Hunt and Chase [Cy!]

[Kilnarak]

It had only been a few weeks since he had hatched, but already Teimoph was noticeably larger. The red hatchling was already large enough to take up most of N'raan's bed, and he had made it very clear that that was where he intended to sleep - not in the nest that had been set aside for him. Of course, Teimoph expected His to sleep there as well, however the dark-skinned boy had rather quickly given up on squeezing in up with the simourv. Instead N'raan had taken to rearranging the blankets and bedding that had been set aside for Teimoph's nest into his own sleeping space. It was comfortable enough, really - better than some of what he'd had to make due with in Sayaie. It annoyed Teimoph a touch, however - he didn't seem to understand that his quickly growing frame left little enough room for His on the bed.

This morning N'raan had awoken buried beneath his commandeered bedding - not an uncommon occurrence, really. What had awakened him, however, was that his cocoon of blankets was slowly being picked and pulled apart by the insistent nudging beak of his simourv. Teimoph was almost uncharacteristically gentle with His - while he didn't care much at all about the other humans, the ones his siblings had bonded to, he would have hated to have injured His (well, seriously injured His - His was strong, strong enough to weather a few little scrapes and bruises). As he realized His was awake, Teimoph drew back and offered an awkwardly soft mewling squawk. It is morning, Mine. And I am hungry. Teimoph stated this matter-of-fact-ly, pawing absently at His' blankets. And then he rumbled in annoyance as His attempted to burrow back into the bedding - Too early Tei! He put an abrupt stop to the attempt, leaning in to catch the blanket in his beak and wrench it away with a sharp jerk of his head. You shouldn't have stayed out so late, Teimoph's voice held a faintly peevish tone, annoyed that His had been away at all, but it softened slightly as he continued, We can sleep again after we eat.

It took a good deal more prodding before N'raan finally dragged himself out of bed and got dressed. Bleary-eyed and rumpled, he didn't take all that much time in choosing his clothing for the day, pulling on a simple gray tunic and black trousers - he didn't bother with shoes. Those scant preparations done, Teimoph ushered his displeased bond down the hallways toward breakfast - both for himself, as well as for His. The red made his usual attempts at tearing free his own meat this morning - as he did every morning - before allowing His to cut free the remainder into easily manageable chunks. He made a bit more progress at it this morning, and was pleased enough - if rather messy.

As they left the feeding grounds, he nudged N'raan toward the kitchens to his own breakfast - N'raan didn't care to stay, however. He gathered up a number of scraps left over from others' breakfasts, as well as a steaming mug of coffee, and then headed back out of the kitchen. The dim lighting of the interior gave him a headache, it felt too stuffy and closed in - he needed fresh air. Sipping at his hot beverage, N'raan made his way away from the kitchens without the insistent nudging of Teimoph to goad him on, slowly picking his way through the various corridors of the Eyrie until he found himself in the gardens. N'raan flinched upon first exiting the dark corridors and moving into the light of the garden, ducking near immediately into the shade of a fruit-baring tree. He remained there some long moments, wincing at the light and waiting for his eyes to adjust and his headache to recede - both occurred slowly, gradually, but for all that discomfort, at least he didn't feel stifled under the vast weight of the Eyrie; not with the open sky above him.

N'raan lowered himself into a slow comfortable sit in the shade, sprawling out a bit as he began to pick apart his own breakfast. While his head still throbbed, at least he felt more awake now that he had food in him. It was some time before he looked up from his meal, from the shade, squinting to glance over the garden he had brought himself to. Teimoph had taken to stalking a circuit of the terrain, before he finally came to rest at N'raan's side again and fell into a similar sprawl. The red yawned and nosed as His' leg. You know this place, it wasn't a question, he could feel the recognition dawning in N'raan's mind.

The blonde boy cast a brief grin aside at the simourv, then nodded toward the far wall. "Yeh, Tei. Took 'nii here b'fore... Tryin' t' teach him t' hunt," his lips twitched into a slight, brief frown as he said this. His lesson hadn't seemed all that effective - the boy could hit motionless targets (sometimes) but he'd had no luck at all with those in motion. The lizards he had chosen as game still clung to the walls, skittered amidst the grasses - but there seemed to be fewer of them. It was likely that it had to do with the weather, it would be cooling off soon wouldn't it? Winter wasn't so far off.

