| Characters | A'eyr, Alexa |
| Synopsis | Alexa and Alek take a moment once the babies are asleep to talk about what just happened. |
| Out-of-Character Date | April 24, 2019 |
Igen Weyr - Weyrling Barracks
Nearly equal in size to the Hatching Cavern, the barracks are immense, easily one of the largest of the caverns that sprawl through the cliffside at Igen Weyr. Accessible though a wide entrance meant to admit wind-trailing dragonets, and lighted by small windows cut into the rock, as well as the newly added electric lights, the weyrling barracks provide a place for growing dragonets that haven't reached their full size yet. A path leads though the cavern, on either side standing stone hollows that form the weyrling couches, with a cot and clothespress for the rider beside them. A small alcove in the back houses several large bins are placed along the short ends of the walls nearest the entrance tunnels, containing supplies of oil, food, and water for the young dragons and their riders: a vat of oil and paddles for spreading it onto itchy hides, and various containers kept filled daily with fresh meat. There are also materials available for making riding straps later on in the training sessions. A training chart is posted near the doorway, informing the weyrlings of the lessons they will need to follow.
The aftermath of feeding, bathing and oiling a newborn is a clean and sated dragon, but a hungry and filthy human. Not that Alexa is paying much attention to her own state of being. Raaneth sleeps. Curled up in the first wallow they found (that she will undoubtedly out-grow in short order), her tail over her nose, she's oblivious to the world. And Alexa is with her, settled on the ground with her knees pulled to her chest, one arm around her legs while the other reaches out to ghost her fingers over the buttery-hide of the sleeping queen. Like she can't believe she's real. Like she might disappear in a puff of smoke, vanishing just as quickly as she came, if she takes her touch away. But there's a dreamy sort of look about her, a smile that pulls at her mouth as she watches the slow and steady rise and fall of Raaneth's chest as she breathes. Someone kind thought to bring food and a change of clothes, but Alexa has touched neither. They sit behind her on the cot meant to be her bed, forgotten despite the grumbling of her stomach. Who needs food, when you have a dragon?
Much like Alexa, Alekzandyr…no A'eyr…has been blown away by the events on the sands not all that long ago. It was what, perhaps an hour past? It'd just, it'd happened so fast! One moment sweltering and alone, left behind in the triumph of his twin finding her lifemate, and the next nothing else mattered except for Indaryth. That thought alone had been a little frightening, but as the bronze wrecking ball (seriously, the glutton had knocked over all the meat vats) is settled into his wallow to form a well feed and oiled lump, it finally allows him to take a step back and take stock. Indaryth was his and he Indaryth's, a part he never knew missing filled to the brim. He takes a moment to appreciate that, green eyes taking in everything about him, from the light-starved coloring of his belly to the wickedness his pointed headknobs presented. His. Clearly still in shell shock a bit, the bronzeling is first to take the space his sleeping lifemate allows him, half turning towards Alexa who was put a few paces away. "Allie," he breathes, quiet as not to wake those who slumber had claimed, "We should clean up and eat something." It was his training speaking, the part of him that knew that they couldn't hope to care for anyone else if they didn't take care of themselves. A'eyr himself was splattered in blood and Indaryth's first shovel-requiring episode, and everything was telling him to wash up, change clothes, and eat. Perhaps then he'd feel less like he'd just been trampled into an unrecognizable mess by a herd of wherries.
Elephants of earth-lore could stampede through the barracks, and Raaneth would likely sleep right through it. Kind of ironic, given how long she slept in her egg. If she slept in her egg. Hm. But regardless, there is not even the slightest twitch from the gold for the bronzeling's whisper. But Alexa all but jumps. Her hand pressed to Raaneth's shoulder, she turns a smile on her brother, love-drunk look fading into something a little more normal as she regards him. "I don't want to," she admits, her gaze inevitably sliding dragon-ward once more. But with a sigh, she admits, "But I probably should." She's just as filthy (that poor, pristine white robe! Woe) and definitely hungry. But reluctant to move. A sigh, and she slides her hand one last time over Raaneth's shoulder before scooting back and stretching. Perhaps it is only now that she considers their situation, turning a wide-eyed look on Alek and then to the slumbering bronze. "You—" Oh, she probably saw him come in. Probably connected the dots between boy and beast. But it's only now that it's hitting her.
