"Ooh, dessert!"
Razule runs off intot he kitchen and returns trying to pull a huge floating tray of desserts(which shouldn't even be able to fit through the doorway) with little succes. It still moves, he just can't get it to move faster.
"Stupid.. tray.. not going faster.."
The tray settles as the other dishes float away to be washed later. There are cakes, pies, puddings, pastries, and what looks like chilled cream.* Razzy goess red in the face when Ryo asks him to tell eveyone who made it all.
"Um.. me and Ruji. I'm good at mixing stuff." He gets a slice off cake and starts to eat, trying to hide his face.
The future Aananda digs in with gusto. She seems to be familiar with what all of the different dishes are, but isn't particular about which ones she eats.
"Yeah, that is impressive," Tam says with a nod of approval to Razzy as he grabs one of the shakes and some pastry, then gets out of the way. :)
Her eyes went wide. She hadn't known that there were so many varieties of sweets possible. James would have been in heaven. That though made her feel sad and to keep from actually crying she grabbed the nearest thing, a pitcher of chilled cream and took a huge swig.
Her eyes went wide. She hadn't known that there were so many varieties of sweets possible. James would have been in heaven. That though made her feel sad and to keep from actually crying she grabbed the nearest thing, a pitcher of chilled cream and took a huge swig.
"OW!" She set down the pitcher with a thump and clutched her head. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"
"Food isn't supposed to bite back," she said indignantly.
She tried and failed to restrain a giggle.
"You need to drink it more slowly. It gives you a headache if you have too much at once."
"OW!" She set down the pitcher with a thump and clutched her head. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"
"Food isn't supposed to bite back," she said indignantly.
Razule looks up and smiles guiltily.
"Um.. maybe I should have warned you it could do that. The same thing happened to me after I accidently made it the first time, but I didn't think to warn anyone."He goes red again and looks down as he continues eating.
Hm Ryo is covering his mouth with his hand, trying in vain to suppress his laughter.
"It's even better seeing it a second time!"
"OW!" She set down the pitcher with a thump and clutched her head. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"
"Food isn't supposed to bite back," she said indignantly.
"You've got to respect the power of frozen desserts, lest it be your undoing my dear," Tamrin says with much mock-seriousness as he serves him self a slice of pie.
"I think a nicer way to put it would be that some desserts are better if they're savored slowly," Tam says as he pours the little bit left into a glass and hands it to Aananda.
"It doesn't bite back if you nurse your drink," he says with a smile.
"I think a nicer way to put it would be that some desserts are better if they're savored slowly," Tam says as he pours the little bit left into a glass and hands it to Aananda.
"It doesn't bite back if you nurse your drink," he says with a smile.
She blushed. "Thanks. Guess I made a bit of a fool of myself, huh? I'l try to eat slower now."
She blushed. "Thanks. Guess I made a bit of a fool of myself, huh? I'l try to eat slower now.""I think a nicer way to put it would be that some desserts are better if they're savored slowly," Tam says as he pours the little bit left into a glass and hands it to Aananda.
"It doesn't bite back if you nurse your drink," he says with a smile.
"Hardly - it's not like we haven't all done it before ourselves," he replies with a wink. "Now I think we need to turn our attention to the pies before they vanishe..." as he guides her over to the other side of the dessert platter.
"Mmmmm....pie" ^.^
"Mmmmm....pie" ^.^
"I guess at least one of us needs to learn how to bake. And soon," as he cuts out a slice and hands her the rest. ;)
She finished an entire pie before her emotions caught up to her again and she got up abruptly.
"It was very good. Thank you," she gasped before bolting from the room.
She finished an entire pie before her emotions caught up to her again and she got up abruptly.
"It was very good. Thank you," she gasped before bolting from the room.
Tam puts down his plate as Aananda races out of the room.
"Um - could you folks give us a few minutes?" he asks over his shoulder as he heads after her.
"Of course. Here, you're going to need this." She hands him a handkerchief.
She managed to make it to her room before she completely broke down. She flung herself onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow and sobbed.
"Of course. Here, you're going to need this." She hands him a handkerchief.
"Right - thanks," he says with a nod as he takes the proferred handkerchief.
She managed to make it to her room before she completely broke down. She flung herself onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow and sobbed.
It takes him a few minutes (after going outside and not finding Aananda in the garden) before he navigates his way upstairs and goes to the door with all the sobbing coming from behind it.
A ragged breath escapes his lips as he listens to her through the door. Trying to pull himself together so he can at least attempt to be helpful, he composes himself as best he can and gently tries the door handle.
The door swings open. It wasn't even fully latched. Aananda is crying so hard she doesn't even hear him come in.
Ryo gets up and walks around to Razzy, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about it Raz, she's not crying because she didn't like the food. She.. just has a lot to think about right now. Why don't you and Adsila go out to the garden and work on the plants?"
Perking up, the young half-elf goes out into the garden with Addy, Ruji gliding along behind them. Ryo shakes his head and looks back at the time-traveling trio.
