Happy birthday to me! [Dragonsong!]

[Rhindeer]

Ka'lei was skeptical. That much was obvious. But Valor's feelings weren't hurt, because he could see how a slave who had only worn cheap, scratchy garments all their life wouldn't feel particularly enthused about fashion. He was hoping to change that, of course. Whatever she had gone through, whatever her life had been before this, she was under his care, now. Was he an asshole, perhaps, for roping her into his dumb charade? Probably. But he was also determined to make the whole ordeal worth her time, and to spoil the absolute shit out of her in any way he could.

He had realized he wanted to spoil her the first time she displayed wonder at her new world here. The way she reacted to a simple meal, to his bed, to just...all the average little things he took for granted, because for him they were boring and mundane? It was like he was seeing the world for the first time through someone else's eyes.

It was...fun.

But also a little sad. To see someone get so excited over a soft bed or a hearty meal...

She vanished behind the screen, and Valor waited--more than happy to rush to the rescue if she got tangled or needed help with a clasp or tie. She was taking a little while, but he was patient. Hopefully she liked them? Or at least one of them. Maybe he should have gone for simpler clothes, on second thought? Would it be too much or...?

But then she spoke, and he perked up when she peeked around the screen. "Laugh? Why would I lau..." He trailed off as she stepped out. "Oh..."

Ka'lei moved like someone who wanted to hide, someone who was uncertain and didn't know what to do with themselves, but Valor paid no mind to that. Eyes wide, he stared at her--he didn't mean to stare, but he couldn't help it! The blue and gold contrasted perfectly with her black wings and hair and matched the blue of her eyes. And though the skimpy slave outfit had shown far more, leaving little to the imagination, he much preferred this. It flattered her, showing off her shape and accentuating her best features--and even better, she had gotten to choose it from the selection herself.

He covered his mouth, muffling the little giddy squeal that wanted to squeak out. "Oh. You're gorgeous."

[DragonSong]

That—

Was not what she'd expected.

She wasn't actually sure what she'd expected. Some light teasing, probably. Maybe a correction about how she was wearing the dress—despite how straightforward it had been, she couldn't quite get over the feeling that she'd somehow done something wrong with putting it on. Maybe a compliment, but a passing one, the kind you gave for politeness's sake.

But he told her she was gorgeous, and he looked so genuinely thrilled that she didn't even for a moment feel he was saying it the way someone in Essyrn might have, as though she was a pretty piece of art or an expensive trinket. He said it like he meant it, like she was a person.

So what popped out of her mouth was a soft, startled, "I—I am?"

She glanced down at herself, running her hands nervously over the skirt again. It really did feel nice...

Her shoulders loosened a bit and her wings unfurled from their tight curl against her spine, falling into their more relaxed position settled loosely against her shoulders. She smiled, not quite able to meet his eyes for more than a moment before she looked away, cheeks dark.

"I suppose you have good taste in clothes," she admitted with a small huff, though she was still smiling a bit. "It...it's a very lovely dress."

She took another step out from the curtain, feeling the skirts shift and ripple with her movements. A sudden impulse struck her and she glanced down, then twirled in place. The skirt flared out around her, gold and sapphire a brief whirlwind, and for just one single, silly moment it felt like magic.

She laughed and spun again, and when she staggered to a halt her arms had come back around her middle, but she wasn't hiding, she was...holding. Hugging herself lightly as she stood there in bare feet and the prettiest dress she'd ever seen and just beamed at him.

"Thank you."

[Rhindeer]

Valor couldn't help it. For a few moments, he was helpless to do much more than stare.

He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, but she had genuinely struck him speechless—not just because she was gorgeous, but because she was gorgeous. The dress was beautiful and it looked good on her, there was no doubt about that. But more breathtaking than even that was how she had transformed. 

Laughing, smiling, even twirling, it was the most naked display of pure joy he had seen from her yet, this girl who was a mostly-closed book apart from her fear, anger, and brief flashes of trauma. But in this moment he felt he saw, perhaps, who she had been—who she still was, locked away inside. She had dropped her guard, and he didn't want to ruin the moment.

