The Circus IC Thread

((suggestive sounds? you crack me up! considering this is some hours later, hopefully, Daven and Enrir must have quite the stamina!))

<<Freddie>>

Saquir was a force of nature when he turned all mother-hen-like, and Freddie didn't have the energy to fight him on it, though he got a certain amount of satisfaction from barfing on him. Not that there was anything left, but it seemed that his stomach was determined to empty every last bit. His head spun and Freddie didn't dare open his eyes, curling up on his side again once back in bed. Still dressed, everything felt tight, both hot and cold at the same time, the slide of sheets against his skin through his clothes an added irritant. He wanted to rant and snap, but all he managed was a tight moan around the burning in his throat and the loopy ups-and-downs of his stomach.

"No," he protested weakly, nose wrinkling at the food. "Saquir ...." He tolerated the small hands on his forehead, a small portion of his mind relieved when the wildlander declared that he had no fever and would he stop acting like a baby and eat something?

"Mmnth!" grunted Freddie, sticking out his tongue. He rinsed his mouth with the tart juice, but only let the tiniest mouthful trickle down his throat, bringing tears to his eyes from the sting. He did swallow some water and nibbled obediently on a cracker. Strangely, something in either the attention or the food had his stomach settling down to little more than a queasy murmur by the time he'd finished the first cracker. This left Freddie feeling drained and thoroughly bedraggled.

He pulled the blankets over his head, sheltering himself from the staring, overly-concerned eyes. Now that he was starting to feel better, his face burned with embarrassment. One of his hands slid out from under the blankets to snag another cracker, shoving the thing in his mouth as his stomach growled.

Oh, no you don't! he told it, glaring, but that only made his head hurt and he groaned, sucking on the corner of his cracker and wishing the other two would just go away and let him be die in peace.

<<Freddie>>

Sulking beneath his covers turned into real sleep, and Freddie woke with a start, flinging off his blanket and stumbling into the bathroom to piss. His sleep-befuddled mind didn't register another person in his rooms until he was stalking back carrying the wad of clothes he'd slept in, wet from a quick shower, and clothed in only a towel.

"Augh!" he cried, Jasair's face jump-starting his mind to full awareness. "Shit, Jasair!" He clutched his clothes to his chest, turning and running back into the bathroom. "What the fuck are you doing in here?" he demanded, hurrying into a voluminous and concealing robe. "And what's all that racket?"

It sounded like rocks were sliding over the ship's hull, the wind howling loud enough to drown out any soft sounds. He'd wondered about it while he washed up, determining to go up to the bridge to check it out ... after getting something to eat, of course. He was hungry in a way that told him he'd be light-headed before long if he didn't eat something. He remembered that he hadn't hardly eaten anything the night before, and had puked everything out earlier in the day. Still, the depth of the fatigue was unusual. Freddie put that down as being sick.

He felt fine now, though, stalking out of his bathroom safely covered and advancing on the younger man. "Who told you you could be in here?" he asked, eyes spinning in anger. They were still brighter than normal, but not glowing like they had earlier (though Freddie hadn't noticed). His rooms were his! His privacy was sacred, and everyone knew that! It was the only place he could just be himself, without costumes, and it was the only door on the ship that was routinely locked, and answered only to Freddie's key.

"Get --" His nose twitched, jerking his head to the side. "Oooh! Cheese!" There was a tray of thinly-sliced meat and cheese-topped crackers next to a pitcher of wine-flavored water (watered down wine). Freddie started plucking off the cheese slices, popping them in his mouth as he glared at his interloper.

Considering his worry for the other man, it was little surprise he had stayed in the room considering how fast Freddie had seemed to slip back into sickness again. Neither he nor his father were taking any chances, especially since they were stuck in this sandstorm and unable to get to a healer or medic of any sort.

He had been dozing in a chair across the room when Freddie decided that his bowels were the aim of the day, startling Jasair awake. He knew the other would not necessarilly be that pleased to see him in his room, but he could not truly have anticipated the level of anger coming of the man once he had got over his surprise. Jasair was left to war between the very ingrained worry over his elder being angry at him, and the hurt of being so rejected after spending so much time trying to nurse him back to health.

