Petal 03 -- Open to Action

[shylyintrepid]

[When the feed starts, Jehan is clearly not in his cabin. He's down by the shore.

And he's been crying. His voice is hoarse and when he speaks, his accent is a bit thicker than usual]

If...if anyone else knew Zane, son of Venus, he...

[He wants to say "died". Died would be so much easier than the truth]

He was a...he was an agent of the Red Room. This entire time. He...he was here to spy on us.

[And he cuts the IM. As he does, you can see him break down yet again. It's going to be a long time before he recovers from this heartbreak]

Comments

[shylyintrepid]

It was rhetorical, Dany. He's getting bigger, that's all. You'll have to tell Chiron soon.

[wokethedragon]

I have.

[It was shortly after they returned from the Red Room. Dany had traveled there with her dragons...it was only right that she finally followed through on her promise to Natalie and Leo and tell him.]

I'm no longer allowed near the Big House. I do not know how it works..but there is a sort of barrier I cannot cross.

[shylyintrepid]

I'm sorry, Dany.

[He squeezes her hand]

It's probably only for regular day things. I'm sure if there's an emergency, he'll let you through.

[wokethedragon]

[She squeezes his hand back, trying to assure him she will be okay.]

If worst comes to worst, I can always ask Leo or Ferb to go to the Big House and speak to Chiron for me when I need it.

[shylyintrepid]

I forget you have brothers here again.

[Mostly because he avoids Leo because crazy and didn't even know about Ferb]

What did they say about the dragons?

[wokethedragon]

I'm very glad for them.

[She nods a little. They're much better to her than Viserys ever was, even if she's not as close to Ferb as she is to Leo.]

I am allowed to keep them, but we will have to move them out of the Hephaestus cabin soon. They are getting to be quite big...and they have learned to breathe fire - though only for seconds.

[shylyintrepid]

...right. That's bad. Where will you keep them?

[wokethedragon]

I believe the Arena, like Hannibal and Mrs. O'Leary, may be better. But a new structure may have to be built...

[She speaks in a hushed tone, almost conspiratorially.]

I've read that some dragons were kept in special chambers called dragonpits.

[shylyintrepid]

[He lowers his voice as well]

That sounds like a prison, not a home.

[wokethedragon]

From my readings, they were designed to keep the dragons from growing so large so quickly. They were huge, with lots of natural light.

[She nods a little, continuing.]

If we were to have one, I would want a dragonpit to be more accomodating, more comfortable for my dragons than just a simple building. But I would rather them be able to roam the arena freely, if they would behave.

[shylyintrepid]

I'm sure they would, if you asked them nicely. They were wonderful when I babysat them for a while.

[wokethedragon]

When you...babysat?

[She knows the event he was referring to, but she would not have thought to call it that.]

[shylyintrepid]

Well, I did.

[wokethedragon]

No, you fathered them for a time.

[Dany is very insistent about this.]

[shylyintrepid]

[The look on his face is one of sheer horror]

Um, no, no. I won't be fathering anyone or anything. I babysat them. Raised them for a few days, but I didn't father them.

[wokethedragon]

[Dany looks at him as if she's a little hurt - she feels she was bestowing a big compliment to him.]

They thought you their father during that time, just as they think me their mother, Jehan.

[shylyintrepid]

I raised them, then. Fathering...euh, it usually means that the guy's the biological parent of the baby and...I'm not going to be anyone's biological parent.

[wokethedragon]

I am not their biological mother, but I am still their mother.

[Now she's just frowning a bit.]

I was attempting to compliment you.

[shylyintrepid]

...oh.

[He blushes]

I'm sorry. I misunderstood.

[wokethedragon]

It is fine.

[Really, though, Dany doesn't dole out compliments unless she really means them. This is a big deal for her. She touches a hand to his shoulder.]

...would you like to see Rhaegal breathe fire? I have been working with him...

[shylyintrepid]

[He smiles]

Yes, please!

[wokethedragon]

[she nods, standing up, leaving the dragon on his lap.]

Would you mind him for a moment? I'd need to go to the cabin to get some meat...

[Jehan is one of the four people at camp she would allow to stay with her dragons alone, along with Leo, Natalie, and Enjolras.]

[shylyintrepid]

Of course.

[He scratches behind Rhaegel's "ears" as she stands.

When she comes back, he and the dragon are on the ground playing a little. Jehan's even laughing]

[wokethedragon]

[She comes back with scraps of barbecue she'd saved from dinner last night. Dragons prefer to cook their own food, but they also like it more charred than most people.

She watches Jehan and her green dragon for a moment, smiling fondly.]

But you only raised him.

[She sits down next to Jehan, calling the dragon over by clucking her tongue to get his attention.]

[shylyintrepid]

[Rhaegel wanders to his mother, stepping on Jehan's stomach and getting a groan from the boy]

I did!

[He laughs, sitting up]

He started it.