After School Swim!

((I'm going to assume that the arm he's touching is the one with her clan marking :: evil grin :: ))

Dragons naturally are instinctual creatures, even in a sober and clear minded state. So for Ethril, who was drunk on honey, when Ciel didn't respond much to her nuzzling and attention she felt her heart become heavy. In her honey addled state she forgot that Ciel didn't know that she'd mentally and instinctively claimed him as clan. She didn't realize that he didn't know what the title araria meant and that he was just trying to be a gentleman. She whimpered softly as she nuzzled his chest again to try and get his attention.

And then it happened. She felt his hand against her clan marking and it was like fireworks going off inside her chest. Ethril purred deeply and smiled warmly. She shivered slightly and her tail came up to lightly skim against Ciel's leg. "Araaaria, my araria!" She started saying in a soft sing song voice. "I have no regrets with my araria!" Ethril mewed out. Instincts pushed at her mind and heart harder as she continued to hold onto Ciel.

Ethril glanced up in time to see Ciel lean closer to her. She began to blush heavily as an idea popped into her head at that moment. It would seem that her instincts like the idea she had had so without another thought, she leaned forward and up and pressed her lips soundly against Ciel's. She could taste the remains of honey on his lips and she moaned softly, a shiver going down her spine in joy. The only thing her honey induced drunk mind could think was now she wouldn't lose Ciel! She wouldn't lose another person she cared about! Especially since Ciel was her araria.

(She never called Shadow Araria. Araria, which in this case Ethril is using the 'beloved' definition is actually the word used for one of the fae race. If Ciel had been human Ethril would have called him her Ameria. )

((well you've just got everything figured out then, don't you?))

Ciel felt his body go limp when their lips had touched. It stiffened again when she moaned. This was.. this was unexpected! He couldn't control anything happening at the moment! His people had a very strong fight or flight response-- and he wasn't going to punch her. His body acted on its own when he came to that decision.

Before he knew what was going on, Ciel's hair was weightless. He let out a cry of distress when he shot up-- effectively escaping Ethril's hold. The only problem with that was how the sudden influx of instinct didn't shut off. There was no decrease in thrust so he just pushed against the ceiling until he reached the corner. Even there it didn't stop. He could feel the air gushing out of him, and his cloudy hair was thrashing around wildly. The intake was so powerful his clothes rippled, the output was so strong that all he could do to keep from going through to the next floor was brace himself with his hands.

His face burned brighter and hotter than any coals he'd ever seen. Even his chest and hands felt warm. He sputtered several times trying to say something, anything! Every word he formed stuck in his throat though. English anyway.

"Oh, mon dieu! Je suis tellement désolé! Vraiment! Vraiment! Honnêtement! Je ne voulais pas dire! Je-je-je ne sais pas quoi faire! Je ne peux pas descendre!!"

His breath came hard and fast. He felt the solid bits of his hair start to dampen with sweat, his hands became slippery... The only thing keeping him still were his feet which he managed to plaster on either wall below him. He felt one foot begin to slip and let out a whimper. "Paaaaas~!" Steam shot from his ears and his face scrunched in despair. He really didn't want to break her house!

((BOOM! Combating your lengthy skills >D))

Ethril was surprised when suddenly her ararias was gone from her hand. She fell forward slightly and stopped her fall by placing her palms out in front of her. Unfortunately for her, the numbing sensation from the healing salve had warn off so when her palm hit the ground a jarring shock of pain swept through her. She yelped and the pain was enough to clear her mind and to push back her instincts for the time being.

Ancient draconic swear words burst from her mouth as she cradled her aching hand. She bit her lip to distract herself from the pain in her hand. Once shed hissed and cursed enough to calm down she remembered that there was a guest in her room. Ethril frowned deeply as she tried to remember the events for the last few minutes. One by one she began to catalog events from the honey to when Fascino had arrived. And then she remembered what happened just a few moments ago.

"Ciel!" Ethril cried out and she spun around from where she was sitting to see Ciel against the ceiling and walls as far from her as he could get. Mentally she was beating up her instincts as much as she could. How could she have let herself go like that? Her instincts shouldn't have been that desperate for attention from clan! Then again with all the memories of her loss surfacing in one day it would make sense that her instincts would feel abused.

"I'm soooo sorry Ciel!" Ethril sputtered, unable to form a proper apology for letting the honey get to her so much. She shouldn't have eaten so much, not after draining herself all day! She was about to say something else when the words stuck in her throat. She'd been calling Ciel her araria all this time. Ethril clamped her hands over her mouth to keep from saying anything stupid while she tried frantically to figure things out.

She'd called Ciel araria back after she'd broken the crystal and calmed down. She'd used the simpler and less personal definition of araria then, but after...she'd been using the more personal and intimate definition. She'd nuzzled him, held him, and called him her beloved! 'Oh...oh no.'

Sistra had warned her that since the death of Shadow her instincts would run on high until she'd finished growing. What Ethril had not expected, was her instincts instigating a courtship without her full understanding. The blood drained from Ethril's face as she began to question herself. Why would her instincts push a courtship after knowing Ciel for only a day? Was she that afraid of being alone again?

Ciel had enough sense left in him to at least try and listen to what she was saying. His brain was still too fried to try and construct anything other than his native tongue. He knew she didn't know it, he wasn't stupid, but it was the only way he could talk to her right now.

