A stress reliever
Who: Dasarth, Elaruth, Hattie, W'ton
Where: W'ton's weyr and ledge
When: Daytime on day 22, month 13, turn 19
What: W'ton's got Hattie a turnover gift. There is very much flirting between the two. Dasarth and Elaruth are more serious discussing Chielyth.
Dragon> An army of footsteps advances upon the marsh coming to a stop just on the edges. << He has something for her in our weyr. Is she free to come see it? >> Dasarth lies on his ledge despite the current snow flurries. Weather will not get the best of him. (Dasarth to Elaruth)
Dragon> To Dasarth, Elaruth is only just visible on her ledge, rather, it's only her nose that's visible and outside her weyr at all. Sleepily, mist creeps out across the water protectively until she's alert enough to register Dasarth's presence. << She is... >> She fades out and goes looking for her errant rider. << She /will/ be, >> the young queen insists. << A few minutes and we will be with you. >> A very faint trace of something like an argument, Elaruth-style, going on might be felt, which isn't really an argument at all, only statement of what /is/ going to happen.
While waiting for them Dasarth made a show of removing snow from his ledge. It was not so deep and with the help of feet and wings he managed to clear it off for when Elaruth showed up. A new spot was selected so that she could land and he waited with his tail swishing from side to side for her to be free of her rider. Once that was done he curled up against the wind so the gold might use him as a windbreaker. Inside the weyr it's much warmer thanks to the hearth burning merrily. W'ton's right by the door and as soon as Hattie comes in he'll say, "Close your eyes. It's a surprise."
Elaruth takes little steps, padding about and trying to be careful once Hattie has her own two feet on the ledge. Once settled against Dasarth with the concept of personal space once again lacking, she too curls up and tries to make herself as neat and compact as possible, limbs, tail and wings all tucked in as delicate an arrangement as one of her size can possibly get away with. Hattie's not taken two steps from the ledge and jumps when she hears W'ton's voice. "Shells, warn a girl, would you?" she jokes, making a show of taking deep breaths. One eye closes, leaving her to mock-glare with just the other, then she obeys without more argument than that and folds her hands before her.
Personal space is for chumps. At least if one has been invited onto Dasarth's ledge. And is Elaruth. It's hard to imagine him cuddling up with Gedroth even if he were invited. "You have to have been expecting me," W'ton says as he grins at the mock-glare. "Or else you've been using my weyr to meet someone else." There's a quiet chuckle once both eyes are closed and he takes one of her hands and begins to lead her over to one side of the weyr. "Besides I couldn't hide your turn's end gift so I needed your eyes closed right away." The space is not that big that they have to go far. "Ok, open your eyes now," she gets told. They're in the back 'corner' of the weyr and suspended from the ceiling where it begins to slope down is a punching bag similar to the one in the weyrling barracks. Only this one's a nice shade of light blue suede. And secured to the top is a piece of hide with a crude drawing of a face. The eyes are horizontal lines. There's no nose. And the mouth is made of jagged lines. To one side there's a word bubble that has written in it 'grrrrr'.
The young queen stretches just a touch, her head set down beside bronze paws and the tip of her tail conducting a subtle search for his. Elaruth blinks slowly and relaxes, peering down into what she can see of the Bowl. "Not expecting you to be lurking there!" Hattie dutifully follows, with the shuffling steps of someone off-balance in the dark at first. When she opens her eyes, it takes a few blinks before her vision adjusts and she can take in what's before her. Hesitation, then she reaches out with one leg to touch boot to punching bag without so much force as to be a proper kick, though it does swing and move a little once she's retreated again. The goldrider shuffles a bit so that she ends up standing just behind W'ton with one hip touching him as she leans and her arms reach up to drape around his shoulders, her head left to tip against him. "Is this to lessen the possibility of my punching you?" she murmurs, unable to hide the grin that she has to turn her head against him to smother.