This was part of why he loved fashion. A nice set of clothing could be transformative—give you extra confidence, make you feel powerful or attractive, or even make you feel like someone else entirely. He was glad that she felt it, too, at least for now. 

Her smile was the best part of it all.

"No...thank you," he said when he finally found his voice, but he spoke quietly as though afraid to break this spell. "Truly. You are lovely." He wished he knew how to convey what he meant, that it wasn't just about the dress, but he felt a little tongue-tied. He had never struggled to compliment, flatter, and flirt, but Ka'lei was an entirely different experience—like trying to approach a wild deer and hoping they wouldn't bolt.

He cleared his throat. "I'm happy you like it," he finally managed, feeling oddly lame, and felt his face heat. He scratched his cheek. "Ah, there's others to try on too, of course—but you don't have to try them all now! I mean, you can, but you can also do it later if you like. This one is definitely a winner. You look like some Fae straight from another world."

The wings definitely added to the effect.

[DragonSong]

A hint of color darkened her cheeks and she glanced down, wings fluttering just a bit. "That... Thanks."

She looked to the mirror for a moment, considering his words. It was like looking at a stranger; that was her hair, her eyes, her mouth, the same damned collar linked around her throat, but everything else...everything else was different. Her mouth, yes, but not her smile. Not one she hadn't seen for a long time.

Maybe she never had.

"...Valor?"

It was the first time she'd addressed him by name. Actually, now she thought of it, it might have been the first time she'd addressed any non-slave by their given name. At least, without the intention of insulting them.

She let her arms drop to her sides and looked at the pile of dresses, then back to him. Her smile grew.

"I want to try them all."


It took a good hour or so for her to actually try all the dresses on, and there were one or two that she needed Valor's help with, unable to make sense of the fastenings--damn Serenian buttons and clasps, it felt like everything tied in Essyrn. Or at least, everything she'd ever worn.

In the end, she settled on the first dress. She couldn't get his words out of her head: You look like some Fae straight from another world.

She definitely liked the way that sounded. It wasn't just beauty, it was...power. Freedom.

"So." She was perched on the edge of Valor's bed, still running her hands absently over the silky fabric of her new skirts. Yes, she knew she was being a bit ridiculous about the clothes, but she couldn't help it. It was by no means the most impactful thing that had happened to her in the last day, and yet...it sort of was. The dress felt like a real, tangible thing she could touch, could hold onto, that said everything is different now. She crooked one leg up onto the bed, scuffing her other bare foot lightly over the floor. "Don't suppose we could see about getting that key now?"

She hooked a finger under the collar and tugged, pulling a face. "I swear, I know it's just thin gold, but I feel like this thing is leaving a dent on my collarbones."

[Rhindeer]

Valor had been more than happy to enjoy the show, and more than happy to help her when she needed it. For him, the hour didn't drag at all. It was a nice excuse to lounge and relax on the bed as she tried on dress after dress, giving him a private fashion show that was as adorable as it was alluring. Her delight was so genuine, so pure, and though at first he had worried she might burn herself out and run out of energy, she didn't seem to lose steam at all.

And so he watched and praised her, and helped her when she needed it; he was never going to complain about buttoning up the back of a lady's gown or helping with the ties at the sides. It may not be quite as fun as unbuttoning a series of clasps and revealing more and more skin, but there was something to be said about doing it in reverse, too--covering up skin he would have liked to see more of, brushing fingers against her neck as he moved her hair out of the way, the light tickle of her feathers as he fussed with a particularly stubborn button. That she let him do that at all spoke volumes. Maybe they hadn't moved mountains over night, but she trusted him today far more than she had the last.

And she had said his name.

Had she ever said it before?

Hmm...

Finally, after who knows how long, they came full circle: she chose the first dress, the clear winner of them all.

As Ka'lei sat on the bed after her fashion adventure, Valor quickly grabbed some clothes from his wardrobe and took his turn behind the changing screen. He was still in desperate need of a proper bath after a night of partying and drinking, but a fresh change of clothes would be enough to tide him over until later.