"P-p-pourquoi?! Vous n'avez rien! Maaais, mon amouuur, je ne peux pas descendre! Je ne sais pas comment le faire arrêter! Aidez-moi s'il vous plaît! C...cela peut m'envoyer à travers le muuuur!" ((I give up. I just use Google now. Who cares XD))

He stopped when he felt something give way behind him. The color drained from his face, a sickly green replacing it. "V-vite, mon cher! Ce n'est pas bon!!" Ciel could feel the walls crumbling under his fingers as the treads on his shoes finally gave in to the force of his discombobulated magic. With his back now pasted to the ceiling, he was sure of what would happen.

"M..mon dieu... Je suis tellement désolé!" Terror's mask had taken his face in his final moments inside of Ethril's room. His last syllable dragged on as he shot through the wood and plaster that made up her bedroom ceiling.

"Uwahhh!!" The force pushed his through the ceiling, but his foot had gotten caught in the transition, he was sent sailing backward in the new room. After several airborne flips, the frazzled Sprite smashed into what felt like a wall. He nearly sighed in relief, but the structure he hit was in the process of collapsing on top of him.

"S-sacrebleu.." He could not win today.

The walls of Fascino's house were thick so he didn't hear most of what was going on in Ethril's room. It was a good thing for him since he was currently completely engrossed in translating the ancient tome. He had a warm cup of tea on the table beside him and his favorite music was playing softly in the background as he jotted down notes on his notebook laptop.

And then there was a loud crunching sound and a crash. Fascino's eyes closed and he ground his teeth together in irritation. He slammed his hands on the desk that was holding the book and turned to storm out of his personal library and down to Ethril's room when he saw Ciel hit one of his bookcases. "What in the world?!" Fascino acted on reflex and used a telekinetic spell to keep the bookcase and his precious books from falling any farther then they had.

Fascino let out a sigh in relief and then stormed over to Ciel, his hand still glowing from his spell. He flicked his hand up and the bookcase rightened itself and the books that had fallen were replaced into their proper places. Fascino was so irritated that a cloud of his pollen breath filtered out of his mouth.

"I asked you to not make too much noise!" Fascino said as he pointed at Ciel. "I ignored the fact that you were in Ethril's room because she's been through enough to know how to take care of herself. I ignored the fact that she was drunk on honey because it was her choice. But this?! Nearly destroying my books?" Fascino felt as if fire could shoot out of his eyes.

"It wasn't his fault!" Ethril said as she quickly ran into the library. "I-I kissed him and I think that goes against his people's rules or something!" Ethril said with a blush. "So leave him alone!"

"You...kissed..." Even though Fascino was a were-dragon and his people's culture had branched away from the dragon's culture, he knew what it meant for Ethril to kiss a male so soon after losing her last courtship partner. "He leaves immediately." Sistra had given Fascino very strict instructions on how to take care of Ethril. He had been fairly loose about some of the instructions, but he had a debt to pay.

"If he leaves so do I!" Ethril said as she wrapped her arms around one of Ciel's arms to try and lead him out of Fascino's home.

Ciel was red the instant she took hold of him. He couldn't think or even breathe like that. "P-p-pas! PAS!" he cried, trying to free himself from her grip. Relief washed over him like a tsunami when he succeeded. Taking a few steps away, he mumbled, "J-juste un moment, s'il vous plaît..."

Ciel put a hand to his chest. 'Screw magic!' he thought frantically. He wasn't going to risk running anymore air through his body at the moment. He just needed to feel his heartbeat and catch his breath. He'd shaken one of his best friends to the point that she probably thought he hated her, gone through a ceiling, nearly been crushed... Girls.. Girls were too much!

Once he could formulate proper sentences and breathe without having to think about it, the slender boy stood straight. He sighed once, finally able to communicate his ideas with people again. "I apologize," he started. The only problem he had at the moment was the cold sweat that covered his entire body.

"Really, I do! It's just that a k-kiss--!" He grunted as a blush took him over again. He loosely covered his mouth with a hand at the thought of it. "Je.. Je.. I-I don't.." He moved his hand back down. "Master Fascino, I'm so terribly sorry!" Ciel bowed at his waist then, much like he did upon meeting people, only this time he wasn't taking anyone's hand.

He squeezed his eyes shut and balled his hands into tight fists at his sides. He hoped to every god ever believed in that this made it easier to speak. "I was a very sheltered child growing up, so I've got next to zero experience with this kind of thing. I have no idea what to say to you. I really didn't think this was a good idea at all, and I'm sorry! I never go anywhere without meeting the owner first!"

He stood again, placing a hand on his forehead. It was still wet. "Mon dieu.. Miss Ethril! You didn't break any rules! I promise, dear, I'm almost entirely certain that what you did is fine! If it wasn't, my body would have never let it happen. M-mais..." This... this was murder. Ciel felt his face heat up again and clapped his hands together in front of his face. "I'm so sorry! The both of you!"

Fascino listened silently and when Ciel was finally done he remained silent. After what felt like he had stretched out his silence long enough he turned to Ethril. "Now do you see why I told you to be careful? Not to push yourself? Did you ignore everything Sistra warned you about? You're still recovering from losing Shadow so your instincts are overly powerful right now." Fascino said in a calm lecture. "Not everyone is raised like a dragon Ethril. I'm sure Ciel doesn't realize what it means for a young dragon like you to be without a clan or a family. You've overwhelmed the poor boy because you didn't stop to think!"

