Who: http://shadowlack.com/persona.php?id=12Riot Stormwing</a>, http://shadowlack.com/persona.php?id=608Cayson Lapices</a>, http://shadowlack.com/persona.php?id=1Kakosenas Shriker</a>, & http://shadowlack.com/persona.php?id=5Radin Dragyn</a> What: The beginning of that gala thing. Where: On teh boat. In teh middle of the GREAT BIG SEA... Shalalalalalacomeonandkisstheegirl. When: Dyo 35th, 81380 Notes: Should be PG-13... right? *shifty-eyes* Private for Stormwing. *** Cayson re-shouldered the small bag he was carrying. He, Riot and Radin were loitering around on Aurius' North-East floating docks. The entire area had been blockaded off from the general public in preparation for the Council of Thirteen's inauguration gala. In fact, an entire quarter of Aurius' floating docking bays had been secured. All for the boarding of several hundred people. At the moment there was currently a lot of hustle and bustle going on as passengers, crew, and security crawled all over the place. The sun was bright and warm upon Cayson's head. The gentle sea breeze was also quite comfortable. Cayson didn't think that they could have picked a better day to start this celebration. Cayson gently bumped Riot and nodded his head toward the ship with a wide grin. They still hadn't set foot upon it, but there it was right in full view and spanning hundreds of feet. It was quite apparent that Cayson was excited. He hadn't been on anything like this, at least not to his knowledge. The ship itself wasn't to set sail for quite a few hours still, but most everyone was already on board and settling in. Their larger suitcases of luggage had already been sent ahead and deposited in their designated rooms. So thankfully there would be no need to struggle with any larger items. He was about to suggest that they go ahead and board when some unnatural movement caught his eye. Though there was quite the crowd of pendragons on the dock, it seemed as if it were slowly parting. As if someone was walking through them and people either consciously or unconsciously were moving out of the way. Cayson tilted his head in order to get a better look. A pair of yellow eyes met and locked with his briefly. Kakosenas Shriker. Cayson should have known. Riot had been subject to similar treatment when they had first arrived as well, though it wasn't nearly as extreme. There seemed to be a little bit of a stiffness in a few of the other guests. As if some privately resented her presence but were much too proper or polite to say anything about it. Cayson was hoping that stuffy air would blow itself out once they left port and had spent their first night on board. He wasn't about to let anyone drag down the festivities or make his girl feel uncomfortable. He'd already made a pact with Radin to throw any potential downers overboard. “Hey. I hope you weren't waiting for me," Shriker said pleasantly as she joined up with the rest of the group. “I got a little detained by security."
Riot shielded her eyes from the Dyo sun and peered around the surface docks, mostly at the crowds bustling about on them. Several hundred pendragons were preparing to board the ocean liner, and all of them seemed to be in an excited hurry. Almost everybody was carrying small bags, and a few crewmembers – indicated by their sharp, navy suits – were hoisting trunks towards the ship’s cargo bay. It was such a thrilling sight, and after drinking it in, Riot dropped her hand and looked towards the individuals in her more immediate surroundings, namely Cayson and Radin. She squinted her eyes under the glare of the sun as she smiled at her two companions, who were also eagerly observing the goings-on around them. Just then, Cayson nudged against her and nodded towards the boat, and the thill’s mismatched eyes alighted upon it. It was a magnificent sea cruiser, several hundred feet long and superbly luxurious. Riot had no idea whether it had been constructed for this purpose or not, but she was sure that being aboard it would be like living royally. She just hoped she wouldn’t get seasick; Riot had never been aboard a ship before, especially not for any length of time. A warm breeze tousled Riot’s hair as she grasped Cayson’s free hand and leaned onto his shoulder, a grin still on her face as she regarded everything. She closed her eyes for a moment to give herself a break from the intense excitement of it all, and when she opened them, she noticed some odd movements in the crowds. Pendragons were stepping backwards and making a wide berth for someone who was moving amongst them, and Riot copied Case and craned her neck to see who it was. When Kakosenas emerged from the disgruntled throngs, Riot did not know whether to smile or frown at the way her friend had been treated. She had been subject to the same treatment upon her arrival, though it had not been so bad. Riot tried to forget about it, however, and decided to greet her friend with a smile and a nod. “Hey," she spoke. “Looking forward to the cruise? I know you like water," Riot added on. “How can she not be looking forward to this?" Radin interjected from behind Riot and Cayson, and he stepped up next to the banded thill’s side to regard the newly arrived Shriker. “Just take a gander at the pure awesomeness of everything," he added on as he scrutinized the slender female from behind the dark of his sunglasses. “Radin Dragyn," he then pinned on with a polite nod, having never met the ambiguous, infamous chimera before. His demeanor did not indicate any opinion he may have had about her. Riot leaned her head upwards from Case’s shoulder and watched as the arden and thill interacted, and wanting to be courteous, she spoke up with a formal introduction. “Yeah, Kakos, this is Radin Dragyn. Radin, this is Kakosenas Shriker. You both know Case and I, so now that we’ve all been acquainted, we should probably start moving towards one of the gangways."
Had Kakosenas been unnerved or bothered by other pendragon's reactions to her, she didn't show it. In fact, she seemed rather oblivious to them. Unlike most of the people awaiting to board the vessel, Shriker wasn't carrying a bag of any sort. Her “detainment" hadn't been just as simple as that. Who knew what suits were rummaging through her belongings right at that very moment. Kakos had left them to it. She'd been promised the return of her belongings once they had be “checked out." She knew they wouldn't find anything on her. She wasn't about to put up a fight about her things though. They were just being overly cautious. Truthfully, Kakos couldn't blame them. She'd probably be doing the same thing were she in their position. “Dragyn, eh? Nice. Call me Kakos, or Shriker. Either is fine." Kakosenas said after Riot introduced Radin to her. She'd seen him around Janardan before of course... back when she used to hang out there anyway. Most of the time he had been with Cayson. She'd never known his name though (or Cayson's at that time either). So the fact that he was a Dragyn was news to her. “Mm, and it's more like lovingly adore the water. I think... I'm going to like this." Kakos continued as she responded to Riot's earlier question. Despite the wide berth that people were giving her, and the anxious, paranoid feeling in the pit of her belly, she was actually looking forward to hopefully enjoying the cruise. It'd give her a bit of time to do some catching up with Riot too. Lately the both of them had sort of been in their own separate worlds with Shadowlack being the only real link in between them. Shriker sucked in a breath and looked over at the ship. It was a massive thing. A real conqueror of the seas. She'd been on large ships before, but this one... it might just be the biggest. She cast a quick glance down at her feet before looking back at the ship. Right at that moment she was “borrowing" bits and pieces of other pendragon's shadows. The result was a rather make-shift shadow of her form. It wasn't completely accurate, but she hoped that it was done well enough that her shadow-less state wouldn't attract too much attention. Already she had too many eyes crawling over her. Cayson gave Riot's hand a squeeze as he pulled her close to give her a gentle peck on the cheek. “Yes, hehe. Let's get on this monster then," he chuckled as he took a step toward the gangplank, leading his companions. Although Kakos had never done anything to him directly, he still thought she was rather peculiar. On other occasions he'd picked up a vibe of dislike coming from her directed at him. There didn't seem to be any projected feelings coming from her now though. Perhaps she was too excited to dislike him right at that moment or something. He quietly hoped he wouldn't have to spend much time with her regardless.
