Rally the Whers.

[panther]

She looked sidelong, pouting a little, she knew that, obviously she did… She sighed, “So I wasn’t thinking…” She made a poor excuse and shrugged, “Yeah, good idea” She gave in, begrudgingly. Biting the inside of her lip.

His feign was obvious. “Hardly! Just because you’ve chosen to… accompany me doesn’t make you my sole protector or definitive master.” She told him, rising to the bait in an all too ungraceful way. “But thanks, I appreciate the cutting down, it’s weird to go from being called by my name to whatever cutesy concoction you come up with next. It’s bizarre to the point of unreal.” She shook her head, then shrugged realising she was peculiar, “What can I say, I’m odd and not used to this.” She looked away, she hate the way he made her feel totally inadequate in so, so very many ways.

She felt a little glorified when he frowned and gave a noise of pain when she hit him, it made her feel a little superior, even if he was more doing it for her sake, “fine! But no one, and I mean no one breathes a word about anything like that, else I’ll have Danask take it out on your hide.” She warned him, though the thread was mainly idle.

A small amount of fear, and doubt crept into her eyes as he leaned over her evil in his eyes and told her that they both knew it, but those outside of the room did not. Her heart sank, and her brows fell and knitted downwards in an altogether defeated look, But his hand cupped her cheek and he leant down to kiss her, and did so in such a fleeting fashion, saying something she considered enormously embarrassing, “I wish you would stop saying things like that! How am I meant to respond to that? Seriously? I’m … I… oh!” She exclaimed, and folded her arms in a very huffy motion, altogether setting off her look with a frown.

Why did he have to be quite so perfect at things like this? At making her feel like an imbecile? He was far too talented like that. But then, she’d prefer to be recognising this talent right about now, than… another that he held. She felt fear grow in her mind at the thought, but she beat it and flattened it with fluffy thoughts irrelevant to the moment. As she always did.

[Xennai]

Alder laughed softly, with some kind of soft delight. He would have teased her for rising to his bait, but then she went on to thank him for agreeing to cut down on the nicknames and little endearments. He shook his head softly, a soft smile lining his lips. He cupped her chin, turning her face so she could see the truth that was in his sleepy eyes. "Everyone is that way at some point or another, darling. No one is born knowing exactly what to do. It's instinct, it's following your gut and not being afraid to go for it." He shrugged, hand dropping from her face as soon as he was done. Dani wasn't the type to cuddle and snuggle. She liked her room.

His hands rose in a gesture meant to be unassuming. "No one will hear anything from me, Dan, promise." He smiled reassuringly and then he was grinning, leaning farther back from her. His lips tingled from such brief contact. "You just have to take it and be happy about it. It's a flaming compliment, darling, not a tunnelsnake about to eat you."

Danae looked absolutely gorgeous when she was huffy and indignant. She looked beautiful no matter what, but her allure seemed to increase when she was in a bad mood. He found it surprising. Normally, a woman in a bad mood scared the shells out of him and he went running. But Danae...She was different. She was always different. Every aspect of her was different. He stroked her face and leaned down to press a kiss upon her. It was softer, longer, and lingering. He kissed her once, twice, thrice and then pulled back, smiling softly. "Just accept it, Dani. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here only for you. I'm here for you any way you want me to. But I will kiss you and I will touch you. I will hold your hand and touch your face and run my fingers through your hair. I can't not do it," he whispered.

[panther]

She wanted to continue her strop, she wanted to defy him and deny him any sort of pleasure that might come of him knowing she liked what he was doing. The fact she liked his defying her? That was a good thing. He wasn’t going to be led. She had to be led, she had to be, she was blind in this case. Absolutely. She was uncovering a new unfamiliar world. She felt her pulse quicken, and she absently swallowed to moisten a dry throat. He leaned down, pressed a longer kiss to her lips, once, twice, and a third time. She felt her eyes slip shut and she could only feel what he done.

But as he pulled away, and declared what he would do, she couldn’t help but feel flattered, but very, very embarrassed. She hated this, why did she raise a thousand flames as he cave her a compliment? Surely this was abnormal? She shook her head and laughed.

“youo highlight everything about me that is inept, Alder. You know that? I can’t take compliments, I can’t take your forwardness, I’d handle a tunnelsnake about to eat me quicker than I’d handle a compliment.” She informed him, wagging a finger infront of him, squirming up against the wall a little more attempting in vain to put another few inches between them. Useless as the process was, she did manage to make herself a little comfier, nestled deeper in the pillows behind her.