"The key?" he called over the screen. "Oh, yeah! of course! That's the goal. We'll just have to track down Pari, but that shouldn't be difficult. He's nothing if not a creature of habit."

He was far quicker than she was, and soon emerged dressed in a forest green vest with gold brocade, deciding to sort of match her without making it too over the top. A pair of simple, clean breeches finished off the look, along with a pair of boots that rose to midway up his shin. He had even tidied up his hair--a little. At the very least, he had finger-combed the shaggy red mess into some semblance of order. He flashed her a little smile, though it faded in sympathy as she tugged on her collar.

"In any case, you're not a slave. You shouldn't have to wear the vestments of one. Come, now!" he said, holding his hand out to her. "Let's go track that fool down and get that disgusting thing off of you--" He paused, eyes flicking down to her bare feet. "...And get you some shoes, too. They seriously didn't give you shoes?"

[DragonSong]

Ka'lei actually returned his smile, albeit briefly. The glimmers of gold in his chosen outfit caught her eye, and for a moment she wondered... No. No, that was silly, she was being silly.

Still...as he held out his hand, she couldn't help thinking just for a moment about how they might look, standing next to each other. Certainly not like a slave and her master. A...couple? That was the scam they were going for after all, but...

Could she really pull off looking--being--like someone who belonged with someone like him?

She pushed the thought away, half because it was Too Big to currently address and half to focus on the more immediate problem: finding Valor's idiot friend and getting the key. Taking his hand, she allowed him to pull her to her feet with another quick hand smoothed down the front of her skirts before she forced herself to stop touching the new dress.

"Ah...they did, actually," she chuckled, looking down at her bare feet and tapping her toes against the floor. With a very slightly sheepish shrug, she explained, "I, um, threw them. Before they even got me here. Managed to beam one of my "handlers" pretty good in the back of the head, I think." Half-grinning--because, hey, that was a hard shot to make with dainty little slippers--she added, "I guess they revoked my shoe privileges after that.

[Rhindeer]

She what now?

Valor stared at her, eyebrows rising at first in amusement—and then in admiration. What a mental image that was! A hilarious one, but also not a surprising one from what he'd learned of her so far. It also only confirmed his earlier suspicions: indeed, this was a lady who very well could have strangled him with her chains, because apparently everything was a weapon in her hands. No wonder her "handlers" (barf) had put her in practically nothing.

He nodded, smile breaking into a grin. "Nice," he said, genuinely, and laughed. "Well done! You know, in another life you may have made an excellent assassin. I'll be sure to never piss you off unless you're naked—and even then, I'll keep my distance."

He stuck his tongue out at her, teasing, and gave her a little tug to draw her along out of the room. "Well then, let's get you re-armed!"

[DragonSong]

Ka'lei laughed a bit with him, half because there was that instinctive moment of relief--she'd admitted to actually attacking someone (albeit with a shoe, and it was someone who absolutely deserved it) and hadn't been immediately punished for it--and half because, well...it was actually pretty funny.

"Ah, yes. My true calling," she said with a little snort when he joked about her making a good assassin. Rolling her eyes at his teasing, even while a tiny part of her marveled at the simple ability to do that, she let him lead her from the room.

"Okay, I'll admit you were right about the dresses, but I don't know if I have it in me to try on that many pairs of shoes," she pointed out as he lead her along. There were some habits she couldn't break--eyes flicking around to take stock of the exits, a hint of hesitation in each doorway as she evaluated a new space--but for the most part she was much more relaxed than she had been even that morning. "Is this gonna be, like...a whole other thing?"

[Rhindeer]

"Oh dear gods, no!" Valor said, snorting. "At the rate you went with the dresses, we'd be done by midnight and Pari'll be in bed with some lady. No, no, I'm just gonna steal a pair from my mother and call it a day. We can take your measurements and send them off to the cobbler later."

They took a sharp turn down another long hall, and then he paused before an ornately carved set of doors. "Wait here," he said, before cracking the door open just wide enough to squeeze through and vanish inside.

