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Post by Kitsuneko on Jun 8, 2012 15:49:53 GMT -4
Aristide's canine Zexx was well-behaved enough to not whine whenever he was hungry, and was content enough to wait until his assigned time for feedings, which was a relief to Aristide. Unfortunately, Zexx was the only one of his three companions who was so courteous.
With Regal, he could more or less understand her impatience, as she was still a rather young flitter and he still found himself feeding her at odd hours to keep up with her growing stomach. Kaleo, on the other hand, was three turns old and a full-grown adult; he had no such excuse, but that didn't stop the lunar huntyre from causing a racket in Aristide's room when he started feeling the smallest pangs of hunger. Regal's quiet demanding of more food was enough to set him off, even though their breakfast wasn't due for another seven hours.
Since Aristide had been trying to get some sleep at the time, he groaned in protest and rolled over in his bed. It didn't stop the noise from the insistent huntyre and fire lizard, though, so eventually he gave up and got dressed. Kaleo could probably be ignored until his regular feeding time, but Regal was still scarcely more than a baby, and he tended to indulge her whenever she got hungry so he didn't accidentally impede her growth or something. He whistled for Zexx, who climbed to his feet and stood ready while Aristide fastened his collar on. It didn't take the flitters long to figure out where he was headed, and they settled down, one on either shoulder.
"I guess it's to the kitchens then, Zexx," he said, mostly to himself as he rolled his sightless eyes. Zexx could guide him around stuff reasonably well, but he wasn't nearly smart enough to lead him to specific places on command. Aristide would still be giving him directions. Fortunately, he'd spent the last few months learning his way around his new home since coming to Rindell. He rarely ventured beyond the Main Camp, but then, he rarely had a reason to, either.
This late at night, he probably made quite the odd site; a man walking beside a large canine, with both a huntyre and a fire lizard perched on either shoulder, wandering collectively through the camp towards the kitchens.
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Post by twitchie on Jun 12, 2012 21:23:02 GMT -4
Roxikanta was up at this hour, quite unable to sleep.
She continued tossing and turning, hot then cold, and found that no rest came over her.
Now she tread silently down the dim hallways and spying shapes in the dark, froze. She often forgot she was safe here...
But no. It was merely a young man with his pets.
The way he felt the walls made the red head think or assume he was blind, but he walked confidently....
"Hello."
She greeted quietly.
"Don't start, its only me, Roxikanta. You can call me Rox."
She approached, wary of the large dog.
...FriendlyMiine? Come back and....sleep.. [/color]
Not sleepy Auerosth. I'll be back before you wake in the morning. I'm fine.
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Post by Kitsuneko on Jun 12, 2012 22:11:47 GMT -4
Aristide's keen ears only picked up the quiet footsteps of another person a few seconds before she said hello, which meant she must have been moving pretty silently. It was still enough warning to keep him from being startled by her greeting, if the quiet welcome hadn't been enough on its own.
His head tilted to one side of its own accord as she introduced herself, and with a quiet command, he told Zexx to stop so he could talk to her. He wasn't the most outgoing person, but he certainly wasn't going to be turn away someone who was being friendly, especially considering he didn't know that many people in the Rebellion yet. Zexx sat silently at his feet, largely ignoring the woman as long as she kept a comfortable distance away.
He gave a wry smile, turning his head vaguely in the direction of her voice. "Don't worry, I don't startle that easily. Anyway, I'm Aristide. This is Zexx." He laid a hand on the canine's head, who thumped his tail at the acknowledgement but otherwise didn't move.
The sudden disappearance of Kaleo's weight from his left shoulder preceded the huntyre's excited chirp; the lunar hovered in front of Rox, chirping curiously at the stranger. Aristide gave a sigh. "And that would be Kaleo. Sorry, if he bothers you, just shoo him away and he'll get the idea."
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Post by twitchie on Jun 12, 2012 22:22:47 GMT -4
Roxikanta smiled, but flushed at her mistake.
The bird would have startled her if she hadn't been watching.
"No. He's fine."
To satisfy the hovering feathery friend, she met his eye.
"You are a handsome bird aren't you?"
She could guess from the birds chirps and impatient squacks he was hungry.
"Would it bother you if I tagged along? I promise I will not impose unwanted help... You are certainly capable enough."
She wasn't flirting or praising, more giving a respectful comment.
Miiine? It's too late for you to be up... [/color]
Silly King! I told you I will be back before morning, so sleep.
A mental snort followed by the bleak mind of those asleep. She smiled. There.
