Initially, the first brush of another consciousness could be waved off as an errant thing. On the second pass, it is obvious that someone is attempting to gain her attention. Cautiously, so as not to stir panic or result in a broadly cast net of curiosity, as the one reaching out has no intentions of entertaining a crowd today (though normally he'd greatly enjoy seeding some chaos and claim innocence later). Temptingly, he allows a faint scent of whiskey and smoke to drift, curling like the inviting gesture of a single finger. Come here. (From Lukoith)

Those lures are met with the extension of a vine, a couple of errant butterflies circling thoughtfully around it, her scent mingling with his — bright jasmine and lilac and rose twisting into whiskey like a lush garden party. Jaehnieseyth is clearly just as, if not more curious.

Arguably, it can't be discerned if the pathway is hers or one of his, though ultimately it may be a bit of both. Having snared her curiosity, he leads on towards the fringes of primordial forests, cloaked by encroaching twilight's lengthening shadows and the low ground mists. It's not to the trees, but to the interior walls of a modest estate, all grand furniture and wooden decor, highly polished. Refined, aristocratic to the last letter. She's welcomed here, of course! An esteemed guest. The voice that speaks suits this cage atmosphere as well. Low, smoky and oh-so silver-tongued. « Welcome, little lady. » he greets, implied gentlemanly smile in full swing. « You've grown so much already. I saw it fit to see for myself, just how much so. » (From Lukoith)

Jaehnieseyth is calmly ignoring whatever Casla is supposed to be learning about right now — it seems very much the sort of class designed for dragons to take naps, and she is filtering none of that from her shared class, so Lukoith is getting the unspoken opinion — in order to keep her butterflies going in the brown's mind, even if the vines are staving off, or perhaps blending well into that forest. Parts of her plants are simply joining in and becoming parts of his plants, too. If a few glimmering sunbursts mess with the dark twilight, she just can't help herself. « I am very long, » she answers proudly. « I am not allowed to swing my tail anymore until I am in the air, » less satisfied.

Sunlight, as little will be permitted, will drift by the windows and perhaps briefly through them. Otherwise he is content to keep the inside of his so-called cage to firelight and dimness. Those butterflies though? Are welcomed. Mind the fire! … or maybe that's the point. How subtly cruel! « What a pity! They've restricted you already. At least you have a tail to swing! Mine is remarkably short. » No lie there. Bemused, he continues to speak in that strange, low tone of his. « What else, little lady? » (From Lukoith)

The butterflies are absolutely minding the fire … by circling as close to it as they can go without getting burned. Thankfully these are not the moths; Jaehnieseyth does not know him well enough yet to allow her most personal representatives out of her mind, though the time will likely come. She's feeling out that his dimness and hers are not the same: he is not sad or disappointed. « Are you always so dark? » she asks, attempting to grow a glassy rose up in one of those flames. « And you knew Casla before I did? » What is linear conversation and focus?

How wise of her! That feeling out of the shadows clinging to the far corners of the walls he's shared with her is permitted, if not in an bemused manner. She'll come to sense that he's not being wholly truthful with his nature; something lurks just on the fringes of awareness. « Is it bad, to enjoy the night skies? » he counters cryptically. That glass rose is left untouched. « Ahh, yes but not personally. So you know who I am? » (From Lukoith)

Jaehnieseyth is just being honest. Or guessing. It's guessing. She can make butterfly-wingflaps happen in shadow, and has figured out that it is fun to do so: sorry, Lukoith, it might get a little annoying. « I don't know if I do or not, but maybe? » she confesses; she was trying on for size that that was why he was talking to her! « You would need a reason to find me interesting, right? And it's okay to be dark. It's just different from my dark. I had to check. » If she were this dark, it would be cause for concern. Now she's just trying to brighten up his darkness in other ways.