Radin cast Kakosenas a rather friendly smile in response to her words, before bending over to pick up a small duffel bag at his feet. He then moved past her and the others as he prepared to lead the way towards one of the many gangplanks leading up to the ship. All of them had crowds around their feet, of course, but hopefully they would be able to board without too much wait or too much fuss. Indicating for Kakos to precede her and Cayson, Riot picked up her own duffel bag and began moving behind her two friends. Case, of course, stuck to her side, as they were still holding hands. As they walked, the thill glanced around once more, still amazed by the sight of so many pendragons bustling about beneath the warm Dyo sun. A flicker of excitement kicked up in her stomach, though, admittedly, it didn’t solely have to do with boarding the magnificent cruise ship… but also with what she was planning to do once they were onboard and in their stateroom. Just three days prior to this very day, Riot had sought out Koani Grader at her home. It had been their first time being alone together without Cayson, and it had been a little bit tense, but not too bad altogether. Most of the tension had been cut because Riot had had a specific purpose for seeking out the older thill – she’d wanted to consult Koani on a piece of jewelry she had bought. It was a beautiful choker necklace, made out of a platinum chain. It had dozens of fish linked on the chain, their bodies made of delicate blue diamonds of the highest quality, and it had cost Riot a pretty penny. It was for Cayson, though, and she couldn’t think of a better way to spend her money. Of course, before giving it to him, she had wanted to seek Koani’s wisdom about jewelry making, to assure her that there were no flaws or other imperfections. Koani had been very gracious, handling the necklace with utmost care, her fingers and her eyes professional as she had carefully scrutinized it. It had taken her nearly an hour to survey the entire chain, but when she had handed it back to Riot, she had declared it intact. Riot had smiled appreciatively at her then, and then mentioned that she had also bought a cock ring for Case that needed to be widened, just as a joke to further clear the air between them. The Grader thill had grinned and shaken her head before good-humoredly kicking Riot out of her house. Right now, the beloved necklace was in a small box in Riot’s right jeans pocket. Even as she followed the others towards the ship, she kept straying her hand down to her pocket to reassure herself that it was still there. She wasn’t concerned about losing it because of its high monetary value. She was anxious because it was going to be a precious gift of love for Case, and she wanted to give it to him at the first chance she got. She knew once it was securely chained around the arden’s neck, she would stop being nervous about it, not to mention how outright happy she would be to have given him such a thoughtful gift. Luckily for her, she would probably get the opportunity to present it to him fairly soon. She and Cayson were sharing a stateroom together, with Radin and Kakosenas in an adjacent room connected by a door. She’d heard that a giant aquarium made up one wall of their stateroom, and she was quite excited to see it. However, she was more excited about the alone time they would get in a few moments as they unpacked. Somehow, she would discreetly shut the door between their rooms and give Cayson his gift, so that everybody would know he was hers as they enjoyed the vacation. “Right, this line looks shortest," Riot heard Radin say, and her eyes flicked to where his green finger was pointing. They’d arrived at the base of a gangway, and there was only a small crowd gathered around it. They would probably be able to board in just a few moments, and the thill was rather glad. She couldn’t wait.
Kakosenas walked past Riot as she indicated that she go ahead. Kakos gave her a bit of a look as she slipped by and tilted her head. There certainly was a world of difference between the two friends now. Shriker liked to think that they still had their bond though. However buried it may have gotten, it was still there. Shriker trailed after Radin, leaving Cayson and Riot to their own devices. She figured that she might as well try to get to know Radin, at least a little bit. She was going to be sharing a room with him after all. And if he snored? She'd stuff a sock down his throat, or perform some other act of similar nature. Not that she expected to be sleeping a whole lot. There was the entire ocean to look at and enjoy. Kakos cast a glance over at the water that divided the ship from the dock as they pulled into the shortest line. She smiled a little secretly to herself as she jammed her taloned hands into her pockets. “Say, Radin... do you have a favourite colour?" She asked him as they stood in the short line. It was a completely random question of course, but it was a place to start at least. Cayson and Riot casually followed their friends. Case was actually very eager to get on board and check the place out. He'd heard the same rumours that Riot had about the rooms. Aquariums. Fish. On board a sea faring vessel. It seemed so perfect. The fact that there might even be some in their room? He didn't think they'd be able to compare to the fish in the grotto, but perhaps. They could be beautiful in another way he supposed. Case continued to hold onto Riot's hand, gently swinging it as he spoke up. “You know, there's supposed to be a pool, and a full gym on this thing as well. Not to mention the buffets and the open bar."