Teimoph's attention fell to the lizards even as N'raan's did, and he snorted as he saw the creatures. Slow and lazy! He could catch them, and he stated as much. He couldn't catch them, but I can. Watch me, Mine. Teimoph growled softly as he rose, and began to stalk slowly toward the far wall - his posture not unlike that of a hunting cat, 'though his vibrantly red feathers stood out sharply against the verdant grasses. An overwhelming sense of confidence radiated from the red, confidence and concentration as he hunkered down to choose his prey - waiting for the right moment to pounce.

[Cy]

[Kilnarak]

Teimoph waited crouched in the grass, watching the small reptiles scrambling along the rocky face of the canyon with avid interest. He held nearly absolutely still save for the very tip of his tail, which twitched back and forth rhythmically. He only needed to wait for one to get close enough, to hold still long enough - one moved within range, a skinny creature, hardly a mouthful, and he tensed as he readied to pounce upon the unsuspecting creature.

But there was a footfall behind him, distracting him - far behind, much nearer the entrance he and N'raan had come through than where he was now, but his keen ears twitched back as he caught it. Someone - something - was intruding upon this sanctuary His had found, someone had followed them? The young red growled softly, alerting the lizard to his presence, and then he lunged, striking the creature hard with his fore-claws and pinning it to the ground just as it was about to bolt. Teimoph slowly straightened from his crouch, lowering his head to sniff at the still squirming and rather broken little reptile held in his claws - his movements were tense, his posture rigid - stance set in such a manner as to emphasize his size, the threat he could pose to the intruder. Teimoph opened his beak, taking the hissing and flailing lizard's head in his jaws, then closing them with a violent wrench - it's neck snapped free of it's shoulders easily, it's bones small and fragile. Teimoph crunched the creature's skull in his beak, swallowing it, then lifted the now limp body carefully in his jaws and turned about to face the intruder.

The dark rings about the red hatchling's golden eyes only made them appear more fiery, more fierce, as he glared at the frozen girl. He held his ground a long moment, simply regarding the girl disapprovingly, before he huffed sharply through his nostrils and turned to pad tensely back to His. The girl was no threat, weak and timid like the tame deer kept corralled with the livestock. Teimoph laid the unmoving, headless corpse on the soil before His - an offering and an example. See, Mine? I can catch them, I can hunt them for you. I am much better than Akaturiaph's, he huffed out another sharp breath, pointedly ignoring the intruding girl.

Where Teimoph had refused to acknowledge the girl until after his kill had been made, N'raan's interest had fallen upon her nearly as soon as he noticed her. He watched Amira tread obliviously into the garden, watched her freeze as she spied the predator at it's opposite side - it was an animal response, and it amused him, drawing a dark smile briefly to his lips. The dark-skinned boy remained in the shade, partially obscured from the girl's view by a few high bushes and weeds, undergrowth that had not yet been uprooted or trimmed back into some semblance of order. He absently picked apart a berry tart he had stolen from the kitchens earlier, peeling back the outer layers of pastry and idly licking sticky fruit-jam from his fingers as he watched her reactions - intrigued.

N'raan had fully disemboweled the pastry and set aside it's slightly glazed remains by the time Teimoph made his way back over with his gift. He hadn't seen any reason to announce his presence to the girl prior to that, waiting to allow Teimoph to do it for him. He made a show of appearing interested in Teimoph's offering - not having to act much, as he was impressed by how quickly the read had struck - not looking up at Amira. "Mayb', Tei. But w' can't live off lizards, or y' can't 't th' least. Y' think y' could take down somethin' bigger?" he murmured to the red, his voice holding a hint of a purr. Truly, he was pleased with his Teimoph, incredibly pleased - and Teimoph could sense as much. The red puffed out his feathers a touch and leaned down to nose the lizard toward His. Of course I can. I can do anything for Mine, he growled softly, and lowered himself to a lounge beside his.

