When Koani indicated that Plicae follow, he did so, his soft feet padding on the linoleum floor as he trailed her out of the kitchen. She led him up a hallway that led up a sweeping staircase, and then along another corridor, this one lined with plush burgundy carpeting. Eventually, the thill stopped before a door, and gestured towards it. The lukuo nodded and reached for the doorknob, before twisting it and stepping over the threshold. “Well, thank-you, Koani. Good night," the arden said, rather simply, before slipping into the room and shutting the door. Once inside, he stood and peered over the lovely furnishings and the four poster bed. But he wasn’t really interested in the décor, to be truthful. “Damn it," came his voice, a quiet hiss, before he slipped towards the bed and on top of it. He did not bother to draw the covers back, but instead reposed atop them, folding his gracile hands across his chest. In this position, he remained, staring up at the ceiling as a myriad of thoughts swirled through his busy, aching, melancholy mind… . . . Riot chuckled at Cayson’s comment about looking, and as he washed his multihued hands, she grabbed him playfully around the middle and tickled at his ribs. “Of course I looked," the thill said, purring a bit as she then snuggled herself up against and behind him. She wrapped her arms completely about his middle, encircling his upper body. “Case’sla, your penis is so beautiful. I just want to knit it that little hat I said I would…" With an airy sort of laugh, Riot slipped around to his front, and pressed their bodies together. Her white hands, now free from their embrace, came up to cradle the sides of his chiseled face as she then angled in for a sweet if unchaste kiss. Her own beaded tongue briefly but intensely invaded his mouth, before the female withdrew with yet another growling purr, this one of pure contentedness. “Guess we gotta go out there and hang out with Villi…" Riot said after a moment, sounding crestfallen as she did so. She really rather would have spent the remainder of the evening with just Cayson, but that seemed impossible now. Well, perhaps it was for the best – at least there would be a lot less temptation between them. “Let’s go," she said, grasping his hand in hers and leading him to the door. Once they had exited the washroom and had grabbed up their cargo once again, Riot nuzzled her snout beneath Cayson’s chin for a moment and whispered mischievously to him, “You know, one of these days, we should get your tongue pierced, too. Wouldn’t that be oh so hot?"
“You're welcome and goodnight, Plicae. I hope you sleep well," Koani said politely in exchange as she saw Plicae to his room. Shortly after entering, Plicae closed the door behind him. Koani lingered outside for a moment, contemplating, before slipping her hands into her skirt's pockets and setting off down the hall toward her wing. A faint jangling accompanied her steps due to the jewellery she wore and the swift gait she carried herself with. The pain in her shoulder was now rather unbearable. So unbearable in fact, that Koani felt very much like crying over it. Shoulder hurting, yeah, that was definitely a reason for tears. At least now she had her agenda back in serviceable order. Bath, perhaps a little bit of paperwork, and then bed. *** “You peeper. I'm sure that he'd wear any hat knitted by you proudly," Cayson chuckled as Riot snuggled up against him, he carefully dried his hands on the nearest towel. So when Riot slipped around to his front, he was able to place his hands on her hips and lean into the unexpected, but highly welcome kiss. The forcefulness of Riot's kiss left Cayson dazed for a moment. The fact that he was purring in response barely registered in his mind. How did she do that? Almost quite literally swept him off of his feet. “Villi... nng." Cayson murmured as he came out of his daze, disappointment likewise in his voice. “I wish I could keep you right here. Although, the wash room... really, it's not my favourite location. Too bad we're being expected." Cayson sighed as Riot opened the door and led them both back out into the hall, their hands once again knitting together. Cayson's head tilted a little off to the side as Riot nudged herself under his muzzle. She had made mention of a tongue ring. “What? So that we can match?" Case asked, amusement apparent in his voice. He'd never even considered a tongue piercing before, much less any other sort of piercing for that matter. “So, ah, Villi? Ready for that fort making?"
But no response came to Cayson’s query about fort making – because Villi had wandered away. While waiting for the older pair to emerge from the bathroom, she had grown bored and a little miffed, and had begun to stroll up the main hallway. At first, she had had no intention of going much further, but then she had seen a flash of color in a dark room off to the side, and, well… now she was rooms away and hadn’t even heard the arden’s question. The little niotie did not really know where she was, but she felt ensconced in the silence and the darkness as she wandered through the manor. Each room opened onto yet another, it seemed, like a giant maze. She wondered how Koani, Cayson, and Riot knew their way around in here. It felt like it was impossible to memorize the house’s inner map. It was this sense of being lost that actually spurred Villi further and further onwards. She enjoyed the quiet and the alone time – everybody else in the house had paired off and gone on their ways, leaving her by herself, and so now it was her turn to do what she wanted. Though she was still looking forward to returning at some point in order to enjoy the slumber party with Cayson and Riot, Villi was in no rush. She found herself in a rather large parlor, the walls covered in maroon, flower-printed paper, and she trailed a hand over it to feel the dimensions. This chamber was wide and cool, and almost eerie, for there were tables and pieces of furniture pushed into corners where they were eaten by shadows. The young lukuo soon scrambled out of there, only to find herself in a storage room of some sort… she squatted in front of a box and began to dig through what appeared to be a pile of old nioties’ clothing… . . . “Um." This was Riot’s reaction when Case’s question went unanswered, and when, indeed, she noticed that Villi was nowhere to be seen. The caramel thill quickly slid her muzzle out from beneath Cayson’s throat, and she nearly dropped her jacket in surprise at the empty hall. Where had the kid gone? Was she – wandering around the house or something? “Shit… it could take hours to find her if she wandered way," Riot breathed in a voice that was a little bit angry and a little bit alarmed. “Why the hell did she wander away? Ah…" She was going to add on something disdainful about kids, but she didn’t really harbor a generally bad sentiment towards them anymore. It was just this one… in particular…
“But she was... and we were..." Cayson stammered as he looked up and down the lengths of the hall. Villi was nowhere to be seen. He didn't even want to think about the possibility of Villi being lost in the vast mansion. The place had passageways and rooms in it that even he had never set foot in before. The main structure of the house was easy to navigate, but once you fell away from that? The architecture of the place was formidable with all of it's intricacies. “Shit." Cayson shared Riot's sentiments. Fort making he had thought would actually be a fun activity to do with Villi. A game of hide and seek in the widespread Grader mansion though? Cayson's stomach did a nervous flip. Was this what parenthood was like? “Maybe she went back to the kitchen, or maybe she went and started without us in the basement," Cayson suggested hopefully. He cast a glance at an ornately glass covered panel mounted flat against the wall a few feet down the hallway. It was one of many small access points that made up the Grader home security system. Cayson knew that there were sensors about the house, motion detectors, a few cameras as well. Unfortunately, Cayson didn't have the security clearance to interact with the panels (nor the 1337 skillz needed to hack himself in). Only Koani had that privilege and know-how. “I guess that... if worse comes to worse, we could bother Koani and get her to do a heat scan or something of the place." Cayson really didn't want to do that though. That, he figured, would be their last resort. He started towards the kitchen. It seemed to be a logical place to begin.
