only ribbon round it [tag CY!]

[Kat]

[in the infirmary]

Nine days after the hatching, the infirmary had slowed down quite a bit. Most of the girls had already left the infirmary for their barracks with the other winglets, so the space was empty and the clinic was quiet. Currently, only one medic puttered around the infirmary, searching through the counters and the cabinets, while Ri’ley carefully stitched the hand of a kitchen worker who had sliced open her palm while cutting carrots for an upcoming dinner dish. He worked with the woman’s hand in his lap, over his dark brown pants, so he had to hunch over her, with his back to the bustling medic behind him.
”Thanks for letting me work.”
Ri’ley called to the woman he could not see, as he ran a curved needle through the palm of the kitchen worker. Even though he addressed someone else, Ri’ley’s task captured all of his attention, and his gaze remained fixed on the woman’s palm. Sometimes, he felt like all the suture he used was for kitchen accidents. Preparing food was quite traitorous, as chopping and dicing required quick knife work, and the busy, hustling environment caused many slips. And that was not even factoring in the danger of the ovens and stoves, which meant that people worked around fire and they worked fast and hard. The woman flinched as Ri’ley worked, and he felt bad for the stitching, especially since he seemed to have misplaced the salve which he usually would have used in this situation. In fact, he had not seen it since the day of the hatching, and he assumed it was floating somewhere around the infirmary. He had not exactly been in the most together state of mind when he left the infirmary, and he knew that the likelihood he had left the salve was high. He finished the woman’s hand, and he relaxed his posture, turning to smile at the woman pleasantly.
”I’m done. I’m sorry it hurt.”
Ri’ley stated as he reached next to him to grab the gauze which he used to wrap the woman’s hand.
”Thank you for helping me; I’ll survive.”
The woman replied with a shaky smile crossing her lips. She slipped off of the bench on which both her and Ri’ley sat, and crept past Dionyph, who lounged lazily in front of the door, only leaving a small sliver of space for the woman to walk through. She almost tiptoed past the small black, who rested with his head on his front feet, with his beak tucked under his top leg. His eyes watched the woman’s ankles as she danced past his head.

Ri’ley watched the woman with interest. It had never occurred to him that the workers around the Eyrie might not be used to the simourvs, but not many of the riders or simourvs spent much time in the kitchens. And the large creatures were intimidating, especially up close, and Dionyph was very close to the exit of the room. He wanted to position himself in the most convenient place which remained as close to his rider as possible. Even though only nine days had passed, the hatchling had already grown, and he approached five feet tall at his shoulder and around ten feet long. Since the infirmary was small, and Ri’ley straddled the first of the benches, the doorway was the largest, most open area for the hatchling to occupy. And besides, everyone could get into the room, and most people should like him. He was a knight of the Eyrie, after all, a sworn protector and prince of the location, and only dangerous to the Xymokoxi which threatened the land. The black simourv sniffed as if he had been insulted, but he held his scorn until the woman exited, as he was afraid he would frighten her further if he moved or made a noise. Dionyph did not like the idea of frightening anyone in the Eyrie. He wanted his presence to be a presence associated with protection and safety throughout the Eyrie. Ri’ley beamed towards his simourv. The man was pleased with his work and his suturing, and he was amused by his simourv’s indignant and grand thoughts.
”You’re certainly a menacing presence in front of the door.”
Ri’ley announced as he looked at Dionyph’s curled presence. The medic who was still searching through the shelves chuckled and turned to look towards the hatchling as well. Dionyph lifted his head to scowl at Ri’ley.
But mine, I want to be welcoming. I am a welcoming presence in this place. Do you really think I am menacing?
Dionyph questioned, his voice sounding somber and sad. Dionyph’s mental voice usually possessed a deep, melancholy quiver, which only disappeared when the simourv was usually excited, and that tone intensified as he lifted his head and shook it with disappointment. Ri’ley shook his head, as well, and he flashed supportive feelings towards the simourv in his mind, and nodded.
”You are not at all scary. I enjoy you being with me. I do not like the thought of working without you.”
Ri’ley encouraged. He smiled towards the hatchling whose dramatic tendancies and naivety never failed to charm the large man.