Shortly, Teimoph returned his glare to the frozen girl, and as his attention re-focused on her, so did N'raan's. He made another show, acting surprised to see her standing there, frozen like a rabbit under the gaze of a hawk. His lips twitched in a brief smirk that turned into a full on grin. "Somethin' catch yer eye, li'l doe?" he purred like a cat with blood and feathers on its lips, sated and amused. "Lucky 't ain' deer we're huntin', haa? 'course there ain' any out here, jus' fruit an' vermin." His gaze shifted away from the girl as he said this, and he idly lifted the lizard corpse carefully by the tip of it's tail, displaying it to their 'guest.'

[Cy]

[/b] She finally piped up, clenching her fists anxiously for a moment before stretching her slender fingers out and then turning to carefully make her way closer to the boy. “I mean, there’s meat and stuff already in the feeding pens and the kitchens, you just have to cut it up.” She explained, brow creased with her curiosity and her voice soft with her apprehension as she approached. Any practicality there might have been in having one’s simourv hunt lizards or even the likelihood that the wingletmaster might have advised them to it soared over her head. Same as the possibility that they might simply be hunting because they felt like it.[/ul][/size]

[Kilnarak]

N'raan was wholly aware of the discomfort he was causing, the girl's expression and nervous manner displaying that fact clearly enough. It amused him, and for the moment he didn't see any reason not to let it show - his lips curling up into a broad and rather feral grin. "Ahhh, she speaks t'?" He laughed as he lowered the lizard's corpse back to the ground, laying it out carefully in front of him. His eyes shifted away from the girl and down to the gift, and he absently ran his fingers over the smooth scales along it's spine. Since Teimoph had given it to him, he should make use of it, and so he considered how he should prepare the thing. It would have to wait, however - he doubted any of the higher-ups would appreciate him starting a cookfire in the middle of the gardens, and he didn't much feel like leaving for the kitchens again. The creature would keep for a while yet, anyway, there was no hurry.

Teimoph's eyes didn't leave the girl once since she addressed His, watching her closely - suspicious and weighing. She was no threat and she had done nothing to offend him - nothing aside from being here anyway, and that was an offense he could grudgingly overlook. His also seemed to find her entertaining - he wasn't sure if he approved of this or not; of course he was glad that His was happy, but if the girl tried to steal Him... The little red rumbled, growling, and the tip of his tail twitched although he didn't move otherwise.

"Y' really think they're gon' take care've us ferever?" the boy answered finally, still idly stroking the ridge of the lizard's spine as if he enjoyed the texture beneath his fingertips. His amber eyes flicked lazily back up to the girl, and his lips twitched into the beginnings of another grin. "Tha' they'll pr'vide for us always? Ain' tha' real naive," he laughed again, a touch softer this time, and jerked his chin toward the red simourv. "'m jus' teachin' Tei wha' he'll need t' know, when we're on our own."

When we're on Our own? Teimoph's burning golden gaze shifted away from the girl momentarily, focusing on His N'raan a moment. He was a bit confused by this, but His seemed very sure of it. The red's ears flicked back, pinning against his skull, and he snorted softly. We will not be on Our own, if we are together. He rumbled again, slowly lowering his head to his paws - the concept distressed him, leaving the Eyrie, but His seemed to think it was a inevitable; you couldn't stay in one place too long, eventually you would have to leave. He was so sure of it... Teimoph didn't need the others anyway, so long as he had His, but then, who would protect Laraph? That fool Dionyph? Ha. Not until we have to, N'raan's hand left the lizard, and instead was dropped onto Teimoph's head, ruffling his feathers.

"S' wha' are y' doin', li'l doe? Ain' all tha' much out here t' look at. 'less y' mean t' look 't us?" N'raan dropped the matter of leaving, leaning slightly to the side against Teimoph. While he had dealt with the red's misgivings, his grinning visage had smoothed a moment, but now it resumed.

