and horrified by this information. All this time he and Saeo had been bathing and swimming together, he had selfishly assumed that she enjoyed it as much as he! What a perfectly atrocious thing for him to do to his beautiful, beautiful mine! Oh, I certainly do not want Mine to become sick Calistoth, and I’m sure that you do not want yours to become sick either! Perhaps it would be wise of me to take them inside? Where are you now? I will take them there before the rain can hurt them.

[glamourie]

She was really beginning to annoy him. He didn't think he was being petty or rude. For him, he was being remarkably nice, and he couldn't see where she was getting that deduction from. She insulted his intelligence, and he'd only commented on it, he hadn't insulted her back; in his opinion, that was remarkably kind of him. More over, the girl was harping on a subject implying he was trying to change her, at least as he took it, and he really didn't care enough to ever do such a thing. With each word, he was wishing more and more that he was inside with his son, and not talking to some unpleasant Weyrling who was clearly quite uppity, whether she recognized it or not. Kahrelir was better company. He never argued with him. He just sort of sucked his fist, and that made a point far better than any argument could. It could be said that K'lir enjoyed bickering a little bit too much. It was not at all unusual for him to argue for several candlemarks solely because he could... but he wasn't in the mood. So, instead of arguing, he glared at Saeo, mustering up his best dirty look, and completely dropped the topic. To Between with her.

"Worm hatched from um -- not the last one, the clutch before that. She doesn't usually stray far from S'rei, as far as I know," he said with a slight shrug. "There are more firelizards, yes. Only one queen salamandyr anymore. Dael. Showoff's mate. Thus, less salamandyrs. There was Darling, and Tirea, and whatever Meira named her firelizard.. Zebra or something of that nature. I forget what she's called. Firelizard eggs are easier to procure than flit. My best friend? He's got four."

He had five at one point. K'lir didn't voice that. R'wign had, at one time, five firelizards: three blues, a green and a bronze. Two of his blues and his bronze passed between. With the blues went K'lir's brown, so long ago, and some part of him was still dead inside at the thought. He bowed his head as images of that Gather flashed through his mind, and Showoff, sensing his bonded's distressed, frilled in upset before climbing onto K'lir's ear. There he sat, nibbling the boy's earlobe with utter affection, his beady little eyes going a wonderful rainbow of colors that would have made it hard for some people to believe that he was as obnoxious as he typically behaved. The bronze salamandyr remembered well enough his humanpet's hurt. Firelizards were a sour topic indeed.

Shaking his head to clear those thoughts from his mind, K'lir gingerly reached one hand up and peeled Showoff off. Then he held his palm out with the salamandyr lying in it, toward Saeo. Showoff looked thoughtful for a moment before standing on his hind legs and chirruping curiously. Dunghead Frecklemine's give shiny? he asked, sounding very curious. Shiny give Showoff-me give Daelmine shiny Dunghead-Freckle's? And then he leapt off of K'lir's hand to land right on Saeo's shoulder, obviously unafraid. Surely Freckle wouldn't mind sharing with him. He would convince hers to give him shinies.

Only when it is cold rain. Calistoth sounded very sure of herself, and that was because she was. You haven't hurt yours, I'm sure, and I am also sure she likes the rain as much as you do. Humanthings do not often remember that the things they like can sometimes hurt them. You might remind her. You don't need to leave. I'm in my Weyr, and it would be hard for you to reach me here. You should tell her the rain might make her sick, though. K'lirmine knows, he just doesn't listen well to others, and he insists he can make himself warm by a fire when he comes inside. I don't argue when he is spending time with the bronze worm. If dragons could shrug, she would have. Do you want me to come down there?

[nightingale]

So...he was just dropping the subject then? Well, that was winning an argument if ever Saeo seen it happen. As first she had to fight hard to keep a little grin of victory from sliding onto her face, but slowly a tension began to rise in the humid air. She said nothing on the subject of flitters as it came and went, which might have created an awkward silence had a certain bronze salamandyr not chosen that moment to leap onto her shoulder.

She couldn’t help but admire his vocabulary. Profanities aside, it was much broader than she would have expected. While she had always fancied Freckle as quite clever, most of the little green’s lexicon was temporary -she tended to grab at nouns she heard being thrown about and attach them to one of the few ‘emotive’ words she knew, forming what she considered to be coherent ideas. Pest and Mine were her favourites.

