Definitely Not A Mating Ritual

Igen Weyr - Moonshine Gardens
A large sandstone archway provides a dramatic entrance from the soft fine sands of the lake shore. The room within defined by sandstone brick walls which vary in height, but none low enough to be seen over. Colorful awnings stretch overhead, connected by a series of poles and wires so that they float effortlessly above. They provide shelter from the sun during the day, and a warm comforting feel at night lit by electric lights. Plank flooring is stained a medium cherry hue, giving an odd effect to the open space.
A solid wall at the back leads to a smaller building where the kitchen is located. Colored glass shelves line the wall in irregular intervals, stocked with all fashion of liquor and wine. A massive bar rests in front of the wall, an exquisite piece of skybroom polished and stained to a flawless black finish, accented with two inlaid meandering stripes of pearl and silver. Matching black and silver stools line along the front of the bar. Round tables for four-somes to six-somes are spread about haphazardly with comfortable but also easily replaceable wicker chairs.


Nightfall in Igen is a beautiful thing. The bonus, too? It's spring, so the heat isn't too hellish and the night hours aren't freezing. Which is great if you happen to be lurking about the gardens, like a certain bronzerider is doing JUST then! K'vir likes to come here, now that's he's old enough to enjoy the atmosphere and the drinks. After a long, exhausting day after an equally as exhausting ten day stretch of drills, guard training and other S&R related things, he's figuring he deserves this! He's seated in one of the wicker chairs in front of the smaller tables and a little out of the way of any of the other patrons. Drink in hand and comfortable, he's just going to enjoy his evening off and try to relax. What possibly could go wrong with that?

Ahahahahaha. AHAHAHAHAHAHA. Ahahaha. Ahaha. Ha. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG. YOU ARE SO RIGHT. Except for Risali - Risali who, in honor of her VERY HARPER-ESQUE DUTIES has made her way to Igen Weyr and snuck away from things that she /should/ be doing to do things that she should not be doing. Like exploring, for example. Risa has no idea where she's going and, at some point, gave up on the hope that she would ever find her way back. It doesn't matter: the night sky is distractingly beautiful, and Risali has found the booze. She has found the booze, and she acquires said booze, and she allows her booze to escort her in a brief tour around the Moonshine Gardens until - OHP! Some inattentive drunk loses his footing, stumbles into tiny Risa who in turn loses HER footing, and then rights himself before stumbling away to LOSE HIMSELF IN THE CROWD. AND HOPEFULLY THE SEA, if Risali has her way. "YOU WHERRY-FACED, USELESS -" She doesn't finish. He's gone. And she has found a rather comfortable chair that she /might/ have enjoyed if she wasn't now covered in her own drink (HELLO SEE THROUGH TUNIC) and the seat didn't feel alarmingly… alive? Risa jumps up with a quickness, spinning on her heels to come face to face with - "You," Risali spits, like it's venom. OH HELLO, K'VIR. FANCY MEETING YOU HERE. This is probably your fault, if the way the woman bristles is anything to go by. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?" Because this isn't his home or anything, no.

K'vir would normally be VERY pleased that a pretty lady fell into his lap (I mean, who wouldn't?) but NOT THIS ONE. He's only begun to sputter in surprise, trying to hold his drink away so that it doesn't ADD to the problem and when he realizes who it is? "YOU again!?" he exclaims, right as she says similar. At least she jumps up this time but thanks to SHORTNESS and his own attempt to stand up out of surprise… he comes to a rather eyeful look RIGHT at that soaked tunic of hers. Yeah, he totally stared for a second before narrowing in on her eyes. She's bristled and his hackles are up now too. "I LIVE HERE!" he snaps back, drink roughly set back on the table with surprising force and annoyance. NO! He's TOO TIRED for this BS! "What are *you* doing here?" he asks next, glaring down at her. HMM? What's her excuse!?

He stares? HE STARES? Don't think Risali didn't catch your STOLEN EYE-FILL OF GOODIES. Risali's mouth opens up in silent indignation, sputters right back at the man, and then she pulls on her wet tunic as if it will do any good peeling it way from her flesh (it doesn't, it just REAPPLIES itself to unmentionables) and then she GRABS HIM BY THE HAIR. She manages it, too. K'vir might be standing at his obnoxiously impressive height, but she STANDS UP ON THAT CHAIR. She stands on it, and she grabs his hair, and she shoves (or most likely pulls, unless K'vir has turned to face her while she went CHAIR CLIMBING) the poor bronzerider's face RIGHT INTO HER BOSOM. "MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE A SKETCH ARTIST DRAW YOU A PICTURE, PRETTY BOY. IT WILL LAST LONGER." WIGGLE WIGGLE, SHIMMY. And then she lets him go, chest heaving and - "YOU LIVE HE-" And she deflates. "-reeeee. Oh right. Igen." Risali pushes some stray hair out of her face, one hand finding her hips as grey eyes stray skyward and she blows more hair out of her face. "I forgot. I'm here because I'm a harper." And then she's ALL HANDS ON HIM AGAIN if he hasn't used his feet for what he should — running. Risa's bending at the waist to catch fingers in the hem of K'vir's tunic so that she can TUG on the fabric. "Alright then, pretty boy. Be a gentleman and let me have your shirt." TUG. RUN, K'VIR. FLEE.

