[PRP] A Midday Snack (Ty'bar & Vennodren)

[Hattaki]

It really did seem that sand got everywhere he didn't want it ever since he'd moved to the beach but he would take the sand with the man. His normal grin flashing across his face and a light incline of his head from time to time, Ty'bar made his way back on foot to the weyrhut where Vennodren lay recovering from his wounds still. Though he himself couldn't be in the skies with him thanks to being constantly rebuffed thanks to his inability to hear, the grounded rider nonetheless could find ways to make himself useful to those around him.

Especially to his weyrmate.

In both hands he was holding lunch, something easy on the stomach he hoped but there were some things in there should Venn have any sort of appetite back. Most of it was still warm too, at least in the one basket anyway, it would be a shame if anything from the other got too warm in the heat.

It has taken you quite long enough. Asilaeth ventured, her small form shifting where she lay in the sands of her wallow so that she could cast a curious eye towards him. It could be that she was slightly more irritated he hadn't taken her offer up to fly to and fro, given that she enjoyed stretching her wings on the rare occasions that her superiors allowed her as a grounded dragon, or it could be her normal sass. Whatever it was there was a tiny thread of orange and red through her normally green or blue eyes and one of Ty'bar's eyebrows tweaked upwards at her.

I needed the walk, I'll have you know. And besides, you'd have just nitpicked the whole thing. He juggled about the baskets so that he could pull out a strip of meat to toss to her, one she caught before giving a snort so loud the force of it ruffled his hair. "Love you too. I'm off to woo the wounded. Don't wait up!"

If a dragon could roll her eyes.

As per usual the inside of the hut was far cooler thanks to whatever it was that Vennodren had managed to do to it, for Ty'bar himself was no sort of decorator. But it was cozy at least! In whatever sort of cozy could also accommodate a veritable fair of fire lizards the two had been working on growing as well as furniture and plants. Placing down the food on the small table they had, he sat down on the edge of the bed and glanced down at Venn's form with his head tilted.

Despite how carefree he seemed to be there would always be a part of him that worried and grappled with panic knowing that the person he cared about was up in the sky with thread. In fact he could still remember his own panic that very first terrible threadfall that had claimed his hearing and ability to fly again for the foreseeable future. Ty'bar couldn't wish that on anyone, least of all someone that had impressed under threat of thread.

Still, the food would get cold, so he reached out a hand.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

A second pair of yellow eyes peered out from beside the hut as Ty'bar returned. Nzambith's injuries were well on their way to healing just like her rider, though she'd needed quite a bit more attention from the healers simply due to her size. The pair had veered off course to avoid being flamed and had gone right into a clump of Thread and she now bore the scars of any dragon that flew on Pern. They'd soon turn to thin, white lines but they were still a bit raw in places, mostly where limbs met her body or that moved frequently. Still, it seemed to match her markings well and it didn't bother her much. It was Vennodren's discomfort and frustration at taking so long to recover that seemed to have her down these days.

She didn't move as Ty'bar entered the hut, resuming her quiet, restful position with her back to the building.

Inside the man in question lay dozing lightly. It was nearing lunch and while he was starting to finally want to eat things rather than forcing them down for first the healer's, then Ty'bar's sake, being awake and alert was still exhausting. He knew he'd need to save up some energy if he wanted to sit up and eat with his weyrmate so when Ty'bar had gone, he'd settled in for a nap.

Venn had been bandaged up for the better part of a month as his wounds healed, but now that he'd been released he'd been told it would be better for them to be open to the air. Just like Nzambith, most of the Thread scars along his skin were healing very well, a bit red and irritated still where they crossed joints or parts of his body that moved more frequently than others. The soon to be scars laced up from his hip to his side, along his left shoulder and down to about his elbow, and further up to his neck and jaw. He'd joked at first that he and Ty'bar finally matched and honestly, a part of him was glad for having sustained the wounds. He didn't blame his wingmate in the slightest, nor their dragon, and he finally felt as though he were among the ranks of true dragon fighters now. He still counted himself lucky he or Nzambith hadn't lost any important limbs or functions.

A hand on his good arm stirred Venn from his light sleep and he opened his eyes to find Ty'bar on the edge of the bed. He gave the older man a little half-smile, one he'd started using to avoid stretching the wounds on the other side of his face, though all efforts were tossed aside as a yawn escaped him. It tugged on the wounds but nothing happened other than a bit of pain.

"Hey," he said as he reached up, letting his fingers coil around Ty'bar's wrist. "That was fast. Did you run?" There was a teasing tone to his voice and a little grin tugged at the corners of his lips despite his best efforts.

