Do Me A Favour|Yes, another Arctic Monkey's song

[Desert]

From the corner of his eye, K'dran noticed Accalia's hand leave off stroking Juno's light green back and touching her belly. That brought to mind a new chain of thought, questions that he hadn't really considered until recently. Though he knew he wouldn't find out for another several months, he couldn't help but wonder. Such universal questions, asked by parents the planet over.

K'dran mused about the nature of the unborn child. Would it be male or female? Which parent would it resemble the most? Both outward and inwardly -- would it inherit more of its father's looks or its mother's? Whose personality? K'dran privately hoped the child got more of Accalia's personality; he didn't want his offspring to make his same mistakes.

That thought brought back the earlier worries. It was a given that the child, if K'dran has as much to do with it as he wanted to, would irritate Dharth. It was a painful catch-22 -- he didn't want the child to be fatherless, but he definitely didn't want Dharth to harm it. Damn that black!

It didn't escape his notice that it was Dharth's plotting that had led to this; however, K'dran wasn't nearly as forgiving as Accalia, and he couldn't feel anything related to gratitude toward the big black for his part in all this. Dharth had been the cource of all K'dran's woes for far too long for that long-ingrained resentment to fade just from one situation that went counter to its original intentions and became a positive.

K'dran couldn't help but roll his eyes slightly. "Why do you keep apologizing all the time? It's not your fault this is happening, so you shouldn't have to apologize for it." His lips were quirked into a small playful smile, taking the edge out of his words. As she pulled her hand free he let his drop, bracing it on the bed to hold up his weight.

Juno's spade-shaped head popped up; she creeled indignantly and poked Accalia's hand with her muzzle. The message was clear: why did you stop petting? Keep petting! K'dran chuckled at the spring's imperious chatter. She was addicted to affection; if you started stroking Juno, she wouldn't ever let you stop if she could get away with it.

ooc; that was longer than expected. spazzy Muse.

[elainsie]

Accalia gave a small smile, "It's a bad habit of mine, I'm so-.." then realising what she had been about to say, laughed. "I'll try hard not to then, but it's ingrained in me, I just feel partly responsible I guess. And you're one to talk." K'dran was not the first to have brought to her attention this particular trait of hers, but after a day or two of trying to cut down on her apologies she gave up. It was just easier this way if a little irritating.

Looking down at the pressure against her hand Accalia gave a smile to the indignant Spring, "Oops, didn't mean to stop," her hand resumed it's original action, the firelizard's hide soft and cool against her palm as she stroked the firelizard.

She was an affectionate little thing, Accalia mused. It seemed strange that such a firelizard would live in close vicinity with Dharth and K'dran, neither were the most demonstative creatures to grace the face of Pern, Dharth much less so then K'dran, and yet Juno seemed more than content. How odd.

"So are there any family quirks I should know about that you may pass on to our child? Any insanity, other than that already demonstarted of course," her eyes were bright with supressed humour, the rest of her face impassive.

[Desert]

K'dran chuckled with her. It wasn't that it was particularly annoying -- just yet -- he just found it a bit odd. Perhaps it was just him; certainly, K'dran wasn't a one to apologize all over himself to someone. Quite the opposite most of the time, much to the irritation of the people who had to interact with him on any sort of regular basis.

He grinned slightly, unabashed by her teasing. "Other than the moments of madness, I don't think there's much," he replied in his dryest tone. "At least, neither my brother nor I have shown symptoms of any crippling psychological disorder. Neither, as far as I know, did either of my parents. I could be wrong -- Faranth knows what Kalie has done in her lifetime, though I doubt D'rren had gotten into anything he shouldn't." K'dran snorted scornfully. The few times he'd interacted with the woman who'd birthed him, he felt nothing but contempt for her. D'rren had passed on with his roan near the time K'dran Impressed; though the two had been acquainted, neither had really clicked. K'dran hadn't mourned his father's passing, and he wouldn't feel any sadness whenever his mother died. That was likely one reason K'dran wanted to be a part of this -- to give his offspring the filial bonds he'd lacked.