If they're good looking goodies and RIGHT IN HIS FACE, of course he's going to *look*! He's your typical young guy! K'vir didn't LEER or anything; he just took a moment to subconsciously admire the view. She'll get his attention AGAIN when she starts to pull at her tunic and the wet fabric does little to, well… help the situation. Regret may be swift to follow as she's grabbing his hair and he's about to start swearing as colourfully on that day in the Tiki Lounge. The other patrons are probably all watching this now in a mix of horror and humour. He has NO IDEA what she's about to do and is thus pulled right off balance and into her bosom! OH, if this where anywhere else or any other girl he'd be in heaven! BUT NO. It has to be HER! HIs hands come up to grip HARD into her shoulders as he attempts to push himself away, not about to be caught like this IN PUBLIC! Even if *nothing* of the dirty sort is happening here. When he's free, he'll wipe at his face as if to rid himself of the experience (it's a reflex, really) and he glares at her, red faced and eyes glittering icily. "You *forgot*?" he begins to sputter at her, only to haver her hands ALL over him as he AGAIN is too slow to run! "Hey, woah! Wait a second here!" Those hands of hers are gripped by his in an attempt to gently dissuade her. No way is he stripping off his shirt here! He's not drunk enough. "If you need a shirt, I can get you one? That I don't *currently* need." Deal? Please say it's a deal.

"OI. WATCH YOUR HANDS, PRETTYBOY." Because clearly K'vir is not allowed to defend himself - at least not when his hands are BORDERLINE ABUSIVE (she's dramatic) on her person and - well, they're on the topic of Igen and his reason for being here, and her reason for being here, and the anger's gone right out of her anyway. Risali takes advantage of her chair-provided height to look down on the bronzerider (possibly just look eye-level, but she'll take it) as the poor man (well, not quite a man yet) grips her hands in his and she stills almost immediately for the surprisingly gentle touch. Dark brows furrow more for confusion at his restraint than for the offer, but she recovers by blinking grey eyes up to meet blue and hold them. Risali, for just a moment, simply drips alcohol at the man, seemingly thrown off kilter by not only the lack of aggressiveness, but by his — Risa jerks her hands away, as if she's been burned, chin tilting up in a defiant way that says I STILL DON'T LIKE YOU, THIS IS NOT DEFEAT. NO DEAL. "You are a man. People can see through my shirt -" And there are some looking, which has Risa peeling fabric away from her body again and then repeatedly tugging as if trying to will it DRY BY SOME MIRACLE. "And you WON'T GIVE ME YOUR TUNIC?" The last part is a shriek, but she jumps down off of the chair anyway (putting her hand on his shoulder to balance herself) before muttering and stomping towards the exit. "Well come on then, pretty boy. Wouldn't want some poor lass to faint over your abs or something." But she does want that shirt. And she doesn't remember how to get back to where she might (doesn't) have clothes of her own - not that she will admit that to him.

K'vir is too busy trying to calm down from the FURY that is Risali's greetings and his own annoyance and flustered state. He's also trying NOT to stare at her soaking tunic and he hasn't even clued in that she's dripping alcohol on him either. When she yanks her hands away, he'll scowl at her. What? SHE WAS TOUCHING HIM! And trying to strip off his clothes! "You are so—-" he begins, only to make some sort of strangled, frustrated sound and resort to swearing instead. No, no. Be calm, be calm! People ARE watching and these are HIS people; not just strangers in a strange Weyr. Gathering himself, he'll pointedly force himself to smile a bit though there may be a little too much fang showing. He'll follow after her as she stomps away and he'll reach for her arm; seemingly to hook his with hers like a gentleman would but this ends up being more of him holding her so that he can "gently" steer her in the right direction. Fact? It's not the inner caverns. He's going to get his revenge by bringing her to his weyr, even if it means hauling her tiny frame over his shoulder, throwing her up on Zekath's neck and bringing her there kicking and screaming (hopefully not). She wants a fresh shirt? OH SHE'LL GET ONE! And K'vir will settle this aggression between them once and for all but without EYES staring at them. Let the rumours fly first on his "kidnapping" of a foreign Harper… because yeah, he kind of didn't think this all the way through.

The look that Risali levels on K'vir DARES HIM TO SAY IT. She is WHAT? That's what she thought. Risali trusts his smile just about as much as she trusts him (which is to say, not at all), but it doesn't stop her from stomping away. What does bring her up short is K'vir gathering her arm and linking hers with his if the (again) off-kilter blink up to the bronzerider's face is anything to go by. She's momentarily stunned into cooperation, brows furrowing as she bites her bottom lip between her teeth in muted confusion and finally wills grey eyes to tear away from him and focus forward. Blessedly, she doesn't know the way, so K'vir is spared much of a scene. Until he's not. Risali's attention strays to the bronze, to whom they are getting closer, and closer, and closer, and - NOPENOPENOPE. Risali digs in her heels, tries to jerk her arm away. "YOU," she accuses on a shriek. "WHERE ARE WE GOING? K'VIR!" And she /does/ fight him with the same fury and ferociousness one might expect from a wild feline, slapping his arm, pushing, trying to dig in her heels only to be dragged along and then - WELL, THERE GOES CIVILITY. Up and over K'vir's shoulder she goes with a shriek to wake the damned dead and a string of harsh syllables that she is /much/ too furious to form into words. Finally, finally, somewhere between getting HAULED UP A DRAGON and take off, she musters enough coherence to bat-shriek, "YOU'RE KIDNAPPING ME?" Because /clearly/ this is unacceptable. CLEARLY.

Igen Weyr - Zekath's Weyr
Modest in size, it's obvious whoever lives here doesn't really follow any sense of organization. It's not filthy, but it's definitely like a young boy's room would look — because it IS a young boy who calls this weyr home. There are a few key pieces of furniture, from a worn looking couch and low wooden table, to some cabinets and bookshelves (all cluttered with odds and ends, of course) and then the bed, of course. Which is usually in disarray. Otherwise the weyr is completely functional… just ignore the clutter and clothing strewn about.