Fortunately for the foursome, the line soon dwindled down and it was their turn to board. Two crewmembers gave them a short inspection first, and they all had to produce their beautifully designed invitations, which doubled as their tickets. The crewmen soon gave them a nod, and Radin was the first to step onto the gangplank. He peered over his shoulder to make sure the others were following, before trotting up the slender “bridge" between the dockside and the ship. Noticing that Kakosenas was right on his heels as he set foot onboard, the arden turned to her and offered a belated reply to her query. “My new favorite color is white," he announced, gesturing at the ship’s gleaming white walls and railings. “Oh, and brown, too," he added on as he looked at his feet. The deck floor was made of a very fine wood, and it had been buffed so brightly that Radin could make out a distorted reflection grinning back at him. Giving an excited laugh, Radin began to walk to the left, towards the liner’s rear. They had boarded on the starboard side, and the Dragyn knew that their staterooms were near the ship’s stern. He knew this because on the back flap of his invitation, there was a detailed map, with their staterooms conveniently labeled in bright red text. There were very helpful directions, too, and so Radin was quite sure of where he was going as he led his friends along the deck, and then through a door that led into the interior as well as below, into the cruiser’s bowels. Behind him and Shriker, Riot and Cayson brought up the rear. They were being fairly quiet, which was a little unusual, though the thill knew there were good reasons for it. Her mind was constantly on the necklace within her pocket, and she guessed that the orange arden whose hand was in hers was simply speechless due to the ship’s luxuriousness; he was probably drinking it all in. Whatever the case, theirs was a comfortable silence, and Riot turned her head sideways to grin at Case as Radin led them towards their staterooms. Each step brought them closer and closer, and she knew it was only a matter of minutes before she would be able to give Cayson his gift. “We’re heeere!" Radin announced after a walk down a long corridor marked by doors every few meters. Amazingly, the hallway had a plush carpet underfoot, and the doors had fairly intricate designs around their frames. It was obvious that they were in one of the more posh wings of staterooms aboard the liner. “Rooms E40 and E42," he added, pointing at the golden embossed numerals pegged to the doors. “Kakos and I are in the former and you’re in the latter," he said, his eyes briefly scanning over Cayson and Riot before he turned and stepped inside the doorway of E40. Riot giggled to herself when she heard Radin’s muffled exclamation of awe, but then she turned away to watch as Case opened the door into http://shadowlack.com/stormwing/x/stateroome42.JPGE42</a>. For the moment, she let go of his hand, and they stepped into the room one after the other. Like Radin had done only minutes ago, the thill gasped when she set her mismatched eyes upon the interior, and the wonderful décor. It was even more magnificent than she had expected. Immediately beyond the threshold, there was a narrow foyer that opened into a wide sitting area, complete with a plush couch, a long dresser, and several other pieces of furniture. There was even a wide porthole in the far wall, offering a view of the sea through the thick glass. To the left side of the large sitting room, there was a door adjoining their chamber to Radin and Shriker’s, and it opened for a moment as the green arden popped his head in to wave for a brief second. Riot laughed at him as she peered around the large space, and then she began to move towards the other end, where another door opened into what was presumably the bedroom. On the way there, she quietly dropped her duffel onto the end of the sofa. As she then stepped into the bedroom, Riot found herself gasping once again, though this time her breath was truly and magically stolen away. The wall opposite of the doorway was not a regular wall at all; it was an enormous fish tank, at least several hundred gallons. The thill edged her way around the bed in the center of the room, and approached the mammoth aquarium, her white fingers touching at the glass. Several tropical fish swam up towards her, as if in greetings, before swirling away and dodging throughout the artificial coral reefs placed in the tank. There was a background featuring a lovely undersea display, and Riot nearly wanted to swoon at the pure beauty of it. Though it was not quite as spectacular as the grotto, it still took her breath away. “This is so fucking awesome," she breathed, and she turned to see Cayson step into the room behind her. She gave him a broad grin as she gestured towards the aquarium, and she saw the utter awe in his eyes as he joined her next to it. They both loved fish, as the aquatic creatures were nearly symbolic for them and their relationship, and so it was no surprise that they were both mesmerized by their in-room aquarium. “Isn’t it?" When the arden nodded slowly, Riot chuckled at him, and then the real fish swimming around in front of her face reminded her of the diamond fish necklace in her pocket. Making a “hmmm" noise, the banded female backpedaled slowly out of the room, emerging into the larger sitting area. She quietly slunk to the door that was adjacent to E40, and opened it to get a glimpse at what Radin and Kakos were doing. They were busily unpacking, and they offered Riot a few waves as they put away their various belongings. She returned the gesture before shutting the door and locking it, and then, slowly but confidently, she returned back towards the bedroom, and kneeled onto the bed. “Cayson’ni, c’mere," she beckoned softly to Case, who was still admiring their aquatic roommates. “I have something for you. I want to give it to you now so that you can have it for the entire cruise, and because… well… I’m going to pee my pants if I have to wait any longer to give it to you."
Cayson moved alongside Riot, silently pulling in all of the sights with his eyes. The ship was by far one of the most extraordinary pieces of construction he had ever seen. Cayson made a mental note. At some point in time he was going to ask for a copy of the blueprints of the ship. Perhaps after the cruise (so as to not come off as being too weird). He got this feeling that the ship's inner structure was just as beautiful and meticulously constructed as its outer shell. The architectural geek inside of him was squirming with glee at the thought. Everything from the walls, to the floors, and even the small decorations had been carefully chosen and brought together to create this vast masterpiece. It was no wonder that Koani had seemed a little boastful when she had explained the cruise in a little more in detail to them. The ship was certainly something to be proud of. He found himself wanting to know more about it as well. When was it's maiden voyage? Who used it during other times of the year? More importantly – who had designed it? Their suite was also nothing short of jaw dropping. Cayson himself was quite used to living a life of luxury, but all this seemed pretty over the top even for him. There was a touch screen phone, should they happen to need anything... it even had a special button that could be slammed if there happened to be an emergency. He was tempted to press it just to see how fast their response time would be. The usual smoke detectors. Smoking wasn't permitted in their room apparently, not that Cayson minded. Heck... there was even a cleaning schedule which was all nicely printed out that told them just when their room would be cleaned at and at what times. Cayson followed Riot into their bedroom, his eyes all a-sparkle at the wonder that met them there. Taking up one entire wall was an aquarium. “Holy... Ri'ni..." Cayson murmured as he moved closer to inspect the fish with her. It was a saltwater tank. As Riot soon after busied herself, Cayson let a finger trail across the glass surface. A particular long finned red and black fish chased after him. “Seriously Ri'ni! This entire place is like... is like... an architect's wet dream!" He laughed, his attention still upon the fish. When Riot returned, he wordlessly withdrew from the tank when she called to him. She was kneeling on their bed. Curious as to find out what could make Riot even more excited than them being together on this ship, Cayson too knelt down upon the bed facing her. Apparently she had something for him. What though?
Riot grinned at Cayson’s comment, and she held this expression as the arden turned and moved to join her on the bed. The two of them barely had any personal space with each other, and so she was not discomfited when he sat near enough that she could feel his breath on her muzzle; in fact, her smile grew wider. Only unwillingly was she able to peel her mismatched eyes away from his, just long enough to seek out her jeans pocket and withdraw the small, dark box that was holding the fish necklace. “I’ve been wanting to get you something to show how much I love you, Cayson," Riot spoke as she held the box in the palm of her hand. She flicked her eyes to meet his once again, and she smiled rather coyly. “I know you appreciated the sentiment behind the house key, but I wanted to give you something a little nicer, something that you can wear. Also, something that has some symbolism to it." Without further adieu, the thill used her deft fingers to open the small package. Inside, on a soft bed of navy velvet, lay the necklace she had chosen for him. The small fish, constructed of blue diamonds, sparkled under the overhead light. The platinum chain links also shone, and Riot knew it was beautiful. She knew that Cayson thought so, too, for as soon as the necklace was exposed, she heard a sharp inhalation as his breath got caught in his throat. Still moving slowly but confidently, Riot loosed the chain from the box, and then undid the clasp. Reaching her arms up, she then wrapped it about Cayson’s throat, and then quickly snapped the clasp shut again. It was a choker necklace, so it was held tautly across his Adam’s apple. It was a perfect fit, just as the thill had hoped, and as she appraised the arden for a brief moment, she felt a feeling of pure contentedness swell up inside her.