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Far be it for Asilaeth to in any way neglect the larger green that she shared a wallow with, she adored the younger green after all, the smaller of the two dragons slunk over and laid down beside her. Gently she stretched out one of her small wings and attempted to lay it over the considerably larger green where she had no injuries. Did it quite reach far enough? Not even close, it maybe would have covered up Nzambith's front legs despite her wings being larger for her size. Somehow the younger green had become even quieter during her time healing and Asilaeth was loath to bring it up or break that silence as she knew every dragon and person healed differently.

She nestled down with that wing stretched out and her eyes settled to a cool blue just before they closed. It was a good warm day for a nap after all.

On the inside where the temperature was fare cooler Ty'bar was grinning brightly at the younger man he'd gone to fetch lunch for. It was a little bit harder to read what Vennodren's lips to gather what he was saying with the scars on the side of his face and the way he had to speak and grin. Not for the first time the older man cursed his inability to hear anything that wasn't cacophonous in nature as he worked hard to make out what had been said to him. "Oh I ran just as fast as my legs would carry me. We'll have to see if the klah made it home." His grin was much more mischievous as he leaned forward to kiss Venn's forehead.

"You still look like an imp the way you smile now. It's cute." He pinched the man's good cheek and sat up to grab the basket their lunch was in. Since his partner had been relegated to bed to avoid passing out or injuring himself by sitting up and moving around too much, Ty'bar had slid the table much closer to the bed than it had been so they could eat together. It made it much easier on them both but still he'd commandeered a tiny little tray from the healer's ward by talking to one and pointing out that Venn would be in bed for most daily things and that made the whole situation better. He handed it over now and pulled two mugs of klah out of the warmer of the two baskets.

Actually he'd gotten quite a few things but he wasn't going to pull all of it out since he wasn't sure of the other man's appetite just yet.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Asilaeth's presence was one Nzambith would never turn away and as the smaller green pressed up beside her and tried to cover her with her wing as they'd done when Nzambith was much smaller, the younger green lowered her head to tuck it against Asilaeth's paws. No words were said, but Nzambith had never been very talkative anyway. She did send a little mental nudge to thank her friend, finding comfort beneath her wing and beside her smaller frame.

Inside, Venn gave a little huff as Ty'bar called him an imp, the pinch to his good cheek making him lift a hand to swat playfully at the older man.

"Come closer and say that again," he teased, chomping his teeth together to indicate Ty'bar would definitely get a little n** to his hand or whatever part of him came closest first. He could be an imp if Ty'bar was going to call him one! He did sit up a bit better, dropping the act as the food was set down on the table Ty'bar had pushed to the edge of the bed. He accepted the tray that was passed to him and he set it on his lap, watching as his weyrmate pulled out two mugs of klah.

"Impressive, doesn't look like you spilled a drop," he said with a grin clear in his voice even if it wasn't as evident on his face. "You're getting better at this." The first few times Ty'bar had gone to get food for them he'd been in such a rush to get there and back that any drinks he'd returned with had splashed along the way, inevitably soaking into the bread or mingling with the soup or other food he'd retrieved. Now, though, he was clearly much better at keeping the basket steady and taking his time. Venn had to tell him a few times that he wasn't going to die of starvation while Ty'bar was out.

"Thank you," he added, looking up to catch Ty'bar's eye. "Wouldn't be able to be out of the healer's care without you, you know."

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

The gnashing of his teeth and the threat implied with it drug a laugh from Ty'bar, there was a slight strain to it from the worry that he'd been living with since he'd first been told what had happened. Since he'd first gotten to see Vennodren lying unconscious on a cot in the Healer's and realized just how fragile all life was. As if he didn't know it already. "Maybe once you're feeling better and all healed I'll take you up on those teeth." His tone was roguish even as he reached to pull out eggs and bacon and place it on the tray across Venn's lap.

"Honestly I wouldn't call it much better, s' lucky the cooks didn' beat me with their rollin' pins when I returned the first few baskets soaked through with water and klah." He laughed and took a long swig from his own mug, setting it down on the table and turning his full attention back to his weyrmate.

Just in time to catch something so sincere mouthed and Ty'bar made a hand gesture, one of the ones he'd been working with Vennodren on so they could communicate without him having to constantly stare at the other man's face. Plus it was good for talking s**t in public. This one was an embarrassed one, even if he had to swallow a lump in his throat while making it. There was a part of him doing it because there had been no one to do the same for him when he'd been in the Healer's, unable to hear anyone but Asilaeth, unable to leave because when he said something he didn't respond to what the healer's then asked him.

That had been terrifying.

Is my voice not the only one you need to hear from then on? Asilaeth inserted sarcastically in her deadpan tone, only he himself knowing that she was teasing. Oh go back to your nap, I told you, I'm wooing here.