OH YES! He's kidnapping you Risali! Though… not really. Because even though K'vir manages to get her there, to his weyr and inside without (too much) incident, if she REALLY hates being there, he will bring her back. For now though he ignores her shrieking, ignores the protests and hauls her back off Zekath when they arrive. He won't exactly force her inside but where else is she to go? And it's COLD up on that ledge, so really — it'd be best if she just go in. Even if she'll regret it because clearly, K'vir cannot keep house. It's not filthy in there but it's definitely cluttered and crowded. A lot of his furniture is second hand and a little worn but he's made it work, somehow and, despite the whole situation between them? He looks a little embarrassed or he's just SO FLUSTERED still and ANGRY that him picking up the odd thing here and there and setting it aside is just an outlet so he doesn't go YELLING at her like she seems fond of doing to him. "Sit or something and stop with the shrieking! You want a shirt or not?" he snaps at her irritably as he disappears into what must be his bedroom, leaving her ALL ALONE in the main living area. Zekath is still out on the ledge, likely guarding the exit so that Risali doesn't make a break for it (and, y'know, fall to her death). Eventually K'vir returns and sets a few CLEAN shirts over the back of the couch before gesturing impatiently. "There! Have your pick! They're mine but old ones." That don't fit him anymore but he doesn't SAY IT. He passes it off as a 'I don't give no fucks' if she takes one.

Poor, sweet K'vir, bringing a hellcat into his territory and trusting her to herself. Before that happens, however, Risali stands stubbornly on the ledge, hugging herself and rubbing her upper arms in defiance before she looks at the bronze and snaps, "What're you looking at?" to him. It doesn't have nearly as much bite as she seems to manage for his rider, and /finally/, she relinquishes her hold on her pride so that she can step inside into relative warmth (and safety), and harass K'vir some more. Cue her getting the talk, even while grey eyes trail around the bachelor-level mess and K'vir's off-handed attempts to tidy it. Instead of answering him (which she clearly doesn't need to), she lifts her chin in defiance and, still hugging herself to get slightly more warm, watches him disappear. Well, he did say sit or something, and so Risali opts for something. She steps around littered clothing and what-nots and what-have-yous, leaning down to pick things up and begin the process of tidying the bronzerider's weyr herself. She moves like this is normal, like this is therapeutic for her, stopping to inspect things of interest or import that might be scattered about within: a book here, a tool there, a discarded piece of sparing gear. She even organizes them - or, well, as much as she can (which is likely not much) before K'vir returns with shirts and sets them out for her to pick. She doesn't look up, she's got a book open and grey eyes are intent on a page, and for once she's so focused on what it is that she's reading that she doesn't seem to have the mind to conjure up ire for the bronzer. "Kyzenviro -" a pause, as grey eyes flicker up to focus on the man. "Was that your name before you impressed?" At least her voice is quiet now, hushed, almost, as she inquires. Without anger creasing her brow, there's something arguably human about the shrew, but her attention drops back down to the book as she steps over a few things in a slow movement towards him. "How old were you?"

There is A LOT K'vir has to learn! SO MUCH. At least he has an excuse not to know things, unlike his father! Zekath only shrugs at Risali. What? Isn't that what women like? TO be hauled off by some cute guy and brought to his weyr? That's *totally* a mating ritual, isn't it? He is SO CONFUSED. Sorry, bro, you're on your own! K'vir might have felt self conscious had Risali started making comments about the state of his weyr or, worse, started teasing him about it. Maybe he needs that, to FINALLY clean up the place! And y'know… not have his kidnapped women do it for him. From the startled look he gives when she uses his full name, it would appear that she has it right. "Yeah, that was my name. Most people just called me Kyzen, back in Fort and still know me as such." He'll try to glimpse the book she has in her hands, wondering just what, exactly, she found that would give away that secret. At least he keeps his dirty reading well hidden? Her approach has him wary, even if there's a change in her attitude now. It could be THAT that makes him nervous of her. Why is she being reasonable? And normal? "I was twelve, almost thirteen, when I Impressed Zekath here." So young. SO PAINFULLY YOUNG.

THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT A MATING RITUAL, ZEKATH. BAD. Alas, Risali, for all that she has a barbed tongue and a quick temper, is not the type of woman to comment on the state of K'vir's living quarters. She just does what she does: silently picks it up, gets into things, and asks questions. Where did she find his full name? MYSTERY. But it's obviously scribbled somewhere (possibly in the book she's holding) because she knows. "Kyzen," she murmurs, not really looking at him as she tests the name on her tongue, bumping into his side once she's reached him because she's really not paying attention to where she's going. She doesn't backpedal to give him space, she doesn't even lift grey eyes from text that's so fascinating, she just simply leans into the obnoxiously larger man and reads. K'vir might be good at hiding his dirty reading - OR IS HE? - but if the text is some of it, HE WILL NEVER KNOW. She snaps the book shut once she realizes he's trying to see what's in it and finally, finally those grey eyes slowly lift from hips to navel, navel to chest, chest to shoulders, shoulders to mouth, mouth to nose, nose to eyes, holding blue as he speaks. She is silent, enduring the information he gives freely (albeit with wary regard) until he's done. VERY GOOD, K'VIR. YOU ARE LEARNING. NEVER TRUST THE WILD BEASTIES. "That must have been lonely," she says softly, hushed, tone implicating sympathy and wonder even as a real. genuine. smile. finds its way fleetingly across her lips. It transforms her, arguably, from a shrew into something much… well… more. MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING LURKING BENEATH ALL OF THAT CRAZY. "Are your parents here?" And then grey eyes fall onto the shirts he's laid out for her and those brows furrow as eyes narrow at the proffered clothing. "REALLY, Kyzenviro?" It comes dryly, oozing caustic sarcasm as she pauses, shifts the tunics about, and then turns to him. "No." SHE REFUSES. AND LOOK AT HER, SIDE STEP HIM, ALL WHILE PULLING OFF HER OWN SHIRT TO FLING AT HIM so that MAYBE he has to fight with her clothes for a minute while she MAKES FOR HIS ROOM. YOU WILL GIVE HER A NICE TUNIC OR THIS WHOLE BET IS OFF. NO DEAL.