[ Sorry this one's kinda short. I kept getting distracted while I was trying to write and losing my train of thought. x.x ]

[Cy]

[/I] it. It seemed the action of an individual with a less than stable mind, morbid and dangerous. It made a rather good deal of sense that the violent red from the Hatching would bond to a boy like this though, that much was certain. It unsettled her, his actions and then the unwavering stare of the simourv at his side, but she made no move to dismiss herself. In fact, she moved towards him, her stride cautious and yet her unfailing curiosity urged her on all the same. It paused only briefly with the faint rumble of the red at the dark boy’s side, a twitching tail signaling agitation to her, but the creature didn’t move an inch otherwise and so she took it as a form of permission to continue. Carefully, of course.

Concern moved in a crease across her brow at his questioning, uncertainty putting her off at the implication that he was setting down. He was calling her naïve, but she didn’t have the heart or care to be insulted by it. She wasn’t easily insulted on a typical day, but now he’d set more important things for her to focus on as he more or less stated that the riders of the Eyrie wouldn’t continue to care for them. It seemed preposterous and highly cynical. Of course they’d be taken care of and provided for here. It was set up entirely for that. What did this boy think would happen, that they’d all be abandoned?

As Teimoph turned his attentions to the boy, she sank down slowly to her knees on the ground in front of them. Her eyes drifted down his form to focus on the decapitated lizard that he continued to stroke as if it were some loved possession before sliding over to look to his simourv as the red stared so lovingly up at him. A pang wrangled itself into existence somewhere deep in her guts, jealous and dark, but she bit her tongue and looked up to the boy’s face instead. ”It seems less naïve of me and more really cynical of you. Nobody’ll be on their own, I think we’re all supposed to stick together.” She argued lightly, confusion continuing to weigh the corners of her lips down into a frown and furrowing her brows. She’d wanted to go somewhere when she’d first arrived. Selected as a candidate, she’d dreamed of being able to fly to all the unexplored places eventually, on her own – but now faced with someone who thought the same, but based out of perceived necessity rather than dreamy desire, it felt strange and impossible to consider. None of them would be forced to be on their own. Right?

Once more, the pet name was placed on her head and, this time, she didn’t mind it. No cold shivers crawled down her back. It simply was a thing that he called her and she found that she wanted a thing to simply call him. She wanted something that rolled off the tongue as smoothly and playfully as ‘lil doe’ did, but nothing ridiculous. It had to suit him. But what could it be? She was awful with names. Glancing between him and his simourv for a moment, she focused on his face and took a breath, finally pushing the slightest smile against the corner of her mouth. ”Guess I do mean to now.” She answered honestly, a small shrug moving her thin shoulders.[/ul][/size]

[Kilnarak]

"Y' know tha' fer certain, mm?" N'raan's voice dropped to a low, thoughtful murmur. He wouldn't disagree that his was a cynical outlook, however it had also been one that proved useful throughout his experiences - a practical, realistic outlook. Everyone wanted something, and a person could be tossed aside easily if they failed to provide it. At the very least they would be expected to earn their keep, to repay what had been given to them already - and if he understood correctly, that repayment would take the form of fighting and eventually dying for a woman he didn't care a whit for. Oh, their Phoenix was impressive - the type of woman he liked, strong and in power - but he felt no allegiance to her. For all that Teimoph was awed by his mother and bound to his siblings, N'raan felt no such familial ties to any in the Eyrie besides his brother - and when his time here had come to an end, when they expected to do things he didn't care to, he fully intended to drag Kenii with him - kicking and screaming if it came to that.

"Yer on yer own, ain' y'?" N'raan's gaze on the girl narrowed, his tone no longer thoughtful, instead taking a sharper edge. He saw how she looked at him, at Teimoph. "Like w' are? Mayb' tha's why yer out here. N'one an' nothin' t' take yer breakfas' with, hmm? Strayed from th' herd?" He laughed again, softly, and at his side the red hatchling shifted. Teimoph's ears flicked back and his hawkish gaze finally left the girl for more than an instant, turning fully on His. He was concerned by the thoughts and ideas drifting through the boy's head, and confused as well. The red nudged his black beak under N'raan's arm, against his side, and warbled quietly, somewhat awkwardly. Teimoph preferred solitude, but His did not? His expected it, however... He wasn't sure what he should say to His, however the young red still tried his best to project comfort - unsure and rough-around-the-edges 'though it was.