Juno squeaked indignantly as she sensed the amusement radiating from the two riders in response to her begging. She slipped out from under Accalia's hand as if in a huff and jumped onto the headboard, scolding them from her perch. K'dran rolled his eyes at the young spring's antics and held out his hand. "Oh stop being a brat, Juno. Come here," he admonished, the playful tone of his voice taking the sting out of his words. Juno chirruped and hesitated, her head weaving comically. Then she gave in and flitted over to his outstretched hand. K'dran let her wrap possessively around his arm before cradling the limb against his chest, running his hand over the tri-colored body in time with Juno's blissful hum.

[elainsie]

It was clear from the contempt that crept into his voice K’dran had little time for his mother and the way he spoke of his father did not give her the impression he had been overly close with D’rren either. The Jade rider though this quite sad, unlike K’dran, Accalia had been very close to her family and still was even if she did not see them as often as she would have liked. The youngest of four, she had been very much her father’s shadow, and he had been her childhood confidant. His death had been a crushing blow, and even now, Turns on, the memory of it was one that disturbed her. “I didn’t know you had a brother.” Accalia was beginning to realize there was a lot she did not know, although she had a better understanding of the man than a few months ago. “Is he older or younger than you? Are you on good terms with him?”

It was strange to think this man would be an uncle to her child, someone she had never even heard of up until now. What would he think about it all? Although her own family still did not know Accalia knew they would accept the newest addition with delight. A new baby was a reason for celebration, and her mother no doubt would be thrilled to know she could expect another grandchild. The thought brought a smile to her, I really must go visit her soon, Accalia thought, admonishing her laxness.

Accalia rolled her eyes slightly at the Spring’s antics, feeling the fire lizard squirm out from under her fingers, and opening up her palm to aid the firelizard in her escpae. “Looks like I am getting the cold shoulder now,.” The Jade rider picked at a loose thread on the upper hemline of the shirt she wore, causing the upper border to fray. “I should let you rest though K’dran, whether or not you actually sleep. I don’t think you’re wing wants a exhausted leader.”

[Desert]

K'dran shrugged slightly. "K'tal is a Turn or two younger. He Impressed his Zhek shortly after Dharth got me, but since Zhek is a bronze they transferred to Crystal Cavern." He smirked faintly, thinking of Zhekalenearth's large coppery bronze bulk looming over the other CCW kings. He was even a bit bigger than one of the resident queens -- a magma, though K'dran had never caught that pair's names. "We don't talk much. The last time I saw him was at that Gather Solse hosted, and even then we only exchanged a few words. K'tal, as you can guess, is a lot like me, though we're only technically half-sibs." He chuckled. Many of the people who knew both brothers wondered at how K'tal -- the offspring of an unbearably stuck-up topazrider -- was more easygoing than K'dran, whose father had been a fairly pleasant man.

K'dran wondered how K'tal would react to the news. He hadn't really thought about informing his brother about the impending addition to the family; the relationship between them was distant enough that even rather significant details like that often weren't communicated. K'dran still wasn't aware of K'tal's relatively recent bout of Zaire, which had very nearly killed the bronzepair. Well, since both were similarly apathetic sometimes, K'dran privately thought that even the surprise of the news probably wouldn't phase K'tal. It wasn't unexpected for such things to happen, given the frequency of jade's or other female's Flights in every Weyr.

He chuckled, still petting Juno. "She has a bit of an ego," he explained fondly. K'dran tickled under the spring's chin with his fingertips, eliciting a burbling trill that sounded uncannily like laughter. "And don't worry about me. I'm used to running on two or three hours of sleep each night for days at a time -- it's a hazard of being a blackrider." His snort was mirthless, and the smile that tugged at his lips was slightly bitter. "But if I'm keeping you up, don't hesitate to tell me to shut up." Faranth knew Dharth did it enough.

[elainsie]

"I see," she said in response as K'dran told her about his brother, but honestly she really did not. Like her parents, Accalia got along well with her brother and sisters and the the idea of only a few words being exchanged when they were altogether was laughable. Her two elder sisters did not know how to be quiet, and her brother was not much better. By contrast Accalia had been the more demure one, but even then her presence had ever gone unnoticed.

"As long as you are sure, I don't want to have the guilt of you falling and breaking your neck on top of everything else to contend with." Then shaking her head Accalia said, "You're not keeping me awake, and I don't have any particuar desire to go back to sleep again even if you were keeping me up. I'd much rather talk about something than be left to mull on my own."