She wanted to say to him, that it wouldn’t be all he done, that he wouldn’t be able to stop himself if he allowed himself that. She just hushed up, and looked at him, trying to see what those green eyes held, held so secretive from her, a world that waited to be unveiled lay behind those eyes, and it made so supremely nervous.

[Xennai]

He felt her pulse quicken under him. He felt it thrum beneath his touch, beating fast and quick. She liked it. She knew she liked it, liked him, but she was afraid. That was the problem here. She'd never been in a situation such as this when not guided by the Run. She was not completely innocent, but she may as well have been.

He shook his head as she spoke, a soft smile curling at his lips. He stroked her face, his thumb rubbing over her lips. "Did you ever think that's why I like you so much, darling?" His head tilted, one dark brow rising. "Did you ever think of that? I like you because you're different. You're fiery and vulnerable and sweet and mouthy and you have such an ingrained sense of duty it's amazing you haven't collapsed because of it. You love your wher and your people. I think it's amazing."

He shrugged gently, falling silent as she had. Eyes connected. Emerald and amber. He felt something crackling, something thick and heavy descending around him. His throat went tight. His eyes went darker and then he reached for her. His mouth sealed over hers, no hesitation, no playing. The kiss was deep and passionate. His feelings, his ardor for her, spilled out from him into her via their connection. He purred deep in his chest, moving, lying half atop her, one hand braced against the wall above her head.

She was an addiction, Danae was. Her very taste riddled through him, carving him out, settling in the hollow spaces that she had made. Alder shuddered, one hand falling to her waist, fingers curling just above the flare of her hips. Slowly, his hand ran up her side and laid flat over a soft breast. He wanted more, Faranth, he ached for more, but first he wanted to see how she reacted. He wanted to see how hard he could push, how much he could lead her before she balked.

[panther]

She fleetingly showed an echo of the confusion in her mind, onto her face, how could he find such conflicting things his points of interest? He confused her even more. She didn’t even want to compare it.

But just as she made to speak, he held her gaze, and she felt the tension draw between them, sending a nervous flutter through her. Her stomach knotted, and the mild distraction was enough for her not to notice him until he was there, on her. Igniting a kiss that was probing, that was pumped full of emblazoning passion, she felt herself centre solely upon it. She shivered, and found herself reacting without even meaning to. But he moved, positioned himself over her and a niggling, and hastily growing sensation kicked in, in the back of her mind.

His hand then moved, finding itself on her hip, dancing up her side, leaving electric dancing in its wake over her skin. Lying flat over her. She swallowed hard and formerly motionless hands pushed hard on his shoulders. Forcing him away,

“Alder!” She exclaimed breathlessly (she’d forgotten to breath), skittering to the side she made herself a lot less available to him, and wiped the corner of her mouth with her wrist, frowning at him.

“How… How am I meant to trust you… you’ve already…” She shook her head fiercely, she growled, and Romeo crooned and sung to her gently from outside, she’d expressly told the flitter to stay away, knowing how jealous the flitter got of Danask let alone of a man on her bed.

“You’re absolutely unbelievable!” She hissed at him, “What do you suppose you were doing

---

Admin's Note:[/hr] I warn you to go slow and you’re already pressing yourself upon me? You’re loathsome do you know that? And to think! To think I thought you were being honest with me?” she was leading off now, her mind’s thought spilling into words almost without hesitation, there was very little delay between mind and mouth.

She looked at him, rife with disappointment, hurt and a hint of distaste. “You’re truly despicable. I believed you… “ She looked confused. Eyes narrowed at him, awaiting some descript of explanation if he would offer one.

[Xennai]

The connection of lips, of mouths ignited something in him. This wasn't conquest, this wasn't victory or any other masculine form of carnal conquer. This was something more, this was something much different. He felt that this is something much deeper, much less shallow.

And suddenly he was pushed back, hands hard to his shoulder. He'd half-expected it, feared it really. He took one step closer to her and she ran a whole dragonlength back. Alder sat up, his face carefully composed. He didn't want her to see his disappointment. But he hadn't of needed to worry. She wasn't paying attention to how he was feeling now.

That he hadn't expected.

