Picnics and Redfruit (Sel'n)

[dragon]

The blanket was spread out nice and neat ... and an attractive blanket it was, too. Very well made, nice and thick and downy. Very soft, pleasant to sit on, despite whatever might be underneath the item. It was also nicely brightly colored, but not in anything garish or clashing. Blues and greens in varied tones and in a simple check patterning, it made the white soup bowl in the middle of it quite starkly outlined. The bowl was, indeed, full of soup. The thick broth was steaming heartily away, between chunks of vegitable and meat and noodle. There were very few things Dorava could actually cook very well, but soup was a specialty of hers. Next to the bowl of soup was a couple of stacked bowls, which contained some simple spoons... all of which she'd pilfered from the kitchens. They would get returned, in time.

On a plate on the other side of the bowl was a loaf of bread, uncut. It was plainly a fresh loaf - also pilfered from the kitchen. This, however, wasn't going to get returned. Indeed, it was very hard for Dorava to not break a corner off and happily munch on the steamy substance. Though not much of a bread eater, fresh, hot, butter-melting bread was something she couldn't hardly resist. Sitting next to that plate of bread was a bowl with some butter in it ... though it was a little melty on one side (next to the hot bread) and rather firm and unspreadable on the other.

Seated on a corner of the blanket, Dorava gave the whole thing a critical eye, before nodding approvingly ... it was ready. Now she just had to keep it intact until Sel'n arrived. She'd decided to invite him for a picnic. Why? Well ... why not?? There wasn't anything wrong with it that she could see. Nothing at all.

On the far side of the big bowl of soup from here, where she couldn't see, Valiant was sneaking up on the bowl. Each step was painstakingly slow, as if he expected that the bowl really would up and run away if he moved too fast and startled it.

Mandyr, naturally, was sound asleep. Deciding that she liked the picnic idea, the green flitter had curled up on the blanket, too, head tucked into her own tail, one wing fluttering every now and then. The only good thing about all her sleeping was that she didn't eat much while sleeping ... which meant she wasn't getting any fatter than she already was. Dorava hated to think what would happen if the flitter suddenly decided to try to fly any distance at all. Likely she'd strain or pull something.

Dorava had no idea of Sel'n was actually going to show, or not, but she rather hoped he would... in any event, she wasn't going to wait until the food all got cold. Indeed not. That bread was ... irresistable!

I think it is odd that you decided to picnic inside, mine. Aren't picnics usually held outside, under the sky? Aonith asked, poking her snout into the section of the Weyr that was Dorava's space, where it was cozy warm and sheilded from winter winds.

"Yes, of course. But most picnics don't happen in the dead of winter, either. So a few things had to be changed up. It is, after all, cold out there." Dorava pointed out, before reaching over to pat her green on the snout. Straightening, she tugged on her shirt to straighten it. The shirt was a nice one, though not particularly fancy. A plain, dark, rich blue in color, it had droopy, mini ruffles for sleeves that were maybe two inches long. It had a similar, droopier, less dense ruffle around the front of the neckline, and was fitted all the way down. It didn't tend to wander much, but Dorava was used to her shirts ooching upwards on her. Broad shoulders tended to do that to clothing.

[Rei]

She invited you, it would be horribly rude to not show up. Kaaoloth remarked lazily sprawled out on his couch. I would visit as well but Aonith’s weyr is far to small. Flicking his tail the brown rumbled the sound low. Get a move on Fussypants mine. If you don’t show up she may cry. Sel’n snorted. “I’m going, would you quit your bellyaching already? Besides I doubt she would cry if I didn‘t show up. She is a acquaintance, not my lover.” Straightening his shirt Sel’n turned to look back at the brown. “What? What’s that look for?”