K'vir isn't buying any of this innocence! He's watching her *carefully* as she moves across the room and towards him and trying to ignore that she's bumped into him. It's harder to ignore her though when she's leaning into him! What is she DOING? What is HE doing? Why isn't he just moving back and trying to get away? He'll stand perfectly still behind her, completely tense too though parts of him don't *want* to be because… she's so close. It's true, he tries to read what she has and smirks when she snaps the book shut. Her "genuine" smile still doesn't wholly convince him but some part of him thaws enough that he attempts a tentative, faint smile. "It took me awhile to get homesick. Was too busy being swept up being a Candidate and trying to keep up to all the older kids." Yeah, he'll leave it there. She doesn't need to know how LEFT OUT he felt! Since he was likely the only one his age. He'll keep his gaze on her too when she transforms, perhaps liking what he sees if it doesn't end up a total facade. "No, my parents are back in Fort. They're — What? What I do!?" He exclaims, never finishing his sentence as she REJECTS his offer of perfectly FINE tunics! "What's wrong with these!? HEY!" Did she just throw her shirt at him? He brings up an arm to keep it from hitting him in the face and then… yep, that's definitely her shirt. Which is first tossed aside and then hastily picked up, spread somewhere to dry and then he's TAKING AFTER HER! That's his private bedroom! "What're you doing!? You shouldn't be in here!"

To be fair, not buying into any of it is probably the safest bet. The safest. Regardless, she does listen, with genuine interest, right up until the clothing is SUSPECT and she is right back to not letting him finish his sentences. She bars her arm across her chest as she RACES for his room, THROWING OPEN THE DOOR IF NECESSARY without an ounce of ceremony and then she just /stands/ there. She stands there, and she narrows grey eyes at a continuation of bachelor mess, and then she turns on K'vir when the bronzerider catches up with her. She opens her mouth, looking like she might like to say something scathing, and then she clamps it shut again. INSIDE SHE GOES, ducking around him if necessary and beelining straight for his bed sheets, which are pulled free from the messy mattress and wrapped around her body like some kind of make-shift toga dress. "They look old," that's what's wrong with them, and now she's rifling through his belongings and - OH FARANTH she did not see that. Her cheeks are flushed when she stomps back to the bronzerider - tripping spectacularly over sheets, making a strangled noise in her throat that sounds terribly undignified, and smacking right into the hard wall of his chest with a huff and then an exhale as arms wrap around his hips to keep her from sliding any further down. This is her life, these are her choices. She moves her hands carefully, feeling abdomen, and muscle, and oh yes, but OH NO. She jerks back, shoving hair out of her face and trying to look dignified even though she feels the exact opposite of that. Somehow, someway, K'vir is managing to make her feel off-kilter. One hand goes to his chest to try and make up for it. JAB. "It's the rules of trade, isn't it? You pull out the wares you care about least first." And SHE wants something that smells like hi— THAT HE CARES ABOUT. Because… LEVERAGE, THAT'S WHY. A pause, and then an indignant sniff. "And you have alcohol on your tunic too." Because he does. Hopefully he will get himself a nice tunic and she won't have to hunt. "So you should also change."

HOW IS THIS EVEN HAPPENING!? K'vir doesn't even care at this point that his weyr is far from properly clean but he does NOT want her in his bedroom! Well… the thought of her on his bed might cross his mind but NOPE! NOT thinking on that right now! Which is *hard* because she's suddenly using his sheets to cover herself and his mind tries to skitter off to happy thoughts. THAT'S KARMA again, Risali! Not his fault if her wild rummaging yields unsavory results! He swears again, then louder when she goes tripping over the sheets and ends up falling INTO him. His hands will reach out to steady her and then he feels her touching him and he goes tense and still again. She'll probably feel the way his breath skips and flutters as he chokes back a few words and grits his teeth against *bad thoughts*. Then she's jerking back and he has to try to NOT LOOK disappointed (he totally is). He'll attempt to bat her hand away from his chest too. NONE OF THAT! "I grabbed those tunics because they'd FIT you better and I thought you'd appreciate that!" he snaps back in explanation, eyes narrowing at her. "And they're in perfectly good shape! Washed and everything! His head must be hurting him, because why else does he suddenly lose his patience? "Fine! Fine. You want something new?" He's about to storm about to find one, only to pause and look down at himself when she points out he's covered in alcohol. True fact! With a growled curse, he'll peel off his tunic and toss it onto that mess of a bed of his. HELLO! Shirtless K'vir! Satisfied, Risali? He's still filling in, but he's definitely more on the lean, athletic side for build. Glaring at her for a moment, he then stalks off to where he keeps his clean clothes and grabs the first tunic in there. "Here!" It's tossed at her, without waiting to see if she's ready to catch it.

