Dire Straits - Lykath's Clutch

[Nai-ru]

Seven eggs, plus a Queen egg. It was hardly a wonderful turnout, but the Queen egg was definitely a good sign, and the results were really only to be expected. It was strange, though, that so many Queens were appearing and the Clutches were usually so large, considering the fact that Thread hadn't been seen in centuries.

Theo had set up- or made other people set up- a makeshift sickroom in the office on the Sands so that she could be with Lykath. The move hadn't been good for her, especially considering the state she had been left in by the Flight (she wanted more than ever to kill someone with a name that started with a C and ended with a-'rin. But yeah.) but she had insisted. Loudly. Through Lykath, since loud wans't really within her abilites at the moment.

Sharding Masterhealer hadn't written back.

[blacklight]

C'rin had let other people deal with Theo's mood. It was certainly not something he was going to take responsibility for. He might be part of the cause for it, but he was going to do nothing about it. So once everything had been set up in the office, C'rin came strolling in, a cup of steaming klah held in both hands. He paused just inside the door and took his time sipping the liquid, knowing there wasn't much Theo could do to stop him.

The cup was set aside and the Weyrleader ambled over to where she was, looking as sour as usual. The hot liquid hadn't done a thing to improve his mood, as it had been too hot. Hands propped on his waist girlishly as he leaned over Theo with a thin-lipped grimace.

"Doing alright, sweetheart?" his tone was borderline mocking. Ah, apparently remembering to eat had done wonders for his mood. He was practically back to normal and showing no signs of that weird, nice person he had been for a bit.

[Nai-ru]

"Lykath, squish him."

Only if he gets really annoying, Mine. Though he is getting on my nerves. She let him hear that. She was going to squish him if he really did annoy her enough. Maybe not fatally, because she didn't want to lost her squishtoy, but definitely some painful squishing was going to go on.

Theo glared as best as she was able. The second she got better, she was going to kill him. Brutally. In horrible, horrible ways.

[blacklight]

Her words made him calm down a little - simply because he knew Lykath would not hesitate to bruise him up - and C'rin retreated back to his cup and sat/leaned on the table it had been on. He sniffed, a bit unhappily, and finished off the klah.

Mine will behave. I promise. And if Mith was promising, that meant C'rin had to follow orders. Or else he would have to deal with a very irate dragon. Mith was a little too big to fight.

C'rin rolled his eyes and stayed where he was. It was better to stay a bit away than to get too close. Never knew when Theo was going to get enough strength back to strangle him. And she would if she could. "Fine, I'll play nice. No need to send mommy dragon after me."

[Nai-ru]

"You're only alive right now because I can't move," Theo informed him stiffly. Yes, she wanted to smash his head in. Or was that too quick a death?

Slow and agonizing was the way.

[blacklight]

Granted, the Weyr would probably be better off if C'rin and Theo switched health issues. At the moment, the only thing wrong with the man was an overdose of klah and a bunch of energy to burn off.

"I quite like being alive and having control over my body, thanks. I'll leave the death to you," he snapped, temper quickly slipping. Yeah. Looked like he was back to his usual self. Also looked like Mith wouldn't be able to contain his rider's tongue.

Mine!
Whatever, C'rin ignored him.

[Nai-ru]

Mith, I am going to squish him now. Forgive me. Despite her threat, Lykath only laid her massive head next to C'rin and pulled back her lips to reveal her teeth.

If you say that again, human, you will regret it.

Theo stared at C'rin wordlessly, expressionlessly. That had been a very low blow. Fine. He could feel that way if he wanted.

But if he felt like that, why wouldn't he go away?!

[blacklight]

I can't really blame you for it... the purpley-colored dragon sighed. He made no move to stop her.

C'rin startled and stared at the Mist dispassionately, making a face back at her. What would it matter if he died, anyway? The Weyr would be better off, Theo would be better off, shards, Mith would probably be better off. The only one who would complain was Lykath, and only because she'd be losing Mith. He might as well just go jump off his ledge and make the world a better place. The Weyrwoman would undoubtedly get better once he wasn't there to bother her.

