Mia 42, 81380 http://shadowlack.com/persona.php?id=608Cayson Lapices</a> & http://shadowlack.com/persona.php?id=12Riot Stormwing</a>. Private for Stormwing. *** Cayson breathed out slowly. His breath curled around his muzzle and wafted away into the crisp afternoon air. He was hanging out inside of a massive grotto attached to a side-pool that stemmed off of Magi Lake. Case felt as if the world had gone to Jastducteyk. Things seemed so chaotic to him some days. In the wake of Zamfir's death, Cayson often found himself marveling at his mother's strength. Her composure and ability to keep things together. Already she'd been setting this new council to work and things were changing. However, Cayson wasn't thinking about his mother as he sat cross-legged on a slab of stone that overlooked a pastel hued rock pool. Small glowing multi-coloured fish continued to break the surface in order to delight his eyes. The light they cast off was soft and ambient. This most certainly was an interesting place to be. The grotto itself was quite warmer inside than it was outside. Outside the water was frozen, but in here it still flowed and rippled as if it hadn't a care in the world. His blue striped tail flicked to and fro in a lazy arc. Cayson's mind was on Riot of course. She was always on his mind though. Ever since they had first become official. Riot was there. Always at the forefront of his brain. Sometimes he wondered if she made him careless. That this love sickness, or whatever it was, had impaired him somehow. If that was the case, Cayson decided that he rather liked having a handicap. He set the small blue bound notebook that he had been writing leisurely in for the past while aside. He leaned over and peered into the rock pool. The small fish swam in interesting shapes, glowing ever so softly. Cay's morning had had a bit of a rough start. He'd been a little late for his first class because he hadn't been able to find his books. Eventually he had found them. Somehow they had worked their way inside of one of the kitchenette's cupboards. How had that happened exactly, Cayson hadn't a clue. He didn't remember storing them there. His lunch break had been a little... odd. Case had returned to the dormitory to pick up a paper he had written that was to be handed in that day. Strangely though, the door to their dormitory was open. Yet neither Riot, nor Radin were inside. Had Cayson forgotten to close it all the way when he had left that morning? It was possible. Case had entered the room a little cautiously. Nothing looked as if it had been touched though. Nothing out of place. Nothing missing. Except for his paper of course. It was nowhere to be found. This was easily remedied though. Cayson simply printed out another copy. It wasn't until he was about to leave again that Cayson noticed something about the lock on their door. It was broken. The lock wouldn't lock no matter how much he fiddled with it. Getting a little exasperated, and a little paranoid now, Cayson had called up Janardan's security. They fixed the lock without any problems, but then informed Cayson that they would have to quarantine the room for a few hours in order to run several diagnostics. Somehow this felt slightly unorthodox to Case, yet he relented. He got the feeling that these diagnostics were a form of “special treatment," and didn't necessarily come directly from Janardan's staff. So Case had then called Riot's cell. She hadn't answered though, and so he had left her a message, detailing the happenings with the dorm, and had asked her to meet him later that afternoon at the grotto. Then he had closed his message with some silly, mushy, musings. Being handicapped was wonderful. Radin was next on his list to call. He'd managed to speak to Radin and tell him all about the broken lock on their dorm. Case couldn't really pick up on Radin's feelings toward the situation though, but felt that his friend was at least a little bit suspicious about the ordeal and perhaps even a little concerned. Maybe he had been wondering if any of his stuff had been stolen. Of course, after all of this, Cayson soon realized that he was horribly late for his last class. He didn't even want to go to it anymore for that matter. He'd scooped up his jacket, edged past the “diagnostics" team, and started to make his way out of the Academy. He slipped his paper into his teacher's drop box where it was automatically dated with the time of its deposit. Cayson didn't usually skip class, but he had already missed the majority of the lecture, so what would be the point? So he had hitched a ride out to Magi Lake. That in itself had eaten up over an hour of his time. It seemed to be well worth it now though, as he sat, lulled by the waters and friendly aquatic critters. He had gotten a fair amount of writing done and was feeling quite complacent, despite the chaos that seemed to be infringing upon him.