Of course at the moment, the little green wasn’t sure if either of those words really fit the situation, and the rapid shifting of her eyes proved it. She really did like Showoff...but he was touching her humanpet...and she did not like when other ‘mandyrs touched her humanpet...Mine prettymine MineSaeo. Clambering up the girl's bra-strap, the little green wrapped herself possessively about her throat, eying Showoff with the look of a skeptic. Maybe...maybe it might be alright if Showoff just sat on her...but she wanted to make it very clear that she was only sharing for a little while. Showoff had his own pet after all. Why did he need to sit on Hers?

“Ummm...you’d like something shiney?” The girl questioned, oblivious to her pet’s agitation as she tried to figure out weather to take ‘dunghead’ as a nonsense word or an affront to her mental capacity. He didn’t really seem to mean it in a nasty way...and he was just a ‘mandyr after all. Even if it was meant to be taken as an insult, it would be foolish of her to play into it. Careful not to dislodge her tiny passengers, the girl raised a hand to brush the silky brown hair back from one of her ears. “Well I suppose you can have this one. I’m quite certain that it’s twin sister is still laying in the records room somewhere anyway...you and Dael really should ask before taking other people’s shinies.”

The earring wasn’t anything impressive -certainly not real gold if it’s tarnished surface provided any hint to it’s metallic origins. She carefully removed the little round stud from her earlobe and offered it to Showoff -then as she felt Freckle pressing jealously against the back of her mind, moved to take the gold hoop from her other ear.

Mine? Calistoth says that I should remind you that rain can make you sick. Freckle was too busy trying to appear graceful to notice or berate Cherilith for laying claim to the girl. Saeo offered her little blue the telepathic equivalent to a small tilt of her head.“Hm? Darling it’s only a little rain.” She murmured, carefully slipping the gold hoop over Freckle’s head like an oversized necklace. The little green seemed incredibly pleased with her gift, and chirruped with all the innocent sweetness of a songbird, hoping that Showoff would notice not only how very much larger her shiney was, but how pretty it made her look.

But Calistoth says that it is not sensible for us to be out in the rain, because if you get wet then Checkoth’s will get sat on. Cherilith crooned persistently, nudging the side of his rider’s face. Saeo eyed him with vague confusion. Darling, that makes no sense. Mine, I do not want you to become sick. Cherilith, don’t worry. I’m not going to get sick. I have you to keep the rain off me, don’t I? Yes, I suppose that is true... The little blue chirruped, running his tongue across his lips and tasting the rain that had gathered there. I would quite like for you to come down here Calistoth. He said, shifting his focus to the soft brush of the green's mind. Only if it would cause you no trouble. I would never want to force you into the rain. I can bring our humans there if you would prefer.

[glamourie]

Freckle's Dunghead, Showoff agreed, evidently recognizing the green's discomfort at him sitting on Hers. Never fear, he didn't want anyone but His dunghead. He frilled lightly, but it wasn't meant as a threat. Merely acknowledgment, just as the words were. While Showoff was prone to provoking others when it suited him, he was the center of attention, which was really all he wanted. He subscribed to the idea that bad attention was better than no attention and he wasn't above picking a fight if no one would acknowledge him for other reasons. Fortunately, Freckle and her-Stupid were realizing how amazing he was, which in his opinion was satisfactory. As if to explain himself, he turned to look right at Freckle and bounced forward, creeping closer to her. He said clearly (for all of them to hear still), Me Dunghead no has shiny, shiny want. Anything 'shiny' K'lir might have owned was already ferreted off to another location, probably to Dael for her nests. Showoff liked showering her in pretties. The more pretties he brought her, the happier Dael became with him. That, in the end, was all that mattered.

Wait, ask? Showoff turned to look up at Saeo and hissed in irritation. Why? he demanded, clearly not pleased by the idea that he should ever have to ask for anything. He was Showoff. Didn't she know that meant she owed him everything he wanted and should just take it? His tiny eyes whirled an agitated shade and he flapped tiny wings. No ask no need am Showoff is Daelmine we best. It certainly couldn't be denied that he was quite verbose when he wanted to be. While eloquent wasn't a word often applied to Showoff, there was no denying he was intelligent, and K'lir had hit the nail on the head once most effectively where the salamandyr was concerned: If only he'd use his powers for good instead of evil.

