"Perhaps I shouldn't have tried to talk to him about himself," Kae-Ryss mused, a little regretfully.

Mu-Lin, who was listening as patiently as she always did, nodded sympathetically.

"He really is going to drive himself mad if he isn't careful," Kae-Ryss continued. "He's losing his precious control more and more often."

The questioning look in her sister's faces made her continue, "I've been keeping an eye on him, during all this. Rather like how you're looking out for Proquess, only less obviously so. He'd not be happy if he knew, I think."

That got her an emphatic quartet of nods in agreement. Shishayair was proud and fierce, and even the respect he had for his useful daughter would not save her if he found out she was using her talents to spy on him. Not now that she had the ability-- and reasons-- to spy on others; during her childhood he'd been patient, letting her "practice" on him, but now that she was nearly grown he was much more keen to preserve his privacy. It made her feel closer to him, though, knowing what he did with himself, so she kept it up carefully, anyway, especially lately.

"I definitely shouldn't have mentioned love," she sighed.

All four pairs of blue eyes went wide and stared at her.

Kae-Ryss chuckled. "I know, it was silly of me. I guess I just got carried away, or... something."

Well, no, she hadn't gotten "carried away", and Mu-Lin knew it. Kae-Ryss very rarely got "carried away"; she had her father's ability to stay detached and controlled, though she was still young and sometimes got a little emotional. This had, unfortunately, been one of those times. Under Mu-Lin's knowing look, she chuckled again and gave in, explaining.

"All right, so I knew exactly what I was asking. Is it so much to wish for a father who loves you instead of just thinking you not too much of a waste?"

Mu-Lin reached over and petted her thigh soothingly, huffing out a silent breath of air that might have been an attempt at a reassuring purr. They knew each other well, even if they were both different in so many ways.

"Do you think he's capable of love?" she asked her sister.

Mu-Lin nodded emphatically.

"What makes you think so?"

This time, the answer was less clear. Mu-Lin, mute and limited in her psionic abilities as well, had a harder time conveying more complex sorts of responses. She looked around, thinking, then finally pointed at herself, patting her own chest with a forepaw.

"Because of you?" Kae-Ryss gave her a skeptical look, then hazarded, "Because he sees no use in you, and yet still treats you well? What if that is just for Proquess's sake, because she loves you?" There was no dishonesty between the two of them, even if the words sounded harsh. Mu-Lin knew she meant no disrespect.

Her pale, small sister nodded and shrugged, then pointed her tail-tip in her bond's general direction with a pointed tilt of her head. The xenodragon was in another room, with Eness, giving their third bondmate time alone with her dark sibling. Kae-Ryss wasn't at the hive terribly often, after all, and Mu-Lin always made sure they had time, just the two of them. 

Kae-Ryss smiled, understanding the meaning of the body language. "Because even then, it means he cares about Proquess. You see, that's what I was thinking. We all know he is jealous of your Tsiasaniess, of course, and afraid of losing his bond to her... but that could be as much because he views her as a possession rather than because he loves her."

Mu-Lin shook both main heads emphatically.

"You really do think he loves her." Kae-Ryss sighed. At another huff of air from her sister, and another paw patting her thigh, Kae-Ryss added amusedly, "And me? Come on, now. I'm useful, not loved."

Mu-Lin glared at her. She just laughed.

"He'll deny to the end of time that he cares about someone," she said. "He even answered my question-- did he love Proquess-- by saying it was a silly question, that bipedras do not love."

Her sister made one of the few sounds she was capable of, since it was mostly the movement of air: she snorted.

Smiling warmly-- a surprising sight to anyone except her sister and her two bonds, with whom she was much more relaxed-- Kae-Ryss patted her, back. "I suppose is he quite capable of lying when he wants to, yes."

Mu-Lin nodded firmly again, and scooted over to duck under one wing. If it were anyone else, Kae-Ryss would have bitten her, but she fully admitted to being more indulgent when it came to her little sister and those who called her bond and friend. Well, "indulgent" having the meaning here of "fond and affectionate".

"And you love me, too, I know." Kae-Ryss stroked her sister's mane. "I love you, too."

With a happy little wriggle, Mu-Lin settled against her side and shut her eyes. Only one, minor head continued to look up at her, expectant and wakeful.

"I didn't tell him," Kae-Ryss admitted quietly. "He told me to leave, when I said too much."

Mu-Lin petted her forepaw, looking apologetic. The real reason she'd gone to see their father, after all, had not been to talk to him about Proquess and Tsiasaniess, but to ask permission to leave the hive for as long as it took to get herself a bond. He might not have understood the ache she felt when she looked at her bonded sister, bonded father, even stupid Carskadei with her two bonds-- but then, he might have. He had bonded at birth....

"You think it's a good idea, don't you?" she asked, though she knew the answer already.

Sure enough, Mu-Lin nodded readily.

"Of course you would," Kae-Ryss agreed, smirking on a couple of her heads, though one main one continued to look unhappy and anxious. She didn't bother trying to change its expression, not when it was just her and her sister. "You have two, already, and love them both...."

Mu-Lin rolled over and batted gently at the unhappy-looking muzzle.

"Stop that," Kae-Ryss grumbled, lifting her chin out of range. Mu-Lin's sad and apologetic expression made her sigh, though, and duck to nuzzle into the open paw-pad. "I know you're just trying to help."

One of Mu-Lin's rare image-sendings made it through the shroud of her silence: Kae-Ryss, all four muzzles smiling, an undefined-looking hatching at her paws. The hatchling cycled through a few appearances before Mu-Lin plastered on the four-headed image from the Abstract Destiny's current clutch advertisements.

Kae-Ryss laughed. "But that's a cat, Mu-Lin. I'm half dog."

Pouting up at her, Mu-Lin repeated the image once more before her concentration faded and she lost it.

"You really think I have a chance?" At Mu-Lin's nods, she shrugged. "Well, no harm in signing up, I suppose... unless they decide to gang up and bite my ankles, or something."

Mu-Lin's mouths came open in silent laughter at the mental image, and Kae-Ryss swatted at her with a playful growl. They fell to gentle wrestling for a few minutes-- gentle, because Mu-Lin was so much smaller and more delicate than Kae-Ryss was, and she had to be careful-- and then mutual mane-combing in companionable silence.

At least now she had a plan, and hopefully one that wouldn't take her away from the hive and Shishayair for too long, so she wouldn't need to ask him. Though the idea of just showing up with a bond and seeing how he reacted would certainly be interesting.... She just hoped he took it well.

Gods, she just hoped it happened. 

Chapter Twenty

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