[PRP] Sunshine in the Midst of a Storm (Ty'bar & Vennodren)

[SilverLutz]

Thankfully the morning after gold flights were generally seen as a day of relaxation and rest by most of the Weyr so Venn didn't have to run off to do chores or attend classes, so he took Ty'bar's offer to heart. He was quite warm and comfortable where he was and the thought of getting up and leaving without so much as a goodbye didn't sit right with him. The growl of the older man's stomach made him laugh softly, and he rolled just a bit to peek over at Asilaeth as the dragon lifted her head to look at them.

"It would seem that way," he said as he turned back to Ty'bar, not wanting him to miss what he had said. "And it sounds like lunch is closer than I thought it might be." He would never say no to food, though, so getting up to eat wasn't nearly as large a task as getting up to leave Ty'bar and his dragon behind.

He stretched languidly, not at all ashamed as he pressed up against the shorter man in the process. He let out a content sigh as he flopped boneless on the bed once more, enjoying the warmth of the bed and the man beside him for just a few minutes more.

"So," he murmured, flicking his gaze up to the scarred face. Although he was taller than Ty'bar he was quite comfortable playing the little spoon, even if they weren't in the proper position for that. "You're kinda new to the Weyr, right? I don't think I've seen you around for a gold flight before." And now that he knew where the other man resided, perhaps they could spend the next one together as well. Hopefully he'd have a dragon of his own next time, but if not it wouldn't be the end of the world. He was used to waiting.

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Closing his eyes briefly, careful not to miss anything Venn might have said, Ty'bar bit back a growling noise as their bodies were pressed together. He was only human and his morning partner was both attractive and actually really attentive. If his dragon was making comments about his overall mood he ignored them, it wasn't his fault she had decided to stay.

Using his leverage as the big spoon to his advantage despite his shorter stature he leaned down and offered a light n** in response to the statement about lunch. He had no desire to move and was content to take out any hunger pangs on Venn, albeit much softer than the images that Asilaeth was sending him. He hadn't had any plans to move just yet, it would be a bit before food became a necesity and the contact was so much better.

"Lunch can wait for a little bit." He bit lightly on his shoulder again, "But no, I've been here for a few years actually. But the last year has been..."

The rider trailed off and tapped one of his ears with a self conscious laugh. Ty'bar hadn't been himself and even though his normal hyper nature had started to resurface once more it had been a long time coming. Surely he'd be bacck to normal soon but for the time being he was still... it sucked to be out of the air! He felt at home in the air.

"You can say the last year has been a little black." He laid his head down on top of Vennodren's chest above his heart, curious to see if he could actually hear it or if he would just feel it.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

The nibbles to his shoulder were certainly a nice way to wake up further, a mischievous grin taking over Venn's lips. He didn't mind being an appetizer, that was for sure, and he was about to voice his thoughts when Ty'bar's answer to his question changed the mood a bit. The grin fell away and he shifted just a bit more, wrapping his arms around the smaller man as he sensed the rider's insecurities coming to the forefront.

He didn't need to ask what had happened to have caused his hearing loss. The Threadfall had obviously done quite a number on him, and while he could see how it might affect Ty'bar's confidence, Venn thought of his scars and injuries as medals of honor to be worn. He let his fingers trace over the silvery marks left behind on the warm, dark skin, giving a soft hum that he was sure Ty'bar could feel as he rested his head on his chest.

"Well...perhaps this clutch will bring some light to the blackness," he said after a moment, tilting Ty'bar's head up with a gentle hand under his chin so he could see what he was saying. "With baby dragons around and new riders they'll surely need all the help they can get from experienced pairs. Maybe that will help you get back into the swing of things."

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Arms wrapped around his torso was new, not new to his life but new to the moment at least and more than a little welcome. A heavy sigh expanded his chest where he was pressed against Vennodren's warm and suddenly humming chest. Fingers across his scars nearly made him pull back in a flinch but he did his best not to move his head in that moment. It felt nice to be so intimate with another for the first time in so long and Ty'bar was loath to pull away and ruin the moment.