Is she your friend with benefits then? The Weyrlingmaster rolled his eyes. “I had sex with her one time Kaaoloth. That does not make us a couple.” You hung out with her at the gather as well. “I stayed with her because she’s a acquaintance and I had nothing better to do.” Snorting the brown made himself comfortable and closed his eyes. Acquaintance…right. I forgot the word friend isn't in your vocabulary. Ignoring his dragon Sel’n headed for the door and immediately was pounced on by his mandyr. Vanity knew where he was going, and he wasn’t going without her thank you very much. He was hers! That uglygreenpest wasn’t stealing hers. The small mandyr clambered up her bonded and fixed Sel’n with a glare. Miiiiiinnnnee.

The brown rider huffed. “Yes pet of course I’m yours. You little harpy. Can’t you be nice?” Vanity cocked her head and preened for a moment before frilling. No. Sel’n smirked. “I thought as much.” As he made his way down the hallway he began to grow nervous. He wasn’t good at this sort of thing. Females where like a different species.

Vanity watched passerby’s with disinterest, posing for those who looked her way. Wasn’t she lovely? When the pair got to Dorava’s door, Sel’n raised his hand to knock while his mandyr frilled but stayed surprisingly silent. Giving her a sideways glance, complete with raised eyebrow, the Weyrlingmaster rapped sharply on the door. “Dorava?” His mandyr coiled her tail tightly about his neck and fixed the wood with a death glare. Herssssss.

[dragon]

A knock! There was a knock! So! The brownrider was going to show after all! Splendid!! Dorava hopped to her feet excitedly, and hurried past all her dishes to get to the door. She tripped over something - she had no idea what. And went for a headlong spralw on the floor. Luckily, her weyr was more or less clean, and all she did was thud heavily on smooth stone floor. She really needed to get a rug ....

Nobadnonononono! Val protested, scurrying away after having been kicked. Thankfully, he hadn't been stomped again, but still. Getting snagged by a foot unseen flashing around the bowl and then getting all his claws hung on the blanket had most assuredly not been fun. Not only did his middle hurt, but so did all his claws, having been strained before popping free of the blanket. Picking himself up from where he had been flung, he scurried under the bed and peeped out from under the dangling edge of the blanket, there.

Evil, evil feet!!! Boots bad, chewchewchew!!!

Dorava hurriedly picked herself up, dusted off her front, and then hurried the rest of the way to the door, unaware that her previously precariously perched hairdo had fallen askew, not quite out. Grabbing at the handle, she pulled the door open, and smiled brightly at Sel'n. "Well, Hello Sel'n! I was begining to afear the bread was gonna get cold. Come on in, please ... the bread is getting cold." She waved him inside, and then closed the door behind him ... Brrrr! It was chilly even in the halls! Not as chilly as outside, granted, but chiller than a weyr with a giant dragon-shaped heater in it. Rubbing her hands together, she made her way back toward the blanket, and sat down, gesturing for him to do the same.

"I have some soup, some bread, some butter ... and it's hot! Well ... except for the butter..." Dorava started. "Kindof odd, I know, but I felt like a picnic, and I wanted someone to share it with me." She smiled at him brightly. "I hope you like soup ... or bread." Her smile wavered a bit. Soup was just about all she knew how to make. Reaching for a bowl, she started spooning some of the steaming soup into it. Not sure if he wanted a lot, or whatever he wanted, actually, she stopped when it was decently full to not be called stingy, but didn't fill it to the point where it might be a strain to eat it all if he didn't like it. This, she offered to Sel'n, before gesturing at the bread. "Feel free to break off whatever you like. The butter is right there, if you want it!" Dorava commented, cheerfully, before starting on serving another bowl of soup.

Good afternoon, Weyrling Master Sel'n. Aonith greeted, simply, before withdrawing back into her own area, to leave them with plenty of room. A dragon snout poking through a doorway was a large obstacle, despite being green of color.

It didn't take Val long at all to spot Vanity, and suddenly erupted from under the bed, bouncing happily. Vanitylove! Lovelove! Vanityprettylove! Prettylove! He announced happily, scuttling over toward where Sel'n was as fast as his little gimpy legs would take him, no heed paid to his white behind at all. All self conciousness was washed away in his glee to see his favorite (if forever unreachable) green mandyr.

