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~Note: RPed in part with Cacopheny~
This time Troe and Nyera ended up with adjoining rooms and nothing Nyera tried managed to get her moved. Troe had assumed that Anshoku would be with Nyera so he had reserved two dragon-sized rooms for the four of them. Nyera pleaded with the receptionist but there was nothing to be done, the hotel was booked and Nyera was stuck.
As soon as he was settled Troe knocked on the adjoining door in his room, but received no response. He frowned, unsure if he should try again or give her some space. After a long moment of indecision he knocked again.
"Nyera?" he called through the closed door. "Sav and I are going out, do you want to join us?"
Silence answered him and he couldn't be sure if she was ignoring him or just hadn't heard in him that huge room all by herself. He gave up, closing the adjoining door and heading for the door that would lead him out. Sav trailed behind him, hesitation coming through strongly in the bond.
"What is it, Sav?" he asked finally as they exited the hotel, the feeling almost beginning to nag at him as Sav hadn't retracted it by then.
~She probably just needs time to herself,~ said Sav, hesitation in his voice as well. ~Where are we going?~
"I suppose we could go visit your sister if you want. I've got nothing in mind."
Sav nodded his slender muzzle and the two of them set off in the direction of the hatching bays. They walked swiftly, or rather, Troe walked swiftly and Sav ambled by his side. Troe had learned long ago to adapt his naturally long stride to the dragon's even longer one so as not to make Sav crawl along waiting for him.
Neither Troe nor Sav noticed the brown and black creature that started following them as soon as they left the hotel. Troe was busy trying /not/ to think of what was wrong with Nyera and Sav was watching the path ahead of them. Besides, unaccustomed to xenos and other odd dragons neither of them would ever have thought to check the /ceiling/ for enemies, if indeed they had any!
Approaching the lift from the other direction was a tall, dusty-blonde man whose eyes were glued to a portable computer screen carried in one hand. Troe noted the man walking towards them and instantly tried to identify the make and configuration of the portable computer he carried. They were nearing the lift though so he slowed his pace and Sav did likewise, noting his bond's interest in the computer. Just as they were coming to a stop they heard a deafening battle screech from above and Sav bounded sideways so he was directly atop Troe, who had to duck to avoid whacking his head on his bond's chest. The dragon growled menacingly at the thing that had managed to fall on his long tail as that was the only thing that didn't get out of the way before the xenodragon was upon them!
The xeno clung to the tail with bared teeth-- then again, with no lips, its teeth were quite likely *permanently* bared-- and a low growl, right back. Before Sav could try anything to relieve himself of his new parasite, the blonde man, looking distinctly angry, barked, "Igess! Off, *now*!" and to the surprise of both Sav and Troe, the creature released Sav's tail immediately and scuttled back with a dog-like whine and settled in a remarkably submissive position.
Sav continued growling, and refused to move from his protective posture above Troe, and for his part Troe was looking back and forth between the man and the xeno with something akin to surprise written across his face. Sav lashed his tail now that it was free and was obviously thinking of using its length to whip the xeno. And he probably would have if the thing weren't in such a submissive position!
"Break it up," the man snapped lightly at the passersby who had stopped to gawk. They hurried to obey, and the man glowered at the xeno again. "*Bad* Igess. You know better than that. Apologize. Now." It didn't move, and he repeated firmly, "Now!" With another whine, the xeno crept forward a few steps, tail tucked soundly between its legs, and made a chrrrring noise at Sev. The man "translated", "I'm so sorry, he's normally better behaved than that, but he backslides every now and then...."
~Backslides? You call that a backslide?~ growled Sav angrily still rumbling deep in his chest. Troe pushed his way out from under Sav, standing just in front of the dragon, under his long neck where his growling was a little less deafening. "I only caught about half of that. Sav, quiet down, it's obviously not going to attack again!" His brow was furrowed but softened a bit as Sav dulled the sound of his growling and slowed the lashing of his long tail. "Now, why exactly did 'Igess'? here attack Sav?" Troe looked very confused and was having a hard time blocking the waves of anger Sav was projecting through their weak bond.
The stranger sighed. "My best guess would be he didn't want you in the lift with me, but he could just have thought your friend was a threat, for some reason. He's... not very smart. I really am sorry-- he didn't actually hurt you, did he?"
Sav whipped his taiil forward, barely missing Troe and the man as he did so, but when Troe's anger spiked of it's own accord he settled his tail in front of Troe so it could be inspected. "Looks like a few minor scratches, but nothing that won't heal," said Troe with a sigh of relief as Sav's anger subsided from firey inferno to smoldering coals.
"I can get someone to take a look at it, free of charge, if you think it necessary."