With every word Fascino spoke Ethril felt her heart deflate. She already felt bad enough for upsetting Ciel, she didn't need Fascino to shove it in her face like this. "I-I know Fascino. I don't know why I lost control!" Ethril felt tears prickle her eyes.

Fascino sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Did you even explain to Ciel what 'araria' even means? Or what your kiss meant?" he had a bad feeling that things were about to get way out of hand. When Ethril shook her head Fascino turned to Ciel and looked him over. He felt a moment of sympathy for the boy, having lived a sheltered life. Dragon children were raised openly and taught about the birds and the bees very early on to prevent situations like this.

"Come sit down, the both of you. I'll pour some more tea." Fascino glanced at Ethril "Without honey." Ethril looked at Ciel and wanted to take his hand, her fingers fidgeted with the need too, but she slammed down on her instincts as tight as she could. She ended up shaking a little from restraining herself, but she didn't want to upset Ciel anymore.
Ethril went over to the table that Fascino had pointed to and she dejectedly sat down in the seat.

Happy with any sort of respite to his day, Ciel gladly took a seat at the table Fascino had pointed to. It felt good not having to support his body, and the tiny boy slumped appreciatively in his chair.

'So hot...' He decided that not being in school meant he didn't need a stupid bow. He undid it and swiftly tied his hair into what could be passed off as a ponytail. He had to wrap the ribbbon a few times so that the mass of hair would actually stay off of his neck. He felt a lot better then.

He turned to Ethril then who was stitting from him diagonally. "M-ma~ What is this about?" he asked rather timidly.

"She's trying to restrain herself." Fascino stated as he came over and set down two extra tea cups. He then poured both the teenagers cups of jasmine tea, his favorite. "And she will continue to do so until you know the full extent to what has been going on with her." Fascino looked at Ethril critically. "Ja ne?"

Ethril nodded subtly making Fascino sigh. With a complex flick of his fingers what looked like a silver thread flowed from Ethril's forehead jewel and entered the gold pendant that was hanging from Fascino's forehead. He closed his eyes for a moment as Ethril's memories played like a movie on fast forward through his mind. "So that's what happened. Alright I know where to start." With that Fascino sat down and took a sip from his tea.

"To start off you already know that nearly a year ago Ethril lost Shadow, a man that she'd just started courtship with. Courtship is more then just two people getting to know each other. For a dragon it's part of a ceremony where the two people are bound together using magic. It allows them to sense each other and to sense each others emotions. It's a very intimate ceremony that reveals to their partner everything about them." Fascino began to explain. "Usually a courtship is not encouraged until a dragon has reached sexual maturity so that they can handle whatever happens."

Ethril hung her head at that statement. Fascino continued. "Because of Shadow's death, Ethril's instincts have been chaotic. Dragons are clan oriented. Ethril has no birth clan and no family. Her surrogate clan has kept her stable up until this point. The start of the courtship with Shadow awakened her instincts to start her own family and own clan; even though she is not physically ready to." Ethril blushed heavily at that fact.

"When you showed Ethril kindness she felt a connection. When she realized she could talk to you her instincts told her to make you clan. When you unknowingly touched her clan markings her instincts went a step forward. I'm sorry to tell you but Ethril's instincts have started a new courtship towards you." Fascino took a sip of his tea. "What should have taken months if not years for her instincts to recognize happened in only a day. Now you have a few options Ciel. You can accept the courtship which would keep Ethril stable until her instincts calm down enough so she can break off the courtship; you can break off the courtship which would cause Ethril's instincts to continue in their chaotic path; or you can do nothing and Ethril's instincts will continue to try and get your attention by being as physically close to you as she can."

Ethril felt like hiding under the table. "As for the name she has been using for you. Araria has two meanings. The first being "person of great importance" usually used for a family member or for a member of the clan. The second meaning is 'beloved', usually used to express affection towards a mate or potential mate."

Ethril chimed in then. "Ciel I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do this to you! Just...just tell me to break off the courtship I can handle it!" Ethril said. Her shaking began to get stronger as her instincts fought against her ration mind. She felt like her heart was being squeezed in her chest and she swallowed a whimper that was building up in her throat.

Ciel was stunned. A courtship? A very intense, long mating ritual had been pushed onto him. And to hear that he'd accomplished something in less than twenty-four hours when it usually took months or years!

"M... ma..." He listened to the rest of Fascino's explanation, making sure not to miss anything. He heard Ethril tell him that it was fine to tell her to cut this thing short. He sighed through his nose and leaned forward. Placing his elbows on the table, he bent his neck and clasped his fingers around the back of it, twiddling his thumbs together.

He had three options. First, he could keep this thing going until it died down. That meant he'd be in what most normal people considered a relationship. Or he could tell her "no" right now. Regardless of what she said, just from today's events Ciel knew well enough that she most certainly would NOT be fine. Then again, he could just act as if none of this happened. He could neither accept nor deny her, and this odd behavior would just continue.

He lifted his head and sighed once more, stretching his arms above him. His fingers still hurt a bit from trying not to go through what was now the floor. He glanced at it, slightly embarrassed at his inadequacy again.

"Well," he said, turning his attention back to the table. He didn't actually want to look at either of them so he stared his tea down as if it had committed a murder. He twirled the tiny cup in his hands a few times, dulling away the pain he felt.