When Villi did not reappear after a few moments of stammering and worrying, Riot knew that she and Cayson were probably in for a long search. It annoyed and alarmed her, but she maintained a calm front as she acknowledged that their night had just lengthened by quite a bit. At least this left some private time for the couple, and even if they were looking for the lost lukuo, that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy each other’s company. Heck, Riot would even make the search a slow one if she could sneak in a few kisses and touches with her Cayson. The evening had been lacking in affectionate gestures due to their company, and Riot thought this was a prime opportunity to make up for it. “Let’s remain calm," the thill joked as the arden began to walk towards the kitchen. She squeezed his hand to reassure him. “Yeah, let’s check the kitchen first. Might as well drop the plate off there in the meantime, too," she added, referring to the cookie laden dish in Cayson’s other hand. Once they reached the room, it was readily apparent that Villi was not there. The lights were still on, and all the surfaces reflected the incandescence. There was no place to hide – if, indeed, the niotie was actively hiding from them – and the room was stark and empty. After Cayson had dropped off the platter and Riot had also deposited her jacket on the counter once again, the two of them switched off the overhead fluorescent lights and then exited the room, going beyond it to the adjacent chamber. “Case’sla, I do believe that the kid is thwarting us," Riot joked for, though this room was dark, it was apparently deserted. “Let’s not freak out too much or anything, though. I’m sure she’s here… probably wandering around and having a ball being by herself in this place. I hope she doesn’t spook easily, though, things can get kind of intimidating in all the winding wings of this place…" They paused in the shadows of this room – which was a reception lounge of some sort – and Riot took the opportunity to move to Case’s front and hug against him. He had a few inches on her, so her slender snout fit right into the curve of his collarbone, and this is where she put her muzzle as she snuggled his muscular upper body. She then opened her tooth lined mouth and began to nibble delicately at his throat, while her feathery tail wrapped around them both and tugged his hips closer to hers. “Can’t wait to make some kids of our own some day… though I don’t fancy chasing the dozen or so we’ll surely have around this place… trying to find one is already proving to be a bitch. Ah, not that I mind at all being stuck alone with you, Cayson’ni."
“Yeah, try not to... panic," Cayson murmured. Their trip to the kitchen had proved to be fruitless. No Villi. Riot seemed to be at least trying to make the best out of the situation though. So why shouldn't he? Well, Cayson supposed that it was because he kept imagining trying to explain to Plicae that, “Whoops, sorry mate, we lost your daughter." While Plicae seemed to be a rather sensible sort, Cayson highly doubted that Koani's guest would brush off the news with a pat on the shoulder and a “That's okay." Then of course, what would Koani think, or do? He didn't even like trying to imagine that. So they continued to look, eyes questing for the faintest glimpse or trace of the nine-year-old. It wasn't until he and Riot had ventured into one of the mansion's many dark and vast rooms that Cayson's mind drifted momentarily off of Villi. Riot had moved in close to him, taking him in an embrace. He could feel the warmth of her breath against his neck. It was enough to make Cayson slip his arms around her rather possessively. “She could be... curled up in a corner though... crying." Cayson breathed in mild protest. They should be looking for her. Though, who was he kidding. Villi hardly seemed like the type to be afraid of the dark. She was weird. They had already established that. “Maybe you're right though," he relented, more so persuaded by Riot's actions than her words. His head tilted to the side as she nibbled upon his neck. Cayson let his hands slither down Riot's sides before they came to a stop, lingering around the small of her back. “Perhaps... even, if we leave her long enough... she can find herself. Kids, Ri'ni. I just.." Cayson lost his train of thought, so instead he gently nudged Riot's muzzle and littered her cheek with a line of delicate kisses. “I do know that I also don't mind being stuck alone with you." Villi could wait, right? It's not like she could get even more lost. There was no way that she could exit the house without triggering some sort of alarm. So it was alright for the two young adults to spend some quality time together in the meanwhile... After all, they had been teasing each other all evening. It seemed only fair. Specially since it had been Villi's unexpected sleepover that had put a dampener on the couple's plans for the evening. Villi could wait... wherever she was.
Riot snickered a little as Cayson relented, his thought train utterly derailed by her nibbles at his throat. It seemed he was eager to find Villi, but their sexual tension had been mounting all evening, and the niotie could wait and wander a little longer. Riot was not usually so intent on physical time with Cayson, but the two of them had been skating around each other all night and she simply wanted to take advantage of what little alone time they currently had at their disposal… preferably before either of them went nuts. As the arden graced her muzzle with a series of butterfly kisses, she closed her mismatched eyes and pinned her ears backwards, simply enjoying the feel of his warm breath against her caramel fur. Her arms slipped snugly around him as her tail then let go of its hold, and she tugged him into a tight hug. A second later, however, Riot drew herself away from him, creating a small gap between their bodies, though her left hand remained around his middle. She squeezed him gently before rubbing her white hand up and down along his side, an affectionate growl rising from her throat as she did so. “Villi can most definitely wait," she said, her voice a bit tight as her other, right hand explored rather openly along Cayson’s belt buckle. “Me, though… I can’t anymore. I just want to touch you," Riot finished, and without any further adieu, she deftly undid his belt, unzipped his fly, and slipped her warm fingers inside his jeans. Her spry digits sneaked their way into the crotch area of his boxers before taking a firm hold of his penis, and when she had a good grip, she then pushed her body close against his once more. Though she was not currently the one being touched, Riot sucked in her breath rather rapidly as her small, warm hand explored Cayson’s phallic regions. Her touch was nothing but tender, gentle, and playful as she gently massaged her fingers against his penis. Because she was so inexperienced in the field of sexuality, she did not have any real idea of what she was doing – only that she wanted to pleasure him, as well as receive her own gratification. In fact, even as her right hand methodically stroked and tugged, the other one freed itself from his side and reached out for his own, which was flush against her back. She wrapped her white fingers around his and drew it away from her rear, bringing it around to the front. She then suggestively placed it on her own belt, and even nudged her pelvis against him, quite obviously indicating that she wanted his hands on her, too.