WELL HE'S GONNA BE STUCK WITH THOSE THOUGHTS LATER, ISN'T HE? WHEN HE CRAWLS INTO BED AND THE SHEETS SMELL TO HIGH-HEAVEN OF TINY, ANGRY SHREWS. As it stands, K'vir isn't the only one harboring disappointment, or a stubborn streak a mile wide to hide it behind. His lean body certainly did not feel good beneath her fingers, and she certainly did not want to touch him again. Ever. Risali raises her chin when K'vir bats her hand away from his chest - THE NERVE - and is opening her mouth to tell him just what she thinks of that when - Oh no. There K'vir goes again, taking her world and turning it upside down, MAKING HER FEEL OFF-KILTER, and unsure, and many, /many/ things she is not used to feeling. Is this normal? This is definitely not normal. Fish living on land are more normal than this. "Oh," she says softly, and once again, the tempest within her burns itself back into an ember as she simply stand there amid K'vir's lost patience. She doesn't shrink away from him, but she has the good sense to keep her mouth shut as he rages about and finds one of his good tunics. The one he flings over towards his bed is retrieved after Risa goes tripping across that bachelor-item strewn floor and bed sheets alike, balling it up against her chest and freezing when she realizes that this means K'vir is… There's a sharp intake of her breath, momentary panic (though she can't look away) born in the wake of his shirtlessness, and the momentary frozen horror of a deer stuck in headlights /right/ before K'vir turns to glare at her. Thoughts go through her mind with increasingly random substance: she was born in a weyr, this wasn't her first shirtless man, why is this bothering her so much? She has brothers, and a father, and an uncle and - really, she has seen every single one of them. Does she admire? Does she retreat? Does this shirt smell more like K'vir, or alcohol, or - NOPENOPENOPE. Watch Risa NOPE THE HELL right out of there, not saying a word as the second tossed tunic is gathered amid his return to grab a second tunic, and she steps over items to find the bronzerider and shoves the tunic into his side. "I didn't know," she says softly, almost apologetically before she lets go of the fabric whether he catches it or not. And then she does an awkward trip-shuffle-walk right back out of his room towards the couch, where the previously chosen tunics await her.

K'vir WON'T complain about those thoughts! He'll pretend to be all mad and angry but… it will be LIES! All lies. Right now though he is just a big 'ol ball of CONFUSED. He does not understand Risali or know her well enough to grasp why she behaves as she does and the polarized effect of her emotions are throwing him WAY OFF. Storming around as he does? He doesn't mean it. It's a moment of weakness, a surge for frustration and flustered nature but he's already beginning to calm down by the time she's gathered up his tunics. He's not even really aware that he's shirtless in front of her and having that affect on her. So she will get a good view and a good long look because he's not trying to hide or angle away to spare her. Now she's approaching him AGAIN and the tunic is shoved into his side and he just looks at her, puzzled and oh-so *confused*. What IS this? Rejected again!? He'll fumble with the fabric, almost dropping it as he seeks to chase her YET AGAIN. He still has no shirt! Poor Risali. "What's wrong? What's the issue now, Risali?" he asks but there's no demanding note to his voice. He sounds genuinely curious and only mildly annoyed this time. "You didn't want those ones! What's wrong with the new one?"

And Faranth, but K'vir is throwing the woman /just/ as far off as she is throwing him. She doesn't like it. She doesn't like it, and she's shoving his shirt at him, and he is looking puzzled, and she's trying to escape the very world-tilting confusion that he inspires by simply existing. Risali stomps into his living room, unaware of his shadowing until she's grabbed one of those aforementioned tunics he so-thoughtfully picked and laid out, turns around with arms up to pull the shirt on over her head (which effectively drops the blanket), pauses midway - and shrieks. "FARANTH, KYZENVIRO. I AM NAKED." She doesn't get less naked, but she does grab the un-chosen tunics to ball up and THROW AT HIM. Because she's not in his weyr (clearly) and he (totally) knew she was going to do that. Right? RIGHT. IT'S ALL K'VIR'S FAULT. Her borrowed tunic is finally jerked on (and probably still a little too long, but she doesn't seem to mind) while she gives the bronzer her back and wills herself calm down - despite the fact that her face is on fire (with fury or embarrassment, it's really hard to tell). She has to count backwards from ten, but she manages it, and when she's reached the final number, she grits out, "There is no issue, I just I thought you were" Risa gestures helplessly at the tunics she's thrown at him, hesitates, and then moves into his personal space if he hasn't retreated to gather them again. "I didn't realize you put so much thought into these ones. That's all." It's soft, timid, almost meek except that her chin juts up in a way that CHALLENGES HIM to call her on her apologetic behavior and then she moves to sit on his couch, so that she can start folding the shirts. One, two, three, and then she's exhaling slow before inquiring, "Does it hurt?" A pause, and perhaps the realization that he's not a mind reader, and so she continues with a hesitant, "When Zekath - that was his name, right? - when he speaks to you? Does it hurt?"

HE'S throwing off HER? K'vir's feeling completely off kilter too! This isn't his first rodeo with a woman and while he still no master, he knows full well that *this isn't quite right*. He should have kicked her out by now and the temper he keeps a check on (yes, folks, he has a temper! look at his parents; it just took longer to manifest!) keeps whispering sweet temptations to just let it free and REALLY enact some karma-fuelled revenge on Risali for all the abuse she's hurled at him. Only he'll ignore it and he won't because he DOESN'T DO THAT to women; even if they're asking for it by pushing all his buttons. Which she has done a marvelous job on. Her shriek about her nakedness snaps him back to reality though. He's weyrbred, nudity really isn't so taboo and while he'd been staring, he wasn't focused. Now he is and if he gets a little (happy!) glimpse, he'll hurriedly advert his eyes and hold up his hands in a warding-defensive manner. "Sorry! I didn't see anything!" Liar, liar. He'll… just go over there now and pretend the wall shelving is *really* fascinating. So she'll get to view his back too. His still very much naked back. "Why… wouldn't I put thought into the clothing I'd borrow you? You think I'm mean or something? Cruel, even?" he mutters at her, though he's still facing the wall for the most part. When he figures it's safe, he'll peek over his shoulder and see that not only has she slipped that tunic on but has now sat herself on the couch. Only then does he move away and one would THINK he goes elsewhere, or, you know… grabs a tunic for himself but no. No, he'll just park himself on the other end of the couch, as far as he can from Risali but still WELL IN VIEW. Hey, girl. He's totally not thinking. Her question catches him so off guard that he flounders for a moment, mouth open slightly and his own question left unsaid as he struggles to answer. "No? Not at all. It was — It's difficult to explain? One moment he wasn't there, the next he was and it just felt *right*."

