Warm Shoulder (Private - Blue Streak + Caramina)

Twilight Palace - High Courtyards

The afternoon sun shown high and clear above the Stormcaller home, providing fair warmth to the denizens below as they attended to their daily routines. The higher courtyards were abuzz with play and talk, though closer to the edge, a dragon and his avian stalked a small dragon ahead of them, carrying several packs on his body, as well as something curious floating beside him. He adjusted his glasses as he read, slowly walking through the sparse crowd.

As the coast cleared of wandering dragons, an avian flew over the dragon buried in his book, letting out a cry. “AAAHH, VERRIT, A SCORCH TAIL BEHIND YOU!”

Verrit launched his book upwards, as with the intricate orb beside him in panic.
"AAAGH, WAS-UH WUT-UH, WAH, WHA-." Blue was behind him as the commotion happened, catching the orb without a second thought while the avian above caught the book. "Just kidding, nice reaction time!" Came Striker's voice as he landed beside the now collapsed Verrit.

Blue silently chuckled, quickly stopping as Verrit got back up. "Ah, Geh... huh...Not funny! Didn't you realize I was carrying a relic?!"

Blue and Striker looked at one another, then the orb, then the burdened dragon. "I thought you said you didn't go on expeditions, Verrit?" Blue asked as he sat. He admired the relic from different angles, keeping a cautious grip on it.

Verrit made to pick his items up. "I didn't, but I couldn't pass up on this." He looked over to usher the relic, finding Blue already offering it back. "Where'd you go?" Verrit shook his head at Blue's question.

"I'm not able to really say," his voice hushed, "the archivists were adamant on keeping the location a secret." Verrit turned, taking the book from a willing Striker, before turning around back on his way. Blue made to follow as Striker perched on the blue dragon's shoulder. He nudged Verrit's shoulder. "C'mon, you know I'm trying to get in. You can count me as one!"

Verrit shook his head, adjusting his goggles. "Listen, I know you want in, and all, but they're still angry at you from last month." Blue Streak rolled his eyes, letting out a groan. "It didn’t break, right?”

Verrit stopped, looking to Blue. "Sorry Blue Streak... I-I have to get to my lab, it's important." Before Blue could say his peace, Verrit was already down the path, hurrying along with his items.

"Yeah... see ya..." Blue replied under his breath, his ears flopping down wistfully. With a sigh, Blue began wandering into one of the small parks. “Back to being bored.”

It was a while since she'd last read a book.

Ever since she was appointed Advisor, her life had transformed into a whirlwind of activity - not that she minded, of course, else Solar and Sky would have found a messily penned, but carefully worded, letter of resignation on their desk, but sometimes she missed the days where she'd had more time to herself.

Those were also the days without Skonis, however. A new friend, he was, their friendship forged not that many moons ago, but a sturdy one nonetheless. She'd found him on an outcropping of rocks while venturing (as usual) the borders of Stormcaller territory; he didn't stir as she drew close, suggesting that he was either determinedly ignoring her, or entirely oblivious to her presence. It turned out to be the latter: he was asleep, and Caramina had tried to preserve the silence as she approached his sleeping form, but ended up inadvertently kicking a rock right into his side.

He wasn't pleased, but wasn't rude about it. Just a little brusque. As he always was. Anyway-

Her book levitating beside her, Caramina ambled into the High Courtyards, her gaze seeking a spot to occupy. There was a fair number of Stormcallers present, some she greeted with a wave and enthusiastic shout, others with more solemn nods and polite greetings; it wasn't a bad place to read, per se, but the constant movement of the crowd - not to mention the chatter - would make 100% immersion a tad hard. Which would be disrespecting the book! Especially if she ended up talking to someone instead of reading...

...Oh...

May - she glanced at the author's name embossed on the book - Fa'erea forgive me. Then she hurried towards the familiar sight of a very recognisable duo: An avian, and a flash of blue, the latter of which quickly vanishing into the crowd, soon followed by the former. They seemed to be headed towards... The park? Well, that worked!

