Everyone likes pie (Ur'h)

[Rowana]

Farryl sighed deeply. She could hardly believe she was doing this. After what they had done at the Hatching, she would rather be punching a Wastelander rather than talking to one. She didn't even like the man, not really, but Ur'h's dragon had helped Peppeth. She shook her head, trying to force the images of the recent events out. The idea, as Ykkith had implied, that Peppeth might have faced the same fate had she been born that day was too horrible to think about. Still, he had been honest and he'd cared enough to spare her the sight of the poor, culled hatchlings.

Which was why Farryl was standing outside her Wingleader's door with a pie in a basket. It wasn't a very good pie. Farryl wasn't known for her cooking skills. Everyone liked pie, though, right? She'd found it hard to think of anything to thank a dragon, so thanking his rider was the next best thing. Squaring her shoulders, Farryl knocked at Ur'h's door. What she wouldn't give to be able to pick his lock and get back at him for that first time.

[Requiem]

And a little mouse comes knocking on the door, knocking on the door, knocking on the door. And a little green mouse comes knocking on the door, but lazybones is still asleep.

Ur'h grumbled and turned over in his furs, fisting the pillow over his head. It unfortunately did not drown out the voices of obnoxious brown dragons, though. Ykkith kept on singing. He was not, sadly, particularly in tune. Lazybones should get out of bed, out of bed, out of bed. My lazybones should get out of bed, before I sit on his big fat head.

"Will not," the brownrider grumbled. Nevertheless, he stumbled out of the furs, if only because telling Ykkith that he wouldn't do something usually resulted in that very thing being done. He'd like his head suitably round and unflattened, thank you. The man paced for the door, bare feet on the cold stone floor making him shiver a little. Who was knocking this early?

Silly brown rider has his head in the clouds, head in the clouds, head in the clouds. Silly brown rider has his head in the clouds, going to the door without any clothes. "Just shut up." The door was already partway open, the man blinking at the girl standing there. "Farryl?" Then apparently the words penetrated his sleep-fogged mind. Oops.

[Rowana]

Farryl started to open her mouth to say her piece and instead found herself staring at Ur'h, who was very very naked. She blinked and covered her mouth with a hand to keep from laughing. She hadn't expected him to still be sleeping at this hour and she certainly hadn't expected him to be sleeping without any clothes. Guiltily, she tried to keep her eyes level with his face and not lower down. It was hard to keep the small blush from her face, however. Still, this was delightfully poetic after he'd walked in on her in her nightgown.

"Well, um..." she started, uncertain what to say now. "Perhaps I'd better come back when you're more...awake?"

[Requiem]

Ykkith was more than just a little amused from his vantage point on his couch. The little green mouse seems to be trying very hard not to look at your danglers. Danglers. It took a moment for Ur'h to put together just what the brown was trying to say, but once he did the man rolled his eyes toward the dragon. "Your observations are unnecessary, Icky." The dragon's rumble of laughter could be heard from here.

The man at least had the grace to color a little, even if he wasn't actually that embarrassed. Nudity wasn't really that big a deal after being at Benden so long. "Uh, no, come in. Is that breakfast?" It smelled like it might be. He poked at the pie with one finger then abruptly turned and entered his weyr, picking his way through discarded clothing scattered on the floor. (He didn't usually leave his weyr a mess, but it definitely didn't get picked up when he was still in it.)

The brownrider wrapped a fur around his waist. "What time is it anyway?" he questioned, stifling a yawn.

[Rowana]

Farryl raised an eyebrow at Ykkith's laugh. Somehow she felt she was missing out on something really amusing. Still, it was hard to beat Ur'h answering the door without his pants. He didn't seem to mind his state, so she supposed it was alright. It wasn't like it was the first naked man she'd ever seen. "It can be," she supposed, still a little thrown by his state of dress. The clothe over the pie rustled a little when Ur'h poked it, making Farryl frown suspiciously. If certain salamandyrs were up to something, they had better be ready for consequences.

Farryl stepped inside and set the basket on a table. "Nearly midday actually," she pointed out with a smirk. "Do you always sleep this late?" At least it was easier to talk to him now that he was covered. Taking a deep breath, Farryl went into the speech she'd practiced before coming. No sense in putting it off. "I wanted to thank you and Ykkith for what you did for Peppeth." She didn't mention it exactly, since she doubted either of them needed to be reminded. "And," she made a face that said she couldn't believe she was about to say the next part. "I'm sorry for how I treated you when we first met. It was wrong of me to think all of you Wastelanders would be the same."

Farryl still didn't entirely trust him. He may even have participated in the culling himself, if he'd been ordered. Even so, she got the impression that he wouldn't have enjoyed it. If she was wrong, well, at least they would still enjoy the pie.

[Requiem]

Ur'h blinked at her owlishly. "What?" Nearly midday? How had it gotten that late? Well, you see, the suns come up over the horizon and climb slowly hiiigher and hiiigher- That was when the brownrider pointedly blocked out any further commentary on the passing of time from Ykkith. Blasted dragon really was no help at all. Should have woken him. Why? There are no drills today. And you seemed so peaceful lying there snoring like a wher with a cold.

