weapons grade adorable

Eleanor is huddled before the fire, lost in a heap of blankets and quilts.

You tell Akaryuterra Ryotega Junakutz-Lionheart, "This is ridiculous, could... could you bring me a
cup of kawhe?"
Akaryuterra tells you, "Uh, yeah, one sec chicky."
Akaryuterra tells you, "Somethin' wrong?"
You tell Akaryuterra Ryotega Junakutz-Lionheart, "Yes- no. I'm okay, just..."

You hear the door to the west being unlocked.
The door to the west is opened from the other side.
Akaryuterra arrives from the west.
Akaryuterra closes the door to the west.
Akaryuterra locks the west door.

Akaryuterra shuts the door behind himself and turns. It doesn't take long to spot the mass of
blankets and quilts heaped before the fire. He tilts his head, eyes the mass curiously.

You have emoted: Eleanor doesn't quite turn, but you see her shift a little. "Sorry to, uh... I mean,
 I'd have gotten it myself..." there's an unspoken 'but', though she doesn't elaborate.

Akaryuterra had opened his mouth to speak, and was apparently just about to call into the other room
as you speaks up. "Ya look like yer damn well freezin'," Ryotega says as the boys pad in your
direction, the clicking of their talons on the floor giving you a rough guess of how close they are.
Proabably a pace or so away when they stop again.

You have emoted: Eleanor makes a small, disgruntled noise. "More or less," she agrees. She pulls the
blanket a little more closely around herself. "I can't... seem to find the right balance."

Akaryuterra squats down, casting a curious glance in the direction of the protruding tail. your act
of pulling the blanket closer seems to give him the impression to keep his distance for the time
behind. His hand comes into view, with a tankard full of kawhe to offer you.

You have emoted: Eleanor shifts beneath the blankets, rearranging them to allow a hand to emerge
without much else doing so. You see the familiar blue-green scales, but there's something subtly
different about the structure of her hand today. It's familiar, but difficult to put your finger on
exactly how. "Thank you," she mumbles gratefully.

"Sure," Ryotega responds in friendly tone. "Gave me somethin' ta do. Was just kinda wanderin' 'round
Spines." He falls back onto his butt with a bump, taking a seat beside Eleanor." Akaryuterra asks,
"Should I put more logs in the fire?"

You have emoted: Eleanor sniffs, another hand emerging to cup the flagon carefully. The firelight
gleams from her claws- actually, it's already pretty warm in here. "Don't think it'd help," she
grumbles. "I'd just go too far in the other direction instead."

Akaryuterra cocks his head. "Go too far? Are you comfortable at present?" he asks, probing
tentatively. He rests his hands in his lap, crossing his legs as he gazes at the fire thoughtfully.
"Stiff?"

You have emoted: Eleanor leans a little further forward, the hooded folds of the blanket that cover
her head hanging over the steam from the kawhe now. "I'm- not comfortable," she admits, "But- I'm,
uh. Functioning. Which is good."

Akaryuterra opens his mouth to speak, but pauses in consideration of what he had intended to say.
Slowly, his mouth closes, and he takes a moment to think of something else. "Always a good sign,
when you find you are functional." He confirms lamely. Again, silence hangs as he seems to regret
his response. "Can I do anything to help you?"

You have emoted: Eleanor huffs out a sigh. "I don't know," she admits. "I think I've done something
wrong, but I'm not really sure -what-. I know what's missing, it's the warmth, but maybe I missed
something in what's supposed to be there instead?" Her claws scrape on the flagon as her fingers
curl a little. "Or maybe- maybe I just don't know what I'm doing. I mean- I've got no experience, no
business with..." she trails off quickly into a mumble, as if trying to backtrack away from
something she's said or done.

Akaryuterra tilts his head. "You have changed something more than just your hands," he guesses. It's
hard to tell if he's being oblivious intentionally. "Since when does prior experience- or lack there
of- stop an experiment." After a moment, he corrects himself, "A Cabalist."

You have emoted: Eleanor exhales through her nose, the sound of it muffled in the blanket. "I know,"
she replies, her tone a little downtrodden. "It still feels like I'm walking somewhere- forbidden."

Akaryuterra reminds you, amusedly, "Didn't stop ya with that hand. Well, it did, but that was then
hand that stopped ya in yer tracks, not the experiment." At this, he laughs, "Aw man, that was a
day!"

