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A rest day was never just for resting. Tired as she was, Chakuri had found herself a quiet spot to study and was determinedly making her way back through some of their more recent lessons. Her fingers quietly worked as she did so, unconsciously flowing through the simple weave of a braid with the collection of herdbeast and runnerbeast tail hair she'd been steadily collecting. It would be a bracelet once she was through, meant only as a way to keep her hands busy as she sought to commit all of her newly taught knowledge to memory.

She would master this. She had to. There was no other option, and she was never going to give up.

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"Chrrrrrrp!"

If Kahbrohm had been hoping to get by without greeting Chakuri, Killer had other plans. The little blue firelizard, which had been draped lazily over one of his shoulders, had taken to a lazy glide when he spotted the young woman, landing, quite poorly, on one of her knees. While perhaps he should have looked apologetic for Killer being an interuption, Kahbrohm instead looked annoyed that his firelizard had any interest in the young woman to begin with.

"Killer, back," he summoned, the blue looking up from where he'd begun to climb between her hands - which obviously needed a cute blue to pet!

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So focused on her task at hand, Chakuri didn't notice her company until something a bit heavy dropped onto her knee. She gave a wide-eyed start before a grin lit up her face, gladly putting aside her weaving to offer Killer all the pets he deserved.

"Killer!" She greeted the flit, choosing to ignore the fact that Kahbrohm had given him a command. It was impossible not to love that, despite his fierce name, Killer couldn't have had a sweeter, more relaxed personality.

While she scritched at the blue's head affectionately, her grin was turned upon the surly young man. "Kahbrohm, good morning. What are your plans today?"

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Killer trilled delightedly as he was rewarded for his disobedience with affection, leaning into Chakuri's hands as she scritched and pet. This was the life!

For his part, however, Kahbrohm frowned at the scene. A disobedient firelizard did not deserve to be rewarded for it, and it was a small knock to his pride that Killer was not quite as well trained as some others he'd seen. Like Hero.

"What's it matter?" he answered, squaring his hands on his hips. "If you're hoping I have free time to ask Dehka to help you study the answer is no."

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That pose...! So defiant! She wasn't able to completely muffle a giggle with one hand before shaking her head. "No, I was hoping you had free time so you could help me study. You know this material better than anyone."

A small flash of green suddenly appeared above them, and with a joyous croon of greeting, Peridot delicately landed upon Kahbrohm's head. Soft nest!

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Her barely stifled laughter just made him frown more. While he was smart enough, and aware enough, to know it wasn't meant in mockery, it was still irritating. "And why sh-"

Kahbrohm cut off as a familiar, frustratingly familiar, green firelizard settled in his hair, immediately throwing his head back in an attempt to buck Peridot off of what was too preferred of a perch.

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Peridot let out a startled squeak as her beautiful nest suddenly gave such a violent shake, and she hunkered down to keep herself from being thrown off.

"Peridot!" Chakuri laughed, but gave a whistle, and the firelizard promptly leapt from Kahbrohm's head to come perch on her shoulder. After giving Peridot a pet, she focused back on Kahbrohm. "Why should you? Because you're one of the smartest people here, Kah." She bit her lip for a moment, steeled herself, and continued. "I already didn't do so good on one test... and I can't afford to mess up again."

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Killer honked in surprise along with Peridot, quickly climbing up to Chakuri's other shoulder to kreel at the green. Kahbrohm couldn't help but feel a little betrayed.

He also couldn't help but scowl a bit. Was she playing to his pride? While she wasn't wrong as far as he was concerned, he didn't much care for being buttered up. The additional information did make his shoulders relax a little and his scowl softened, just a bit, to just a frown. He still didn't like it.

"It's pretty hard to not have a lot of knowledge to start with when you've been around dragons your whole life - have you had much time with them outside of lessons?"

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Peridot bobbed her head at Killer, cheeping a greeting. She certainly didn't mind him being there!

It was Chakuri's turn to frown, shaking her head quietly. "No, not really." She didn't know anyone and to approach a dragonrider.... it was too presumptuous of her to just walk up to someone so important.

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The strong baseline of Kahbrohm's knowledge stemmed from turns and turns around dragons - especially up close and personal with Meigth. It had helped when the lessons required a little extra visualization.