Cayson had been prepared for a little bit of fooling around with Riot, but he hadn't been prepared for something quite like this. She was being so forward, and even a bit forceful as she made her intentions clear. Cayson had at first been a little alarmed as Riot undid his belt and then unzipped his pants. They were in his Mother's house, behind unlocked doors, with Villi out there somewhere. Yet, he couldn't help but feel rather turned on by the possibility of being caught. Riot's questing hand elicited a small gasp from him as she took hold of his penis. This was a first. She'd never held onto his penis fully and directly like this before. All other worries quickly faded from the arden's mind. Riot's soft stroking and caresses that followed quickly caused his penis to become erect in her delicate hand. Cayson purred deeply, his eyes softly closing as Riot continued to manipulate him. He knew that she was new to this sort of thing, so he hoped that she would take his positive response as encouragement. It didn't stop there though. Riot further surprised him by guiding his right hand around from her back and to her belt. Giving him permission to start his own exploring through her actions. Not one to back down from a challenge, and a challenge this was, as Cayson was feeling uncertain, Case began to carefully undo Riot's belt. It was a difficult task as Riot was continuing to massage him, though the distraction wasn't at all unwelcome. Eventually, with a little help from his left hand, he was able to steady himself against Riot as he freed her from the belt that bound her. Then, with growing ease, he undid her zipper and gently drew down her pants. “Tell me if I'm doing okay... or if I need to do something differently," Cayson said through a purr. He had his right hand on her stomach and was playing with her navel teasingly. Ever so carefully, he slid his hand down. He gently rubbed between her legs through her panties, pausing to cup her a few times before he slipped his hand underneath the thin material. His left hand dropped down from Riot's back to firmly grip her hindquarters. His right however was still questing downwards toward her vulva. Cayson's fingers carefully made themselves over Riot's pubic region to her clitoral hood. Here he gently tugged at the flesh as he kneaded at her clitoris with two fingers. All the while he attempted to modify the movements of his fingers based upon the reactions he was getting from her. Then, so as not to let up on the pressure he was applying on Riot's clitoris, Cayson pressed the palm of his hand against her firmly as he moved his hand down to maintain the friction between their two bodies. His fingers continued their daring dance, circling around Riot's outer lips. Then, deftly, Cayson inserted a white tipped and blue banded finger into Riot's vagina, curling it towards himself so as to rub against her inner wall. Still, he maintained the pressure on her front as his hand fell into a rhythm. “Is this... is this okay, Ri'ni?" he asked, his breathing now rather ragged. The simple act of forming words was now proving to be difficult.
Indeed, Riot had never touched him so directly before. Just a few nights ago, they had enjoyed some interfemoral intercourse, but it had not been as undeviatingly intense as this. That had been their first sexual experience together, and now that they were on their second, the thill had to figure out just how to manipulate him with her hands to get the right responses and elicit the best physical feelings for him. Her role tonight was much more active, and though she was uncertain, Riot had a feeling that she was doing things quite right. Cayson’s purring built her confidence as she continued to rub along the length of his penis, which quickly grew erect under her touch. This sure symbol of his excitement also aroused her, and Riot moved in just a mite closer as her hand continued to work. The other, free hand massaged his side a few more times before it traveled downwards and cupped against his buttocks, as if she was urging his hips closer. During all of this, her breathing was far faster than usual, a sure sign of the fervor growing between them. Things only got more intense as Cayson responded to her own invitation. Despite the distracted state he was surely in, he carefully undid her belt and then unzipped her pants. His deft fingers gently eased her jeans down then, to expose her undergarments, and Riot bit her tongue as her anticipation grew. Just as she had never truly touched Case, he had never touched her, either, and as his hand began to massage between her legs, the thill could not muffle a pleased moan. This noise was cut off by a quick intake of breath when the arden’s fingers finally breached the last barrier between them, and slipped inside her underwear. At the same time, his other hand cupped her rear, and Riot knew what was coming next. Admittedly, beneath the utter bliss thrilling through her body, a tiny pinprick of fear chewed at her insides as Cayson began to stroke his fingers gently against her clitoris. She had never had sex before, and had never had any foreign object so close to her intimates. However, her fear soon lessened, and then disappeared altogether as his warm hand rubbed against her vulva, and then began to move further inwards. Once more, she bit down on her studded tongue as his fingers so gently slid inside her vagina, and she found herself holding her breath for a moment. When it finally broke free, Riot gasped raggedly and slanted into the arden, nuzzling suggestively at his throat and chin. The tiniest of whimpers clawed up her throat as she leaned into him. Of course, all the while as his fingers gently pushed inside her body, Riot continued her own half of the pleasurable game. Cayson’s penis was fully erect as she gingerly continued to grope him. She knew he was only minutes away from orgasm – she, too, was getting quite close – and even as they rushed closer and closer, the thill bent her head backwards just a bit more and solicited a kiss from him. Her tongue prodded gently at the corners of his mouth, and when he responded by opening his muzzle further, she dove in for the kill, inciting a rather intense and gratifying exchange. When the kiss was over, Riot made a face as if in pain, though she was actually quite far from it, as Case’s hands were still gently massaging her clitoris and vagina. She buried her muzzle in Cayson’s shoulder and closed her eyes, making muffled groaning sounds as she did so. “Boy," she whispered after one such round of whimpering, “don’t stop ‘cause I’m halfway there." As if in response to her erotic words, Cayson trembled a bit, and she felt a warm wetness against the hand that was now grinding along his penis. Had the room not been dark, she could’ve glanced downwards to see that some pre-ejaculatory fluid had dripped onto her hand, but as it was, they were in shadows, and the thill was far too caught up in her own satisfaction… so close… And that was when she heard the scream. . . . After pawing through the carton of old clothes, some of which Villi had found quite appealing to her tastes, the young lukuo stood and peered around. Several minutes had passed since she’d walked into this particular room. She had no watch, and so she could not tell just how much time had gone by, but as she began to walk, her pace was somewhat swift. Sure, it was fun to get lost and elude the older pendragons, but her game had to end, and soon. The white lukuo moved like a ghost through several more rooms, when she heard what she thought was a sound of pain, followed by some muffled words. Pricking her ears, Villi paused and tried