You have emoted: This does rouse a chuckle from Eleanor, and she seems mildly cheered by the
reflection. "Well, yes," she admits. There's a pause- it gets a little awkward- and then she says,
abruptly, "I really--" she bites off, hesitates. "I really... want to show you, but I'm." She sounds
embarrassed. "Worried you'll... I mean, I... you're the expert here and." Her articulation breaks
down as the awkwardness tightens its grip on her.

Akaryuterra Ryotega Junakutz-Lionheart says, "Expert what?"
Akaryuterra's brows furrow, and you can feel his gaze on you. "At...transformation?"

You have emoted: Eleanor shakes her head, the blanket rustling softly. "...No..." she responds. You
hear her take a deep breath, and then she turns a little- she hooks a thumb underneath the edge of
the blanket and lifts it, peeking out shyly and meeting your eye for the first time. Her dark eyes
are bigger than they were, and her expression- what you can see of it- is shy, worried, but contains
a sliver of hope at what your reaction might be.

she is a wise Xorani and is short for her race, with a stocky, broad-hipped build. She is covered
head to toe in glossy, greenish-blue scales which fade to a paler teal under her chin and down her
front. Folded back along her head are a series of crests, spindly bones stretching thin bluish
membranes between them. Narrow, dark brown eyes look out from a round face with a short snout, and
small, lighter hued scales litter her cheeks like freckles. Her claws are short but well cared for,
and her tail is slender and tapering, easily as long as she is tall.

Akaryuterra's eyes never leave you. At first, worry sets in as you shake your head, followed by a
little hint of confusion. When you move, he looks down, his attention draw by the shifting blankets
before his eyes follow the motion to rest on the deep hood of blankets. These next few seconds feel
like they take an eternity as you uses a thumb hook the blanket and draw it back over your head.
Light creeps in, warm as the flickering firelight lands on your scales. The boys' eyes widen
substantially, and they stare in stunned silence. It takes a while, but they open their mouth, and a
jumbled series of sounds comes out. "We- OH- shit, that's- I don'tBel- I..." Reaching a hand to his
face, Ryotega drags his fingers down his sparse sacles. "Fucksake." The utterance is like the regret
you would expect from a boy talking to a girl he liked for the very first time, only to stutter
horribly and have his voice crack.

You have emoted: Eleanor squeaks, a flush coming up under her scales which turns her cheeks violet,
and she ducks her head, yanking the blanket down again and hunching her shoulders, huddling into the
safety of the cloth once more.

Akaryuterra mutters something to himself. Following that, he nods. "Right, lets try this again,
huh?" Ryotega asks. Another nod follows. "Elea, I don't know what ta say, cause I don't think I've
ever seen a better lookin' Xoran woman- an' fuck me if I've ever had a chance ta talk ta one like
this, but if I had a dick right now I'd probably be thinkin'a makin' real good use'a it." Several
seconds pass as the silence grows a little uncomfortable. "Eloquent." Akaryuterra states quite
simply. "Shut it." Ryotega retorts. "Eleanor, I think you look absolutely beautiful, your scale
color, and the patterning, they are simple, but in the way that inspires awe. Simple in the way that
it nearly baffles the mind to think such minimalism, such sparing use of space, can be so appealing.
" you can feel his large hand pet the blankets hiding your form. "Showoff." he mutters just audibly.

You have emoted: Eleanor shifts beneath your hand, taking a slow breath- then, hesitantly, she looks
up again, though she still looks like she might panic if you make any sudden movements. She tugs the
blanket around her shoulders, and it slips back further, getting you a look at the crests which are
currently flat against her head. "You..." she swallows, looking up at you. "You- mean that?" The
crests lift, just slightly, in a ridiculously endearing affectation like the ears of a worried dog.

Ryotega's expression becomes deadpan. "How much've a dick would I be if I said that ta my own wife
when she showed me somethin' she worked real damn hard on, but didn't mean a word've it?"
Akaryuterra responds in short order. "Monumental, I believe, would be the term. I would have- Shut
it."

You know they're arguing, but being able to see the boys' teeth through their flesh almost makes it
appear as though Akaryuterra is grinning mischievously.

You have emoted: The crests tremble, apparently undecided as to whether they want to be up or down.
Eleanor gives a breathy, nervous laugh. "You- you might have just been trying to make me feel better,
" she suggests in little more than a whisper.

"Elea, c'mon now, wouldn't ya think I'd be honest with ya, what with ya doin' all this fer us?"
Ryotega asks, genuinely worried by your quiet suggestion. "Neither of us is being false in the least,
 love." Akaryuterra assures you, his hand at your shoulder stroking gently, He leans a little closer,
 the distance between your to face dwindling as he approaches slowly.