"Well there's your first mistake, smiley." Ah, a good ol nickname. "Not gonna get much one on one time unless you muster a bit of backbone for it."

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Smiley?? And ha! That was easy for him to say! But she could see his point, and Chakuri thought it over before turning another bright grin on him, just because.

"Well, then what about introducing me to your dad and his dragon? I bet I'd learn a lot." She knew vaguely that Meigth had been one of those that had gone through a long, intense period of recovery, but no real details. He back to flying and fighting with the best of them, from what she understood!

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The scowl returned. Faranth, this girl smiled too much - just like Dehka cried too much. It was irritating.

"No," Kahbrohm may have been intensely proud of his father and Meigth, but he wasn't about to handhold anybody through an introduction they weren't going to make themself.

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"No?" Chakuri blinked, genuinely surprised. "Huh." Slowly, not wanting to disturb the firelizards on her shoulders, she rose to her feet. "Then I guess we'll have to go find him now, instead."

She didn't hesitate to reach out, seizing the taller boy by the wrist so she could tug him along in her wake. This could have been done the easy way, but if Kahbrohm was going to be stubborn about it--well, she could be stubborn, too!

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Killer shifted with a slight peep as Chakuri rose to her feet. If the gesture should have threatened Kahbrohm, it didn't. Instead, he continued to frown at her. "You do that."

Which as far as he was concerned should have been the end of it. Instead, as he was grabbed by her, he dug his proverbial heels in. "Hey!" Even if she was a girl, he had no problem pulling back on his arm to keep her from just yanking him around to her hearts content. No thank you!

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Ack--she jerked to a halt as he braced himself, twisting around to give him a puzzled look. "What?" She asked, the corners of her lips twitching. "I'll introduce myself. That doesn't mean you get out of helping me study!" Because as far as she was concerned, he hadn't really said no yet.

Peridot chirped at Kah as though to encourage him, soon leaping from Chakuri's shoulder to his. Things would be okay!!

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"I never said I was helping you study," Kahbrohm defended, shrugging his shoulder up when Peridot hopped onto it. Killer, reaching out awkwardly across the arm links, soon followed after, kreeling in complaint at the gesture leaving him without enough room to also be on that shoulder.

Why?

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Chakuri finally did stop at that, tilting her head to eye Kahbrohm up and down. "Well," She finally said, absently holding still so Killer would have a stable bridge to traverse. One she felt he wasn't in danger of falling, she released Kah's wrist. "Maybe your dad will have some time." One way or another, she was going to learn everything she possibly could.... even if she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Peridot trilled a touch anxiously at the shift in mood--though did pause to press her nose to Killer's. Helping!!

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Killer cheeped as he fumbled to half perch on Peridot, wings half mantled to keep them balanced.

The statement felt manipulative, even if such a thing felt out of character for what he knew of Chakuri - he could picture the look of disappointment on N'ori's face more easily now than he could have in the past. It made something in him twist and knot darkly. But how could she have known that?

With a deep sigh, Kahbrohm finally relented: "Only for as long as Dad has time for us. He's a full fledged rider and can't entertain us all day."


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Chakuri would have felt awful if she realized what Kah was thinking and feeling. As it was, her eyes widened with surprise when he unexpectedly gave in before she beamed at him. "Of course! I know he's busy!" She reached out to take his wrist again, eager to set off at once.

Peridot squawked with surprise before holding quite still. If she could, she'd shuffle closed to Kah's face. There was.... almost room for them both!!

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Kah leaned his head to one side as the green flitter leaned into it, shoulder dropping and allowing Killer to tumble out onto it with a peep. Oh! Space!!

Kahbrohm recoiled his hand when Chakuri reached out to take it, instead placing his palm flat on her head and trying to turn her towards the door. "Don't. We're going this way."

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Space!! Peridot's eyes whirled quickly with triumph even as she poked her snout at Killer. All okay? Still in one piece?

"Oh!" Chakuri spun at once as directed, not fazed in the least. She'd keep up with him no matter if Kahbrohm tried to pull ahead, practically radiating excitement.

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Killer trilled back at Peridot, bopping her back and flaring his wings out. All was well, friend!

Keeping his head on Chakuri's head, Kahbrohm pushed her along out the door. Next stop would be dad - once they figured out where he was.


Tsunake