At Loose Ends [Kat-love!]

[Fox]

L’nan was bored. Very, very bored. She’d been trying to entertain herself all afternoon, since chores were done and otherwise there wasn’t much to occupy her attention. She’d tried to read. She’d thrown a pillow repeatedly against the wall. She’d even started a new knitting project-- a scarf that she had absolutely no need for and wasn’t even in a colour she liked. Eventually, she had just sprawled out on her bed and settled for watching Eoreph preen, which had rapidly gotten boring, considering there was only so many times the tawny could run her beak through her feathers and try to make it interesting. Eventually, even L’nan’s very patient bonded had to let out a sigh. Mine, really. Why don’t you go for a walk?[/color] The unspoken, slightly desperate ‘or something’ rang in the young woman’s mind nonetheless and, after a moment’s contemplation, she loosed a sigh to mirror the tawny’s.

”Maybe.” She conceded, rolling onto her stomach. ”But it’s getting dark and it’s cold out…” A hint of a whine crept into the tawnyrider’s voice. L’nan was loathe to move very much in the cold; the barracks were warm and cosy due to the presence of several very large, very warm simourvs, and she very much preferred it that way. Going out into the cold would require digging out a jacket and a scarf-- the one she was making wasn’t near done yet. In fact, she probably wouldn’t even manage to finish it in time for winter considering that the tawnyrider was almost always busy, and had never really had much patience for knitting anyway. When she shut her eyes again, face pressed into the pillow, Eoreph ruffled her feathers and clicked her beak in a distinctly exasperated manner. You could always go and visit someone, mine.[/color] She was sure that some of the Winglets were still in the barracks, and her bonded was beginning to grate even on her iron patience. Getting her to go out for a bit would probably cheer her up and alleviate her boredom, which would be beneficial to Eoreph’s peace of mind as well. L’nan’s ennui had been pressing down on her mind for a good three hours now.

As for L’nan, Eoreph’s suggestion had merit. She sat up, hugging the pillow against her chest, eyes narrowing as she contemplated it. Then she brightened (and Eoreph suppressed a relieved sigh) and slid off the bed and onto her stocking feet. ”Great idea, Eo-love!” She said, grinning, as she replaced the pillow and stretched. A cursory glance at her attire-- plain, slightly overlarge shirt and loose, comfortable breaches-- confirmed that she was decent enough to just pay a visit down the hall. She didn’t even bother to put on her shoes, really, since it wasn’t too muddy and the person whose door she planned to bang on only stayed four doors down. The grin still not having left her face, L’nan chirped brightly to Eoreph, ”I’m going to pay Ri’ley a visit.” before slipping out the door and trotting silently down the hall.

Ri’ley’s room was first from the entrance, and L’nan raised a hand to knock, the brisk, rhythmic rapping sounding almost loud in the corridor. Shifting from one foot to the other as a chill started to seep up through her socks, the young woman was starting to regret not putting on shoes before venturing into the hallway, and she really, really hoped that Ri’ley was in. He should be; surely there wasn’t much to do at this time of afternoon, was there? Dinner wouldn’t even be served for another hour or so… ”Hellooo? Ri’ley, you in?” ’Please be in, come on, don’t leave me standing out in the corridor…’ Because she had a distinct feeling that she had been slowly driving poor Eoreph quietly up the wall with her fidgeting, and she didn’t really fancy going back to throwing a pillow at the wall either.[/size]

[Kat]

Ever since the flying lessons and Eceph’s second flight, both Ri’ley and his simourv felt quite on edge. Ri’ley found flying absolutely terrifying, whether he was on Dionyph’s back or not, and in turn, the black fledgling believed that Ri’ley was absolutely crazy and a bit overprotective. They had both been on edge, with Dionyph wishing to experience the newfound joy of the air, but no being able to do so because of his rider’s obsessive hang-ups and neurosis. And Dionyph’s distress transcended that particular issue as well, because not only was he frustrated with Ri’ley, with a fair reason, but he also experienced a certain anxiety that even the black simourv of many words could not place or articulate. He had been nervous since Eceph’s flight, perhaps because the flight marked the fact that he himself grew, or maybe the flight projected a certain event he would engage in, a certain responsibility he would hold, or maybe it all had to do with Teimoph’s engagement with the flight, where Dionyph felt not desire to do so. Neither partner knew, but they both felt Dionyph’s unnamable irritation, and they both internalized it. Dionyph’s frustration only increased Ri’ley’s anxiety, which in turn only added to Dionyph’s state. And it was in this mental state that the two of them, for the past week, had taken to fighting. Ri’ley and Dionyph had become incredibly codependent since they bonded, and the fact that they had been fighting this consistently for this long period of time was unusual and novel to the pair.