Up comes one bronze wing to drape over the queen as snow blows about them in a breeze. His tail, swishing back and forth ever so lightly, is easily found by hers and when it is the movement ceases and he lets hers wrap around his instead of the other way around. << You were not busy? >> he asks in muted browns and greys with no sign of his usual stomping fervor. Perhaps he is trying something new? "Huh. I thought you knew," W'ton teases softly, "That I am always lurking about waiting to grab a pretty woman." His laugh is loud, but not enough so to echo around the room. When she's looking at her present he grins the whole time and it only grows wider when she speaks. "I know people annoy you sometimes," he informs her with just a shrug of his shoulders. Certainly not enough to encourage her to move. "I had considered putting it in your weyr, but thought maybe that wasn't the impression you wanted to give. Now when you want to let off steam you can come up here and use it." He pauses there so he can adjust their positions so that he's got his arms around her waist and can lower his head to whisper in her ear, "Or me. You're certainly allowed to still use me to let off steam."
<< I was not busy. She was working on something unnecessarily, so she was not busy either, >> Elaruth softly replies. She snugs in close and settles under Dasarth's wing with a quiet sigh. "Sometimes?" Hattie echoes, peering up in that moment with that grin still right there despite attempts to fight it back out of existence. "And yes... You can imagine it would scream that I might have anger management issues." Whilst rearranging goes on, she stretches out to kick the punching bag once more and follows its swing from side to side in an overenthusiastic manner. And the noise that sounds suspiciously like a giggle? Anybody's guess. The goldrider twists a little and looks up, schooling her features into perfect innocence. "Are you sure? I mean, you've gone to all this trouble... I wouldn't want to /exhaust/ you or anything," she says, voice barely above a whisper.
Two bodies are warmer than one so Dasarth allows all the closeness that comes. He doesn't seem to have a whole lot to say although there's a something about his general manner like maybe he wants to say something and has been told not to. So, he just says almost nothing at all. "Or just scare someone away because they think you're too tough for em," W'ton teases as his arms tighten around her just a bit. "Do you wear skimpy little things when you kick it?" His tone when he asks is so overeager it has to be a put on. "Exhaust me?" he says then loudly in a mock-roar. "Woman, the day you exhaust me is the day I hang up my boots!" His laugh is cut off by the sudden thought to kiss her. When it's done he grins with a twinkle in his eyes. "I'm pretty sure it was you snoring last time we were done and not me." One arm unwraps from her so he can lift his hand to plug his ear. "You only exhaust me cause I can't sleep."
Elaruth isn't one to push at things, so even if she might seem unsettled by the silence, she doesn't break it. She focuses on the happenings in the Bowl again instead, absently nosing against the bronze's forearm as she tracks a figure from one cavern to another. "I could be persuaded to," Hattie promises, pretending great thought of the matter. Thoughtful turns to very convincing but not quite all there anger and she goes tense in his arms, ignoring her present in favour of stepping very deliberately on her fellow weyrling's toes. Lucky she's not all that heavy. "I /do not/ snore!" she protests loudly. "Maybe you've done a very good thing here; maybe I won't use you to let off steam. Very clever of you. Very clever indeed." Silence, only for a moment. "I /do not/ snore!" Louder, more of a wail this time. "You take that back!"
The bronze on the ledge is quiet as he looks down into the bowl as well. But Dasarth's not real great at always remembering to do what W'ton told him so he eventually rouses his mind enough to say << Chielyth's is in trouble. W'ton thinks her rider is not smart enough to act on his own. He thinks someone else helped him. He says I am not allowed to find out who. >> Hence the silent not quite pouting of the bronze. W'ton's probably got plenty to say on the persuasion bit, but he's busy right now. "Ouch, woman! My foot!" Thankfully he had his boots on. "Now it's wounded." He pouts a little before laughing and kissing the top of her head. "Hattie, sweetheart, you do not snore. I promise I've never heard a peep. Huh. And you're quite right. I am very clever." He couldn't /not/ comment on that after all.
The white-gold queen breathes out another sigh. << I like Chielyth very much. I did not think she would do something so bad, >> she admits. << Hattie does not like to think about it. It is a waste of time. He is a fool. Would finding somebody else at fault not give him an excuse? Or... >> This idea Elaruth seems to like. << Could a brown or bronze have ordered Chielyth to do it? >> Hattie elbows W'ton for good measure. "Not /that/ clever, since you're saying either I snore or I'm lousy in bed and whilst you've denied the former and I /know/ it can't be the latter..." She twists again and smirks up at him, challenging.