[Rei]

Dorava’s tousled appearance had Sel’n surprised. He was under the impression that he was late. Dorava looked, for lack of a better word, frazzled. Smiling at her random rambling, he entered her weyr and bowed stiffly to Aonith. “Good day to you as well Aonith. I do hope you are doing well? Kaaoloth sends his regards.” Striding over to where the green rider indicated, the Weyrlingmaster sat down and raised an eyebrow. “Relax Dorava. Take your time. I am not going anywhere.” He teased lightly as Vanity frilled from his shoulder. How dare herpet pay attention to the green ugly and not to her! Miiinnne! The small creature hissed at Dorava, digging her claws into Sel’n’s shirt for good measure. Nonononononono yours! Mine! Mypetcrippleminepet. The words where spat in possessive anger.

Sel’n rolled his eyes and smiled weakly at Dorava. If he apologized any other way, Vanity would throw a complete conniption fit. He had no desire to fight with the little harpy at the moment. “The food looks wonderful. I’d much rather eat it in here than outside anyway. Kaaoloth tells me the wind is picking up. No doubt it will be pouring buckets later.” Taking the offered soup gingerly from her, the brown rider sat it beside him and Vanity peered down at it. Her attention was quickly taken however by Valiant. Compliments where the best way to grab her attention and she frilled and posed, giving herself a quick look over in the process to make sure her hide was still completely stunning. It was. PrettyVanity. Beautiful me. She agreed.

Sel’n smiled and trailed finger down the green mandyr’s back. For better or worse he had gotten used to her. Although the beginning of their relationship had been rocky, Vanity had quickly wormed her way into his heart. Now he couldn’t imagine life with out her or Kaaoloth. Harpy though she still was, she was for better or worse his harpy. Kaaoloth gave a surge of amusement at that thought and Sel’n tactfully ignored his brown. “Val seems to be getting around much better. I would warn him off doing much more than complementing her though. If he touches her she might throw a fit. Unfortunately she has begun to glow again and when she’s proddy only Lust is allowed to touch her. Compliments are always welcome though.” Vanity frilled and chirped when she heard her mate’s name. Lustking miinnne. Sel’n snorted at her comment and picked up the soup. Taking a spoonful he savored the first bite. Swallowing he smiled. Dorava did make good soup.

[dragon]

Val bounced a few times, excited at the warm reception he'd gotten. Trundling forward, he stopped with a leg abruptly appeared before him, not only cutting off his planned route, but blocking his view of Vanity. Nononononono! He scolded, unhappily.

"Be nice, Val. No touchie, okay? You touch, you get stomped." Dorava warned, knowing well that Val would not want to get stomped again.

Stomp no. No Stomp Val... Prettylove! Shinylove. He bounded atop Dorava's outstretched leg, and settled there, where he could look at Vanity again, admire her to his heart's content. Though he really really reeeeeeeelly wanted to go snuggle with her, too. Val prettylove, keepshinylove. Prettyvanity. Vanitylove, keep Val! He rambled happily, until she mentioned Lust... then the blue deflated unhappily. Always to be trounced by a bronze ... it just wasn't fair.

I am doing well. Enjoy your meal. Aonith responded, kindly, before turning her attention to reach out toward Kaaoloth. And my regards to you, as well. She told the brown, happily. It was so nice, to have pleasent interactions with others ... especially other dragons.

Dorava dipped her spoon into her own bowl, watching as Sel'n started on his own soup. She smiled when he did, glad that he seemed to be liking it. But before she ate her soup ... first ... bread! Must not let it get cold. Never! She tore a hunk off the loaf, and smeared a healthy blob of butter across the steaming, busted surface. The butter melted and soaked into the bread as she set the knife back down again. Biting into it, she smiled happily. Nothing quite like nice, hot, buttery fresh bread! Especially on a chilly day!

She ignored the pissy mandyr for the most part, well aware how a lot of them could be. She was infinitely grateful that her own mandyr was so much nicer than most, and far easier to deal with, even if he did have his own quirks.