The medic, who had been witnessing the whole scene, smiled cheekily towards the man on the bench. She had stopped looking for what she searched, and instead stood with her arm on the counter.
”Honestly, Dionyph, if you could stitch as well as your bonded, we would prefer your presence to his.”
The medic announced, as she eyed Ri’ley coyly, a grin planted on her face. Even though he had only been working in the clinic for nine days, Ri’ley had spent many hours in the clinic, which cast a feeling of familiarity between him and the medics. Dionyph did not like this comment either, and he turned a concerned gaze towards Ri’ley, who frantically broadcasted feelings of amusement and contentment to the hatchling. The black was far too earnest to comprehend sarcasm in any form, and Dionyph’s inability to catch it was providing Ri’ley with both amusement and added stress. He hoped that as the black grew, he would develop a sense of irony, but in the meantime, Ri’ley scrambled to explain the sentiment at every example.
Don’t worry; she likes me. Continue to rest.
Ri’ley instructed, as he turned a sheepish grin towards the medic. He felt as if he had to feel a bit embarrassed for his hatchling’s naivety.

The medic then stopped searching, and she paused, before she turned to Ri'ley. The woman was hesitant at first, leaning towards Ri'ley, as if she was attempting to decide whether to speak or not. She did not want to bother Ri'ley, who seemed to be willing to work despite the stress of caring for his hatchling, and yet she wanted to ask him a question.
”By the way, we’re missing some gauze. It’s not a big deal, but did you use it without notating?”
Ri’ley’s eyebrows tightened as the woman spoke to him. He wondered if the missing gauze had any connection to his missing salve, which would imply that he was responsible for both. He had remembered using the salve last with a roll of gauze, but the whole hatching day, at least the part after his initial bond with Dionyph, were hazy and scattered in his usually flawless memory.
”It’s quite possible, I’m afraid. I’m missing some herbal salve, and I might have misplaced them together. I’ll make sure to look in my room tonight, because I might have carried it all there.”
Ri’ley replied, as he shrugged. He stood, then, and walked towards the cabinets, so that he could look. He knew that his searching would do no good. He did not know the infirmary very well, but the talk of missing possessions made him want to look for them. He did not like the thought that he misplaced anything.
”Don’t worry about it right now. I’m sure both things will turn up. I think I’ll head to the kitchen. Do you want anything?”
The woman asked as she sighed, and began to walk towards the door. As she walked past Dionyph, she smiled warmly.
”No, no, I’ll eat when I have to feed Dionyph again. You go on ahead.”
Ri’ley replied, as he finally gave up his pointless, fruitless searching, and returned to his seat on the bench. Dionyph watched the medic leave the room, before he returned his head back to his paws. Ri’ley, as if he copied his simourv, dropped his own head into his hands, slumped over, solely because of the lanky proportions of his body, as he waited for someone to enter the infirmary.

[Cy]

[/I], she was perfectly capable of acting her age and bringing the supplies back with a sense of dignity and responsibility that that blackrider would have no choice but to find exceptionally attractive. At least, he found it so in her head as she briefly pictured the interaction. As it was, she remained exactly where she was, not daring to move a muscle, until the medic had passed her by without a single glance.

Releasing her breath with relief as her cover remained unfoiled, she peeked back around the edge to the infirmary door. She counted the seconds in her head and, when it remained closed, she slid into action once more, picking her way over with swift and quiet steps. Balancing the supplies against her stomach with one hand, she freed the other to open the door for herself, peeking her head in to take a quick look around the area. Her light eyes widened on the sight of the man slumped on the bench, recognizing the doctor immediately. Though majority of her body was still hidden behind the door, stolen items away from his view, she still felt their minute weight against her like the most efficient guilt trip this side of Pohono. “I might start to think you live in here,” she announced her presence lightly, a small smile on her lips.[/ul][/size]

[Kat]

Even though he was almost asleep, Dionyph heard the approach of Amira, and he lifted his head from his legs. He saw her peek into the entrance and then withdraw, an action which baffled him. He stared at the closed door, his white eyes wide, and he lifted his ears, turning them so that they faced the door. The hatchling pulled to attention, lifting himself into an alert position, while watching the door. Ri’ley did not notice his hatchling’s movement. He knew that his hatchling moved, and he felt the way that the hatchling’s attention shifted, a small, mental change of pace, but he did not view the hatchling’s actions. Instead, Ri’ley watched his hands, which were clasped on the bench. The man studied the lines of his hands, almost rapt by the way they folded over each other, curving into one entity, and one continuous line.
Mine, someone is at the door. He or she will not come in. I do not understand why not. I hope that we do not make the infirmary an intimidating place. That would only deter people from getting the help they need. Why, what good would this institution be if people did not come?
Dionyph announced, and the hatchling’s words made Ri’ley lift his head with interest. The man lifted his head just in time to watch Amira enter, and his face lit up with recognition.

