The sounds of purring, like a dozen huge housecats have gotten together permeates the room. In the dim light, a pile of about 10 Chirr'T'Thar are snoozing soundly. While the city was nearly destroyed a few days ago, they're not about to let this interfere with the important things, like sleep. And nestled under and around his Kech't Diane, is the dragon Shiran. Sleeping, but apparently not as soundly.
As a few of the huge centauroid felines shift around in their sleep, a few soft feathers start ticking Shiran's nose.
Shiran dozes.. o O {_I_ Snore?} And then suddenly blinks awake as something touches his nose; not more than that, though, since scales make it hard to be ticklish.
Shiran shifts, more by way of ease of breathing than anything else, and looks around. Mrph.
Diane snugs a wing around Shiran in her sleep and cuddles close, purrrring happily. While pressed against her side, Shiran gets kicked.
Shiran starts, twisting his head around. "Wha..?"
And another kick. This time it really seems to be coming from Diane's flank. Maybe somebody is kicking her on the other side?
Shiran squirms, trying to see if perhaps someone is over there, letting out something like a groan. After having the entire city after him, you'd think they'd at least let him sleep quietly?
Diane shifts a bit in her sleep, resting her flank against Shiran snugly. And a very noticeable 'kick' from her side. And this time it's clear no one is on her other side.
Shiran runs a hand up Diane's back, a grump fading as he blinks, all the way awake now. Someone, it seems, it restless.
As if sensing Shiran, the thumps concentrate by his hand. Playing apparently.
Diane stirs slightly.
Shiran grins, and leans up to nudge Diane, whispering; "Mmph. Give me some room? Someone's kicking."
Diane mmmfs, "Oh? OH! The cub?!"
Shiran nodnods! Then, still keeping his voice quiet. "Sorry to wake you..."
Shiran blinks, tilting his head. Wait a sec.. that reaction was a bit emphatic for simply being woken...
Diane wakes up rapidly, which is a rare occasion and runs her hand down her flank as she feels a few more kicks (more noticeable inside to her of course). She grins, "It's ok. So, we have a live one it seems. ;)"
Shiran rubs his side. "You could say that." e looks around. "Mrph. He's got Coper's sense of timing, though.." He winks, grinning. "..and I hope we won't wake anyone?" The grin stops as he takes another look at the room; 10-odd felitaurs having their sleep interrupted might not be fun.
Diane grins and whispers, "Well, first off, it's nearly time to get up anyhow. ;)"
Diane grins wider and purrs, "And of course, as children are so precious to us... ;)"
Diane nearly roars, "THE CUB IS KICKING!"
Shiran winces, and ducks! "Yipe!" His hand goes over the earfan that was just about directly yelled into, as he watches a probable sudden awakening, amused.
The pile jumps with a start into a riot of felitaurs scrambling to their feet with cries of, "Really? Can I feel it?" and Zaura pads up first, giving her daughter a hug, "Congratulations."
Shiran stands up and stretches, the need to not wake the sleepers gone, leaning unsteadily against Diane whilst his feet (somewhat slow since certain recent incidents) steady under him.
Zaura gives Shiran a hug too, "So, how does it feel to know that you'll be a father? You obviously already know how it feels to be a sire. ;)"
Shiran pulls free, shaking his wings out. "So much for peace and quiet, hmmm?" For all his apparent bemusement, he does take the chance to press an earfan to Diane's side..
Ryenar chuckles as his mates tease Shiran. And Shiran can hear the faint odd sounding (to him) heartbeat of the cub.
Shiran blushes furiously at the comment, but headrubs Zaura. "It feels.. mmm. Overwhelming." He stands back, looking up to the felitaur. "Errrr... well."
Meanwhile, Sabra and Velosa, Diane's other mom's, are also checking along her flanks and purring congratulations. Sapphis just looks jealous and then winks at Shiran.
Diane grins, "Be nice to him mom. I'm sure he'll be just as good a father as he is a sire. ;)"
Shiran is caught between Sapphis' wink and Diane's tease, and duck his nose, covering his eyes as his ears go white. Beset at all side by felitaurs.. Help! ;)
Shiran does, however, manage to clear his head enough to raise an eyeridge. "Errrr.. let us hope so."
Ryenar pads up and pats Shiran on the back, "I'm sure you will. Well, this will be good news to talk about at the gathering tonight."
Shiran raises an eyeridge as he commences a proper set of morning stretches. "Gathering?"
Ryenar nods, "Yes, one of the other clans is holding a gathering this evening. And it's partly to talk with you Shiran, about the mess we all made."
Shiran groans. "Do we really have to go over that again?" He grits his teeth as he throws a somewhat-battered wing out to full extension. "I've been trying to forget about that."