"Father did, but considering how sick you were I wouldn't say that permission was necessary." A touch of that hurt was shown in his voice "Unless you would rather have left you sick and unconscious on the bridge, in your bathroom and on the floor?"

<<Freddie>>

Freddie blushed darkly, ducking his head as he shoved the last few slices of cheese in his mouth. "Oh. Oh, yes. Well. Um." Giving up, he tossed the young man a guilty look. "Gods, Jasair, I apologize. You did help me and I am grateful. I am." He sidled around the little tray, poking the remaining crackers dispiritedly. "You just startled me, I guess, is all. " He gestured vaguely. "This is all, just ... I dunno. Let me just, um, get dressed, and we'll go eat something. And talk. You can tell me what this infernal racket is."

The abrupt change in mood was not unusual in the other, and currently he could only be grateful for it. He really, really didn't like being shouted at by Freddie, not at all. "Its a sandstorm. We are grounded because of it." he said, not quite sure what to do with himself. It didn't really seem right to just sit back down now the other man was once more up and about, but at the same time he didn't want to leave him alone because he had seemed to be getting better before only to have a more serious relapse.

"Ill go make something for you to eat then and .. bring it back up here? Most of the ship won't have any quiet." mainly because they were all stuck here on the ship, no tents up or anything, and people were mingling to share the time as they waited out the storm. Unless otherwise stopped, he would give a slightly uncertain smile before heading back out the room and to his kitchen.

<<Freddie>>

It was both disappointing and gratifying that Jasair scurried away so quickly. Freddie eagerly anticipated the feast the young man could so easily just whip up, but although he took his time dressing and organizing his clothes and accouterments, boredom and his anxiously (and loudly) complaining stomach drove Freddie from his room.

The dining hall of the ship had not been broken down again into smaller sections in their hasty flight from Jan, and it was full, and noisy, with clusters of people sitting and standing around, chatting, playing games, eating, and doing small hobbies to help pass the time. Much of the conversation centered on the howling wind-storm and how quickly it had blown up out of the desert. Those with portholes facing out from their rocky shelter said they couldn't see anything anyway because of the driving sand-filled wind.

Many stopped Freddie as he picked his way among them, and he soon tired of repeating himself. "I'm well, I'm fine, don't worry," he said again and again and again until at last he reached the tables laden buffet style and reached immediately for the very few remaining cheese-filled sausages.

"If you touch those, Freddie Fantastick, I will smack your fingers free of your body." Saquir frowned, his eyebrows drawn down, "I don't know if those made you sick in the first place" He'd appeared out of nowhere, "Word is you were chasing my poor Jasair up and down the halls." Of course gossip had spread and the stories had grown with each telling, "How are you feeling?" He asked, moving the other's hands away from the sausages, and stuffing them on a fellow crew member's plate, "If I have to, I'll forbid Jasair from making those if you will not keep you hands off them." He frowned, leading the other to a table, where he shoo'd men away, straddling the bench and having him sit.

"I'm glad you're up and about. You had us all worried for awhile." He gestured to the hall, but the others had gone back to their conversations, "And with this sandstorm, it is maddening, remaining inside all the time, though it is strange, this storm." He stood swiftly, his tail flicking absently, looking to the other a moment, "Come." He took the other's hand, "You should stay in bed, at least until I know for sure that you're better, and not about to jump my son again." He muttered under his breath. "You worry me sometimes, Freddie." He said, tugging the other along back to his room, likely having to coax him to follow along, with promises of Jasair's fresh, hot cooking for the other, all to himself.

<<Freddie>>

"Hey! Saquir! I was going to eat tha -- Ow!" he yelped as the shorter man kicked him in the shins when Freddie lunged past him to try and get his treats back.

His stomach was really growling now and Freddie cast a mournful look after his sausages as someone else ate them. "But I'm fine!" he protested, scowling and crossing his arms over his chest. He would not be led away like a child. "I don't want to go back to my cabin. There's food right here. Saquir ...!"

But Freddie's friend and partner wasn't listening. He towed Freddie along deaf to his complaints except to irritably snap a threat to spike Freddie's food (when or if he managed to snitch something) if he didn't start cooperating. Freddie snapped back that he'd eat anything he damned well pleased and just let him try.

