[PRP] Hungry for Company? (Teohe/Haraven)

[Meepfur]

What a sorry way to spend a rest day.

Not the scrubbing and oiling Tiossith part, of course, but the stubborn steady rain rather put a damper on things. While she could hardly be typed as outdoorsy, Teohe did enjoy being outside, and had grown rather accustomed to free time spent on the beach in her time at Western...sitting in the shade of a tree, more often than not, as she was more wont to enjoy the sound and sight of the waves than to go for a swim. No matter how self-assured and encouraging her dragon was, certain teenage insecurities had set in, and she was noticing more than ever how pretty everyone was, and of course comparing herself against them: a little short, still rather squishy in spite of all the exercise involved in Weyrling training...and even getting a bit, well, squishier in certain respects.

So no, the wavy-haired little bluerider didn't do much swimming, even when it was hot, but she still didn't love being stuck inside the Barracks. Soon enough, she and Tiossith would have their own weyr, but not quite yet. As she mulled over both the current situation and the tantalizingly close promise of personal space, her stomach rumbled, and she sighed. She'd had lunch not two candlemarks ago, and here she was, hungry again. That fish soup just hadn't stayed with her...maybe because there'd been a lot of fish soup lately?

Maybe you're developing a resistance to it, Tiossith suggested with a mental chuckle.

I'm sure that's it, Teohe agreed dryly, but set off to see if perhaps there was a snack to be found somewhere.

x Uta

 

[Uta]

The rain had kept many confined indoors--and while riders, weyrlings, and Candidates alike had not been spared completing their duties because of the rain, many preferred to spend their free time in drier environments. Haraven was no exception-- much as he enjoyed a good rain, the Candidate Barracks had been packed to the brim, and he was ready to enjoy the out doors without getting rained on.

"Hungry?" He looked up from his notes at two pairs of whirling red-eyes. Perched on his knees, the little blue and green flit were slowly inching their way closer. They had been asleep on the edge of his cot when he'd began his studies, but apparently, he'd been engrossed for far too long. Instead, the little beings were begging. Oh, certainly, they were being polite about it--they hadn't reached the point of creeling or nibbling on his tunic in desperation--but his stomach was growling...

And not because he needed a treat.

Well... at least he didn't think he was as ravenous as all that. Maybe the fish soup from earlier hadn't stuck to his bones, but he thought he could at least make it to dinner. Puddles and Evergreen had other ideas.

"All right, all right--come on you two. Let's see what we can scare up in the Dining Hall." Both flits gave happy cheeps, Puddles jumping into the air to circle around Haraven's head, and Everygreen clambering right into his arms. Pushing himself off the cot, it didn't take long for the Candidate to remove himself from the Barracks. Unfortunately, there was no easy way to the Lower Caverns. Hurrying through the wet and cold rain, the young man held Evergreen close, even as Puddles zipped past.

He wasn't the only one headed to the Dining Hall this afternoon, and gave a little smile even as he let her enter first. "So much rain. Think it'll dry out anytime soon?" He asked amicably. He thought he might have recognized her--and the knots she wore indicated she was a blue weyrling--but that was about all he knew. Stepping inside the Hall, he appreciated the warmth of the roaring fire at the great hearth--but needed a few minutes to dry before he headed to the snack table.

Puddles, impatient was ever, gave a small, pathetic whine from where he continued to circle. Foods?

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Teohe smiled and ducked her head politely when the young man, evidently also on his way to the Dining Hall - along with a bit of company! - graciously allowed her to head in first out of the rain. "Thank you," she murmurred with another smile, before enunciating better for her subsequent reply. "I sure hope it does. A little rain is refreshing, but now it's just getting excessive."

She was reasonably certain she'd at least seen him passing before, probably somewhere in the lead-up to Esurienth's clutch, but the days before the Hatching had been something of an overwhelming blur for the swapped then-Candidate. "Here for a bite, or headed for chores?"

She did glance up at the circling blue flit, who'd made himself impossible to miss, and gave yet another smile. They really were cute. She'd always rather wanted one, but hadn't lucked into it yet...which might have been for the best. Maybe Tiossith wouldn't want the 'competition' for her attention.

Uta

 

[Uta]

Haravan nodded agreement, even as he tried to dry his boots on the extremely-soggy mat that had been placed in front of the entrance. It was almost futile, given the excessive rain, but it would hopefully stop things from puddling too much in the Hall. Mopping the floors was already included in their chore rotation. "I agree! A good rainstorm or gale blowin' off the waters kind of nice, but I'd be happy to see a but of sun and dry out a bit." Flooding was already a concern-and the more it rained, the higher the risk.

Thankfully, that wasn't something he had to worry about, and instead, could focus on nicer things like food, and pleasant conversation. "I'm here for some grub, actually, or at least a little snack. Lunch was kind of light. What about you?" Weyrlings were still assigned plenty of chores between their drills, so he couldn't quite be sure where she might be headed.

As if to cofirm it, Puddles gave a despondent creel, and landed dramatically o his shoulder, causing Evergreen to give a small cheep of surprise. His eyes whirled a bright red, and he made sure they could both feel the little twinge of hunger. "Don't mind him--I promise he's well fed." It certainly wasn't a lie. The little blue was a little on the chonky side.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

The soggy mat was a sorry sight, and seemed to be struggling to keep up with its intended purpose, if the squishing and squelching were anything to go by. It might, just maybe, be keeping a little bit of the dirt out, but beyond that she was fairly certain it had been overwhelmed by all the waterlogged people dragging themselves in and out. "I was sure the weather'd be better here than it is at High Reaches, but that's what I get for assuming, I guess. I'm honestly not sure if this is better or worse than snow - it's not as cold, at least, but everything's just...soggy."