Currently, the issue had shifted away from the usual things, and had settled to another problem. Ri’ley paced around the room, both stressed and bored, while Dionyph peered at his partner critically through half-closed white eyes. The man’s hands clasped in front of his thighs, as he strolled through his room, trotting and pacing, not frantically, but not calmly either.
Why don’t you just go find someone to spend time with, mine? As much as I enjoy your company, your current state of panic is driving me insane. I do not know how you expect to be a great warrior if you worry so much. Sometimes, I think that I would be a better warrior without your trouble.
Dionyph chirped the message, but his words were meant to sting. The chipper tone only worked to show that Dionyph was not actually serious, but he still wanted to prove his displeasure with Ri’ley’s hesitance to fly. Ri’ley turned to glare at Dionyph, and he shook his head.
Who do you suggest I go see? Should I go dote on Laraph? And pledge my use as a slave to I’dou?
Ri’ley snapped, and his tone was much less cordial or amused as his bonded partner’s tone. The simourv huffed.
Go speak to Eoreph’s, since you like her so much.
Dionyph hissed, and then a small smile glittered in his eyes, as he heard the knock on the door. How he knew it was L’nan could not be known, but it did.

Ri’ley, when the knock occurred, was about to reply to Dionyph, to completely and utterly reject the possibility of the implied affection. He did not like L’nan that much—at least not in the way Dionyph seemed to believe. It was just not true. He just liked her as a friend. But before he could answer, L’nan knocked, and Ri’ley stalked towards the door to answer it. He was unprepared to see L’nan there, and his face reflected the surprise. In fact, his face flushed as if he felt guilty about something, a deep, dark red.
”Lea, I didn’t expect to see you.”
Ri’ley announced, and then he realized that his greeting sounded very strange, almost as if he did not want to see her, which was not at all true.
”I mean, we were talking about you, so it seems rather coincidental.”
Ri’ley attempted to catch himself, but as he continued to speak, he realized that he sounded even more awkward. He coughed a bit to cover up his statement, and then he rapidly shook his head.
”I mean, Dionyph was just suggesting that I go to see you, because I was bored and bothering him”
Ri’ley explained, and Dionyph, as he watched this interaction, breathed quickly in and out as if he chuckled.

[Fox]

There was a moment of tense impatience, Lea shifting from foot to foot outside the door, before miraculously it opened and she came face to face with the person she’d been looking for. Or, to be truthful, face to chest since Ri’ley towered over her much smaller form. Tilting her head up to meet his gaze, L’nan’s grin turned slightly perplexed when the blackrider first spoke. Wasn’t expecting to see her? Well, obviously. She didn’t think she’d ever visited his room before. She wondered mildly if it was as meticulously neat as he always tried to be. Her mouth opened to deliver a rather tongue-in-cheek response, but then Ri’ley’s words continued in their barrage. And Lea stopped, eyes narrowing as she noticed the colour of the man’s face for the first time. Was he… blushing? An eyebrow crept slowly upwards as he tried to justify himself again. Rather awkwardly, one might add. Immediately, L’nan’s gaze snapped to the large form of Dionyph, her memory already noting the parallels between the black’s suggestion and the one she had taken her own simourv up on.

”Uh-huh.” She said blandly, eyebrow still crooked as she turned her gaze back to Ri’ley. ”Should I be flattered?” A small, teasing smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. The memory of Eoreph’s words was still very much in the forefront of her thoughts, though. Was it a coincidence? Lea wasn’t sure, but when she reached for Eoreph’s mind along their connection, intending to ask her, she found the other end rather suspiciously blocked off. Hmm. ”And that’s rather strange. Eoreph suggested much the same thing.” The other eyebrow crept up to join the first as the tawnyrider sent Dionyph a droll look, just in case the simourvs were planning something behind their riders’ backs. She wouldn’t put it past them, though a least Dionyph and Eoreph weren’t likely to cook up anything too malicious. The reds like Canph were another matter.