He could apply to Jasair (he was positive he could make himself look appropriately miserable), but he had never come between father and son before, and he wasn't inclined to start. Their friendship meant too much to Freddie to countenance such manipulation, even if the food aromas were making him light-headed with need.

"Fine," he grumbled, "but if I die of starvation, it's going to be all your fault."

Daven woke several hours after things settled down in Enrir's room. "Mmm..." He stretched and rolled over on the bed... somehow during the course of the night (or morning) he and Enrir had made it up onto the bed. He didn't know how nor did he really care. The first thing he felt on waking up was the warmth of the other man's body wrapped around him, the second was the need to piss. As much as hated to leave this haven, he forced himself to sit up and stretch. He could still feel the dull ache in his legs and backside, it was a pleasant reminder of the great time he'd had with Enrir. And hopefully, a promise of more to come.

"I'll be back..." He whispered into the man's ear and licked up along the shell of it before dragging himself out of the bed and shuffling over to where he'd left his clothes. He carefully pulled them on. It looked like he would have to find another place to use the restroom, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered dressing. And what was that noise and shouting?

He slipped from the room, offering one last wink at Enrir, if he was awake. People were running about now, a lot more. He managaed to stop one guy and learn that the main reason for the noise and panic was a sandstorm that had them grounded and the shouting was Freddie, the ringmaster and Saquir, the second in command. Funny the things you learn simply by asking someone in a hurry to be somewhere else. He also learned where those two were last seen and how to get there. Such friendly people this Circus had. He'd also been kindly warned not to disturb them. His need to pee, temporarily forgotten, he headed in the direction indicated and knocked twice, to get someone's attention. He carefully eyed the man he recognized as the ringmaster from the show. Something wasn't right with him, but damn if he could tell from here.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked, not yet sure how they would react to a new face, but there was only one way to find out, right? But just to be sure they didn't kick him out right off the bat he added, "I know some healing... and I heard Mr. Fantastik wasn't feeling well. So... maybe I can do something."

<<Freddie>>

Freddie whirled as the door opened, taking several large strides, expecting to see Jasair and pounce on his offerings -- but halted, having to catch himself on the arm of his couch, when someone he didn't recognize came in.

"Who are you?" he blurted, and then sighed theatrically in frustration, throwing up his hands and pacing away. "I feel perfectly fine! Good grief!"

Saquir beckoned impatiently to the small man. "Tell me what's wrong with him," he said, "and you can stay. Otherwise, I hope you like the desert."

"There's nothing wrong with me!" snapped Freddie. "Damn you, Saquir! I'm just hungry! All because you had to take -- No! I am not going to stand still!" He jerked away from both men. "Go to hell, Saquir!"

He darted into his bedroom and slammed the door, leaning against it to make sure no one could come in. Everyone seemed just bent on invading his privacy lately. "Just leave me alone!" His eyes prickled and Freddie wiped them with the back of his hand, frowning when he felt moisture, and then snuffling into a sleeve. "I am not hysterical, you domineering, pony-tailed, squirrel-herder! I'm hungry!"

There was silence for a minute or two. Freddie half-hoped they had gone away, but he knew that Saquir was too stubborn for that. Indeed, he heard the acrobat's voice a second later, offering him more of the cheesy sausages (as many as he could eat) if he'd just let the midget look him over.

"All I want?" he asked, dubious. "You won't take them away again?" There was a muffled affirmative and Freddie sighed. "Oh, very well," he said, opening the door. He crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "I'm here. Do your thing."

The tiny man held out his hand, waiting patiently until Freddie extended his arm for them to clasp wrists. Without warning, he reached out and pressed the palm of his other hand to Freddie's stomach, rooting under Freddie's clothes until he reached skin. The move was unexpected, but although Freddie tensed and flinched back, he didn't feel threatened by the little guy and held still. If he was a good boy, he'd get sausages after this.

The worried look on his face disappeared. He smiled. "Congratulations!"

Freddie stared at him blankly. "Eh, excuse me?"

"You're going to be a father. Congrats."

"Wha -- ah -- hahaha!" Withdrawing his arm, Freddie patted the stranger on the head. "Oh, very funny. I like him, Saquir. Let's keep him." He turned back into his bedroom, calling back, "Tell Jasair to hurry up. I'm going to take a nap." He closed the door. "And I want those sausages!"

