Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was not the sunlight that woke I’ver, but a strong rumbling in his stomach. Shards, but he hadn’t been this hungry in… days! Grumbling, I’ver tipped and twisted himself out of the folds of his hammock, and stumbled across the sandy floor of his weyr. Trousers were pulled on, shirt haphazardly tucked in, and boots scrounged up from a corner somewhere along his uneven path to the back entrance. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, there was only one thought on his mind as he wound his way through the passages of the Weyr. Food.

Oh yes, and some klah wouldn‘t go amiss, either.

Finding his way to the dining hall, I’ver threaded his way over to where a large collection of food was still being set out by the lower caverns staff. Picking up an overly large amount of meatrolls, red fruit, and a large beaker of klah - all of which he would undoubtedly still be able to put away by himself - I’ver shuffled single-mindedly back around to an empty table closest to the food. The location was prime, and purposefully picked. Even in his bleary-eyed state, I’ver’s stomach was urging him to remain as close as possible to such an excellent supply.

In the back of his mind I’ver could feel Hallianth quietly waking, becoming aware of his absence. Sending her thoughts of reassurance and sleep, he coaxed her slowly back into a comfortably drowsy state. She had only just eaten yesterday, and there was no reason his own needs should wake her from her much-needed rest. They would soon be receiving wing assignments, and he could only imagine how much energy would be required for such a task.

Hunching over the food, I’ver set himself to his meal in earnest, oblivious to the slow trickle of riders filtering in through the side doors. Now was a time for eating.

Midway through the plate of meatrolls, and I’ver was already beginning to eye the fresh batch that had just been put out. Could he finish this plate in time to get the news ones while they were still hot? If past experience was anything to go by, he didn’t doubt it.

Shoving one last bite into his mouth, I’ver reached for another - and was cut short by the descent of a hand onto his head. Hair firmly ruffled and displaced by a large, friendly paw, I’ver was left blinking in confusion as the same hand removed itself from his head and swooped down to neatly scoop up a red fruit from one of the platters before him.

“Hey, but -” I’ver whiny protestations were cut short as a familiar voice warmly greeted him. Sticking his lower lip out and blowing upwards hard, I’ver managed to get most of his unbrushed hair out of his eyes, until he was met with a smiling face just as familiar as the voice. A’dan!

“Oh! Morning!” Quickly pushing the rest of his hair to the side, I’ver grinned upwards at A’dan. Then, wincing internally at his overly enthusiastic tone, he shut up and contented himself with pushing the bowl of red fruit closer to to the other man, a clear invitation to sit and join him. It had been far, far too long since he’d seen his friend.

Friend? It was still a slightly odd term, although they had a good enough time whenever they did run into each other. And they had certainly been friendly enough the day Sigranth flew Hallianth, and - Oh!
I’ver abruptly shut off that train of thought, suddenly very much aware that Hallianth was still not quite asleep. If she happened to notice he had thought of that particular bronze, happened to realize he was breakfasting with that bronze’s rider… there would be no peace for him, ever.

Not quite hiding a rueful smile at this last thought, I’ver shook the sleep from his head and the hair from his eyes once more, and looked back up at A’dan.

“So, what are you up to? I thought I was the only one odd enough to be randomly awake and eating at this hour.” I’ver grinned again and lounged back a little in his chair, trying to make up for his initial overeager greeting.

Watching with concealed interest, I’ver tracked the movement of the other man’s hand through his hair. Unconsciously he reached up to touch his own, settling the last few displaced strands into some semblance of order. Of all the nerve, ruffling his hair… but try as he might, I’ver couldn’t work up any particular annoyance towards A‘dan. The handsome man could ruffle his hair any day…

“Thing’s to do? Important Bronzerider things?” I’ver grinned archly at A’dan, quirking an eyebrow. No matter how often it happened, he could never refrain from being amused by the duties that others so often were saddled with, purely because of the color of their dragon. Hallianth’s color only gave him one more reason to thank Faranth that she had chosen him.