The sight of the girl, though, distracted Ri’ley from answering Dionyph’s inquiry, as he become suddenly both curious and worried. Amira’s injuries had been minor, so he had not thought that she should have any reason to return. Immediately, his mind started jumping to unfortunate medical conclusions. He was worried; he did not appear worried, as managed to keep his expression cold and rather unfeeling, but he was, as the man possessed a tendency to worry in such situations. And, well, perhaps some of his hatchling’s melodramatic tendencies had begun to influence the man.
”Amira, are you alright? You’re not having an issue with infection, are you?”
Ri’ley questioned, his voice sounding rather worried, even if he looked contained. Infection was the most dangerous and most probable problem Ri’ley’s mind could construct. Even small cuts could become deadly if infection, and thus even Amira’s small lacerations posed a threat. And now that he thought back to the day, Ri’ley was not positive that he had finished treating Amira. He was not sure that anyone had. Once S’reni dropped to the ground, Ri’ley remembered leaving Amira’s side, and he did not remember seeing the girl later on in the night. Perhaps Amira’s wounds had not been fully treated.

Amira’s greeting, though, immediately calmed Ri’ley. She was being friendly and cordial, and Ri’ley doubted that if anything was really wrong, she would be so casual. Sick people tended to speak seriously, at least when they were first coming in for a diagnosis. In an attempt to make amends for his earlier frantic comment, Ri’ley’s face became friendly and open, the coldness finally breaking as he determined he would not be working on the girl. His smile activated his dimples, which punctuated his cheeks.
”Nah, although I have moved more comfortably into this space than into my room.”
Ri’ley replied, and the statement was rather true. He had yet to personalize any of the empty space in his room in the barracks, but pieces of his surgical kit rested in the infirmary drawers. Of course, the best items he owned were still in his room, but he had a serviceable amount of supplies in the clinic.
”Do you need something? Or were you testing a hypothesis about my living arrangements?”
Ri’ley joked back, his smile remaining on his features. As Amira entered, Dionyph watched her, his gaze following her movements. He did not appear particularly interested in the girl, as she was not attached to any of his siblings, an automatic point of interest for the black, and he had not been awake when Ri’ley had tended to the girl. Still, she was something to watch, and he was becoming bored with the backs of his eyelids. His seemed to like the girl well enough, and so Dionyph had some reason to be interested in her. He just did not have much yet to say.

[Cy]

[/b] She assured with a light crease of concern in her own brow despite the words she offered, but a faint smile returned to her lips in an awkward attempt to further comfort.

Hurrying along to ease the tension she perceived to be choking up the sterile room of the infirmary, she pushed the smile further at the corners of her mouth and addressed the true issue – he didn’t seem to be leaving this place. Immediately, the walls were dropped to a friendly degree and he smiled a boyish grin that encouraged her just a little more. His dimples were precious, returning youth to an already young face that had been aged by the stresses of life and difficult patients. Slim red eyebrows rose curiously at his reply, tilting her head lightly against the frame of the door. “Is that so? Something wrong with your room” As a girl having spent majority of the past nine days tucking away into the comforts of her own room, it seemed a difficult notion to grasp – while, at the same time, also as a girl having spent majority of the past nine days in the confines of her own room, she could understand it completely. She wasn’t entirely sure how the quarters for the winglets looked, but a new room could be suffocating sometimes.

However, the good nature didn’t seem to last long as she was quickly reminded of the fact that she had, in fact, come to the infirmary for a reason. As much as she’d have loved to return for the sake of merely testing some theory, her fingers adjusted their grasp on the gauze and salve tucked against her stomach. She managed to keep her smile, but it grew decidedly distracted. Opening her mouth as if to say something and yet letting nothing out, she glanced down to the items that she carried and she considered the notion of lying. It’d be easy to say she’d found them somewhere. It’d be plausible, right? Surely there were things being swiped from the infirmary all the time.

