For a moment he stared, unsure of what to do--and then he remembered one of their very first arguments. Hands. So there was one thing Maurice could do that Hanna possibly couldn't! It made him feel important.
"Of course."
He stood and carefully undid the clasp of the hoop and sucked air through his teeth at the sight of the hole. It seemed to have healed well enough but his arrow had flown true. It would never fully close.
"I really am sorry," he said as he fitted the earring into place and closed the clasp. "Isn't too heavy, is it?"
Well, Hanna technically could have put it on himself, but since it was a gift, and he was indulging, then of course he wasn't even going to try to do it but ask instead. Nothing could go wrong. And when the weight of it was on his ear, it flicked a little, the little thing jingling slightly before Hanna could get a hold of his own ear functions. He wasn't used to the weight, but it wasn't too heavy either.
He smiles a dragon-y smile and ferrets his way over to his work bench, left over liquid sitting in a pot, considering his reflection. "It's rather lovely...Thank you my lord!"
And then, because Hanna's an ass, he'll lean against his bench, that smile slowly turning into something else. Smug? Sultry? Who knew with that dragon face. "So, since I've accepted, when's the wedding? I like the sound of late spring..."
Maurice watched Hanna with growing hope once again. This apprenticeship could be repaired! And maybe even this tentative friendship too. Is that what it was? He found himself wanting to impress the dragon more for the sake of making him proud than for fear of being eaten for failing.
He stood and turned to watch him when the dragon went to admire his reflection. With a relieved sigh, he tugged his riding gloves off and pushed his filthy hair out of his face.
"You're welcome. If the asymmetry starts to bother you, I could always do the--" Maurice's attempt at teasing came to a screeching halt when Hanna beat him to the punch with one of his own. The prince froze, eyes wide and mouth open. The sound that came out of him wasn't terribly unlike one slowly stepping on a mostly deflated bagpipe.
"I think I'm fine with just the one, thanks." He returns, waiting for the reaction, and then it came, and he snorted, hard. Smoke billowed from his nose as he laughed, "Didn't I tell you? Gifts of earrings are a traditional dragon courting present, the start of the ritual."
He wasn't sure he could spout more shit from his mouth at one time if he tried. But that look on Maurice's face was too much, he kept laughing, his tail smacking against the ground, earring jingling. "Okay, okay, I give. Your face is too much. I was joking! Maurice, my lord, really. Don't forget to breathe."
Maurice's face stayed the same for a long moment even after Hanna had revealed his trick. He was a stained glass mural of horror, confusion, frustration, and then finally exasperation.
"You horrible-- you wretched-- augh!" He threw his hands into the air and moved to sit. He missed his seat entirely and almost ended up on the floor before scrabbling for the edge of the table to save himself. When the prince sat his head was low on his shoulders like a vulture and he seethed as he watched the serpent laugh and spout smoke.
Maurice reached up to massage his temples. "It's been a long two days and I'm going to need a lot of wine."
"I am comedy gold," He returns proudly, practically preening his pristine scales. He'll move over to the fire and check the meat, sure that it's done and extinguish the flame with his claws. Seeing as it had been going so well, it's rather impressive, and a good show of how fire proof his outsides really are, but he'll not even think on it much, just get the deer ready to be plated. At least for Maurice anyways. He didn't bother with plates.
In any case, when Maurice mentions wine, he'll grin, an idea coming to mind, and he'll nod to the deer, "Finish getting that ready and I'll be right back." And without another word he disappeared towards the store room.
"More like a rusty soup tureen," Maurice muttered, standing to his feet again and moving to the deer.
As he took to the job, he finally blew out all the frustration that had been building up inside him. He was sure they could laugh it off tomorrow but Hanna's joke had made his heart jump in his chest and for the life of him, the prince could not figure out why.
Exhaustion, maybe. He'd exposed himself to the elements for days. He probably had a fever! Woe was him!