Diane nods, "I agree, it wasn't Shiran's fault, he was just trying to help father!"
Ryenar puts up his paws in defense, "It's not a tribunal. It's just our way of settling the matter, by inviting him to a gathering, they're trying to say that as far as they're concerned, it's over and back to normal."
Shiran looks up to Diane. "Not that way. The whole incident.. ah." He looks to Ryenar with considerable relief. "I'd prefer that, all around. Exchanging cannon fire is not something I like dragged out and repeated, all faults aside."
Ryenar nods and purrs, "And we realized it wouldn't have mattered much if you HAD kept your armband on. Yes, we might have been able to figure out who you were before you got that device, but it would have detonated on your arm. All in all, it worked out for the best. I'm not happy about young mels using energy weapons against my daughter's mate either Shiran. ;)"
Sapphis keeps looking at Shiran and then at Diane's swollen flank, pondering.
Shiran pulls both his left shoulders into a contortive move., briefly, before standing straight and inclining his head. "Though I'm at least happy to report that whatever those are, they're impressive.. If nothing else, your devices seem to work admirably." He shakes his head. "There was a miscommunication. For all that.. it worked out." He sighs, then raises an eyeridge. "Copernicus rubbed off on my, yes?"
The whole family goes silent for a moment and Diane purrs, "I hope not. The Rockhoppers have their own brand of trouble. ;)"
Sapphis speaks up, "I know you don't want a full mating group, but are you SURE you wouldn't like another mate?"
Ryenar, Velos and Sabra chuckle, while Zaura sighs and shakes her head at her youngest daughter.
Shiran nods, mock-sagely, to Diane. "I'll try not to add.. _too_ much to that, and I confess to wondering what 'brand' of..." He stops, and his much-abused earfans go sheet-white, as the dwagon stops for a moment, caught... speechless.
Diane snaps her tail against her sisters flank, and Sapphis eeps, "OW! Hey, I was only asking. No need to be so greedy."
Zaura purrs, "Enough of that Sapphis. You can find your own group to join when it's time."
Shiran manages a rather weak grin. "Errrrrr... one is more than plenty, I'm afraid, for this relatively small dragon." He stutters a couple of the words, obviously taken somewhat aback.
Ryenar is doing his best not to laugh out loud, and is losing his breath trying to do so. Zaura finally steps in, "I'm sure that's enough teasing for now. It's a long time till this evening, so we all have work to do. As do you Sapphis."
Diane grins to Shiran, "No need to worry. Sapphis doesn't start puberty for a couple more years. ;)"
Shiran looses himself in a businesslike strap-together of his tunic-harness. "I'll believe that.." He throws Diane a _look_.. apparently that comment was not at all reassuring.
Diane looks a bit confused, but figures Shiran will explain later. She purrs, "So, what do you want to do today kecharra?"
Sapphis pouts, but leaps through the open roof and takes off flying, as do most of the felitaurs.
Shiran frowns, setting the band about his arm and re-strapping it. "Something calmer, I think. Mostly, I'd like to stay out of everyone's way; I doubt I'm terribly popular at the moment."
Shiran grins. "Something tells me this is going to be more than a short visit, and.. I'd rather not stay the useless guest the whole time."
Diane blinks and snugs Shiran with a wing, "Don't be silly. If you hadn't taken the device, that entire weapons complex would have been destroyed, taking several hundred lives with it. And if those....those....celibatists! hadn't opened fire and had gone to talk to you first, you never would have gotten close enough to the fusion plants to threaten the city.
Shiran leans up against Diane, prrrrrling quietly. "I know.. be that as it may, and even putting incidents aside, I think I'll be here awhile. I'd rather not be dead weight, at least not completely, if I can help it."
Diane hmms and nods, "So, you want to be of some use. I'm sure we could use it. Those horrid ships attacked Nexus recently, killing quite a few Chirr'T'Thar, and have landed some troops on remote parts of that planet. Copernicus is dealing with the removal of those troops. It's such a mess, and so senseless."
Shiran frowns. "Troops? Wonderful. Well.. I'm not much with your technology, but if you need a nimble-handed Weaver.. I bay be of some help."
Diane hmms, "I'm sure we can find something for a skilled librarian to do. C'mon, let's get breakfast, then we can check with my supervisor. Sound ok?"
Shiran shakes his head rapidly, snapping it back and forth before ruffling and settling his wings. "Sounds like a plan." He turns, looking up, smiling. "Shall we, love? And thank you.."
Diane mrrrps? "Thank me for what?"
Shiran chuckles and snugs the tortoiseshell felitaur. "For the latest in a long list of wonders. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm starved...." So saying, he heads off, starting a hopefully-quiet day.