Despite his agitation, the little bronze gratefully took the offered earring in his mouth. Sanks Dunghead-Freckle's! Cheerfully, the bronze leaped back onto K'lir and curled up on his shoulder, clutching his prize. What had she said about a matching set? They could both have one, he and Dael. The idea pleased him immensely and the little bronze curled his whole body around the earring, as if he was afraid someone would try to take it from him. One never knew for sure...

"It's no use arguing with him, you know," K'lir said by way of explanation. "The more you argue, the more he'll steal from you just to prove he can. Has an over-inflated sense of entitlement, this 'mandyr. I'm not sure where he gets it, but you'd best just get used to it. Odds are, now that he knows who you are, he'll filch whatever he sees fit. Usually after a hatching I can return some of it, but I'm not going to fight Dael for the ones she likes best." He couldn't bring himself to upset the little queen. Salamandyr feelings were more intense than firelizards by far, and Showoff was Dael's mate. He always caught her. Salamandyrs mated for life, as evidenced by the fact that the same males always caught the same females, and Showoff had never even considered chasing another female other than Dael. The idea seemed to offend him. By proxy, Dael and Uu'n were the recipients of a bizarre amount of affection from the greenrider. He didn't know how to describe it, but he adored Uu'n. Just plain adored him.

A feeling of intrigue not his own passed through him and K'lir blinked, twice, before glancing at Cherilith. What did you do? he asked, words directed to the only creature that could hear him: Calistoth. The amusement she offered back made his stomach turn over and he flinched, but knew he'd get no answer.

Fortunately, explanation came quick enough. Rather than speak to Cherilith, the large green crept over to the edge of her weyrledge and threw herself down into the canyon. Wind caught beneath her wings and she glided up and out with grace. Her larger size made the wind no match for her powerful wings, and as she flew over the valley that the young blue was at, she circled. Her shadow cast over the ground and K'lir looked up at her emerald form. She always looked as if she was about to Rise to most people, with such a vibrant green coloration, but K'lir knew better. Calistoth wasn't due to go up again for awhile -- thankfully. His amber eyes followed her as she swept down next to him, landing with her wings arched at her back. Her position was directly behind K'lir, and she very neatly spread one large wing out to shelter her bonded. It was long enough to also cover Cherilith's head.

This one has promise. We must keep him away from Jeminorth at all costs, she said privately as she fidgeted to keep her scarred back haunch from view. She still remembered the green who gave her those marks, and she loathed her for it. Whirling eyes turned to Cherilith, quite blatantly ignoring his rider, but Calistoth's presence caught Showoff's attention. She ignored him to speak to the blue, I will help keep you dry.

Flaring his frill, Showoff turned to look at Freckle, in the process noticing her pretty for the first time. He looked at his, then hers, almost measuringly. But the girl-thing said he had the matching one, so he did not feel any jealousy. Instead of commenting on that, he addressed the issue of Calistoth's arrival with a very blunt, Ugly green-mine here ignore mebbe go'way.

[nightingale]

“Hmmmm...you’re probably right.” The girl pouted, freckles gathering into a blurred constellation over the bridge her nose. It wasn't really a proper pout, just a displeased expression that she often wore when forced to consider something that she didn't really want to consider. “I doubt that there’s much I own that he’d find worth stealing though. I only came here with three sets of earrings, and he has two of them now." Her eyes flickered ruefully over the little bronze, but Saeo couldn't really bring herself to be properly angry with him. Obvious flaws disregarded, he was a darling little thing in her eyes, and after all insult and vanity earrings were only little scraps of metal and beadwork.

She didn’t recognize the dark shadow passing over them for what it was at first, taking it as just another rain cloud blowing in from the west. It was the giddy excitement she suddenly felt rippling from Cherilith that actually clued her in to the fact that it might belong to something living. By the time Calistoth touched down on the wet grass, she had made her guess that the green -for it was a green dragon that the shadow belonged to- was probably K’lir’s.

Oh, you really are quite memorable! Cherilith warbled appreciatively, then suddenly became very shy as he realized how large Calistoth actually was. His expressive features fitted into a small, shy smile as she snuggled his head beneath his rider’s arm. Saeo allowed him to do this, despite the fact that the cold water speckling his hide was an unwelcome addition to her outfit. She thought it was properly adorable.