Quickening her steps, she apologised left and right as she weaved (bumped) her way through the cluster of Stormcallers, talons mentally crossed that she hadn't lost them both. The crowd thinned at the entrance of the park, and she was rewarded with the proximity of both her targets.

"Striker- Yoo-hoo, it's Caramina! And Blue Streak!"

Their past interactions... interaction, had not been the most comfortable, but Blue Streak hadn't outright turned her away, so that was a win! Not to mention- Striker didn't seem to mind her, which was a bonus. No one could deny the power of her friendship for long. No one. And Blue Streak wasn't going to be the first.

As if punished by his antics with Striker, Blue Streak visibly jumped at Caramina's call just as he was about to lay down, tripping over himself as he landed face first in the grass. Striker on the other hand looked towards the voice, letting out a positive warble, before poking Blue, who slowly rose back to his fours. Blue looked back, seeing Caramina, his facial expression was one of surprise, and dread as he wiped the grass blades from his face. He made an awkward half wave and smile as she made her way over to them, unsure of what to do.

"What do you think she wants?" Blue whispered. "I dunno, though you have to admit she's kind of cu-" Blue elbowed the Aerrak, shutting him up as he kept waving.

Caramina's smile melted into a look of concern and surprise when her greeting had Blue Streak face-planting into the ground. He righted himself before she could help him up, and she looked a little crestfallen when she glimpsed his expression.

"Hey! Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Striker's reaction prompted an open grin from her, one that faded as she looked to Blue, in an attempt to be less overwhelming.  "How've you been doing since we last spoke? I see you have... even more bandages on than before. Oh dear." If her presence made Blue uncomfortable, perhaps she would simply leave as soon as she could and end his torment, but she couldn't help eyeing Blue's wounds with some concern.

Blue Streak's wings quickly folded behind him to hide them further, wincing a small bit in pain as he did. Caramina could see they were due for maintenance, perhaps he had not visited Inisha in a long while. "Uh... Hi... Uh, no uh you're fine. Fancy meeting you here." He replied, a bit abashed by her presence. There was a long moment as Blue Streak looked at Caramina, then towards something behind her, breaking eye contact. He felt a few bumps from Striker, who seemed focused, looking at Blue with eager eyes. "Hey... listen, I didn't mean any hard feelings when we first met. Uh, how about we start over?" Blue hesitantly held out a lightly bandaged paw, smiling sheepishly. "I'm Blue Streak, and this is Striker." He tilted his head towards the Aerrak beside him who let out a gleeful warble, smiling.

Noting the wince, Caramina would frown, though it wasn't the sort Blue would have received had it been Inisha in her position - in place of disapproval was something else, and it was the same sentiment that sent her mind racing through all the remedies in her knowledge. Paying another visit to Inisha's den probably wasn't the best idea; among the many things that displeased the healer was a regular patient, as well as a reckless one, categories Blue Streak seemed to fall into, and then some. Not to mention their relationship was strained at best... But Caramina didn't know, or trust, any other Healer.

His offer broke her out of her reverie, and she visibly brightened. It would be clear, then, if it hadn't already been, that the personality she employed moments before was but a ghost of her usual self. Her cheer restored to her, Caramina stuck her paw out, taking his with an eagerness he could probably feel, though there was care not to squeeze too hard. "Blue Streak, Striker, hello! I'm Caramina; it's a pleasure to meet you both! So what brings you to the courtyard garden this fine day?"

“Just being…. Bored… You know…” Blue Streak replied. He winced, smiling, his wings shook, a pained expression slowly taking over. He stood a little taller as he sat, making sure as much of his wings were hidden, relaxing only a smidge. “Wh-what brings you here?” He asked, fidgeting with his paws. Caramina could see there was more to what she could see of the wings, there were pseudo-casts running along the tips of the bone structure, though she couldn’t see the whole picture.