Unfortunately, she had an important factor to keep in mind and her eyes averted to focus on Dionyph. The black simourv, large for his age and only bound to get larger, was a calm presence in the infirmary setting, but he was still intimidating with his fierce gaze seemingly watching her every movement. She didn’t know much about the simourv and her rejection upon the sands certainly hadn’t allowed her to learn any more, but they had spoken to her. She’d had their voices soothe their way into her head, straight into their mind, and so she viewed them with great and invasive telepathic powers that would see straight through her lies as if it were nothing more than sheer fabric. Whether her belief was wrong or not, it kept her in line. “Um…” she muttered, pursing her lips tightly with her indecision and wariness, she glanced back down to the supplies in her hand as she carefully pushed herself the rest of the way from behind the door into the room. “I was… just wanting to return these,” she explained lowly, unsure of the moment as she meekly lifted her gaze back up to the older man.[/ul][/size]

[Kat]

Hearing that Amira was fine made Ri’ley relax. His shoulders rolled downwards, and he smiled, not in a friendly manner but rather a relieved manner. Ri’ley would have been quite distressed if some harm found the girl again. It was unfortunate enough that she had not bonded, that she was alone after standing at Eceph’s hatching, and it seemed as if it would be cosmically unfair for the girl to suffer from physical injuries as well. And that would have meant that Ri’ley had failed Amira. He had been the one to dress her wounds, and even though infection could happen even when the dressings were secured correctly, he would have felt responsible.
”I’m glad to hear that. How are the lacerations healing? Do they hurt or itch?”
Ri’ley questioned, lazily trailing through a list of medical questions that he felt he should address before he turned the tide of the conversation to a more casual subject. He hoped that Amira planned to stay and talk to him. Ri’ley had been feeling a bit isolated lately, mostly because none of the other members of his class spent any time in the infirmary, and because the man spent time in the infirmary and feeding Dionyph, he spent very little time with any of the other winglets. And that was fine. All Ri’ley needed was Dionyph’s presence. He could bask in the presence of the black forever, the love and affection negating any other companionship needs. But Amira’s presence was comforting; a new person, a new voice with which to interact, free of Dionyph’s somber melodrama. Perhaps, Ri’ley mused, he should make an effort to interact with some of the other winglets. He knew few of them, and so far, he interacted with them only when Dionyph prompted him to do so. L’an was really his only friend from before the hatching, and he had not yet attempted to approach her since after the hatching. She was still angry with him, Ri’ley assumed, irrationally angry, and the rumors about a relationship between them prevented the man from attempting reconciliation. He disliked the fact that the people in the Eyrie discussed him and his business, even falsified business. It made him uncomfortable.

The question about his room spurred a small, timid smile to cross Ri’ley’s face. He was not sure if he should continue to discuss the winglet barracks with a girl who had suffered so by not reaching the title. What if she thought he was bragging? What if she thought he was being spoiled or entitled? He was picky about space, after all, as he thought the candidate’s rooms were too small and the winglet barracks far too big. Of course, the difference in size of the two spaces was vast, and he had preferred the smaller space to the bigger space. At least, he had not felt overwhelmed by the candidates’ rooms. But if Ri’ley did not speak up, he would seem like he was avoiding the topic. That would be awkward.
”The space is just—huge. I know I’ll need the space, and probably more when Dionyph reaches his full size, but for right now, it’s just overwhelming. I can’t make it feel personal.”
Ri’ley explained. He liked cleanliness, but he did not like emptiness. He liked for rooms to look perfect and clean, but also somewhat personal, and he could fill his room to the point of appearing anything but lifeless and clinical.
I want you to like your room, mine. I feel as if it is my fault that you cannot live somewhere else, mine, and I feel as if I have failed you. I hope that you still care for me under such circumstances.
Dionyph whimpered, and he dropped his head so that it hung. Ri’ley shook his head violently, his hair, growing a bit too long, splashed around his face.
Dionyph, I would sacrifice everything for you and live in constant discomfort. You complete me.
Ri’ley replied his mental voice dripping with sentiment, which worked to cheer the black hatchling up quite significantly. His eyes danced with glee as his massive head lifted to look, once again, at Amira.

Ri’ley’s dimpled grin returned when he spotted the salve and the gauze. The fact that the girl presented the missing items to him, meant that she had taken them, but Ri’ley did not mind the petty theft. For now, he was glad to see the items in the infirmary, especially his salve, which was one of the items he had brought back from Sayaie, and thus it would be difficult to replace. He accepted them from the girl, grasping the items next to his own chest and then stalking towards the counter to stow them in the correct location. The salve Ri’ley put away in his own box, but he left the gauze on the counter so that the medics could find it.
”I’m so glad to see this salve. I thought I was going to have to replace it, and I was not sure how to do so, since I have no way of going to Sayaie.”
Ri’ley proclaimed enthusiastically as he watched Amira. As he spoke, however, Ri’ley became confused. He was not sure how the girl would have gotten the missing items in the first place. He did not think that she had stolen them, one, because to anyone else besides Ri’ley and maybe the medics, the items were useless and petty, and two, because she would not have returned them if she had stolen them. So then, how had Amira gotten them?
”Where did you get these, anyway?”
Ri’ley questioned with a small tilt of his head. His lips pulled into a soft smile, so that he did not appear to be accusing her of anything.
Mine just wants to know. He does not think that you committed any crime. I do not want you to feel threatened in any way. That would be unfortunate, because then mine would have made you sad, and sadness is not the feeling that protectors like me and mine should inspire in people.
Dionyph explained. It was the first time he had spoken to Amira, who had not interested him before. His voice was deep, explanatory, and neutrally melancholy sounding, as it was when he was just commenting or speaking normally. The simourv shifted, moving to a sitting position, while keeping his eyes on Amira. Ri’ley needed to be more careful to sound valiant and caring. It would be very bad if the other people in the Eyrie thought that Ri’ley was a mean person. He was a good person, a great person, and everyone in the community needed to know it in order for Dionyph and Ri’ley to perform their duty.