By the time Hanna had returned, Maurice had made admittedly nice work of placing the meat on the table, ribs facing upward and parted.
Unaware of the mental turmoil Maurice was in after his innocent joke, Hanna appears from the hall a while later with what could be labeled as 'too much wine'. He sat two incredibly large containers on the table, making it creek and the third he carried in his tail. He set it down as well and sat for dinner, taking in a rather large breath to enjoy the smells in the cavern.
"There, all ready for your big welcome home." Which was about as much as Hanna would admit to missing Maurice as he would sober. "Want some wine? It's a good year."
Maurice looked up at the sound of footfalls and made yet another great face at the sight of the casks. It was probably fortunate that all this teasing came at once. It was honestly good practice. He'd learn jokes from honest requests eventually.
Hanna was rewarded with a royal eyeroll.
"I think this may do. If not, I'm sure we could scrounge up some more somewhere."
"Oh, I was asking just to be nice. This is all for me," He grins, though whether or not he's joking is questionable. Well, it is until he pours Maurice a glass, sure that the large cask would be far too much for him to drink. Hanna on the other hand? When he indulged he could tuck in real good.
He'll curl around the dinner table though, start to eat and drink from one of the casks, quite thoroughly enjoying his meal. Occasionally he would get distracted by the dangley earring, but it wasn't a bad kind. He enjoyed it and it made him smile every time it caught his eye.
"So, my lord." He starts, casually sipping his wine. "What did you have to trade for a piece like this? It's rather nice."
This time, Maurice waited before protesting or flying into some kind of fit about injustice. Sure enough, a glass for him came. He downed it quickly and asked for another. The walk had left him dehydrated.
For a while he ate in silence and even waited a while after Hanna asked about the earring's cost to answer. It was just nice to finally eat some of what he'd killed.
"Three stags, a string of rabbits, and a pheasent--I was afraid it was too small but he only wanted the feathers for hats." Maurice shrugged and held his goblet out for more wine, already feeling dozy. "Lucky too, because I think that was the last one in the field."
If Maurice hadn't looked so pink-cheeked already after two glasses, Hanna might have been impressed with his drinking. But it's obvious to him that he's thirsty and definitely drinking far more quickly than he really aught to.
"You should drink more slowly," he comments casually, pouring him another glass regardless and tipping one of the casks back himself, long throat working on every swallow. If he were more sloppy, the wine might color his mouth like rouge might, a red ring around white scaly lips. In all honestly if he made it to the second one, it might still, he tended to sway when drunk.
"But, that's rather impressive. You went above and beyond for quality." His claws fiddle with the ring, smiling, "I appreciate that."
"I'm thirsty!" Maurice shook his goblet insistently until the dragon poured him a second drink.
At the praise, though, the prince puffed out his chest and gave Hanna a lopsided smile. "You're welcome. Mmmaybe tomorrow I could show you some trick shots now that I'm back in practice!"
"There is water you know, you don't have to suck down your wine like you're never going to have another drop again." He returns, though if Maurice wanted to get drunk, then he wouldn't stop him. He stares at his human companion a moment though, curious before deciding on a very bad idea. "Though, if you're so insistent, I could challenge you to a drinking contest." He smiles wide.
"If you think the odds aren't in your favor, we can try it with my other shape." Not that it would curb his appetite or ability to hold his drink, but Maurice didn't know that.
In any case, he'll nod sagely at the offer, sure that if Maurice had a few days to practice it would be easier to indulge him. "If you don't pierce the other ear, I think I can manage."
"Well, over confidence is a weapon, I'll take it, my lord." Hannacross says smoothly, nodding his head in a sort of bow before his whole body starts to shrink. It's an odd process, his wings wrapping around his body, limps pulling in, tail all but disappearing, but when the process ends, the fibers of his wings turn to cloth, falling down and around his much smaller shoulders, and the shock of red hair is there again, white cloak around him, barefoot as usual, but pristine. To add to the magic, the ring still dangles, having changed in shape as well to suit. It took a little bit more concentration, but he thinks it will be easy enough in the future to manage.