"We could use the rain." She remarked, converstaionally, taking care to not talk through her food, as she also partook of the meal. "After that last year of drought, the area needs it." She nodded slightly. "Just so long as we don't get any major storms, that is. After all the mess around here, the last thing we need is storm damage, too, you know? Downed trees are going to be a lot harder to move than burned bits of tree."

But! That was such a dismal direction for the conversation to take. Time to find something a lot lighter to talk on. "That was rather dismal of me, wasn't it?" She apologised. Hmmm ... she hadn't even thought about what to talk to him about... she'd just wanted the company. Simplistic planning apparently had its pitfalls. She did relax considerably, though. Apparently all the blunders she could have made had been sidestepped, for he appeared to be willing to sit and stay a bit. Awkward as it was.

Failing miserably in coming up with something to say, Dorava hoped her silence wasn't going to make the whole event horribly awkward to the point where he'd hurry and leave. Company was nice.

[Rei]

Sel’n enjoyed his food in silence and after a moment Vanity skittered down his arm to lap at some of the broth. A few sips where enough for her. It wasn’t really that yummy. She preferred fresh raw meat. Yawning she clambered back up the brown rider’s arm to settle on his shoulder. Wrapping her tail around the Weyrlingmaster’s neck, she glowered at the green rider opposite. Hers. He was hers. The uglypest better not even think of touching hers. She had last time, but Vanity had not been around. This time it was not happening not while she was still here. He belonged to her. No one else. She shared with Lustpet because she had to. It didn’t mean she liked to. Rubbing her head against Sel’n’s shoulder, the green mandyr nibbled him affectionately. Minepet. Love. Love minepet.

“We could use the rain.” The brown rider agreed before grabbing himself a piece of bread and biting into it. As he swallowed he examined the interior of the green rider’s weyr. It was neat and tidy, even if it was smaller than his own Weyr. Having a larger dragon was nice. The larger beasts tended to get the better weyrs. No offense was intended to Dorava by the brown rider’s silence. He was comfortable in silence. Kaaoloth rumbled at Aonith’s message. I do hope mine behaves himself. Feel free to kick him out if he gets fussy. The brown rumbled amused as he stretched out on his couch. It was rather nice having the place to himself. Nice and quiet. No Vanity screeching about this or that and no complaining his. Kaaoloth intended to enjoy the quiet for as long as it lasted.

[dragon]

Dorava helped herself to more soup once she emptied her first bowlfull. And, of course, never forget that devine bread. More bread! So long as it was fresh enough to be hot, that was. Once it cooled off, she would more than likely feed it to the birds. When it stopped being fresh, she stopped liking it. Slathering it deep in butter, she munched on that for a few more minutes. Finally, she decided she ought to inform him about the bit of news that he really ought to know.

Whether or not he liked that news, it didn't matter. It wouldn't change what she thought or what she'd do. "We could use the rain, indeed." Dorava replied, dipping her bread in her soup. "Would help things green up in the spring, keep the beasts fat for the dragons." She leaned sideways and peeked through the opening at Aonith, who was busily nibbling on her own back, edging around her stitches in an attempt to ease the itching. Straightening, she itched her own neck for a moment, before smiling at Sel'n. "Aonith is getting a bit ... crummy ... around the edges. I have to admit, I miss flying, too." She mentioned. "I'll be glad when she's cleared for flight again... and those stitches are out. She won't stop itching around them. Thankfully she doesn't scratch atop them actual, or they would have ripped out ages ago."

"Do you like the soup?" Dorava asked. Had she asked that already? She couldn't remember. She hoped not, cause if she had, she was repeating herself and looking the huge idiot for it. "I am really glad that you came, it's nice, to have you around, over for a meal." Dorava told him.

None of that was what she needed to tell him, however. What she needed to tell him was far more important. And it worried her for the less than usual reasons. She did want to preserve the friendship, what there was of it. There was just nothing for it, so Dorava moved forward with it. "I also think you might like to know that I'm pregnant." She mentioned, just as casually as anything else she'd said. Dorava rather did hope that it wouldn't upset him, as she liked having him around, but nothing he said or did would change what she was going to do ... she actually rather liked the idea of a child. Of a family. Even if it was just her and the kid... it was better than being alone all the time!