He sat there, taking what she threw at him, face curiously blank except for the burning of green eyes that did not look sleep nor amused nor even angry. They just burned. Her words slapped against him, whips that cut deep. Especially the adjectives. Slowly, brows lowered and he leaned forward, touching her hand gently to convey his sincerity.

"Danae...I am being honest with you. I always am honest with you..." He frowned and his confusion was evident, was there written in huge block letters across his tanned skin. "I thought I was going slow...I didn't think that--" He sighed and stood, raking a hand through his dark hair. "I'm sorry."

Alder turned to look at the gold handler, his brow still furrowed, his eyes burning and regretful. His hand clenched in his hair and his head hung. "Shards," he muttered.

[panther]

She looked at him, jaw slackening, both shocked and amazed. “You were going slow? Are you for real Alder?” Her words almost spat at him, but less vengence, more disbelief. “You honestly, consider that slow, and then wonder why I give you all these warnings? The moment, the very instant I let any sort of comfort sit between us, you all but pounce on me!” She was building up her anger again now, “You’re utterly unbelievable, an absolute cad, a fiend! I can’t believe you still have the front to sit there are look at me plain faced like you have done nothing wrong! I warned you, I knew our definitions of slow would be all but poles apart, so I made sure that you knew, that you were aware! And you still go pushing.

“You expect me to be okay with this?”

He cursed to himself, eyes lingering with regret, his hand clenching in his hair, like a teenager who’d just lost his entire months savings to a foolish scandal.
She opened her mouth, and closed it several times, huffing as she closed it, realising the words weren’t quite right, then she pouted and crossed her arms before her, glowering at him.

“I don’t know what to say to you anymore.” She sat in a huff. So he had mildly undone her rage with a look, a motion and a single word. Oh how easy it was to abate her rages.

[Xennai]

Alder stood before her, head hanging, his shame evident. It seemed to seep from his every pore, burning from his eyes, lingering along his skin. His hand fell from his hair and hung at his side as he peered up at her. Had he been female, he might have been weeping now.

"Danae," he whispered. "I haven't done anything wrong. So, I pushed a little and you were uncomfortable with it. Fine, I'll know where my boundaries are." As he went on, his head rose and his spine straightened. He faced her head on, the apologies still lingering to him. But he had not been in the wrong.

"Yes, you warned me. I pushed beyond that. But Danae, darling, it was merely a touch. I did not try to get you undressed, I did not try to touch you anywhere else, I did not try to make love to you. I only touched you." His head tilted and he stepped forward, touching her face with the edges of fingertips. Light, gentle. Apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Danae. I am. I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable," he whispered. He leaned forward, kissing her forehead. He lingered there for a moment and sighed, pulling away. "Please forgive me, darling. I didn't mean to push you farther than you were comfortable with."

[panther]

She growled, he always tested her, always and ever, her control, over herself and others, her opinion of herself, and of him, and again of others. He challenged everything.

“No! You didn’t” She growled, “But even the lmost feral of cats grows from something as cute as a kitten, I told you. You know I’m claustrophobic too, and if one didn’t get me the other would.” She shook her head. The sighed with a certain indignant resignation. He kissed her forhead.

“All you do is make me uncomfortable.” She shook her head, and stood before him, one arm slung across her, hand gripping her elbow as she “You should be sorry Alder… I warn you and warn you, and still you push it.” She looked up at him, slightly hurt, for, it had scared her, and hurt her that he had gone against what he had said, and she appreciated him retreating as he had, she had feared he might not for a moment, that he might push on with his train of thought.

“But you’ll do it again Alder, you will, it’s your very nature. It’s part of you… and It’s not part of me, we can’t be at such odds, surely not.” She shook her head and looked hard at him, trying to figure him out. “You scare me in that respect Alder. Honestly…” She sounded meek at that point, façade falling away and leaving a young creature open to hurt before him, like a fledgeling that had seen a cat on it’s first attempt to fly.

[Xennai]

Alder watched her with quiet, apologetic eyes. She was scared. He'd scared her and she was lashing out with anger because it was better than showing her vulnerability, better than showing her fear. Alder felt slight frustration. Shard it, why couldn't the woman be simpler than she was?

Because he wouldn't love her if she wasn't complicated.