"Uh, no-" But he didn't really have a chance - belatedly - to answer her question. She must have just taken his silence for not caring to answer because she was pushing on to a new topic now. This next one truly did surprise him. He glanced sidelong at Ykkith. "You must have done something while I wasn't looking." The brown preened but didn't comment. Tch. Ur'h supposed it would remain a mystery, then. He didn't think he wanted to know. (It was generally a good idea to be ignorant of whatever new foolishness Ykkith was up to.)

The older brownrider scratched at his elbow, definitely looking a bit awkward. So instead of saying anything he merely went to his table and began clearing it of various odds and ends. "I, uh..." Yeah. Eloquent as ever. "Apology really isn't necessary. I didn't expect to be liked. Or given...pies. That's a pie, right?" He was still obviously thrown off by the whole strange scenario.

[Rowana]

Farryl blinked a few times at Ur'h response. She had assumed he would have at least been partially aware of what Ykkith did, but then it had been a mess for everyone involved. She shrugged indifferently, but managed a smile at his awkward reaction. She hadn't exactly expected him to be overwhelmed by her token of friendship. He struck Farryl as the kind of man who had probably seen just about everything. Except, possibly, the things she had a feeling were hiding in her basket. She decided not to mention them. The idea of surprising him with anything was too much to pass up.

"It's suppose to be," Farryl admitted, making a face at her pie. She pulled a couple of plates and forks out of the basket. The kitchen staff might not be happy she'd taken those too, but they'd be back soon enough. The clothe over the pie rustle again, but Farryl continued to ignore it as she set one plate for her and one for Ur'h. "You're not afraid to try it, are you?" she asked with a small grin at the idea.

[Requiem]

"Supposed to be." That was rather reassuring, wasn't it? He cast a decidedly dubious look at the pastry with its mystery filling. (He could have sworn he'd seen the cover moving out of the corner of his eye more than once. But whenever he looked at it directly the cloth was still again.) Farryl's question drew his attention back to her. "I think it's more caution than fear. You don't seem terribly certain of your creation."

Nevertheless, the man went back to his cupboard and produced a pair of cups. If she was going to eat it with him like she seemed to be, then she at least had confidence in it's being edible. He didn't have any warm klah ready. Lemonade, though, he'd been keeping out on the counter where the cooler weather could keep it chilled. Ur'h poured a couple glasses and brought them back to the table.

He glanced at Farryl one last time, then gingerly peeled back the corner of the cloth covering the pie.

[Rowana]

Farryl rolled her eyes at the inference about her cooking. "Yes, well," she shrugged dismissively. "It's not exactly like making travel bread. Caravaners don't care so much how things taste." She watched Ur'h fetch the cups and gave a wry smile. "Thanks." Eying the pie basket, she began to wonder if surprises really were a wise idea with Ur'h. She started to reach for the pie, but he beat her to it. It was too late now.

Staying still for so long was not very natural for these two. When the cover finally started to come off, it was like an explosion of energy as two salamandyr heads leaped for Ur'h. Flapping furiously, they rose quickly to his face and hovered. Seeing them hover was rather like seeing rocks float. It just didn't look like it should be possible. Boo! Got you! Kurro and Faii cried together, grinning like the evil twins they were. Farryl covered her face with a hand, trying very hard not to burst out laughing.

[Requiem]

"Did you used to run with a caravan, then?" Ur'h asked absently, but the question itself at least indicated that he was somewhat interested in Farryl's life beyond her usefulness to him if nothing else. He pulled the covering completely back and froze. The freezing was actually his second reaction. His first had been to reach for his knife, but his mind put a stop to that before he could add to the list of Farryl's untimely deceased mindmates.

His third reaction was decidedly more interesting. The man leapt back with a yelp. He grabbed Farryl's arm in the process and swung her around behind him. It took him another couple seconds after that to realize that she was laughing...and that what he was seeing wasn't some monster but rather a hideously mutated draconid pet. Ykkith's rumbling laughter wasn't particularly helpful. You sing so beautfiully, Mine, he purred, allowing Farryl to hear the comment, too.

Ur'h ignored his dragon and poked a finger tentatively into the shared belly of the two-headed...salamandyr? "Got me. What are you?" he questioned it - them - directly. The brownrider rubbed lightly at his chest. It felt a little tight after that scare. Silly young people and their pranks. He glanced over his shoulder at Farryl. "That funny, is it?"

[Rowana]

A small yelp escaped Farryl's mouth when Ur'h grabbed her. She really aught to have expected such a reaction, but his protectiveness took her by surprise. Once the initial shock was over, however, Ykkith's further comment made her dissolve into laughter. She might have gone so far as to giggle, but Kurro and Faii put a stop to that. They grinned and gave their own chirping laugh at Ur'h's cry, they swooped down on Farryl's head. The stupid human male had things wrong and she was going to set it right! OursLove tell! they demanded. Not what! Is we! Tell! TELL!