[Rei]

Sel’n followed the conversation but didn’t show to much interest until one line. Immediately he gagged on a piece of bread and only just managed to swallow it. “Did you just say you where pregnant?” The brown rider’s mind reeled. Great, because she told him she was obviously keeping it. Sharding Faranth, his luck sucked. Sighing he rubbed his temples. “Dorava. I think you might have the wrong impression. I am your friend yes. But I have no desire to be a parent or a weyrmate. I just don’t want to do it.” Shaking his head the Weyrlingmaster attempted a half smile. “If you want to keep the baby be my guest. If you want to foster it it’s your decision. However I will not participate in any way in raising the child.”

The Weyrlingmaster decided to be up front with Dorava. Really Sel’n had absolutely no desire to be a father. He had a few offspring at Fort. Four to be exact, and maybe more he didn’t know about. The brown rider had never desired to be any part of their lives either. Most of them had been fostered. Only one had stayed with his mother. Sel’n had nothing to do with any of them. He wasn’t built to be a father. He didn’t envy those who where one bit.

Vanity took the news much less gently. The green practically spat in fury and extended her frill as far as it would go. Miiiiiinnneee! Nobabyugly! Mine. Is mine. Not you not baby. Mine. The mandyrs eyes whirled in vivid crimson. She meant it, no other green was taking hers from her. She wouldn’t share. Never. He was hers forever. Sel’n raised a hand to stroke down Vanity’s back and sent her a wave of reassurance. It’s ok you little harpy. No baby for me. Relax.

Kaaoloth twitched his tail. Not good. His would loose his female friend now. Pity. Things had been going well. His had never been interested in hatchlings. In fact his almost always bedded males unless he couldn’t find a male willing, or was caught in flight lust. Rumbling the brown touched Aonith’s mind. I apologize if mine upsets yours but he has no desire to be a sire to a hatchling. It was a simple statement, spoken without malice. Kaaoloth wouldn’t force his to do anything he didn’t want to. Although Kaaoloth himself desired his own hatchlings his bonded did not. They differed in that respect.

[dragon]

When Sel'n choked, and then promptly got a touch nasty about the topic, Dorava leveled a no-nonsense glare at him. "Sel'n." She said, forcefully, cutting him off before he could go farther. "I did not ask you to be any such thing. Now did I? What I do has no reflect whatsoever on you. Now does it? It does not matter to me one way or the other what you think. This is my child, I will keep it. I rather like the idea of having a child of my own, after all these turns. I in no way ask anything of you. I merely told you as a courtesy. I could have not told you at all, now couldn't I have? So stop blubbering, and finish your soup, you're going to spill it." She gestured at the bowl that was tipping dangerously.

"I value you as a friend, and rather wish you would remain one. If I want more of you, I'll let you know. If and when. Alright?" She smiled at him again.

Aonith rumbled a little from where she was, still itching away at her own back. Kaaoloth, do not worry about mine. Mine has always hidden a strong personality to survive. Here, that inner self has been creeping out little by little. Mine is not going to be upset by anything yours says or does. She knows what she wants, she will do it, and she doesn't care what anyone else has to say about it. All will be fine. Yours can remain free of ties, mine will get the hatchling she wants. It will make her happy. She has already spent a deal of time thinking about what might happen, whatever he might say, and came to the conclusion that it wouldn't matter - she'd keep the hatchling anyway. I think it is utterly silly of anyone to not want to keep a hatchling ... especially one of thier own! Aonith replied, kindly, trying to explain why things were the way they were. Maybe in time, yours will come to change his mind? she suggested, hopefully.

"More soup?" Dorava offered, casually, still ignoring the loud and annoying little green thing that was bouncing around like a crazed bean on Sel'n.

Prettylove? Val asked, uncertainly, one forefoot pawing at the air hesitantly. He wasn't sure if he should stay, or run go hide, in the face of the wrath that was coming out of his prettylove.