Instead of sitting, Hanna is now standing at the table, bowing before he takes a moment to consider the cask he had been previously drinking straight from, a little large now for a human of his small stature to handle, and shrugs, heading to grab another glass. "Well, perhaps if it came with more beautiful jewelry, I might ask for another hole, but if it's out of anger, yes. I'll keep you to your word, Maurice."
Maurice straightened up when Hanna began changing. He lowered his wine and watched in open awe. Magic. Perhaps, once he had finished more of his copywork, he could watch the dragon work on his potions.
And he did notice the earring staying in place. He hadn't even thought about what would happen to it! Amazing.
He rubbed his face and held his glass up to Hanna once he'd filled his own. A toast! To what, he didn't know. He just felt like this was something to celebrate.
Returning with his glass, he had just finished pouring himself more when Maurice lifted his towards him. The dragon, now human shaped, wore a very serious expression of confusion. What was that? Did...did he want to share?
Was this some sort of human ritual? He thought drinking together was a human thing already. Don't tell him there is more...
"What is that...what are you doing?" Help. He doesn't know.
The prince looked between the wizard and his glass, suddenly feeling a little silly. Like his human thing wasn't worthy of being known by dragons but...well, really how else was Hanna going to find out about it.
"It's...something called a toast! I don't know why it's called that, but, well, when there's something to celebrate like..." Maurice rubbed his scratchy chin as he thought. "Like a battle victory! Or a great hunt! Or to welcome esteemed guests...the list goes on and on...but you hold your drink aloft and I suppose in less civilized places they actually knock the glasses together but that makes a mess."
"Oh..." Hanna had spent most of his life quite alone. He was the aloof wizard that traveled in and out of town, selling his wares, but never did he sit down in a tavern to eat a meal, to have a drink. He came into town, and then left, and despite his small size, never purchased anything but ingredients for potions and never food. He was a real mystery.
"I suppose I've never seen one before...So it's to celebrate." He considers Maurice's glass, raising his own and as gently as he can, tinks the glass against the side of Maurice's. "Because I'm mostly civilized, I think we can have a happy medium. But...how are you supposed to say it? I want to celebrate something but...is there a way you should word it? I don't want to sound stupid."
Maurice stood, nearly caught his boot on his stool and took a tumble, and held his drink up. He loudly cleared his throat and imitated his mother's speeches.
"Guests! I would like to raise a toast to a bountiful hunt! And..." He leaned a little to see Hanna on the other side of his goblet. "Mended friendships."
He waited.
He then stage-whispered, "You raise your glass up and just repeat the last part of what I said."
Hanna does stand, and he's trying not to laugh. This all is a little silly to him, but he supposes it makes sense. "To mended friendships," He repeats, though he seems he isn't done, glass still raised.
"And for the return of my apprentice, who has much better handwriting even if his sense of humor needs a little work," He finishes, winking at Maurice before taking his seat again and drinking from his glass. After he tips the whole thing back, he'll look at his companion, casually. "How did I do?"
Hanna, who couldn't figure out just why he thought it was a better smile than any he had seen on the man, positively beamed.
And yet, there was a competition to be had. Hanna wouldn't let him off easy. "Just don't spill most of it with that wild gesturing of yours. Or we can give you half a glass at a time if you need the handicap." He pours himself another glass and drinks, leaning over to slide the one untouched cask in front of him with the one they had been working on in front of Maurice. "If you lose it, or pass out, you forfeit."
"Spout off all you want, you'll be singing a different tune from underneath the table soon enough!"
Maurice talked a big game but after his fifth glass, he'd dissolved into a snickering mess. He had to hold his head up with one hand to keep it off the table. The prince's hair had fallen into his face and the peered at Hanna both mystified, frustrated, and amused from between his parted fingers.
