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 Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:30 am
"Whatever he wants, within reason, is his," she reassured with a definite nod of her head. Ruindego would be pampered while staying at Khalel's house; that much she could guarantee. She would probably be the one to do most of the pampering herself, come to think of it. The young woman had a soft spot for animals, what with having two familiars and a mount of her own. Fajaan, Ipo, and Shaza had all been gifts given to her by her father, but he knew she longed for companions, and the animals of Tendaji made for some of the best. "There's a pool for him to swim in and friends to make," Khalel added with a fond smile. "I'm sure my zanteer would love to see a fellow Matori animal in her midst."
The noble woman listened intently to her peer's conditions. He wanted to see where his bushi would be staying, and request was an entirely reasonable one. Khalel was more than happy to oblige him in such a request, and found herself pushing up off the floor with a hand. "Of course," she told him, taking a moment to smooth out her dress so she was presentable. "I can take you there now, if you like."
It was late, she realized. The staff at her household were probably looking for her and wondering where she was, but that didn't concern Khalel. She had a story for them, and with Dravi along it would be all the more believable, though she kept that bit of information from him. Now that she was standing, the prentice found herself stretching and yawning some. The cushions she had been lying against were entirely too comfortable, and standing made her realize just how tired she was. Having been granted a second wind thanks to her stretch, the hybrid then started to make her way back to the entrance of the haven.
If Skadravi wanted to see where Ruindego was staying, then he would be shown. It was his one condition, and Khalel wanted to make sure that he knew he could trust her.
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 2:34 pm
A pool, hm? His bushi would probably enjoy that, even if he just sat in the shallows for great spans of time. But since the most Dego had ever been in water were the quick dunks in the fountains or the traipses through the swampy Juahar mudlands, a nice relaxing sit would probably suit him a great deal. And if it was good enough for a zanteer, then surely...
Well, he'd just have to see for himself. As Khalel rose, Dravi followed suit, dusting off his pants (as if that would actually accomplish something) before scooting to her side to link up arms with her. "I'd really appreciate it," he told her with a nod. "So hopefully it doesn't cause you too much trouble." He could only imagine what may happen if they were seen together. It seemed unlikely that Khalel's family (who must be Oban) would appreciate her spending any amount of time with him.
But the hybrid woman didn't seem worried, so he shrugged it off. Instead, the pair of them made their way back to the surface, Dravi blowing out candles as they went (it seemed a shame to waste them, what with his plans to make repeated visits). Naturally, he had no idea where they were headed, so as they approached the surface, he merely dipped his head to Khelel and murmured, "After you."
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 5:21 pm
"Follow me."
The streets were quiet as Khalel led Skadravi through them. This came as no surprise, given the time. Most of the other Obans were all probably asleep in their beds, and those that weren't could be found in pubs or other businesses that were frequented in the nighttime hours. It was nice to be able to move about freely, and she didn't have to worry about running into anyone this time. Instead, she just led her friend along, occasionally turning this way or that down a street from time to time, in order to cut down on their walking time overall. Eventually, the pair of them were in the upper-class district, and it wasn't long after that until they were at the gate to their home.
Outside of the gate, a rather large sentinel stood, a worried expression on his generally stoic face. Worry did not suit Roga well; it never had, for when a warrior was worried, one knew something was up. At the sight of her, however, he let out a sigh of relief and relaxed his shoulders. "Young Miss," he exclaimed, rushing over to her side, "there you are. You didn't come home after your outing. Your father was worried sick." He then paused, allowing himself to eye Skadravi with a glare of scrutiny. Surely he wasn't the reason that the hybrid had been kept out so late? Lord Zaleem would not like that at all.
But before Roga could say any more or ask any further questions, Khalel raised her hands up defensively. "Sorry, Roga," she murmured, her voice sheepish and apologetic. "While I was out, my friend got into a bit of trouble." She then paused, a hand moving to motion over to Skadravi. "He needs a place for his bushi to stay, and I offered to watch over him." The sentinel quirked a brow at both Dravi and his bushi, but then wordlessly waited for Khalel to continue. He knew the girl well, for he knew she would have more to say.
