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After attending several of the new-bondee classes, Xaira and Westen eventually decided that it was time to head back to their own little medieval-style lives. Nate, one of Xaira's students, worked an odd combination of Jikuu and other time-skills that eventually resulted in their passing through the teleport vortex and into the castle library about ten minutes after they'd initially left. They all came through, Shhra attached to Xaira's leg, Xaira's hand holding Westen's, and Comar perched on Westen's shoulder due to his bond's mild nervousness about teleportation. It was ... an odd sight, but rather tame compared to many things that had happened at the castle, the guard-librarian thought with a smirk. He calmly notified the Castle communication network that one of their lead mages had returned, along with Westen and their rather colorful charges.
Comar was not so reserved, and he hopped down in front of Westen as soon as they arrived. He bounced on the flooring, looking around. "Wow - you live here?"
Xaira chuckled. "In the castle, not in the library." She smirked a little at the sudden change from beaming smile to disappointed frown on her bond's beak-face. "No worries, we can come up here often as you like. Staying here, Westen, or heading back right away?"
Westen grinned at Comar. That would be... a lot of books to sleep amongst. "Ah, I'll probably leave a message for Ama-- His Majesty, but I should probably get back sometime this evening."
Xaira nodded. "Well. Care for a bite or something, then? Though I can't promise I won't be whisked away... there were at least a couple that were very curious about my little side-trip, here, even if it is like we never left." She can't help but think that would be good to get Shhra used to castle-food, though... it was rather odd trying to feed her french-fries, or whatever they were called, back in Star City.
"FOOD!" Comar placed forepaws on each of Westen's legs, with look half-hopeful and half-begging. "Can we? Huh huh?" Westen laughed, picking Comar up around the torso with one arm (careful of the wings, of course) and carried him to his side. "Sure - I think Comar might even eat something."
Xaira laughed and motioned for Shhra to follow, the latter nuzzling Xaira (that reminding her that she had egg-goo to wash off some clothes of hers) and darting for the door, skidding as the others didn't quite keep up, and coming back to walk with her bondee. Thus, they headed for the Royal Dining Hall, and Xaira pulled out a chair for Shhra and for herself. Once she was seated, though, she quickly found a ball of dull red fur in her lap. She lifted her hands, trying to reach the table... hmm. "That's going to be awkward at best, I'm afraid." Shhra pouted, but then grinned, hopped down, threw her weight into her chair's legs to move it right-right next to Xaira's, and then hopped up there again. Better, see?
Comar scrambled into a chair Westen pulled out, then arranged himself to sit rather daintily -- until he put his paws on the edge of the table. "So what can we eat-- " Westen grinned, knowingly. "I'll order something good, don't worry. Paws off the table. Please." Don't make him act all "dad" on you.
Comar put his forelegs back in the chair amiably while Westen chatted it up with the servant. No, there was nothing to be afraid of, these were most certainly not -- Comar interrupted. "Can we get our food soon? I'm starving!!!"
Xaira couldn't help but chuckle. "Guess Comar might get along pretty well with your young twin boys, or at least with Ben, huh?" Shhra purred and looks up at Xaira. :: Huh... talkative, isn't he? :: Thus ensued a quick mental conversation about probably not using telepathy right in front of others unless it was really necessary. Shhra was set to wondering at that one; it didn't make sense to her, if she really had something to say. For now, though, she was going to take Xaira's word for it. Right... just to be polite. Gotcha.
In the meantime, one of the Castle's other head mages and chief elementalist was in pursuit of the two / four. Daynoren, having asked to be notified of Xaira's return -- he's curious about this... bonding thing she was supposedly doing -- nodded his thanks to the servant who trotted in to let him know. It didn't take long for him to close the distance, given he didn't have to wait on short little legs, and he was in more of a hurry than they were, to boot.
He paused at the door, glancing around for the Jikuu mage, and soon spotted her, waiting patiently while the two talked and grinning a bit at the little fluffballs with her and Westen. He eventually drifted over curiously. "Welcome back, you two," he said by way of greeting when he was close enough.