[Cy]

[/I] healed nicely, in fact. They were still fairly unsightly and she didn’t expect to have anyone swooning over her any time soon, but they were well enough. They didn’t hurt, so she shook her head, glancing down towards her torso briefly before looking back to him with a small smile. “They itch, yeah, but that’s it and I’ve been trying not to scratch ‘em any.” She returned with as much of a professional air as she could, responding to his standard questions without fuss or hesitance. However, with the reply out of the way, she smirked, narrowing her light eyes. “Didn’t I just tell you not to worry?” He worried a lot, she assumed. He’d been worrying at the Hatching, and in the infirmary afterwards – though with great cause with winglets bleeding and fainting everywhere – but the vague bits that she could recall of him from their lessons as candidates together, he seemed like something of a worrier then too. As a doctor, responsible for stitching people together and curing their ailments, perhaps it had just become a second nature to worry. Which was pretty sad. People worried enough without having to get in the habit of it.

He didn’t like his new room because it was huge. Her eyebrows rose curiously as he stated this, listening as he continued on to explain why this was a problem. She’d never had a big place to call her own. Her bedroom at home had been small and her room in the candidate barracks was small as well. Imagination painted a huge space to be someplace to breathe and allow tons of room to have tons of things. However, for Ri’ley, it was difficult to make personal and she supposed she could understand that. Until he had a ton of things to fill up so much room, a huge space was merely a composition of empty spaces and there was something depressing about that. She nodded her head, a small smile pulling at the corner of her mouth with a semblance of understanding, but she was paused in speaking by the mad shake of his head. She blinked, taken back for a moment, before it clicked that his gaze was averted elsewhere and she followed it until she was looking at a pitiful Dionyph staring back at the man.

Oh. They were talking.

Chewing at her lip, she looked down to the ground and shifted awkwardly, giving silence so the two could indulge in whatever conversation they were taking a part of. She didn’t like that part, knowing that the people she talked to now might not be listening to her or paying her any mind at all because they were able to speak to someone else at the same time. Without her knowing. It was like being talked about behind your back, but with the pair doing the talking standing right there in front. It was unsettling at best, but she swallowed it and waited until the man was looking back at her, apparently through with whatever business he’d been disagreeing with.

Of course, perhaps she’d have preferred for the man to be distracted with other things, stall on having to reveal her theft for any bit longer. As it was, she was cornered and soon she was stepping out from behind the door to reveal the supplies she’d returned. She didn’t get the reaction she’d been expecting though, even with hoping he’d take it easy on her. Looking up to him as he approached, she felt speechless at the sight of his broad grin as he took the items from her smaller hands. She watched as he put them away, gauze on the counter and the salve in the box, and she listened as he spoke with enthusiasm rather than any sort of anger. She blinked in confusion, her brow knitting in a frown, and concern filled her. Piecing the bits together, she could only assume that the salve wasn’t a common presence in the infirmary. It had been his own personal belonging, brought with him from what she could only assume had perhaps been his home before the Eyrie, and her guilt instantly bloomed tenfold. She’d had no idea! As he turned back to her in order to question where she’d gotten them, making it clear that he’d not reached the conclusion of her crime, she bit at her bottom lip anxiously, like a little child unwilling to confess to reaching in the cookie jar before dinner time.