Riot had been in her last class of the day – a course on leadership skills – when she had heard the light vibrations that meant her phone was ringing. She hadn’t been able to answer in class, however, and had waited until leaving the lecture hall before she’d picked up her messages. There had been two actually, the first a voicemail from a classmate in her advanced Ramathian course, informing Riot that the next day’s class was to be cancelled. The second and last message had been from Cayson. Upon hearing his voice, the thill had smiled, but this expression soon melted away as his recorded voice informed her of what had happened to their dormitory. Even his mushy closing had not brought back the smile, and when the message came to a close, Riot quickly snapped it shut and made her way towards one of the campus’s loop stations. The bus had come, crammed with other students, and Riot had been forced to stand. She could barely tolerate the other bodies smashed against hers, the sway of the automobile, and the various noises – voices screaming and laughing, the screech of worn brake pads, the exhalation of steam out of the vehicle’s worn tailpipe. Thankfully, the ride had been short, and the thill had exited near the front of the campus. From there, she had been able to catch a bus that went off campus and drove on an enormous route around central Swaraj. Now, relaxing in one of the bus’s softly upholstered seats, Riot wished she had a cigarette. Not that she would have been able to smoke it… Sighing, the young thill hunched down in her seat, though she kept her mismatched eyes high enough to peer out the grimy window. She had paid a rather high fare in order to go as far as Magi Lake, and she didn’t want to miss her stop. She knew the driver would drive right past if she didn’t pull the cord, and that the next stop was miles after hers. Thus, she remained vigilant, white tipped ears cocked as she idly listened to the rumble of the automobile’s engine, which was right behind her for she was seated at the rear of the bus. Eventually, as the afternoon lengthened, the bus arrived at the Magi depot. Riot quickly hopped off board, her tail flicking as she looked around. The icy air, colder here near the water than back at Janardan, licked at her thin blue windbreaker, and Riot shivered. Not for the first time since she had picked up her voicemail, she wondered why Case had requested for her to come this far. They had been to the lake’s grotto together before, but it had always been a planned trip, done on a day off from class and work, never at the spur of the moment. Despite her mild confusion, though, Riot was neither annoyed nor angry. In fact, she was looking forward to seeing Case and talking with him, alone in the grotto where nobody would find them nor interrupt them. Braving the wind and its frigid teeth, Riot plodded around the lakeshore, head held low and ears held back so that they would not cool her down or catch the wind. Before long, though, she felt numb, her light jacket and her jeans no match against the Mia cold. As she got colder and colder, her pace picked up, and she searched urgently for the entrance to the grotto. She had only been here once or twice before, and Cayson had always guided her, so how was she supposed to – oh, there it was! Ducking inside, Riot sighed contentedly as she noticed the temperature immediately rise. Quietly, she threaded her way further into the small cave, whose entrance wound about quite a bit, shadowy and dark, but somehow welcoming. Her white feet were silent upon the slightly damp floor, and the humidity immediately warmed her. Before long, her two-toned eyes picked up a slight ripple of aqua ambience upon the grotto’s walls up ahead, and her pace quickened as she progressed through the last stretch towards the chamber where she knew Cayson would be. “Hey," Riot purred when she finally reached it, and slipped into it. The short but nevertheless twisty route into the cave gave the inner cavity a sense of quietness and isolation, and so the thill kept her voice low and her movements quiet as she padded over towards Case and squatted next to him. They were surrounded by the pale pastel light of the pool that took up most of the floor space, its illuminations shifting over their faces as the fish within it swam. “What’s up?" she asked, one of her white hands seeking out Case’s and entwining her fingers with his.
Cayson's blue ears perked as he heard the sound of familiar footsteps approaching. There, lighted by the soft ambient glow of the grotto fish was Riot. He smiled at her as she drew nearer and dropped into a crouch beside him. “Hey," he returned the greeting as he let their fingers entwine, then shifted in order to give Riot a kiss. “You feel a little cold," Cay said with a frown. And no wonder. Riot wasn't exactly dressed for the frigid winter weather. Cayson immediately began to feel quite bad for being so spontaneous. He worked his hand free of hers, gently grabbed her about the middle, and pulled the white slashed female into his lap. He then wrapped his arms about her and let his chin rest upon her right shoulder. “Sorry for dragging you out here like this. I'm not really sure what's up. I mean, the dorm thing. That was just odd. It could have just been some kid practicing their lockpicking skills... or, well I don't really know. It sort of bothers me to think about the possibilities. Janardan's security sure seems to be taking it quite seriously. Only, I don't think it's just Janardan that has been looking into it." He sighed softly, wondering just what sort of “diagnostic" tests they were currently running inside of their dormitory. Searching for bugs, poisons maybe? “Anyway, Janardan and the surrounding area didn't really feel like the right place to be today. Too unsafe or something. I thought it'd be best if we were far away from there. Just alone. The two of us. Here." He gave her a warm squeezing hug to emphasize this point.