N'raan turned his attention briefly to the simourv nuzzling his side, sweeping his piercing gaze away from the girl. He lightly stroked Teimoph's ears and the ruff of soft feathers about his cheeks and neck, accepting his bond's second offering in silence. His expression softened slightly when he looked to the red, again taking on a slightly more thoughtful appearance - the mask didn't slip far, however. After a few long moments, he finally returned his attention to the girl - all of the sharp edges smoothed away beneath a lazier facade. N'raan shifted, leaning more of his weight against his bond, sprawling in the shade.

"Are w' really s' int'restin', li'l doe?" he purred, letting his eyes fall half-lidded and discarding the previous topic like he had the refuse of his breakfast. "Are w' mesmerisin'? Y' were 'fraid, but y' came s' close...?" he trailed off in a chuckle that blurred into a yawn, and stretched slightly. It wasn't that difficult, pushing aside the tension that had begun building when he thought of his place in the grand scheme of things, of leaving. It was easy to bury it away, to play at being amused - because while a part of him had wound up tight as a watch-spring, he was still amused. He was also a touch intrigued by her manner, curious what made her stay. She'd approached them like a mouse, sneaking up to a languid cat - but he'd never seen a mouse stop and sit calmly before a predator, sleeping or not. "S' wha' are y' called, li'l doe? Don' think w' ever did catch yer name."

[Cy]

[/I] – and it seemed strange that he was unable to realize that. If not unable, then simply unwilling. Did he truly have no faith at all in this place and these people? It seemed a very sad state of mind regardless of how easily he seemed to smile and laugh. It seemed very lonely.

Her heart fluttered at the sudden sharpness of his tone as the boy questioned her, but it wasn’t a sensation of warm and fuzzy feeling. It was uncertainty, a vague hint of panic at the prospect that she might have somehow insulted the winglet. If she insulted then, by default, she surely insulted the red at his side, and she’d already played the part of a front seat witness to what happened when the simourv was insulted. Her own gaze narrowed on him, curiosity and confusion behind the light color of her eyes, as she glanced between the two and considered this. She was on her own, very much so. No one to take her breakfast with, strayed from the herd – however he wanted to put it, though she found it hard to consider that she was alone like he was. Her eyes settled on Teimoph as the red nuzzled the boy with affection and love, avian noises bubbled from his throat. Watching the creature, a corner of her mouth tugged up into a slight and kind smile, something softening inside of her underneath her fear of him. Of course, smoothly after, she was plagued by that envy and she quickly averted her eyes to return up to the boy. “I could find someone to be in my company, if I wanted. And neither of you are alone if you stay together.” The argument might have been poetic if she weren’t so serious about it.

As the winglet turned his attentions away from her to tenderly stroke the red, her gaze remained focused on his face. She studied his profile, hoping to catch the details of his expressions as he sat distracted from her. She was a fly on the wall as the mask made itself clear, predatory grins and morbid smirks slipping away to reveal soft edges and thoughts, but it was back in place quickly before she could think twice about how she felt as a response to the glimpse. She blinked dumbly, straightening up a measure as those mischievous eyes turned back on to her.

He seemed vaguely frightening as he questioned her motives on coming closer to the pair of them, to timidly kneel in front of them despite the terror that had paralyzed her just moments before. She’d imagined sharp claws digging into her skin and guts falling carelessly to the ground through her groping fingers, but now she was sitting with the beast and feeling soft feelings for him as he nuzzled his seemingly less than sane bonded. The winglet unsettled her, made her spine shiver with momentary chills, but she still kneeled there and met his gaze. Curiosity had a way of making her do truly idiotic things sometimes. “I suppose you are fairly mesmerizing then.” She answered as if he’d just provided her with the reply. Surely she wouldn’t have ignored her fear to come so close if the pair weren’t at least something close to mesmerizing. Her gaze drifted momentarily away as he stretched, but snapped back to him as he finally asked for her name. She tipped her chin up and her lips once more crept into that polite smile she’d been wearing for days now. “I’m Amira,” she offered. No honorific for her, not yet. “And you both are?” She repeated the wonderment, glancing over to the red to include him in her desire for names before looking back to the boy.[/ul][/size]