"Unless you want me to remain here and talk, I need to get to work on washing the dishes. I think lunch is over anyway."
Ryo gets up and walks around to Razzy, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about it Raz, she's not crying because she didn't like the food. She.. just has a lot to think about right now. Why don't you and Adsila go out to the garden and work on the plants?"
Perking up, the young half-elf goes out into the garden with Addy, Ruji gliding along behind them. Ryo shakes his head and looks back at the time-traveling trio.
"Unless you want me to remain here and talk, I need to get to work on washing the dishes. I think lunch is over anyway."
"I can help with the dishes if you like," Ephebe volunteers.
"I don't know, you would be putting dishes in warm water.. I guess as long as you don't think about 'cooking' the dishes it will be okay."
He grins and waves at her to come along. He fills the sink and soon settles into a steady rhythm of wash, rinse, dry, put away.
The door swings open. It wasn't even fully latched. Aananda is crying so hard she doesn't even hear him come in.
He quietly closes the door behind him, walks over and kneels by the side of the bed. He gently puts his hand on her arm.
The door swings open. It wasn't even fully latched. Aananda is crying so hard she doesn't even hear him come in.He quietly closes the door behind him, walks over and kneels by the side of the bed. He gently puts his hand on her arm.
She jumps a bit, startled. Looking up through her tears she sees Tam kneeling beside the bed. She can't seem to stop crying even to tell him why she's crying. She clung to him, sobbing against his shoulder and getting his shirt quite wet.
She jumps a bit, startled. Looking up through her tears she sees Tam kneeling beside the bed. She can't seem to stop crying even to tell him why she's crying. She clung to him, sobbing against his shoulder and getting his shirt quite wet.The door swings open. It wasn't even fully latched. Aananda is crying so hard she doesn't even hear him come in.He quietly closes the door behind him, walks over and kneels by the side of the bed. He gently puts his hand on her arm.
Tam smiles apologetically for startling her, but doesn't get to say anything before she buries her head against his shoulder. He puts his arms around her as best he can, holding her close and pressing his lips against the top of her head. He closes his eyes, holding back tears of his own for the fact that he can't figure out a way to fix everything right now so she won't be sad anymore...
Eventually the sobs slow down and she takes a few ragged breaths, trying to calm down.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I just kinda lost it. I was looking at all the desserts and all I could think of was how much James would have liked that. But he's not here cause a demon has him. And what if he ends up like my brother? Who actually is my brother as it turns out, not just my foster brother. And now I never get to meet my other brothers and sisters because Chan killed them. I'm not even sure I'll get to meet my mom. I always thought she left me at the temple because she didn't want me. And now I know she was just trying to protect me, and I really want a chance to talk to her. But I don't know if I'll be able to find her before my brother kills her too. And I can't just go looking for her now because we have to rescue James from this other demon. And everything is different than I thought it was....."
She looked up through her tears. "It's a little overwhleming," she said with a half-hearted attempt at a smile.
"Understatement of the year, it seems" he replies with a gentle smile, using the handkerchief to wipe away the tears from her cheeks.
"Understatement of the year, it seems" he replies with a gentle smile, using the handkerchief to wipe away the tears from her cheeks.
"I keep crying on you. I"m sorry."
"Understatement of the year, it seems" he replies with a gentle smile, using the handkerchief to wipe away the tears from her cheeks."I keep crying on you. I"m sorry."
"Oh, it's not like I'm going to melt or anything," he says as he turns the handkerchief to his shoulder to dab out the moisture. :)
"Oh, it's not like I'm going to melt or anything," he says as he turns the handkerchief to his shoulder to dab out the moisture. :)"Understatement of the year, it seems" he replies with a gentle smile, using the handkerchief to wipe away the tears from her cheeks."I keep crying on you. I"m sorry."
She laughed. "Yeah, I think I've tested that out."
"Tell me about your home," she said impulsively. "I mean, you don't have to or anything. I'm just curious. And looking for a distraction."
"Well I would say it would put you to sleep, but that might not be a bad distraction either," he says, scratching his chin and looking sagely.
"Okay....the Dragon Empire covers a huge swath of the galaxy. At the center are the Throneworlds - the home worlds of the twelve ruling draconic houses. At the periphery of the Empire are the Outlands - the border regions at the edge of colonization and expansion. Paxingale, my homeworld, is nestled in between those two areas."
"It's a pretty place that still has a bit of its natural beauty left to it. It's a planet known for its service institutions and education more than manufacturing, so it's not as heavily industrialized as a lot of worlds are now."
"I grew up in the suburbs surrounding Raehaad, which is a college town named after the world's most respected wizards' school - Raehaad Academy."
"Since Paxingale isn't too close to the Throneworlds, there wasn't quite as much stigma associated with studying wizardry as there are in other places, so the school did very well. I still think I got lucky when I passed the entrance exams and was allowed to study there," he says with an amused look.
"My folks are into more secular matters than I was at the time - archaeology and anthropology are their major interests, though they do know how to make a decent living in 'adventure tourism'. Which is how I got into travelling."
