The Saddest Tune [Bre]

[jack]

"So you're a Searchrider? Huh. To be honest, I wouldn't have ever guessed." A soft, sweet smile spread onto the blond's lips, the expression never quite reaching his downcast eyes. As if to match his unspoken thoughts, his fingers absently ran along his lute's strings, a mournful note drawn out painfully.

The pinkrider's companion, a handsome bluerider with pretty brown eyes, tilted his head slightly, and a smile slid onto his own lips. A hand, broader than R'ish's and marked with the calloses of hard work, reached out, a finger tucking beneath the other's chin. Reluctantly, R'ish lifted his head at the man's insistence, a slight arch to his brow as he blinked, meeting the rider's stare. "To be honest, I didn't mark you as that stupid." The man--J'kein, R'ish recalled suddenly, surprised he'd forgotten a moment before--replied, looking obnoxiously smug at the subtly surprised look that spread onto the blond's face.

With a soft huff--amused rather than annoyed--R'ish pulled his head away from the rider's grip, his fingers plucking an easy tune on his instrument. A lazy, absent little tune, it filtered easy about the greens where they lurked, and from nearby--spread out and sunning--Gyth gave a cheerful croon of approval. J'kein too gave a soft hum, and with a lop-sided grin he laid back against the grass, his arms folded behind his head.

R'ish didn't spare the rider much more of a glance as he began unconsciously tuning, his fingers changing the almost relaxed tune into something more lonely and sad. Eyes at half-mast and a quiet frown on his face, he looked quite the un-R'ish like sight, the lack of dyed color in his hair making it appear even more unlike him. At his side, J'kein frowned, eying the Pinkrider mildly. Without warning he moved to sit back up, sliding an arm around the other man's waist. R'ish started, stiffening, and his music immediately stopped. He looked to J'kein with a sharply arched brow, and squirmed as though to wriggle free. Lips were pressed against his cheek, however, and the Pinkrider slumped instead, staring absently off into the distance. J'kein withdrew--his arm remaining in place--and R'ish's fingers began moving again.

The tune was listless...lost and lonely.

[Admin]

I miss you, miss you,
Hello there,
The angel from my nightmare,
The shadow,
In background of the morgue.

One pure note, the strong and commanding voice of blue Carol. One enthusiastic but slightly off ring, the playful cry of black Stage. A quartet of four firelizards, led by the estimable blue, were drawn by the sound of the lute. They didn't go too quick too fast. Stage went more cautiously, and brown Junior hung back beside his tinier brother. Still, bronze Capella and Carol flew right up to R'ish and his friend. They didn't have a clue who he was, but they liked the music. Tilting his head back, the blue let out a rolling note to match it, and then prodded his hulking brother to join in with him, along with chattering at Stage and Junior to hurry up. They weren't normally accompanied, but they could appreciate some good music. Carol wanted them to be paying attention. They still tarried. With an indignant whistle, he went to go harry them to the lute player.

Sighing in exasperation, unable to muster up any of his old amusement at the quartet, P'nay came along after his fair. "Can't you lot behave, for once, or stay put? You can't go around accostin-." He trailed off as Junior and Stage settled on his shoulders, the black hiding behind bits of his hair, which wasn't really long enough to hide the little firelizard even though he hadn't been taking the best of care of it. He stared at the vision presented in front of him. At first, he hadn't recognized who it was. If it had been anyone else that he had stumbled on snuggling by the lake, he would have just laughed, even as it was, grinned a little grin and laughed as he walked away. But it took him only a moment to recognize R'ish and then he was frozen. R'ish sitting with someone else on the grass. R'ish, who wasn't his anymore, with another.

Carol let out a sharp croon, breaking into his thoughts. Swallowing, P'nay still didn't move. He should have walked away, but he didn't want to do that. Unlike the time before, he wasn't going to walk away, which was probably stupid. If only he could have been one to back away from an awkward situation, not face it head on like nothing else. If only his lack of courage could have been as through and through as he sometimes thought "Hello R'ish. Whose this;" he questioned. He sounded jealous. He was jealous, which was stupid. He shouldn't have been angry or upset, but he was. He refused to notice. His feet urged him to step away, but he couldn't. Annith was asleep. She couldn't tell him to go in her kind voice. He could only ask and stare. Junior settled against him. Stage rubbed his cheek. Carol and Capella flitted. He didn't notice.

Stop this pain tonight,
Don't waste your time on me,
You're already the voice inside my head,
I miss you, miss you.