<< Chielyth does not like me. I find her... she is acceptable I suppose, but W'ton says her rider is an idiot. >> So Dasarth will not think much of the green. << I do not know if they could have made her. >> Not the others. He could have, but he doesn't bother with the distinction. Surely by now it's obvious he's better. << It has to be one of us if it is anyone. If /you/ tried to find out if someone else was involved and asked me to help I would not be going against what he said. >> For the bronze it's nearly begging. His tone is eager and excited and although there's a trace of wanting to catch someone being bad mostly he just wants to /do/ this because it would be, if not fun, then good for him to learn. << They are wrong to dismiss this. >> Like no one else in the Weyr will care if they do not. When elbowed W'ton grunts and sidles away. "You're going to beat me to death and I assure you if you kill me I expect it to be by some other means of physical activity. This is why I got you the bag." One hand lifts to stroke his chin and his face gets thoughtful as he says, "Clearly I've offended you. Come up to dinner tonight and I shall make it up to you. For as long as you want."
Elaruth's eyes tint with a very faint yellow, yet their whirling doesn't increase in speed. << I am not to abuse what I am. And I have no wish to step in and create trouble between you and yours. It would be wrong. >> One paw scratches talons across the ledge lightly, the action immediately stopped once the grating sensation process. << Who is to say that someone will remember? It is their trouble and their actions and we should not interfere, lest we make it worse for Chielyth. >> Hattie turns and folds her arms across her chest as he sidles away. "Just where do you think you're going?" she demands. "You and this here punching bag are pretty much equal distance from me right now: you really wouldn't want me throw myself at /you/, now, would you?" More smirking, though soon after her arms drop from their knot and she says very, very quietly, "Thank you."
Dasarth's head comes up and twists so he can look at Elaruth. << You do not understand >> he informs her although it's not said in any way to sound snotty. He lowers his head to press against her side. << If someone else is to blame why should Chielyth suffer alone? It is not /right/. >> It's unclear if this thought came entirely from him or is something taken from his rider. << And if someone forced her have they not abused their power? Should they not be taught? >> W'ton inside takes another couple of tiny steps away from Hattie with a triumphant smirk in place. He doesn't /say/ anything since he made those steps obviously to give himself that much more space between her than the punching bag has. Until she says thank you and then he's moving in again to give her a hug. "You're welcome, sweetheart," he tells her quietly. "I'll do whatever I can to make things less stressful."
<< If they have abused their power, would we not be doing the same in making them confess? >> Elaruth questions, more rhetorical than seeking an answer. << This is all if there is someone else in the beginning. If there is not, then we are humiliating Chielyth further by implying she cannot think for herself. Whilst we entertain the possibility, that is between us. Not the others. >> Despite the unpleasant sensation, her talons scritch against rock once again. << It is... complicated. And I do not believe it to be our place to... meddle. You may if you wish. But I... cannot. >> She sounds almost apologetic. Hattie slips her arms around the bronzerider's waist and curls in close, head ducked possibly to hide embarrassment for such a thing. "You have to wait until Turns End proper for yours," she murmurs, words nearly muffled against him.
<< Oh, I am sure she can think for herself. I am unconvinced about her rider. >> Is Dasarth being insulting? Well, yes, but he's just blunt like that and since it goes no farther he doesn't try to filter his thoughts as much as he might normally. << W'ton says if someone else is at fault as well they are not worth thinking about because they let someone else come forward and they did not. >> At least on this they can agree. There is utter contempt, quickly stamped down, for this unknown and possibly nonexistent person. << If you do not wish to then I cannot. >> W'ton lifts his head so he can look down at her with a grin. "Really? Does it involve white lace? Because I'm just saying if you're stuck for ideas feel free to just show up wearing something tiny and made of white lace." He is so /helpful/ with the gift ideas. Chuckling softly he kisses the top of her head. "You've already given me the best gift. So long as you stick around I don't need anything else." Except the white lace of course. "And off the subject entirely Rhodya says hi and she misses talking to you. You might try to fit her into your busy schedule." Is he using Rhodya to try to lighten Hattie's schedule a bit? Never!