"I was in search of a place to read," Caramina said, glancing at his wings, but opting not to comment. Retrieving her book from where she'd stuffed it into her pouch, she turned its cover towards Blue. "It's been a while since I read not for business but for pleasure. It contains the history of Nuira's tribes and how they came to be." Flipping through the pages, Caramina would admire the illustrations within, if only for a moment, before snapping the book shut with a solid thump. "But! I saw the both of you and came over. What've you been up to lately?"

"Oh..." He said at her reply. He watched her admire the contents of the book, showing only a minute sense of interest before she closed it. Though he made to ask her, Caramina's question caught him off guard as he stammered an answer. "I... uh..." Blue Streak let out a sigh. "Nothing, just trying to... I... Really I." Blue's sentence trailed off, his wings finally taking no more of his hiding as they slowly lowered to his sides, showing the crude, torn casts of the entirety of his wings, his ears drooped down. "I've been put on leave from... Uh... the Guardians due to my injuries, really, I was about to sleep here. I've... kinda been... kicked... out of Inisha's clinic. T-though I'm sure that doesn't concern an i-illustrious dragoness like yourself."

Her reply was immediate.

"Nonsense! Of course it does!"

She hadn't quite realised just how bad the state of his wings was, and inwardly chided herself for her darned ignorance. The bandages weren't just for show, but she'd thought they were a little banged up, is all. Evidently not. And Inisha, well, she had quite the infamous temper... No meant no, and no amount of coaxing would be able to change the stubborn healer's mind.

"There is no shortage of healers among the Stormcallers, I'm sure we'll be able to find one that can mend your wing. You being kicked out is what troubles me; do they not have barracks for you to stay in while you healed?"

"Well..." Blue started, shuffling his wings into a comfortable position, he let out a sigh. "Alright, might as well throw it out there while I'm at it. Yeah, I do have a bunk in the barracks, I just don't get much sleep there, nor do I like it. I've been trying to grab a profession to get a permanent residence, buuut all I've really done is... fail." He slowly leaned forward, falling onto his chest with a mild grunt, covering his face with his paws. Striker pat his back a few times.

"Ah..."

She could probably find him another job easily enough, but whether he'd remain long enough to earn shelter was another matter entirely. Come to think of it, was there anything in particular that Blue would take to? Like... "Have you considered becoming a Messenger? Or are long-distance flights not preferable? I'm not sure if they have vacancies, but you can never have too many Messengers, and I'm sure I could put in a good word for you. Unless you're searching for something else?"

Blue let his paws fall beside his head on the soft grass. "I've been a messenger as a partial job, but... I've been forfeited from it due to... reasons. I've tried moving up in the Guardian ranks, and that's been a dead end. I've even tried getting into the Archivists to help them with relic hunting... yeah, I flunked that just as badly." There was a long pause before he continued, his torn ear twitching slightly. "Not even sure I'll make this year's race because of my... mistake. Inisha has been the only healer I can really trust since I was younger, but now I've pretty much sealed off most of my capable professions, and friendships." There was an almost soft groan from Blue as he shifted his wings slightly, the somewhat unkempt feathers softly playing in the wind. One of them plucked themselves from its position to be lost in the sky above.

"Oh..."

There was another pause. Cara looked stricken. That explains why he seemed so... Down. Her gaze followed the stray feather as it escaped, before returning to Blue, appearing to be thoughtful now.

"Well, if you don't mind... My chambers are spacious; I'm sure it can accommodate another two whilst you seek a new, and more suitable, profession. And Inisha isn't the only healer around, I'm sure we can fix your wings in no time. You look battered, have you spent the past few days wandering around?"

Blue's ears perked up, his eyes following to meet Caramina's. His head lifted with a face of disbelief and confusion, taking in what she had just offered. "I.... ueh... Thank you. I-I'll accept your offer." He slowly sat back up, hunching slightly as he adjusted his wings again. "I know there are more, but I have history with Inisha. It's fine, I'm sure they'll on their own." There was a moment's pause as she asked her final question. "Ergh, I uh, I've been kind of sleeping in the parks a bit."