[Kilnarak]

Two sets of bright amber eyes considered the girl - Amira - at her answer, studying her as if she was something strange. She was merely repeating the answers offered to her, and that annoyed N'raan a touch, however it also left him wondering what else he might goad her into saying. Perhaps it would prove an entertaining pastime, at least for a while - he could never stay interested in people long if they bent too easily, if they weren't a challenge. At his side, Teimoph had settled his muzzle upon his taloned feet - a restful pose, for all that his eyes had resumed tracking the girl's every movement. I do not understand. Why is she still here? You did not offer my gift to her, did you? the simourv's burning gaze flicked aside suspiciously to His - he hadn't sensed any such intention in the boy, however he had presented the dead lizard to the girl...

N'raan's lips curved into an amused smirk at Teimoph's suspicion, and he broke into a soft laugh. No, he thought back to the red, Doubt she'd want it, even if I had. Teimoph growled, low and rumbling, his tail twitching in the grass. It is for you. Is there something wrong with it? The dark-skinned boy's smirk only broadened into a grin, his eyes still fixed on Amira, looking her over as he continued this internal conversation. Nothing. Won't give it away. It's mine now.

"Said we're mesmerizin', mm? Perhaps she thinks us pretty, Tei?" After the short period of silence in which he examined her and conversed with his simourv, N'raan's purring speech seemed a bit sudden. His gaze shifted briefly to the simourv then back to the girl, and he tilted his head slightly to one side. "D' y' think us pretty... Amira, haa? How're we s' mesmerizin', then? Perhaps y'd like us t' be in yer... company, mm?" He trailed off into more soft laughter, amused by the idea - unlikely 'though it was. He wondered if she would agree again, if she would parrot back his words - seeking to please, seeking to avoid anger. He half hoped she wouldn't - of course he wouldn't argue being called a pretty thing, if she merely repeated his own words back at him that was boring.

Like Canph's, then, Teimoph grumbled, his tail lashing and the intensity of the glare directed toward Amira hot enough to scald. N'raan is Mine. You cannot have him, the red's voice sudden suddenly filled the girl's head, low and grave and dark as a building storm - one could almost imagine the hot flashes of anger flaring like lightning in the dark. Given that N'raan laughed again, soft and amused, it was likely he heard as well. "But isn' Tei a sweet thin'?" he drawled past the broad grin curling his lips, playfully ruffling the simourv's ears.

[Cy]

[/I], certainly. The winglet was, above any of that, chilling and the way he spoke aloud to his partner just made him that much more unsettling. It was a conversation about her that she wasn’t a part of and she wasn’t entirely sure how to respond, if she even should at all. Simply sitting there, like some kind of meek and demure thing that she so usually was not, didn’t seem like the thing to do; yet, at the same time, it felt like all she was able to do.

Her lips parted slightly, eyes glancing between the pair before coming to settle at last on the man as he addressed her. She shifted awkwardly as he said her name, tilting her head and holding her gaze as steady as she could on his face. “You’re… different, from most.” She offered with gentle emphasis, eyes narrowed slightly. That’s exactly why he was mesmerizing. The same way an unusual fish caught in the nets of fishermen was mesmerizing, oohed and ahhed over for the longest time while people sought to determine whether it was poisonous or not. Not that that was something she necessarily needed to know in this case, she felt fairly well aware of the boy’s likelihood for deadly venom. “And technically, I’d suppose you’re already in my company now.” She returned as if any possible suggestive innuendo had soared right over her head, as if she truly were some innocent thing without a clue. As if there were truly only one other way for one person to be in the company of another.