<< I will not seek out anyone and possibly accuse them of something without proof. I /cannot/. >> Again, more apology than argument. << It would mean more coming from me because of what I am. I cannot hurt somebody that way. It is wrong and whilst the rest is wrong too, it is... >> Talking in circles, there's no decent way out that Elaruth can see that balances everything and she sinks low to the ground, encouraging a faint, grey mist across her thoughts to hide her struggle. Hattie looks up and props her chin against his chest. "Not /white/ lace..." she says softly, paired with quite the wicked smile. Up on her tiptoes to claim a kiss she goes, then stops, thoughtful. "I should go see her. I'll have Elaruth check with Gedroth..." is thought aloud. "I miss her." Very, very quiet again, because she doesn't need anybody, nope. Why was she up on tiptoes again? Oh yes, that kiss.
There's a flurry of activity in Dasarth's mind which results in his wing draping lower over her and the scent of a campfire in an orderly military encampment. << Do not be unsettled. >> He sounds almost anxious and his nose drops to nudge at her. << We will leave it be. Do you want to go flying later? >> It's awkward his attempt to console her. But he is an adolescent male so that should be a given. "You are amazing," W'ton informs Hattie and for a moment there's a look in his eyes like he might throw her over his shoulder and haul her to his bed right now. It's still there when she's done kissing him, but instead of doing that he grins and spins her around suddenly. Then he pats her behind once and says, "Go on and see her now. She had watch duty earlier so is probably warming up somewhere." As soon as his hand hit her he's hopping backwards with a wicked grin for when she turns around if she does. "And I have an evening to prepare so that I can beg your forgiveness in all sorts of ways."
Elaruth huddles closer to Dasarth and nudges very gently back in response, words not there at all for a short while. Until the mist begins to clear and she manages to get out, << I... >> Then there's silence again and she falls still, her tail tightening just a fraction around his. << Yes. >> Incredibly faint, hints of a mind still attempting to put everything back in its right place. Hattie turns on her heel and just /glares/, the smile that has complete control of most of her expression just ruining the effort entirely. "I think it'd be far more interesting if you managed to make me beg," she challenges, then she's dashing out to Elaruth - who isn't all that happy to leave, snuggled up as she is - before anyone can get any ideas.
Where: W'ton's weyr and ledge
When: Daytime on day 22, month 13, turn 19
What: W'ton's got Hattie a turnover gift. There is very much flirting between the two. Dasarth and Elaruth are more serious discussing Chielyth.
Dragon> An army of footsteps advances upon the marsh coming to a stop just on the edges. << He has something for her in our weyr. Is she free to come see it? >> Dasarth lies on his ledge despite the current snow flurries. Weather will not get the best of him. (Dasarth to Elaruth)
Dragon> To Dasarth, Elaruth is only just visible on her ledge, rather, it's only her nose that's visible and outside her weyr at all. Sleepily, mist creeps out across the water protectively until she's alert enough to register Dasarth's presence. << She is... >> She fades out and goes looking for her errant rider. << She /will/ be, >> the young queen insists. << A few minutes and we will be with you. >> A very faint trace of something like an argument, Elaruth-style, going on might be felt, which isn't really an argument at all, only statement of what /is/ going to happen.
While waiting for them Dasarth made a show of removing snow from his ledge. It was not so deep and with the help of feet and wings he managed to clear it off for when Elaruth showed up. A new spot was selected so that she could land and he waited with his tail swishing from side to side for her to be free of her rider. Once that was done he curled up against the wind so the gold might use him as a windbreaker. Inside the weyr it's much warmer thanks to the hearth burning merrily. W'ton's right by the door and as soon as Hattie comes in he'll say, "Close your eyes. It's a surprise."
Elaruth takes little steps, padding about and trying to be careful once Hattie has her own two feet on the ledge. Once settled against Dasarth with the concept of personal space once again lacking, she too curls up and tries to make herself as neat and compact as possible, limbs, tail and wings all tucked in as delicate an arrangement as one of her size can possibly get away with. Hattie's not taken two steps from the ledge and jumps when she hears W'ton's voice. "Shells, warn a girl, would you?" she jokes, making a show of taking deep breaths. One eye closes, leaving her to mock-glare with just the other, then she obeys without more argument than that and folds her hands before her.