"I know," And there is was, one of Alek's dazzling smiles as the realization that he had Impressed as well visibly strikes his twin, chuckling in response even as he reaches up and takes the tie out of his hair, letting it fall unbound. A rub to where it had been drawn tight at the back of his head, not much caring about the state of his hands presently. Caked with all sorts of filth really. It's nasty. At least it was dried and doesn't leave much in those pale blond tresses. "Hmm, hmm. His name's Indaryth. Happened, not long after she…" and this is where he slides his gaze towards the sleeping queen, before returning it back to his sister, "…found you." Well, there had been an Impression or two between, but his statement was still valid. There's a smirk for whatever reason, carried on as his feet do, taking him to the place where they can wash up and change and he does so in relatively short order. Special attention is given to hands and hair though, because frankly the sad excuse of a robe he'd been wearing had taken the brunt of Indaryth's selfishness. Alek was still buzzing with it, actually. All that self-confidence and reassurance, that arrogance. Hmm, it'd only made his grin shark-like, fortunately softened as he looks to Alexa again. "This is going to be so much fun." Uh oh.
"Fun?" It isn't that Alexa disagrees, simply that she has no context for the source of that statement. It draws her gaze, expression a mix of curious and confused, before she gets back to rinsing up as best she can. At least she thought to grab the clean clothes, so she has something to change into. But all the while, there are glances tossed back to the snoozing Raaneth, and little smiles that would thoroughly embarrass her if she knew she was making them. Cleaned and dressed, soiled robe over her arm, she makes her way back down the aisle with the assumption that A'eyr is following. "He's very handsome," she decides, pausing to peer at Indaryth where he sleeps. "Indaryth," she repeats, to cement it in her head. "I'm sorry I missed it." His Impression. And she is. At least a little. Even if she was far too absorbed in her own to have noticed his. A flicker of an apologetic smile touches her lips before she sinks down by Raaneth once more.
Once again, A'eyr only smiles, shoulders lightly bouncing as if enjoying a private joke before he lifts and drops them in shrug. Perhaps he didn't have any answers either, still riding the high that comes post-Impression, but with Alexa distracted by her newfound love it was easy enough to let it pass and concentrate on other things rather than follow through with a legitimate explanation. Finishing with washing up and feeling half-way human again, the length of his hair is once again bound, but in a much looser messy sort of bun thing this time. No use in giving himself another headache. Rising from his seat, two plates of food are collected along with a flask of water and he does indeed trace Alexa's steps. "And he knows it," the words thickly laced with humor, offering the plate to her he'd brought and once taken the flask. Old habits, die hard. "Eat, and don't worry about having missed it. Though, he did change my name. I'm A'eyr now…don't ask me how that's spelt…" A grin and he moves on, a few feet away and plunks himself down beside his snoozing lifemate. Yep, right there in the wallow with him, as close as possible until in physical contact. Indeed, that was much better, and with that Alek starts to eat, taking in the golden body of his sister's dragon. "Shells though, Allie. A queen…" Maybe he'll just let that sink in for a moment, for the both of them, brows lifting as his attention flickers to her with a blink, "…you Impressed a queen."
"Air?" wonders Alexa, sliding another look Alek-wards. "Interesting. Or maybe it's 'heir'" she considers, clearly teasing. "Either way, I kind of like it." Even if it will take getting used too. Like so many other things. The plate in her hand, and Alexa just stares at the food, wide-eyes hardly seeing it. "So weird," she decides, smile once more spilling across her face despite herself. Plucking at a piece of fruit, she toys with it rather than eating it, only to be completely distracted by her brother's assertion. "Raaneth," she corrects. "I Impressed Raaneth." Who is a queen. So what exactly is she arguing? "Or maybe she Impressed me… We Impressed each other." That her lifemate sports a golden hide is not lost on the girl — it is simply irrelevant right now. "Besides. You Impressed a bronze." So there? Picking up that slice of fruit, she bites into it as her gaze slides inevitably toward the sleeping dragon before she scoot-scoots her way a little bit closer.
A'eyr, still contentedly smirking away over there, snorts softly in amusement before shoving another piece of something or another past his lips to be chewed and swallowed. Did he particularly want to eat right now? No, much sharing his twin's lack of appetite, but it wouldn't be the first time he'd been too excited or wrapped up with something to even think about eating. However, his body required refueling and if he wanted to have the energy he undoubtedly would need to chase after Indaryth, well then he'd have to get food into himself somehow, "Either way, I'm stuck with it." No way Indaryth was going to reconsider, even if Alek had been bothered about it. "He said Alekzandyr was a mouthful." And thus, he became A'eyr. Brows lift as Alexa makes her correction, grinning through the entirety of the argument, and again his shoulders bobble, "Ah, and so it begins." Into his mouth goes a grape, masticated into oblivion and sent along it's way to be digested. "Hmm?" Distracted from his thoughts, green eyes slide to Indaryth, contemplating the gravity of his own lifemate's oil-slickened hide and in so doing a smile most wicked spreads across his face. That there, should be sending up all the red flags. All of them. Especially since it's paired with a chuckle that unlit. "Faranth, so much fun…" And another bite of something is taken.