Anyway, there wasn’t much use in speculating on their intentions now. There were more important things to take care of, like maybe alleviating boredom. With a revival of her chirpy demeanour, Lea turned back to Ri’ley and propped her hands on her hips. Hospitality was obviously not a strong suit of his. ”So. Ri’ley dearest.” Her voice was saccharine in its sweetness, and he brown eyes danced. ”Are you going to invite me in, or are we going to have this conversation half in the hallway?” It was a possibility, but not a particularly comfortable one. Especially because the woman’s feet were well and truly numb now, even through the thick wool of her brightly orange-and-white striped socks. She winced slightly as she shifted to rub the back of one foot against the ankle of the other. ”If we are, then I need to get some shoes. The floor is cold.” Elsewise, she was fairly sure that she’d freeze her toes off standing out here. And she didn’t reckon the Phoenix would take kindly to being told that the tawnyrider had lost a couple of toes because she’d been standing around outside in late autumn without shoes on. That prospect was even less pleasant than the thought of losing appendages, surprisingly. But then again, the Phoenix was rather scary.

[Kat]

He was not making a good show of himself. In fact, Ri’ley was currently sounding very much like a fool. He imagined that L’nan would make fun of him later, or perhaps in the current moment, since she did like teasing him so. Ri’ley paused, realizing that he was on a roll of babbling, useless words, and so he took a small breath before he continued to speak. Should L’nan be flattered? Ri’ley was not sure. He was not exactly sure what even he meant, except that it was strange that Dionyph had suggested he go to see L’nan, and then she arrived.
”I don’t know, should you be? I suppose it depends on how much stock you put in my fancies.”
Ri’ley replied with a small smile twitching across his face. He needed to rectify his situation in some way, and Ri’ley had already decided to make himself act and feel much more nonchalant. And he did not know why it was so hard, but he felt that because he had started off on the wrong foot, he could not recover his ground. When L’nan continued to announce that Eoreph had suggested the same activity, one of Ri’ley’s thick brows rose, and he turned his gaze towards his black for a second. Surely, the black and tawny had not orchestrated this meeting. There was no reason for them to do so, and Dionyph had not been in a good mood when he suggested Ri’ley go see the tawny rider. Dionyph pretended not to notice either rider’s look, and instead, he snorted in a sleepy way and tucked his head under one of his wings. He did not need to be involved with this interaction; Ri’ley could certainly handle himself with the tawny rider. They were friends.

When L’nan asked if Ri’ley was planning on inviting her in, the blackrider blushed again, turning a deep red color as he stepped aside. He wanted to make sure that L’nan could get inside. He glanced briefly at her bare feet, and he shook his head. There was no way he could offer her shoes. His feet had to be three times larger than hers. He had rather large feet and also large shoes, and L’nan would look ridiculous in them. After Ri’ley stopped blushing, he nodded his head, and gestured into the room in a small and unappreciative way.
”I am sorry it is such a mess. If I had realized that I would be entertaining, I would have made sure to sweep.”
And from the scowl that flittered across Ri’ley’s face, it was obvious that he was serious about his worry. But only Ri’ley would ever think that the room was clean. It was meticulously organized, with almost every item in its correct place. His books were alphabetized on the shelf slipped next to the clothing chest under his bed. His medical supplies were in a box on the shelf, next to another box containing letters and lists. Even Ri’ley’s dirty clothes, which he kept in a small wooden crate at the foot of his bed, were folded into a tight, contained pile. The only aspects of the room which anyone could fault for any degree of messiness was the fact that there were black and gray feathers littering the otherwise empty floor, and also Ri’ley’s coat which was placed on his made bed.