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Post by Kitsuneko on Jun 12, 2012 22:38:39 GMT -4
Kaleo gave a happy chirp at Rox's words; he may not have fully understood them, but he could tell by the tone it was complementary, and he always liked people like that. He took up a perch on the woman's shoulder warily, ready to take off again if she did anything to dislodge him, and tried to chew at her hair affectionately.
Aristide just gave a short laugh. "Hah, with two greedy mouths to feed, I could use all the help I can get. Kaleo's one thing, I don't know how people manage more than a single hatchling at once." Regal, the half-grown obsidian flit with her tail still wrapped around his neck for balance, fluttered her wings impatiently, as if to let him know that yes, in fact, she was still hungry, and could they get on with it?
"I can usually find some food in the kitchens for them, might as well tag along," he told Rox. He didn't need the help, and resented any notion that he would, but he had wised up enough since coming to Rindell to not refuse help when it was offered. He grabbed Zexx's collar and told him to heel before continuing on down the hall, assuming that Rox would keep up if she wanted to continue the conversation. "So what do you do here, anyway? You a rider?"
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Post by twitchie on Jun 12, 2012 22:50:16 GMT -4
Rox did not at first know what to do with the bird, since she didn't own a pet of her own, yet.
She followed after Astristide thinking over his question.
At her old Hold, where she'd impressed, her color was resented... but surely here it was accepted?
"Yes, I am a rider. To Auerosth, my young Garnet."
She quickly added.
"He is friendly though. Very nice actually. Maybe in the morning you could s---- meet him."
Oh how hot she grew. First offer a capable man help now offer to show a blind man a dragon.... Shards!
She could help feed. She really was happy to he of use, instead of wearing runts in her chamber floor.
"I could see how they could get greedy.. I've heard of some people with more than three!"
She laughed, nervous and ashamed. Surely the man was offended?
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Post by Kitsuneko on Jun 12, 2012 23:21:20 GMT -4
Aristide's eyebrows raised when he learned she rode a garnet. From everything he had heard and learned about garnets and their riders--well, she didn't exactly seem the type. He didn't do more than that skeptical expression before Rox was hurrying to explain herself, and about how her dragon was different.
He was sure she was about to say he could "see her dragon tomorrow" when she abruptly stopped and said "meet" instead. He rolled his eyes, remembering to angle his face away from her beforehand so it wasn't too obvious. It wasn't like he hadn't lived with his blindness for turns, one wrong word wasn't going to ruin his day--or night, as the case may be. The overly-concerned hyper-politeness people tended to use when talking about his disability bothered him far more than the people blithely using sight-based language.
"Don't worry too much about using the wrong words around me; whether I can see your dragon or meet him tomorrow, I still know what you're talking about," he advised. If he knew her a little better it might have led to him making snarky comments on it, of course, but she already seemed distressed about offending him, and he wasn't sure how well she would take to his particular brand of humor.
"Anyway," he continued with a genuine smile, "I would love to meet your dragon sometime, especially if he's as different from the other garnets as you say he is. I'm weyrbred, myself, but it's not like I ever get tired of meeting dragons."
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Post by twitchie on Jun 12, 2012 23:34:12 GMT -4
..Roxikanta felt so stupid, but nodded.
"Auerosth would love to meet you I'm sure. He enjoys making, or atleast trying, to make friends."
Thinking of her life-mate made the red head smile.
"I... I really am sorry. It isn't my best skill... socializing..."
Her parents never taught her. She was abused, neglected... Until 19 months ago she'd been doing any kind of work for alittle coin or bit of respect or praise... and it wasn't everyday you ran into a blind man either!
She actually quite liked the little bird on her shoulder, the thought of a fluffy critter there made her very amused. Maybe she blended in with the man's crew? Even if she'd 'stolen' a member.
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Post by Kitsuneko on Jun 12, 2012 23:58:04 GMT -4
Talk of dragons always made him think of hatchings, and wondering when the Rebellion would finally have some eggs of their own. Perhaps with the young amethysts that had risen lately, there'd finally be some clutches...If he were lucky, he might even be able to sneak in to the Touching...He smiled at the thought.
Rox apologized, and he just shrugged. "Like I said, don't worry about it." It wasn't really his best skill, either, but he tended to just not care what other people thought about him, so his lack of social skills didn't bother him.
He could tell by the shape of the wall he'd been following that they were close to the kitchens now. "I guess we're here," he told Rox as he and Zexx stepped inside. He could clearly feel the heat from the cooking fires on his skin no matter which way he turned, and it made it easy to maneuver around the area, especially as he'd spent so much of his time since joining the Rebellion working in there. "Now let's get some food into these hungry bellies."