It never ceased to amaze Riot how Cayson’s kisses, no matter how frequent or brief, could elicit a smile from her. Nobody had ever had that power before, though she certainly did enjoy the fact that, no matter how bad a day she was having, he was her cure of it. Case was her panacea, and not to mention the warmth to her cold. Just after his kiss of greetings, he slipped his arm around her and drew her slender body into his lap, arms quick to wrap about her in a tight hug as Riot relaxed backwards against his broad, strong chest. Closing her eyes, the thill sighed, and tilted her head backwards so that her cheek was against Case’s. Not only was it always wonderful to be held, cradled by her lover, but it felt good in a physical way, too. Cayson was undeniably attractive, and he had a tightly muscled, athletic body. Riot could feel every inch of it through her thin jacket, most notably the hard musculature of his chest and abdomen. Even if his body heat and the temperature of the grotto had not already been helping to warm her, Riot would have been quite warm. When the arden began to speak, apologizing about asking her to come here and sounding worried about the dormitory, Riot shook her head and smiled, though he couldn’t really see her face. The trip out here had been a pain – she wouldn’t deny that, although she wasn’t going to outright tell him that, either – but now that she was here, in his arms, she knew it had been well worth it. Besides, a little alone time in a place as romantic and secluded as this was perfect. Especially considering today’s date. “Just alone. The two of us," her voice echoed his. “I know what today is," she then added, and one of her arms stretched backwards to find Cayson’s. She loved holding his hand – it was a simple, harmless act that seemed to keep them bonded together. When she found his, she quickly brought it into her own lap and held it there, playing with his multihued fingers. “We’ve been together for a while now…"
Cayson's stomach twittered and constricted as Riot leaned back against him and brought their cheeks together. He could feel the slow rise and fall of her chest cavity. The soft thrum of her heart. Too bad life wasn't always like this. For some reason he always felt as if the odds were against them. Even this morning's incident with the dormitory lock seemed to be pointed at them. Then there was that phone call that he had gotten yesterday as well. He had had made plans several weeks in advance for today, only to have them dashed the day before by some stranger's call. Cayson began to mull over this, but then his thoughts were interrupted as Riot spoke. I know what today is. A small, secretive smile played across his muzzle. He had trusted her to remember of course. “It is a pretty special day. A whole quarter of us being together... I have the worst of luck though it seems. I had reservations for a restaurant tonight. Yesterday morning though the place called and said they had to cancel them. Something came up. I guess that being here though isn't such a horrible alternative." He wriggled his fingers of the hand that Riot had snagged then held fast to her. Restaurant or not, they were together and that's all that mattered. “It's cozy. Anything on your mind that you wanted to talk about? Now that we really are, truly alone with one another..."
Indeed, the two of them had been together for quite a while now – an entire season as of today. As Riot leaned against Cayson, she remembered the night when they had officially become a couple. They had been partying at The Panic Room, and had eventually wound up in the owner’s lounge, snuggling and flirting. Eventually, they had begun to kiss, as well, and Case had asked her out via a silly note. She still had that thing, actually, though she hadn’t framed it as she’d said she would. Instead, she had tucked it into a case beneath her bed, along with her other prized possessions. She read it every once in a while, and would be loathe to ever lose it… …as she thought about it, she wondered if the person – or people, as it were – that had broken into the dormitory had touched her case. It held her guns, along with a few other things, like precious mementos such as Case’s note. Though it prickled her skin to think that some thief pendragon had perhaps tried to pry into the case, she was absolutely sure that they had not succeeded. She kept that thing under tight lockdown. She also had a positional transmitter embedded in it lest it ever be wholly stolen, and so she didn’t worry about for more than a second or two. Instead, her mind wandered onto better, happier, more present things. It was their anniversary today, and Case had tried to commemorate it with a nice dinner. Riot frowned when he told her it had fallen through, wondering what exactly the restaurant had done wrong, but she squeezed his hand reassuringly. Like him, she didn’t mind what they did – so long as they were together, and alone. Speaking of being alone, Riot wondered what they could, would, and should do now that they were here. Unlike a fancy dinner date, this place didn’t ask for any special dress wear, or manners, or anything, really. They could do just about anything they wanted, whether that was talk, cuddle, kiss, or even go further. The ambient light and the fish wouldn’t mind anything that they had in mind, of that Riot was sure. On that note, though, the two of them had never gone much farther than kissing, and the thill was personally unsure of how far she wanted to go, even on such a special day. She wasn’t exactly a prudent pendragon, but she respected her body – and his as well. There was also the fact that she knew very little of his past, and he of hers, and she thought it would be more respectable if they talked things over first before going at it. “It is cozy. I’m actually glad your plans fell through. I like this much better," Riot purred to Case after her none too short lapse into thought. She slowly shifted her weight, removing her back from his chest so that her right side was against him, and she cuddled her head up against his shoulder. “I love you. Someday, I really hope we’ll get married and stay together forever. Right now, though, we’re so young. And we don’t know all that much about each other." Here, she paused. She had some rather intimate questions, and she knew it was her right to ask. Riot just wondered whether Cayson would be uncomfortable – though not dishonest. She knew he wouldn’t lie to her. “I don’t mean to be an interrogative bitch… but I have something I’d like to ask you." She reached up a hand then, placing a delicate finger on his lips. “I’m just curious to know whether you’ve had any partners – sexually, I mean – in the past… and if so, how many. You don’t need to tell me who."