The bronze handler felt a ripple of revelation but passed over it, too focused on what was going on here to worry about it at this moment. He compartmentalized. He could pursue something with a dogged determination and then switch just as quickly to some other track. Just another thing that made the both of them different.

"I'm sorry for scaring you," he murmured, sweeping her hair behind her ear. His hand dropped away just as quickly. But it's just as you said. It's in my nature." His head tilted to the side as he watched her with soft eyes. "I've been this way for a very, very long time. It's in my genetics, darling. My father was the same way, just worse. You know that..." He swept his thumb over her cheek and sighed.

"I can't promise that I won't do it again, darling." He bent, kissing her forehead softly. "But I can promise you that as soon as you say no, I'll stop. I promise that if you give me any sign of disapproval, I'll stop." He bent, lips brushing against hers, rubbing back and forth. "But you have to tell me," he whispered. He didn't instigate the kiss, didn't want to. He wanted her to.

[panther]

His words were soft, velvet, absolutely gentle and adorable against her ears, placating her like the sound of waves lapping against the beach. She looked at him unsure whether she should feel anger still, or feel sory for the fact she’d taken her anger out on him. His hand was at her cheek and she felt herself moving to his touch without even realising it. Timid as she was, she was still falling for it. She couldn’t help herself he was too intense about everything. Where she usually sat solidly upon a fence he was definitive, one way or the other, he was exactly as his emotions dictated, no more and no less.
She sighed softly.

“You shouldn’t resign yourself to what your genetics say.” She shook her head in small motions from side to side, not meeting his eyes, she didn’t feel strong enough to do so, she felt far to week, far too powerless before him. Which again scared her.

He kissed her forehead, the skin heating in the wake of the kiss, “I don’t expect perfection Alder, I don’t.” She shook her head and look at him for the briefest of moments, still not trusting her eyes to give away everything, and take nothing from him in return.

He bent lower, to kiss her, but didn’t instead he teased, just as she angled her head to meet him, he paused at that distance, asking her to. Indecision gripped her, so close. But the boundary in her mind was so steep. She’d not instigated any of this so far. She’d been the innocent party almost all the way along. She closed the gap, her heart thudding in her mind as she did. But her kiss was fleeting, it was fragile, and timid, not forward, nor lustful. Nothing like his had been. Far sweeter.

She backed up, and watched him almost expectantly, expecting something untoward, some movement that was not what his words were saying. “You’re far from good for me.” She shook her head and moved to hang up her coat while she was standing.

[Xennai]

He sensed her hesitation, could feel it in her limbs, could feel it like one of his own emotions but rather detached, as if it were not within his own body sphere but out and beyond it. It was a strange sensation, to be so sure of what he was doing and feel so timid, so fragile, at the same time. Thank Faranth it was only a feeling.

"I haven't resigned myself to the feeling, Dani," he murmured. "I've accepted it. My father was a womanizer. He taught me. Thus I am the same." Fingertips brushed across her skin, placating and soothing. "But you...you're changing all that. I don't want anyone but you, Danae," he murmured.

"Yes, you do." His voice was soft, almost amused. "You do expect perfection. You expect me to be in close proximity with this beautiful, intelligent woman that I am so attracted to that it's ridiculous. You expect me to act as if I don't have any sort of affection for this woman while in the company of others and when I am alone with this woman, you expect me to stilt my actions, to do the exact opposite of everything I ever want to do." He sighed, head shaking back and forth. "You do expect perfection, darling. But only on my part."

He watched her with open eyes with their mouths so close, near to brushing. She'd expected him to take, to be the one to close the distance. And then she did, she was the one who's lips brushed his. It was different than he was used to. It was not hard and pursuing, it was not wanton and passionate. It was soft, gentle, almost fearful. It tore through him with all the wrath of a lightning bolt.

He was still dazed as she backed away, as she hung her coat. He blinked, frowning, voice faraway. What a kiss...He had not been expecting that....Not been expecting--"You're not so good for me either," he muttered. "You're making a man on the narrow out of me..."

[panther]

She almost cringed to head his admission of wanting her and only her. It burdened her with so many expectations, or, rather expected expectations, if that was possible. Because of who and what he was, she knew there was expectancies that she should, and would likely end up filling – if this thing, and everything it entailed would be intending on lasting for anything longer than a sevenday or so. She looked aat him, his finger dancing on her skin, feeling so sensuous.