She was startled out of her solid standing at the warning words that filled her head then, deep and foreboding. It felt like darkness in her skull. Her eyes widened and shot to the red, not immediately withering beneath his angered glare merely due to her surprise and nothing more. Her insides crumbled all the same. In a far off corner of her attention, she noted that the man was named N’raan and the simourv was Tei, surely a nickname but good enough all the same. The way the winglet played with the creature’s ears seemed to contrast the dark glare of those golden eyes. It did nothing to comfort her, though she doubted comfort on any level was on either of their minds as they spoke to her. She glanced to the boy as he spoke, her lips parting, but it wasn’t he that she answered as she slowly returned her gaze to his partner. ”I don’t want to take Yours,” she assured quietly, her voice strangely and yet understandably meek as she addressed the red.[/ul][/size]

[Kilnarak]

"Diff'rent?" N'raan wrinkled his nose slightly as he repeated her description. He wasn't sure he cared for it. Of course he was different from all of the other privileged children who had also become winglets. Still, he didn't care for how she voiced it, and as he pushed himself up and away from Teimoph, the young red growled low in his throat. Better than them. You are Mine, the red's possessive words, meant to comfort, were only for His' ears. The corner of N'raan's lips twitched slightly, still holding a smirking facade, as he resettled in a precarious crouch, sitting on his heels. "Diff'rent how, li'l doe? D' clarify, we're curious," he purred, leaning forward toward the girl even as he restated his nickname for her.

He considered her a moment from his new seat, his arms folded over his knees and fingers absently tapping out a rhythm upon his arm with their talon-like nails. "'f we're t' be companions, then..." he trailed off, his voice overly sweet, soft and smooth as silk. N'raan shifted a bit, lifting an arm to offer a hand out to the girl, his fingers curled slightly, beckoning. "... y' should come closer an' sit with us, mm? Promise w' won' bite, na' yet 't leas'." His lips curled back in a broad cheshire grin, baring a few too many teeth - hardly reassuring.

Teimoph merely rumbled at His' offer to the girl. The red kept his seething glare fixed on her, watching her every movement. She claimed she didn't want His - it was the correct answer, but he had yet to decide whether he believed it or not. He wouldn't argue with His' amusements, however - not this one, at least. How N'raan regarded the girl... was not like how he regarded Canph's, was not like how he regarded Akaturiaph's or that fool Dionyph's. It was different, a different sort of interest. The complexities of the human mind confused Teimoph a touch, but for the moment he did not feel threatened by Amira - he still didn't particularly like her, however.

The young red's burning gaze finally left the girl, freeing her for a moment. With N'raan's shift in position, Teimoph felt he should do the same; and so he slowly drew himself up out of his sprawl. The simourv stretched like a cat, his tail lazily stirring the air behind him, and then padded a step forward toward His before sitting back on his haunches. Teimoph loomed over the slighter form of his bond, and his now half-lidded gaze returned to Amira - a bit less of a glare now, however still suspicious. Do you intend to accept? Teimoph's thunder-storm of a voice resounded again inside Amira's head - oblivious to, or perhaps enjoying, the reaction this form of contact had had on the girl. His had offered an invitation, and for all that Teimoph didn't approve of it, it would be rude if the girl declined.

[Cy]

[/I] and she wasn’t entirely sure how. “I don’t know…” she answered with honestly, her voice soft and unsure. Her light eyes darted from the boy to his red for a moment, either out of nerves or because she thought answers might be found in the vicious glare of the creature. Naturally, there were none to be found and her gaze returned to the boy as clueless as before. “I don’t mean anythin’ ill by it.” She assured, assuming that he must have misunderstood her in some way. She certainly didn’t mean ‘different’ as an insult.

Surprised, her eyes snapped down to the hand extended towards her, slender fingers curling like claws with his invitation. Looking back to his face and that grin that was becoming all too familiar, she swallowed hard to wet her dry throat. Any other man in any other moment, she’d have known the last words to be merely a joke, something to giggle at and dismiss. However, with N’raan, she didn’t feel comforted. She didn’t feel able to sit entirely certain of its innocence. As the boy flashed his teeth, she could imagine him sinking his canines into pale flesh without warning.

She wasn’t sure how to answer. As breath slowly moved in to her lungs and then carefully out of them, she was silent as she considered the offer. In the end, she knew that she didn’t really want to accept. She didn’t want to sit any closer than she had to, she didn’t want to take his hand like she was signing her soul away, she didn’t want to put herself closer to a lad that was a good bit less than sane. However, after such a close call in the way of insulting him and his life partner, she didn’t want to dare insult him again and refusing his hand seemed much more blatantly insulting than calling him ‘different’, even if she meant nothing ill by either of the actions. She didn’t want to seem any more scared than she might already be coming off as though either, but would she seem brave in accepting his hand or brave in refusing it?