Her light eyes darted to the side as a depressed voice filled her head, masculine and steady. The simourv was stating fact, but it somehow only made her guilt throb like a pain in her chest. Taking a slow breath through her nose, gaining courage and strength of a form in the gesture, she returned her wary gaze to him. “When I was last here, after the hatching? You treated me with them, but you had to go help someone else… I didn’t want to bother any of the other medics, there were so many injuries that were more critical than mine, and I’d watched what you’d done to treat me, so I just… took ‘em back to my room and did the rest on my own. I didn’t waste any, I promise, and I meant to bring ‘em back so much sooner than this, I’m sorry…” She rattled off quickly, apologetic and well intentioned as she scurried to get it all out before he could interrupt her with the anger she knew must be brewing inside of him.[/ul][/size]

[Kat]

Ri’ley was actually more upset by the fact that Amira had felt that she needed to take care of herself, then the fact that she had taken the supplies to do so. Ri’ley, in many ways, advocated that people should get the care they needed at all times. That belief explained many of his pro bono treatments when he worked in Sayaie. His brows wrinkled in disappointment, less disappointment in the girl, and more disappointment in his own negligence. The day of the hatching had been frantic and chaotic, and he had not thought about the fact that Amira had disappeared before he checked to find out if any of the other medics had attended to the girl. It was an oversight, and had Amira been more injured, it was one which could have been extremely dangerous. What if she had been hurt internally? Or what if her cuts had developed an infection? It would have been his fault if she had ended up more ill.
”You should have come by later. I don’t like the idea of you treating yourself. We—I could have found time to help you.”
Ri’ley replied, and he did not bother to cloak the small tinge of guilt which laced through his speech. The truth of the matter was that Ri’ley could have used the break from the more frantic treatments which helping Amira might have provided. There had been a lot of medics at the hatching, and there came a point when Ri’ley felt that he was barely needed in the room.
”Besides, I’m sure I could have been spared, but I’m glad to hear that you are healing well.”
Ri’ley added with a small, crooked smile. Only one of his dimples showed. He hesitated, as he wondered if he should ask her to see the scratches she had treated. He wanted to see them, if only to confirm that the girl was fine, to quell his own frantic piece of mind, but he wondered if it would be inappropriate to ask.

The girl’s speech was also rather panicked. He assumed that she was worried about getting in trouble, which made sense to him. Amira was probably emotionally fragile, currently, and the candidate’s life, and the winglet’s life, for that matter, was all about upholding rules. The gauze, though, could be placed in the stores and no one would know it had been taken. The count would be correct again, and the other medics would just assume someone had miscounted earlier, and since the salve was Ri’ley’s own, he would be the only person to know if its return.
”No one will know you took these, if that makes you feel better.”
Ri’ley added, even though Dionyph squawked in protest.
But mine, isn’t that dishonest, neglecting to mention where the gauze was?
Dionyph questioned as he puffed up his feathers in retaliation to Ri’ley’s assurance. The man shrugged in response to the simourv. He did not think that it was dishonest not to mention a piece of information as petty as the theft of the gauze. He would not lie about where it had come from or where it had went, but no one would ask about either piece of information, and Ri’ley would just not share.
Dionyph, sometimes I think it is best if information is not shared. I do not feel that such withholding of information is lying, per say, and it will allow Amira to feel better about her situation.
Ri’ley explained with a small shake of his head. Dionyph’s eyes narrowed. He was not sure that he believed his, but the hatchling could also tell that he could not convince Ri’ley to tell on the girl. The hatchling was still too young to comprehend the nuances of behavior and truth telling. The world for Dionyph was still very black and white. Ri’ley hoped that eventually, the simourv would be able to see the world in shades of gray. But then again, Dionyph was only nine days old.

Ri’ley paused as he turned away from his hatchling to peer upon Amira. He was not sure of what else he could say to her. He paused again, before he shrugged.
”And you haven’t had any problems with the cuts or anything?”
Ri’ley had asked that question earlier, but the fact that he now knew she had cleaned her own wounds meant that he felt the question required a second uttering. He returned to his seat on the bench. He was tired, and he did not want to stand if he did not need to do so. His brown eyes were kind, unusually so for a man who was terrible with patients, and he kept them focused on the girl.

((Ugh, this is terrible. Very sorry!))

[Cy]

[/I] have done instead. She nibbled anxiously at her bottom lip, shoulders hunched and fingers fidgeting, though she remained staring up at him through her thin lashes all the same. There wasn’t anger in her tone. Even in her anxious state, wary and so afraid of potential consequences, she could tell that he wasn’t upset with her. At least, he wasn’t upset for the reasons she’d thought would have upset him. Touched by the apparent guilt littering his tone in a way that only a woman could be when hearing it from an attractive man, she freed up a hand to shoot it towards him with the impulsive hope of placing it comfortingly on his arm. He’d be touched by her caring nature, soothed and charmed, and they’d carry on happily ever after! No, she caught herself and retracted her hand before it’d covered any bit of the distance between them, moving her slender fingers up to brush strands of her hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear, a furrow of concern in her brow. “It really wasn’t that important, I promise. And you had helped so much already.” She tried to assure with words alone, a light smile sitting kindly upon her lips as she tilted her head to stare coyly up at him.