"... Pas. I... I don't think I could do that, Miss Ethril," he said with a smile. "There really isn't any other option for me. Leaving you would be a terrible thing to do right now, and this isn't exactly one sided. Mon cher, ma cheri.. mon amour... All terms of endearment. I'd be happy to go through with this... So long as you promise to meet a very good friend of mine later," he added. He felt a warmth glowing just where his breast pocket was and chuckled. Patrick would be all too excited.

Ethril felt her heart hammering in her chest as she waited for Ciel's answer. She was preparing herself for the worst case answer, and she would accept it. All she could hope for was that Ciel would still be her friend! Ethril looked at her tea cup and her eyes began to become blurry as she blinked back tears. She wouldn't lose Ciel the same way she'd lost Shadow, and Ciel would still be around for her to talk to and be friends with! Stopping the courtship would be hard and she might have to ask Fascino for help...but she could do it...

Fascino knew differently. Were-dragons had lost some of the instinctual desires that normal dragons had, but he knew what would happen. He'd spent many years among his cousins and he'd learned a great deal. Something like this, losing a second courtship in a year, would either push Ethril to insanity or she'd injury her instincts so much that she might not ever fully heal. He'd have to call for Sistra to come and work with Ethril in order to keep her stable. Fascino was not qualified to heal the shattered heart of a young dragon.

He had expected to Ciel to at least do nothing. So when Ciel said he would accept the courtship, Fascino was surprised. Not as surprised as Ethril, who looked at Ciel in shock. Ethril stopped shaking and her instincts calmed. If her instincts were an actual creature, she could have sworn it would be purring. "Y-You don't have too!" Ethril stuttered.

Fascino knew that deep in her heart Ethril wanted the courtship, if nothing else but to strengthen her friendship with Ciel. "There is something you have to do Ciel to accept the courtship." Fascino said smoothly, cutting Ethril off from trying to discourage Ciel. "I'm afraid you'll have to return her kiss and then say 'Ja raichen ara, kamp chen eteria'. The translation is a little odd but in essence it means 'I accept this bond that we shall build'. "

Fascino sent Ethril a single glare to keep her silent. This really was the best option for her. Ethril felt cornered now. She didn't want to pressure Ciel into this, but she didn't want to lose him and she really did care about him. Her instincts wouldn't have chosen him if she didn't care deeply for Ciel. "I'd be more then happy to meet your friend Ciel." Ethril said softly.

Ciel rubbed the stray hairs on the back of his neck. An idiotic grin graced him once more that day. "I know I don't have to... I wouldn't let you break my gentleman's code if you weren't special, mon cher." He pushed his chair out slowly to get up from the table. His face was riper than a tomato as he walked around it. He didn't even look at Fascino as he passed by the teacher. It was already weird enough that he'd be watching what Ciel felt like was a marriage proposal.

Keeping his back to the older man, Ciel asked if he could repeat the line to him again. His face was burning ((and I'm gonna assume he just repeated it again lol)). He repeated it several times in his head, carefully memorizing the stresses and pronunciations. When he thought he had it, the pink boy took a deep breath to calm himself. Only to calm himself. His chest didn't rise at all-- having extra air around just made him feel a bit better. That was why his hyperventilation was so severe earlier. It's a knee-jerk reaction toward stress.

Gently, Ciel took Ethril's face in his hands, cupping it just around her jaw line. He thought she felt a bit hot, but that could have just been his jitters. Before he could think too much about it, the Sprite closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers. He felt his chest heating up again, so he removed himself before he did anything foolish.

"Ja... ja raichen ara, kamp chen eteria," he said, his face still pink and smiling. He gave her one more peck on the lips just in case he did it in the wrong order. "You'll love Patrick," he said, wrapping his arms around her torso in a loving embrace. "You two even do the same magic! you just might like him more than me," the slender teen teased.

Ethril's heart was hammering in her chest as she watched Ciel stand up. It was like watching in slow motion as he walked past Fascino and towards her. With Shadow they'd spent months getting to know each other before Shadow had asked to start a courtship with her. And now here was Ciel preparing to ask her the same words.

Ethril felt as if she'd stopped breathing as he reached up to cup her face. His hand was just below the mark on her cheek and it made her blush deeply. Her heart fluttered and she felt light headed as Ciel kissed her. Having only ever been kissed once before, earlier not counting, she was so very inexperienced; but she liked it.

The moment the word eteria left his lips Ethril felt her heart fill and she felt like a lost piece of her soul had been returned. The loneliness she'd gotten used too the last year faded from her heart and she felt from crying in joy. Ethril hiccuped softly and blinked way the tears. There was a warmth in her chest that she'd never felt before, something that surprised her.

"I don't think I'd like anyone more then you right now." Ethril said, her voice shaking slightly. "But It'll be wonderful to have a new friend! Especially if he's yours!" And she meant it.

Fascino silently stood up and left his library to give the two some time alone. He himself had never fallen in love, although he'd seen many examples over time. He could not allow himself that particular luxury until he had completed his life's quest. He glanced down at the hole in his floor and put it on a mental list to fix later when Ciel and Ethril had left his library.

"Ma!" Ciel grunted angrily at her. He could hear the emotion in her voice, and quite frankly, he was tired of tears.