"You know you...you could always do polkadots next time you do your--your--your. You know. Your thing with the...colors!"
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theattic2014-11-09 08:06 pm
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"Of course."
He stood and carefully undid the clasp of the hoop and sucked air through his teeth at the sight of the hole. It seemed to have healed well enough but his arrow had flown true. It would never fully close.
"I really am sorry," he said as he fitted the earring into place and closed the clasp. "Isn't too heavy, is it?"
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He smiles a dragon-y smile and ferrets his way over to his work bench, left over liquid sitting in a pot, considering his reflection. "It's rather lovely...Thank you my lord!"
And then, because Hanna's an ass, he'll lean against his bench, that smile slowly turning into something else. Smug? Sultry? Who knew with that dragon face. "So, since I've accepted, when's the wedding? I like the sound of late spring..."
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He stood and turned to watch him when the dragon went to admire his reflection. With a relieved sigh, he tugged his riding gloves off and pushed his filthy hair out of his face.
"You're welcome. If the asymmetry starts to bother you, I could always do the--" Maurice's attempt at teasing came to a screeching halt when Hanna beat him to the punch with one of his own. The prince froze, eyes wide and mouth open. The sound that came out of him wasn't terribly unlike one slowly stepping on a mostly deflated bagpipe.
"!?!?!"
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He wasn't sure he could spout more shit from his mouth at one time if he tried. But that look on Maurice's face was too much, he kept laughing, his tail smacking against the ground, earring jingling. "Okay, okay, I give. Your face is too much. I was joking! Maurice, my lord, really. Don't forget to breathe."
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"You horrible-- you wretched-- augh!" He threw his hands into the air and moved to sit. He missed his seat entirely and almost ended up on the floor before scrabbling for the edge of the table to save himself. When the prince sat his head was low on his shoulders like a vulture and he seethed as he watched the serpent laugh and spout smoke.
Maurice reached up to massage his temples. "It's been a long two days and I'm going to need a lot of wine."
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In any case, when Maurice mentions wine, he'll grin, an idea coming to mind, and he'll nod to the deer, "Finish getting that ready and I'll be right back." And without another word he disappeared towards the store room.
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As he took to the job, he finally blew out all the frustration that had been building up inside him. He was sure they could laugh it off tomorrow but Hanna's joke had made his heart jump in his chest and for the life of him, the prince could not figure out why.
Exhaustion, maybe. He'd exposed himself to the elements for days. He probably had a fever! Woe was him!
By the time Hanna had returned, Maurice had made admittedly nice work of placing the meat on the table, ribs facing upward and parted.
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"There, all ready for your big welcome home." Which was about as much as Hanna would admit to missing Maurice as he would sober. "Want some wine? It's a good year."
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Hanna was rewarded with a royal eyeroll.
"I think this may do. If not, I'm sure we could scrounge up some more somewhere."
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He'll curl around the dinner table though, start to eat and drink from one of the casks, quite thoroughly enjoying his meal. Occasionally he would get distracted by the dangley earring, but it wasn't a bad kind. He enjoyed it and it made him smile every time it caught his eye.
"So, my lord." He starts, casually sipping his wine. "What did you have to trade for a piece like this? It's rather nice."
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For a while he ate in silence and even waited a while after Hanna asked about the earring's cost to answer. It was just nice to finally eat some of what he'd killed.
"Three stags, a string of rabbits, and a pheasent--I was afraid it was too small but he only wanted the feathers for hats." Maurice shrugged and held his goblet out for more wine, already feeling dozy. "Lucky too, because I think that was the last one in the field."
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"You should drink more slowly," he comments casually, pouring him another glass regardless and tipping one of the casks back himself, long throat working on every swallow. If he were more sloppy, the wine might color his mouth like rouge might, a red ring around white scaly lips. In all honestly if he made it to the second one, it might still, he tended to sway when drunk.