After scowling at his room, the large man grabbed the chair which was placed in front of a small desk, on which a quill and ink well sat, and presented the piece of furnature to L’nan.
”Here, you can sit.”
Ri’ley announced, as he dropped himself on the bed. Dionyph lifted his head from under his wing, and looked through one of his huge, white eyes towards L’nan.
Hello, Eoreph’s—it is wonderful that you are gracing our room with your presence. I and mine are honored to host you.
Dionyph announced, before his eyes closed and he became inattentive again. Ri’ley nodded slightly at the black simourv’s greeting, and then he smiled broadly.
”I’m glad you decided to stop over. I was quite bored.”
Ri’ley explained with a large smile crossing his face. He did wish he had swept his floor, but he could enjoy the fact that he was not alone with Dionyph anymore, who was driving Ri’ley crazy.

[Fox]

L'nan did indeed like to tease Ri'ley. She liked to tease full-stop (which was why biting her tongue around people like Ze'el of Red Dareph wsa so difficult), but Ri'ley especially since the tall blackrider was so very easy to tease. He was much too easy to fluster, and it took very little effort to coax a blush to his cheeks; it was almost cute in a way, though L'nan would certainly not have admitted to that thought aloud. As it was, just having the word 'cute' associated with Ri'ley made her flush, though thankfully she never did go quite as red as her taller friend did. Even so, she wasn't quite sure what prompted her to answer his jesting words as truthfully as she knew how. "Quite a bit, but I'll let it go for now." She answered with a shrug, also trying for nonchalance as she glanced away from Ri'ley to Dionyph. Perhaps it was rather sad that she was missing this prime fodder for poking fun, but for some reason the topic struck a little bit too close to... something. Whatever it was, L'nan was not comfortable teasing him about it and would therefore pretend the exchange had not occurred.

She stepped into the room cheerily when he opened the door, noting the meticulous state of the man's personal belongings almost at once. Of course, the minute Ri'ley labelled his room as 'a mess', her jaw nearly hit the floor. This was a mess? This was a mess? The place was practically sterile! Unless you counted the feathers lying around, but then that couldn't really be helped. And Ri'ley thought this was messy? L'nan was never letting him see her room now. She'd forever feel the need to clean up if he saw it. She spoke slowly, cautiously, eyes narrow in disbelief, "Ri'ley. If you call this messy you are never allowed to set foot in my room." L'nan wasn't a messy person; her room was fairly neat as rooms went, but it wasn't without its share of homely clutter. The tawnyrider never felt at home unless she had a few things left around to mark the place as hers. Thus, there were books on her table, quills lying around in strange places, the occasional random flowerpot and an even thicker carpet of feathers than there was here. No, Ri'ley was definitely never to be allowed to see her room.

The chair was taken gladly, as L'nan immediately propped her elbows on her knees to survey the area. When Dionyph's deep voice reached her, the woman turned to smile at the simourv, inclining her head in acknowledgement of his greeting. "Thank you, Dionyph. Thank you and Yours for hosting me. The honour is all mine." Her voice was warm, but with a hint of amusement as she returned the black's verbose greeting in kind. She did like Dionyph, and Eoreph liked Dionyph, but she wouldn't deny that his dramatics greatly amused her. He and Ri'ley were well-suited in their own strange way.

A bare moment later, Dionyph's attention had again strayed, and Ri'ley's comment was met with a lopsided grin fron L'nan. She knew how that felt. "I know what you mean; I was practically climbing the walls in my room. Eoreph couldn't wait to kick me out." She chuckled softly at the thought, though her simourv's suspicious silence still warranted some investigating. But the time for that was not now, since Ri'ley was present to tease and talk to, and he was certainly welcome company. He had to be; she'd sought him out, after all. Leaning back in her chair, she wrung her slightly aching wrists out, rubbing them at the memory of the click of her knitting needles. "I even started knitting again; not like I really need another scarf." She commented ruefully, thinking of the length of knitted wool sitting on her bed, already over a foot and a half long; The woman had been working solidly at it for most of the afternoon, and it even had a raised stripe pattern. Testimony of how bored she had been. But she really, really didn't need another scarf, and L'nan was just contemplating this as she eyed Ri'ley with a sudden scrutiny. She didn't think he had a scarf. "You wouldn't happen to like blue, would you? Navy blue?" Because that had been the only wool available out of hand that wasn't beyond her budget; navy wasn't really a colour L'nan would have chosen of her own accord.