"Stop that, please?" he asked her. He wasn't actually mad, but just to make sure she didn't think so, he pulling her a bit closer in his arms to nuzzle her head. It fit snugly under his chin. "We're done with crying. For a very, VERY long time, dearest. I don't care if they're happy or not. I know you're happy. I can feel it, and it's a wonderfully warm thing. There's no reason for tears right now."

He waited a few seconds until he was sure she was actually stable again. "So... I have a question. Excuse me please, but being so tiny, I've never interacted with Dragons before so.." He paused and removed his hands from their place on Ethril's back and promptly circled the base of her tail with them, making an "O" using the thumbs and first fingers of his hands. "Does this do anything? I don't want to like.. maybe pull you're tail one day and have you aggro!"

Ethril blinked in surprise at Ciel's exclamation. After the moment of shock wore away she giggled. "Oh goddess you're right!" Hadn't she told him earlier not to cry for her and here she was crying. There was no reason for her to be crying right now, she was happy! "No more crying!" She said in agreement and she wiped her eyes. Her rational mind kicked into gear now that her instincts were finally satisfied and she was able to realize just how much of a cry baby she'd been today. And she felt a little disgusted by that fact.

If Pyronim or the others could see her now they'd tease and torment her forever! She'd always been strong, never cried for silly reasons. And she wasn't going to let it become a habit now. Ethril also figured she looked like a mess. She wasn't the kind of person to be able to cry in a pretty way. She'd always blotch up and her eyes always got red and puffy. No more crying!

Ethril tilted her head in curiosity as Ciel began asking his question. She didn't have to wait long for his question. She felt his hands go around her tail and she stilled instantly. She felt goose bumps spread across various places around her body and the tip of her tail twitched back and forth. She was frozen like that for as long as Ciel had a grip on her tail.

Grabbing one's tail was how a parent or elder showed displeasure towards a child. A pet or stroke on the other hand was akin to putting said child to sleep. After all a tail was the easiest target for a parent to grab when a child was trying to flee.

"Well that's quite the reaction," Ciel observed with a frown. He rubbed at the area then, apologizing for whatever it was that he did. "At least it didn't make you angry.. Pardon me, mon amour~ Patrick's got one, and his response is very different."

He moved his hands back up to her shoulders where she at least didn't turn into a statue under his touch. "Ma~ What should we do now, Miss Ethril?"

Ciel was actually pretty surprised that he was still there. When he didn't go through the roof earlier, he was sure he'd just take off. He'd been nabbed though, and those plans were halted. Not that he regretted not staying, of course. He just didn't have anything planned out, nor did he know of anything to do in someone else's home.

"Fr*$&%*ggle" Ethril was able to get out once he'd let go of her tail. Her tail hadn't been grabbed like that in years and she would have thought she'd have grown out of that reaction by now. And then he rubbed the spot a little and her eyes grew droopy. She shook her head hard and bit her cheek in order to stay awake. "S-sorry!" she exclaimed. "You know how mama cats grab their kittens by the scruff of their neck and the kitten curls up and stops moving? It's kinda like that for dragons and their tails." Ethril said as she shook her head again to stop being drowsy. "And then if you pet or rub the tail it puts a young dragon to sleep."

She really, really, wanted to grow out of these childish habits! "Well...you could introduce me to Patrick or..." Ethril looked around for the wall clock and then blinked at the time. "I guess we could go get some dinner." Ethril frowned. She doubted Ciel was into hunting or eating raw meat so maybe she could cook for him? She wasn't that good at cooking though so maybe they could go out to eat? Fascino did give her an allowance every week to buy things she'd want. She hadn't spent any of it really since she had no idea what to buy so she had saved up quite a bit.

"Tres bien!!" Ciel grabbed her hands in delight. Excitedly, he bounced a bit on the balls of his feet. He hadn't seen Patrick since he'd been in the Academy. Sure, he made an appearance, but the little chameleon just stole Ciel's bows and left in the dark of the night.

"Ma~ Should I just go get him?" he asked. "Or do you want to come with me to Fair Cove? You can't actually.. you know.. get IN there without a special potion, but I never learned it... However, we can save that for another time, I'm sure."

Ciel noticed how childish he was acting not too long after he finished speaking. "Sacrebleu.. Sorry, dear, but please... which do you prefer? I don't really mind either way. It's only Patrick. You can meet everyone else when we go back."

Ethril blushed at the warm and fluttery feeling that filled her chest. His exuberance rubbed off on her and couldn't help but giggle. He really was so very different from Shadow; and she was actually very happy about that. Where Shadow had been a strong, quiet, and steadfast guy Ethril felt so much more at ease with Ciel. Maybe her heart really was healing now that she had Ciel.

"Actually I better wait here." Ethril said with a nervous laugh. "We did kinda make a mess and I'm sure Fascino will need some help fixing the floor. And I need to clean the carpet where I cut my hand." She felt kinda bad for being such a big bother to Fascino. He'd only given her three rules and in one day she'd broken two in a big way. "I'll come with you next time when you have the potion!"

"Then maybe the three of us can go get some dinner together?" She needed to learn more about Ciel anyway and what better way then during a dinner with his friend? She didn't even know if he ate meat at all! What would she do if he didn't anyway? She was a dragon and meat was a primary part of her diet. Heck if she stayed in her dragon form she'd only ever need to eat meat.