... to find the man in his arms fighting off the symptoms of sleep.

He smiled and shook his head, careful to make sure his body movement did nothing to disturb the other man. Looping his arms around the much smaller figure, he surged to his feet, flexing his toes. Gently, he turned around and laid Daven onto the bed behind them and stood for a moment, admiring his naked form and wondering just what possessed him not to take it to the bed itself. Shaking his head and surveying Daven's figure, he promised himself they would do it again.

Then Enrir bent and pulled the sheet across him, murmuring for him to sleep. If the other man complied, he would pad over to his clothes and dress himself, heat shimmering from his body as he was lost in thought. Then he would sit at the end of the bed, legs crossed on the mattress indian style and stare as Daven slept. If not, he would still do the same, but stare silently at the other man, thoughtfulness on his features and only occassionally murmur something soothing.

A pixie? What would possess Daven to say something like that? Of course looking at him now, he could see that Daven only slightly resembled a human. An extremely average human, but those liquid eyes and that shimmering hair could not belong to someone of human origins. So, the man was a pixie, if he could be believed.

Enrir sighed heavily - he never usually liked his judgement when in such a state as Daven had found him, things tended to end badly when he made decisions in that state, but for the life of him he couldnt' figure out if this was one of those times. Sure - he had just fucked a stranger's brains out. And enjoyed it. But that was something he was wont to do on occassion. And the man wasn't exactly his perfect catch either.

Enrir was more into the dark, tall handsome men that could compete with his own form. That could hold with his own charm and wit. At least, that was what he liked to think. He also liked slender... but built to withstand the more passionate parts of his personality. Yet this man was small... smaller - not tiny, true - but still of an averageness that beggered belief. There was nothing special about him.

Except those eyes. And that hair...

And that delicious throat, or the way he screamed with release. A shudder ran through Enrir at that thought and he smiled - some heat returning to his eyes only to be dampened down - well not so much dampened as banked. So, in the same instant that he was trying to figure out why the man attracted him so much, he was getting more and more attracted as time passed.

But for now he would keep his own secrets close. There was no need to tell Daven what he really was until Freddie has his say. That didn't mean that Enrir wouldn't heavily lean on the man to accept the strange pale stowaway.

Reaching over he sighed. Then slowly stripped his clothes off again and snuggled up against the smaller man, under the covers, allowing his own eyes to close. Drifting off to sleep had never been easier.

In the morning, he awoke immediately as Daven did - his own senses attuned to the man that had been his lover so recently the night before. He smiled to himself and rolled over to find the man padding across the floor and exiting. Shaking his head lazily, he took his own time to wake and refresh himself before dressing and following the other man, his scent and energy signature easy to track. He found himself amongst the bustle of other people - and soon was confronted with another dramatic scene from Freddie.

The lust he had felt for the ring master was now gone and strangely replaced by amusement where before it would have been irritation. Daven was left standing in the hallway, gaping after the flouncing Freddie slammed his door shut. He stifled the urge to laugh, but allowed himself to grin,, which did not change when he returned a few minutes later. Then watched in interest as Daven gave Freddie the once over. As Freddie disappeared again he grinned widely once more, "You are certainly talented, aren't you Precious?"

Saquir blinked when the shorty said Freddie was pregnant. His stomach did something akin to dropping out beneath him, his head went dizzy and he turned to the fey-like other. "WHAT. DID. YOU. SAY?" He said, his voice something akin to swallowing a series of ice cubes. It was his 'Jasair you're in a world of trouble' voice, it was his 'Freddie you better not' voice, it was the evil voice mixed with the scary voice, mixed with the voice that made him seem infinitely bigger than he was.

"Um... pregnant?" The fey-like creature said, retreating a bit.

"You, shoo." He said to Enrir, "You," He said to Freddie, "How... I... You... A... When...." Words didn't describe the utter bafflement... and he would admit, he was a little hurt, Freddie not telling him that he'd found someone he'd have sex with, or that he hadn't told him that something had happened... He was very, very, confused, "Go." He said to the fey, "Enrir," He caught the elemental as he was leaving, "Take him," He pointed to the fey,"Below, put him to work doing... something, I don't care, Jasair, find the healer... You.... sit, just sit." He tried to organize his thoughts into a semblance of order but all it did was scatter it more. What to think! What to think indeed.