“And I’ve only been driven out of bed this morning by hunger. I never get up early if I can help it!” He quickly stole back a redfruit to make his point, biting out a large chunk and then hurriedly using the back of his hand to scrape away the resulting trail of juice. “That must be why we never see each other, yes. I certainly wouldn’t want to avoid you -” I’ver paused and lazily met A’dan‘s eyes, before continuing, “- And I don’t think Hallianth would let me if I tried!” He chuckled, acknowledging his own dragon still-unabated obsession with the other‘s. It really couldn’t be avoided. Even the most stoic of dragons often had a soft spot for the one that had shared their first flight, and… Well, Hallianth was anything but stoic.

“How is Sigranth, by the way? And you, how have you been? It‘s been an age and a half, at the very least!” I’ver leaned towards A‘dan in what he hoped was an off-handed manner, half in interest and half to grab another meatroll. His hunger was starting to abate, but… one could never be too careful about such serious things.

“Oh, a new wing assignment? I expect I’ll be hearing word of mine soon, too - really, Hallianth is going to become entirely too insufferable if she doesn’t get treated like an adult soon.” I’ver rolled his eyes. Picking up his mug of klah, he laughingly toasted A’dan before taking a swig. “Good luck with your assignment, then - and the drills! I can’t wait to see how my little green puts up with those…”

Distracted by the half-finished red fruit in his hand, I’ver eyes abruptly shot back upwards as A’dan reached out to gently tug off the stem. Why had he done that? Not that he minded, I’ver admitted, holding A’dan’s steady grey gaze for perhaps a moment too long, but… shards, the man was a master at mixed signals. Blinking, I’ver smiled in thanks, not really knowing how else to treat the gesture. Although, one could never go wrong with a little fliritng.

“He sounds the same as I remember him, then.” I’ver’s smile widened with amusement at A’dan’s description of his bronze. “I’m glad to see that you’ve made it through this flu unscathed, though! I managed to avoid it, unexplainedly. Probably something to do with all that sleeping…” He shrugged and rubbed two fingers across the end of his freckled nose, an unthinking sympathy gesture at the news that A’dan had recently had a cold. “Although, the way Hallianth’s been carrying on lately, you’d think I was an invalid about to be afflicted at any second. Her mothering might have also had a hand in keeping me well, I’ll admit… although not to her! Then I’d never hear the end of it.” The mixture of good food and good company was waking I’ver up and turning him into his normal chatty self.

“I’ll have to be careful not to let her know you were with me this morning… she might never forgive you, if she thought you were to blame for my lack of sleep of late.” I’ver flashed A’dan another wide smile, this time accepting the other rider’s calm, warm stare - and returning it with just a hint of a smirk at his own last words.

“I suppose it depends on your definition of adult.” I’ver answered easily, watching with interest as the A’dan savored the last of his redfruit. “On the one hand, I’ll concede that you’ve seen her at quite a, erm, mature level. On the other hand… not so much.” His grin contained just a hint of embarrassment, as he recalled all of the ridiculous things that Hallianth had done - and continued to do - in order to catch Sigranth’s attention. “Sigranth tends to bring out the childish side in my girl, surprising as that may sound in light of… other experiences.”

Leaning back, I’ver continued to observe the other man intently, contenting himself with a simple hum of understanding in response to the next words. His eyes strayed thoughtfully to the strong fingers, and the minor havoc they were wreaking on the poor fruit. The reaction to his last words was therefore noticeable, an eyebrow slipping upwards to mark that he had understood the playful sentiment behind them. At least, I’ver assumed A’dan was acknowledging that sentiment - it was so hard to tell with this man!

And so it was only a curious, uncertain blink that he gave in return, and an uncertain smile - one that he quickly covered up by changing to a wide grin, and a sly glance. “Oh if I’d known that, you can be certain I wouldn’t have been tossing and turning at such odd hours - but I think Hallianth might still have been on my case for missing sleep one way or another.”

He continued to smile charmingly enough through this last sentence, as though simply commenting on the weather. Two could play at this game, although… shards, it would help if he knew what game they were playing!