[Kat]

L’nan teased quite a bit, which meant that it was easy to uphold a certain level of banter with the woman, so when L’nan did not reply back to Ri’ley’s not-quite-serious comment with a similar reply, he was momentarily taken aback. He paused, his face scrunching, before he nodded and smiled. She had complimented him, after all, in a very genuine manner. He darkened a bit, turning a bit red in the face, but he did smile through his blush.
”Thank you.”
Ri’ley muttered, because he did not know what else to say. She had complimented him, and the result of this was that he did not know how to respond besides a small show of gratitude. He was not going to press the issue, certainly, and he was going to allow the exchange to sit in the air. They needed to move on, or they would be trapped in a strange situation of moderately awkward sentimental comments towards each other, and Ri’ley did not want that.

The room, for Ri’ley, was messy, and it was difficult to understand that it was not necessarily messy in the eyes of other people. When he looked at the space, all he saw were the feathers that littered the floor and the clothes that were out of place. The fact that the clothes that were out were dirty but folded, did not forgive the fact that Ri’ley had not yet put them away. The feathers, though, were the worst part of it. he tried to sweep them up daily, at least, if not twice a day. And once he collected them, he would dig through the pile, picking out the best feathers to keep in a small box under his bed, and the rest he would throw out. Dionyph lost a bunch of feathers, often, so Ri’ley swept a good deal, but to the man, it was worth it to keep his room as clean as he possibly could. He had never been the kind of person to own pets, because he hated their mess, the mess of the animals, but then again, Dionyph was no pet. He was far, far better than a pet. He was Ri’ley’s soul, in many ways, but he dropped a lot of feathers. Ri’ley just had to be meticulous about it. When L’nan spoke, Ri’ley smiled. He did, in some ways, understand that his comment might be a bit intimidating. He then shrugged.
”L’nan, I’m absolutely sure your room is charming.”
Ri’ley said, and even though his words were not the most reassuring, he clearly meant them. Ri’ley could imagine that L’nan’s room was pretty clean, and he liked her enough that he could forgive the imperfections of it.

As L’nan talked about boredom, he nodded in agreement. He completely empathized with her, because he felt very much the same way. He, too, had taken up old hobbies, as he had been reading out of his medical books, books that he had almost memorized in their entirety, which did very little to ease his tedium. Earlier in the day, he had taken to reading the books L’nan had loaned him on midwifery, but after exhausting that pool, he attempted to find another outlet.
”I’ve been reading, some.”
Ri’ley admitted, before he paused.
”Actually, I finished the books you loaned me—almost a year ago, if you want them back. I did not intend to keep them so long.”
Ri’ley acknowledged. L’nan had loaned them to him right after the hatching, so it had been almost a year. it was impossible to believe that Eceph’s first hatching had been so long ago. It felt like a lifetime away but also like yesterday, in a weird way pressing itself, burning itself, into Ri’ley’s mind as the most important event in his life. He had returned many of the books back already; returning them as he finished them, but the final four he still had in his possession. it was shameful to keep borrowed objects for almost a year. Ri’ley hoped that L’nan could forgive him.

The woman’s comment about the scarf made Ri’ley perk with interest. He was surprised, although he was not sure why, that the woman wanted to make him something. It seemed as if it would take so much work, and Ri’ley rarely expected or received gifts. His parents were not the kind to do that kind of gifting, and although he was close to his master, Donovan only gave Ri’ley strictly practical gifts, of surgical instruments that he needed or books. A scarf, though, was a different kind of gift, and the fact that L’nan wanted to give Ri’ley something that she made—it felt like such a personal item. His first reaction was to reject the suggestion, but since L’nan seemed like she wanted to make the scarf and that she did not want to keep it, Ri’ley decided that he should accept the offer. Besides, he needed a scarf. Even though it was his second winter at the Eyrie, his winter wardrobe was limited.
”Well, I honestly prefer black—“
Ri’ley joked as he turned obviously towards Dionyph to show his reason.
”But I am quite fond of navy as well. It’s a very professional color.”
Ri’ley added with a broad grin crossing his face. He was going to leave the comment there, but then he paused again, his brows knitting together for a second, before he continued, even though he knew he should stop.
”I’d like anything you made for me.”
Ri’ley could not untangle his own sentiment behind the statement. He only knew that he did feel that way. Anything that L’nan gave him, he would likely treasure, although he would not admit that extremity to her. The sentiment dripping from his last statement was humiliating, however, and he dropped his head momentarily in his hands to hide his blush, even though that was useless and pointless, because by now, L’nan was used to how easily embarrassed Ri’ley was.