Lukoith will tolerate it, even if it is annoying (and it is), because he has greater things at play right now. Small prices! It's the brightness she exudes that has him withdrawing a bit. « How do you know so much on darkness, for one so young and pure? » he counters again, a touch unsettled. Ugh, too bright! But he's the one who lured her and so he will suffer for the gain he might earn from this encounter! « No, I guess you would not know if she hasn't explicitly told you. » Let him just sow that little seed. No shame and no apology to Casla OR Divale for it! « I'm Lukoith. My rider is Divale. » (From Lukoith)

« I only know it gets dark if I am upset, » the three-month-old dragon insists; she has been upset, ever, in her short life! Because of Casla being in pain (from her smacking her in the face with her wings), and because of not being allowed to do things. They are childlike upset things, and it is a childlike darkness. « I have heard your names. Sort of. » She hasn't heard them, so much as been aware of them, and poked at those parts of Cas' brain to see what she can find. Which of course he is absolutely not encouraging her to do more of.

Oh, but he is tempted to push that encouragement to have her pry and relay what she finds! Yet he knows better, some deep part of him, not to do that. She is a child and will do child-like things if nudged too hard and he does not need the whole Weyr to know of his conversation with her. Maybe some part of him doesn't outrightly desire that Divale be exposed either! « My darkness is just a part of me, like the sunlight is to you. No shame in it and you have nothing to fear of me. » Today. Not today. Likely not ever, given she is a gold and he is a brown and there will be unspoken rules no matter how he may attempt to play their banter in his favour. « That is a start, then! Would you mind terribly, passing along a message to yours? When she is no longer occupied. » (From Lukoith)

Jaehnieseyth would take the encouragement to be nosy and bound off with it at the speed of a thousand enthusiastic little VTOLs, so it is probably wiser not to. Her filters and diplomatic tendencies have definitely not yet developed, as she says with all the laziness of a dog lying in the sun, « Of course, especially since she is bored anyway. » Not what one is supposed to say about lectures, but. Jaehnieseyth is bored too — or she was before she made a new friend! — so she is all sympathy in her shadowplay. « You make dark interesting, » is what she has to say, as regards those butterfly-shadows and how she can make them dance, and change sizes while the butterflies remain the same. Amazing! « But — yes — I will tell her what you would like her to know. » Probably not when she's no longer occupied. Probably right now.

Amusement ripples through that small space he's sequestered the both of them. « That so? I'll take it as a compliment, then. » Lukoith isn't going to correct her delightfully innocent observation of his character, as woefully wrong as it sounds to him. He'll allow her to play with those shadow-butterflies, while he delivers his 'message'. « Tell her that Divale misses her and is regretful that she has not been by yet. » Oh, how he twists the truth! It's not a full lie, he cannot lie, but he doesn't have to be entirely forthcoming with the truth. Casla will see through it anyhow! « We do not return home this summer. Too much is at stake, right now, which has contributed to her absence. Perhaps in time, they will meet and talk. » A pause and a gentle lean. « That won't be too much to ask of you? » He asks, as one would when tasking something 'big' to a child. (From Lukoith)

Someday, Jaehnieseyth will know to ask questions like 'did she really say that, or are we making it up,' at least including herself in the proliferation of half-truths For Their Own Good. But now is very much not that time. Instead she has to try very hard to not happily wing-flutter in real life, doing so mentally with her entire little butterfly swarm. « Yes! » the little gold says proudly, playing the role of that child very well. « I will tell her. I want to go next time you go anyway. I want to see the trees and tall grasses and the pond, » she insists, as if Lukoith will argue her case to Casla, like her lifemate would otherwise have left her behind. « I am glad you are not going without me. Us. » She does not share whether Casla feels the same, if only because she doesn't yet seem to know. But she does know where this home is, from her mental prying and endless curiosity, and she already seems fond of it in a way.

Good. Good. She will sense how pleased Lukoith is, even if she cannot grasp the whole of the scenario (or ask the right questions of WHY he would be, over something so trivial!). « We'll see. » He offers no promise on a future visit, though he tucks away that knowledge to "torment" Divale with later. « Thank you, little lady. I'll leave you to your day. » He's already withdrawing, the room fading back to the outdoors, with the forest now only visible in the distance and out of reach. (From Lukoith)

Jaehnieseyth leaves behind that fire-forged glass rose, and possibly a single butterfly as she lets her own attention drift as well. « Anytime, » she says, leaving her garden gates open: whatever he needs, whenever's convenient. He may not have committed to any further interaction, but she will simply expect it and be unsurprised when they next speak.