"But, that's rather impressive. You went above and beyond for quality." His claws fiddle with the ring, smiling, "I appreciate that."
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At the praise, though, the prince puffed out his chest and gave Hanna a lopsided smile. "You're welcome. Mmmaybe tomorrow I could show you some trick shots now that I'm back in practice!"
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"If you think the odds aren't in your favor, we can try it with my other shape." Not that it would curb his appetite or ability to hold his drink, but Maurice didn't know that.
In any case, he'll nod sagely at the offer, sure that if Maurice had a few days to practice it would be easier to indulge him. "If you don't pierce the other ear, I think I can manage."
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"I don't know about that, sir dragon! I would hate to embarrass you in your own cave, but you can take on whatever shape y'like!"
He found himself hoping to see Hanna's human face again. He'd only seen it a couple of times.
Maurice nodded and shifted his grin from confident to sheepish. "I promise, you won't have to worry about that again. You have my word."
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Instead of sitting, Hanna is now standing at the table, bowing before he takes a moment to consider the cask he had been previously drinking straight from, a little large now for a human of his small stature to handle, and shrugs, heading to grab another glass. "Well, perhaps if it came with more beautiful jewelry, I might ask for another hole, but if it's out of anger, yes. I'll keep you to your word, Maurice."
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And he did notice the earring staying in place. He hadn't even thought about what would happen to it! Amazing.
He rubbed his face and held his glass up to Hanna once he'd filled his own. A toast! To what, he didn't know. He just felt like this was something to celebrate.
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Was this some sort of human ritual? He thought drinking together was a human thing already. Don't tell him there is more...
"What is that...what are you doing?" Help. He doesn't know.
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"It's...something called a toast! I don't know why it's called that, but, well, when there's something to celebrate like..." Maurice rubbed his scratchy chin as he thought. "Like a battle victory! Or a great hunt! Or to welcome esteemed guests...the list goes on and on...but you hold your drink aloft and I suppose in less civilized places they actually knock the glasses together but that makes a mess."
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"I suppose I've never seen one before...So it's to celebrate." He considers Maurice's glass, raising his own and as gently as he can, tinks the glass against the side of Maurice's. "Because I'm mostly civilized, I think we can have a happy medium. But...how are you supposed to say it? I want to celebrate something but...is there a way you should word it? I don't want to sound stupid."
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Maurice stood, nearly caught his boot on his stool and took a tumble, and held his drink up. He loudly cleared his throat and imitated his mother's speeches.
"Guests! I would like to raise a toast to a bountiful hunt! And..." He leaned a little to see Hanna on the other side of his goblet. "Mended friendships."
He waited.
He then stage-whispered, "You raise your glass up and just repeat the last part of what I said."
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"And for the return of my apprentice, who has much better handwriting even if his sense of humor needs a little work," He finishes, winking at Maurice before taking his seat again and drinking from his glass. After he tips the whole thing back, he'll look at his companion, casually. "How did I do?"
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The grin that covered the prince's face was genuine and wobbly. "Perfect."
He sat down heavily and spilled a little of his drink on the table.
"Now! This competition you spoke of." He lifted his goblet again as though it were a sword. "Do your worst, dragon!"
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And yet, there was a competition to be had. Hanna wouldn't let him off easy. "Just don't spill most of it with that wild gesturing of yours. Or we can give you half a glass at a time if you need the handicap." He pours himself another glass and drinks, leaning over to slide the one untouched cask in front of him with the one they had been working on in front of Maurice. "If you lose it, or pass out, you forfeit."
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Maurice talked a big game but after his fifth glass, he'd dissolved into a snickering mess. He had to hold his head up with one hand to keep it off the table. The prince's hair had fallen into his face and the peered at Hanna both mystified, frustrated, and amused from between his parted fingers.
"You know you...you could always do polkadots next time you do your--your--your. You know. Your thing with the...colors!"
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