“Yeah," Cayson agreed. The atmosphere here was much better than one that any restaurant could ever provide. He didn't know of too many restaurants either that would stand for public displays of affections inside of their fine estates. And those that did allow such a thing, well, Cayson had quite high expectations and let's just say that he had never come across one that had specifically suited his own tastes. Although his plans had been taken to the slaughterhouse, Cay still had the remnants of one plan in particular, which could quite possibly explain the secretive smile that he had worn earlier. There was simply a surprise waiting to be uncovered. He just needed to wait until the right moment. Riot had moved onto more important things. Marriage. The idea of spending forever and a day with Riot was such a warm and fuzzy thought. He felt as if he would like that. Like it a lot. She was right about the two of them not knowing much about each other though. Rumours seemed to make up the brunt of what they knew about each other. Had they ever really had a true heart-to-heart? Of course, Cayson had mentioned a little bit of his past to her. He had told her about Koani. Riot had already known all about that though. What else might she possibly know? Cayson felt himself flush a little as she mentioned sex and partners. What was he supposed to tell her? The truth of course. Only, he wondered to himself what exactly she had heard about him. Cayson knew that his name used to be whispered about. Often coupled with another name, or names. Most often these were simply rumours people made up. Some trying to drag down Cayson's reputation, and other's trying to inflate it and get on his good side by boasting illegitimate information. Cayson had had girlfriend's and boyfriend's in the past. There had even been a point in his life where he felt that he simply couldn't survive had he not been with someone and so had chosen a few “objects of his affection" unwisely. Most of his relationships were brief. Cayson always finding a fault in his partner, or a reason to discontinue seeing the other party. He was picky. He had even let down a few pendragons quite hard with disregard to their feelings. “I love you too," he replied, cradling her now. “I've... hm. I'm not sure what you've all heard about me. I've had girlfriends and boyfriends in the past, and sure, I've had some pretty wild nights, but I've ah, never really been with someone in that way. Radin... well. The two of us have gotten pretty close over the years. He used to be the only living being that I really and truly trusted. But, despite that, I didn't want the two of us to be lovers. We've been more friendly than perhaps just friends should be. I know he really wanted to build on that too. But I didn't want to change things... and stopped a lot of stuff from happening. He is a great guy though. How about you? You must have had some experiences."
OoC - <s>Tirran</s>, lol. BiC - “Never really?" Riot asked before she could stop herself, an inquisitive but amused look upon her face. She sort of knew what he meant – he would find that out in a moment, via her own answer about her sexual history – but she still wanted to get a clear and concise answer. “So, you’re a virgin?" If it was true, and she thought it was, such a thing meant a lot to her. Now, she knew that if he was, it hadn’t because he’d been saving himself for her specifically, but she still felt quite proud of him, and also a little elated. Some teenaged pendragons seemed to have very little reason to save themselves and so they didn’t, simply enough. It was especially remarkable to meet an arden above the age of sixteen who could still call himself a virgin, and here was Case, at twenty years of age. Maybe he’d just had a lack of opportunistic partners, or maybe he just hadn’t found the right time, place, or person. Riot severely hoped it was the latter – and that she was what he’d been unknowingly waiting for. Riot didn’t dwell too long on his past, nor did she wait for his reply. He could answer after she was finished answering his own question about her track record. The thill found herself nosing against his neck as she pondered over her words, mismatched eyes narrowing as she considered her long list of past boyfriends. “I’ve had quite a few boyfriends. Most of them were brief, and not even worth mentioning. I dated a scum bag named Zeris once… he broke my heart. I got over it, though. I dated a pro-Grader spy named Jace, too, and even recently considered getting back together with him. But it wasn’t meant to be, of course. There have been others, as well. But I never did anything with any of them. The only person I ever ‘fooled around with,’ so to speak, was an old roommate of mine. We kind of had a thing for each other – completely physical – and we messed around one day. Nothing major, though… and never again after that. I’ve never had sex with anyone, Cayson. And I won’t – unless it’s you, and only when we’re both ready." With that said, she loosed her right arm and flung it around his neck. She drew his face towards her, and gave him a few friendly pecks, her eyes glowing now as they opened in full. She had been completely honest and truthful about her past, and she couldn’t have even begun to express how glad she was that she’d never slept with anybody. Riot could approach Case without the spoiling blemishes of relationships past, and without the baggage of having been intimate with someone too fast and too wrong. “I love you so much, and I’m so glad I waited… and that you did, too. Oh, man," she said, now rubbing her cheek against his again. Like holding hands, it was one of those simple, innocent gestures of affection that she loved. “All these years – all these temptations – and I didn’t act on a one of them, really. But when I do, with you, I’m going to want it all the time and you’d better prepare yourself. I want to make lots and lots of babies with you," she stage whispered, eventually dissolving into a fit of giggles as her voice trailed off into a full blown purr.