to listen. Silence greeted her, and she frowned thoughtfully. Was there an animal in this house, did Koani and Cayson keep a pet? The niotie’s natural curiosity was piqued at this thought, and she began to slink towards the noise’s origin. As she passed through one particularly large room, Villi stumbled over a box, and she turned and glared angrily through the darkness. In the next moment, though, she forgot about her mishap, as another whispery, moaning noise reached her ears. Twin feelers wriggled as Villi took up a more furtive step, for the sound had come from just one room away. She prowled ever so slowly and quietly towards the door into the adjacent room, all the while wishing it was lighter. When she eventually wound up in the doorway, Villi stopped, drew up, and squinted into the shadows. At first, she looked at the floor, as if expecting an injured animal to be scurrying about. But some very scanty luminescence from a nearby window threw some light into the room, and she could make out two figures standing in the shadows, embracing. Instinctively, she knew it was Cayson and Riot, and she wanted to call out to them and end their involuntary game of hide and seek, but then an audible moan stopped her. Squinting, Villi’s eyes adjusted to the contrast of shadow and light, and she suddenly realized what she had just walked in on. She, of course, could not make out details in the dark, but the silhouettes’ general movements suddenly took on a very sexual demeanor. She could make out the fact that Cayson’s hand was on Riot’s rear, which was facing in the lukuo’s direction, and from what she could also tell… Riot’s pants were drawn down around her thighs. Her second instinct was to stand there and watch, unhealthily observing what she was so curious about but which was none of her business. However, it was her first and unreasonable instinct that reacted first, as a shrill scream of utter surprise crawled up Villi’s throat and rang throughout the Grader mansion. . . . Plicae had rolled over onto his side and curled into a generally fetal position, his colorless eyes gazing out the window across from his bed. Several tumultuous feelings churned in his stomach, and he felt a burning sensation along his back. He was unsure of how to feel about Koani’s hug, as well as Villi’s response to it, and he felt rather awkward for putting such a tense spin on their evening. He felt out of place here in one of her guest rooms, and just wished he could go home and curl up in his own, familiar sheets and cry… cry for the bond they had almost forged and cry for the wife whose comfort and solace he needed right about now. Clenching a fist on the corner of his pillow, Plicae willed himself towards sleep, and he squeezed his eyes shut. Though the lukuo was rather forceful about it, he actually began to drift off, and his clutch loosened as he fell towards sleep. Dreams rose up in the forefront of his mind, preparing to wreak havoc; visions of fire and smoke and death crept about his mind’s eye. Luckily – or unluckily, depending on how one looked at it – a sharp trill arose in the house just then, and the arden sat straight up in bed, one word soft on his lips even as he swung his feet out and prepared to dash towards the door. “Villi."
Cayson continued to purr lowly, every now and then his rumbling being interrupted by a small gasp or moan from his throat. He had thought that their other night together had been passionate. This though? This clearly was beating their last sexual encounter hands down by sheer intensity. Their kiss had been extraordinary. Riot's tongue in his mouth, both of their hands working so as to tease each and every ounce of pleasure out of one another. Cayson could feel Riot trembling in his grip. The words she spoke next proved only to further heighten the arden's all-consuming passion. He wanted nothing more than to make this moment perfect. To satisfy Riot, to push her over the top and beyond. He knew that he too was getting rather close. Only mere moments away. That was, until a scream, the scream, invaded his ears. Cayson's blue-green eyes grew wide in startled surprised. He froze, his entire body growing rigid as his brain tried to register what had just happened. Looking over Riot's shoulder he spied Villi. Villi had found them apparently. Villi was... “Shit!" Cayson hissed as he jolted and quickly pulled away from Riot. Their intimate moment coming to a crashing halt. The next few moments came as a bit of a blur to the arden as he struggled to pull up his pants and hastily do up their zipper. At first he wasn't quite sure what had happened. He felt his stomach do a twisted sickening lurch. A short, high-pitched yelp tumbled out of his muzzle. All of the sudden Cayson felt weak in the knees. He collapsed, eventually landing hard on his right side and curling tightly into a fetal position. The poor guy had gone and gotten himself zipper bitten. *** Koani in the meanwhile had been trying her best to block all thought from her mind. After the rather awkward evening, all she had been wanting to do was relax and tend to her wretched shoulder. Upon entering her room, the Grader had first taken off all of her jewellery. Her necklaces, her larger earrings, her rings (even Saber's precious wedding band) now all lay peacefully on her long vanity table. While taking off her clothing, Koani simultaneously turned on the jacuzzi that lay in the large wash room adjacent to her bedroom suite. She carefully piled her clothing onto a chair, taking the extra time to neatly fold the the various articles. Nude, and rather grateful for that, the thill had submerged herself in the swirling waters. Quite unmindful of her long hair which she knew would be getting itself into tangles. She tilted her head backwards, her quills softly bending as she exposed her throat to the ceiling and closed her eyes. Koani let out a soft contented sigh. She could have spent a long time, quietly reposed like this with nothing but the sound and feel of the water to lull her. When a muffled scream alerted her ears, Koani was anything but surprised. “It figures." Despite her lack of surprise, Koani moved swiftly. In less than a second she was out of the bath and already moving. She snatched up a white and orange patterned towel with her left hand as she hastened past it. With this, she tried to dry her hair somewhat. Even despite the apparent urgency of the situation, Koani didn't want to be leaving a trail of water all throughout the house. Usually, when not rushed like this, Koani would use her elemental kinesis abilities to carefully draw the water out of her hair in order to dry it. There wasn't time to do that however, so the towel would have to suffice. Koani flicked the dripping tip of her tail up and into her left hand so that it was gathered alongside the towel and wouldn't drag. Her eyes paused briefly on the security panel in her room as she swept by it. There hadn't been a security breach. In fact, by the looks of it, the kids were on the main floor still for some reason. So what had...? No. She'd ask the questions later. Koani sped down the carpeted halls at full tilt. Her wing was quite out of the way, but she made the trip in record time. There were other shortcuts to get to the lower level, yet despite being shorter, these shortcuts were generally less direct and required a fair amount of navigational skills. Though longer, sometimes the most travelled and familiar route was the better choice. She quickly came across the impressive staircase that divided the mansion off into it's various sections. Placing her right hand on the railing, Koani started her descent to the main floor.