But then he replied to her comment on wanting perfection. She sighed, exasperated, “Flattery won’t win you prizes here Alder.” She shook her head as she muttered that. But then he insinuated that she was selfish with her expectancies. She narrowed her eyes a little, seeing how much of that he actually felt for himself. She then let her shoulders fall almost defeated, so he honestly believed that.

“I… I don’t just expect perfection from you… I don’t I don’t expect you to be perfect to be idyllic, its not you, I know you’re not perfect, as I said, it’s the flaws, it’s the flaws I like, but you know that I’m weak there, and you know that I’m not good with this. Yet you pursue it anyway.” She looked at him confused for a moment, “You can’t try and make me feel guilty for being naïve. For being unknowing, or blind, you can’t. In this respect? You are my senior. And rrgh!” She growled and bit off, he was getting her in a fluster again. She huffed and looked at him, hanging her cat on a peg beside the door.

“And that is a bad thing?” She said looking at him with a bemused smirk as he mentioned putting him on the straight and narrow. She giggled a little, he’d lightened her mood just a tad with that comment, it made her feel a little more like herself, focusing her mind back to normality. But she walked towards him, stopping perhaps a yard from him, looking at him curiously, then with gentle tentative fingers, she reached up, curiosity killing her. Fingers light as though he were some delicate china, and she gently drifted her fingers over his cheek, loweing then over the curve of his jaw, almost reluctant, but she continued, s bare stubble on his chin grating against her fingers, she found a smile tugging at her lips. Her eyes darted to his to see if he’d noticed it too, or quite as to what his reaction would be. She was far too unsure of herself.

[Xennai]

Eyes rolled and Alder laughed, head shaking. "Flattery, darling, always works." His head shook once more and he sighed, listening to her. This was the main point. She'd always been guided by the Run, by Danask's emotions and now she was flying blind. She only had herself to rely on now; she didn't have that cushion of bonded lust to justify what happened, to cloud what had happened.

That was the scary thing. To know you did it yourself and weren't being driven by some external force.

"No, Dani." He shook his head, very serious now. "You're not weak. You're inexperienced. You don't know, you don't have any reference for what might happen without having Danask there to guide you." He stepped closer, watching her with soft eyes. "You like my flaws, Dani. One you consider is my womanizing. Let me use that repertoire to help you."

"Yes, it very well is bad," he muttered, sounding angry. All a show. He was loving this diverse and extended conversation. Loving watching her. "You said my roguish charm drew you. Well, how can I be a rogue if I'm on the straight and narrow, hmm?" He would have continued but she touched him--she touched him--and the thrill stopped him. He watched her, a soft, amazed smile touching at his lips. He noticed her glance and his smile widened. He looked as if he'd just Impressed again as he reached for her free hand and gently set it over his heart, the beat hard and fast. "Feel that?" he whispered.

[panther]

“Mmm, no not really.” She smirked, “But that’s likely because I don’t believe compliments.” She informed him, shrugging as she looked at him with a quirky expression.

“Weak, and inexperienced, and no, I don’t have Danask…” She agreed. But then he began to use her words against her, “I’m not sure you consider your womanising a flaw, Alder. So, I’m not sure it counts, and use it to help me? What exactly would you be suggesting there.” Oh her naivety knew no bounds! If she had said that to most men, they would laugh, and time would tell if Alder would or not, even the most feeble minded of women generally knew what an offer like that entailed. But Danae had been confined to her knowledge of men and such coming from Runs… and that was a totally different situation than that, as he was telling her.

She laughed lightly, “A rogue can be tamed, do you not think Alder? He can still be rogueish at times, for he is tamed, not broken.” She smirked as she spoke, feeling that perhaps she was giving him a little competition, if not a great deal.

But as she touched him, pale delicate fingers finding new lines, new angles, all seen but never traced.A smile as placid as a lake on a breezeless sumer’s day took his lips, making him smile, a smile that was broad and heartfelt, and dazzling almost. He gently took her other hand, and set it on his chest – so she could feel his heart beat, she looked confused for a moment, and then her eyes widened. His heart raced, the pace accelerated from a normal heart rate. Her eyes widened. And she looked at him with a look that lingered somewhere between concern and excitement. She nodded deliberately. And looked back at him, mouth agape as she did. “Why… I mean…” She trailed off, the fingers that had been on his face, had dropped to his shoulder, leaving her altogether rather very close to him, but she hadn’t caught the discomfort yet, likely it hadn’t realised in her mind yet.