Cayson's ears splayed off to the sides at Riot's question. A virgin? Well, when you put it in such black and white terms... He bit his lip gently as she left him no room to respond and pushed ahead to answer his own question. Cayson listened wordlessly, then felt himself blinking in surprise. Riot had never had sex before? Surely she'd had serious partners. Not only that, but she was stunningly beautiful. Who wouldn't want to “hit" that? Somehow it all seemed so strange to him. Here they both were, belonging to the upper social crust of Janardan, and neither of them had ever been fully intimate with another pendragon before. Yet all around them it was happening. All of their friends simply swinging around. So very, very, strange. Cayson had never really stopped to think of his track record in regards to relationships, but now here it was staring him quite plainly in the face and jabbing a pointed finger into his eye. All of that time... gone. Yet here was Riot. Cayson genuinely hoped that they would last. He smiled warmly as Riot flung her arm about him and drew his face toward her. He sighed a contented sort of sigh as she covered him with a few little kisses and then rested her cheek against his once more. Cayson knew of plently of guys who would simply dump their girlfriend if she didn't “put out" quick enough. He'd seen it happen countless times. Both genders pressuring. Perhaps Case was a little odd that way. He really just didn't seem to... care. Well, he did, but not in that manic driven way. And most definitely, being a Grader at heart, Cayson did have his standards... and he rather believed that it was these standards, that for the most part, kept him separated from everyone else. He giggled a little at Riot's mention of frequent sex and babies to boot. At first Cayson had felt rather awkward about talking to Riot about partners, but now the edge was starting to wear off a little. He liked joking around. “Guess I better keep in shape, eh?" He chuckled. “Both for you, and for hauling all those babies around. Maybe we should buy one of those large shuttle buses just in preparation." Cayson nuzzled Riot, chuffling quietly and inhaling her scent as he did so. She always smelt so pretty. “To answer your question though. Yes, I am what you'd call a virgin. A rare, dying breed indeed. I actually didn't even realize that I was one until you brought it up. I guess I don't quite think that way. Don't think I've never had oportunities though." And he had plenty of opportunities. Cayson knew that if he really wanted, he could sleep with almost anyone (provided they were interested of course). He'd even had a few girls in the past in lower grades quite literally throw themselves at him. That had been awkward. There had always been thills (both older and younger) wanting to take him home at bars. Sometimes arden quite forcefully trying to shove him either outside into a back alley or into the bathroom. “I would always find an excuse. Something wrong. Some reason to push the person away. This is probably going to sound horribly conceited, but I've just never been with someone that I felt was good enough for me, or “right" in that way. You though Riot... I think you've really changed something in me. At first I don't think I had the most, ah, honourable intentions, but then I fell for you. And it's been such a sweet fall. I really do hope that we're forever because I do love you."
Riot, too, had felt a little bit awkward and nervous at the start of their conversation. Now that they had eased further into it, though, it felt fitting. She had never had such a deep and long lasting relationship before, and so she had never gotten to the point where a “sex talk" was appropriate. At this point in time, on their anniversary of sorts, it was obvious that she and Cayson had been together for a while, and were planning on staying as a couple for… well, forever, if they could help it. It seemed right to discuss these matters, especially before they got into topics like marriage and babies – well, seriously, anyhow. As Case spoke some more, now about how it had been his own conceitedness that had really prevented him from sleeping around, Riot found herself giggling. To her, Cayson was a doting, playful, and sweet lover. She could not imagine him being a jerk and pushing her away, or being anything but a wonderful friend and mate. She wouldn’t lie to herself, knowing the arden had disapproved of so many before she had come along was something of an ego boost. The thill had been quite the same way, too, never thinking other males to have been worth more than a fleeting romance and a few heavy kisses. Cayson Lapices was quite obviously the one and only exception. To his remark about staying in shape, Riot nodded and laughed. “The act itself will keep you in shape," she replied in an imperial voice, before tilting her head backwards and grinning up at him. “That bus idea sounds good… ah, Case, the thought of me driving around as a soccer mom… or you juggling a baby and a diaper bag… it’s all so funny. But it’s what I want, I’ve been realizing lately. I’d have spewed at the idea of babies not that long ago…" Riot trailed off, her voice dying into a blended hum and laugh. She grew quiet then, and her mismatched eyes moved to the glittering pool. The fish in it were circling restlessly, and she idly found herself wondering what it would feel like to put her feet into the water. Would they nibble at her toes? She truly wanted to find out, and so, bracing herself gently against Case’s shoulder, she climbed out of his lap and slunk to the water’s edge, squatting there and peering into its jeweled depths. “Do you think they’ll bite my toesies if I put them in?" she asked, briefly turning to gaze at Case before turning her façade towards the pool again. Without awaiting a reply, she reached for the hem of her pant legs, rolled them up, dropped to her posterior, and dipped her digitigrade mitts into the ambient pool. “Oh, they do," she said after only a moment, writhing as a few of the fish swam up to her and began to nibble on her feet. After only a few seconds, Riot could not endure the tickling anymore. Laughing, she fell backwards, her head bumping against Cayson’s leg on the way down. One of her arms flung up and her hand landed on the notebook at his side, and she rolled over, wonderingly peering at it. She didn’t grab it or open it, though, but gave her boy a questioning look. Was it his? Was it a diary? She supposed it wasn’t really her business, as close as the two of them were. They didn’t share everything with each other, though they did share things like food, drinks, friends, clothes. In fact… “…you know, I’m wearing a pair of your pants," Riot said, diverting her attention from the notebook to Case’s face. “I wish you were in them with me."