Personal space is for chumps. At least if one has been invited onto Dasarth's ledge. And is Elaruth. It's hard to imagine him cuddling up with Gedroth even if he were invited. "You have to have been expecting me," W'ton says as he grins at the mock-glare. "Or else you've been using my weyr to meet someone else." There's a quiet chuckle once both eyes are closed and he takes one of her hands and begins to lead her over to one side of the weyr. "Besides I couldn't hide your turn's end gift so I needed your eyes closed right away." The space is not that big that they have to go far. "Ok, open your eyes now," she gets told. They're in the back 'corner' of the weyr and suspended from the ceiling where it begins to slope down is a punching bag similar to the one in the weyrling barracks. Only this one's a nice shade of light blue suede. And secured to the top is a piece of hide with a crude drawing of a face. The eyes are horizontal lines. There's no nose. And the mouth is made of jagged lines. To one side there's a word bubble that has written in it 'grrrrr'.
The young queen stretches just a touch, her head set down beside bronze paws and the tip of her tail conducting a subtle search for his. Elaruth blinks slowly and relaxes, peering down into what she can see of the Bowl. "Not expecting you to be lurking there!" Hattie dutifully follows, with the shuffling steps of someone off-balance in the dark at first. When she opens her eyes, it takes a few blinks before her vision adjusts and she can take in what's before her. Hesitation, then she reaches out with one leg to touch boot to punching bag without so much force as to be a proper kick, though it does swing and move a little once she's retreated again. The goldrider shuffles a bit so that she ends up standing just behind W'ton with one hip touching him as she leans and her arms reach up to drape around his shoulders, her head left to tip against him. "Is this to lessen the possibility of my punching you?" she murmurs, unable to hide the grin that she has to turn her head against him to smother.
Up comes one bronze wing to drape over the queen as snow blows about them in a breeze. His tail, swishing back and forth ever so lightly, is easily found by hers and when it is the movement ceases and he lets hers wrap around his instead of the other way around. << You were not busy? >> he asks in muted browns and greys with no sign of his usual stomping fervor. Perhaps he is trying something new? "Huh. I thought you knew," W'ton teases softly, "That I am always lurking about waiting to grab a pretty woman." His laugh is loud, but not enough so to echo around the room. When she's looking at her present he grins the whole time and it only grows wider when she speaks. "I know people annoy you sometimes," he informs her with just a shrug of his shoulders. Certainly not enough to encourage her to move. "I had considered putting it in your weyr, but thought maybe that wasn't the impression you wanted to give. Now when you want to let off steam you can come up here and use it." He pauses there so he can adjust their positions so that he's got his arms around her waist and can lower his head to whisper in her ear, "Or me. You're certainly allowed to still use me to let off steam."
<< I was not busy. She was working on something unnecessarily, so she was not busy either, >> Elaruth softly replies. She snugs in close and settles under Dasarth's wing with a quiet sigh. "Sometimes?" Hattie echoes, peering up in that moment with that grin still right there despite attempts to fight it back out of existence. "And yes... You can imagine it would scream that I might have anger management issues." Whilst rearranging goes on, she stretches out to kick the punching bag once more and follows its swing from side to side in an overenthusiastic manner. And the noise that sounds suspiciously like a giggle? Anybody's guess. The goldrider twists a little and looks up, schooling her features into perfect innocence. "Are you sure? I mean, you've gone to all this trouble... I wouldn't want to /exhaust/ you or anything," she says, voice barely above a whisper.
Two bodies are warmer than one so Dasarth allows all the closeness that comes. He doesn't seem to have a whole lot to say although there's a something about his general manner like maybe he wants to say something and has been told not to. So, he just says almost nothing at all. "Or just scare someone away because they think you're too tough for em," W'ton teases as his arms tighten around her just a bit. "Do you wear skimpy little things when you kick it?" His tone when he asks is so overeager it has to be a put on. "Exhaust me?" he says then loudly in a mock-roar. "Woman, the day you exhaust me is the day I hang up my boots!" His laugh is cut off by the sudden thought to kiss her. When it's done he grins with a twinkle in his eyes. "I'm pretty sure it was you snoring last time we were done and not me." One arm unwraps from her so he can lift his hand to plug his ear. "You only exhaust me cause I can't sleep."