Cayson regarded Riot, his gaze curious. She really hadn't had to get him anything. The key to her house that she had given him had meant a lot. It had pushed their relationship ahead by leaps and bounds simply because it spoke so much about the trust she had in him. He really couldn't have asked for a more perfect and fitting gift. However, if Riot had felt the need to get him something else, he wasn't about to balk... He rather liked both giving and receiving surprises. His eyes watched Riot's hands as she opened a small box that seemed to have materialized out of thin air. What she revealed was something so beautiful and so fitting that Cayson felt his breath stop. Captured by the chain of platinum silver there were fish. Fish adorned with blue diamonds no less. He remained motionless as Riot carefully did it up around his neck. Still he seemed rather unable to find words. His eyes darted sideways to give a quick look over of himself in one of their room's mirrors. The fish were shimmering as the lay fastened – swimming – around his neck. He thought they looked rather smart. Trust it to Riot to know exactly what to get him. He liked it. Loved it really. Just like how he loved her. “You're beautiful, Ri'ni. It's beautiful too. Thank you," Cayson purred. The extent of his thankfulness went a little bit further than that though. Due to their close proximity, Cayson barely had to move in order to kiss her. He gently tilted her head with his right hand placed under her chin and leaned forward so that their lips met. What happened next wasn't a conservative peck. It also wasn't the most sensual kiss that he could have given her either. He didn't really want to start something that they wouldn't have time to finish. However, it was decidedly unchaste.
Riot smiled quietly at Cayson’s breathlessness, and then his words. Better than knowing she had given him such a priceless gift was the fact that he seemed to truly like and appreciate it. She hoped he would never take it off, for she agreed with him; it was a beautiful piece of jewelry, and it was a very thoughtful symbol of Riot’s love for the arden. “And you are beautiful, too. You’re welcome," she managed to reply in a “reminding" tone, just before Cayson leaned in to kiss her. She was silenced as his mouth met hers and the two of them exchanged a sweet, flavorful kiss. Riot closed her eyes and briefly savored the flick of his tongue against hers, before she then drew away, eyes reopening, their mismatched depths shimmering. “Well, I wanted you to have it to wear all around the cruise to show off that you’re mine," she said after a moment, white tipped ears flicking. She smiled to show that she was being playful, though she really did like to think that Cayson would wear the necklace to denote that his heart belonged to her. “And I have this," she added on, holding up her left hand and wriggling her digits to show off the platinum band around her ring finger. Riot grinned once more, before leaning forward to give Case a light hug. She then slipped her legs from the bed and stood, peering around. She’d been so looking forward to giving Cayson his gift, she didn’t know what to do with herself now that it was done. Then, she remembered that she had promised to have a late lunch with Kakosenas. For a brief moment, the thill wanted to cancel this meeting, simply because she wanted to remain here, with Cayson and the fish. But she was a reliable pendragon, and she really wanted to catch up with Shriker. “Mm… I promised Kakos I’d have a late meal with her. What are you going to do in the meantime?" Riot asked, flicking her tail idly as she peered at Cayson. “Whatever you’re planning on doing, will you promise to meet me on deck around sunset? I’d really like to be with you when we officially set sail." She almost added on that she wanted to be alone with him afterwards, here in the room, but she didn’t want to sound overly evocative… even though they were going to end up, alone, here in the room, considering it was theirs to share each night. It was just that Riot was reaching the end of her rope when it came to their “waiting game," and she had a peculiar inkling that it was soon going to be over due to the romantic setting and the ample opportunities that would arise. But not tonight, most likely, so she kept her lips zipped on the subject, and peered at Cayson with a smile as she awaited to hear about his afternoon plans.
“I think I'll rather like showing it off," Cayson said with a grin as Riot hugged him. He didn't think that he'd have to try very hard to show off a gift like this one. If it sparkled like this inside, what would it be like outside underneath the full rays of the sun? Perhaps he could blind a few onlookers. When Riot got to her feet, Cayson soon followed suit. He was rather dismayed to hear her next words though. Lunch with Kakos? “Do you really have to?" Cayson asked, a bit of a whining note in his voice. He knew that Riot had said she had promised though, and that she wasn't usually one to back out of a promise. Though Cayson made a bit of a mental note to himself just then. He really didn't want Kakos infringing on his time with Riot... though he really supposed just going out for lunch wasn't too bad. He'd be a bit of a prick if he tried to keep Riot away from her friends. And Kakos and Riot were friends after all. Even if Kakos was rather, for lack of better words, creepy. Actually, he wondered just how Radin was faring with her at that moment... “I guess if you have to... Radin and I were just going to do a bit of exploring I think. You know, find out where the good bartenders are and scout out the more happening locations. Figure out just where everything is. I wanted to check out the on deck pool too." Cayson's right hand sought out Riot's at that moment and he offered her an adoring smile. “I'll keep you in my thoughts the entire time," he said, as if there had been any doubt in her mind. “Consider being together with you on the deck at sunset at date." Cayson then pulled Riot a little closer and kissed her soundly on the corner of the mouth. “That's a promise."
“I want to," Riot quipped with a laugh as Cayson whined over her plans. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, eh?" she added on with a bit of a sarcastic smile and a tilt of her head. “We can both catch up with our friends, and then have the rest of the cruise to hang out with each other. Make sure you look for all the romantic spots, too, ‘kay?" After a playful return kiss, Riot turned and padded from the room, crossing the sitting room as she headed towards the door between their stateroom and the one where Radin and Kakosenas were unpacking. The thill unlocked the door and then turned the knob, leaning in cautiously as she peered around. They had been rummaging around in their sitting room earlier, but now neither of her friends was in sight. But upon calling out for them, Radin popped out of the bedroom and waved, before heading over. “Sup?" he asked, and Riot noticed he had a lollipop in his mouth. She’d noticed he often had candy with him lately, and she briefly wondered what it was about. Did he have a new addiction? Did he just need a lot of sugar for some reason? Or did he have an issue with sucking? “Shriker and I are just about moved in, I think," he added, flicking his flamed tail. “That’s good. She and I are going out to eat somewhere on deck. I overheard some strangers outside that said there’s a café on the forward well deck, so I think we’re going to check that out. That leaves you with Cayson, and he says he wants to explore and maybe go swimming," Riot replied, smiling at Radin as she saw the grin creeping over his face. He was obviously eager to join the other arden to scout out the best places on the ship. “Great. I already have my suit on," the Dragyn said, pointing to the dark pair of blue board shorts he was wearing. They had white designs along the sides. “Is he all set to get explorin’?" he added, looking over Riot’s shoulder and beyond into E42’s sitting room. “Should be… go on in," Riot said, and she slipped past Radin and into his and Kakos’s stateroom. She heard rustling coming from the bedroom, and so she slunk towards the door and popped her head in. Kakosenas was arranging her <s>eyeball collection</s> some random objects on the top of the bureau. “Hey, ready for that late lunch?" Riot asked her friend. As she waited for Kakos’s answer, she leaned backwards out of the doorframe and glimpsed across the sitting room, through the adjacent doorway. Radin and Cayson were talking over there, and looked just about ready to set off on their own ventures. Part of Riot rather wanted to join them, but she also wanted to catch up with Shriker. “I’m ready when you are," she added, taking her eyes off the ardens as she smiled at her friend.