It wasn't a simple matter. Yes, he could simply just leave her alone, but...ugh. He was...worried. Sort of. Not really. But still, the matter was enough on his mind that C'rin needed to check on Theo every day. Things had been fine enough before she got sick, and life felt weird now that it was different. So he tried to preserve that normality by visiting her.

But every time he did, he was reminded of how much better she'd be without him, and that just made him grumpy.

Oh, if only he'd just realize already, but what fun would that be?

"Say what?" he muttered, a bit hoarsely. It's not like he hadn't contemplated death before...but it was still a scary idea. And there would be no more Mith. "That I enjoy living and I'll...leave the..." he clammed up and jerked his head away, staring into his empty cup. He couldn't say it again. It had been stupid to say it in the first place.

But he didn't feel like apologizing, even with Lykath's teeth and dragon-breath so close.

[Nai-ru]

What Nai finds amusing is that he DID realize it for about two seconds when Theo first got thick, but apparently the trauma of the thought has caused him amnesia.

Anyway.

"Have fun with that," Theo said mildly. She had decided to pretend that he was a bug. She talked to bugs, but she didn't care about them. At all. Stupid man deserved it.

Wise decision, Lykath said as he shut up, and backed off. If he did it again, she was going to eat him. She was trying to convince herself that it wouldn't be a bad thing.

[blacklight]

Well, having him realize it PERMINATELY would not be as fun as torturing him about it. But Nai is correct about that trauma and amnesia.

C'rin set the cup down and pushed it around the surface with a finger. It was so much easier to be alone and play with cups than to be around the one person he could stand. Sort of stand. Mostly stand. Not want to kill immediately. Close enough. And yet, when he was alone, it didn't feel good, either. Nothing felt good anymore.

He knocked the cup over, watching the few drops left scatter over the ground and disappear from the heat. The sound had been somewhat satisfying, but he didn't feel any better for it. Sharding woman toying with his happiness and not even realizing it. He wasn't happy without her, but wasn't happy around her. There had to be something in the world that had a bone to pick with him and was purposely torturing him so. This had never been a problem before.

"Well... do you need anything?" it was nearly whispered, because it was a hard question to ask. Being nice (somewhat) when he wanted to kick her dumb dragon for breathing on him.

I would advise not letting her know you thought that.

[Nai-ru]

"No," Theo answered serenely. She wasn't even going to look at him. She wasn't going to dismiss him, because that would probably just discourage him from leaving. It didn't seem to matter that he hated being around her so much, becaus if he thought that he was making her life just that little bit more miserable he was going to go for it.

Stupid, stupid man. And yet for some reason- she wasn't masochistic enough to name it or even acknowledge it, though she was somewhat less oblivious than the stupid man in question- she couldn't bring herself to actually have Lykath eat him.

It was because of Mith.

Right. Mith.

Let who know what? she asked the Darkness innocently, having been entertaining herself with eavesdropping on dragons and their conversations.

[blacklight]

"Fine!" he sounded offended that she'd rejected his offer, even though he'd been basically telling her that he was okay if she died a moment before. Which was a much worse offense than having an offer rejected. He crossed his arms and grumbled about something.

Nothing, Mith pointed his muzzle at Theo, voice reeking of innocence. He wasn't about to get his rider in trouble so easily.

"Well, have fun. Uh, laying there. Let Mith know if you need anything. Or just bully some Candidate to do it for you if you don't want to see me," he sounded sour. With a huff, he stalked off. He was in no mood to deal with this. He'd probably just go back to sleep.

[Nai-ru]

You're lyyyyyiiiiiinnnngggg... But I'll let you get away with it because you're so adorable.

Theo kept her face expressionless as C'rin huffed away, miffed by her new and improved technique for torturing him.

Well, that went well.

Thank you for that comment, Lykath.