She smiled, in a far too demure way, a way that was not her regular character, but the nervous creature that was lingering beneath.

[Xennai]

Head tilted and the handler frowned quizzically. Was Danae being serious? He considered for a moment and then came to the conclusion that she was, indeed, being extremely serious. "Danae," he said softly, slowly, not wanting to hurt her with what he said. But it had to be said. "I've been with a lot of women. A lot of women. That means lots of kissing, making out, feeling up and other, more private things. I had sex with most of those women. That record lends me a...certain knowledge. That means I know likes, dislikes, how hard is too hard, certain spots and places and many other things of the like." His head cocked, his eyes still gentle. "I offer that knowledge...to you."

A brow rose as the man snickered, eyes rolling skyward. "Oh, you're going to tame me now, hmmm? I would love to see you even try." His eyes glinted, his smile sharp. Ohhh, he really would love to see her even try to tame him.

He saw her facial features change, saw her expression change. He smiled, eyes closing, his hand lying over hers. "Because of you, love," he whispered. "Because you're touching me because you want to touch me." He groaned lightly, head falling back. He almost shuddered. She was touching him. She was touching him. "I feel like a wherryheaded teenager again, getting all randy and excited because the girl he's after looked at him," he murmured. Eyes opened and he looked down at her, beaming once more. "Except this is even better."

[panther]

As he spoke, her eyes widened. Slowly growing in size as he extended and elaborated, her jaw falling too. And he said all of this, in such a blunt manner, with such a straight, and gentle look. She stuttered, “I.. uh – I mean. “ She scrunched her eyes together and bit her lip, before finding some sort of resolve and looking at him, not finding her tongue working, she nodded, knowing there was little more she could actually reply to him with.

She smirked at the next comment, “I think we’ve discussed this before now… if memory serves, I was drunk, but I think I remember enough that we’ve discussed this before, and that was your response then. And…” She paused, a slow wagging finger extended, and she looked pensive. “But, you are tamer already… no?” She couldn’t fight the grin that threatened her.

His whispers reached her as though they were the only noise her ears could ever hear. She giggled softly as he gave an analogy. Her eyes were soft, warm, her colour was up, but she felt really romanced, sweet on him, totally at that moment. Sometimes he was just perfect for her, an other times? He was devastatingly inappropriate.

She wet her lips and swallowed, finding that she was suddenly drying up. Her stomach tightened a fraction. The hand on his shoulder fell, brushing down toned arms, and finding his hand at the end. She twisted her fingers through his, feeling so incredibly small against him. She closed the distance a little more, tiptoeing, and using the hand on his chest to tug at his clothing and pull him down to her just a little more.

Placing a kiss upon his lips, she was as gentle as before, but letting it last a little longer, she found herself really quite close to him, but not overly caring at that moment, she could feel him, the warmth of him, and his fingers, and his presence about her, and her inhibitions dropped fractionally. She withdrew slowly, then looking up at him, her eyes opening slowly, she gave a quiet smile, “and now?”

[Xennai]

She looked shocked when he'd really told her what his womanizing meant. She looked shocked and he'd been expecting that, he'd expected her not realizing what exactly what people saw him as meant. But under that expectation, he feared. He feared that at this...at this most frank and blunt admission she would turn, she would want someone less experienced...less like him. But she nodded and relief was staggering, it was profound. He inhaled, thanking Faranth for whatever grace had come his way.

"Tamer? Me?" He shook his head, laughing scathingly, though it didn't sound as caustic as he would have liked. He was much too happy in her presence to sound too sarcastic. "You are dreaming if you think you could ever tame me, darling. I'm as tame as a rabid feline as just as liable as to suddenly snap." He winked, not really meaning it. Not really. But taming...That wasn't exactly what he had in mind. Perhaps he'd grow and change but taming?

She looked radiant, Alder thought idly. He thought she was beautiful when she was angry but it had nothing when she was happy, when she was truly happy. She looked divine. She looked like some goddess that had stepped down from the heavens to grace Pern with her presence.

The handler's heart rate kicked up once more. She didn't look too sure of herself. She didn't look as if she wanted to do anything. She looked so supremely nervous. But she moved nonetheless, she moved closer. She moved closer to him and that was what mattered. That was what mattered. She was scared, she was nervous, but she did it. She moved closer.