“Yeah, yeah..." Cayson said with a bit of a laugh. Though of course if he had it his way, he'd be with Riot 24/7. She'd probably grow sick of him. If that were even possible. “Finding romantic spots are among my very top priorities," he quipped with a wink. Coming across a spot that was even more so romantic than the massive fish tank in this room was going to be quite a feat. The tank even had a specially designed lighting system that bounced the artificial rays about the interior at calculated angles. It definitely was going to be a tough spot to beat. Cayson hung back as Riot ventured away and turned his attention to one of his bags. He rummaged through it looking for a particular pair of swimming trunks. He figured that he might as well try to dress a little more in accordance to the “cruise." Perhaps play the part of some suave busybody tourist. “Just a moment!" Case shouted. A short while later, Cayson found himself adequately dressed. He wore a pair of white swim trunks with blue and green designs on them, and a rather wild loose flowing shirt. Cayson swept out of the bedroom and into the sitting room. Radin was already there waiting for him. Case then slipped on a pair of shades and flicked his hair back, trying his best to imitate many-a young and dangerous male actor. “Let's rock this joint! Haha... rock, and it's a ship... on the water... hahaha. I should just, shut up... haha. Let's roll." Shriker neatly arranged a small piece of wire on the bureau. Actually, she was surprised that she had been allowed to even bring it on board, what with the security wanting to commandeer any “dangerous" items. Maybe they figured that her talons could do much more damage then the remnants of a paper clip ever could. They weren't filing down everyone's nails, claws, and spikes... so it had been passable. The rest of her items were of the rather assorted type. There was a small clear rubber bouncing ball with some strange shapes inside of it. A package of matches from one of Shadowlack's clubs. Various bits of coloured braided string, some looking like finished bracelets, whereas others looked as if to have been just started. In short, they were knick knacks and really held no monetary value whatsoever. Shriker looked over when Riot appeared in the doorway. “Hey. Certainly am. They still haven't dropped of my bag yet, so there's not like there's much to put away at the moment." Shriker pushed away from the bureau and absently brushed off her pants. “Did you have a place in mind? By the sounds of it, we've got quite a few places to choose from. There's several full blown restaurants versus a few quaint luncheonettes onboard. All hearsay of course."
Radin laughed out loud at Cayson’s corny joke, before jerking his head towards the door and then walking towards it. Upon exiting the stateroom, he glanced up and down the hallway, and then behind him to see if his friend was following. Once assured that Case was tagging along, Radin then began to pad up the corridor, his shaded eyes flicking about as he admired the décor, as well as the odd pendragon or two that shuffled past carrying suitcases or even guiding trolleys stacked high with luggage. “This is just awesome," the arden commented abruptly, and turned towards Cayson, who was now walking beside him. “Let’s rock this bitch, indeed," he added on, before asking, “What do you want to do first? I wouldn’t mind checking out the pool. Everybody’s probably busy unpacking so it’ll be the only time to have the pool mostly to ourselves…" Radin grinned a bit at this prospect, before he started and paused in his step. Cayson, too, slowed, and when he peered wonderingly at his friend, Radin leaned closer to him. One green hand reached up to tug at the collar of Case’s shirt, and then an impressed whistle could be heard as the Dragyn regarded the fine chain of diamonds linked about the other male’s neck. He hadn’t initially noticed it – his sunglasses had prevented him from catching the telltale glitter of it around his friend’s throat – but now that he did see it, he knew exactly what it was and where it had come from. “Nice bling. Did Riot just give that to you? That reminds me, are you going to ask her to marry you sometime during the cruise?" As he spoke, Rad’s voice was almost reverent. He was a joker at heart, and he loved goofing off, but when it came to his friends and their serious relationship, he found himself almost in awe of them. He’d been jealous at first, but now he knew what a wonderful, fitting, and perfect love they had, and he was eager to see them seal the deal. However, on that note, his natural male curiosity overtook his momentary veneration, and as he began to climb the stairs out onto the deck, he pegged on a few more questions. “Didn’t you say that you were going to ask her to do the Addfesmatt tradition? Oh, man, that means I’m going to be an uncle soon! Hey, on that note, have you guys even, ah, had sex yet? I would, you know, do it a few times before you attempt to conceive, because you’re going to be a bit fumbly at first. You silly virgin types," he finished up with an affectionate jab at Case’s side and a look that said he hoped he wasn’t prying too much. . . . Only a moment after the ardens left the adjoined staterooms, Riot and Kakosenas also emerged in the hallway. The banded thill glanced up and down it much like Radin had, before looking at her darker friend with a small smile upon her face. “On the topic of hearsay, I heard some pendragons talking about this café on the forward well deck. It’s supposed to be the perfect place to have a light lunch and also have a great view. Interested in hitting that place up?" Even before her friend supplied an answer, Riot began to walk down the corridor, in the opposite direction that Cayson and Radin had gone a few minutes ago. Her mismatched eyes flickered curiously over everything, and she even paused for a second to watch as a group of twenty-somethings passed by with their luggage held over their heads. When they had passed, she looked around and waved for Kakos to follow, as she then headed towards a set of stairs that would lead to the upper deck.