"Well alright." Ciel dropped her hands and undid the ribbon making his ponytail. He scratched a bit, the new found freedom being a tad irritating at first. "I suppose someone should clean up a bit... I do apologize for the hole in the floor," he added, smiling wryly. "And yeah, I'll see about having Patrick get me some instructions. Right now though, I'll be off to fetch him for dinner."

Ciel reached out to give Ethril a hug before his departure. Since he actually didn't know his way around the house, he just dropped down through the de-provement he'd made and exited through the route he been brought in to the large abode. Once outside, he got himself airborne and headed home. True, he didn't exactly know where he was, but they were all born with an internal compass that always pointed to the Cove.

The flight was quick. Ethril and Fascino's home was close to the forest as it was, and Fair Cove was found hidden deep between the trees. It wasn't really hidden, but ages ago, before anyone Ciel knew was even born, a barrier had been placed around it. It looked like a large redwood tree which, admittedly, stood out on its own. Besides this "tree" protecting them, a person needed to know just where to enter.

Ciel pushed down as hard as he could, making use of thrusting though his back. He wasn't his normal size, so it was a bit harder to get to the top of ancient redwood. When observing from the ground, it looked like a normal tree, but in actuality, it was just an illusion. The whole thing encased smaller portion of the forest, making its own completely different environment inside. The top of this magnificent structure happened to be flat. Once he was there, he stripped down and folded his school uniform, placing it next to him on the top of their ancient barrier.

One thing Ciel had to concentrate on was changing size. It took a lot of work and a lot of energy going either way. That was why most people just stayed inside; getting back would be rather difficult if something were giving chase. Even if they were their proper size, it was a hassle to make it to the top. But he was there now and put all of his mind to shrinking down to less than six inches in height.

Ciel opened his eyes and unfolded his hands when he thought he had finished. Taking a look around him, he could see that he was right. His pile of clothes was nearly as tall as he was. He crawled on top of it, making his way into the pocket at the top of his shirt/jacket combo ((I can explain that later)). He searched the opening for the tiny piece of cloth that was his daily attire back home. Once he'd grabbed it, he crawled his way back out and fashioned himself suitable.

Happy finally, the pink teen slammed his foot against the hard wood below him to start off his dance. He continued to do this with tiny leaps in a rhythm that was built into every one of his people. There were spins and claps as well, but they weren't as important if it was just one person. At last he felt the the wood go soft on him. Ciel stomped one more time and was sucked into the grand old tree.

Once inside, he oriented himself properly and drifted down the long way to the bottom. He was glad to finally make it. He didn't bother to take in whether anything had changed since he'd been gone. Ciel was on a mission and he was determined to get it done. He made serious tracks on his way to the Licht home.

He was not happy when Patrice came to his call rather than his little darling. They argued back and forth a bit before Patrick apparently heard them. His hair had been green, but it quickly changed to the proper golden blonde upon catching sight of the Sprite down below. He disappeared from view and was down with his friend in a matter of seconds.

"Bonjour, mon amour!" Ciel cried, taking the little Fairy up in his arms. "I have news, dearest!"

"What's that?" Patrick asked, still happily embracing him. It'd been a few days since Ciel had left. He figured dorming at the Academy would be much more convenient. It obviously was since he'd been gone so long.

"I'll tell you later," Ciel promised. "But won't you come with me? I want you to meet someone."

Patrick couldn't stop his tail from swishing back and forth under his robes. "Of course, mijn liefde!" He turned to look at his sister who was still peering down at them. "I'll be back. I don't have anything to do tomorrow, so I'm not entirely sure when."

Patrice muttered her disapproval then vanished back into their home.

"Ma~" Ciel cheered. "Let's go then!" He grabbed at the tiny boy's hand and took off toward the entrance of their miniature community. Once out, he changed back to his human size and got dressed. Patrick didn't watch, so there was no awkwardness. Once done, he reached his hand out for his tiny buddy to hop on. When this was done, Ciel deposited the little Fairy in the top pocket of his uniform, careful not to fold his wings wrong. He smiled at the tiny sparkles he emitted from inside.

The trip back to Ethril's was much easier than he imagined. He assumed it was because of this new "bond" they were building. He stopped at the front door and gave Patrick strict instruction not to be too rowdy, but he could feel the tiny tail in his pocket swirling around still. Ciel sighed as he knocked on the door.

(( and you say my writing is good? :: tries to hug through computer:: ))

Ethril felt a little deflated when she waved goodbye to Ciel, but he needed to go in order to get his friend Patrick! She couldn't follow him around like a love sick puppy all the time and to be honest acting in such a way would annoy her to no end. Once she heard the front door close Ethril let out the sigh she had been holding in.

"Well let's get started." Fascino said from where he was standing near the doorway. Ethril looked up at him and then at the hole in the floor and she grinned sheepishly.

"Ciel didn't mean to do it you know." Ethril told her temporary guardian as Fascino handed her a piece of chalk.

"I know that, which is why I'll forgive this transgression as long as you assist in the repair." Fascino then began instructing her on how to set up the spell. They'd be using a rendition of an ancient spell that was good for reversing damage done. Ethril wrinkled her nose as the repair work turned into an impromptu lesson. She felt like rolling her eyes as Fascino described to her the meaning of each rune they drew around hole. Once that was done Fascino reached for Ethril's hand.