His mother was out and about, so it was easy to snag a pair of her slippers and bring them back out to Ka'lei. He offered them out to her with a slight shrug. "They might be a little snug, but they should work well enough for now. They'll at least keep you from cutting up your feet outdoors."

[DragonSong]

"Steal a pair?" Ka'lei blinked. "Errr--won't your mother be mad? And likely blame me?"

Although...from the little that he had told her about his relationship with his family, and in particular his mother, at breakfast...maybe not. Maybe she would assume it was her youngest. Or maybe she wouldn't even notice.

It occurred to her that she wasn't actually all the concerned about being caught and punished for the theft--even if it did happen, she had the abrupt realization that she believed Valor would not let her be blamed.

When he handed her the slippers, she eyed them for just a moment before sliding them on. They were a bit snug, but certainly workable--and worlds better than exploring an unfamiliar city in her bare feet. "Thanks." She shuffled her feet a bit, tapping her heels together to adjust to the foreign feeling of the slippers; back in Essyrn, if she'd worn shoes at all, they'd typically been cheap sandals. She was unused to having her toes enclosed.

"Right." She looked up at Valor with a brisk nod, as though he'd just outfitted her for battle rather than give her a pretty dress and a pilfered pair of slippers. "Where to?"

[Rhindeer]

They fit well enough, so that was good to see! His mother (and, well, his entire family) were all on the tall side. And though Valor was tall enough, by most people's standards, as with most things in his family...he came last on that, too. 

It was so obnoxious.

Oh well! With Ka'lei properly clothed now, she looked almost like she belonged—if it weren't for the shackles and collar outing her as a slave, of course, or the feathery wings outing her as Yoreiqi. No matter! She looked ready (ready to fight a dragon, really) so he offered his hand for her to take and then lead her along through the building.

"It's well past noon now, and I know for a fact Pari didn't get lucky last night, so if I had to guess, I'd say he'll be getting an early start at his favorite pub. He told he planned on taking today off, so unless he's nursing a hangover at home..."

The doormen opened the doors for them silently as he lead the way outdoors, onto a beautifully manicured property lush with natural greenery and native flowers. He took them down around the side of the property and to the stables. A stable hand saw their approach, and Valor leaned in to speak to him. "We'll be taking Cloud today."

Looking back at Ka'lei as the man went to prepare the horse, he smiled. "Have you ridden before?"

[DragonSong]

It was strange to wear shoes after so long of going barefoot—particularly shoes that covered her toes. Despite the fact that they actually fit quite well, her feet still felt a little cramped, just from being unused to the style.

The grounds were beautiful, and honestly she would have been happy to waste a few hours just wandering around them. But the collar and cuffs were more pressing, and she followed Valor out to the stables with the new ease to her movements that seemed to have come with her new garments. An ease that evaporated when she caught sight of a few of the animals in their stalls.

They were so. Big.

She blinked and swallowed, wings drawing in tight to her back. "Errrr...no. No, can't say that I have," she admitted, eyeing the massive animals with all the wariness and vague distaste of a cat introduced to a new, disturbing smell.

[Rhindeer]

Valor had his answer even before Ka'lei opened her mouth. It was written all over her body language. He had assumed as much, her being a slave and all, but it never hurt to double check.

"Ahh, I see. Then you're in for a treat!" Maybe. She didn't look the slightest bit thrilled.

Cloud turned out to be a massive white draft horse dappled with gray, and she walked with all the majesty of a pampered beast rather than the plodding work horse her kind were usually bred to be. His family preferred large horses and had bred the beasts for generations, and of them all, Cloud was his personal favorite.

Valor looked at Ka'lei as the stable hand passed the reins off to him, and he stroked the animal's velvety nose as Cloud snuffled into his hand, snorting when she found no treats.

"This is Cloud," he introduced with a smile, watching for Ka'lei's reaction. "Don't worry, she's a gentle giant, and don't worry, we'll be riding together. She's an older gal, anyway, so she's a good one for a first-timer." Not to mention she was large enough to support them both.