It had taken a while to get through the crowds and to the kitchen and then cook up stuff for Fredie. His nerves were on high alert, especially due to lack of sleep, but also due to the fact that people kept coming into his kitchen and lingering because they had nothing better to do and figured that sneaking food would be good. Of course if there was ever a time not to sneak food, it was now, especially with the sand storm and the fact they didn't know when their next stop in a city to get supplies would be. In the end he would lock everyone out while he cooked.

By the time he came up with a tray of foodstuffs, he was surpised to find Freddie's room bustling with people. "Excuse me, coming through" he said, moving past Enrir and the new guy. "What's going on?" he asked. Freddie was already laying back down on the bed. "Did he get worse? Who's that?" he asked Saquir who was not sounding happy. "Huh? A healer? And where am I meant to find one of those in a sandstorm in the middle of nowhere?" he asked, slightly peeved at his father. "You think I wouldn't have brought one by now if it were possible?"

He set the tray down on the table.

Before Daven could even reply to him, he was suddenly being shooed off by Saquir. Enrir cocked an eyebrow and clenched his fist. Growling low under his breath, he stared daggers at the man. Of course - he would normally have taken it and gone - but today he was in far too good a mood to be walked over; no matter that Saquir was second in charge.

And it was partly the new guy's fault.

Opening his mouth to protest (very loudly and dramatically) that he wasn't a yo-yo to be toyed with, suddenly Saquir was grabbing his hand and telling him to take care of the newbie. Enrir blinked and stared down at the little man. Then his growling stopped and his fists unclenched. Bending his head so that only Saquir would hear, he felt warmpth well up in him as he cautioned the other man, the warmpth of a friend advising another long standing friend (their friendship being partly the reason Saquir could order him arbitrarily around), "Stay calm and focused. If it is true, Freddie will no doubt need his best man."

Then he turned around, motioning for Daven to follow, "Come on then - you're a part of the circus now. What you wanted. I might as well get you introduced to the other green horns and see what you can do," there was a glint in his eye as he said the last. Then he was heading out the door and into the hallway, his momentary anger all but forgotten. Before he left though, he threw over his shoulder, "Sorry about last night Saquir..." Then he was out, waiting for Daven to follow.

<<Freddie>>

Freddie peeled out of his layers and threw himself back into bed with an unhappy grunt. He was hungry and Saquir had turned all mommy-squirrel on him, and so was probably still standing guard outside his door like an idiot. Other people got sick all the time! It wasn't fair that they were making such a fuss, and violating Freddie's inner sanctum to do so. His small suite of rooms was the only place he had to just be himself, to walk around naked if he ever wanted to, which of course he didn't because he was a freak under his clothes and who would want to see that? Although, Enrir had seemed interested ....

He shuddered and rolled over to his other side. That had been freaky. What had he been thinking? He must not've been thinking, that's what. Oh, sure he could flirt, but what was the point if a prospective lover was just going to freak as soon as he saw Freddie?

"It's not fair," he muttered quietly to himself.

Saquir was Freddie's oldest friend, but so was Kadin, at the time. Freddie would never forget that moment, and tears came to his eyes as he thought of it again. Before he knew it, he was sobbing uncontrollably. He told himself it was just stress; a lot had happened recently; but he couldn't stop.

What if the Regent got to the capitol first? What if this sandstorm delayed them? Or actually buried them here and they couldn't escape? What if they had to set off into the desert for food and water and they got killed by bandits? He'd of led his people to disaster and he was supposed to keep everyone safe! They'd die and it was all his fault! Because his stomach had to be stupid and it was all insane, really, and of course everything got blown all out of proportion and now everyone was going to hate him and they'd all die, and it was all Freddie's fault!!

Daven grinned over his shoulder at Enrir. The reactions were pretty much what he'd expected. Denial, anger, confusion, then again, the guy with the food wasn't in the room when the announcement was made. So it was possible that he honestly had no idea what was going on. 'Not for long.' He thought cheerfully. He wasn't the best at keeping secrets... truthfully he was terrible at it. He much preferred to share his knowledge and let others decide for themselves whether to pass it on. Less work for him.