"Ouch!" Farryl's laughter died while she tried to keep the pair from tugging at her hair. Shaking her head at the picture, she offered Ur'h a sheepish smile. "Sorry. It usually makes things worse if I try to stop them. This is Kurro and Faii," she pointed at each head respectively as the pair glared. "It's best not to mix them up," she advised seriously.

It had been one of the funniest things she'd seen in quite a while, but she didn't think she aught to tell him that. Instead, she backtracked to the earlier question he'd asked. It was a safe enough topic, even if it was one she rarely spoke of. Besides, maybe a change of subject would keep him from getting made over the twins' prank. "And yes," she answered, pulling the rest of the clothe back to reveal the pie. "I was raised in a caravan until I was fifteen turns or so."

[Requiem]

He probably shouldn't have been surprised. Two heads, two voices, but by his rather slack, wide-eyed look it was more than clear that he was. It wasn't every day you saw a two-headed, hovering ball of salamandyr, after all. The idea that it could somehow live for more than maybe a day or two like that was truly mind-boggling. Lucky little gits, those two. Most creatures were not nearly so lucky when connected like that.

"Kurro." The blue. "And Faii," he repeated, still sounding more than just a little shocked. "Your luck with pets...seems to have gotten better?" He didn't sound entirely too sure about that. At least they were living? Really, this was beyond odd. It would have been a lie to say that Ur'h wasn't glad for the topic change. He kept shooting little glances at the queer pair, though. Really, it was very odd.

"That must have been interesting." He would think so, anyway. Ur'h was not particularly well-traveled. He'd left his little cothold for Benden Hold and Vintner Hall when he was young because his father already had enough children and was eager to be rid of the extras. Beyond that and leaving Benden Weyr to come south, though, Ur'h really hadn't been anywhere.

He pushed out a seat for Farryl with his foot and sliced up the pie so she could have half. "I think you should taste it first." With anyone else it might have been teasing. At least one could be fairly sure that the brownrider didn't realize the comment could be deemed offensive? He really was a bit obtuse at times.

[Rowana]

Farryl's face darkened into sadness for a moment. She couldn't think of impressing Kurro and Faii without thinking of Addri, the poor white, and then any of the other mindmates she'd lost. She shook her head quickly to bring herself back to the present. This caused the odd pair to hiss in indignation and crawl down to her shoulder as a more stable perch. Farryl ignored them and took the offered chair. "It wasn't a bad life," she admitted with a rueful smile. "I learned a lot from them." She knew the geography of the South fairly well by now, though it hardly helped in the deeper parts of the jungle or mountains.

Farryl's eyebrow went up as Ur'h served the pie. "Don't trust my cooking?" she asked quizzically. Her tone suggested she was more amused than insulted. Though it was hard to learn much of anything about her Wingleader that he didn't want known, she'd been around him enough to know he could be awkward socially. Either that, or he really thought she'd poisoned it, which was funny in a sad way. Shrugging, Farryl forked a corner of her half into her mouth. It was apple pie, one of her favorites, and the kind she used to make with Saeo and Raylin. She chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "Crust could be better," she admitted with an accusing frown at her creation.

Kurro and Faii, not pleased at all that they were now being ignored, had fixated on the pie greedily. Is good? Faii asked in her sing-song voice. Faii taste? Kurro, who had been about to speak up, glared venomously at her. Pie bad, he declared in a sulky tone. Anything Faii wanted had to be bad, it was just that simple. Never mind that he'd wanted to try it until that moment.

[Requiem]

To Ur'h's credit, he knew enough not to answer that question. As direct as he was, she would have gotten the truth, and the half-shrug that Farryl got in its place was decidedly better than anything he might have uttered at that moment. He watched her carefully as she chewed. If the girl showed any signs of choking on it, Ur'h would let Ykkith have his share. So considerate of you.

The brown shifted so that he could see into that part of the Weyr. He studied the little two-headed creature curiously. I never thought anything like that could actually survive. How curious. Ur'h hm'd his agreement. Well, it seemed that Farryl wasn't going to be dropping dead any time soon, so he might as well try a bit of this pie she'd brought. His eyes snapped to her face as soon as he got a real good taste.

"This is good," he stated, the surprise in his tone humorous. Or, at least, it must have been to Ykkith; the brown was rumbling with mirth again. Ur'h ignored him. "There's nothing wrong with the crust." His eyes flicked toward the blue half of the...thing. "It's good," he repeated. It simply must not have heard him. "I've never been able to cook," the man confided to Farryl, while his pie was disappearing at a rapid rate.

Ykkith was less interested in pie and more in the two-headed creature. He's aggreeing with Faii, Kurro. That's not fair. Would you like me to be on your side? Could anyone say instigator? Ur'h cast a suspicious glance at Ykkith, but, not having heard anything the brown had said, all it came to was a look.