You have emoted: Eleanor lifts her chin, and bumps her nose against you- she reels back a little,
flushed again, her eyes a little wide. You'd guess that she isn't quite used to where her mouth is,
judging by her flustered expression. The crests cringe back against her skull again. "Ah- sorry-"
she breathes, torn between ducking her head and still looking at your eyes.

Akaryuterra's lips tug up in a little smirk. "Calm down," he suggests, "I understand it will take a
while to get used to."

You have emoted: Eleanor makes a disconcerted squeaky noise- it's bizarre because it isn't quite a
sound she would have been capable of before, at once familiar and strange- and wraps her arms around
herself. "I feel dumb," she admits, looking down now. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

Akaryuterra responds simply, "Well stop feelin' dumb." He lifts his hand from your shoulder, slowly
lifting it to brush the back of his finger along your cheekbone. The contact is subtle, but present,
tender and affectionate. He smiles warmly at you.

You have emoted: Eleanor seems comforted by the gentle contact, leaning into it a little- she still
looks concerned, but relaxes a little at least. The blanket slips down her shoulders- you can see
that the paler scales of her front freckle out appealingly across her collar bones, and it's almost
certain she had your taste in mind when she was doing it.

Akaryuterra leans to the side slowly, apparently concerned he may yet startle you, and places a soft,
 warm kiss on the side of your snout.

Akaryuterra leans to the side slowly, apparently concerned he may yet startle you, and places a soft,
 warm kiss on the side of your snout.
Akaryuterra murmurs to you, "I meant every word I said."

You have emoted: Eleanor gives a hesitant little smile. "I'm- glad," she says, with an audible note
of relief, "That you- I mean. That you. Like it-- me-?" She swallows, and regains a little more of
her composure. "I still can't use my tail," she grumbles, in a familiar tone which is welcome given
the circumstances.

Akaryuterra Ryotega Junakutz-Lionheart says, "We can work on that some more."
Akaryuterra smiles, his black lips tugging up at the corners.
Akaryuterra cups your cheek- which in this case feels more like him laying his hand flat against the
side of your face. He slides his hand down, stroking his fingers along the side of your scale-clad
neck. "It was a conscious decision, yes? The patterning, I mean?"

You have emoted: Eleanor bites gently onto her lip- carefully, because you can see that her teeth
match the rest of the form. "I- yes," she admits, a little shyly, twisting the blanket around her
fingers. It's slipped to her elbows now, gradually revealing more of her as the quiet encounter goes
on.

Akaryuterra Ryotega Junakutz-Lionheart says, "Did I ever tell ya that I liked this?"
Akaryuterra raises an eyebrow. While he was looking at you as he asked the question, he is now quite
intent on watching the next few inches of the slow reveal.

You have emoted: Eleanor looks up at you, her crests lifting a little as her confidence gradually
comes back. "You... you liked it this way on skin," she reasons, then- with a hint of a smile- "So I
figured, you know... with the scales, as well?" The glossy scales down her front do have a bit of
shape that resembles the breasts she had as a mammal, but her upper body is a lot more streamlined
this way.

Akaryuterra admires the patterning, he gaze slowly moving out along your collarbone in the direction
of your shoulder. When hiz gaze reaches that particular part of your body, it tacks back in toward
your neck, taking in all the little details of the work you put into your scales. "It is amazing,
you know?"

You have emoted: Eleanor swallows, her smile gaining a little more solidity. "I- thank you," she
replies, a little shy but with a tone of genuine appreciation. There's still a hint of violet in her
cheeks, but she shuffles a little closer to you, not quite cuddling up but certainly getting nearer
your warmth.

Akaryuterra turns and wraps his arm around you. His frame, still much larger, is enough so that his
arm around your shoulders puts you right in the position to nestle your head in the indentation at
his shoulder. Though, the crests may prove a bit troublesome in regards to the curve therein.

You have emoted: Eleanor lays her head against you, but it presses the edge of her crest awkwardly-
she lifts it back up again, making a disgruntled noise and adjusting its position before settling
once more. "You're nice and warm," she murmurs, letting her eyes slip closed- now that you embrace
her she presses closer still, almost greedily soaking up your body heat.

Akaryuterra chuckles softly. "I thought you might like that. I know how it feels." he confides
quietly. His warmth is comforting, but in a way that the radiant heat of the fire can not quite
satisfy. Where the fire is warm, and even sunny, in a way, the heat coupled with the firmness of his
form against yours, and closely you can press to his body makes for an altogether deeper comfort.
Both visceral, and instinctual in this new form, his heat seeps into you, warming deep into your
muscles whereever you can make contact with him.