She wrinkled her nose, but took the man's hand. "Ready?" Fascino asked as the gold chains he wore began to glow. Ethril nodded and she began to focus her spiritual energy into the gem on her forehead. Within seconds it too began to glow and Fascino began directing the energy into the spell they'd drawn on the floor. As the energy poured into the spell, the wood, carpet, and material of the floor began to grow making the hole shrink; much like a wound closing. Once the hole was completely gone Fascino released Ethril's hand.

Ethril felt a little drained, but nothing a snack wouldn't fix. "Make sure you at least put some some solvent on those blood stains." Fascino instructed her as she left the library to head back to her room. Ethril rolled her eyes and did as she was instructed. Blood, even light dragon blood, could come out if you used the right cleaning liquids. It'd take a few washings and scrubbing sessions to get the glow go to away, but at least she was able to get the silver out of the carpet.

She put the left over food away and put the food tray in the kitchen sink for washing later and headed back to her room. What was she supposed to do now? Ethril glanced around at her sparse room and sighed. Maybe she should look into getting another piece of furniture and some decorations; after all she was obviously going to be around for awhile. She then looked down at her blue skirt and white school uniform top.

Ethril wrinkled her nose and decided on what she needed to do. She couldn't go out to dinner wearing her school uniform! As quickly as she could Ethril stripped out of her uniform and folded it up ontop of her dresser. She then went to her closet to debate about what to wear. Again she made a mental note to go shopping. Sure she had a few outfits, outfits that were common and fashionable at home, but in this world it would seem that her outfits were out of date by a couple centuries.

Should she wear her formal wear from the Southern clan? That's what you wore when meeting important people! Ethril frowned and decided that perhaps it wasn't the best outfit to present herself in. She couldn't wear her normal clothes since they were still in need of being washed. So what?...In the end she went with an outfit that Fascino had bought her on her first day. His excuse was that wearing armor and brown leather was not normal attire.

The shirt had long sleeves and and sat partially off the shoulders. The material she had been told was a soft cashmere and the color was a light pastel blue. Ethril would have preferred something red, but she hadn't been the one to buy it. There was a black waist belt that sat just above her hips and the pants were what she'd learned were called 'jeans'. The jeans were a dark blue with black embroidery around the pockets. Ethri dressed and then looked at herself in the mirror in her bathroom. She played with her hair for a moment and then decided to just let it hang free. Her hair really was hopeless.

With a last minute thought Ethril grabbed one of the simple gold chains from her treasure chest and one of her tail rings. Girls wore jewelry when going on a date right? Usually she saved her jewelry for formal occasions when it was proper for a dragon to show off their treasure. Ethril carefully folded the spade at the end of her tail and slipped the ring on. It was a good thing she had a spade tipped tail or else she wouldn't be able to wear tail rings. She'd have to wear tail bands and those pinched!

Finally satisfied with her look Ethril began wondering about what to do now. She picked up her belt pouch and clipped it onto her hip. Just as she was about to put some of the money Fascino had given her into the pouch, she heard a knock on the door.

She grinned happily and the warmth in her chest grew and she took several leaping bounds out of her room at towards the front door. "Remember my last rule." She heard Fascino yell from upstairs.

"Yeah, yeah, be home no later then midnight!" Ethril called back and she opened the door.

"Araria!" Ethril's eyes gleamed happily and she grinned warmly at Ciel.

(( think her autumn outfit from the meme))

"Bonjour à nouveau!" Ciel greeted. He couldn't help but smile at her eagerness. Very gingerly, he gave her a hug, making sure that the left side of his chest made no real contact with her. He assumed that might seem a tad harsh, so he explained himself. "As promised, I brought my tiny friend."

He reached to hold open the top pocket of his jacket. The little sparkles that had been leaking out transformed into all out beams of light. Ciel rubbed at the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Ma~ He's excited," he chuckled. The pink boy reached in and curled his hand around the tiny person there. He pulled him out, but Ciel clasped his hands together before presenting him. "Before we do this, dear, you must know. Patrick is very excitable." He bit down on his lip to keep from laughing at the tickle Patrick's wings and tail produced in his hands. "He gets very clingy then, and he may try to tackle you on occasion. Just please... don't hit him?" Ciel grinned as he stepped back and opened his hands.

The tiny ball of light sitting there rose up a few inches before it started to shoot off sparks. Tiny giggles escaped from it before it intensified to the point of a rather blinding light. Within seconds though, it dimmed and a small person, no more than five feet burst from it, sparkles flying every which way.

He smiled joyously as he came to his human size. His hair still shined rather brilliantly as he reached out to Ethril and took her hand. His thin wings beat furiously, keeping him a few inches off of the ground then as he shook her hand repeatedly. The only thing keeping his tail down was the limited elasticity of his robes. Being a Fairy, he was allowed to learn how to make his clothes change size with him. It was part of being the "master race" in a way. If a Fairy was going out, he or she would be able to represent their status. Everyone else had to find human clothes or something to cover themselves. Fairies always had their "glorious" satin robes.

"Hallo!" he cried excitedly. "Mijn naam is Patrick! Hoe gaat het?"

Ciel laughed and reached out to push his friend to the ground. He had to keep his face away so he wasn't buffeted by the sparkly wings. "Calm down, love! I'm sorry," he said turning his attention to Ethril. "He's got a Dutch tongue and suffers the same problem I do when overloaded."

Patrick gasped then. "So sorry! My name is Patrick! How are you?" He let her hand go finally and stepped back. He didn't mean to, but he wound up hitting Ciel in the face anyway. He literally turned green then. "Het spijt me!" he cried.