Cayson sauntered alongside Radin, his mind once again back to marvelling at the wonder that was this ship. He was in an exceedingly good mood, as could easily be noticed by the slight bounce in his stride and rather cheeky grin. He looked to Radin when he spoke and bobbed his head in agreement. “I think the pool should be our first stop too. I've been itching to check it out ever since I heard there was one on deck..." Cayson's voice trailed off when he noticed Radin's change in pace. He was going to ask him what the problem was when Radin spoke up. He had noticed Riot's gift. Cayson nearly glowed as Radin pointed it out. “Thanks. It is styling. Riot's got great taste, and I aim to flaunt it just for her." Cayson tilted his head up a little so that Radin could more easily see the school of diamond fish that swam about his neck. Then with a bit of a skipping hop he picked their casual walking pace back up again. Of course, Radin's rather personal questions hadn't thrown him off at all. They guy had been his best friend for years now and were generally quite open about things. “I've got the ring and everything. Even had Koani look it over for me. You'd think I'd be nervous about the whole thing, but no. I'm so excited. I'm so... well. It's just amazing. I plan on asking her on our anniversary. There's been this countdown going on in my head. Big. Flashing. Numbers. Just seven more days until I pop the question. Yeah, the Addfesmatt tradition is the plan too. I mean... wow. You an uncle. Me? Me a father." Cayson shook his head in disbelief, although the excited smile never left his face. “Ah, still no sex though. We've still been fooling around some. But, heh. I think all of this waiting is quite literally killing the two of us. Specially since we're both such teases at times. Silly virgins indeed," Cayson chuckled. “I guess it won't be too much longer though... I mean, since we are going with the whole Addfesmatt thing. Don't knock on us virgins, hehe. Crazy as we may be. How many 'dragons you had sex with now? I think I lost count. You seeing anyone at the moment?" Case asked as he returned Radin's affectionate poke. *** “I don't see the harm," came Kakos' swift response. She was actually quite eager to be back up on the deck. The ship was beautiful inside... however it wasn't nearly as beautiful as the water it was immersed in. The ocean was a massive living thing, and although they hadn't even left the dock yet, simply being this close to it made Shriker feel rather giddy. “I'm actually pretty glad I decided to come," she chirped after a moment. The trip down the hallway and up the stairs to the upper deck was a short one. Once on deck, Shriker was momentarily stunned by the brightness of the sunlight. A quick glance at her feet told her that her shadow-leeching magic was still working, but like all things, it wouldn't last forever. She was longing for the sun to go down. Then maybe she might be able to start to really enjoy herself. “Do you think we could get a spot in the shade maybe?" Shriker asked Riot as her tail flicked idly behind her. They were walking toward what she could only presume to be the forward deck now.
As they strode now along the deck, where the sunshine would have blinded him if not for his sunglasses, Radin listened raptly to Cayson’s every word. His friend seemed so elated about Riot’s gift, as well as the pending engagement. The green arden couldn’t help but smile because Case’s mood was infectious, and even as they weaved amongst many other pendragons on their way towards the pool, he grabbed the other arden around the middle and tousled his hair in an affectionate “noogie." “Rings! Babies! Cayson’s gonna be a daddy! Cayson’s in love! Hey, I like you when you’re twitterpated. Your good mood puts me in a good mood. May we all find love as you have," he said with a chuckle, before releasing Case and giving him a grin. This expression became mockingly affronted as the orange male cracked about his number of sexual partners, but then grew into a wider grin as he mentally began to count. “I’ve only slept with… four others!" he burst out after a moment, giggling at himself. Radin had been sexually active since age fifteen or so. His first time had actually been with Cayson’s older sister, Mystique, who had fled for an anonymous lifestyle not long after. Their interlude was one of very few things that remained a secret between Radin and Cayson. “Yeah, that’s right. Two ardens and two thills. I’m not giving names, though. I protect the identity of my lovers, unless they’re so damn good that I feel the need to brag on their behalf." A young niotie who had happened to be trailing behind them now suddenly squeezed around the two ardens and dashed away, glancing backwards once before she disappeared into the throngs on the deck. Radin watched her from behind his shades and gave a small laugh. Obviously his sexual escapades were not meant for all ears, especially those that belonged to the young and sensitive. “Anyway… if I was seeing someone, you’d know. I’ve met some interesting ardens lately, but nobody’s become anything more than a friend, really," he said, now keeping his voice a shade lower so as to not allow any other pendragons to overhear their conversation. “I do hope I meet someone sometime, though, someone I can be serious with. You and Riot make me think I could stand settling down in the not too distant future, too. However, no matter how good of an example you make, I can’t do the abstinence thing. I’m actually pretty amazed by that, as much as I make fun of it. You two are going to be tomcats in bed because of it, and of that, I am envious." The verdant arden trailed off as they abruptly found themselves near the gates that surrounded the on deck pool. As expected, the water was calm and free of other pendragons. However, the front gate was thrown wide open, and the cool blue waters seemed very inviting. There was no hesitation in Radin’s step as he passed through and then stood right on the pool’s edge as he tore his shirt upwards over his head and tossed it aside onto a lounge chair. Pointing a finger in the air, Radin cried, “This one’s for Cayson and Riot!" in a high-pitched, goofy voice, before leaping in, cannonball style, his splash spraying chlorinated water every which way. . . . Riot took a deep breath as they emerged onto the sunny deck, and then reached up a white hand to briefly shade her mismatched eyes. It was quite crowded up here, as many pendragons were still shuffling about with luggage, trying to find their stateroom corridors. Then, of course, there were many who had already dropped their things off only to come right back up here to enjoy the view, just as Riot and Kakosenas were doing. “I’m glad you decided to come, too," the banded thill said, dropping her hand and giving her chimera friend a smile. “Shade sounds fine to me," she added on with a laugh, and she glanced downwards at Kakosenas’s makeshift shadow. As they made their way towards the forward well deck, Riot found herself studying many of the individuals they passed. Most were older, and had ties into the governmental aspect of the seafaring voyage. But there were also several pendragons in their twenties, and she exchanged a few smiles and nods with them as they walked by. One group of thills that were a few years older even gave Riot’s left hand a glance and then offered her what looked to be envious grins, and she found herself toying with the promise band there and thinking of Cayson. She did not know that the orange arden was only a week away from proposing to her, nor did she know that Cayson had sought out Koani’s advice about the engagement ring only hours before her own visit to the Grader thill’s home. But she had an odd, gooey feeling in her stomach, something that told her some major things were going to be happening between them on this ship. She knew almost for a fact that they were going to be seduced by the incredible backdrop, and she didn’t resent this idea at all. They were getting closer and closer every day, and by now, Riot knew they were in it for the long haul. She wanted to finally give herself over to Cayson in full. However, now was not quite the time to be thinking about these things, even though Riot’s mind so wanted to wander. Shaking her head a bit, the white-banded female was just able to dodge a group of older ardens. She paused after swerving around them, and then breathed in when she noticed she and Kakos had arrived at the forward well deck’s small café. The actual restaurant part was held within a small booth, but the sitting area was arranged on the deck, with lounge chairs and colorful umbrellas shading the seats. “Ah… here we are. I just feel like ordering a smoothie… too excited about stuff to stomach anything else," Riot said to Shriker. Specifically, her stomach was feeling fluttery over the thought of Cayson sex, but she didn’t want to get that explicit with her shadow lacking companion.