After a small barb at his apparent lack of skills at such a thing Asilaeth settled into sleep curled up with Nzambith and he sighed, turning his attention back to Venn happily. "The Healer's fix you up, but it feels like a place you go to die when you're stuck in that bed, eh? Like I'd leave ya there." Venn had family who likely would have done the same but it didn't stop him from being the slightest bit protective all the same. He loved Vennodren after all.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

The little hand motion really wasn't needed, Venn could read the bashful look on Ty'bar's face easily, but the fact that he was starting to incorporate their little silent language into moments like these - ones where they weren't out in public and they weren't working on coming up with new signs or practicing - made his heart overflow with happiness. Ty'bar's deafness was something that was inhibiting to his profession as a dragon rider, but if they could perhaps come up with a way to combat it he'd be back on Asilaeth and be able to join his wing once more. It's not like human voices carried very far up there in the fight so if he was able to communicate with people as well as he could by shouting, Venn was sure he'd be welcomed back.

"Yeah...no matter how hard the healers work it definitely has a depressing edge to it," he agreed. If he didn't have a lap full of food at the moment he'd have tugged Ty'bar over to give him a kiss to make him feel a bit better. He knew it couldn't have been easy to have to wait to get in to see him and he'd been just as eager to get him out of there as Venn had been to leave. He was well on the mend, though, and it was just a matter of getting his strength back now which his weyrmate was doing a wonderful job of fostering.

"Always know I can count on you though." As he spoke Vennodren lifted his hand to signal their motion for 'I love you', a small smile on his face as he did so. He tucked into his lunch as best he could with the appetite he currently had, but he knew at least putting in some kind of an effort to get his food down eased Ty'bar's worries. He did want to get better, too. It was just a struggle to force himself to eat when he wasn't hungry.

"How's Asi doing?" he asked, knowing full well that she was tucked up around Nzambith just from how content his own dragon currently felt despite her own wounds. "Saw her talking to a bronze the other day through the window. Big one...er...fardles, she told me his name..." He squinted slightly, trying to recall.

"Biralath, was it? I think that's right."

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

It had been Vennodren's idea in the first place and a brilliant one at that, the hand signals that they'd been working on. But it was moments like this that made him happy to know that they were both memorizing them so well and his face darkened just a little. Thinking himself nearly like a small child for the blushing he turned his attention back to his meal and tore into it as a way to hide the fact that his lover could still make him squirm just by being his normal wonderful self. Not for the first time he counted all the stars he had that might be lucky for ever getting the chance to meet him.

Even if it had been under the most interesting gold circumstances.

After inhaling a portion of his food his hands made the same sign and he hid his burning face behind a mug. Venn knew very well how he felt by now anyway, so it wasn't like he had to hide it but, he was a sap when it came to love. When he finally was able to suck air in again instead of liquid he blinked. "You don't have to eat all of it if you're not up to it. There's some warmed up bricks in the bottom of this thing that'll keep it warm for when you are." He lifted up the basket as if to show off the cloth wrapped bricks that Venn surely couldn't see anyway.

Now that question was a fine one though. His hands signed out 'good catch' even as he spoke, "Biralath's definitely had her all squirmy recently, you'd like him. Big 'un with as good a 'eart. Haven' met his rider yet but that bronze is immense. You'll laugh when you see 'em layin' together, little beast disappears on top 'o 'im." A laugh erupted from him just remembering the first time he'd seen her curled up like some small feline on top of the giant bronze that was winning her hearts over so well.

It was good to see his green actually letting herself get close to another after all the turns they'd been at Western. Before that only Nzambith or Ty'bar had been tolerable to her.

"How's Nzambith doin? I check on her from time ta time but she's always content to just sleep." There was concern in his voice since he knew that there wasn't much he could do for the other green given how Venn was currently doing.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Ah, it never got old watching Ty'bar flush and squirm from something so simple as a few words. Venn grinned to himself as he ate, watching with unbridled glee as his weyrmate tried to stuff himself full to avoid responding. The returned sentiment was proof enough that even through all his flustered diverting he didn't mind Vennodren's easily-given love and once Venn had figured out that Ty'bar did enjoy hearing - or reading, technically - those three words, he said them as much as he could.

He tore into a bit of bread to make it more manageable in terms of chewing - the scars hurt a bit if he tried to move his mouth too much - and gave a little hum and a nod as Ty'bar showed him the heated basket. He wasn't too concerned about eating cold food but he knew Ty'bar had gone the extra mile for him and for that he was grateful.