The decision was made as her heart skipped a beat with the overbearing voice of the red booming in her head. Her eyelids fluttered with the noise, startled out of her silence as she sucked in a quick breath and focused on the boy’s hand. Her own fingers curled up until nails pinched the skin of her palms. With a forceful shove of her courage, she thrust a hand out to slide her hand into his, curling her fingers about his own. Her other hand dropped down to the ground for support as she shifted her body to bring herself closer to him, bringing herself around to sit at his side, her gaze dropping to the decapitated lizard to be mindful of avoiding crushing the thing further under her knees. Plus, true, she didn’t want to have to touch it. She’d gutted and skinned a variety of fish in her puny lifetime, but all the imagery that surrounded the mutilated lizard made it a great bit more disturbing and thus something to avoid with some caution.[/ul][/size]

[Kilnarak]

Watching the girl closely as she accepted the invitation to sit, Teimoph flattened his ears back against his skull and snorted softly through his nostrils. She was so obviously afraid, he could taste it when he touched her mind - it only further proved to him that all of these girl-children were unworthy. Of course, they were all unworthy, every single human here aside from His. Snorting again, softly and to himself, the young red ceased watching the girl and instead began to preen the feathers of his small wings. He wouldn't have anything to do with her, with anyone, if His didn't insist upon the socialization. He still didn't understand why His felt any interest for the girl - but at least it was a predator's interest, not like what he felt toward others; a cat with a mouse, it amused His to watch the girl squirm.

And it did amuse N'raan, quite a bit. For all that he had made an offering of it, there was little question that she would sit with him - he only had to wait until something finally pushed her past her hesitation. She was too afraid to do anything else, he could see that much, and he supposed he didn't much mind being feared - it wasn't something he was used to, really, but it pleased him none the less. He smiled indulgently as she took his hand, baring his teeth briefly before hiding them behind a pleasant enough smile. "N' harm done, mm?" he purred, leaning closer and keeping a hold on her hand for a few moments too long, before releasing it and slumping to the side against Teimoph with a quiet laugh. "Don' got t' look like y'll drop dead 've fright, li'l doe. Said b'fore, w' ain' hungry."

Draping an arm over his simourv's midsection as he shifted into a more comfortable lean against the creature, N'raan eyed the girl again. "S' where y' from? 'mira, was 't? Yer real pale - look li'l like m' brother, actually. Yer da' ever been t' Saiyaie?" Really, it wasn't much of a conversation starter - and likely offensive to boot, but he wasn't afraid of offending the girl; it was likely he had already done so. So he merely said the first thing to come to mind, a hint of a grin tugging at his lips again.

[Cy]

[/b] Perhaps the most transparent lie she could have muttered, but she didn’t want to confess to her own fear. She didn’t want to acknowledge her nerves or the way she squirmed underneath his scrutiny or that of his simourv. She wasn’t fine, not entirely so, but she wanted to believe that she was and, as such, she wanted him to believe that she was. Somewhere in her brain, this all made sense.

Her eyes snapped up to his with the question, but there was a grin upon his face and soon she was smiling again. Any offense that might have possibly existed as a result of the implication in his inquiry evaporated under the assumption that he was merely joking and another quiet laugh huffed from her throat as she shook her head, and then tilted it to the side with a shrug of her brows as she looked away. “Well, I’m from Itnala, so he might have sailed over the sound to Sayaie?” She returned, putting the tease in her own voice that had been absent from N’raan’s. Swiveling her gaze back to his, she smiled in faux apology. “He’s married to my ma though, so…” She shrugged and trailed off, happily naïve to the possibility that married men could cheat. In her world, marriage did indeed bind people away from such frivolities with anyone other than their partner. And even if she wasn’t so ignorant, she knew her father and she knew her mother, and, for them, marriage worked just as it was meant to work.[/ul][/size]