(no subject)

[called_lioness]

Lucy had not thought anything about leaving the dragons in Caspian's room. Ingress and Gavroche required lessons, after all. She hadn't thought anything of it, but also hadn't thought through the fact that if Caspian were in the bath at the time, it meant that he was not wearing any clothing.

Which also, Lucy admits now to herself, meant that the dragons could get at all of his clothing, and she's certain it's quite unfair, and the look on his face at the moment is rather pained, but this doesn't make her stop laughing to the point of tears over the pile of ash the twins had proudly presented to her on returning.

"You are not helping, Lucy." It's vaguely reproving, though his scowl is getting harder to maintain as she weeps and giggles and the twins rub against her ankles.

"I'm--I'm very sorry," she manages, as he pulls the blanket more tightly around his waist and attempts a glare. "Oh, bad dragons. Very bad."

IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE YOU THINK WE'RE BAD, Lavender says smugly. THE HIM TURNS RED TOO! JUST LIKE THE PALE TALL ONE!

ALSO GETS FUNNY EXPRESIONS! Lilac adds brightly. Lucy, could she understand dragon, would be forced to agree.

"Well, it--it could be worse?" she offers, biting the inside of her cheek so as not to laugh again.

"...How?"

Lucy discovers she cannot, actually, think of a good answer to this question and goes back to trying to convincingly scold the dragons for the moment, causing Caspian to sigh and bury his face in one hand, the other tightly holding onto the blanket. Not his dignity, though. He suspects that's lost for good. “Lucy. I do need clothing.”

“You seem to be doing quite well without it,” she says as reasonably as she can, because anything beyond that will only result in laughter.

“--Lucy,” sounding pained.

“I’m sorry,” immediately, and genuinely, and still trying not to laugh.

THE HIM. HE IS STILL HERE. WHY IS THE HIM NOT GONE YET? Lavender demands.

PERHAPS IT IS THE BLANKET. WE DIDN’T GET IT ALL.

MAMA WOULD NOT BE PLEASE.

WELL. Lilac thinks. WE CAN FIX IT! ON THREE. ONE. TWO. THREE!

They are impressive, the dragon twins, working in unison quickly before Lucy can stop them or Caspian can cling to the blanket for dear life. Lavender quickly darts to the bathroom—TOWELS GETTING TOWELS—setting the sheets on fire as she goes, while Lilac grabs the blanket and tears it away from Caspian.

Poof.

The nice thing about dragon fires is that they go out quickly, and with only mild panic on the part of dragons’ humans.

The not nice thing is that they poof things very well.

Caspian is giving the dragons looks that imply they are very lucky that Lucy seems fond of them.

Lucy, for her part, is crying with laughter again, leaning against the wall for fear she’ll fall over.

“Lu, please,” he begs as he desperately tries to find something that hasn’t gone up in flames yet, “I do need something.”

“Well,” between gasps, “Alanna did have an idea.”

The tea towels, you see, are kept in their own drawer.

---

Alanna blinks. And blinks again, before blushing approximately the shade of her own hair. This is not, mind you, as red as Caspian is currently blushing, but few things are quite that shade, in truth. Possibly stop signs.

Lucy had spotted her in the bar and immediately started laughing, before asking if she’d mind terribly bringing some of Adam’s clothes to Caspian’s room. Alanna had been curious, but agreed, and come into the painting for the room without thinking, as she’d thought Lucy was expecting her.

She truly, Alanna decides, needs to think more.

Lucy, in an odd change from the normal way of things, is not blushing, but that was likely because the dragons expressions (proud), Alanna's (horrified and embarrassed), and Caspian's (horrified and embarrassed with a touch of resigned) have her in peals of laughter again.

"I, um. Well, your tea towel idea seemed brilliant?"

"They took the sheets," Caspian says flatly. "And towels. And blankets."

"It's all," Lucy giggles, "we have left."

“Oh.” Weakly. “I see why you needed clothing then. I’ll just—yes. Leaving, yes.”

Lucy follows, still laughing, and not inclined to stop when she sees Alanna thumping her head against the wall.

“Do you think, possibly, that their mother might have a talk with them, so Caspian doesn’t have to suffer from a draft forever?”

“Iwillask,” Alanna says quickly. “And—clothes. I’ll get more clothes. From Bar. And Adam. And I’m so sorry, Lucy.”

“So am I, really,” she admits, “but I can’t help laughing anyway.”

Alanna turns to leave, and stops.

She shouldn’t.

She shouldn’t.

“—But it does make things easier for you, doesn’t it?”

Somewhere, Lilly Kane is proud.

Right there, Lucy is finally joining the blushing brigade, and Alanna wisely makes the strategic move of fleeing for her life, trying to figure out how to convince Puff to talk with her daughters and not encourage them.