He motioned Ka'lei closer. "Come say hello. She won't bite."

[DragonSong]

Holy hells that was a big animal!

Ka'lei gave Valor a mildly terrified look—she'd heard somewhere that horses could sense fear, and she had a bad feeling Cloud would know exactly how scared she was.

"Errrr..." She swallowed, then shuffled closer when he beckoned her. "Gentle giant," she repeated his words, clearly skeptical, but she took another step closer. "Right. Okay."

Looking between Valor and the horse, she slowly stretched her hand out to mimic his gesture. Cloud seemed intrigued by a potential new source of treats; despite being disappointed on that front again, she seemed interested enough in a new person to snuffle up from her palm along her wrist and forearm.

Ka'lei giggled. "That tickles," she accused quietly. Very, very carefully moving her hand, she hesitantly stroked Cloud's neck. "She's soft," she murmured. "I...didn't expect her to be so soft. They look too...intimidating. I thought they'd have coarser coats, like a boar or something."

There was a brand new light in her eyes as she took a slightly more confident step toward the animal and stroked her neck again. She looked at Valor, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth. "She's really tall. You won't—"

She cut herself off before she could finish the sentence: you won't let me fall, right?

[Rhindeer]

Oh dear, the poor thing looked so scared.

He could hardly blame her. Cloud was large even to those who were used to horses. But true to Valor's word, he was gentle when Ka'lei finally edged closer and, to his surprise, went for it.

Valor's eyebrows rose in surprise as he watched Cloud examine this interesting new person's hand and arm, and his smile grew when she laughed. Oh, good, that was good. For a moment he had been worried that this...might be a problem. If she was too afraid, he certainly wouldn't force her onto the horse; they would just have to go on foot, which was fine but this would be quicker and more impressive! But then she was stroking the beast's neck, incredibly brave despite her obvious unease.

"I think she likes you," Valor said, and pat the horse's neck. "Don't get me wrong, she is intimidating. All horses are in their own way. It's healthy to respect them, but you don't have to fear them. She's probably a bigger scaredy-cat than you." He flashed a teasing grin at Ka'lei to show he was joking and scratched along Cloud's whiskery chin. "They're prey animals so they jump at shadows...or strange rocks...or twigs...or anything really. Just stay where she can see you and she won't get spooked, though his girl's gotten much calmer and more patient as she's aged. It takes a bit more to ruffle her these days. She's a good horse, aren't you, Cloud?"

With another gentle stroke along her nose, he moved to her side. "I'll help you up. You'll have to ride side-saddle behind me--I, ah, I'm afraid I wasn't really thinking when I had you pick a dress. It'll be fine though, noble ladies do it all the time, and we'll be going slow. We're not running any races today."

Sticking a foot in the stirrup, he swung himself up and into the saddle. Once he was settled, he moved his foot out of the stirrup and reached a hand down to Ka'lei. "I'd prefer you in front of me, but with those wings, well...I'd be eating feathers the whole trip. You'll just have to hold on tight, okay? Put your left foot in the stirrup now, I'll pull you up the rest of the way. Trust. It'll be okay." He was stronger than he looked.

[DragonSong]

A large prey animal who could be dangerous when she was frightened.

...Nope. I am choosing not to examine that too closely. She'd had quite enough Feelings for today, thank you very much.

Ka'lei shot him a wry look for the teasing, but was presently too enamored with stroking along Cloud's neck to quip something back. Then he was mounting up--making it look so damned easy--and suddenly holding a hand down to her as he explained she would have to ride sidesaddle.

Oh, perfect.

"Oh goddess help me," Ka'lei muttered, quietly but furtively, as she reached out to take his hand. Okay, left foot in the stirrup, and--

Trust, he'd said. Like it was easy. Still, after a moment of awkward hopping with her right foot, she did let him take her weight, and found that she was suddenly up on the back of the horse with relative ease. It took her a few seconds of fidgeting to get her legs and skirt settled--and the entire time she kept one arm firmly around Valor's waist, still mildly terrified that she was going to fall.