"Oh yeah?" he asked with a grin as Ty'bar went on to tell him about Asilaeth's new friend. He snickered softly, finding it hard to imagine the monotone green being squirmy in any way, shape, or form. He trusted her judge of character though, and if it was a bronze that caught her attention, more power to her. Greens would always be Venn's favorite and he didn't care for the way they were treated by some. Thankfully here at Western that wasn't as much of a problem.

"I bet it's adorable. If he stops by again I'll have to go say hello and let him know if he breaks her hearts he'll have two riders to answer to." He gave Ty'bar a little wink before closing both eyes to focus on Nzambith's emotions. Since she was dozing they were pretty calm, but even then he could feel her twinges of pain and dullness at being grounded. Nzambith was a worker and liked feeling like she was useful. To not be able to fly with her wing was certainly hurting.

"She's all right," he said as he opened his eyes again, a slightly sad smile on his face. "She's always in the doldrums it seems to begin with but being injured doesn't suit her. But not to worry, we'll be back up and ready to go soon. You and Asi are taking such good care of us it would be impossible to stay bed and wallow ridden for long."

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Gently sitting the basket down beside Vennodren's leg so he could easily put anything he needed to back in there, Ty'bar guzzled the rest of his klah, taking the time to poke at his sleeping dragon. Had she been close to him he might have been full on patting the side of her face over and over, but the tiny thing didn't exactly sleep heavily. His head had wound up in her mouth, teeth carefully avoiding breaking skin, more than once out of retaliation. But she was just as likely to sit it on his shoulder and demand attention as anything else.

Which made it all the better that now some of her needing attention was split between himself and her bronze love interest. Predictably she gave him a mental slap to the face, which even mentally still made his head loll back slightly.

"Never poke sleeping dragons." Ty'bar stated as he swallowed the last mouthful of liquid he'd taken and flopped, empty mug still in hand. His head rolled to one side so he was still attentive at least. "You'll like 'im. I don' think he'll break her hearts at all, but it's good he'll get some intimidation if he tries to."

Metallic dragons weren't exactly his favorite, personally anyway. His time at High Reaches Weyr had taught him that anyone and everyone would look down on someone, but especially on green and white riders. For a brief moment the name of a bronzerider from another lifetime reappeared in his mind and he quickly scuffed it out. The past was the past, there was no use thinking about anything that involved that place, not even his family.

Alive or dead.

Rolling so he could sit back up, then realizing that it'd spill everything on the tray that Venn had on his lap, Ty'bar rolled off the side of the bed and sprung back up. "Well like wallowing would be allowed in this weyrhut, I'm the only one that gets to wallow or brood." He stabbed his thumb into his chest for a moment and then leaned over to kiss Venn with a grin. "You don't even let that happen though, so all's fair. Eh?"

"Wooing" he says. I can slap him over the head if you need. Asilaeth offered to Vennodren, awake still from her rider's mental poking.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Venn slid a leg under the blankets to carefully prod Ty'bar's side as the other man lay on the bed just to be silly. The slight movement of the other greenrider's head and the comment that followed made Venn snicker softly, already piecing together what had happened though he wasn't sure why. Asilaeth could be prickly when bothered when she didn't want to be and she didn't hold back in her displeasure, even when it was her own rider that was pestering her. Especially when it was her own rider pestering her, actually.

"Never poke sleeping Asilaeths," he corrected with a cheeky grin. Finding himself getting full, he set the rest of his plate back into the basket as Ty'bar had instructed before giving a little nod to show he was still listening. He trusted Asilaeth's judgement and if Ty'bar approved he was sure there'd be nothing to worry about, but she'd been a friend before he'd ever met Nzambith and although the gory green was his partner, Asi would always have a special place in his heart. To see her hurt would be devastating.

"And what an intimidating pair we'll make walking up to a massive bronze," he chortled softly. Nzambith might look scary at first glance because of her markings, but the longer you looked the less intimidating she became. She had always been underweight and the palor of her hide was rather sickly in color. Dragon healers had assured him time and time again that she was healthy despite her weight, but she certainly wasn't going to go around making bronzes concerned for their wellbeing.

The kiss was returned without hesitation and was followed up with a grin. Everyone was allowed to feel upset or sad sometimes, but Venn did a pretty good job keeping everyone's spirits up. For the most part their hut was a happy one.

"Your dragon is calling you out, Ty," he said with a little chuckle as Asi chimed in again. "Come on, if you're really trying to woo me get this basket off the bed and help me up." He was trying to get outside to sit on the steps every day while the weather was decent. He usually needed a blanket since it was winter - even Western got cooler - but the fresh air definitely helped keep his spirits up. That way they could talk to their dragons as well who were tucked up right beside the entrance.

Hattaki