Dragon Rider Play

"I won't wear it, so why bother." Blade said firmly. He still hadn't moved from the doorway.

"Oh, you'll wear it," the tailor chuckled. He flipped his measuring tape off from around his shoulders and stepped closer. His hands were as fast, perhaps even faster, than Blade's as he moved from section to section, measuring Blade's body size without so much as brushing his clothes. "Violet will have you in those close if she has to knock you unconscious and stuff you in them herself. She'll do whatever it takes to make things go smoothly, you know, and takes any breach of protocol personally. You really can't blame her, considering her history."

Blade stiffened as the man started to measure him. "Her history?" He asked. He hoped the prompt would loosen the old man's tongue on the matter.

"You didn't know?" he asked, glancing at Blade, his tape never slowing. "She was a royal until her family was destroyed. Then she spent some number of years on the streets before being chosen by Grumbledorf one Choosing Ceremony to be his secretary. She never speaks of how a young lass like herself stayed alive all that time, and she views this place as her home. Her second chance."

Blade looked down. Perhaps he had judged Violet a little too soon. Like him, she had been a street rat before she was taken here.

Te tailor stepped back. "There, was that so bad? And trust me, this suit will be the most comfortable you've ever worn or I'll eat my pin cushion! Close the door behind you, please."

Blade closed the door firmly behind him. He considered Violet again and her past, and started to feel he owed her an apology.

Violet was waiting a few yards away, staring quietly out at the clouds. Hearing the door closed, she turned to Blade. "As you are the last, you may go now. Your clothes will be given to you when they have been completed."

Blade looked down and shuffled his feet. He wasn't used to this. "I, uh, need.... should... apologize to you. I, uh, thought I had you all figured out. I... was wrong. And, I'm sorry that happened to you. I know how awful the streets can be to someone." He hesitated a moment and turned to leave without another word.

Violet took a sharp breath, her back stiffening. She didn't like being reminded of those days. Of what had happened during them. But she recognized the difficulty of Blade's confession. "Thank you," she said before turning to leave herself. She didn't know if he'd heard.

Blade was long gone. He went to visit his egg. The egg felt familiar and comforting, even though he hadn't known her for more than a couple days.

She felt His presence. The hatchling stirred, pecking a little at the hell with her one sharp tooth on the tip of her nose, like a chick's egg tooth. Was it time to come out?

Blade smiled a little, sensing the chick's question. "No, not time yet. I just wanted to say hi." He said gently. he stroked the egg gently. "I wanted to say hi and thank you. I... I'm not the best person, and I have a bad past, but you chose me anyway. Thank.... thank you."

(Howl says hi back XD)

The hatchling made a barely audible grumbling noise as she got comfortable again, tucking her nose back against her chest. Of course she chose him. He was Hers! No one else's. The past didn't matter. Only now.

(Yay!)

Blade smiled and stroked his egg a while longer. He took comfort in the not yet hatched dragon. Stroking the egg made him feel calmer. He smiled after a while. "Well, I should go and make sure Blue if still alive. I may come and say hi again before the hatching ceremony tomorrow, okay?"

The hatchling didn't bother to answer. She didn't understand the complexities of his words, just that he liked being with her. Of course he did. It was her!

Blade smiled and wandered off, and looked for the elf. Once he found Blue, the assassin tried to sneak up behind him and scare him.

"I saw you coming and have timed your arrival," Tithenor said blandly as he cleaned his boots, polishing them to a mirror shine.

Blade pouted. "Awe man! You're no fun." He sat down and watched Blue. "Why are you doing that? As soon as you where them, the shine will start to go away."

Blue set one boot aside and picked up another. "Because dressing up makes me feel more confident about myself. As it happens, it was pure happenstance that I caught sight of you. If I had not, I would not have known you were there."

Blade grinned. "Why thank you. I will make sure I am more out of sight in the future." He looked at the boot and made faces into the shine. "I don't like dressing up. It feels all stiff and regulated. I like being able to be me, instead of a mindless, pampered drone." He paused. "Not that there's anything wrong with it. Just makes me feel awkward is all."

Blue put down his boot and looked at Blade closely. Then he nodded. "You will clean up nice. The elves have elevated dressing up to an art form. It does not make sense to us that beauty cannot be comfortable, therefore we know ever trick there is. If you are interested, I will teach you."

Blade considered it a long moment. "Do you think there's a way I could still carry my knives on me as well as dress up?"

Tithenor actually cracked a smile at that. "Of course. There is a design I know."

Blade let out a breath of relief. "That will make it seem better already."