Her smile grew briefly as he assured that no one would know that’d taken anything – it certainly did make her feel better, after all – but the relief was short-lived as her smile was efficiently knocked away by the disagreeable squawk of the man’s simourv, the sudden noise startling her and snapping her eyes over to the creature as it puffed up and stared adamantly at the doctor. Wide-eyed and unsure, she glanced from the simourv to the man as he shrugged, shook his head to nothing in particular, and her gaze was quick to snap back to the black for any sign of his response to whatever thing was wrong. Those bright eyes only narrowed and by the time she was looking back to the man, he was looking to her and speaking, purposely leaving her in the dark of the interaction that had certainly just occurred. Did he not realize that she couldn’t hear them?

Put off for a moment, she watched in silence as he moved to sit back down, leaving her standing tall over him. Chewing at her bottom lip, she glanced down towards her torso before looking back to him, nodding and forgetting that he’d already asked her this. “No, they’re fine. I made sure to clean them well…” She assured, hoping to earn some praise for thinking to clean the injuries before treating them. Fingers wringing together for a pause longer, she finally moved to step forward as many times as it took until she was able to turn and lower herself down to the bench beside him without bothering to wait for invitation, looking up to him with concerned regard. “Is everything okay? I’m… not going to get into trouble, right, you’re sure about that?” She questioned with a small glance to the black simourv that had, from her view, not been as certain of that before looking back to the man.[/ul]

[ ooc | nonsense, it was wonderful! I love Ri'ley <3 ][/size]

[Kat]

Even if he was fundamentally bad at it, Ri’ley did believe that patient care was important. He believed that it was his duty as a doctor to tend to those who were ill, and that meant that it was important for Ri’ley to tend to Amira. She might not understand why it was important for Ri’ley to tend to her, but Ri’ley disliked the idea of Amira treating herself, on principle, not necessarily because of the risk to the girl, but also because of the principle of the situation. The danger to her health, though, was not secondary. It was an important concern. He turned to her, his eyes stern and serious and sad. He was not sure he could convey to her the problem that he had with her actions, especially since hw as not mad at her, but rather disappointed with himself.
”You may not think it was important, but it was. I am glad, however, that you are fine, despite my negligence.”
At least, Ri’ley surmised, she had cleaned her wounds. The scratches had not been dangerous by themselves, but the nesting sands were dirt and sand, and Ri’ley had learned quickly, while Farah bled on the ground, that the particles were an issue when tending to the hatching wounds. Ri’ley was not looking forwards to working at a hatching again, if only because the sand was so dangerous and messy. He wanted to attend another hatching, though, because he was curious about how the event would seem from the outside. He had been intimately bound to the last hatching. Besides, it was incredible, Ri’ley imagined, to watch other people experience what he experienced. Dionyph saved his life, completed his life, and he wanted to see that reflected on other people.

Ri’ley was glad that his words comforted Amira. He meant what he said. The fact that Amira had taken the items would not be a well known fact in the infirmary. He was pretty sure that no one would care if anyone did learn, but he truly comprehended that that no one would even question how the gauze ended back in the infirmary. There were plenty of supplies, and while the gauze had been noticed as a missing item, since it had been returned, its disappearance would cause no stir. When Amira became agitated again, Ri’ley was confused, an expression which flashed across his face. He followed Amira’s gaze, and he realized that Dionyph’s squawk of protest must have confused her. She could not hear their interaction, after all, which meant she had no idea what the black hatchling and Ri’ley discussed. Why, Amira might think that they talked about her. How disconcerting for the girl; Ri’ley had not thought about how uncomfortable Ri’ley’s secret conversations to the hatchling must be to Amira who did not even know what the mental communication was like.
”I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you out of the conversation. Dionyph was just upset that I was not going tell the infirmary attendants, because he thought it would be a lie, but I tried to tell him that there was a difference between withholding information and being dishonest in certain situations. He has trouble with ambiguity and nuance, and he wants me to be an outstanding citizen in society. I hope that he does not over estimate my positive influences.”
Ri’ley explained in entirety. He thought it would be good of Amira to hear about what had been being discussed so that she did not feel singled out by the conversation that she did not hear. Dionyph approved of Ri’ley being honest, but he disproved of the way Ri’ley chose to word their conversation.
I just think that Ri’ley needs to be honest in all situations. He will be a great protector one day, but he needs to be trained to abolish some habits which detract from his capacity to lead and protect. He will be an asset to the Eyrie, and together him and I will grow into our rightful place in the world.”
Dionyph announced to Amira, as he drew his gaze from one person to the other person. Ri’ley did not trust his own strength, yet, Dionyph could feel. The man still doubted his right to be bound to a creature such as himself, a black simourv, but Dionyph would show Ri’ley that they belonged together not just by destiny and companionship, but also by greatness and strength.