She tugged him down, initiating another kiss. She initiated it. It was another one of those soft kisses, soft and sweet. It was one of those kisses that sparked like electricity through him. It was different, it was so different from any other kiss given to him. Because it was Danae. Because she was frightened but she was trying.

Shards, was she trying.

Alder moved slightly closer, just enough that their bodies just barely connected. Just enough that he wouldn't startle her. His arm wrapped lightly about her waist, neither holding her nor stopping her. He just wanted to touch her, needed to touch her. His eyes were soft and liquid, his smile small but brilliant. "I feel like I'm flying," he whispered. He wasn't even lying. He felt giddy, light. "I feel like I'm dragonback under Rukbat at the noontime but there's no dragon beneath me. You make me fly, Dani..."

[panther]

“mmm not sure there, Alder.” She shook her head, “You are somewhat tamer, you might be a rabid, wretched feline? But at least you’re not a Rabid, wretched, slatternly feline anymore.” She smirked, her hands pressing against his chest in an oddly normal semblance of her feisty self. She shook her head, “But I don’t want you tame anyway,” She raised a brow and looked at him as she commented idly.

In the midst of her kissing him, and echoes in her mind that told her she liked it she felt his move closer as she kissed him, narrowing the gap between them my a fraction, but she could feel the scintillating effect it had on her. His arm came to lie about her waist, she looked down at it for a moment, as though she wondered whatever it could possibly be for a moment. She pulled a face as he came onto her with dragon similes. “For a self proclaimed womaniser, you really know how to make a situation fail don’t you?” She gave him an unimpressed look, surely he had got the picture, “I don’t want to hear about dragons. They’re the very last thing I want to hear.” She slapped at his arm, but nothing too hard or malicious. She slipped in under his arms and hugged him, for the briefest of moments, just staying there for a moment.

“Alldeerrrrr” She whined, then huffed, “what am I supposed to do with you?” she asked turning and pushing herself back onto her bed, making another mental note to get a couch or something – somewhere to sit that wasn’t quite so inviting for him to initiate something. She scooted back, and raked her hair back form her face. Scuffing it into some semblance of a tangle at the base of her neck.

“You know, I so don’t understand you… or this… or anything, and especially not this sharding murder…” She shook her head and rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand.

[Xennai]

His grin was wicked, absolutely filthy, brilliant and just as rogue-like as he'd claimed he was. Head shook as he chuckled, even the sound of it dark. "Mmm. I'm glad, darling. I'm not sure I could become some tame little kitty cat. Even for you." He winked, but he was feeling tame, conquered, completely won over as her hands rested on his chest. For something so small, they had an amazing power over him.

He laughed, the sound delighted as his eyes rolled. Head shook as he smiled down at her, nose rubbing at hers for a moment in an Eskimo's kiss. "I know, darling. But even Danask, mighty and proud though she is, could not carry me. So a dragon it shall have to be, if I am to fly." The hug she pressed upon him was surprising, under the impression as he was that she didn't want to be very close to him. He smiled brilliantly, glad she couldn't see. Arms wound about her but she was gone within a few seconds, sitting back on her bed and looking entirely too small for it.

That blasted bed.

Alder gave it a glare as he clambered atop it with her. Shells, like he wasn't going to? The bed gave him evil thoughts. Thoughts of laying her down on it and making love to her like he had no other woman in all his life. Because he'd really mean it. It made him want to sink down into it beside her and never move. That, at least, was purer than his other thoughts.

The handler did as his latter thought prompted, sinking back amongst sheets and furs. He exhaled gustily, propping himself up to watch her with disbelieving eyes. "You want to talk about a murder when we're in this biiiig, comfortable bed all alone?" His eyes were wide before he snickered at his joke, tasteless though it may have been. Alder sat up, cupping Danae's face, suddenly very serious. "We will catch this killer, Dani. We will." He said it with such conviction it was clear he believed it with all of himself. "We have the whers out and the guards. We will find the bastard and when we do..." He growled menacingly and then shook his head.

"As for me and you," he stroked her cheek, mobile face changing. "Just let us be, Dani. Don't over think it, don't over analyze. Just let it be," he whispered, kissing her forehead gently and staying there for a few moments, inhaling her scent, feeling it settle him.