Plicae’s heart thundered in his chest as he gracefully ran down the hall, and he was glad for his long legs and slender build as he catapulted around a corner in the hallway. He was practically to the head of the stairs by the time the scream’s echoes began to fade away, and he bit his lip as he prepared to grab the banister and descend. It was likely he would fly down the steps, five at a time, rather than take the stairs one by one. Just as he was about to start leaping down, he noticed a movement out of the corner of his eyes, though a large, ornate decoration at the head of the stairs blocked his view for the most part. Freezing, he leaned backwards to see what it was, and that was when Koani swung into view and collided right into him. The wind was knocked out of him and he lurched forward, but, luckily, his long fingers had already grabbed the rail – not far from where the Grader’s just had – and he was saved from tumbling down the staircase. “Koani!" the lukuo gasped the second he regained equilibrium. He swerved around to see if she was okay, only to notice that she was naked. Her fur was wet, and his mind quickly connected the dots. She had probably been in the bath when she had heard the scream, and had only thrown on a towel, which had now dropped to her feet because of the impact. “A-are you okay?" the arden added on an after a brief, hesitant pause, his breath catching in his throat as he averted his colorless eyes from her slender, nude form. Then, because he was quite a gentleman, he bent over and plucked the towel from the floor, holding it out to her even as he kept his gaze politely leveled towards the floor. Much to his relief, Koani gently took it from him and wrapped herself up again, and when he finally lifted his eyes, he noticed that she did not seem embarrassed or awkward at all. He was glad, happy that he had not shaken the Grader’s cool. “The… scream," he said after yet another brief pause, and turning away from Koani again, he ran down the stairs and began running through the darkened rooms on the main level. The scream had died away by now, but laughter and other, shuffling noises had replaced it. He followed these sounds until he came upon a large, shadowed room in the heart of the house, and he paused in the threshold and grasped the doorframe as he peered in on the odd scenes unfolding within. . . . As the scream tore through the large manor, bouncing off walls and vibrating in Riot’s ears, the thill, too, grew rigid and drew away. She felt cold now that Cayson’s hand and body had retreated from her, but she was not concerned about their interlude just now. She hurriedly tugged her jeans upwards to cover her exposed parts, and swiftly zipped and buttoned. She finished off by tightening her belt once again around her waist, and finally turned around somewhat to see who had screamed – not that there was a lot of doubt as to who it was. Villi, at this point, had fallen to her knees. Her scream of utter surprise had dissolved into a fit of giggles, and she gasped for air as she wrapped her arms about herself. But she couldn’t contain the riotous laughter; it exploded from within her until the young lukuo was rolling around in the dark, tears rolling from her eyes. She didn’t really know what was so funny, but she could scarcely breath for the uproarious laughter wracking her body and causing her to roll around on the floor like a fish out of water. Riot was certainly not amused. After giving the white niotie a rather icy glare, she turned back to make sure Cayson had covered himself up. To her horror, she watched as his face suddenly contorted in pain. A white hand reached out for his, but the arden fell sideways with a rather agonized yelp, curling up on the floor at her feet. Shocked and alarmed, Riot crouched over him, and as she gently gripped his arm and shook him, asking what was wrong, she realized that both of his arms were tucked between his legs, cradling his crotch. Biting her lip, the thill wondered if the sudden halt in their interplay had caused him pain, or whether he might have hurt himself by trying to zip his pants up over his erection. “Case’sla, are you okay?" she asked worriedly, bending over him and wedging her hand between his legs. “Did you hurt yourself?" she asked. “Spread your legs a little so I can see what you… Cayson! You’re bleeding!" Riot suddenly screamed, as she noticed the stain of red droplets on her white fingertips. It was just then that the female heard thudding footsteps above Villi’s now ceasing laughter and Case’s pained moaning. When she glanced up to see Plicae and Koani rushing into the room – obviously responding to the niotie’s scream – a series of expressions floated across Riot’s face. First, there was mortification, and then horror, and finally, worry. Cayson was hurt, and though she would have to explain what had happened first, including the awkward details, Riot’s main concern was getting her lover some first aid. “Case… Cayson is hurt. We… Villi wandered away and got lost and we went to look for her, and we started fooling around… she walked in on us… we surprised each other… Case is bleeding," Riot explained rather breathlessly, her mismatched eyes glancing from Plicae to Koani and then to Villi, who was sitting up and now wiping tears from her eyes as she dumbly nodded in assent to Riot’s explanation. “He has an erection and he’s going to lose a lot of blood unless we stop it," the thill finished up, now looking downwards and away from everyone as she let out a long, shaky breath.
“Ek, Plicae," Koani uttered sharply as she collided rather unceremoniously with him at the head of the stairs. For a moment she was afraid that her momentum had been enough to send him toppling down the staircase. Thankfully he was able to grab hold of the railing and Koani found herself breathing a sigh of relief. “I'm fine," she assured him. Though why he was asking her if she was alright when it was him who had nearly taken a dive was beyond her. She had dropped her towel during the collision, and Plicae, ever the gentleman, had averted his eyes while returning it to her. Although naked, Koani was completely unabashed. In fact, as Plicae turned away, she almost gave him a swat on the back of the head for being so proper. Instead she resisted the urge and swiftly trailed him down the flight of stairs. Koani hastened after Plicae as he went directly to the source of all the commotion. In no time at all the two adults were framed in the doorway. The Grader flicked on the light switch that was to her left. The entire scene was soon after bathed in a soft yellow glow. Koani at first as at a bit of a loss. Villi was on the floor, tears leaking from her eyes. Cayson too was on the floor all curled up with Riot looking over him. By the pained noises he was making, Koani could easily tell that he was hurt. Although... his injury. Koani looked down at the ground, hiding behind her hair in order to mask a smile as she listened to Riot's explanation. The Grader had wanted to laugh. Yes, her progeny was hurt. Yes, he was on the floor in obvious pain. Yet, for some reason or another this situation was starting to call for laughter. Koani tried to disguise an amused snort with a cough. She looked back up at Cayson and Riot as she pulled some long strands of wet, now curled hair out of her face. She wasn't smiling any more. Instead she wore a rather placid smirk. “Oh, Cay'sla," she murmured sympathetically as she left the doorway and moved toward him. Koani slipped off her towel as she knelt down beside Cayson, the ragged scar along her left side and the smaller one's that accompanied it were very conspicuous in the unflattering light. Cayson took a moment to look up at her. His eyes were already quite steadily leaking tears. Upon seeing Koani though and meeting her rather amused gaze, Cayson broke into a round of fresh sobs. More so out of embarrassment than pain now. Koani tenderly brushed the hair out of Cayson's eyes as she slipped her towel carefully between the young arden's legs. “Here. Riot, would you mind helping him hold that? We'll get you to the kitchen and have that taken care of."
