[PRP] Don't Look! (Mari, Jarah, Lyra, Ash)

[Thaliawen]

Marinel normally went out of his way to find Jarah. The other boy was handsome, sweet, and--well, Marinel hadn't exactly acted on his feelings, but he was sure something was between them. Something, maybe something unnamed. Was it love? Was it something else?

Whatever it was, it made him want to avoid Jarah. How did he face him now, with the scar on his face? It'd been cleaned sure. It'd started healing and itching a while ago, but every time he saw it, he winced. He'd never thought of himself as someone vain.

He couldn't see Jarah like this.

It's that boy again,[/[ Lyraeth observed, looking to Ashtoreth. The boy who tended to tell them stories about how his firelizards had escaped his attention again. He didn't seem in such a good mood on this day.  

[Dragon Berri]

Hmm? Ash turned away from where she'd been stealing glimpses of Licerth and looked where Lyraeth gestured. Poor thing. Wonder where the other one is? She remembered seeing him often with another boy before the Hatching that scarred him but now she couldn't think when the last time she'd seen them together was.

Jarah sighed. Heavily. He missed spending time with Marinel but after the Hatching, every time he tried to hang out with him the other boy was supposedly busy. Jarah felt an absurd amount of guilt for not being right there next to Marinel when it happened. Was that why Mari was avoiding him? Was he mad that Jarah hadn't been there to protect him? He'd been torturing himself like this for a long time now. Jarah wasn't usually like this and he needed to do something about it. But what?  

[Thaliawen]

Maybe they stopped seeing each other. People do that. Maybe he didn't tell the other boy he loved him. Just like Ash had so far failed to tell Licerth how she felt about him. Lyraeth knew all about that scandal, Licerth often lamented that he didn't know how Ashtoreth felt about him. That makes him a lot like you. Lyraeth gave an amused rumble.

Marinel missed him. He looked over and spotted the two golds before scowling and sticking his hands in his pockets. He kicked his foot at the ground. What to do, what to do... He couldn't see Jarah, but... Why did not seeing him hurt so much?  

[Dragon Berri]

Ashtoreth cut a sidelong glare at the other gold and decided it would be better not to comment on that. What she did or did not tell Licerth was her own business and if Licerth had been talking to another gold about her, well... Well. She might have to have words with him later. Maybe so. They didn't seem close to breaking up, though. Maybe it's something else.

Ugh. This was stupid. He was Jarah! Son of a green rider! He shouldn't sit here and wait for Marinel to be unbusy. He needed to just go find him and ask why he was avoiding him. He wanted answers and shard it he would get them. With a determined look on his face, he stood and made his way to where the dragons relaxed. Perhaps one of them could point him in the right direction.  

[Thaliawen]

Ashtoreth was right. They hadn't seemed like they had been about to break up. They'd always seemed happy together. Maybe, she agreed. It was a mystery, if that was the case. Maybe the other boy will come soon.

And come he did. She gestured with her tail at the other boy, in case Jarah didn't spot him right away. I hope whatever it is, they fix it. I like watching the young ones be happy. Marinel didn't seem to notice Jarah, he was busy staring at the ground. He'd noticed the dragons watching him, though, and sent them both a look.  

[Dragon Berri]

The large gold went back to peeking at Licerth, nodding at her friend's words. Perhaps he will, she said, missing it when the other boy came. As do I. It's sweet and sometimes amusing. A chuckle rumbled out of her as she turned back to see the dark skinned boy approaching. He looks determined.

Jarah was about to walk up to the pair of (probably) gossiping golds when one of them pointed with her dual-tipped tail. He grinned his thanks and waved at them before heading toward Marinel again. He needed answers, and he wasn't going to leave until he got them. Or... He didn't want to think about that.

"Marinel!" he called out and waved, offering him an adoring smile as he jogged closer.  

[Thaliawen]

He does. He looks like a dragon who's going to win a flight. Lyraeth gave a rumble of amusement.

Mari looked up at Jarah's voice. Oh no. Oh no, he couldn't see him like this. It was too late, though. He couldn't run, that would make it worse.

"Hi, Jarah," he forced an awkward smile. Had the dragons summoned the other boy?  

[Dragon Berri]

Ashtoreth snorted at the comparison, but it was accurate and she said as much to Lyraeth. Watching Licerth could wait; she was much more interested in seeing how these two would end up.

Jarah smiled crookedly as he came closer. "Hey," he said, a little lamely. "So uh...why are you avoiding me?" Smooth, Jarah, real smooth. Just come right out with it. No dancing around the bush, just...blurt it right out. Guys love that crap.  

[Thaliawen]

Oh no. He’d noticed. Marinel looked away and towards the two golds. “I haven’t been avoiding you,” he denied. “I’ve just been busy.”

At least he hadn’t mentioned the scar yet. Maybe he could escape.  

[Dragon Berri]

"No, you've definitely been avoiding me." Jarah wasn't going to give up that easily. Even though he wanted to, just to wipe that look from Marinel's face. They had always found time before to be together, even if it was just a few stolen moments before curfew or chores. "Please, is it something I've done?" he asked. He would hate to have done anything to lose Marinel, just the thought of it made his heart hurt.

Ashtoreth settled further down, laying her head on the ground in such a way as to be able to still watch the boys. They probably wanted privacy for this but Ashtoreth was too nosy to give it to them and she suspected that Lyraeth was as well.  

[Thaliawen]

“No, I haven’t,” Mari argued. “I haven’t been avoiding you. I’ve been busy with lessons and—“ he hesitated. “No, it’s nothing you’ve done,” he said, and shook his head. “You haven’t done anything wrong.”

Lyraeth laud her head down. I hope they make up.  

[Dragon Berri]

"But we haven't spent any real time together since the hatching, and I've got the same lessons as you." Jarah reached for Marinel's hand, having missed their easy affection from before. "Please talk to me, Mari, I miss you," he said, reaching his free hand up to brush his knuckles over the other boy's cheek.

Ashtoreth heaved a sigh. As do I.  

[Thaliawen]

Caught, he was caught and there was nothing he could do about it. Jarah knew him too well. “I miss you too,” he admitted. “I...” He flinched away from Jarah’s hand. “I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you.”  

[Dragon Berri]

Jarah frowned when Mari flinched from his hand. He'd never done that before, so what had changed? Jarah looked to the cheek he'd been about to touch and it hit him like a load of firestone.

"Is it...your scar?" he asked quietly.  

[Thaliawen]

It took several moments for Marinel to respond. He rubbed his cheek with his hand self consciously. “I didn’t want you to see me like this,” he admitted. “Stupid, huh? You see me in lessons all the time. But when we’re together, it’s different...” he sighed. “I dunno. I never thought I was vain, till now.”