Pressing a smile against the soft skin of Venn's ribs, Ty'bar let a soft chuckle slip from him for the humming noise he'd just felt. It was interesting for certain.

An eyebrow lifted slightly, pulling the scars across his face as his chin was lifted so that his rose colored eyes peered straight into hazel colored eyes. If his heart lept a bit in his chest it was only because a swarm of thoughts that involved a distinct lack of speech hit his brain like a burst of light. Pulling his focus back to his mouth and clearing his wilder thoughts from his mind Ty'bar let a rumble pass through him.

"It definitely adds a new life to the Weyr each time a Hatching happens. With any luck you'll find a partner this time as well." Ty'bar winked at him and pressed a kiss onto his chest above his heart. "That would certainly bring some light to the world!"

Then an amusing thought crossed his mind, "So what would your shortened name be?"

The thought's origins had come from Asilaeth, still curled on her bed and watching the pair with increased amusement. Though she'd meant it to be funny her protective thoughts indicated the actual nature of the question she had offered.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Ty'bar's promising words helped Venn's spirits soar a bit more. The Touching would happen soon, he knew, and hopefully going in with a positive attitude and an eagerness that he normally had would draw one of the dragonets to him within their shell. He was braced for the worst - not Impressing and having to wait once more - but hoped for the best, just as he always did.

The question was a surprise and he laughed softly at the idea of shortening his name. "Oh...I'm not sure I will," he admitted with a tiny smile as his laughter subsided. "I mean, if I did it would probably just be V'en...and...well, that's sort of my nickname already. It's traditional, but Western isn't very traditional at all. We'll see, though," he added, leaning in to bump his nose against Ty'bar's. "I don't want to jinx it and pick one out for certain."

He wondered for a moment what Ty'bar's full name was, but they had only just met last night and had spent the night together once. It would be a bit rude of him to ask someone ten years his senior and a dragon rider to boot what his full name was. If he had known him before he Impressed it wouldn't have been so bad, but he wasn't going to overstep that line just yet.

"How many Hatchings did you go through before Asilaeth chose you?" he asked, tilting his head just a bit into the pillow, a curious look in his eye.

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

V'en, somehow the name made exact sense for him. Of course it would serve as a shortened version of Vennodren's name, it was both the last two letters and the first three combined into one. A lazy smile split his face at the thought of the younger man Impressing.

"But that's what the days before the Hatching are for! Daydreams of riding a dragon, of wondering what color you might be lucky enough to find yourself with." He couldn't hold in his own excitement. It was like his first time standing again.

Green is clearly the better of all choices.

Asilaeth's monotone remark was directed at both of them, purposefully allowing the Candidate to hear her and know her bias. Though Ty'bar knew that she was both deadly serious and mildly joking around he offered his dragon a look over his shoulder. Swirling her eyes an indignant orange she gave the pair a hum and stretched slowly.

A faraway look entered into his eyes when he was asked about the turns of loneliness he had endured before he met his dragon. The oldest son and the last to Impress, let alone that he had later Impressed a green. If he allowed the anger and darkness he felt towards his family to affect him he might not come up from it, so chose instead to focus on a positive.

"Seven turns at High Reaches, almost twenty Hatchings before she decided to find me." And it had been her finding him. With his eyes downcast that day he hardly would have fought a dragon hatchling that was trying to maul him. "Western is a much better Weyr to try at. The atmosphere is... better here and I've yet to meet someone of ill nature."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Venn pillowed his head on Ty'bar's arm once more as the other man spoke, his stomach churning with delight and worry. He was starting to approach the age where he could no longer stand and to have spent so much of his life as a Candidate with nothing to show for it would be devastating. He had a few Turns left, of course, if this Hatching didn't pan out, but he went in with the same high hopes and left with the same low spirits yet positive thoughts. He just had to work harder.

The comment from Asilaeth made him laugh and he ducked his head to press his forehead against Ty'bar's chest for a moment before peeking over the other man to the dragon. He gave her a small smile, completely agreeing with her.