When Koani turned on the lights, Plicae blinked at the goings on, quite nonplussed for a moment. His daughter was on the floor, holding her arms about herself as she sucked in a few, giggly breaths… and nearby, Cayson was also on the floor, Riot hovering over him. The lukuo blinked again as he slowly moved into the room, and his ears pricked when the banded thill began to explain the story to them. Ah… Plicae found himself thinking, and the smallest of grins turned up the corners of his mouth, the young lovers were playing around, and… Plicae turned to look at Villi, who was now slowly climbing to her feet. Her face was a melting pot of emotions. She looked elated, teary, and scared all at the same time. For a moment, the arden frowned at the niotie, wondering what, exactly, she had seen. He was also curious as to why she had been wandering by herself, a thing which he would quickly blame upon her rather than Cayson and Riot, because Villi had likewise eluded him before. But he said nothing as his small daughter came to his side and leaned against him; he merely patted her back and sighed with an amused shake of his head and an airy laugh. The two lukuos simultaneously turned their gazes upon Cayson, Riot, and Koani. The latter had moved towards the two youths, stripping off her towel as she went. She offered it to her son, who whimpered as she tucked it between his legs. Plicae’s heart went out to the other arden, though he was curious as to how he had sustained his injury. What exactly had they been doing? Had Riot bitten him by accident, or had it been a simple accident with a zipper? As he heard Cayson’s pained and embarrassed moans, he decided it would be prudent not to ask… until some other time, anyway. “Thanks, Koani," Riot said, and she quickly bunched up the towel a bit and pressed it between Cayson’s legs. He was too busy being embarrassed to make anymore pained noises, and she slowly and very gently pried his legs apart. Careful to move herself over him so that nobody else could see – except Koani, if she really wanted to see for some reason – she gingerly undid his pants to glance at his injuries. He’d managed to knick the head of his penis, and Riot winced despite the smallness of the injury. After tenderly dabbing at it, she then buttoned his pants up again and glanced up at Koani. “Do you have a first aid kit, or an ice pack?" she asked. When the Grader nodded, Riot looked down at Case and tugged on him. “C’mon, Case’ni, let’s get you to the kitchen so we can take care of it," the thill crooned to the arden, and with a bit of coaxing, she helped him to sit up, then stand. Riot, ever the doting lover, was careful to hold the towel against his crotch even as the party of five slowly made their way out of the room and towards the kitchen. She also allowed Cayson to lean against her shoulder so that she supported him on their walk. “I’m sorry, Case’sla," Riot whispered as they followed Koani and preceded the Decaturs. “How bad does it hurt? Is your mother going to be angry? …She seems kind of amused, actually," the female purred into Cayson’s ears. “Anyway, I’ll make it up to you someday, okay? This really sucked… I’m sorry." Eventually, they reached the kitchen. Riot stuck to Case’s side as Koani momentarily left their company to acquire some first aid items, still holding the towel against him. She leaned her muzzle against his cheek, as well, giving him comforting kisses on his jawline. And when she noticed that Villi was unabashedly staring at them, she moved her body in front of his to block the lukuo’s view – she wasn’t going to humor the niotie any longer.
“I don't... know," Cayson said in response to Riot's inquiry about Koani as she helped him to the kitchen. Would she be angry? Riot was right. She did seem rather amused about it all. She was wearing that strange smirk of hers still. Cayson wiped at the tears that streaked his face. At least he had managed to stop sobbing and had regained some control over his breathing. Up until losing Villi, Cayson had thought that the evening had been going well for himself and Riot. They'd even been able to make a rather good first impression with Plicae. Now though? Cayson's face felt hot and burning underneath his fur. What did the Decaturs, Plicae in particular, think of him now? “It... probably could have been worse," Cayson said after a moment with a bit of pained grimace. “And don't be sorry. It's not like it was your fault." Eventually they made it into the kitchen and Cayson gingerly took a seat on one of the stools that was strategically placed around the island table. Riot hadn't left his side the entire time and Cayson was incredibly grateful for that. Her lingering and soft gestures helped alleviate at least some of the embarrassment anyway... not only that, but she was serving as a bit of a blockade from Villi's inquisitive eyes. Shortly Koani came back with a small first aid kit. This she set down on the counter before opening it and fishing through its contents. She pulled out a small vial and turned it around in her right hand. The liquid inside the clear bottle was a bright mint green and seemed to give off its own light. Koani passed the bottle off to Riot. “Just a little bit will do. You can just dab it right onto his penis with one of these," Koani said conversationally as she passed Riot a small cotton ball. “That'll take care of the bleeding at least." Koani left the duo to that task as she moved over to the fridge. She opened up the freezer compartment and visibly shivered, her quills prickling as she retrieved an ice pack for Cayson. She still hadn't properly dried herself off and was now starting to feel the consequences. Koani left the ice pack on the counter as she slipped over to the large double sink. With the skill of someone who had years of practice, Koani used her fingers to draw some of the chilling water out of her long hair and into the sink. Koani's discomfort was nothing compared to Cayson's though. Again, she found herself stifling a laugh and hiding her foolish smile. The poor boy.
When the five of them reached the kitchen, Plicae stood off to the side for a moment, his hand squeezing Villi’s shoulder. Because of the nature of Cayson’s injury, he soon ushered his daughter away across the room, careful to block her view with his body. He suddenly felt very invasive – what was he doing in here? – and was considering removing himself and Villi from the room altogether. But he was uncertain as to where the niotie was going to be spending the night, unsure as to whether Cayson and Riot would still be hosting a sleepover. And so he stayed in the kitchen, lingering over his little girl, feeling more awkward than ever. After accepting the vial of liquid from Koani, Riot gingerly removed the towel from between Cayson’s legs. She positioned herself between his knees as she then unscrewed the cap off the small bottle, and poured a small amount onto the cotton ball. The thill soon set aside the vial and held onto the cotton ball with two deft fingers as she once more unbuttoned and unzipped the arden’s jeans. As Koani had directed, Riot gently tended to the cut on the head of Case’s penis, and while she was doing this, the Grader thill set an ice pack on the counter nearby. When Riot was finished cleaning up the cut, she then did up Cayson’s pants for the last time, noting that there was a small blood stain on the crotch. “Oh, Case," she said, and she leaned in to hug him. Despite what he’d said about not apologizing, Riot still felt she was to blame. She tried to convey her regret through her tight hug, before she drew away from him, picked up the ice pack, and gingerly held it between his legs. “Does that feel better?" she asked, her mismatched eyes bright and inquisitive as they peered into his. After his response, the thill glanced around the kitchen. Koani was at the sink, wringing out her hair into the basin, and the Decaturs had politely moved across the room to give Cayson and Riot some space. When Riot’s eyes fell upon Villi, several feelings twisted in her gut, and she found herself resenting the young lukuo. Villi had wandered away, and just as the couple had taken advantage of their alone time, she’d popped right back up – how annoying! One thing was for sure: she and Cayson would not be hosting a fort making slumber party for the niotie after all. Perhaps Riot would get over it some day, but for now she just wanted to tuck the wounded Cayson into bed and dote on him. “Thanks for the medicine, Koani. I think I’m going to take Case up to bed now…" She turned her face towards Plicae. “He and I are going to sleep upstairs now. I’m sorry, but can Villi room with you? I don’t think Cayson is feeling up to a sleepover after all," Riot spoke softly, her tail twitching. The only one sleeping with him tonight would be her, and she would be smothering him in apologetic hugs, kisses, and snuggles until morning.
