May the Stars Shine Bright { tag } Slasher / Niomi

[Ember]

While she was still a weyrling, and Cat knew it could cause problems, Niomi had seemed willing to bend the rules a tiny bit to spend some time with him outside at night. It was his nameday, and he had promised her something special, which was odd considering the day it was. But that was fine, for him it was fine. He had a nice way to close out his nameday planned, and she was all a part of it. It was just a matter of waiting for her to appear at the meeting spot in the Yard, where he'd told her he'd be waiting for her.

When he heard sound, he was hesitant to go look and see if it was her. He'd kept Emrys and Arthur both in his room for this, so he couldn't use either as an alert, and had to depend on good old fashioned senses for this. Carefully, he crept forward, stopping only when he felt a familiar scent drift towards him, and then a smile, and then he knew immediately that it was her.

Cat moved to greet her, and saw that she had Haddy with her, and he moved to hug them both, first Haddy, then Niomi, lingering on the latter a moment longer than was probably appropriate given, but hten he stepped back and looked at the green, reaching down to scratch behind her ridges. "No one saw you then?" He stood up after a moment and offered her his hand. "Come, I'll show you what I have." He hadn't told her where he was going to take her, but he'd promised she would remember when she got there.

[Slasher]

It wasn't unheard of for her to sneak out with Haddy, especially now that the dragonet was nearly triple the size she had been when she had hatched. She was still shorter than Niomi, but not by much, and there was definitely no carrying the green around anymore. I enjoy these outings with Cataren. The dragon's mindvoice slid through Niomi's mind like a velvet petal, and the woman smiled, I'm glad. I do too. And it was Cataren's nameday! Niomi held her small gift to him in her hands. And why ever he wanted her to come out into the Yard, she wasn't sure, but she dutifully listened and headed for where he wanted to meet.

When they got close enough, she could vaguely make out the shape of the man, and smiled. Haddy offered a soft purring rumble in greeting as she got her eyeridges petted. But then Niomi was getting her hug, and she gleefully squeezed the man back, almost sad when he pulled away. But something in his voice...”Not that I could tell. What are you being so secretive about, Cat?” she questioned, but her tone was excited, playful.

[Ember]

"You'll see." He gave her fingers a squeeze and led her away, carefully and quickly, towards the spot, smiling when he revealed it to her. He was certain she would remember the very set up, but just in case she didn't, he started to explain.

"When we were younger, we used to sneak out together at night, watch the stars together. I thought... well, for my nameday, we could do it again." He turned to her and smiled, knowing her delicate of an evening this was now that she was a weyrling. "I won't keep you and Haddy for long." He promised. "You'll both be back before anyone notices."

He held out his hand again, nodded towards the blanket that was laid out. "Haddy can curl up first if she'd like, then you and I can follow..."

[Slasher]

She wasn't really sure what she was expecting, but what he led her to and revealed was not it. She actually froze a little, surprised(pleasantly so) at the setup. It was decidedly familiar. But not in a bad way, it was not a reminder of their forced sneakiness in the North, but instead a sort of throwback to something pleasant, that could now be even more wonderful. It wasn't until Hadranielth gently nudged her to snap her out of it that the woman took another step, ”Oh, Cat! It's wonderful!” Was it really his nameday, or was it her's?

For her own part, the green dragonet rumbled happily and moved to the blanket, pacing around it a few times until settling on a side. Only half of her was actually on it though, her body curving outwards from the edge, creating a sort of nook out of her bulk. I rather like this...You pair should join me. Haddy's mindvoice was amused sounding almost, yet inviting as she fanned her wings a little and settled in, as if the whole scene were of her own design, and not Cataren's.

With a gentle shake of her head, she joined her green on the blanket, sitting slightly inside the curve of the dragon's shape, but plenty of room for Cataren in the same angle as well. Once the man joined her, she held out the small package, ”Here, for your nameday...It's not much, but...” It really wasn't much, but she wasn't quite as craftsy as he was...Within the humbly wrapped parcel was a pendant, one that was currently mounted on a strip of sinewy string, ”You don't have to wear it, or anything, it would look good on a wall too, or whatever...” Her tone was obviously sheepish as she looked down at the blanket, fingers idly picking at the fabric, ”The bits of shell are Haddy's...So it's from both of us.” Almost as if for emphasis, the dragon dipped her head and whuffed into his hair.

[Ember]

He intended to wear the gift, and to prove that he was going to, that he would, he pulled it around his neck and settled it against his chest. It didn't quite reach his heart but that was okay, it was close enough. He looked down at it, touched the little fragment of shell and smiled - his heart was right there, in the creation of the pendent, and that's the only place he needed it to be. Smiling, he turned to the girls and leaned over to kiss one, then the other, on the cheek. "Thank you both. i love it, and I swear, I won't take it off unless I need to." He was so full of pride over wearing it that he was still touching it in some manner as he settled back, and pulled Niomi with him, against his side.