Although staying cheerful with everyone around him freaking out was proving very difficult. Just as he opened his mouth to comment that everyone should calm the heck down and make things easier on the expecting parent, he was shooed out of the room to find something to do to help out around the ship. When they were both outside of the room, he pouted up at Enrir.

"Might as well?" He stuck his tongue out, "It's only fair that you're the one to show me around." The scowl faded into a grin as he turned away from the other to look around. "It's true, you know... the guy really is pregnant." He started in a random direction and spoke over his shoulder, "So where are we going first?"

<<Freddie>>

There was silence in the outer room when Freddie's growling stomach woke him from a short, fitful nap. He rubbed at his face and pulled on his robe before pressing his ear to the door. He didn't hear anything, though that didn't mean much, but he was starving! He determined to go out there and, if it was empty, he was locking the door! He'd gotten out of the habit in all the chaos, but the constant intrusions had served to make Freddie aware of exactly how precious his privacy really was.

He eased the latch open as slowly and quietly as he could and peered out into his living room. His eyes, however, found the food first and he was hovering by the platter stuffing his face in an instant. He gobbled up the cooling bread, dipping chunks in the still warm bowl of cheese, heedless of anyone else in the room and making little, pleased, greedy murmurs as he ate.

Enrir took Daven to the bowels of the ship where the animals were kept. "We need to make sure they are in good shape and always fed and watered." While they walked he would occassionaly touch Daven - innocently, like on the shoulder or brush his hair 'accidently' or something like that, though there was never any actual reason why Enrir would do that.

While they walked he would also talk. He would ask Daven how he knew Freddie was sick and what kinds of things Daven could do - he would probe rather deeply and if Daven was a little sketchy, he would quickly surmise why.

"I've never met a pixie before. But here on this ship, most likely you've never met some of our crew before either... I myself, am an Elemental. Pure Blood."

Then he would settle and see how Daven took the news. (And bluntly ask him where he wanted to bunk.)

Daven followed Enrir closely and made a mental note to come and visit these animals later on. He liked the little touches, found them flattering even. At some point, he took Enrir's hand and (if the admittedly larger man allowed it) pulled the arm connected to it around his shoulders, effectively nestling himself against him as they walked.

"I'm a healer of sorts among my people. The closest we get to the elements is a connection to nature and our home. My specialty manifested itself specifically to living beings. I could tell the guy was sick just by looking at his face, but by touching I 'saw' what was wrong with him more clearly. Also how I would have known what you needed, even if you'd tried to hide it." He paused to breath and continued to answer the questions thrown at him, glazing over only a few details, like the fact that he had been second in the chain of power in his tribe and his reason for leaving beyond "running from responsibilities" that he didn't want.

"I believe it... our kind does not get out much. although we've seen many creatures pass by our homes, few have seen us." He smiled up at the elemental, "New kinds of people are always fun to meet, I think I'll get along here fine. Besides, I've never met an Elemental before, so we're almost even." He said with playful wink. When asked where he would like to bunk, he blinked slowly as he thought. His first thought was to ask if he could bunk with Enrir, but scratched that off as too much too soon, but he definitely wanted to be somewhere nearby and made it a point to say so.

Enrir allowed the man to snuggle closer to him as they walked. After a while the pixie would realise that Enrir was giving him a tour of sorts. "Well, we could use a Physician. Do you have experience treating? Or just diagnosing?"

Once that question was answered, Enrir would smile, only realising after the man answered that he was relieved he would not have to share his bed with the man. "I think I can find something close to my cabin. Not many people want to bunk so far into the ship."

He smiled and gave the man a gentle squeeze. He wasn't sure where this was going, where Daven and him were heading. As well as where Daven was going to fit in the circus. As they finished their tour, they ended up back at Enrir's cabin. He smiled and gestured towards a door that led off to the left. "You can take that one. Do you have any belongings?" he kept a gentle hold of Daven's hand though - he wasn't entirely sure why.