[Fox]

To Ri'ley's bashful thanks, there was really no other response other than to nod, so that was what L'nan did. For good measure, she waved her hand in the air, partially to convey a message of 'don't mention it' and partially almost to try and dispel the lingering awkwardness that had cropped up as a result of the little truth she'd spoken. Otherwise, though L'nan acted largely as if she was trying to pretend that the words had never passed her lips; an attitude that was rapidly coming to be habit when she spent too much time around a certain tall blackrider. He was her best friend, yes, but there were times when she surprised even herself around him and the woman did not like that at all. The tawnyrider very much liked to be in control, and the instances of unusual behaviour from herself-- like that sudden burst of honesty she would rather have avoided, undermined that.

With a bemused smile, she shook her head, absently carding her fingers through her loose ponytail, tugging on a stubborn tangle in the curls. Ri'ley was being, as ever, polite. "I'm sure you'd say that even if it was a pigsty." She observed warmly, tilting her head to one side with brown eyes narrowed in amusement. "And either way, 'charming' is not the word I would use on it." L'nan made a face as she contemplated Ri'ley's obssessive organisational habits. It would perhaps be amusing to see him react to a room resembling a pigsty; L'nan wondered if he would throw a fit like some of the women she'd seen, but it would also be somewhat horrifying at the same time. A vision of Ri'ley with a white cloth kerchief tied over his head, an apron and a broom popped into the tawnyrider's head quite suddenly, and before she quite knew it, a laugh escaped. Reddening, the woman clapped a hand over her twitching mouth, trying now to banish that terribly laughable image even as she apologised, "Sorry! Ahah- um, sorry," for an entirely indiscernible reason.

The mention of the books, though, brought L'nan back into something resembling seriousness as she recalled the tomes she had lent to Ri'ley nearly a year ago. Had it really been that long? It hadn't been too long before the Hatching where the Alpha class had bonded, but that seemed like it had been forever ago. L'nan could no longer remember what it felt like to not have Eoreph's presence in her mind, whether or not the simourv was actively speaking to her, or even involved in something else. They were intimately aware of each other, like two souls sharing a space, so much so that either one would not be able to survive without the other. "It's fine. You can return them to me whenever, I don't mind." She assured him with a shrug. Yes, the books were precious to her, having been her mother's, but she knew Ri'ley would have taken care of them as well as she did or better. She didn't even mind if he wanted to keep them for a bit longer, really; just so long as she eventually got them back, L'nan was alright with it. In fact, she'd been rather bored lately, considering that she knew most of her own books back to front... Perhaps some new reading material was in order. "Actually, you wouldn't happen to have anything to read that you wouldn't mind lending to me, would you?" She asked, grinning in a faintly hopeful manner. "I've kind of run out of new things to read, you see, and it might help me learn a bit more about more general medical work." L'nan needed to know more than just the art of the midwife; she wanted to be able to make herself useful to the riders in more ways, and she couldn't do that if things like setting bones was beyond her. She wanted to learn.