[jack]

A duo of flits interrupted R'ish's absent plucking, and he started with a blink, eying the creature's with confusion that quickly bled into amusement. He liked flits. They were clever creatures indeed! Even if his own was a rather subdued creature. As though the thought of the tiny Blue were enough to summon him, the cornflower blue lizard popped into view, giving a sweet little chirp as he settled on R'ish's shoulders, eying the newcomers with a mixture of intrigue and distaste.

The cream-haired youth glanced at Sweet curiously, but didn't move his fingers from the lute, letting them play again slowly. "Aren't you lot love--" He trailed off before he even got to speak, looking up with a soft smile to greet the owner only to feel his own face fall. "P'nay." Almost immediately he turned his eyes away, looking to J'kein with blind eyes. "Ah. This is J'kein. He's flown in to--"
"So you're P'nay?" A pleasant smile slid onto the Bluerider's lips as he rose, offering a hand to the blond, "You're quite infamous, you know. Can't say its a good thing though. Not exactly the best reputation." Clearly sensing the ill-will circulating through the Yellowrider, he took his hand back early, a possessively protective smirk on his lips as he shuffled a bit closer to R'ish, plopping back down assertively.

"I am J'kein of Blue Hanoveth. We're from Eastern, just here to visit and drop off a Candidate. Although..." He slid an arm again around R'ish's, giving a smugger expression, "We might be staying around a bit longer. R'ish and I were just discussing the chance of a transfer."

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Where are you and I'm so sorry,
I cannot sleep I cannot dream tonight,
I need somebody and always,
This sick strange darkness comes creeping.

The kind enough words from R'ish momentarily lifted the yellowrider's heart. It was a flicker of hope in all else, his bleak existence where he was only kept right by eating, Annith, sleeping, Annith, his singing flitters, Annith, rather badly done halfhearted attempts to get into some folks' pants, and Annith. Then J'kien started to speak and every word that the foreign rider said made his stomach twist and sink. Every action that the bluerider made, moving closer to R'ish, made him feel the blind urge to smack the smug creature with some force. Of course, in the end, he would do no such thing and would make no such move.

"It isn't the reputation that really matters, though it does have consequences;" he said, somehow managing to fake a very icy, prickly, stupid smile. He didn't look at J'kien. He looked at R'ish, with a point behind his voice and eyes. "But I take them in stride alright. For the most part. Sometimes." He tilted his head slightly at the pinkrider. Pain and sorrow flashed across his strained features, momentarily smoothing them from stress to simple sadness.

Finely tune to her rider, Annith awoke. She pressed Annith Jr. lightly. He was good for getting proper knowledge out of without much trouble. It was nicest to ask him. Barely stretching, she launched herself into the bowl. She shouldn't have slept! It was bad, what was happening! She alighted lightly near the trio. She gave a sunny thrum of greeting, as if nothing was the matter. It was all going to be alright! She peered closer at J'kien, placing one swirling eye right next to him. She didn't know his dragon; he couldn't have known Gyth's well. Hello. Are you well? I am Annith. R'ish has been quite upset lately; she told the bluerider helpfully.

Like indecision to call you,
And hear your voice of treason,
Will you come home,
And stop this pain tonight.

[jack]

There was pain there. R'ish shrunk away instantly, his hand stilling on the lute as he look away from P'nay's gaze, staring intently at a nearby patch of grass. Why was this man torturing him so? Yes, being away from P'nay hurt! It hurt him so much it bled, and he had no doubt it hurt P'nay the same. But...the Pinkrider knew P'nay couldn't love him. Knew the man would never try, or stop sleeping with others even when he could roll with R'ish! He wouldn't try to change the blond...but...why....why did that wherrybrain have to keep rubbing in their separation?!

"Oh really." Absolute disinterest, matched keenly with a bored sense of distaste twirled easily in J'kein's words, and he turned his attention boredly away from P'nay, running a hand through his hair as he eyed R'ish, not seeming to notice the blond's strangely still stance. "Well, that's all very nice and fine for you, but if you don't mi--" He broke off at Annith's arrival, giving the yellow a blank stare before curtly responding. "Yes, I am quite aware. I believe if what Hanoveth and Gyth have been discussing has anything to do with it, that your lovely partner might be the cause of the problem."

He quirked his brow sharply, more to P'nay then Annith, and his grip tightened against R'ish's waist. But this time R'ish gave a faint complaint, his hand meeting J'kein's in a subtle attempt at removing it. But just as that hand refused to release and the rider was just about to stand up and waltz away from both of the wherrybrains around him, a long Blue form flashed in the sky. You are Annith? The cheerful creature asked as he landed, slipping his way between the Yellow and his Mine, I'm Hanoveth! I'm sorry, but my Mine doesn't like strange dragons so close, even if they're very bright!

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This sick strange darkness comes creeping,
On so haunting every time,
And as I stared I counted the webs from all the spiders,
catching things and eating their insides.

