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Sitting in the cab of her father's truck, Earako checked over her things one more time. Sewing supplies and sketchbook, check. PJs, check. Outfit for the next day, check. Her sewing supplies and sketchbag were in the messenger bag she'd started making in preperation of the sleepover. The PJs and change of clothes were in the hanging garment bag she'd brought despite her father's protests that a garment bag was a bit much, and she should just use his duffel bag. It could be hard at times, having a father who didn't understand words like 'wrinkles'.

"You're sure you want to go, Princess?" Her father asked, as he parked along the street beside the house. Vimber was circling overhead, her head snaking back and forth as she attempted to spot the best place to land. "You don't have to."

"I told her I would, Dad." Earako replied firmly, as if she wasn't nervous. "I'll be fine."

"You call me and I'll pick you up right away."

"I know. Dad, I've slept over at Lithle's plenty of times." She smoothed her ruffled black and gold skirt, a gesture she hoped her father wouldn't recognize as a sign of fear.

"That's different. Those are your cousins." His breath left him in an irritated huff. "Fine, have fun. Don't get into trouble."

"I love you." She got out of the truck with surprising elegance considering the length of her skirt and the height of the drop. But she'd had plenty of time to practice.

With the garment bag slung over her shoulder she approached the door, head high, feet not dragging. Sure, she was terrified, but she wasn't going to show anyone else that. Not tonight, when it was supposed to be fun.

Her knock was quiet and careful, three quick taps and she let her hand fall.

The high, whimpering sound that Earako made when the door opened may well have been the greeting she planned to make dying in her throat. Or maybe she was a teakettle, or a microwaved potato. It was about the same noise, piercing as only the batling's high range could make things. And then she bit her tongue. It made the sound stop, and that was a good thing, but all the words she'd ever known had left her. It wasn't usually this bad. She could usually control it. But she was already so scared, just at the idea of a sleepover. And if there was a man there--

Emi. Thank god, Emi. Earako, whose wings had snapped open in an instinctive fearful reaction, managed to close them around her chest. Still protective and shielding, but not overtly frightened. Her excellent hearing picked up the sound of a door opening. Her Dad was about to get out of his truck. And he couldn't. Because if he came up here, she'd start to cry. And go home. And then her father would start using that word he'd been using lately. Therapy.

No. This was her chance to prove that she was just fine. Turning, her lips forced into what might resemble a smile if one was still in a truck on the curb, she waved, and he shut the door, and started the engine.

"No, sir." She whispered, her low murmur falling lower, so it was just within the audible range. "He, he's very busy. I'm sorry."

She turned her gaze to Emi, and if it weren't for the dark sunglasses, the swan might have seen the tears that threatened at the corners of Earako's eyes. As it was her expression was quite obviously plaintive and desperate. "It, it's fine. Can we, would it be alright if, we went to the backyard? I'd like to check on Vimber."

She wanted to be near something large and dangerous, something that would never let anything hurt her.

Lian, oddly, struck just the right note. Oh, Earako feared men, but there was a part of her that still longed for a simple world like she'd once believed in. Ladies and gentlemen. Knights and princesses. By offering to take her bag, Lian, who was not quite old enough to really terrify (certainly not in comparison to the man still towering over them), had taken a step in the direction of 'gentleman'. Because of that, she handed her garment bag to him, with something that might have almost been a smile. "Thank you. I am well. And you?" The words were automatic, but there was some small comfort in form.

It's an oft used phrase, 'visibly shaken'. Perhaps even cliche. But, nonetheless, it was hard to miss the fact that Earako had been shaken, quite visibly. She was, in fact, still trying to keep herself from cowering and shivering in so obvious a manner. Despite this, she walked with nearly perfect posture. Training and practice and hours spent with books on her head counted for something.

As the swan began talking Earako moved closer to her, allowing proximity to something simple and white and safe soothe her. Though Emi shared characteristics with herself, she was different from any other female that Earako had ever been close too. Lithle was hard and rough and really (by Earako's standards) even more of a boy as her Father was. Indeed, Savius even called her 'Dad'. And Jer'ain, well, Jer'ain was different from everyone. So being around someone who might be called somewhat feminine, someone graceful but plain and therefore not someone to compare herself unfavorably against, it was rather new. It allowed Earako to explore the edges of walls she'd erected a long time ago.

"It would be better if she didn't." She admitted in her quiet way. "Vimber, well, it's not that she's mean exactly. It's just, she doesn't like other dragons."

Or pets. Or people. Or particularly threatening houseplants.

She saw Odette then, and for the first time since she'd arrived her expression showed something other than terror or worry. "Oh, she's lovely!"