Ri’ley felt that he should ask Amira about herself since the hatching. It would be polite and correct, but unfortunately, he could not think of a way to do so without rubbing salt into her emotional wounds. Amira, after all, had not bonded. She did not have the wonderful and uplifting experience that the other members of her candidate class did, and Ri’ley imagined that the past nine days had been extremely painful. He smiled, and then nodded.
”Do you have a roommate yet?”
The question seemed pretty safe, and it was the best way Ri’ley could think of to engage her about her life without outright mentioning her status as a returning candidate. She lost her roommate because the girl, Ri’ley presumed had become a winglet, but at least Ri’ley was not asking about lessons or chores or life as a candidate. He hoped that he was not going to upset her. He would be upset if he did. The man flashed hr a bright and large grin in an attempt to preemptively apologize for any pain his question caused. He was just enjoying having someone besides his hatchling to talk to. While Ri’ley loved Dionyph more than anything, he knew the hatchling so well that conversation was sometimes redundant. It was nice to interact with someone whose emotions he could not read. And Dionyph was there, right near Ri’ley, who could not leave the hatchling alone for long periods of time. As he thought about Dionyph, Ri’ley’s hand floated down to stroke the creature’s head, while Dionyph pressed his head against Ri’ley’s hand in response, the pressure providing the man with immense comfort.

((Thank you! That means a lot. Amira is adorable as well, by the way.))

[Cy]

[/b] It was a viewpoint perhaps washed in rose-tinted exaggeration, but she couldn’t begin to think about any of that. She just didn’t want him to feel such disappointment and guilt. It might not have been directed at her, but it was prompted by her own actions and that made it nearly just as bad! “I just wanted to help.” She whispered finally. She’d rather him realize that it was her own doing, her own fault, rather than take the blame onto his own broad shoulders. She truly just had not wanted to be a burden.

She blinked as Ri’ley summarized the exchange between himself and Dionyph, a small frown at the edge of her lips and a wrinkle still in her brow. So much had been said right underneath her nose, it was disconcerting, but she forced herself not to focus on that. Instead, she absorbed what he said, grasped his words and tried to make sense of them. The black thought that withholding information would be akin to lying, which would in turn damage the person that he wanted his bonded to become. She started for a moment when a deep voice boomed straight into her skull, solemn and familiar. Her gaze swiveled straight to Dionyph, watching his stoic features as he addressed her with his own thoughts of the conversation. A pang of jealousy pricked at her heart, but she shoved it aside and focused on the idea that it was more or less the same thing. The black simourv felt that this omission of information would take away from the person that he wanted Ri’ley to become. She took a small breath into her lungs and averted her focus back to the darker. “I don’t want to cause trouble…” She uttered uncertainly, now no longer referring to the consequences that could come from having stolen the gauze and salve from the infirmary, but now speaking of the disagreement between man and creature.

Even sitting next to the man, she felt small, but a part of her liked that feeling. She enjoyed how large he was. His broad shoulders and massive height were attractive factors, as was the way he towered over her no matter how they were positioned. At 5’10, she was tall for a member of the fairer sex, often stretching far above the heads of her friends and even a good many of the boys. So it was always a bit of a heart-fluttering experience to deal with someone so incredibly taller. And Ri’ley was nothing if not that. There was a light exhale after his question, a kind smile prompted mostly by the bright grin that flashed across his face. The dimples were back in his cheeks. “I do.” She answered simply and with a nod of her head. Shrugging her head to the side, she averted her gaze for a moment. “I haven’t really dealt with her much, but… her name is Morgana, I know that. She seems nice, I guess. She’s real colourful.” In a handful of balanced facts, she shared all she knew of her new roommate. She’d done all that she could to avoid the other candidate, never in the mood to interact with the girl. Quickly, her eyes darted back to Ri’ley. “She has a pet bird, a raven. I think his name is Hamlet and he’s really pretty.”[/ul][/size]