Elaruth isn't one to push at things, so even if she might seem unsettled by the silence, she doesn't break it. She focuses on the happenings in the Bowl again instead, absently nosing against the bronze's forearm as she tracks a figure from one cavern to another. "I could be persuaded to," Hattie promises, pretending great thought of the matter. Thoughtful turns to very convincing but not quite all there anger and she goes tense in his arms, ignoring her present in favour of stepping very deliberately on her fellow weyrling's toes. Lucky she's not all that heavy. "I /do not/ snore!" she protests loudly. "Maybe you've done a very good thing here; maybe I won't use you to let off steam. Very clever of you. Very clever indeed." Silence, only for a moment. "I /do not/ snore!" Louder, more of a wail this time. "You take that back!"
The bronze on the ledge is quiet as he looks down into the bowl as well. But Dasarth's not real great at always remembering to do what W'ton told him so he eventually rouses his mind enough to say << Chielyth's is in trouble. W'ton thinks her rider is not smart enough to act on his own. He thinks someone else helped him. He says I am not allowed to find out who. >> Hence the silent not quite pouting of the bronze. W'ton's probably got plenty to say on the persuasion bit, but he's busy right now. "Ouch, woman! My foot!" Thankfully he had his boots on. "Now it's wounded." He pouts a little before laughing and kissing the top of her head. "Hattie, sweetheart, you do not snore. I promise I've never heard a peep. Huh. And you're quite right. I am very clever." He couldn't /not/ comment on that after all.
The white-gold queen breathes out another sigh. << I like Chielyth very much. I did not think she would do something so bad, >> she admits. << Hattie does not like to think about it. It is a waste of time. He is a fool. Would finding somebody else at fault not give him an excuse? Or... >> This idea Elaruth seems to like. << Could a brown or bronze have ordered Chielyth to do it? >> Hattie elbows W'ton for good measure. "Not /that/ clever, since you're saying either I snore or I'm lousy in bed and whilst you've denied the former and I /know/ it can't be the latter..." She twists again and smirks up at him, challenging.
<< Chielyth does not like me. I find her... she is acceptable I suppose, but W'ton says her rider is an idiot. >> So Dasarth will not think much of the green. << I do not know if they could have made her. >> Not the others. He could have, but he doesn't bother with the distinction. Surely by now it's obvious he's better. << It has to be one of us if it is anyone. If /you/ tried to find out if someone else was involved and asked me to help I would not be going against what he said. >> For the bronze it's nearly begging. His tone is eager and excited and although there's a trace of wanting to catch someone being bad mostly he just wants to /do/ this because it would be, if not fun, then good for him to learn. << They are wrong to dismiss this. >> Like no one else in the Weyr will care if they do not. When elbowed W'ton grunts and sidles away. "You're going to beat me to death and I assure you if you kill me I expect it to be by some other means of physical activity. This is why I got you the bag." One hand lifts to stroke his chin and his face gets thoughtful as he says, "Clearly I've offended you. Come up to dinner tonight and I shall make it up to you. For as long as you want."
Elaruth's eyes tint with a very faint yellow, yet their whirling doesn't increase in speed. << I am not to abuse what I am. And I have no wish to step in and create trouble between you and yours. It would be wrong. >> One paw scratches talons across the ledge lightly, the action immediately stopped once the grating sensation process. << Who is to say that someone will remember? It is their trouble and their actions and we should not interfere, lest we make it worse for Chielyth. >> Hattie turns and folds her arms across her chest as he sidles away. "Just where do you think you're going?" she demands. "You and this here punching bag are pretty much equal distance from me right now: you really wouldn't want me throw myself at /you/, now, would you?" More smirking, though soon after her arms drop from their knot and she says very, very quietly, "Thank you."
Dasarth's head comes up and twists so he can look at Elaruth. << You do not understand >> he informs her although it's not said in any way to sound snotty. He lowers his head to press against her side. << If someone else is to blame why should Chielyth suffer alone? It is not /right/. >> It's unclear if this thought came entirely from him or is something taken from his rider. << And if someone forced her have they not abused their power? Should they not be taught? >> W'ton inside takes another couple of tiny steps away from Hattie with a triumphant smirk in place. He doesn't /say/ anything since he made those steps obviously to give himself that much more space between her than the punching bag has. Until she says thank you and then he's moving in again to give her a hug. "You're welcome, sweetheart," he tells her quietly. "I'll do whatever I can to make things less stressful."