"It is kind of a mouthful," agrees Alexa, slowly chewing through at least once slice of redfruit. "Why do you think I go by Alexa?" Seriously. "It's not just because 'Alekzandyr and Alekzandra' is kind of ridiculous. It's way too formal, too." A second slice lifted, she holds it between her teeth to allow her freedom to reach out and pass her hand once more over Raaneth's shoulder. Arguments over the state of her golden-lifemate will have to wait for later. She is who she is, and Alexa will deal with it. But right now, the color of her hide is far less important than the fact that she exists. "That's the second time you said that," she notes, a side-eye tossed her smirking-brother's way. Green eyes narrow in suspicion, and she looks about ready to throw her next slice of fruit right at him before thinking better of it. "Should I be worried?" Probably.
Considering this, Alek shrugs soon after, the amusement seemingly never ending over there. Although, this time, it's much more subtle. "It's my name, I never really thought about it." The bit about why she went by Alexa is known to him at least, bringing about a nod or two as she goes on to further elaborate, "Not to mention the looks we used to get when we were introduced that way." Ah, yes, can't forget that now could they? The confusion. The twitching corners of lips. The 'are you serious?' either in expression or voiced in question. That got old pretty fast. "Did I?" A'eyr muses over repeating himself, sly eyed glance back her way, doing a rather poor job at feigning his innocence despite his continued insistence of putting food into his mouth. A huff of a laugh is soon to follow, regardless of the threat of barely-contained fruity threat…because, yes. "Probably." Which oh so easily translates to definitely.
This time, Alexa does throw something at him. But it's a roll, and not a redfruit (thankfully?). "Jerk." Not really. And she's grinning when she says it, so how angry could she be? "I'm not the one that has to deal with it. If you get in trouble, I am *not* bailing your ass out." Yes. Yes, she will. Because that's what they do. Apparently assured that Raaneth sleeps like a ton of bricks, Alexa settles herself comfortably against her side and balances her plate on her knees, picking at some more finger-foods. "What's he like? I mean… what's he feel like?" Does that make any sense?
As Alexa should, because he totally deserved it. If not now, then certainly she could make a preemptive strike. A'eyr dodges her bready assault however, leaning away as to allow it whizz by without making contact with anything other than the vacant side of the wallow, laughing as he returns to his original position. Clearly not affronted, the twin share that grin-infused moment, the boy half of the siblings seemingly undeterred by the suggestion he might get himself into trouble and she wouldn't help him out. He knew better, the sparkle of mischief in his eyes said that much, practically grinning ear to ear. "You two are more than welcome to join us," he offers to Alexa and her sleeping lifemate, not wanting anyone to feel left out of whatever unspoken plans were already well in the making. That said, Alek returns to the food on his plate, letting his sister get well and truly settled over there, content with the single point of contact with Indaryth he'd already established. "Who? Indaryth?" It was rhetorical, because his eyes were on the slumbering bronze already, "I think you'd like him actually. The best way I can describe is…" Thinking, lips pressed into a line, there is a brightening as he comes up with a reference. Rather perfect one, actually. "Remember that time we snuck into the Masterharper's library?" It's to her he looks then, as to confirm she'd recalled the event, "All old leather, the smell of dusty tomes and wood smoke, and that aged dark liquor we tried that made our throat burn but made us feel so warm afterwards? He feels like that, but there's power there…and he's very confident in himself…it's going to be hard not to get drunk on it." A pause, and he lowers his eyes to Raaneth, "What about her? What does she feel like?"
"Of course!" Alexa? Forget something like that? Pft! Even if the alcohol might be a distant memory, the books certainly are not! "I'd love a library like that, someday…" she sighs, the thought fleeting and wistful before she's back in the present. A final bite of food and she sets the plate aside, half its contents still very much uneaten. It's the thought of getting drunk — of Alek getting drunk on Indaryth's confidence — that has her frowning just a little. Settled once more at Raaneth's side, she can't help but to reach out and trace her fingers along the sooty dapples adorning her hide, seeking solace in that simple touch. The question brings a softer, sillier smile as she watches her dragon, the look lingering a moment when she lifts her head to meet A'eyr's gaze. "Peace. And love. And… confidence. But, a different sort of confidence. It's like… it's like her mind is an entire world of its own. There are mountains, and forests, and palaces… and this endless stretch of space. Even now," she continues, gaze once more on the slumbering queen. "She's sleeping, but I sense it. That vastness."
(and then the weyrlings zonked out because it was late. IRL and ICly).