There was a man in the house. And a boy. She really didn't know either of them, and the fear of them still sizzled beneath the surface. But there was nothing that Earako was more drawn to than beauty, and here was something beautiful for her to think about for a moment.

There was a dragon on her, so perhaps it wasn't surprising that Earako's sincere laughter came out a bit breathy. But then, everything she did came out a bit breathy.

She said, "Thank you." To Odette, understanding enough of dragon from Vimber to recognize, at least, a complement. "You are very beautiful. When I finish Emi's clothes, I'll make something for you to match."

She made no move to dislodge the dragon, and indeed turned to Emi and shook her head. "She's alright, really. It's nice to have her." She spoke in her usual hesitant way, not wanting to override the swans authority. Her eyes slid toward the back door, where she'd been headed, and she frowned slightly. "I think I'll check on Vimber later. It wouldn't be a good idea, with Odette here."

The dragon's presence was visibly relaxing her. Vimber had made it clear that she would kill to keep her safe, and Earako could at least pretend that other dragons would do the same. She smiled, her sad, whisper of a smile. "What would you like to do first? I brought some sketches, and some... well, I'm not sure they'll fit you, I didn't have your measurements. But just in case, I made a few things. I can tailor them, if you like them."

"Dragons need a lot of attention." Earako agreed, stroking Odette with gentle fingers as she did so. Sure, there were probably plenty of dragons out there that were happy to be ignored. But her experience was with Vimber, a dragon that needed near constant praise. Vanity was something she was more than accustom to.

"They, well, they're nothing special. I mostly design for myself. But I tried to make you something different. I'm still learning." She followed the swan then, back to the room where her bags had been deposited. She hesitated a bit at the doorway, unsure of the appropriate etiquette for such a moment. But the promise of slightly smaller, safe space pushed her onwards and she settled gently beside her bags.

Rustling through her things she pulled out a dark blue leotard (the stretch material something she was only just learning to work with and as such an item she had not made herself). Over the initial base she'd used beading of the same color and others close to add a gentle swirling pattern. The skirt she lay beside it was short, well above the knees. It appeared to be made of strips of gauzy material in grays and blues, each overlapping the next but not sewn together so that they would flutter about a dancer in motion. "I didn't know what colors you'd like." The murmur of her voice seemed to apologize for what she'd created.

Earako was not above beaming at the praise. Insecurity was almost intrinsic to her nature but that didn't mean she didn't like to hear compliments. If anything, it meant she needed them more. And in a house with Lithle, Michael, and her cousins, fashion wasn't exactly a subject that came up a lot, let alone got complimented. Her shooting and blade throwing, on the other hand, often earned praise.

Still a bit giddy at the compliment, Lian's arrival had a less dramatic effect than it might have. Her smile faded, her shoulders tightened, but she didn't jump, or make a noise. Besides, he wasn't... big. Or loud.

There'd been a time, and it wasn't that far back, when she'd sought out gentlemen. When they made her smile and preen. Well, she didn't smile, but she did give him a look that was more curious than fearful. It was still nice to be called a lady.

"Thank you," she murmured, manners finally coming to the fore. "The food looks-- lovely."

She did, indeed, prefer meat to fruits. And at that, the rawer the meat, the better. "Yes. Desmodus rotundus." She answered, not sure how 'vampire bat' would be taken and therefore falling on the scientific name. And then, hesitantly, both because she wasn't fully trusting and because she wasn't sure it was her place, she added, "Do you want to share with us? I was just, showing Emi some clothes."

Earako blinked a bit at the rapidfire phrases, glancing at Emi then back at the boy. Lots of... words. But, that was alright, she supposed. Words weren't bad. They weren't dangerous. At least, not usually. These words didn't appear to be dangerous, anyway. He wasn't mad at her, he wasn't threatening. He was just commenting on her... batness. She might even have gotten offended at the medium well comment, but it'd mean pretending she didn't like her meat bloody. And she did. So...

So, fine. She'd smile. Just a little. She eased a bit as Emi stepped closer to her, glancing over to the other girl and nodding her agreement. Throw him out? Of course not. But there was still comfort in pretending that they might be able too. "This'll be nice," She said in her ever whispering voice, reaching out to the tray and snagging a cracker and some meat and munching on them.

When Lian's gaze fell on the outfit she'd been showing off just a moment before, Earako blushed. It was... not a subtle blush. Hers never were. "It's nothing." She murmured, pushing it from a neatly spread display into a messy pile, obscuring most of the work. "Just something I made for Emi. We don't even know if it fits her."