You have emoted: Eleanor makes a little noise almost like a purr, her arms around you now as she
clings closely. "I don't know," she murmurs sleepily, "If I made something wrong or if... I just
don't know how to manage my heat." She rubs her cheek against you. "It's not something I've had to
think about before."

"It took a long time for me to get accustomed to the weather in the Spires. Even then it was
sometimes a base lone of discomfort in times of year other than the summer." Akaryuterra explains as
the two of you snuggle a little closer. As if the idea has suddenly struck him, he tilts his head
and looks to your eye with one of his own, "Have you tried the thermae?"

You say, "Not, um. Really."

You have emoted: Eleanor shifts a little. "I didn't go far- I've been struggling to get the fire to
a level that isn't too warm or too cold. I start feeling sleepy at either end, so... it's hard."

Akaryuterra glances about, looking around the room in a suspcious manner, "I'll tell ya a secret."
He lets this promise hang for a few, long moments. "Just a LITTLE bit of Jhako goes a long way."

You have emoted: Eleanor is quiet for a good few moments. "...I didn't even think of that," she says,
 with a hint of amusement at her own shortcoming.

"I did not either, not for the longest time. It feels...like it should be there, just a part of your
body when you are a Xoran. It hardly registers that it could be corrected." Akaryuterra admits with
a warm chuckle. "I was probably fifty by the time I realized that could help me."

You have emoted: Eleanor curls around you somewhat, drawing her legs up to be against you as well.
"I might get the hang of it," she suggests. "I'm just used to... not having to worry except at
extremes."

With as much contact as you've managed to squeeze in, his warmth is certainly helping. Akaryuterra's
Idreth body seems to be about the right temperature for you as well, strangely. "I am only recently
getting used to only worrying in those cases.."

Akaryuterra presses a kiss to the top of your head, seeming completely okay with you finding more
parts to press against him as she clings closer.

You have emoted: Eleanor makes a small, murmurous sound into your chest. "I can see this getting
awkward," she says quietly, sounding amused. "You're not going to get anything done if I'm
constantly wanting to curl up on you."

Akaryuterra shakes his head, suggesting, "Nah, we can do paperwork under the house. Paper wouldn't
do so good in the thermae."

You have emoted: Eleanor's eye-ridges rise somewhat. "Under the house!" She seems to have forgotten
that that was a warm place. You might have lost your privacy there.

Akaryuterra tilts his head back, emitting a rumbling laugh before turning his gaze on you again.
"S'one'a the reasons it's there, Elea."

Akaryuterra Ryotega Junakutz-Lionheart says, "Actually, come to think, this may be good reason to
expand the area, as originally intended."

You have emoted: Eleanor looks up at you curiously. "What else did you even have planned?"

Akaryuterra shrugs. The feeling is a little odd, as the combination of scales and flesh creates a
strangely frictional feel of scales on skin, but also has spots where scales glide smoothely against
eachother.

Akaryuterra Ryotega Junakutz-Lionheart says, "A workshop, something for my woodwork and forging, and
maybe my research- not what's going on in my haven. More...typical research."
Akaryuterra Ryotega Junakutz-Lionheart says, "Dissection and the like."

Dreamily, you say, "A forge..."

Akaryuterra's expression changes to something a little difficult to read. Surprise, perhaps, with a
hint of amusement.
Akaryuterra Ryotega Junakutz-Lionheart says, "What's that look about?"

You have emoted: Eleanor blinks a few times, and flushes, her crests flattening in embarrassment. "I-
 um." She coughs. "It'd be. Really warm, is... is all I was thinking."

Akaryuterra hugs you tightly with one arm. "I get it, it's just funny ta hear ya talkin' like that."

You have emoted: Eleanor wrinkles her snout endearingly. "Well I'm glad you're amused," she mock-
huffs.

Akaryuterra turns his head to look down at you. His eyes meeting your. Practically entranced, he
simply stares, a warm smile pulling at his lips.

You have emoted: Eleanor keeps your gaze, letting the quiet moment of connection stretch onward-
it's strange, because they are those same familiar brown irises, even if they are in an almost
entirely different face. Her eye-ridges pinch upward, just slightly- the combination of that and her
big-eyed appearance make for a hell of an endearing expression.

Akaryuterra leans in a little closer, more slowly than last time.

You have emoted: Eleanor's lips part, just slightly- she holds still, rather than trying to meet the
gesture herself- likely she figures that you won't mess it up as she did if she doesn't interfere.