"They're almost too much alike," Westen agreed with Xaira's assessment of Comar and the twins, giving Daynoren a nod in greeting since he was busy with the servant and their order. "Three steaks, medium rare, how about a bowl of that mixed fruit you guys are so good at doing, and potatoes... " Comar, though, looked at Daynoren's rather flamboyantly-colored outfit and had to get down to investigate. "Wow, that's brighter than Shhra'yalii!" He sniffed around the colors a little, checking Daynoren out in his own manner.
Xaira laughed again, dropping in their order -- lighter on the meat, few more fruits and veggies -- while Shhra tsked and hopped down to trot over where she could see Daynoren properly -- it wasn't easy being a foot tall behind that big table, chair or no. "I'm not *that* bright. You should see the yellow kittens."
Daynoren chuckled, pausing to let the kittens investigate him. "Well, I do like striking clothing, yes. And who are you two?"
Comar, go figure, was the first to respond to that. "I'm Comar`ssavi." He gave one last sniff and backed off. "Do you dress like this all the time? Why do you guys wear clothes, anyway? This has gotta be comfort'ble than all that."
Daynoren smiled, amused. "Ah, but see, us humans aren't nearly as striking-looking without clothes. It could get quite boring, all that pink and peach and such. Clothes make us much more interesting to look at." Trust the clotheshorse to give that kind of answer. "Not to mention we'd get cold. We don't have much fur."
Comar seemed satisfied at that response. "Oh, okay - we have all sortsa colors without 'em." And that settled that... for him, anyway, as Shhra piped up now.
"But isn't it warm here? I'm hot already, how can you not be?" Then she suddenly sat up, as if just thenremembering that she hadn't introduced herself. "Oh... oh, I'm Shhra`yalii. I'm Xaira's new assistant!" She beamed proudly.
Back at the table, Xaira smirked. "Hey, I said you had potential. See if you like it first!" She meanwhile made a note to watch for any, ah, streaking tendencies, giving Westen a grin. Nothing like a furred creature to inquire about why clothing existed. The man grinned right back; why, yes, he did remember going through those kind of questions with his other children...
Day meanwhile gave Shhra an appraising look, as well. "Congratulations, I've been trying to weasel myself into that position for years now." ... and he winked at Xaira.
Shhra's eyes widened a little. "Really? Neat!" Westen, too, lofted a brow at Xaira at Daynoren's statement to Shhra. Reaaally, now... but Xaira shook her head, stage-whispering. "He's a big tease, he loves his elemental stuff. I keep saying --"
Daynoren cleared his throat politely, firing just such a tease in Xaira's direction. "I'm not *quite* so self-absorbed that I can't hear what's going on around me, you know."
Xaira tilted her head, glancing back over there, too. "Come now, we've talked on this. All you have to do is drop everything else, and I'll teach you." Teasing back, yes; she knew he couldn't just take himself out of commission any more than she could, no matter how intriguing her "different" kind of magic was to him. That conversation was soon interrupted as the food quickly arrived, and the two hatchlings bounded back to the table to tuck in.
Daynoren gave a small chuckle. "Not to worry... I can quarrel with you about that some other time. Do enjoy, now." ... and he took his leave, letting Xaira enjoy her first day back with her new bond.
***********
Later that night, Xaira tucked the covers on her bed lightly around Shhra's little sleeping form, then put the final touches on getting her own self ready. The kitten had insisted on staying as near to Xaira as she could, even though there was plenty of room in her castle suite, and Xaira was having a hard time coming up with a reason why she shouldn't. She was a kitten, after all, and an affectionate one at that.
Xaira sighed, getting comfortable and blowing out the last candle as she laid her head down. She was so afraid that her list of highly unpleasant life experiences was going to "poison" Shhra somehow, and yet here the kitten was, snuggled up next to her and as happy as could be. They were already making this work, somehow, Xaira knew. On top of that, Shhra did indeed show all possible signs of being an excellent student; perhapas, Xaira thought, as a means to keep herself focused and keep her spirits up.
No... as troubled as Xaira was, she knew there was a way through this. They had yet to explore even a portion of the mental bond between them. They could share happiness as well as pain, and they could build their own set of memories together. That was the path, at least for now, Xaira thought as she drifted to sleep. Build our lives together, and let the rest sort itself out. It all would, somehow... she was sure of it.