Cayson grinned. The strange tension seemed to be gone now, and he felt much more like himself again. Now that they had cleared up some of the unknowns that stood between them. Cayson found himself thinking more and more what it would be like to have a family with Riot. He too actually had shared similar sentiments to her own. Kids were dirty, smelly, loud creatures who constantly craved attention. Why would he ever want to have one or more for himself? Why burden the planet with another mouth to feed? Yet as the days wore on, Case noticed that he was becoming more and more open to the idea. Especially now that Riot was now in the picture. Perhaps this newfound acceptance of things was just part of maturing. Of growing and learning to work with what life gives and takes from you. A diaper bag though? Riot's mention of that brought a quick rush of giggles to Cayson. The mental imagery was just a little too much to bear. “Being called... Mommy and Daddy. So strange, yet so amazing as well." Cayson said, his tone rather hushed as he was more so speaking a thought out loud to himself. He watched Riot, laughing to himself, as she went to investigate the swarming school of fish. He laughed even more as she commented on their actions, and then began to squirm from the tickling. Then she toppled. Cayson jerked forward in order to try to catch her, but wasn't quiet fast enough. Riot bumped against his knee, then lay sprawled on the ground before him, quite obviously uninjured. Case caught her gaze as she silently questioned him about his notebook. He shrugged faintly. Just words. That's all there was inside. Simply words. Mostly snippets of random thoughts and musings jotted down in no particular order. He placed one hand on the notebook and drummed his fingers upon its blue cover, then cupped his chin with the other hand as he leaned over to peer at Riot. It was then that his girl chose to make a crack about the pair of pants she was currently wearing. He thought that he had recognized them... “You do, hm?" He replied, raising his eyebrows as he did so, trying very much to both sound and look like a professor contemplating a deep thought. "I guess it would only be fair. I mean, I'm one step ahead. I get to tell the entire world that Riot was in my pants already."
As Cayson spoke, first about the wonder of parentage and then about her being in his pants, Riot rolled over, sat up, and then climbed to her feet. She leaned over to unroll the cuffs of her pants, and when they were unrolled all the way, it was obvious that they were not hers. They were far too long, and also quite baggy. These – and the fact that they belonged to Case – were the reasons she was wearing them today. “You just might not get these back," she commented as she then wiped her white hands on them. They were a simple pair of dark gray cotton slacks, and quite comfortable, really. She didn’t mind that it took a few extra holes on her studded belt to keep them aligned on her hips. “They’re very comfy. You’ve worn them in well." Smiling, Riot turned her eyes from the pants to Cayson’s face. He looked thoughtful, with his chin cupped in his hand. The angle caused a few stray strands of blonde hair to fall into his eyes, and this was one of the many things the thill adored about him. He looked like such a heartthrob with his hair mussed up just a little bit, hanging over those eyes with their blue, green, and even pink tints. Unable to resist such handsomeness, Riot slipped once more into a squat, and regarded the arden with affection. One of her white hands reached out to brush at his hair, but she didn’t swipe it backwards and out of his eyes. Instead, she simply drew it aside so that she could lean forward and place a kiss at the edge of his eyelid, after which she leaned backwards, balancing on her heels, to gaze at him with all the love she felt apparent in her own mismatched eyes. “Love you, Cayson Lapices," she said then, and smiling, asked, “So, it’s our ‘anniversary.’ Are we going to do anything special to celebrate?"
“That's alright," Cayson said in response to not getting his pants back. “I think they look better on you than they do on me anyway." And it was true, at least in Cayson's eyes. Riot standing there in his baggy pants had to be one of the most endearing things that he had ever witnessed. Did she know how cute she looked, simply standing there? Did she know the effect that she was having on his heart at this very moment? Did she know, that given the chance, he would take hold of her in his arms, and keep her forever? Cayson thought that she did. He saw the same sort of feelings echoed back at him through Riot's mis-matched eyes. And now, as she came forward and leaned over to kiss him, Cayson felt that familiar trill in his heart again. To love, and to be loved back by someone like this... it was amazing. He nuzzled her cheek as she drew back and perched upon her heels. “Special? Forgive me for this," Cay said with a chuckle, “but every day, every moment with you is special. Love you dearly, Riot Stormwing. Given it is our anniversary, we probably should do something extra special. I'm not quite positive what all there is to do around here, but I'm sure we can keep ourselves entertained. Actually, I was thinking that perhaps we could go swimming. The spring is pretty warm, and maybe we could find a few pearls." Cayson shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. He wasn't planning anything. He wasn't keeping secrets. No, not at all.
When Cayson mentioned that he was interested in taking a swim, Riot’s eyes turned fleetingly towards the aquamarine pool. The fish were in there, flipping and darting about, their scales shining like jewels in the ambient light. It was Mia, the time when most fish slowed and sank to the bottom, but these ones were as lively as ever – due to the water’s warm temperature, of course. Drawing her mismatched gaze away from the pool, Riot peered at Case for a moment. She liked the idea of swimming, what with her past as a water rugby player, but what was this about pearls? It just seemed like such a spontaneous proposition. Not that it really mattered – swimming, whether done in the search of treasure or just for fun, was always a good time. “Sounds good to me," the thill eventually answered. She rocked a bit on her white heels, and then stood, looking around. “Suppose this means I have to strip off ‘your’ pants… and everything else, too. Unless we plan on swimming fully clothed?" Upon these words, she glanced at him again, eyes searching. Nudity was no taboo on Ramath-lehi, but to tell the truth, Riot had never been comfortable being naked in front of others, unless in her feral form. She was self conscious – yes, despite being one of the “popular" girls at school, and in spite of all the positive albeit crude remarks about her body, she felt unsure about it. There was also the fact that stripping in Cayson’s presence would be a lot more intimate, seeing as they were mates and all. It could lead to things. Despite her mild qualms, Riot began to tug on one of her jacket’s sleeves. She would not be bashful in front of him, she would not hide herself. She also wouldn’t make any suggestive movements or do any kind of strip tease for him, either. She just wanted to take a dip… yes. And search for those pearls he’d spoken of.