Constantly squelching about was none too pleasant, she had to admit. "Same," she went on to agree. "It tasted fine and all, but it hasn't lasted me very long." While she enjoyed her food, Teohe wasn't an especially picky or discerning eater, so the uptick in how often they had fish soup didn't bother her, but it did seem to be getting a little less...filling. "I thought it might just be me, but apparently not."

She had noticed an increase in her appetite since she'd Impressed, but it hadn't quite faded as she'd expected it to as Tiossith grew and was less hungry-hungry-hatchling. It hadn't to occur to her that it might be her age as well, that she was a late bloomer on the edge of a growth spurt. No, so far as she knew, she was just annoyingly hungry.

"I can tell," she cooed at the hungry little blue. "He's adorable, either way - they both are."

Uta

 

[Uta]

"If it makes you feel any better, this isn't quite so normal. I mean, we usually have more rain and wet during the winter months, but this is more than excessive." Not to mention all the seafood they were eating. While Haraven was used to delighting in the bounty of the sea, he was well aware that the quality of the food was taking a turn. Things seemed a bit more watered down, and repeat menus were becoming very common.

Thankfully, Casgar was competant and knew how to make things stretch. They were still all well fed, and comfortable--even if he wanted a snack.

"It'll let up eventually," he mused hopefully. "Come summer time, I'm sure you'll enjoy the beaches and the heat. You might even miss all this wet!" It was difficult to appreciate now, but even the rain wouldn't last forever.

"What's the weather usually like up where you're from? You said High Reaches, yeah? Were you born there or Searched there or...? If'n you don't mind me asking. I'm Haraven, by the way," he added hastily, realizing that he'd been chattering long enough that not exchanging names didn't feel right. Especially as he did pride himself in knowing who-was-who in the Weyr. It was his home, after all.

The young man brightened when Teohe admitted she was also here for some food. "Shall we then? I think Puddles is sure to expire if we don't hurry--not that I blame him." His stomach was already threatening to growl at the sight of the table. "Looks like there are some tables near the hearth if you want to try to warm up?" The Dining Hall was emptier than usual, likely on account of the rain--but he knew the tables closest to the heat would be snatched up quick.

Puddles stared up at Teohe before giving another pathetic creel. He was hungry. So hungy. Food? Why no food? So much talk, so little food.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"The beach was easy to get used to," the young bluerider said with a laugh, "The heat...that will probably take a little longer.  Just when I thought I was starting to get used to it, it decided on rain instead." The beach really was nice, and she was already leaning towards one of the huts once she and Tiossith were cleared to have their own space, even if there was something comfortably familiar about a traditional weyr.

"Oh!  I'm Teohe, sorry!  Teohe of blue Tiossith," she amended when he introduced himself, realizing that they'd been chatting away without exchanging names. "I am from High Reaches, yeah - da's a rider, ma's in the kitchens.  They got their first snow for the season not long ago, Tiossith heard all about it from Hyglath.  He wants to see it for himself now, but I'll be surprised if he doesn't prefer the beach."

"Yes!" she agreed, though realized her own enthusiasm and paused for a moment, biting her lip.  While she wasn't nearly so dramatic as Puddles, she was hungry, and having a day where nothing seemed to be quite enough.  She shared a sympathetic look with the little flit when he creeled. "It would be nice to warm a bit, too, and maybe dry off a little."

Uta

 

[Uta]

Haraven gave a small laugh and a nod. "Yeah, that's the way of it. Summer time heat turns right into monsoon season. Western Weyr has a reputation for milder weather, but there's more to it than a balmy climate. We're not quite tropical, but definitely wet and windy more often than people think." Having never been to High Reaches Weyr -- or off the Western Continent -- Haraven did ponder the concept of snow. He knew it was white, knew it was cold, but otherwise only knew about it from the stories he'd heard.

"I think some of the northern islands get snow, and up around Redoubt Hold. I've never seen it but I doubt it's quite like what High Reaches gets." The Western Continent wasn't exactly known for its colder weather, but it was quite versatile with many different climates if one knew where to look.

"Nice to meet you then, and greetings to Tiossith as well!" He greeted, doing his best to tuck both their names away in memory. It wouldn't be a difficult thing to do--especially as he noted that she was from High Reaches. The fact that she was here at Western was both peculiar and a bit of a novelty. She certainly must have been one of the Candidates who had swapped, especially with her father a rider and her mother in the kitchens! "Well, I have no doubt he'll see it sooner than later. The convenience of having your own dragon, right?" Freedom to go anywhere, anytime. While he had never lacked in transportation, given his fathers, and siblings, and living in a Weyr, he did yearn for what it might be like to be with his own dragon. While Haraven knew he had no say in what might or might not tempt a dragon, he had to hope that all it would take was time.

When Teohe heartily agreed, Haraven did laugh--though not at her. "All right then! I'm pretty famished myself--and it's not just coming from Puddles. I think there are a few prime spots left... and lots of treats. Is it very different here after being from High reaches?" He asked curiously, even as he lead them over to the table full of afternoon snacks.

Puddles trilled happily, and was quick to dive down and cling to Haraven's shoulder. The little blue was all but trembling with excitement, his little eyes whirling red with hunger. "You'd think I starve him," he noted with a small, fond sigh. Evergreen at least wasn't begging--even if her eyes were also red.

Meepfur