Risali might spare the dragonrider a look for his 'I didn't see anything' lies, but she doesn't comment, being that she is too busy getting decent to bother. It's K'vir's second, third, and even fourth questions that have Risa drawing her brows together in confusion and answering simply with, "Why would you?" Her tone is soft, but the unspoken implications are there: she doesn't think he's mean, she doesn't even think he's cruel, but to say that she's accustomed to being on the receiving end of human kindness would be a lie - even if it is her own doing (usually). When the bronzer finally joins her on his couch (instead of doing the SMART THING and throwing her out or RUNNING AWAY), she looks up from her work to focus when he speaks, giving him a distracted once over before she breathes, "I more meant his actual voice. My father's dragon, he," a pause, as tears come unbidden to her eyes and work their way free before she really has a chance to react to the fact that she's crying. And there it is, the one thing that K'vir, in all of his world-disrupting, glorious (annoying, Risa amends) existence seems to help her temporarily forget: Ila'den. Her cousins. Their continued 2 month silence. To Risa's credit, she does not crumble. Aside from the pause, she doesn't even seem to react. She does not curl up on him needing assurance or comfort, she simply wipes at the tears as if they are more an unanticipated annoyance than a physical manifestation of muted pain and continues to fold clothes - even if there are darkening wet spots on the otherwise pristine tunics, and even if she's running out of clothes to fold. She will just unfold, and then refold some under the pretense of having done it wrong the first time. "He only spoke to me once, but it was painful. It felt like he was ripping me apart from the inside and I would never be warm - or whole - again. Is his -" Grey eyes shift back away from her work to the bronzer beside her and it's now that she freezes - only she doesn't have the previously afforded kindness of dropping her gaze. FARANTH. SHE FORGOT ABOUT THAT. "PUT ON A SHIRT." She shrieks, because Weyrbred or no, nakedness is very different when you're inexplicably interested in it, and so it GOES with these two. In fact, Risali grabs one of those too-small-for-him tunics, unfolds it, and shoves it on over the top of his head, smacking at his hands if he tries to fend her off before giving up and turning slightly away from him. HUFF. SHE WILL JUST WAIT.

"You needed a tunic to change into and… well it was either one of mine or we'd have to go to the stores and dig through whatever they've got in there." K'vir attempts to explain, slowly calming himself down as best he can now that she's no longer shrieking at him. Did any of that satisfy her as an answer? His motives are pure, okay! Even if he goes completely back-asswards on a lot of things. The tears surprise him and he'll look a touch uneasy and even uncomfortable but he makes no move to reach for her. SEE? He's learning! There's just sort of a quiet understanding on his end. He'll just pretend it didn't happen. NOPE. "I think every dragon is different, that's why. Zekath's mind is just darkness and pinpoints of light. Kind of like the stars? His voice is different too. My dad's bronze though? It's like being drunk. Buzzed." Is this conversation *helping* at all? Does he kick her out now? Mkay, you got your tunic, we had a little chat, now GET OUT! No, K'vir just continues to sit there until he almost jumps out of his skin when she shrieks again. "ALRIGHT! I will, just a—-" The rest is lost in a muffled and curse filled exclamation as she attempts to throttle him with his own clothing. It's definitely too small and if she tries to force it further, he's either going to get stuck or something will rip. Eventually he'll just wriggle or squirm his way free and when she turns away, he will jump to his feet and, fuming, stalk out of the room and back into his bedroom. "A bare chest offends you," he calls from there, while drawers are opened and closed with a little more force than necessary. "Yet you practically crawled into my lap in Half Moon Bay!"

GOOD MAN, K'VIR. He is learning, sweet precious Cinnamon Roll that he is, and Risali is only to happy to teach. Or… shriek until he gets the point. Whatever. She is listening about dragon mind voices, but Faranth is he distracting when he - NOPE. She can't do it. She can't focus, she can't think, she can't even MOURN PROPERLY when he is around, and so she does what she does best and lashes out like a goddamn VIPER. Or… Tunnelsnake, whatever. See, he probably could have spared himself a lot if he would just give in already and throw her on Zekath for a trip home, but he doesn't, and now he's got Risali chasing after him like this is her weyr. "No, just yours," she admits, but only because it sounds positively scathing when she doesn't elaborate on why. She's right behind him as he rifles through his things in search of DECENCY, and she simply puts the clothes she's folded away, while fixing the mess he makes in his search for a tunic as he makes it. Really. She has no sense of THESE THINGS ARE NOT YOURS - or personal space, really. She's shoulder to shoulder with him as she works, bumping into him if he doesn't NOPE THE HELL OUTTA THERE. "And I did not practically crawl into your lap. I DID crawl into your lap and YOU -" SPIT HISS FFFFFT. "You liked the view." She slams one of the drawers she's just finished salvaging from his rampage to punctuate her point, continuing with, "You couldn't keep your hands off of me." An exaggeration. "And anyway if you are so sharding confident, WHY DIDN'T YOU GIVE ME YOUR SHIRT IN THE BAR?" Now she's wedged herself between his chest and whatever he's trying to do, looking decidedly UNTHREATENING given her lacking height and the fact that her face is a vibrant shade of red - but she tries. Grey eyes hold blue pointedly, because looking anywhere else could be DANGEROUS, and then she furious-shoves at strands of black that threaten her vision.