"I'm just going to show him where Ruindego will be, and then he'll be on his way." She offered no more after that, and all Roga could do was nod. If what she said was true and this was what she wanted, then who was he to question her? Not only that, but Khalel wasn't the type to lie to him. The young prentice pushed past her former caretaker, opening the gate and motioning for both the other hybrid and his familiar to follow. She then proceeded to lead the pair of them off to her pavilion where both the pool and her guest home were located.
Once they were there and they were alone, she turned to Dravi, grinned, and said: "Here we are! Home sweet home!"
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 4:58 pm
With a nonchalant shrug at Khalel's command, Dravi set out after her. The night was welcoming; no one around to bother or deter or reprimand him. No glares to grin back at. Just himself, a pretty lady, and of course a giant amphibian with Skadravi's arm slung across its shell. As they moved, the hybrid boy explained the situation to his animal companion (because Dego would obviously understand). He explained to the turtle that there was a nice pool somewhere amidst this desert town. Somewhere for Dego to be comfortable and happy and safe (he added this last bit with a pointed look to Khalel).
But before he even knew it, they were leaving the brunt of the city behind, making way for more open lands, with tall walls cropping off the sections of land belonging to each noble family. Needless to say, it wasn't an area Dravi frequented, and his fist bunched against Dego's shell as he glowered at the thickly packed sand beneath his feet. "Ritzy place you got, Khalel," Dravi hummed as his gaze skimmed up the gate to her home...
And landed on the glaring eyes of... her butler? Guard? Replacement father? To be honest, he didn't know how they were related, but the man seemed worried about Khalel, if only because of whatever fib she'd told to come meet him. And... maybe because she was with him in the first place. But Dravi only grinned back at the man, crossing his arms behind his head and leaning his hips against his bushi for support. As his female companion beckoned him forward, he followed at a trot, clucking his tongue as a signal for his bushi to follow.
In the back of his mind, he wondered, 'How could anyone who lives with Khalel on a daily basis, anyone who loves and respects and protects her, really judge me just on the basis of my blood?' At a glance down to his dirty pants and tattered shirt and thick collar about his neck, he took a moment to consider that there may be outside forces involved as well... he sighed and tapped the bushi's shell. "Anyway, as long as he's here... I guess it's alright." Dravi wasn't so naive that he expected to be welcomed here for any longer length of time. "I am grateful. For what you're doing."
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 5:43 pm
"It's no problem at all."
The bushi's presence did not go unnoticed. By the pool, a minty-green colored zanteer was sleeping, but the sound of voices was enough to rouse her from her slumber. Ipo looked up, blinked at Khalel and Skadravi, and then turned to look at the large turtle. Her head tilted in curiosity, but then she nodded to her fellow Matori familiar. If he was going to be staying there with them, then she was fine with it. After this brief exchange, the otter-like animal dipped her head back down and closed her eyes to drift off to sleep once more.
Khalel was glad that her part of the estate was separated off from everyone else in this instance. Yet, still, the walls had ears and eyes, so she took every precaution while speaking with Skadravi. Just to be on the safe side, she leaned in close and spoke to her companion in a hushed voice. "Off in the back corner behind my house, there's a way to get in an out. If you go around back, you'll find a tall bush that's up against the wall. Push past that, and it will lead you here. You know, if you ever want to stop by." This was followed by a smile, and the young girl took a few steps backward to her home. The words that came next were louder on purpose, as if she expected someone else to be listening in or possibly hear what she had to say.
"If you ever want to stop by, Skadravi, you're more than welcome to. Just go to the front gate, and tell Roga you're here to see me. He should let you in without any problem."
It was time for her to bid him goodnight at this point, and Khalel didn't want to disappoint him. He had put a lot of faith into her, not only by letting her watch his bushi, but by allowing her to show him her secret refuge as well. She wanted to thank him for that. Wordlessly, the girl stepped forward once again, and placed a soft, delicate kiss upon his cheek. "See you soon," was all she said before giving him a playful wink and slipping into her house for the evening. Yes -- the evening had gone quite well, better than she had anticipated. Not only did Skadravi like the Haven of Pearls, but she would be able to see him more frequently now, and that was a win-win situation in her mind.
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