“This is Calistoth then?” She asked, just as an affirmation as one of the dragon's large, green wings was extended overtop of them. Yes, Mine this is Calistoth. The blueweyrling assured her, oblivious to the fact that her question had been directed toward the green’s rider. She says that she will help to keep us dry. Freckle seemed far less impressed with the new arrival than her mindmates were. She hissed low in her throat, eying Calistoth with obvious displeasure. Ugly ugly greenpest bad. She agreed privately, hoping that Showoff was right in saying that if they ignored her she might go away.

[glamourie]

"He finds a lot of things worth stealing most people would not give a second glance to, actually. One man's trash, a salamandyr's treasure?" K'lir mused, shrugging slightly. He leaned back against Calistoth and crossed his legs at the ankle. He was drenched, so the wetness to her hide did not come as much of a shock. Her warmth was welcoming, and the green leaned over to nuzzle him in a rare show of affection. The attention made him glance back at her warily; it wasn't like her to be so openly kind to him, but he deduced much of it stemmed from her being more subdued since Kahrelir's birth. While the green still had a temper, she regarded the young boy with a sense of wonder and had taken to treating K'lir almost as if he was something special. He'd never inquired as to what prompted her sudden change in behavior, exactly, for fear of not liking the answer, and she still had enough of a temper for her to not be worrisome... Perhaps, though, she was more kind out of concern for him. K'lir rarely slept more than an hour or two at night. The rare times when he could sleep were often needed for eating or bathing. The only reason he wasn't caring for Kahrelir was because Beka had him, and K'lir owed his pet some attention. He was going to explode soon.

Showoff squirmed in his spot. His eyes were on Calistoth, briefly, but he didn't speak to her. He ignored her and she ignored him. Neither of the creatures much liked one another but over the past Turn, they'd come to an understanding in the form of not wanting to deal with the other's complaints. Of the two, Showoff was the more affectionate to K'lir, often spending entire nights curled up adoringly next to his Bonded's head, and though he didn't like the screaming red thing, he'd accepted him. On the other hand, Calistoth tended to think exactly of herself and only herself; it could be argued in some ways that Showoff was more intelligent. He was certainly more manipulative, but his behavior rarely led anyone to harm. Just stolen property. He chirred to himself and curled around his earring possessively. He did not want to share it with the ugly green thing, no he did not.

At her question (which he thought was posed to him), K'lir glanced up at Calistoth. "I usually call her 'Lis, but yes," he remarked with a light shrug. "This is unusual behavior for her, for the record." I resent that. I have no problem sheltering you from the rain. "Yes, no problem sheltering me. Normally other females send you into rages and you throw a tantrum at me for even speaking to them. Or is it different because Cherilith is a blue?" There was an underlying tone of teasing - an inside joke that Saeo would probably not understand. However, it was little secret that Calistoth loved her blues. Many greens liked browns, big and strong, and plenty were fond of the domineering bronzes... but Calistoth, given a choice, would always prefer her lovely blues. They listened well, they did not intrude on her space, and most of them were positively adoring to her. They were her favorites. She made exception for Jessereth; he was as wicked as she.

He is a hatchling, Calistoth stated with a bizarre amount of patience. I have more tolerance for hatchlings than I do the wherrybrains you associate with regularly. Besides. He is polite. I told you, he has potential.

Rolling his eyes, K'lir turned to Saeo before stating plainly, "Calistoth likes blues. She says she's all right with hatchlings in general. I don't know. She's okay with Checkoth, but I've never really seen her with any others. She likes blues though -- they're about the only color she doesn't get immediately snippy with. She thinks Cherilith 'has potential' as she put it, which basically means he's on her good list." Turning to the dragon, he quirked an eyebrow playfully. "A rare place to be. I don't know what you did, but my congratulations in doing it." Calistoth snorted at him. It was entirely possible she did just like hatchlings, he supposed. She wasn't prone to lying. He shrugged and leaned back against her before smiling. "I thought you were too good to come down here and play in the rain with me."

I've changed my mind. She snorted, then turned to look at Cherilith. Thank you. She knew she was lovely, though. Compliments were appreciated but not necessary. Calistoth had ego to spare. Pay no mind to silly Lirmine. You are from Aslath's last clutch?