“Well, I'm not too sure about you, but afterwards, I wouldn't want to be wandering around outside with damp clothing. And unfortunately, I haven't got much of a tail flame." Cayson said, casting a glance back at his blue striped tail. No fire burned there. Instead it was lined with cascading spikes. Had he ever had a flame before? Cayson couldn't remember. He made a mental note to ask Jaceen about it sometime. He had always simply accepted it before. It was who he was. Simply a part of his identity. He'd never questioned the strangeness. “I'm sure that I could find you something though. I mean, if you want to go in with some of your clothes still on. That's cool. You could even wear my jacket if it comes down to it." Case smiled. His jacket wasn't one of his belongings that he easily parted with. Sometimes, specially now in Mia, he felt as if it were an extension of himself. Cayson got delicately up to his feet. He put his hands into his jacket's pockets momentarily. That was strange. Something was missing. A brief frown creased his muzzle. Cayson searched his pockets. “Weird," Case said at last when his search had come up fruitless. “Seems I've lost my day planner. Well, that thing wasn't too important anyway." Cayson shed his green jacket, shook it a little (hoping that magically his planner would appear out of thin air and clatter onto the ground and was a little upset when it didn't), then folded it up and set it upon his note book. Cayson then pulled off his long sleeved shirt. Or tried to. He bounced on one foot for a moment, the shirt stuck over his head. “Erm... Oh, there we go." He freed himself and tossed his shirt a little haphazardly over his neatly folded jacket. Then came off his pants and boxers. Both of these he took off carefully so as to not have his tail catch on the threads. He'd had one too many tail catching incidents it seemed. He tossed these over with the rest of his belongings. Case then padded over to the water pool and knelt down beside it. The dark blue sonic waves on his thighs, which usually lay hidden underneath his clothing, were now strikingly visible and in high contrast against the vibrant orange of his fur. He peered over the edge, staring at his own rippling refection upon the water's surface. His reflection looked back at himself rather analytically. A fish broke the surface, breaking up his reflection and the hard stare that Cayson was giving himself. Riot? She was the real deal. If Cayson messed things up with her, well, he didn't know quite what he would do. “Promise not to show me up too badly, hm?" He said jokingly to her in reference to swimming.
As Riot shed her jacket, Cayson, too, began to undress. She was momentarily distracted as she watched him – first, with his fruitless search for his day planner, and then as he very delicately disrobed, careful not to snag his tail spikes. When he was finally fully undressed, she then turned away, though it was probably her every right to stare, and he probably wouldn’t have minded. The thill quickly tossed off her jacket, the thin cotton shirt underneath it, and then she undid her belt and kicked hers – well, Cayson’s – pants to the side. She was left standing in her undergarments for a brief moment, but then she discarded these as well, and prowled almost predatorily towards the pool where Case was already kneeling. Instinctively, a white hand rested on his shoulder, as Riot lowered herself into a squatting position beside him. She then let go, using both her arms to wrap almost self consciously around her midsection as she balanced there, leaning slightly onto Cayson as she did so. She idly wondered where this bashfulness had come from, though she didn’t linger too long on the thought. It probably had origins as obscure as the reasoning why only few could touch her face without her blowing up on them. It was just her weird quirkiness – she supposed everyone had their peculiarities. Brushing aside her random thoughts, Riot slowly moved a leg forwards, dipping it into the ambient pool. The fish immediately swam up to nibble at her toes, and a smile creased over her features. How was she going to stand their ticklish kisses all over once she’d submerged herself? Riot would soon find out. She unwrapped her arms from around herself and slowly lowered herself into the warm waters. She felt the fish leave her feet and swarm around her, the bubbles from their movements swirling about her body as she slowly descended, stopping only when the water was up until her neck line. “Mm…" she said, settling into the pool. “C’mon in, Case, the water’s fine," she joked, glancing back at him as she lifted a wet hand to grasp his and drag him in.
Cayson continued to peer into the pond. The small fish were dancing around one another. Casting off their various soft glowing tones. They were a little haunting yet beautiful at the same time. The grotto despite it being rather out of the way, had to be one of his favourite places to visit. He often came here to write. The words liked to just flow out from his fingertips here in a constant stream. It was often inspiration overload. Case sighed quietly as Riot came up beside him, used his shoulder for balance, and settled down into a crouch. He looked over at her as she leaned against him for a moment. Cayson gently ran his fingers through her hair. Then she was gone. One moment Riot was testing the waters, the next she had slipped in and was up to her neck. Cayson grinned as he remained vigil over her, still hunkered over on shore. Of course, that wasn't to last long. Riot grasped his hand, and although she hadn't tugged at him hard, Cayson had always liked to embellish things. He threw his weight forward, twisting a little in the air, and made a “calculated" topple into the water. The resultant splash was a rather modest one, but it still managed to create a rather impressive spray of droplets. When Cayson surfaced, he was all smiles and laughter. “I think I may have scared all of the fish away," he said with a boyish giggle as he tread water and simultaneously moved some slick hair out of his eyes.