Cayson sat stock still as he watched Riot tend to his wound. He was right. It could have been much worse. He shuddered inwardly at the thought. As it was though, the wound was quite small. The bleeding though, that had been something else. The liquid that Riot applied quickly put that to a halt. He wasn't really even sure what it was, but it felt cool against his skin and went on colourless. Cayson glanced sideways at the bottle. It didn't have a label. No matter. He trusted Koani. The orange arden leaned into Riot as she gave him a tight hug. He kissed her on the corner of the mouth as she withdrew from him in order to retrieve the ice pack on the counter. He started as Riot placed the ice between his legs. Instinctively his hand shot out to hold the ice pack for himself. “Cold," he said with a wry smile. “Yeah. I'll be fine." Still holding the ice pack in place, Cayson slid off of the stool and stood up. It felt as if someone had given him a swift kick in the guts and then had hung around a little while afterwards in order to rip them clear out of his stomach and stomp them into the ground. Riot was thanking Koani and excusing the both of them. No more fort building. Not that Cayson minded much. Once Riot had made it quite clear that they weren't going to be spending the rest of the night with Villi, they were free. Cayson shuffled his feet, walking rather awkwardly as he accompanied Riot out of the kitchen. “Goodnight everyone," Case called back to them as they slowly made their way into the hall. Cayson leaned slightly on Riot as he brought his lips to her ear. “Love you, Ri'ni," he whispered. Curling up in bed and sleeping alongside Riot seemed to be the most desirable thing in the world to the arden at that moment. Koani rose a hand in acknowledgement as Riot thanked her for the medicine. The Grader however didn't turn around. She kept her head over the sink, her face obscured by the still damp curly tangles of her aqua hair. It wasn't until the pair had left the kitchen that Koani's shoulders began to shake. She held onto the counter top tightly with both hands, silently laughing at the absurdity of it all.
When Cayson and Riot eventually left the room, Plicae stood stock still for a moment, lifted a finger as if he was going to say something, and then remained silent after all. Once more, he was wondering what he was doing here, not only here in the kitchen, but here in the Grader mansion altogether. He couldn’t remember what had prompted him to request an overnight stay. It had had something to do with Villi’s sensitive reaction to his and Koani’s hug, and her desire to hang out with Cayson and Riot for the night. However, those plans had been foiled, and now Plicae felt like nothing more than an unwelcome guest. “Koani," the lukuo spoke up, and he shuffled towards the thill. He was careful not to stare at her naked body as she continued to wring her hair out at the sink. “It seems really unnecessary for Villi and I to stay the night at this point," Plicae said, and the arden flipped his wrist over to peer at his watch. It was late, but not so late that it would be impossible to leave and take his daughter home. “Perhaps we should just leave… it just doesn’t seem to make sense to me to stay after all. I mean, I’m glad you’ve extended your welcome, but I really think…" He stopped there and chewed on his lip, not wanting to make a slight on her hospitality… or make their evening yet more prolonged and awkward by remaining in the house. . . . Riot smiled despite herself as Cayson nuzzled against her ear, and she offered a demure purr in response. As they walked down the hallway and made their way to the steps leading upstairs, she wrapped her arm comfortingly around his back, squeezing lightly. She still felt bad, and though a part of her was extremely frustrated over the sudden halt in their sexual endeavors, she was not thinking about herself. She was thinking about Case and how she could possibly make him feel better. Once they’d ascended the stairs and walked up the wing towards the guest room they had shared before, the pair easily slipped inside, and Riot locked the door behind them. Due to the fact that Cayson was somewhat “impaired" at the moment, the thill knew they would not be doing anything overtly sexual tonight. However, she did not want Villi or anybody else walking in on them, anyway. So much of their privacy had been invaded, and now Riot really just wanted some alone time, with Cayson, behind doors that were tightly locked. “I love you, too, Cayson’ni," Riot replied belatedly as the arden moved towards the bed. Riot trailed him, and she stood alongside the divan. She had some of Case’s clothes kept in the room to use as pajamas, but she was feeling too weary to change. Hence, instead of grabbing something else, she merely wiggled out of her jeans. She kept her lacy tank top on, and yawned as she then slipped onto the bed and slipped beneath the covers. Patting the mattress directly next to herself, she gestured for Case to lay down. She really was going to curl as close to him as physically possible, and maybe even give him a back or belly rub. Maybe the events of the night hadn’t been her fault directly, but she felt like the arden could use some babying. And that’s just what she’d do – she’d shower him in affection and make him forget about his worries and his wounds.
Koani lingered at the sink for a moment as she listened to Plicae. She'd gotten over her silent laughing spell. At least for the time being. As Plicae spoke, Koani glanced over at the kitchen clock. Was he mad? It was that politeness of his again. Despite the lateness of the hour, the poor sap still felt as if he and Villi were being intrusive. Koani really didn't want the two of them taking off under the cover of the dark, though if Plicae was insistent, she wouldn't force him to stay. Still. The spiked thill half-turned toward Plicae, a smirk on her face and mirth dancing in her eyes. “Plicae... could you perhaps come a bit closer, please?" Koani asked him. Although confused by this request, Plicae a little reluctantly shuffled closer to the Grader. “That's good. Now, could you bend your head down a little bit? Perfect." Koani then drew closer to the tall arden, as if her only intention was to whisper something secretive into his ear. Instead she raised her right hand and delivered a playful smack to the back of Plicae's head. Koani drew away from him with a soft chuckle. “I wanted to do that earlier. You're being ridiculous though. I thought I'd made it clear that you weren't imposing. If I hadn't wanted you or your daughter here, believe me, I would have ushered you out long ago. I know that this evening has been, ah... a little out of the ordinary." Here Koani paused. It was evident that she was trying to refrain from laughing. “Then we've had our awkwardness. I hope I didn't make you feel too uncomfortable. I'm sorry if I did. I've sort of been wanting the two of us to be better friends. Hm, besides..." Koani pointed past Plicae at Villi. The niotie was sprawled out on the kitchen floor in a dead sleep, her head slightly propped up against the base of the counter. *** Unlike Riot, Cayson wasn't content with simply removing some of his clothing. Being mindful of his injury, the arden took off his pants and boxers and replaced them with a pair of short pajama bottoms that he pulled out of the dresser. Cayson frowned at the blood stain on the front of his pants. He tossed them off to the side so that they landed in a heap beside the door. They might still be salvageable but right at that moment his pants were low priority. He'd do something about them in the morning maybe. His shirt he removed completely. Using one hand to keep hold of the ice pack, Cayson slipped into the bed beside Riot. He propped himself up on his elbow as he leaned over to kiss her gently on the eyelid.