"If I had a choice I'd pick a green," he admitted. "I'll be happy with whoever does pick me, of course, but I've always admired the color." Green was his favorite color outside of dragons and he did enjoy the personalities they tended to have. He'd love and adore any dragon, of course, but greens always had a special place in his heart.

As the mood turned a bit more somber his smile fell and he nodded, listening as Ty'bar told his own story. Seven Turns...that was also quite a long time to Stand.

"And they let you Stand longer," he added with a little chuckle before his own stomach gave a growl. The noise surprised him enough to make him laugh, pressing a hand over his eyes in embarrassment.

"Well...looks like lunch is becoming a more prominent part of our day. Want to get some clothes on and see what the chefs have made today?" he asked, peeking from between his fingers at the older man.

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Well, it appears that you have excellent taste in dragons as in company. I should like to see the dragonet you come back with.

Grinning sharp teeth at Vennodren Asilaeth stretched and stepped off of her bed in one fluid motion that took her close to the door. The little green sniffed the air as if showing interest in food herself.

Running his hand through Vennodren's hair lazily when the man pressed his face to his chest, Ty'bar let a fond smile cross his face, knowing what was happening between both him and his dragon. Asilaeth was not as stoic and monotone as she appeared and it often amused him when she reached out to humans other than himself, given the way other dragons spoke of her flat voice. If there was irritation for the sleight to his beloved dragon he never allowed those that mentioned it to him to see the shadow that passed behind his rosey brown eyes.

This did not at all seem to be the case with the young man pressed to him and he found his heart softening a bit.

"It seems that lunch needs to happen quite sooner than I thought!" Ty'bar had felt that growl even if he hadn't been able to hear it. Pressed close as they were it was very obvious when the rumble occured where the it originated from and his own stomach rumbled once more and his laughter rang through the small room.

Running his free hand over Vennodren's stomach he moved slowly to pull his arm from beneath the other's head and sat up with an audible crack. Life of a rider wasn't completely without it's bodily demands and fourteen years in the air running drills and practice had Ty'bar's body making pops first thing in the morning when he sat and stood. Waving a hand to dismiss the noises, he chuckled again and stood up slowly, letting each vertebre in his spine pop lightly as he rolled his shoulders back and stretched out both arms to his sides.

"Oooh, once you Impress I recommend stretching or you'll end up a wreck after a few years." The older man released his impromptu stretch with an exhalation of yet more laughter, this time only for himself. "And trust me, I've no doubt that you will."

Casting about for clothing that had been quickly discarded the night before, he was able to locate pants and a shirt that would not have fit himself despite the other's taller stature, his chest and shoulders were just slightly broader. Picking them up and offering them up, unconsciously folding them as he lifted them up, from where they'd either fallen or been flung to the night before. No one could say that he didn't keep his areas tidy after all, somehow he'd managed to hurl all of his own clothing towards the same area even if he had no direct recollection of it.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

As Ty'bar pulled back and shifted to sit up, Venn did the same and pushed himself vertical. He stretched along with the older man and had to snicker softly at how much popping and cracking his back and neck were doing. He had always been fortunate in being quite flexible and rarely had aches despite the hard work he had been doing as a Candidate for so long. Hopefully it would carry through as he grew older as well.

"Shh, hush! The both of you!" Venn said with a soft laugh as he pressed a hand over Ty'bar's mouth. "You're going to curse me and I'll be passed over again!" He was teasing, of course. The vote of confidence from both the little green and her rider boosted his confidence and his already high excitement in the prospect of another clutch. Only time would tell if his wait would end.

While still holding his hand over Ty'bar's mouth he leaned in to give a quick peck to the scarred cheek before giving an impish grin as he slid out of the bed. Ty'bar found his clothing first, though, which he took with a polite 'thanks' before pulling them on. They had dried overnight, thankfully, although they were a bit smelly from not being properly washed after being drenched in the rain. Oh well...he was sure no one would mind.

He pulled his hair back and dug around in a pocket for his hair tie which he used to make a short tail at the base of his head, tying the bow with the expertise of one who did it daily without looking. His shoes weren't far from the doorway and he slid them on without trouble.