When Case made a show of tumbling into the water, it was Riot who took the brunt of his splash – right in the face. However annoying this might have been had it been any other pendragon, Riot was amused by Cayson’s antics, and she grinned when he surfaced and swiped his damp tresses out of his face. He was too damn cute, like a little kid stuck in a really, really good-looking body! “I think you did, too," the thill admonished at Cayson’s comment about the fish. The sloshing water was settling around them, but the fish were nowhere to be seen. It sort of made Riot a little sad in a way. “I hope they come back. Maybe they’re just… searching for pearls right now." As if this was a very subtle, unspoken cue, Riot inhaled a deep breath and then plunged into the water, as if she were going to go find the fish, or else the pearls they might have been after. Though the pool was by no means that large, it was being fed by a stream that led out to the lake via the grotto, and she kicked towards this bottleneck, while also propelling downwards. She eventually reached the floor of the pool, which was smooth and lustrous in the ambient light, and here she did find some of the skittish fish. They seemed to be wary, darting hither and thither as she approached, but they apparently recognized her soon enough – they began to come up to her and nibble on various fingers and toes. “Hey," Riot laughed, but due to being underwater, it came out only as a giant bubble. Gently flicking off the little nibblers, she kicked towards the surface after her own breath, soon enough coming up several feet away from Cayson. “Hey," she said again once she’d caught her breath. “Found ’em," she then added, gesturing to the fish that had excitedly pursued her to the surface. Giggling, Riot kicked her hind feet and swam back towards Case, flicking her own crimson dyed bangs out of her eyes with a flip of the head. When she came within a foot or so of him, she hesitated. She was in a great, giggly mood, and wanted nothing more than to snuggle with him, frolic, play in the water, tickle him, and all other sorts of things. However, it was that bashfulness biting her in the ass again. The banded female tried to swallow her timidity however, and coaxed herself closer to the orange arden, until she was right in front of him, carefully treading water as her arms reached out to grasp his thrice striped biceps. <b>“So…"</b
Cayson continued to tread water leisurely, enjoying the buoyancy, the seemingly perfect temperature of the water, and of course the simple fact that he was sharing this special evening with Riot. When she disappeared underwater, Cayson attempted to watch her progress. However, that was a little difficult considering the angle. Unless of course, Case were to go underwater as well... which he was beginning to consider just before Riot returned to the surface, bringing the fishes back up along with her. “I think that you've made some new friends," Cayson commented with a laugh. The fish were once again swarming around the pair, investigating, and nibbling. All the while their multi-coloured hues dancing and causing rippling patterns to play across the two pendragon's bodies. Case could tell that Riot was a little bit uncomfortable. Perhaps even a little scared of him. Why that was? Well, Cayson had a few guesses, and he figured that if he brought up the subject, that his guess might come rather close to the source of her discomfort. He wasn't going to pressure her into anything of course. The last thing Case wanted to do was scare Riot off. So he was rather relieved when she came forward and grasped his biceps. He trusted her of course, and wanted her to trust him every much the same. “So?" He echoed, before holding his breath and playfully dipping his muzzle into the water so that his smile became distorted.
The proximity of their bodies was barely that – there was almost no space between them now, as Riot clung to Cayson’s biceps. For the first few seconds, she felt very tense about this, and took a few shaky breaths. But then, just like that, she eased into the idea, and grew comfortable. It probably had something to do with Case’s eyes, with their deep sparkles of blue, green, and pink, or maybe it was just the fact that she knew he loved her, and her body, and that there was nothing to be afraid of with him. Well, whatever the case, she suddenly felt much more at ease, and it showed in her dancing eyes and the small smile upon her gracile muzzle. “So…" she said, echoing his repetition. At that moment, Cayson dipped his muzzle under the water, thereby distorting his face, and Riot laughed at this antic. “You’re a goof, you know." Though the thill would have liked nothing more than to join in with him and goof off, she did not. She felt like, before she could play around with him any more, she had to show him that she trusted him… that she loved him and was comfortable with him and wasn’t afraid of her body – or his, for that matter. So, instead of horsing around or the like, she lowered herself so they were even in the water, and then moved forwards so that much more of their bodies was in contact. It was much like an underwater hug, and Riot made it even more of one by throwing her arms around Case’s neck and then kissing the corner of his mouth. She then set her head on his shoulder and contented herself to bob there, floating against him as if he was – literally and figuratively – her anchor. “I love you," Riot said, not for the first or last time. “I trust you, too," she added, before wedging a hand between their bodies and tickling idly at his belly. It was far enough above his waistline to be a purely affectionate verses erotic gesture, but it still drove in the point – she wasn’t afraid to touch him, or look at him, or be with him like this, anymore.