Annith crooned a soothing response to J'kien's words, keeping P'nay from shattering under the accusation. It wasn't his fault. Not as much as he thought. He could fix it. He would be alright. She radiated that to her rider, and attempted to show that she hadn't meant any offense to the bluerider. She had only been trying to help. It hurt her, the wafting torrent of emotion from her rider and the satisfied aggression of the other rider and the fact that R'ish didn't look right. Where had it gone? The good time after the last fall? Why couldn't it come back?

The arrival of the blue somewhat buoyed her. It gave her an opportunity, a hope. Yes, I am. It is nice to meet you, Hanoveth; she greeted the blue, all manners, voice still quite sunny and joyous. However, something edged around her. She wasn't as simple as she often acted or as she often wished she was. It was best, of course, how she was, for her rider. I didn't mean to bother him. I just don't want him to get hurt too. Everyone is hurting; she said, letting out another sadly soothing croon. Helpfully, Carol proceeded to try to launch into a mournful solo, but the yellow dragon shushed him gently, not that he took it well, grumbling.

Finally, P'nay remembered himself. There was a dull aching in his chest and the guilt was running wild, but he managed to keep both in check somehow. "That isn't going to make it more right. I would know, which doesn't help, but, anyway, just, don't;" he tried to tell R'ish. Then he turned and fled, Junior and Stage clinging to his shoulders. He knew he should have kept his mouth shut, but he hadn't. For a moment, Annith remained, then she ducked her head in farewell. She ambled away after her rider. Carol and Capella stayed. The bronze tilted his head at R'ish. The blue just continued to make disgruntle noises, pacing.

Don't waste your time on me,
You're already the voice inside my head,
I miss you, miss you
Don't waste your time on me.

[jack]

The Blue--as long and lean as a snake without much bulk to him--squirmed and gave a draconic version of a shrug, apology spread over his face. He was silent now, as though J'kein had told him to be, and licked his maw sheepishly before plopping doggishly down to observe.

"Lovely. The whore speaks in tongues too." J'kein mumbled, his attention wandering away from P'nay as the man began to leave. He found himself faced with an elbow to the nose, however, when he turned to look at R'ish. Eyes narrowed and annoyed, R'ish stood, brushing the man's twitching hand away from his waist.
"That was wholly inappropriate." He hissed, shoving the injured bluerider away from him, "Go back to Eastern. We have no need for tunnelsnakes here."

Running a hand through his hair, the blond stalked a bit aways from the newcomer, Gyth rising to curl partially around him--blocking J'kein f rom view--as he sat down and ran his fingers over his lute once more. P'nay was out of view by now, even his beautiful dragoness beyond his sight. R'ish gave a long sigh and his eyes narrowed, fingers gently beginning to pluck a longing tune. But even as he played he let his eyes wander, taking note of the remaining firelizards. "I'm assuming you're P'nay's." He mumbled quietly, pausing his tuning to reach out to the Bronze, offering a perch and an eyerub. "I'm not sure when he got you, but...you're just as gorgeous as Yours, aren't you?"

[Admin]

How tides control the sea, and what becomes of me,
How little things can slip out of your hands,
How often people change, not to remain the same,
Why things don't always turn out as you plan.

Capella gave a chirp of understanding at the mention of his bonded's name. He took the offered perch, scrambling up onto the pinkrider's shoulder, entirely friendly. He preened himself slightly, detecting with his excellent mind the hints of praise that were offered. The young bronze had become rather numb to hints of sadness and melancholy in voices and presences. He just went on through life more than happy for a scratch from a friend of P'nay's. He knew things were wrong, but he didn't know what. He enjoyed meeting new people.

Eventually, Carol put himself back together and he rounded on his bigger brother. He let out an imperious chirp. They had to go! For a moment, Capella bristled, but it was halfhearted. He rarely argued with the authoritative blue, and he wasn't in the mood. With a chirp of farewell to R'ish and a helpful rub of his head against his cheek in thank for the scratch, he took off. Impatiently, Carol hurriedly took the lead. Capella followed without the same level of enthusiasm.

Before they were out of sight across the bowl, the bronze paused and turned back. He tilted his head again at Gyth and R'ish. Then Carol let out an imperious cry, and he hurriedly dipped off after his demanding brother, disappearing with the blue in search of their brothers and bonded. The yellowrider and his dragon were a long ways away, more so in mind than in body. The bronze flitter failed to understand what was happening. He just followed Carol along to them.

How infinite is space, and who decides your fate,
Why everything will dissolve into sand,
How to avoid defeat, when truth and fiction meet,
Why nothing ever turns out as you plan.