"Hopefully we're not the only disheveled ones showing up," he said as he glanced over his shoulder for the older man.

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Far be it for him to remove the hand placed so firmly over his mouth, but it didn't keep him from grinning against Vennodren's palm a bit at his teasing words. He'd been the same way, so many years ago now, and after a time it had been nearly beaten out of him by High Reaches standards and general attitude, he didn't want to see that happen to such a gentle person. If Ty'bar could have told him how wrong he was he would have but instead he accepted the soft peck on one of his scarred cheeks and the edges of his eyes crinkled in amusement.

Turning to pull his own clothing from the trunk at the side of the room he pulled on a pair of well worn riding breeches and shirt with a vest that hung looser than it should with far more patches than most would deem worthy of even putting in such thin fabric, the edges were even black from what seemed completely logical to be flame. The bush of his hair he did nothing with, it was almost always inconceivably tangled as it was and the action seemed laughable when it wasn't currently in his eyes anyway. Though he knew that beside the younger man he probably looked somewhat unkempt he doubted that there were those that cared about the Weyr, some were sleek and others were rough and Ty'bar had never once tried to be anything but his own rough and happy self. Even if he looked rough around the edges he held himself with his back straight and shoulders thrown back in a state that was relaxed but seemed to indicate to others that he was confident.

Somehow he had missed Vennodren's words, but Asilaeth relayed them without complaint so that he could offer him a chuckle. "Don't worry, after last night there won't be that many even awake this early let alone attempting to go get food."

Lest he fool you, this is his regular state regardless. Now, would the pair of you like a ride before I go to investigate the aftermath of last night?

Narrowing his eyes at his dragon, Ty'bar finally rolled them and clapped a hand on his knee jovially. "Outed by my own dragon!"

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Asilaeth's flat reply had Venn laughing softly. So he was a late riser by nature, hm? Venn had been in his youth, but once he started training as a Candidate his body shifted to the early morning demands of the Candidatemaster. He was so used to rising early now that he was sure he'd continue to do so.

"Nothing wrong with sleeping in," he said with a grin before turning to the dragon, a hopeful look on his eyes.

"I would love one, Asilaeth. You're as generous as you are beautiful!" He hoped the added weight wouldn't be too much for the small green, but he just couldn't turn down an offer like that! He glanced back at Ty'bar with an eager look on his face, a smile stretching his lips from ear to ear as he held out his hand.

"Come along, come along! We don't want to keep her waiting."

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

"Oh Shards, don't butter her up, she'll be impossible all day!" Ty'bar offered in response to Venn's comment on her beauty. Well aware himself of how beautiful his small green was and more than a little proud every time he looked at her, the rider was hardly joking.

Asilaeth could preen if given the right compliment and that was all he was going to need later! Luckily for him she decided not to respond to his remark as he could feel the rush of excitement passing through her hearts .

Encouraged by the insistance and the look of pure excitement that lit up those hazel eyes, the rider wrapped his left arm around Vennodren's waist and took two long strides before they were on Asilaeth's strong shoulders, with the younger man behind him. Sure, they were grounded, sure they were on the same level as the lower caverns and lunch, but that didn't have to stop the pair from making another's day. Grinning wickedly he gave her a silent command up and large wings churned the air as they shot up to the top of the caldera so that they could see the Bowl below them. It was about as high as he'd been in a year and all he could do was take in a deep breath and breathe it out in relief to finally be even so low in the air again.

It was freedom, one that he was happy to show Vennodren in the hopes that the younger man would know what it felt like if the worst should happen and he was left standing on the Sands once more. Eyes whirling a mix of purple and blue the little green dragon curved slightly and glided down on well trained wings towards the Lower Caverns to drop the pair off, but she seemed to be enjoying herself too much to make it quick and Ty'bar was well aware of how fast his little dragon was. It seemed both were on the same wavelength and for that he was happy, glancing to the other man behind him in curiosity. Flight had been everything that he'd always wanted and it had never once left him disappointed, certainly it wouldn't for Vennodren either.

There really wasn't anything like riding a dragon after all.

SilverLutz