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Alas, for poor Lan, she’d be stuck with someone she so loathed. Loathed while on and island with creepy dolls and told to gather FEAR and she just bet that he was going to be smug about something or tease her or torment her or just do all of those things because it was Shikoba.

And Shikoba was terrible.
At least to Lan.

While she had her little FEAR dolls in hand to collect and harvest, she was tempted to just walk out on premise but no- no she had her job to fill like any other horseman and if she walked away, He’d just tease and torment her worse later on. There would be no winning. (Just like how she tended to utterly fail at beating him when it came to spars- bloody war and their dang wings keeping them from holding still long enough to shoot them).

“…” looking at the Forest itself she checked the portal they’d arrived from, noting it’s location for when they would need to return. Perhaps on this occasion, she mused, she might have the upper hand. After all, she had been secretive of her recent personal life developments.
Minus the whole ‘lets declare that I’m trying to hit on Aeron in front of Mengyao’ fiasco.

“So, when shall we need to look for baskets from you and Shaheen?”

She’d been expecting the worst. So when Shikoba passed on the barbs, Lan was taken aback. Either being with Shaheen had mellowed him, he’d gone and matured, or, someone had the mind to give him a lombotomy. Whatever the reason or means, Lan was still shocked he’d not had more cutting words for her. “A full gallop you say? Better get on it then. I think more than enough of us would be quite happy for the end of days..or the end of those damn hunters.” She held up a doll, making it do a small dance, “Just think, little versions of you and Shaheen flying towards the battlefield and slaying their first human. I’m not sure if it would be cute or terrifying. For both sides.”

Tossing her doll up, she gave it a tiny squeeze as it came down, stuffing falling from one leg, sad and limp. She was ready to go hunting for fear until the horseman brought up her own amorous issue.

Who told him? Who told Shikoba about her and Aeron and that whole mess that wasn’t a mess but was really confusing for her yet none the less made her happy and worried at the same time? “I..do not know of that which you’re speaking of.” She dismissed. “No- I am very sure I have no idea of your meaning. There has been no kissing or foals- We have not even publicly announced-“ Her eyes widened as she stood frozen.

“You will forget everything I just said.”

With a swift jab of his dagger, he cut the doll from the tree and quickly replaced it, and it thankfully grew silent almost immediately.

"You act as if what you have is something to be hidden," Shik went on as if the thing hadn't interrupted, snickering. "Whatever you Clan teaches, it is high time you remove the rulebook from your gaping a*****e and do as you please."

FEAR Gathered: 2

Shik was fairly sure he did not imagine any of that at all; why would he?

"Dignity. Duty." He rolled his eyes. "These are not reasons but excuses. If you have not noticed, Lan, everything has been in a state of upheaval recently. For the gods' sake, there are already children of multiple clans running around--or flying, as it were." Shik didn't see what the big deal was if she decided she had feelings for someone outside of prissy Conquest. If anything, maybe it would be the kick in the pants (robes, dress, whatever) she needed to stop acting like it was such a big deal to stick to what was old.

Although it seemed the more things changed, the more they stayed the same; she was still as incompetent in the field as ever, and he snickered as Lan discarded her broken doll.

"I am forcing nothing. I am only pointing out that acting as if it is shameful is a waste of energy for you both." For instance, he saw ahead that there was a ragged looking human carrying empty jars, and for once he didn't feel an immediate need to jump and murder.

He really was mellowed today apparently. Or at least for apes who wanted to do his job for him.

Layers of ugly fat, oho. He snickered and did pec flexes just for the hell of it at her.

Fat didn't do that, mare.

"Kindness?" Gone soft? Shik snorted at the very ideas. "Hardly. This is all for Aeron's sake, not yours. I would much rather that he settled with some prettier thing than your task-incompetant a**, but not even Medea could fix this one."

(He might have added that last part just because Lan had implied anything at all. He had a reputation to keep, damn it.)

Augh. She rolled his eyes as he flexed. Yeah yeah just rub in her face that technically some parts of you were attractive. If anything at least Shaheen would not have to suffer nights with a flabby horseman. “For his sake? Really?” She snorted right back at him. “I make him…” She hesitated. “He and I enjoy each other’s company. Flaws and all.” She tossed her hair back.
“And I will happily tend to your foals. I would teach them what you so dearly lack. Manners.”

She waved her hand. “Done yet? I think we’ve already been forced to spend too much time in proximity to each other as is.”

And just like the rest, it went off without a hitch. The smugness rolled off him in waves as he turned back to Lan and her very empty hands.

"For your sake, do good by him," Shik said, shifting the three silent, filled doll jars into the crook of one arm. "Or I will make you my personal practice dummy for an indefinite amount of time. Now we are ready to go."

Total Fear Gained: +6