"O-okay." She swallowed and cautiously wrapped her other arm around him. "I think I'm ready..."

Oh dear gods, why was she suddenly so warm? She was inclined to blame it on the proximity of both Cloud's and Valor's body heat, but she had a sneaking suspicion that she was also blushing.

[Rhindeer]

With a grunt, Valor helped Ka'lei up and helped her get settled. Poor thing, he could practically feel her fear as she fidgeted and held onto him, and he couldn't really blame her! He had been nervous his first time on a horse, and it hadn't been a beast nearly as large as Cloud.

Yeah...he supposed it was pretty scary, when you actually thought about it. After all, they were sitting atop a creature who, if she had a mind to do it, could toss them off her back and stomp them to a pulp like grapes in a barrel. Grim.

With a smile, Valor reached down and gave one of her hands a warm squeeze. Ka'lei was going into this like a warrior resigned to a bloody battle when they were just going across the town.

"Just hold onto me," he told her, and then they were moving at a smooth walk that wouldn't get much faster. "Don't look down. Just look ahead at the road. Take in the sights! Feel the wind in your hair and feathers! Isn't it great?"

[DragonSong]

"Ooooohhhhhh oh oh oh oh oh ohohohoh. Oh. Oh..." Ka'lei clung to him so tight she might've winded him. "High," she muttered, eyes squeezed shut. "So high, very high, so very very hiiiiigh..."

Okay. So maybe it was a little bit strange that someone with wings might be anxious around heights. Even ones as minimal as those from a horse's back. But it was different with her own wings! That was her body she was trusting, not some four-hoofed monstrosity's.

...Monstrosity wasn't fair. Cloud seemed like a perfectly placid and friendly creature. She was just nervous.

Muttering something to Valor about "easy for you to say", she slowly started to relax her grip on him, cracking one eye open. "Okay. Whoooooo okay. This..."

She sat back a bit—not too far—and chanced a proper look around.

Huh.

This...wasn't so bad.

Just don't look down.

"Is it normal for her to sway like this?" Ka'lei asked after a moment, cautiously peering over his shoulder at the road ahead of them. "They look like the move so much smoother from the ground..."

[Rhindeer]

It was an effort not to laugh at her reaction when it was so danged cute. This fierce winged woman, the same woman had been about to beam him with her own chains the night she was sent to his chambers, was afraid of...heights?

But Valor bit his lip to keep the laughter inside, not wanting her to think he was laughing at her. Well, he was, but not in a mocking way! He was just honestly amused and delighted at her reaction.

"It's perfectly normal," he called back to her. "Don't you sway a little when you walk? Cloud's gait is one of the smoother ones, too. Her breed was made for grace despite their size. Hold tighter if you need to--that way if you fall, there's a good chance I'll cushion you."

He grinned back at her with a little wink, then faced ahead to watch the road. Amusement aside, though, her reaction made him curious. Those wings of hers...

"I would think a bird-woman would be used to heights," he said, curious.

[DragonSong]

"I guess so," she muttered in response to his query about her "swaying" when she walked. "I just never really...thought of horses having hips..."

Even without his instructions, she found herself clutching him a little tighter with any minor change in Cloud's gait—which really was quite smooth, from an objective standpoint, even if she was wildly unused to trusting another creature with the entire weight of her body; and just assuming that creature wouldn't dump her onto the cobblestones.

She huffed quietly at Valor's comment about her discomfort with heights. "That's different," she mumbled. "It's not like I'm afraid of heights. I just—I don't much care for the ground from heights. Which is fine, if I'm the one keeping me up. If it's someone else..."

Another little huff. "Besides...I mostly glide. And usually they kept my wings clipped, so I couldn't even do that unless I hid my new feathers long enough."

She said it without thinking, using the caustic "they" that always referred to the same thing, even if the individual changed: masters. Owners. She could never claim to be particularly guarded of tongue, but...that was a bit of a slip. She was talking to Valor like he was...well, not like he was one of "they". Which was perhaps more telling than she wanted to admit to herself in that moment.