"My childhood was pretty normal, all things told. Granted, being in a wizards' school does restrict you to a pretty solid regiment of what you can and can't do, or where you can go - but that's no different than any private school I guess. Not that we didn't find ways around that, of course..." :)
"I bet there's all kinds of way that a young caster can get into trouble."
"Why is there a stigma on studying wizardry?"
"I bet there's all kinds of way that a young caster can get into trouble."
"I bet there's all kinds of way that a young caster can get into trouble."
"Why is there a stigma on studying wizardry?"
"Since dragons run the show there, they consider sorcerous magic (like their own) to be the superior form of arcane magic. If you have to study it and try to learn it rather than being born with it in your blood, you're really not meant to be using it," he replies, an obvious undertone of disagreement in his voice.
"Wizards are looked down upon as beings trying to be better than they should be - as second-class casters that aren't to be trusted or respected like the sorcerer-types are..."
He pulls back to look at her and stops.
"...I'm sounding a little bitter, aren't I?" he asks with a sigh and a lopsided grin.
"I bet there's all kinds of way that a young caster can get into trouble."
"Why is there a stigma on studying wizardry?"
"Since dragons run the show there, they consider sorcerous magic (like their own) to be the superior form of arcane magic. If you have to study it and try to learn it rather than being born with it in your blood, you're really not meant to be using it," he replies, an obvious undertone of disagreement in his voice.
"Wizards are looked down upon as beings trying to be better than they should be - as second-class casters that aren't to be trusted or respected like the sorcerer-types are..."
He pulls back to look at her and stops.
"...I'm sounding a little bitter, aren't I?" he asks with a sigh and a lopsided grin.
"It's okay. And not too bitter. It's kinda crazy of them. I mean, I'm an actual dragon and I couldn't cast a spell if my life depended on it. I have extra psionic ability instead."
"Then again, according to my future self I have to be careful about letting those dragons know I exist. Dragons have long memories and apparently they haven't forgotten that they hate my kind."
"It seems like they hate anyone who doesn't agree with them," she added, rolling her eyes.
"'Hate' is such a strong word to use - they just happen to be the ones in charge, and expect all 'lesser beings' to tow the line and agree with them," he says with obvious sarcasm.
"Ego coupled with the might to back it up and millennia to do so - such a lovely combination to deal with for those of us who aren't draconic."
"'Hate' is such a strong word to use - they just happen to be the ones in charge, and expect all 'lesser beings' to tow the line and agree with them," he says with obvious sarcasm.
"Ego coupled with the might to back it up and millennia to do so - such a lovely combination to deal with for those of us who aren't draconic."
She thopped him lightly on the nose. "My ancestors had to build this world just to get away from it. And they were dragons. Bullies are bullies no matter what race they are. And don't you forget it," she added with an impish smile.
He crosses his eyes, wriggling his nose.
"Fair point - lucky for me I never put much stock in those kind of folks," he says as he shoots his arms out and finds those ticklish spots between her ribs. ;P
He crosses his eyes, wriggling his nose.
"Fair point - lucky for me I never put much stock in those kind of folks," he says as he shoots his arms out and finds those ticklish spots between her ribs. ;P
She shrieked with laughter as he tickled her.
She thopped him lightly on the nose. "My ancestors had to build this world just to get away from it. And they were dragons. Bullies are bullies no matter what race they are. And don't you forget it," she added with an impish smile.
She shrieked with laughter as he tickled her.He crosses his eyes, wriggling his nose.
"Fair point - lucky for me I never put much stock in those kind of folks," he says as he shoots his arms out and finds those ticklish spots between her ribs. ;P
"Hey - I remembered! Ribs - check. Let's see what else...?" he says through an innocent-looking smile as he starts weaving his hands around to see where else she just might be ticklish.
"This is strictly for medicinal purposes, of course. I'm just trying to help, after all..." ;D
She shrieked with laughter as he tickled her.He crosses his eyes, wriggling his nose.
"Fair point - lucky for me I never put much stock in those kind of folks," he says as he shoots his arms out and finds those ticklish spots between her ribs. ;P
"Hey - I remembered! Ribs - check. Let's see what else...?" he says through an innocent-looking smile as he starts weaving his hands around to see where else she just might be ticklish.
"This is strictly for medicinal purposes, of course. I'm just trying to help, after all..." ;D
She's ticklish on her belly, along the base of her neck, and the insides of her elbows. She laughs and squirms as he tickles her.
Tam realizes after a bit that tickling a trained martial artist does have its perils, and after taking a few unintended knees to the abdomen, he relents. :)
"So," he says through his own laughter, "are....your cheeks burning...yet, or do...I have to do that...again?" ;P
Tam realizes after a bit that tickling a trained martial artist does have its perils, and after taking a few unintended knees to abdomen, he relents. :)
"So," he says through his own laughter, "are....your cheeks burning...yet, or do...I have to do that...again?" ;P
"I think you can stop with the tickling now," she gasped, trying to slow her breathing.
"Or maybe I should tickle you," she added mischievously.