Cayson laughed loudly when Radin took hold of him and and gave him a noogie. “Hey-hey! Watch the hair!" he warned jokingly as he continued to laugh. The fact that his own mood was catching only proved to further elate the arden. Nothing was going to bring him down. “You and your lovers," Cayson giggled just then as the younger thill slipped past them. Her backwards glance caused the arden's giggle to turn into a raucous laugh. Cayson had actually missed hanging out with Radin. The two of them really hadn't had much time as of late to just be boys together. Cayson reined in his laughter, taking control of himself once more as Radin continued on about relationships. “You will, man. I really can't see you not settling down with someone eventually. I mean, it's got to happen. You've got so much love to give, and I don't just mean the physical stuff either. That real, deep down, honest love. That stick-to-the-roof-of-your mouth sentimental gooey love. Though, gods, I seriously... gah. Just the word abstinence makes me feel twitchy. I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end. Unless I wind up going crazy. I heard that's a side-effect, and I've certainly been feeling a bit of craziness, yanno? Guess I'd sort of have to be crazy to agree upon this sort of thing in the first place... but it builds character. I think." Cayson shook his head with an amused sigh. He wasn't one to exert pressure on those he loved though, and although he sometimes jokingly whined about sex with Riot, he didn't want to force her into a situation that she didn't want to be in. Though, it was becoming increasingly obvious that both of them were wanting to get more physical. Time and time again Cayson had to stop and ask himself what they were waiting for. They were devoted to each other after all, and Cayson knew that she was the one that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. There was no question in his mind about that. Soon after they came upon the pool. Radin's speculations had been correct. The pool was rather deserted as the rest of the cruise-goers were still settling in. Though, not too far off Cayson spied a group of girls walking the lengths of the deck. A few of them had towels in hand, although there was a special built off section dedicated to housing such things. Radin was quick. Cayson was still shrugging off his shirt when his green comrade did a cannonball into the waters. Case shied away from the resulting splash with a laugh. He took off his sunglasses and put them with his shirt. Then with a loud whoop, the orange arden leapt into the pool, mimicking his friend's actions. When Cayson surfaced, he bobbed for a moment. He gave Radin a cheeky grin, although Cayson couldn't exactly see. His blond shock of hair was plastered over his eyes. He pushed the wet locks out of his eyes then splashed at Radin. *** “Mm, good. Keeping this thing up gets tiring, but I feel so awkward without it," Shriker said as she spoke of her second-hand shadow. “It's sort of like walking and trying to keep a pencil balanced on your snout the entire time. Doable, but tiresome." Upon entering the café scene, Kakosenas was momentarily struck dumb. There were plenty of pendragons about. Though the place wasn't overcrowded. There was something remarkably quaint about the setting. The way in which the tables and chairs were all arranged so casually upon the deck made it all seem so open. Welcoming, Shriker silently mused to herself. “I don't feel much like food either. I think I'm just going to get a tall glass of water," she said with a smile as her eyes swept over the already seated pendragons and those moving among them. A few individuals frowned at her, or otherwise refused to make eye contact, yet Shriker paid them no mind. She was looking for something in particular. “There's a free table over there." The chimera nodded her head towards a vacant place near the main restaurant booth then started to walk towards it. “So, are you just excited about the cruise?"
Surfacing after his “graceful" leap into the pool, Radin was all smiles. His grin only grew as he watched Cayson remove his shirt and glasses, only to jump in after him. Cayson’s subsequent splash rolled right over the green arden’s head, causing his reddish hair to slick back in a goofy style, but he didn’t mind. He paddled over towards the other male and was quick to lift a hand to return the other’s playful splash, and he was prepared for an all-out water war. But even as he prepared to launch a full-scale tsunami attack, the group of females passing by on the deck distracted Radin’s attention. Drawn by the sound of joyful male voices, three of the thills branched off from their little “tour group" and made their way towards the pool. Side by side, they passed through the waist high gates, and then stood a few feet away from the pool’s edge as they watched Cayson and Radin frolicking in the waters. Had they been the attractive sort, Radin would have greeted them, perhaps casually, perhaps even a bit flirtatiously, with a hollered, “Hey, ladies!" But as he eyed them from behind his darkened shades, he noted that none of the trio were attractive. The girl on the left was freakishly thin, and her bones were sticking out all over, and she had really long, greasy hair that went down past her feet and dragged behind her. The centermost thill was on the other end of the weight scale; she was extremely obese. Now, the Dragyn had no biases against overweight pendragons, but the fact that this one was wearing a rather tight bikini made him want to a gag a little. Then there was the third one… she had an all right body but she had an enormous overbite, a side ponytail, and a horrendous case of blemishes all over her face. “Uh… hey," Radin ventured nonetheless, after a moment of scrutiny. They were looking right at him and Case and it would have been rude to totally ignore them. “Yo," the overweight thill responded, and she gave him a sort of “ghetto nod" and puckered her fat lips. “What you two doin’?" “Swimming…" Radin said with a blink. He’d refrained from being a prick to them about their appearances, but if they were going to be stupid posers, these females were soon going to find themselves the butt of Radin’s – and probably Cayson’s as well – rather narcissistic jokes. “Mind if we join ya’?" the thill asked, and she wiggled herself suggestively. Radin didn’t answer, but instead put his head underwater to stifle an uproarious laugh over her jiggling fat. . . . Riot nodded and followed her friend, and peered around a little as she did so. Some of the other pendragons at the small café were looking at the pair of them, and she could feel loathing behind their stony expressions. It didn’t feel so much directed at her as at Shriker, but it made Riot want to smack them upside the head, anyway. But like her companion, she simply ignored them, and moved towards the table before taking a seat and grabbing the menu just to glance it over and see what smoothie flavors they offered. “Heh," Riot said in reply to Kakos’s question. She glanced up and her mismatched eyes met with her friend’s. She didn’t want to lie to her, even if it was just a “white lie," but would Shriker really want to hear what was on her mind? Riot actually wanted to share, because she really did consider the chimera one of her best friends still, and also because… well, she always wanted to gab about her feelings for Cayson. “I’m also excited because… I feel like things are going to progress between Case and I. I’m actually hoping…" Riot cut off abruptly, for a rather upbeat looking arden approached their table. He was wearing an apron and had a notepad in hand. “Hey, girls," he said with a fetching grin, and Riot literally felt his eyes sweep between them and drink them in. Did he know who they were? If so, he made no indication of it. Riot also felt his eyes linger on the ring on her left finger, before he pressed on, “What can I get you two to drink?" “I’d like a yjumdas smoothie," the banded female replied, and when Kakos had also placed the order, the waiter flashed them another smile and padded towards the booth to prepare their drinks. “Anyway… I’m not sure you want to hear explicit details, but I’m hoping Cayson and I finally have sex sometime during the cruise. I’m not sure you know that we’re both virgins, and we’re both going a little crazy. We’ve been abstinent because… I don’t really know. I just wanted to wait to make sure we were in it for the long haul," she said, and she toyed with the promise band on her finger before adding on softly, “And now I’m sure we’ll be together forever, so I want to practice our love. Physically."