In retrospect, K'vir should know better than to do what he'll do when someone is spitting venom like RIsali is. He wasn't expecting her to follow him and he's not *thrilled* by it either. His tempter is coiling itself again and he is just beyond frustrated at this point with her behaviour. He's NEVER had to deal with a personality type quite like hers; just when he thinks he has reached neutral ground, something sets her off and it's beginning to grate even on his ever-patient nerves. He's a sweet kid, a gentle heart for the most part but even HE HAS LIMITATIONS. "So what if I did!" he mutters, purposely barbing her as he's just about DONE being nice. "BECAUSE I didn't want to embarrass you OR be seen as "that kind of bronzerider" that's why!" His voice actually rises this time as he grabs a tunic at last and whirls to face her. Not that he has to move much, she's already wedged herself there. His skin has reddened, cheeks flushed with annoyance and a bit of anger as he glares down at her again. Angrily, he'll pull the new tunic on, flustered and *pissed* off at this point. He goes to say something, hands lifting to gesture as though to say 'better now? SATISFIED!?' only the words are never voiced. K'vir does the single handedly most stupid thing he's done in awhile: he'll try to lean in and down to kiss her and not quite-so gently either. He's kissed before; he knows how to do *that* quite well but he's never kissed a woman out of anger-lust before. He's so going to have his face clawed, isn't he?

It happens with a quickness. One second, Risali is being yelled at (okay, so he only raises his voice, but still — UNACCEPTABLE) while (secretly) intimidatingly tall bronzerider’s gesture to ask if they are decent ENOUGH, and the next, her angry response of, “MY SHIRT WAS SEE THROUGH AND YOU DIDN’T WANT TO EMBARRASS —“ is cut off when K’vir does something so very, very, incredibly stupid (read: PERFECT). It starts with an inaudible Faranth, NO, and ends with Risali’s entire body screaming yes. For all of one single, solitary second, Risali is lost in the sudden demanding heat of a kiss that feels better than it should, and then she’s reciprocating. She might not have experience with the follow through, but kissing? Kissing she can do. Hands jump to K’vir’s biceps, the pads of digits dancing with intermittent pressure up the athletic build of muscle until fingers curl and she applies the tips of her nails to the side of his neck with just the right amount of pressure. They slide just below his jaw while the pads of her thumbs chase them along the ridge of it, and finally her hands lose themselves in his hair, where the almost-gentle touches before turn rough. Those fingers are twisting in strands as she jerks him forward - just in case he had any thoughts about pulling away. Her kisses are just as straight forward as she is: hard, demanding, taking no prisoners; she’s all meshed lips with the tantalizing, occasional brush from the tip of her tongue, and teeth. Her teeth catch K’vir's bottom lip and she pulls, she pulls until the abused tier slips from her hold and then she catches his top lip for the same treatment, only to press into him and make a sound she’ll never admit she made until — SLAP. Risali jerks back as if burned, kiss-bruised lips already swollen in the sudden respite of immediate distance as her chest heaves and her entire body trembles in the wake of her hand connecting with K’vir’s cheek. She looks horrified that he kissed her, horrified that she let him, and when grey eyes flicker to her offending appendage, it’s clear that she’s horrified she hit him as well. Risali ducks out of his reach only then and scrambles backwards, only to trip over some conveniently-strewn bachelor mess and land on her bottom. One hand flies up as if to ward him off while her knees bend and shake, and she attempts to regain her footing. “Don’t you DARE COME OVER HERE, KYZENVIRO. I MEAN IT.” For as threatening as she is, it’s not very threatening at all when every word is said breathily between sanity-chasing breaths. She does manage it, in the end - scrambling to her feet, I mean - and she’s racing out of his room because distance, distance, distance. “YOU STUPID, STUPID…” Where other people might throw things, Risali… cleans. ORGANIZE THESE BOOKS ONTO THAT SHELF THERE, TOSS THESE WAYWARD CLOTHES INTO A PILE FOR CLEANING HERE. TAKE THAT, UNIVERSE. “STUPID BRONZERIDER.” A pause, to catch her breath and then, “TAKE ME HOME.” Beat. “TAKE ME TO XANADU."

K'vir has likewise gone and done a complete reversal. The moment his lips connect with hers, he's *shocked*. Shocked further when she KISSES BACK! Well, this is unexpected? What IS HE DOING!? The question flickers to mind but it doesn't stop him. Her hands are running over his biceps, then her nails are to his neck and it feels good, so good… BAD! Bad. This shouldn't be happening but DAMN if she isn't making it impossible to do the RIGHT THING. Then she's turning ROUGH and twice as damned, isn't he enjoying that too? If she won't admit to making a sound, he'll pretend he never heard her OR himself; it'll happen when she shows her teeth and that she knows how to use those to the most delightful of ways. K'vir is so enthralled and caught up in the moment that he's not even aware that he's slipped his hands over her hips and has begun to do his own subtle little exploration of her body and damned if he doesn't like what he's feeling — SLAP! K'vir is likewise jerked back and to the side as her hand connects hard with his face. For a moment, he can only stand there in stunned silence, equally as horrified and strangely not THAT surprised! Still? It doesn't help curb the sudden return of ANGER that now turns the blush of arousal to something far deeper and much more icy than heated. He winces when she falls and furious or not, stung by rejection or not, she's still a person and he goes to try and help her, only to have her shrieking at him (with good reason). "I didn't mean to!" he exclaims in an attempt to defend his decision. "I thought… You were kissing… WHAT is your problem!? FINE!" He'll even toss his hands up there and stalk past her. She doesn't want his help? Fine. Doesn't want to act civil? Fine. Wants to SLAP HIM for his (inappropriate) kiss rather than just push him away and say no? FINE. "Let's go then!" She want's to go to XANADU? FINE. She'll have to sort out her own shit though. K'vir's gone to storm off right to the ledge and to a disgruntled looking Zekath.