Saquir for his part put the ship together, having people do their jobs as the storm raged. And then, finally he went into his room. He sat in the middle of his room, sighing softly. Not a moment to himself, too many things whirling in his brain around in his life. Dear god. Freddie was pregnant, that was something else. He rubbed his head, taking a breath, flopping onto his back, his tail spilling beside him, as he rubbed his horns, his mind whirling before he shook his head. He banished the thoughts from his mind and he stood up, going to the bed, and curling up, mentally making a list of all the rest of things he had to do.

He was worried about Jasair though, this news about Freddie was sure to do something to him. He moved to the simple little dresser he had (made for a child, Freddie's idea of a joke) and sat down on the chair, setting about taming his hair, scattered and in disarray from the hullaballoo the past few days.

It took time, but eventually he was fit to be seen, not that he was going anywhere, really, and he hopped onto his bed and pulled back his hair into a ponytail. His ears fell back a bit and he sighed, thinking hard about what needed to be done. He should go and see if anything else needed to be done, it would keep his mind from their current predicament, and it would keep him from worrying. Also, he had a stowaway to see to, they didn't take too kindly to them, not in the slightest, even if he had seen to Freddie's... problem.

He groaned softly, all he wanted to do was curl up and stuff a pillow over his head, gods preserve him, shut out the world and all the things going wrong with it. Too many things.

Jasair was in the kitchen, fuming, having already put extra food up in Freddie's sitting room.

What were they all thinking?! Had those in charge gone and completely lost their minds during the sandstorm? Calm, Jasair, Calm. Ok, so what did he know as facts? He angrilly tossed a pancake. So, Freddie was ill, that was clear, and continued to become ill at different points. They didn't know what was causing it. Oh.. but they did, didn't they? He thought as he dumped the pancake onto a place before pouring another one. Because he was 'pregnant' wasn't he? What the HELL?! Had they all gone mad? Not only was it impossible, not only because Freddie was about as male as you could get, but because Freddie had made it extremely clear he didn't encourage sexual encounters. But even if he had.. one would assume he had male bits. There would be no way to get pregnant! He was male! So why were they all going with this hairbrained idea? Because a stoleaway they didn't know told them that!

Just because Enrir was fucking the stoleaway did not make what he said true, but despite having tried to tell his father that, it seemed no one was listening! He snarled and tossed the pan with the now burned pancake in the sink, turning the hob off before stalking around his domain. They knew nothing about this interloper, and yet they were all taking his word for the fact that he was not only a healer, but also what he said was the unaltered truth! He couldn't believe they were all buying such a rediculous thing!

One of the greenhorns came into the room and quickly left as Jasair shouted at him, leaving him to pace around the kitchen in a worried fury. Well there was nothing they could do until the sandstorm passed and they could find a real healer.

<<Freddie>>

Freddie stared at the empty platter silently for a second before frowning. That's it? He was still hungry. "Damn it!" he muttered. A quick look around verified that he was alone, his brain smothering his stomach's demands for the moment. Without Saquir nagging at him, he was free to come and go without guilt, and he knew that he needed to go up to the bridge to check on the ship's status. Then he could probably talk Jasair into an early supper. Licking his fingers, Freddie darted back into his room to dress.

He tossed a half-dozen garments to the floor before he found one that didn't make his skin itch and, fuming over the delay and insanity (he'd have to figure out what was in his clothes!), he locked his rooms behind him and set off up the corridor. He nodded and smiled or said hello or waved as he crossed paths with others moving along on their tasks or gathering to socialize, but Freddie noticed very quickly that he was getting some rather strange looks. Everyone seemed to ask him if he was okay, and he said yes, of course, and then ... the look. What the hell? He checked himself over, but he looked the same as normal after spending time with Saquir: masculine facial features, darkish skin, taller than average, long (annoyingly long) black hair with heavy waves ... He didn't have anything on his teeth or face, so what was up?

"What?" he demanded after about the dozenth bizarre look, scowling at the source.

"Uh, nothing, Freddie!" stammered the performer, scuttling away.

Swearing under his breath, Freddie continued up to the bridge. He found one of his co-pilots there, staring out at the swirling miasma of orangish-brown sand pelting the nose of their ship. He jumped when Freddie called his name. Part of the gear shaft was open in front of him, a forgotten pot of oil and a pile of dirty rags beside him.