Cayson had been preparing to start a water based wrestling match with his best friend. Perhaps see which one of them could hold the other's head underneath the water for the longest time. Near death drowning experiences were pretty fun. Radin wasn't paying attention to him though. His gaze was on the motley crew of girls that had just entered the pool area. Cayson tilted his head to look at them and at once regretted doing so. A look of immediate disgust and distaste immediately registered upon the arden's face. To him, the very air was growing filthy simply because of their lingering presence. Cayson knew for a fact that he was very vain. His own appearance was something that he prided himself on. He liked to be neat and clean, and also liked his friends (for the most part) to be the same way as well. He couldn't help but feel contempt for those he felt were “below" him on some level. Usually Cayson wouldn't have bothered a group of girls like this. Under more normal circumstances, he would have just ignored them. (How could you ignore someone that obese though?) The lewd way that she carried herself he also found repulsive. Just what was this girl trying to prove? Radin seemed momentarily indisposed. The girl's front had dissolved the green arden into a fit of laughter that had transpired into bubbles when he stuck his muzzle under the water. Knowing that she wasn't about to get an answer out of Radin, the tubby thill, who Cayson figured was their ringleader by now, turned her attention onto him. “So whaddaya say? Up for a little fun in the sun?" she asked him when their eyes met and locked. Cayson's blue-green eyes narrowed further, his upper lip curling just slightly into a sneer. “What. The. Fuck. You're blocking the sun you dirty bitch-ass hoe. I don't know what backwater creek you spawned from, but you and your groupies aren't welcome here. I'll have you know that I'm taken as well," Cayson's tone was haughty and as he uttered his last sentence, the orange arden tilted his head so that the diamond choker that Riot had given him not too long ago couldn't be overlooked. *** Shriker let her guard down as she and Riot settled underneath the plentiful shade of the umbrella. Now that she was able to let her make-shift shadow disperse, the grey pelted thill was much more at ease. Riot had begun talking, but was interrupted by the waiter who soon took and then vanished with their orders. After he had gone, Shriker pulled her chair closer to the table and rested her elbows upon it as her friend picked up on their conversation. As one sided as it was at that moment. Kakos should have know that she'd be all bubbly and excited about Cayson. He seemed to be the only being on her mind these past... well, it had been a while. Not that Kakos minded too much. He was making Riot happy, and that's what really mattered. Still, the chimera hadn't be able to completely shake her burning resentment toward the arden. She'd been doing rather well hiding it though. She found it easiest to simply ignore him. Just as long as they weren't forced to interact with one another, Shriker figured that they could co-exist without any incidents. Riot's mention of sex was what had really thrown Shriker. That was an entirely different world. The closest thing that she had ever experienced to sex would have to be all those blood sacrifices (they could get rather intense), and even those, well, Shriker figured that they probably didn't compare. “So... does that mean that you're going to marry him?" she asked after a moment. Riot had implied marriage after all. What would that be like? Already Cayson was all over her and he was only her boyfriend. What would happen once they were a married couple?
Cayson’s rather haughty rejoinder to the obese thill’s words caused Radin to snort, and he withdrew his muzzle from the water to gasp as well as laugh as he sucked in some fresh air. He then broke into a fresh round of laughter, which earned him a rather angry look from the skinny girl on the left. “Huh," the chubby one was saying, her voice low and somewhat huffy. “Yeah, I bet you’re taken. Bet you have an ugly ass freak for a girlfriend. Bet she’s some skinny piece of trash. Bet fuckin’ her is like fuckin’ a pillow case full of greasy hangers," she retorted, punctuating her crude jokes with a thick, disgusting laugh. Her comrades, too, added in their own shrill giggles of support. Radin’s green ears flicked as the vulgarities passed through them, and his eyes narrowed behind his darkened glasses. Petty and chauvinist feelings of narcissism were now replaced by true and righteous anger as he thought of Riot, and these girls’ wrongful insults that were directed at her. He wanted to leap out of the pool and wring their necks until their ugly heads rolled atop their shoulder blades, and he knew that Cayson was probably feeling even more strongly than him. His orange friend loved and adored Riot, and Radin scarcely believed such an off color string of remarks was going to go unnoticed. Especially considering the sexual nature of the insults was so terribly inaccurate and downright foul. “Watch your fat mouth, bitch," Radin eventually said, before glancing at Case to see if the other male was preparing to add – or even do – anything else. . . . “I hope so," Riot answered, her voice simple and honest at Shriker’s question. She continued to gaze at the band on her finger before looking into her friend’s eyes and smiling. “It’s crazy how much we’ve both changed. I mean, Case and I have even discussed kids… something I never would have considered before. And you, you look great, and I hope you’ll find your niche sometime, too. You’re always welcome in my life, and I hope you know that. Though I have to say I’ll be looking elsewhere when it comes to babysitters…" Chuckling at her own witticism, the thill turned her head a bit and noticed their waiter returning to the table. He was still sporting that happy grin of his, and he clicked his tongue as he set Riot’s smoothie and Kakos’s glass of water in front of them. He didn’t say anything, though, only winked and padded away to take an order from a pair of upstanding ardens that had just arrived and taken a seat at a nearby table. “Mm, this is good," the banded female said after taking a sip of her frosty treat. Licking her lips, she idly played with the straw before making a thoughtful noise and continuing with their conversation about sexual matters. Kakosenas hadn’t seemed overtly interested but now that she’d begun to talk, Riot had some peculiar worries on her mind that she wanted to voice to the chimera, whom she considered to be her weirdest but nevertheless best friend. “Hm. I’m sort of nervous, and I don’t know what there is to be scared of. I mean, I’m not nervous about marrying him, which I think I’ll be doing within the near future. The sex part, though… as much as I want to do it, I’m still scared. That it’ll hurt, and you know," Riot blathered, unable to find the words she was looking for, “things. I dunno. I’m just a lame virgin."
