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 Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 8:25 pm
Riley's expression lifted slightly as she turned to look down at the hand in her own, returning the squeeze fondly. She didn't respond, however. Instead, when Jericho's gift was mentioned, Riley's eyes joined Malodore's in the sky. She looked up at the dark, her eyes narrowing in concentration. Her entire face tensed up as she tried, very hard, to remember what it looked like when she was up there.
Mmm. She grunted in frustration. She couldn't remember exactly what the night sky looked like through normal eyes, but she knew she'd almost seen it. She knew. She stamped her foot slightly. Very fortunate.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 8:36 pm
Jericho went ahead and carefully placed Luce down before straightening up once again. He chuckled lightly as they commented on his own wings and he looked up towards the sky to see what Riley was looking at exactly.
"Well... at least it's something I can kind of share with you," he said to her, then glancing towards Mal again, "I'm.. actually kind of surprised you don't have wings. You're very avian otherwise."
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 8:46 pm
"The elders do," Malodore said, quietly. "We are actually born with wings... but they are taken. The bones are used to make our masks." Still, its back-blades chimed against each other as the plague doctor unconsciously flexed those muscles which would have been used for flight had the limbs still been available. "My clan does not permit unearned freedom."
It glanced at Riley, squeezing her hand again. "Are you all right?"
Luce, for her part, lay down across Jericho's feet, her tail thumping the ground lazily. Yay, warm dragon.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 9:10 pm
Riley swiveled her head to look at the plague doctor beside her, eyes widening in surprise. It spoke of the removal so calmly, with a detached sense, but Riley felt a sudden mourning for the loss. Her eyes flickered to the blades, before her brow furrowed in pain.
Her eyes met Malodores, and closed for a moment, reaching out to slip it a mental kiss. When they opened again, they were darker, sadder.
I am. I am just wishing for things I do not have, much as we all do. Whether or not I would appreciate them if I had them.. who is to say. She looked up at the sky again. In particular, I was trying to recall what it felt like to see the dark of night through Jericho's eyes, as we flew. I cannot see darkness, but he can, and for a minute, I could as well. The memory refuses to stick with me.
Her face crunched up in frustration. And I remember everything.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 9:17 pm
Jericho couldn't help but frown at the answer given. The wings were.. removed at birth? That sounded terrible and his own wings shifted a bit uncomfortably at the thought of ever losing them.
"Well.. I suppose at least you'll regain them one day," he said solemnly.
Focusing on Riley again, his brow furrowed as she seemed rather frustrated. He wasn't quite aware that she was able to kind of see the way he did as they flew. The dragon knew that they were much more in tune with one another, so perhaps that just had something to do with it.
"I'm sorry.." he said quietly to her, "Maybe as we fly more it'll be able to stick with you more easily?"
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 9:22 pm
"Perhaps so... perhaps not. I do not know the secret, and I doubt I would be told now." Its voice was, momentarily, thick with distaste. No, it had no desire to go crawling back to the Casa... not even for wings.
But the thought of the knowledge being forever lost to it still ached, just a little. At least Riley's words provided an interesting diversion. "You are able to use the senses of others?" it inquired, tilting its head to one side. "My night vision is exceedingly bad, but..."
Qualsiasi cosa per te. Its thoughts finished the sentence neatly.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 9:42 pm
At the moment, Riley was currently trying to devise just how difficult it might be to infiltrate the Casa and enthrall every plague doctor within. Her plans were interrupted by the question, which had her blinking in surprise before she realized - Malodore didn't know. Well of course it didn't, how could it? They had only started to realize somehing was different today - and they didn't even know exactly what.
Malodore's thought, however, left her heart fluttering. She was sure it had no idea just how much she treasured those soft, selfless thoughts. Her eyes lit bright as the moon, and she reached her hand around to embrace it.
I'm not, actually. For once, this is a dragon thing. Apparently, Jericho says I'm forming a bond as his rider. I went a little mad earlier today, because I didn't understand what was going on. She turned her eyes to the dragon and her expression lifted in lieu of a smile. But we're okay now.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 9:49 pm
There was actually a similar train of thought going on in Jericho's head. Only instead of entralling, he was wondering if there was a way to bust in and coerce the elders into giving Mal their secrets. It was a fleeting thought and he wasn't seriously considering it.
"That's the gist of it," he nodded along with Riley's explanation and smiling as well, "Didn't really see it coming since my kin in specific don't really take on riders all that often at all, but you could say it's a real pleasant surprise."
"Bet your book didn't mention anything on that," he jested.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 9:54 pm
"A dragon thing?" Malodore, surprised, looked from Jericho to Riley and back again. "Fascinating! And this allows you to share senses?"
It paused for a long moment, then opened its beak in a smile. "I am a bit envious, truly - how I would love to share such a bond with Riley... and how I would love to fly with Jericho. You are both fortunate creatures."
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 10:08 pm
Well, I don't know. I thought it did for a minute. She gave Jericho a withered glance. Fireballs doesn't even know the details of his own race. Yes, she did just call you fireballs, Jericho. I looked out into the night sky, and it was blue, as it always was, but then.. She crunched her face up in concentration again. I think it was more.. black. Just hard to really focus on it, but I think it was black. She looked up at the night sky again, wondering if that was what they saw right now. All she saw was that faint, wavering blue. Is that what it looks like up there? For you?
She looked back down, tilting her head as her eyes fell on Malodore fondly. We are lucky, yes. Privately, Riley nudged against Malodore with a loving mental touch. Ma condividiamo gli altri legami, amore mio.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 10:14 pm
Jericho gave a sort of nervous shrug with a grin as Riley sorta took a jab at him.
"I'd have to look into the races that do this sort of thing more regularly to learn more. I'm not really sure about senses but... I do feel like we're a lot more in tune with one another, especially when flying together," he explained. He had to wonder if it would only become even more apparent as the bond grew. The dragon could only assume this to be true.
"But yeah... the night sky looks practically black, with little white dots all over for the stars," he added while looking up, "We'd have to see if that happens again next time we fly."
Shaking his head to himself, he looked at Mal and smiled softly.
"But you do have a bond with Riley. It's called love," he said with a light chuckle.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 10:23 pm
"Ah, but that is hardly as interesting as looking through other eyes," Malodore said, cheerfully; it was clearly kidding again. Mostly, at least! It was genuinely curious how such a thing worked, and the effects it could have, and oh the science, and and and-
Yes. Ahem.
"Si, it is black... dark blue, a little. And the clouds more silvery?" It tried to push a mental image at Riley, though it wasn't sure it would 'translate' properly.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 10:34 pm
Riley stared at it incredulously. If it could joke about a thing like that, she would be more than happy to take it a step further.
Malodore! She sounded scandalized. How can you say that! Now you've gone and broken my heart.
Someone give Riley a set of poker cards, because her poker face was impeccable.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 10:38 pm
Jericho was about to say something, but Riley's words had cut in. Looking over towards her, she had the perfect expression to go along with those words. However, he didn't pick up on any actual pain, so he was certain she was just playing along. The dragon didn't say anything though and just stood there, grinning.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 10:54 pm
"Ah, have I?" The plague doctor tilted its head down towards her chest, reaching out to place one hand over her heart. "How strange. It appears to be beating most healthily."
"... Pulse somewhat elevated, even."
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