<< If they have abused their power, would we not be doing the same in making them confess? >> Elaruth questions, more rhetorical than seeking an answer. << This is all if there is someone else in the beginning. If there is not, then we are humiliating Chielyth further by implying she cannot think for herself. Whilst we entertain the possibility, that is between us. Not the others. >> Despite the unpleasant sensation, her talons scritch against rock once again. << It is... complicated. And I do not believe it to be our place to... meddle. You may if you wish. But I... cannot. >> She sounds almost apologetic. Hattie slips her arms around the bronzerider's waist and curls in close, head ducked possibly to hide embarrassment for such a thing. "You have to wait until Turns End proper for yours," she murmurs, words nearly muffled against him.
<< Oh, I am sure she can think for herself. I am unconvinced about her rider. >> Is Dasarth being insulting? Well, yes, but he's just blunt like that and since it goes no farther he doesn't try to filter his thoughts as much as he might normally. << W'ton says if someone else is at fault as well they are not worth thinking about because they let someone else come forward and they did not. >> At least on this they can agree. There is utter contempt, quickly stamped down, for this unknown and possibly nonexistent person. << If you do not wish to then I cannot. >> W'ton lifts his head so he can look down at her with a grin. "Really? Does it involve white lace? Because I'm just saying if you're stuck for ideas feel free to just show up wearing something tiny and made of white lace." He is so /helpful/ with the gift ideas. Chuckling softly he kisses the top of her head. "You've already given me the best gift. So long as you stick around I don't need anything else." Except the white lace of course. "And off the subject entirely Rhodya says hi and she misses talking to you. You might try to fit her into your busy schedule." Is he using Rhodya to try to lighten Hattie's schedule a bit? Never!
<< I will not seek out anyone and possibly accuse them of something without proof. I /cannot/. >> Again, more apology than argument. << It would mean more coming from me because of what I am. I cannot hurt somebody that way. It is wrong and whilst the rest is wrong too, it is... >> Talking in circles, there's no decent way out that Elaruth can see that balances everything and she sinks low to the ground, encouraging a faint, grey mist across her thoughts to hide her struggle. Hattie looks up and props her chin against his chest. "Not /white/ lace..." she says softly, paired with quite the wicked smile. Up on her tiptoes to claim a kiss she goes, then stops, thoughtful. "I should go see her. I'll have Elaruth check with Gedroth..." is thought aloud. "I miss her." Very, very quiet again, because she doesn't need anybody, nope. Why was she up on tiptoes again? Oh yes, that kiss.
There's a flurry of activity in Dasarth's mind which results in his wing draping lower over her and the scent of a campfire in an orderly military encampment. << Do not be unsettled. >> He sounds almost anxious and his nose drops to nudge at her. << We will leave it be. Do you want to go flying later? >> It's awkward his attempt to console her. But he is an adolescent male so that should be a given. "You are amazing," W'ton informs Hattie and for a moment there's a look in his eyes like he might throw her over his shoulder and haul her to his bed right now. It's still there when she's done kissing him, but instead of doing that he grins and spins her around suddenly. Then he pats her behind once and says, "Go on and see her now. She had watch duty earlier so is probably warming up somewhere." As soon as his hand hit her he's hopping backwards with a wicked grin for when she turns around if she does. "And I have an evening to prepare so that I can beg your forgiveness in all sorts of ways."
Elaruth huddles closer to Dasarth and nudges very gently back in response, words not there at all for a short while. Until the mist begins to clear and she manages to get out, << I... >> Then there's silence again and she falls still, her tail tightening just a fraction around his. << Yes. >> Incredibly faint, hints of a mind still attempting to put everything back in its right place. Hattie turns on her heel and just /glares/, the smile that has complete control of most of her expression just ruining the effort entirely. "I think it'd be far more interesting if you managed to make me beg," she challenges, then she's dashing out to Elaruth - who isn't all that happy to leave, snuggled up as she is - before anyone can get any ideas.