"Pas, pas! It's fine!" Ciel said between coughing up a sparkling dust. "Just relax!"

He shot Ethril an apologetic look then. "Ma~ He should be fine in a few minutes... But, Miss Ethril, I'd like you to meet Patrick. He is, for all intents and purposes, my boyfriend. Patrick, this is Miss Ethril. She is, for all intents and purposes, my girlfriend."

Patrick gasped again, this time turning a vibrant yellow. "I'm so happy to meet you!!" he gushed, leaping forward to hug Ethril around the neck. He managed to stay in the air again out of sheer excitement. All four and two-thirds feet of him.

Ethril could feel Ciel's emotions in her own heart and she grew even more excited to meet his new friend. She was about to say something when the sparkles and then beams of light caught her attention. As with what happened when Ethril first saw Ciel's hair in it's shiny and sparky cloud form, she became momentarily mesmerized by the sparkles. With her instincts in check though, she was able to focus.

"I would never hit a friend!" Ethril said with a laugh. "He can't be any worse then a dragon toddler! I had to baby sit now and then in the clan and they were teething." She actually did have a scar from when one bit down a little too hard on her tail. Her tail wrapped around one of her ankles at that particular memory.

Again she became mesmerized by the sparkles as Ciel released his friend from between his hands. Ethril's eyes glazed over and she watched in rapt attention as Patrick grew to a more hugable size. "s-spa...." Ethril stuttered for a moment as Ciel's friend introduced himself in an unknown language. Just how many languages were there anyway? She only knew three!

"So-" Ethril felt her fingers twitch and her grin grew wider as Patrick hugged her. "SO CUTE!" She happily returned the hug, careful of his wings. Having wings herself she knew how to hug others with wings. "And so sparkly and shiny!" Were all Faeries as sparkly as him? If so she might have a bit of a hoarding problem if she went with Ciel next time. Already she could feel herself wanting to steal Patrick away so she could pet him and cuddle him forever. His cuteness only amplified her want to keep him.

"Oh my goddess you're just about the cutest thing I've ever seen!" Her wings started giving off a gentle glow in the sunlight in response to being around another being of light. It was so rare that she ran into someone else who's primary element was light. Ethril felt very giddy as she let go of Patrick for a moment only to squeal softly and hug him again. "It's a pleasure to meet you Patrick!"

It took her a few minutes to calm down and to control her girlishness over how cute Patrick was to focus her attention on Ciel. "I thought maybe the three of us could go to town for dinner! I've got some money that Fascino gave me!" She was absent mindlessly petting Patrick's hair and purring. With a happy giggle she leaned forward and kissed Ciel on the cheek. "That is, if it's alright with you araria."

"Maaaa~" Ciel folded his hands in delight. "I'm glad you two hit it off so well! And dinner would be fabulous." He took note of Ethril's petting and saw Patrick's tail recede, no doubt curling back up under his robes. He had to laugh. "I hate to break it to you, mon amour, but he isn't always so adorable. All this glitter will go away eventually and it'll just be on his wings.. which should be put away, I might add."

"Oh!" Patrick turned red then. ((pink is for something else)) He fluttered them a few more times before sadly closing the pair of them together ((my fairies have either two or four)). They seemed to melt away into his back. "I'm sorry, I forgot! But.. you know my hair will still sparkle, right?"

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Of course I do, mon cher. I don't think it'll be such an issue though... And by the by, dearest," he said, smiling at Ethril. "Blue suits you. It's my favorite color you know."

Patrick frowned. "Soooo sorry," he said sarcastically. He never really turned blue. It only happened when he was very sick, and his hair almost never did it.

Ciel sucked his teeth. "Oh stop that. You're wearing blue too... for whatever reason."

((I just want to add that Patrick usually wears a combination of white and yellow. So Ciel is kind of suspicious.))

"I'm sure he's cute even without the sparkles!" Ethril said gave Patrick another hug. She watched as Patrick turned colors and she tilted her head at that. "I've never seen a faery before." She'd seen a great many races during her travels, but faeries were not among them. "Do all Faeries turn colors?" She knew that Ciel wasn't technically a faerie so Ethril was honestly curious. There was a dragon once that could change the color of his scales, but only blues, greens, and purples. Her father being a crystal dragon could be several colors at once depending on how the light hit him.

Ethril looked down at her shirt and stuck out her tongue at it. "Still prefer red." She mumbled to herself. Having grown up in a clan dedicated to fire had influenced her favoritism in color. "This was all I have right now. I don't think people take kindly to armor and weapons..." Usually for an adventurer like her the amount of outfits you could carry was usually three; warm weather, cold weather, and battle clothes. Usually a cloak was thrown in there but it could also be used as a blanket. Ethril would just have to break down and buy more clothes.

"So what do you guys eat?" Ethril asked curiously. She could eat just about anything really, but she wanted to make sure her companions were comfortable with their dining choice. She still had no idea if they ate meat or not. If she went with the bed time stories and myths that circulated around home then she figured all faeries ate were berries and sweets. Of course she didn't want to offend by making that assumption.

Unconsciously Ethril reached out and took one of Ciel's hands, lacing her fingers around his. She wondered briefly if this what being normal was like; being able to go to an academy, date, and not worry about being attacked at every turn. It was...nice...