L'nan had to roll her eyes, though, as Ri'ley cited black as his favourite colour (because honestly, a blind person could have guessed that) but perked up interestedly at the statement that he did quite like navy. "Oh, good," She said with a grin, "Because it's the only colour I have." Not many people liked thin navy wool for knitting. When the strands were thin, one ended up having to make more knots to get a decent width for a scarf, and the scarf L'nan was making already had fifty knots in a row. Thick wool meant you could probably get away with thirty or twenty-five, but unfortunately a ball of thick wool was rather more expensive than the bundle she'd purchased for a few diasks. It didn't truly matter though, since either way the scarf would keep the wearer warm. She was just opening her mouth to discuss the scarf, a sense of anticipation building now that the scarf actually had a purpose, when Ri'ley spoke again. His words made L'nan's mouth snap shut quite quickly as surprise lifted her eyebrows into her fringe. Lips parted once, then shut again as she considered what to say to that, eyeing the top of Ri'ley's bowed head with a mild sense of disconcertment. A flush was already rising to her cheeks, this one threatening to stay. "Oh. Um. Thank you?" She stated uncertainly, the end of her sentence tilting upwards in a vague question. Belatedly, L'nan tried for levity; "I guess it depends how much stock you put in my handiwork" and failed rather miserably.

[Kat]

L’nan was right—even if she admitted that she was an absolute slob and brought Ri’ley to her pigsty of a room to prove it, he would have told her that her room was charming. And the strange truth of the matter was that he might even think her room charming under any level of mess, because it would be her room. He would not tell her that truth outright, though; he would be much too embarrassed, because it conveyed the depth of his attachment to her. L’nan would probably mistake his platonic feelings for—something else. Ri’ley did not want to suffer her teasing if such a mistake of feelings occurred. He would never hear the end of it.
”Really, because I’m sure it is, and I can’t imagine it’s that dirty, either.”
And if it was, as previously established, Ri’ley would probably not care beyond his initial shock, the one created by his compulsion for cleaning and his orderly mind. He could restrain himself from cleaning other people’s mess, unless it was particularly terrible, or unless he was unusually stressed. For the most part, Ri’ley could stand quietly in the back and feel the discomfort of the room around him without outwardly reacting to it. And as he stated, if L’nan felt she was messy, she was probably not terrible. He could not picture it. When L’nan started to laugh, Ri’ley felt baffled. He did not think that he said anything amusing. He stared at her, his eyebrows tightening in confusion, and his mouth opening a bit in protest.
”Did I say something? I mean, why are you laughing?”
Ri’ley questioned. If he said something to offend, he wanted to know. Although her laughter did not sound as if L’nan was offended, but that thought just made Ri’ley worry that he had made a complete fool of himself. Was it that awkward? Maybe he should find something to do.

L’nan quelled Ri’ley’s worry somewhat, because she accepted that he had not returned her books. Ri’ley smiled slightly, a small, pitiful smile, before he nodded his head.
”Thank you very much, L’nan. I appreciate the books quite a bit, you know.”
Ri’ley could have used this change to explain what he had learned from the books, where they had mended the gaps in his knowledge, but that would take a long time and benefit neither of them. He wished he could share that information through telepathy, in the same way he could convey information to Dionyph, so that L’nan could truly understand. He would just have to apply the information in practice, and use it so that she could see it. He would make a point of doing that. When L’nan asked for texts as well, Ri’ley gestured to the shelf under his bed. He scanned the books over for a second with his gaze even though he knew exactly what order they were in, their titles, and every detail on their spines.
“Yeah, you can just browse there and take which ever you think will be the most useful. The dark blue book three left from the end is the most expansive one, but it is kind of dry, as it covers a lot of information.”
Ri’ley explained with a small shrug of his shoulders. L’nan would, of course, know what she needed better than he did. And he did not want to seem pushy or over bearing. Ri’ley knew that he showed those tendencies at times.

The man nodded as L’nan spoke. He had assumed that she only had one color, because otherwise, why would she start a scarf in a color she disliked. Knitting was not a task he could perform, as his father considered it a domestic activity.
”Besides, I need a scarf, and the color won’t detract from its warmth.”
Ri’ley added with a small shrug of his shoulders. He was not very picky about colors, anyway. He liked a lot of colors, really, and few color preferences which were strong enough to dictate any rejection of a gift. Ri’ley could tell that he made L’nan awkward again, and he sighed. He did not know exactly how to rectify the situation. He felt terribly that he could not seem to hold a conversation with her today. What was wrong with him?
“Quite a bit, actually.”
Ri’ley finally decided to reply. He hoped that by mimicking L’nan’s reply from earlier, he could make light of both awkward situations and fix the tension in the air. He was just not sure it was going to work. He was not doing very well today.