Narsi's eyes widened and she stumbled back, slightly behind Rhazii. "Ch-f-ghwhat-what the oblivion is that!?"

Rhazii laughed lightly. "Hello, leaps! How...gwah-" Leaps predictably clapped his feet right up to Rhazii and nudged him on the stomach nearly hard enough to knock him off his feet, but Rhazii held onto the sides of his head and kept his footing. "Ahah! I missed you, too, friend," he laughed, patting the giant reptile under the chin where he wouldn't have his arms raked.

Leaps croaked happily.

Far from her usual aloofness, Narsi stood agape and pale green as pea soup. She stood sprung and staring at Leaps as if was about to eat her.

[hr]
At this point Ahnasha had stopped escalating. They were no longer shouting, the combat was done, and all that was left was the soreness that drove them to anger in the first place. Fendros let Ahnasha finish and found himself finally hefting the shame of his actions. He neither rebuked her accusations nor did he ask for forgiveness. While there was an element of pride in it, he doubted grovelling would improve the situation. Not yet, anyway. Instead, he looked away, frowning and catching his breath.

"We'll make it work," he said resolutely. "If this the reality now, it's time to decide how to handle it." He slid past Ahnasha to lean a hand up against the window frame. His entire frame sank with fatigue where he stood. "I don't have any excuses," he murmured.