When Koani swatted him on the back of the head, Plicae drew up and blinked several times, wondering what she had done that for. Her playful expression and words soon explained it for him, though, and the arden smiled rather sheepishly at the Grader. He really was polite – he’d been born and bred that way – but now he saw just how overanxious he was being. He just needed to relax, and give Koani a break. Besides, he wanted to be friends with her, too, as much if not more than she did. He needed a friend like her – someone with a sharp intelligence, a similar past, and the ability to be loose and humorous in a tight or awkward situation. “Right, right…" the lukuo said apologetically in reply to Koani’s words, nodding in assent. He and Villi would spend the night. Heck, he might even let himself sleep in, and perhaps he’d drink some of Koani’s coffee in the morning! “Thanks again, for everything. You didn’t make the evening awkward at all. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s nice to see that you guys keep it… real around here," he said, his tail flicking softly as he then turned his eyes upon his daughter and chuckled rather heartily. Padding over towards her, the tall arden bent down and scooped Villi up, and hoisted her over his shoulder. The niotie didn’t pause in her light snoring as he did this, and when Plicae turned to Koani with a grin, she put a thumb in her mouth without waking. Silently, the arden bowed his head to the Grader, and even offered a small wave with his free hand, before turning to make his way out of the kitchen. He didn’t mention that he would merely take Villi up to his room to share – thinking that perhaps such would be implied. The trip upstairs was slow, but Plicae got there rather easily. There was a short sofa not too far from the bed, and he paused and peered thoughtfully at it for a moment. He then shuffled towards the bed, deposited his cargo, and tucked the snoozing Villi tightly beneath the covers. After she was soundly tucked in, he then slunk slowly towards the davenport, and curled up on it, using his hands as a pillow and his own body heat for warmth as he closed his eyes and tried to find sleep once more. . . . After Cayson changed and slipped into bed, Riot moved towards him like a moth towards the light, curling her slender body around him, molding her front against his. She was very careful to avoid knocking him in the crotch with her knee or anything as she wrapped her legs about him in a full, warm embrace, and when the arden placed a delicate kiss upon her eyelid, Riot replied with a deep purr of contentment. “Feeling better?" she asked him, and her voice was rather sleepy as she spoke. The hand that wasn’t beneath her weight rubbed gently along his side, just as she had been doing only a short while ago during their hot and heavy interlude. “I hate that you got hurt, and that we were cut off. Once you start feeling better, I promise we can finish what we started… pick up right where we left off… mm," Riot added on, and she yawned cutely then, before pushing her face close to Cayson’s. She wanted to stay awake, talking to him and cuddling with him. However, her eyes fluttered, and then closed. Her white hand kept up its rhythmic rubbing movements, but they became slower and slower as Riot slipped closer and closer to sleep.
Koani smiled in response to Plicae's words and allowed herself to laugh softly. She was glad that she hadn't made him feel too awkward. Though she got the feeling that he was making light of the situation. Being caught by Villi had been rather awkward for the both of them. Then there had been Cayson and Riot's similar, but entirely different situation. That had been priceless. Koani still felt like bursting into uproarious laughter over it. She waved back as Plicae gathered up Villi and started to make his leave. There was something so familiar about the Decatur's movements. The way in which he tenderly gathered up Villi pulled at her emotions. Koani's own daughters used to be small enough to be swept up and into her arms. Now they were both gone. Vela slain when she was just about Villi's age, and Mystique gone off to parts unknown. All she had left was Cayson, and Cayson was hardly a child anymore. “Sweet dreams, Plicae, Villi," she said to the two of them. However, it was quite apparent that only one pair of ears heard her. Villi was already far off in dream land, no doubt thoroughly exhausted from all the excitement she had had that evening. The Grader hung behind. She was going to straighten up the kitchen a little and put things away before heading back upstairs. *** Cayson appeared to melt right into Riot. Her warm affectionate embrace was just what he happened to need at that very moment. The embarrassment that he had been subject to that evening had really taken its toll upon the arden. Had something similar happened elsewhere, Cayson suspected that he wouldn't have nearly been as upset. To have something like a zipper bite happen at Koani's though? All he really wanted to do at that moment was sleep. Sleep and perhaps have the pains of the evening hopefully fade out from his mind. “Much better," Cayson sighed softly. “Now that I have you here, with me, behind a locked door..." Cayson's own arms wrapped around Riot. His one arm acting as a pillow for her. He gently stroked at her hair as she in turn rubbed his back. “Just us," Cayson breathed, his voice heavy and thick with sleep. It wasn't long before both Riot and Cayson fell victim to sleep, entwined lovingly in each other's arms. *** Later on into the night, after Koani had donned a nightgown, tended to her hair and several shoals of paperwork, she found herself walking along the guest wing's hall. She'd been wanting to check in on Villi and Plicae (to be sure that the arden was actually sleeping and not simply passing his time by counting the stucco bumps on the ceiling). As she passed the linen closet in the guest wing, Koani intuitively withdrew a spare blanket and held it against her chest. Upon coming across their room, Koani soundlessly opened the door. The scene that greeted Koani's already well adjusted eyes caused her to smile and shake her head a little. Villi was soundly tucked away in bed. Plicae on the other hand was curled up on the davenport. I bet he didn't know that thing can convert into a bed. Or perhaps he did, and didn't care, Koani mused to herself as she silently slipped inside the room. She unfolded the blanket as she neared Plicae and then gently draped it over the black, ridiculously polite, arden. “You're a bit of a fool, and I hope you know that," Koani said benignly, her voice barely above a whisper as she took her leave. She closed the door just as soundlessly as she had opened it, then she too retired for the night. Fini. Thanks for reading.