"Are you sure you're okay to be, you know, out and about?" the man asked nervously when pressed.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" snapped Freddie, rubbing his forehead. "I'm fine! What is with you people today?" He threw himself into his chair, dragging over the display to run a systems check.

"Well, you know, uh ..." There it was: that look again.

Freddie glared. "I'm fine," he growled between clenched teeth. So was the ship, apparently. There were some warning indicators, but everything checked out okay. Not too much damage; they should be able to fly out of there fairly quickly after the storm passed. No idea of when that might be, unfortunately. He sighed and rose after running a few more diagnostics and perusing the maps.

He didn't bother to chat on the way down to the kitchens. He was too edgy; people were just pissing him off, and he didn't know why. Jasair was angry about something, too, however, which made Freddie feel slightly better. He could hear the boy's voice from outside the kitchen and he smiled slightly with fondness.

Ducking a flying pan as he entered, Freddie flopped down on a stool at the prep table, dropping his chin into his hands with a sigh. He fixed Jasair with a mournful look. From the state of the kitchen, there wasn't likely anything to eat, but it was still safer in here dealing with something immediate, like Jasair's temper, than trying to figure out why everyone was staring at him so oddly.

His stomach rumbled greedily at even the burnt smell permeating the room and Freddie groaned to himself, hiding his face in his palms. "Please, for the love of starving artists, Jasair, tell me there's something edible in here?"

The fact that Jasair was angry was not at all normal, and showed just how stressed and off-kilter he was at the moment. He had thrown the frying pan when the door had opened without really looking, and while that didn't stop him from making his mark usually, he didn't actually want to brain someone, and so the pan missed. It was just as well to, since it was Freddie there, and not some other member of the ship trying to get extra rations.

"I already put food in your rooms" he said, almost sharply, though it was by far a lesser reaction to what everyone else had got. The fact that Jasair of all people had burned food was also an indicator that he was not in the best of moods. He was a good chef, because it was what he had grown up learning. "So unless you have somehow missed the tray, I would say you have had more than your fair share of the rations."

Denying Freddie something, anything, was not that usual either, in fact it was down-right out of the ordinary. He turned away from him and went back to scrubbing an offending pan, and from the looks of the violence at which he attacked it with the scrubber did not bode well for him changing his mind.

A very keen eye would pick up the slight shake in his body from the turbulent emotions going on inside, not the least of which was the fact that the man did not deal at all well with anger or violence or even inferred violence of emotion, and he had just instigated such things. "Why don't you go and deal with the stole-away and lock him in the holding room, at least then you would be doing something useful instead of whining about food, or are you going to treat him like some god-given soothsayer like everyone else?" he flung a look at Freddie that in all honesty he didn't deserve.. yet.

<<Freddie>>

"Er ...," he said. Had Jasair just said 'no?' Jasair never said 'no.' Not to Freddie! "Um. Um, Jasair?" he asked tentatively, looking around him with new eyes. "Is everything okay? Uh, I mean, obviously not, but ..."

The kitchen had that lingering burnt food odor, but Freddie had assumed that Jasair was cleaning up from it, sent in to fix whatever error had been made by some greenhorn. now he wasn't so sure. The kid never snapped at him, at least not seriously, and Freddie didn't know quite how to respond, and Freddie was only rarely at a loss for words.

"Well, yes, but --" He tried to fend off the questions and accusations running right into one another. "Um, what do you mean, 'stowaway?' There's a new guy -- should make him a clown ..." He trailed off, reeling from Jasair's poisonous look as if the boy had physically slapped him.

He swallowed the giant lump that suddenly materialized in his throat, blinking eyes that wanted to cry again and Freddie visibly deflated, sinking into his seat. Jasair never got angry but yet Jasair was mad at him! The whole world was flipped on its ear what with Freddie getting sick and the horrible disaster at their most lucrative engagement. Now Saquir was trying to dictate his behavior -- the whole world was turning on him; it was all Freddie's worst fears come to life!

He sucked in a breath that was more sob than anything else, chair shoved back as he rose abruptly to flee, stumbling because he already couldn't hardly see, cursing and fumbling to get out of there before anyone saw him, least of all Jasair.