Troe straightened from his inspection of his dragon's tail and Sav whipped it quickly underneath him and glared at the still submissively postured xeno. "No, I think it's okay. It's nothing a real man can't hand, right Sav?" Troe gave Sav a look and the dragon had the good grace to look a little sheepish and pull himself up, softening his gaze as he dragged it away from the xeno for the first time since the attack.
Sav's lack of attention directed the blonde's, and he said sharply, "And *you*. Home, now. If I find you've left it before I get home, I'll have Nekeress make sure you don't go anywhere for a while. Understand?" The creature unmistakably nodded, looking utterly miserable, and slunk off exactly like a whipped dog. The blonde looked back at them both. "Anything I can do to make it up to you-- being attacked on the station is hardly a stranger's idea of a good time. Tour of the station, direction to a good bar, whatever. I'm off-duty today."
Troe shook his head, "No, we've been here before so we know the basics anyways..." he trailed off as Sav interrupted him. ~I could certainly use a drink if you don't want me to go off after that thing and whip it for real.~ Troe's eyes widened and then he stiffled a chuckle. "I guess I'm wrong, directions to a good, dragon-sized of course, bar apparently are in order!"
The blonde chuckled. "Most everything around here is dragon-sized. I'll do better than direct you, if you like. I'm Tenat, by the way." He offered a hand to Troe, first.
"Troe Nanash," he replied, shaking the proferred hand firmly. "This is Savnorafeta. I'd say nice to meet you but these are kind of odd circumstances!" Troe chuckled, his lips quirking in half a smile.
"Ah, well, normal is boring," Tenat said with a wry grin of his own. "Were you headed somewhere now, or is that less important now than getting something soothingly alcoholic into Savn-- Sav-- uh, your friend?"
Sav rumbled irritably but nodded his head. "We were going to visit his sister and her new children but it seems to me he's in no mood to play with children now!"
"Aaah, someone has neices and nephews here, eh? Well, maybe that will look brighter after a few Ercatian fire-wines down ya." He walked the last few feet to the lift, letting the dragons-sized doors slide open for him, Troe, and Sav.
Troe, unfamiliar with Ercatian fire-wines didn't respond other than to follow the man as the doors opened up. Sav, tail lashing a bit as he moved forward, joined them as they entered the lift. ~So long as it's wet and alcoholic.~ Troe looked up at his dragon in surprise but chose not to respond.
"It's definitely that," Tenat chuckled, and the lift doors slid shut behind them.
Tenat's choice took them to a dimly lit place which didn't seem particularly crowded-- but then, it wasn't very late in the day! She seemed to know the bartender, a burley minotaur by the name of "Arnie", and proceeded to order drinks for himself, Sav, *and* Troe-- the aforementioned Ercatian fire-wine.
Troe was surprised when Tenat ordered three drinks, but didn't protest. It was a little early in the day for drinking, but just one couldn't hurt, right? When the drinks arrived the bartender lit them on fire and Troe leaned back in surprise just as Sav rumbled in pleasure. ~Looks like it's just up my alley!~
Tenat laughed. "Like fire, do you? I do, myself, actually... this is one of my favorites."
The 'tender grunted a laugh, himself. "Her regular, this is," he chuckled.
The fires had gone out quickly so both Troe and Sav stopped with their drinks raised and their mouths open and looked sideways and 'her' in surprise and confusion. Tenat was certainly no woman's name and by all appearances they'd been conversing with a man.
Tenat didn't even have the grace to blush at the "revelation". "Now look what you've done, Arnie. You've confused my new friends. Tenat's my last name," she explained to dragon and bond. "I go by it so I don't have to explain why I have a female name when I look like a man. Takes less time."
~Less time than explaining why the bartender just referred to you as female?~
Troe winced. "Sav! That wasn't very nice!"
Tenat grinned. "I am female. I just don't look it, and I let people assume. Like I said, it's quicker."
"To each his or her own!" said Troe, raising his glass and taking a larger gulp than he intended. He swallowed quickly and felt his eyes widen as the liquid burned it's way down his throat. "Wow! That's pretty potent stuff! I expected something more, wine-like!" Sav snorted, the tension officially broken, as the dragon stifled a guffaw at his bond.
Snickering, Tenat downed a gulp from her own glass. "It's good, though. 'Wine', for the Ercatians, is really rather... ah... flexible."
Troe tilted his head and took a more hesitant second taste as Sav tasted his. "It is good, I just don't need to be staggering around drunk in the middle of the day!" Troe said with a laugh as he took another sip. Sav, deciding the wine wasn't dangerously potent for a dragon his size downed his glass in a single gulp, rumbling with pleasure as it burned slightly on the way down.
"Well, take it slow, then. Or ask Arnie here for something to eat. He likes getting to actually cook, ya know. Another for the dragon, Arnie-- or do you have a favorite, Sav?"
~No no, I quite like this!~ said Sav, sounding very pleased indeed.
Arnie shook his great, horned head, grinning under the bull ring in his nose, and set about making another.
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