And Faranth, but if she doesn't like the feel of his hands on her body, or the noise that he makes (that she tries to capture with her lips), or the exquisite feel of her body tucked into the shelter of his and her hands in his hair; she's all liquid heat at his command - and this is simply unacceptable. The realization that she likes it more than she should in tandem with the fact that her father is missing and here she is, kissing foreign bronzeriders that she hates (she will try to assure herself that hate is the proper word), all combine into one big ball of NOPENOPENOPE. It's unfortunate, too. Even she could feel the possibility for something scarily, explosively right beneath all that wrong. "What is MY PROBLEM? YOU ARE THE ONE THAT KISSED ME. YOU — DON'T YOU DARE WALK AWAY FROM ME KYZENVIRO." But he does, doesn't he, if only because she's bid it so. Still, she comes on his heels right out to the ledge and reaches out one of those delicately small hands to grab his arm and jerk him around. She doesn't know why she stops him, and the contact has her pulling away like she's been scalded - again. She opens her mouth, closes it, opens it again and then shrieks the first thing that comes to mind: "LADIES FIRST." And then she will stomp passed him to Zekath, who is the only one that gets a whispered, gentle, "Please." It's a whisper, but she's not stupid enough to think that the bronze's rider won't hear her - or that he has the ability to pass on her plea if not. But she waits, because he is /not/ her dragon, and a lifetime of growing up with a gold and a bronze is enough to instill at least that much respect in her.

TOO BAD she slapped him or she could have experienced more! It could have NOT ENDED like this! Really though, it's all K'vir's fault for that impulsive act. He acts all furious and enraged now but later he'll reflect on it. Oh yes… he will be thinking back on it a lot; for various reason both obvious and surprising. His timing is pretty AWFUL too! He knows a bit of her story, the reason behind her behaviour; for that may explain why he was willing to be kind to her, in his own odd ball way and lend her his tunic and do so privately. No, his simple gesture backfired magnificently and now he's paying NICELY for it! "IT'S JUST A KISS!" He fires back and with instant regret that he tries not to show. "And it's K'vir to you! You don't have the right to call me by that name!" She needs to EARN THAT privilege, damn it! At least he doesn't get all up in her business to drive the point home, too busy with checking Zekath's straps so that she can stomp past him and mount up safely. The bronze, to his credit, only turns his head a bit when she whispers that but it almost LOOKS like he's sympathetic and understanding to her current state. ZEKATH FORGIVES YOU RISALI. K'vir's just being an asshole; like father, like son. Once she's settled, he'll climb up after her, all grim faced and fuming as he makes sure they're both buckled in before Zekath takes to the skies. NO TIME WASTED! Everything else just hurries by. He'll see Risali safely to Xanadu, dropping her off and likely GLAD to be rid of her. Glad but…instantly guilty and maybe a little sad. Mad at himself, mad at her, furious at the WHOLE situation! Too little, too late. But? It isn't over yet. Oh no. They'll be meeting again.

Oh, K’vir. Sweet Cinnamon Roll. You should have just let it go. “Just a kiss. JUST A KISS? I AM NOT ONE OF YOUR BROTHEL-FOUND, DRAGONFLIGHT, LUST-ADDLED… FUCKS.” Risali shrieks, indignant, insulted, and inexplicably hurt. She covers up her questionable emotional leanings just as well as he covers up his regret, however, and when he informs her of his honorific (again), making it clear that she is not worthy of his real name, she stops beside him while he’s checking straps to jab him with a viciousness in the chest. “Kyzenviro.” JAB. “/Kyzenviro/.” JAB. “Kyzenviro.” JAB. “KYZENVIRO!” FIGHT HER. Zekath’s /almost/ look of understanding sympathy would normally earn him a head knob scratching and a few uncharacteristically sweet choice words, but given that it might ruin her impending ruination of K’vir’s idea that she’s definitely insane and not at all human, she refrains. She refrains, and she allows the dragonrider to take charge of ensuring their safety (despite the fact that she’s been taught time and again) because if she dies, she is going to haunt him. “Kyzenviro, Kyzenviro, Kyzenviro, KyzenviroKyzenviroKyzenviroKyzenviro." FOREVER. And so it goes, when they are off to Xanadu and Risali is surprised at feeling equally bereft at the thought of K’vir doing the smart thing for once. There’s just as much guilt, just as much sadness, just as much — okay, so mostly there’s fury. “THANK YOU, KYZENVIRO.” She will just make it a point to never say K’vir’s proper name again. And no, it is not over. How could it possibly be, when she is in possession of his shirt and he is in possession of not only hers, but her harper’s knot. REST WELL, K’VIR. For soon this tiny, angry shrew will be back to upend you again. In the meantime… “Find me Calisi,” she snaps to the nearest, most vulnerable looking weyrfolk. She can’t do this right now.


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