Regal perked her head up at the scent of meat; there was some dried wherry meat set out for quick meals, and it was this that he used for the flits. Knives were a possibility, but Aristide found it easier to just tear it into smaller pieces with his hands, and Regal's impatient teeth would do the rest. Since Kaleo was still missing from his shoulder perch, Aristide assumed he was flying around or still with Rox, and he left the feeding of the huntyre up to her. "So," he said with a grin, "Have these two made you sworn off Impressing any of your own by now, or did you decide you must get one someday?" It usually seemed to be one response or the other, especially with Kaleo, unless the person in question already had flits of their own. Faranth, sometimes he wished he could go back to the blissfully-simple days before Kaleo had chosen him.
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Post by twitchie on Jun 13, 2012 0:12:53 GMT -4
"I actually think I've befriended Kaleo, that or my shoulder's nice. I wouldn't mind one of my own, maybe a lesser rank. Not that demanding you know? But I'd be happy with whatever would choose me."
Rox grabbed a strip of wherry meat, tearing into chuncks like Aristide had.
"Auerosth would likely enjoy a tiny friend, but I would always want to make sure..."
That was partly mumbled to herself as she focused on avoiding snappy birdy jaws.
"If your sub-queen, Regal ever has a clutch I would definately want to try and Impress on."
I'm not sleepy anymore. I want friends too, ChattyMine! Since when do you sneak away? You promised you he here when I awoke.... [/color]
Oh you! I meant in the morning, but I shall bring my friend to meet you soon. Don't worry. I am feeding his little pets..
((If you want we can make it dawn, or atleast early enough to go out? I'm running out of things to say... lol but I'll figure out something if we need more. ))
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Post by Kitsuneko on Jun 13, 2012 0:25:00 GMT -4
"Heh, I don't think they come in any ranks lower than a lunar. It's just that Kaleo's a drama queen compared to most lunars; thinks he's more like a queen fire lizard or something." Regal's munching began to slow as he finished feeding her, and she crooned contentedly. "Well, you'll be waiting at least a turn in that case, probably longer," he told her as he fed a final slice of meat to the six-month-old flit.
He suddenly stifled a yawn; things were a bit quieter now that the pets were full, and even Zexx had been exceptionally well-behaved. Aristide gave the canine a bit of meat along with a word of praise before standing straight to address Rox. "I'd better get some sleep while I can--how about first thing tomorrow morning, I come out to see you and your Auerosth?
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Post by twitchie on Jun 13, 2012 8:45:04 GMT -4
To Rox's delight, she also yawned.
"Ok. I'll see you later."
Gentlely, Kaleo was shooed from her shoulder to Aristide's.
Yes. She'd get a pet sooner or later....
(Writer's block. Sorry its short)
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Post by Kitsuneko on Jun 14, 2012 12:11:29 GMT -4
((Time Skip!))
Aristide woke early the next morning and quickly got dressed. Kaleo had disappeared somewhere, since he didn't hear the huntyre anywhere in the room, but Regal soon latched onto her customary place on his shoulder, and he got Zexx ready to guide him. Then the three of them set off to find Rox and her dragon.
He found an open table near the Dining Hall and sat down, figuring the rider would have to stop by sooner or later. It was near where they'd met last night, and since they hadn't really made more specific plans to meet up, it was better than wandering around blindly (hah!) trying to find her.
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Post by twitchie on Jun 14, 2012 12:34:23 GMT -4
Rox yawned, snuggled against Auerosth's side.
The red dragon sniffed at her, blinking. He snorted and ruffled her hair.
We have friends to meet, Mine. [/color]
"Oh shells!"
she cried, leaping to her feet. She threw on a deep scarlet tunic, her black pants and her boots.
Hastily she combed her red hair.
"You will like my friend. His name is Aristides."
I am sure I will like him, friendlyMine! [/color]
Auerosth took off of his ledge, settling somewhere nearby outside. Likely near the kitchen doors.
Roxikanta ran down the hall, no longer silent. She entered the kitchen and saw Aristide.
"Morning, Aristides."
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Post by Kitsuneko on Jun 14, 2012 12:46:49 GMT -4
Regal glanced over to Rox as she greeted them glancing warily at the woman but offering a welcoming croon all the same. Aristide had turned his head in the direction her voice had come from and smiled. "Good morning to you too, Rox. I figured you'd come by here if I waited long enough."
He climbed to his feet, careful not to dislodge Regal, and Zexx stood beside him. "I assume your dragon is nearby, then. Shall we go?" She'd have to lead the way this time, since he didn't know which way they'd be going. He held out a hand to Rox and grinned. "Just try to remember to point out any steps along the way."
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