[PRP] Makeshift Family (Elibrie/Juhvek)

[demon_pachabel]

Juhvek idly stroked the little blue in his hand, though his expression had again turned to something less readable than it had been when the tickle-fest in his ear had been happening.

"I said it was fine - there's no reason to lie about it. It isn't as though he bit me or something like that," there had been a testing nibble, but beyond that he'd been deemed 'not food', apparently. "I know not many will be so, but if he can get his curiosities out on someone more willing it will make it easier in the long run - at least I would think so."

If he'd not been petting the little blue, he would have offered Elibrie his hand to squeeze. "You're doing fine - deep breaths, okay?"

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Though there was nothing stern in his tone, no reprimand in his words at all, Turns of habit made it hard not to read anything into it. Though he might not have been bothered that her flit had stuck its nose in his ear, should she not have questioned him when he first said it was okay. "Of course. I...know you wouldn't lie." She twisted her fingers together and glanced down, focusing on Chomps to avoid eye contact. "But still, I should teach him not to do it. Soon."

Before he stuck his nose in someone else's ear, and they weren't so nice about it. "Thank you. I'm- being silly, I'm sorry."

Which was only to be expected, as it was very much a typically 'girlish' thing to do, but she should have at least had the composure to not let herself be so visibly flustered. It wasn't proper.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

At her apology, Juhvek sat up straighter, tilting his head at Elibrie with the same unchanging expression he always had.

"You're not being silly. You're doing your best - don't be sorry for it."

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Oh. Well then.

Elibrie looked up long enough to blink at Juhvek, at an absolute loss for a moment and more than a little intimidated on a number of levels. She knew full well that she was being silly, and that she should be sorry for it, but he was telling her that she was not being silly and should not be sorry...and what could she do but what she was told? Particularly given who it was coming from.

"Okay."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Okay?" Juhvek repeated, brows lifting slightly while he idly rubbed around the little blue's chin and cheeks. "Okay. Never apologize for trying hard and encountering obstacles. You're already doing better at raising this little guy and his...brothers?" did Elibrie consider them all to be her 'babies' perhaps? "than I could. I promise, your best is enough and never something to apologize for."

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Elibrie opened her mouth only to shut it. She knew that she ought to be sorry for her flit misbehaving, and for second-guessing Juhvek's response, and for being silly. Which she had definitely been. But she wouldn't - couldn't - argue against him. She also wanted to assure him that he would doubtless be at least as good at raising flits as she was (but probably better), but that would also skirt dangerously close to arguing, and she had dug herself quite the hole already.

"If you think so," she replied finally, watching the little blue chirrup and melt happily in the young man's hands. Having laid himself across her shoulders, Lullaby provided a faint comforting hum, while Chomps enjoyed gentle rubs behind his headknobs. Left with little she felt would be acceptable to say on the matter, she fished for something in less dangerous waters. "I've been trying to decide what to call him. Any ideas?"

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"I do." Juhvek stated, no wiggle room allowed in the opinion.

Peering down at the little flitter resting in his hands, Juhvek frowned in thought. That was a mighty high order of a question. "Hmmmm...." he pondered, watching the affectionate, curious little guy and trying to think of what he would call a firelizard based on only that sort of information. Juhvek hadn't thought about naming anything else before, honestly.

"Snoop, maybe?"

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"Snoop, hmm?" Elibrie leaned forward to ask the opinion of the little ttoublemaker himself. "What do you think, baby? Are you a Snoop?"

The hatchling flit perked up to attention and warbled in response to being addressed, with a tiny hiccup at the end that quite startled him. !!!! His eyes flashed yellow and he whipped around to cheep his confusion at Juhvek. What was that?! And then...and then it happened again! What was happening to him?! He started to creel his confusion, but was interrupted by yet another hiccup.

???!!!!

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

The confused, hiccuping little baby may have been one of the cutest things Juhvek had ever seen. "You're OK, little one," he said softly with all of the reassurances his level voice could actually give. He did, however offer more scritches to maybe appease some of that worry. "Did you eat too fast?"

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Hiccup. Prrrrp. Hiccup. Cheeeep-iccup. The newly-christened Snoop, exhausted by his feast, his explorations, and now his hiccups, slowly sagged down in spite of himself. Whatever these were, he didn't have the energy to figure it out, and seemingly surrendered to them, even as each one twitched his whole body.

"Poor baby! Being so little and so hungry is tough, isn't it?" Elibrie cooed sympathetically. "Although if it is from eating too fast, it's a wonder Chomps doesn't have hiccups all the time."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

Juhvek cradled the little blue as he sagged. "Do you want him back or should I keep holding him until he finishes with all this?" Hiccups were rather unenjoyable when one did know what they were. "He's having the roughest of times being a little curious baby," he agreed, however, though there was no ounce of baby talk in his voice.

"Which one is Chomps?"

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"He seems pretty content there to me, hiccups aside," Elibrie answered. Even if she itched to hold the sleepy little baby, she didn't want to disturb him, either...and it was really very cute to watch Juhvek with him. It occurred to her that perhaps she should ask the other Candidate if he minded continuing the hiccupping firelizard, just to be absolutely sure, but after earlier that was probably a bit excessive.

"Oh, Chomps is the cranky one. Lord Chomps," she clarified, although it was clear from her grin that she didn't actually take the 'title' that seriously. "He's very distinguished, aren't you?" She tapped him gently on his shoulder, and he huffed.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"That's fine, then. I wasn't sure if you'd rather comfort him," Juhvek admittedly knew very little about how something like this would feel through a bond with a firelizard....or really anything one could be bonded to. Just like the little blue was admittedly very cute. He continued to idly scritch the hiccuping little baby.

Juhvek wasn't sure what was considered cranky in this case until Elibrie nudged the one who had pointedly seemed to dislike him. Ah. Maybe that was normal behavior for the firelizard, then. "Ah, I see I am in distinguished company, I didn't realize," there was a hint of a smile on his own lips that betrayed similar amusement to what Elibrie had expressed.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"It's alright. I think he's feeling a little better, and I wouldn't want to throw him off." The hiccups were starting to subside, and he'd finally slouched all the way over. Disrupting that seemed unnecessary.

"Mm-hm," Elibrie confirmed with a serious nod, even as Chomps yawned, sharp little teeth pointedly on display. "From the esteemed lineage of Sir Sneaks. And Tunnelsnake." Clearly, he'd come by his tendencies honestly.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Tunnelsnake," Juhvek repeated, though if he thought it was funny nothing in his face betrayed it. That name said enough about the firelizard in question and what their owner thought of them. Clever. "What pedigree he has."

He then looked down to the little snoop in his arms. "What about this one?"

Meepfur