She rubbed her left temple, the beginnings of a headache starting to make its presence known. The last thing she wanted was to drift into another nightmare, and wake up in a cold sweat. Much better that she suffer through a sleepless night then that again.

"Although I have to admit it's rather strange for me to have company in the middle of the night. Not that it's unwelcome," she hastened to add. "Just different." Accalia continued to toy with the loose thread until she looked down and realised at the damage of the shirt. Twisting it around her fingers she snapped it off, discarding it next to her.[/size]

[Desert]

K'dran grinned slightly. "I know the feeling," he replied. The various nightmares he'd woken from in his lifetime had always kept him from going back to sleep -- night terrors as a boy, and even later in life when he'd get random run-of-the-mill bad dreams that would jolt him awake. He'd never had the most cooperative internal clock in the world, so once awake it was usually impossible to get back to sleep. The skin under his pale eyes was perpetually stained by a faint bluish bruise; it had been that way since he could remember, and might never completely go away.

He noticed Accalia rub her temple and inclined his head to one side. "Getting a headache?" he guessed. He lifted up the arm Juno was still clinging to; she creeled indignantly as the movement roused her from her half-doze. "I think I've still got some of the stuff the Healer gave me for headaches, if you want to use it. Juno, do you remember where it is?" K'dran glanced down at the little flit. She cheeped an affirmative and unwound herself from his arm. K'dran looked back up at Accalia, waiting for the jaderider to accept or decline his offer.

ooc; ick, it's so short. TT^TT

[elainsie]

The jade rider nodded her head at K'dran's query. "I am however it depends on what it is that they gave you. I was provided with a list of things that pregnancy is a contraindication for last week by the Healers." She tried to remeber where she had put that list, and then shrugged.

Accalia could remeber a number of the medicines and herbs listed but it was quite a comprehensive list and she was not willing to risk it for the sake of a mild headahce. "It's not bothering me too much just yet, so I might forgo taking it and hope that it goes away of its own accord. It will save Juno a trip at least. If it worsens I'll either dig up the note or just take trip to the Healers and see what they recommend."

Smiling down at the Spring, Accalia run a finger along the firelizards back. "Thanks for the offer though K'dran, and thank you Juno for being prepared to go get it even if you were cross with me earlier."

Thinking that water might help in ridding her of the headache she reached over to the bedside table and poured herself a glass. "Are you thirsty K'dran?" Although she only had the one cup on hand, she had others kept in the adjacent room.

OOC:Blech. Hmm I think this is dribbling into nothingness. If you can think of a way to wrap it up be my guest. [/size]

[Desert]

K'dran frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then shrugged. He looked down at Juno for a moment; she held his gaze, then blinked between with a chirp after a few seconds. "All right. I know I've still got some fellis in my weyr; I might as well use it to try and get an hour or three of sleep." Parts of his seared abdomen that had been particularly badly burned were starting to wake up from the numbing effects of the salve caked onto him.

He smiled slightly when she offered a drink. "Water would be nice -- fellis is hard to take straight." He wrinkled his nose in distaste, remembering the bitter flavor. He was no stranger by now to the drowse-inducing herb, but that didn't make him enjoy the taste. At least it took the edge off whatever aches happened to be plaguing him and helped him sleep.

Juno reappeared and dropped a small packet into her human's lap before hoving in to land on his shoulder with a smug chirrup. He reached over to scratch under her chin fondly. "Thank you ma'am." She hummed delightedly and leaned into his caress, her eyelids sliding closed in pure bliss.

K'dran chuckled as he emptied the packet of ground fellis into his cup. He lifted it with a wry smile as if to toast something, then knocked the cup back and swallowed the dose of fellis as quickly as he could. The bitterness was undiluted by the water, so he grimaced in disgust. "Yurk," he remarked.

With the fellis on board, K'dran went back to his chair; he nestled into the fur to ward off the chilly air. "Well, I'm going to try and doze off. Good night again," he said, smiling slightly. Then K'dran leaned his lead against the chair's backrest and closed his eyes.

ooc; last post, then? i'll lock it up and move it here soon.