"Just like when we were younger, hey?" He asked, pointing to the sky, certain it was just as it had been when they were young and foolish and uncertain of what the world beyond the Hold had been like. He made sure Haddy was watching as well as he pointed to the constellations that he knew, tracing the patterns with his finger. "Its been a while, but I still remember some of them." He gently nudged the green behind them and lifted his head slightly to look back at her. "Do you see them too, Haddy-girl? This is what we used to do when we were practically hatchlings ourselves."

[Slasher]

It felt...right. At that moment, everything within her world was just right. She could feel Hadranielth behind them, breathing low, gently causing them to rise and fall a bit with each breath. Cataren's warmth emanating beside her as she leaned against his side, her face lifting towards the starry sky. She felt Haddy's own joy at the moment, the feeling shared openly between the females as Cat started pointing out the familiar constellations. It was all just so nice, she didn't want it to end. Plus it was Cat's nameday!

It suddenly occurred to her though...When Cataren went into a more quiet pause in his detailing of the stars, Haddy nodding as he pointed them out, faceted eyes whirling upwards, Niomi glanced at him, smiling teasingly a little, ”Why did you want to come do this for your nameday? Do you miss home so much? There has to be more entertaining things to do for a celebration...” It hadn't occurred to her until she spoke really that he might be a bit homesick. She had Haddy now to make her feel complete, and the only good thing in the North had been Cat, and he was right beside her. But he might be missing some things from home...

x2

[Ember]

Did he miss home? He supposed in a way that he did. There were things about it that were different between then and now that he would enjoy having again - the fine alcohols, working with the beasts of the Hold, having access to Master Encini's forge - but no, he didn't miss the North overall, because it lacked the one thing he truly wanted, and that one thing was in his arms right now.

But he couldn't voice that to her, not like he wanted, not in a way he could at least. He sighed and settled his cheek against her. "I just wanted to celebrate with you the way we used to. In a happy way that we used to." It was one of the few happy memories they had together of the North, one of the only memories he wanted to hold onto of it. He hoped she wouldn't mind.

He reached for Haddy and gave her a scratch and smiled at her when he was certain the movement he felt beneath him was a rumble. He hoped the green couldn't see into his mind right now, for all he was holding onto his thoughts to keep them from her. When it was time to tell her rider, he would. But right now just wasn't a good time, not when she was still in training. And maybe... he was still afraid of how she would react...

Silly of him considering, but there was still that stupid fear that she might not care in return, that he maybe didn't deserve her. Faranth, he felt so whiny thinking that way. "You don't mind do you?" He stroked a hand along her arm and smiled. "I figured since it was my nameday, we could celebrate how I wanted, and this is how I wanted to."

x2
[ claimed ]

[Slasher]

From his voice, she felt confident(sort of) that at least he was happy with the moment, and with her, which in turn made her heart skip a beat. That he wanted to spend time just with her, something happy from up North...It almost sounded like she was the only happy from up North, as he was to her, but she pushed that foolish thought away before it could even fully manifest. And then she felt his hand brush her arm, and she snuggled into him.

”I don't mind at all. It was just a surprise...But I wouldn't have it any other way. I value the time we can have together. We've been friends for so long, I don't want either of our new responsibilities or lives here to affect that.” She moved her arm to lace idly over his chest, hugging him. Haddy did indeed rumble as he scratched her, dipping her nose to breath warm breath across both their faces before letting it rest on the ground near her forelegs.

Niomi let the moment grow quiet, her eyes raising to trace over the familiar constellations, ones he had showed her many times before, but she could still never pick them out on her own. She let her mind go quiet, just enjoying.

[Ember]

As she looked up, and as the silence blanketed them like the stars blanketed the dark sky, he couldn't help but look at her face and wonder when it would be a good time to finally tell her how he felt. Now didn't seem right, not with such a little baby to take care of, even if that had been his intention with this little excursion into the night.

But he was glad, thrilled, pleased that she wanted to be near him still, and would never for a second turn that away. So even if it didn't happen tonight, there would be tomorrow, and if not then, then sometime, someway, he would tell her. Because... he needed to, and he could never go without her.

He sunk back again and smiled, and as Haddy's breathing brought an almost soft, fantasy like quality to this that had escaped them previously, he decided it would be best if they returned, before she fell asleep, and someone came looking for her. He wouldn't get her in trouble, and there would be other nights when they could do this together without duress hanging over them.

"Come, I need to get you back to the barracks so you and Haddy can get to bed." He kissed the crown of her head, though it was her lips he craved to kiss instead.