[PRP] Rainy Day Date (Iafri/Li'tt)

[demon_pachabel]

The little sharing exchange was both charming and special in a very weird way and Li'tt laughed a bit as he 'dropped' another piece of cheese for the pair of firelizards to have at.

"Does it?" he asked Iafri jokingly, pausing to pluck up a nice redfruit to slice on top of what was quite obviously a staple meal for the man at this point. It was basic, perhaps, but he'd not exactly grown up eating luxuriously. It was a simple comfort that reminded him of his parents.

With the spread assembled, he passed one off to Iafri. "I'll just have to hope you're not sick of it, then."

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Sparkle hunkered down and watched as the new offering was dropped, while Pocket was again quick to seize the opportunity. Most magnanimously, thr blue only ate half, before using his nose to push the remaining bit of cheese to his more timid companion...not that he was especially outgoing himself, but moreso than the green.

Iafri watched Li'tt happily as he indulged the flits and finished preparing the next 'course,' absolutely smitten. It was little moments like this when it really hit home for her just how much she adored him, and how amazing it was that he was still here. She was sure she'd never quite get over it.

"Never," she answered, accepting the treat as though it was a treasure. Not only was it delicious, it was a reminder of good things. She took a bite of it and smiled. "I think it only gets better."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

Firelizards were awfully cute in their own way, Li'tt decided, even though he'd seen plenty of them in his day to day. Perhaps Sparkle and Pocket were just darling because they were Iafri's and that made him biased.

He flashed her a smile. "Good. If the season was right for it, I'd dare say finding a good jam to top the fruit with would have made it even better. But with the weather as it is," Li'tt made a show of squinting outside as he took his first bite of his own share, "I doubt there is a whole lot of ideal farming happening."

Which with their current fishing expeditions meant that there would be worse things to come of it all.

"Unless one were to go as far as Monaco Bay."

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

With the latest scrap devoured, the two flits settled in with attentive eyes to await the next offering. They knew, of course, that there would be more - there was always more - but at least their begging was fairly unobtrusive. While Pocket wasn't above a snatch-and-run attempt, he had long since learned that goodies were inevitable, and stealing was not required. Just a cute face.

As she nibbled, Iafri agreed with a quiet 'mm' to Li'tt's thoughts about including jam. It would indeed be tasty, but this was quite lovely the way it was as well. "I certainly don't know much about farming, but I can't imagine anyone's getting much of anything done working in weather like this." Perhaps some plants enjoyed such soggy, muddy conditions, though.

"I've never been to Monaco Bay, apart from practicing coordinates," she admitted.

x demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"I've done some reading, but I can't say I remember much when it comes to soil and the sort. Mint, some berries....but I imagine it's fish all around at the moment." Because something about the rain made Fish absolutely abundant and Li'tt wasn't a fisher to know why. "Though the holds also have livestock..." and how some part of him just idly considered the idea of just snatching one that would surely not be missed, right?

But he knew better than to feed that idle thought beast.

"Paradise River is a rather nice area, if the name is any indication. It's pretty to look at in a very different way than an ocean overlook or mountain is." But Pern lacked for absolutely disastrous scenery that wasn't at fault of Thread.....and wasn't Nabol, as far as Li'tt was concerned.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"That's more than I know, beyond where to pick some things, so I suppose it's just as well we're not farmers." And even then, her knowledge of where certain things grew was limited to a certain area, and may also have occasionally involved a bit of filching when what grew wild wasn't enough. "Not that I dislike fish, but I do miss a good roast." Iafri sighed. She'd been party to rustling some livestock here and there, though for her it wasn't tempting; even if Girofleth wouldn't have balked at the prospect, she hated how she'd grown up, and was ashamed of ever having stolen anything, even if she'd not had any real choice.

"It is a lovely name," she agreed, "Tempting enough to sound worth a visit. I've never spent much time at all anywhere on the Southern Continent." For someone who could, theoretically, go anywhere she wanted, Iafri didn't actually get out much beyond what her duties as a rider called for. She'd done her fair share of roaming around the eastern side of the Northern Continent, growing up Holdless as she had, but that was far from sightseeing or exploring. Just surviving.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Fish is a far cry more exotic than I'm used to, but having a lot of it takes that edge off," not that it had been rare since he'd come to live at Western, but after a childhood that was mostly vacant of such delicacy.....it was weird to overindulge. "At some point maybe I'll make a point of fishing something up to take home to my parents. They're landlocked so ocean fish....definitely something they've not had." An occasional river fish at best - and nice ones were saved for better people than a family that made ends meet enough to tend to their kids.

Really, it sounded like a small adventure was in order for both of them. "I think we should find a map of Pern and just....circle the places we think sound best and make a whole trip of them. Just to see things and get away a little bit." Not that Nabol would ever be on that list as somewhere he wanted Iafri to see for the sights, but....

there were at least 2 people there he'd make an exception for her meeting, at least.

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"I'd never thought of it as exotic," Iafri admitted after a moment of thought. "Not most fish, anyway. Maybe things like deepfish and spiderclaws. But if we did have meat, it was usually fish." There was no Feast that went by that Iafri wasn't absolutely astonished by the bounty, particularly of meat of any kind. Fishing had been, generally, less effort and less risk than hunting or stealing, but even then didn't go all the way towards feeding everyone - and more often than not, she'd lost her portions to...stronger personalities. She hesitated for a moment at talk of parents, but soon settled on the safe response of "That would be a nice gift."

As for a map and a trip, "I'd like that. Not that there's much here to get away from, but I'd like it all the same."

Mostly because she'd be with him. Otherwise, such exploring held little appeal for her, as anxious and easily trampled-over as she was, unless she were to stay absolutely glued to Girofleth at all times. But she knew that with Li'tt, she would be safe, and even able to enjoy herself.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Meat in general was a luxury - not rare, but we definitely had our share of bread and preserves...and the occasional cheese," it sounded as though neither of them had grown up particularly pampered - which was all well and good. Life as a dragonrider was a sizeable set up to what fate had initially wanted for Li'tt as well as his desperation to stay away from it. Not that fighting Thread was any less fatal than working the mines - they lost just as many people.

Iafri was right in there not being much to get away from, though. "Get out, then, rather than away. We deserve to see as much of Pern as we can while we can," did they not fight day after day to keep it safe, even if many people were ungrateful for their work? "I'll look into a map this sevenday and see if we can't start making some plans of it."

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"I never got to have any cheese," Iafri said sadly - it was quite a ridiculous thing to find sad, especially in light of how awful her early life had been by most standards, but it was something that stuck out. Girofleth had healed over and buried much of the trauma, to the extent that Iafri rarely even had a passing thought about her family unless the topic came up, but some of the little, trivial things remained vivid. Cheese was something that had to be stolen or traded for, and a high-value foodstuff like that had never made its way down to her. She'd had a piece once after stealing said piece, but had immediately felt guilty about it.

Even after Impressing, she'd retained a rather...complicated relationship with food in spite of it no longer being scarce. She'd continued to often eat only the bare minimum she needed, and little else; it certainly didn't help that riders usually ate in a group setting, which even now she wasn't entirely comfortable with. It wasn't until Li'tt had come into her life that she'd started to really let herself enjoy food, and she now associated it strongly with affection and security, though she did still prefer not to be in the crowded Dining Hall.

Feeling lonely for a moment - and it had all started over thoughts of cheese, of all things! - she moved to tuck herself against Li'tt, quietly seeking to be held. "I hadn't thought of it like that." Though, admittedly, she didn't like the sound of 'while we can.' The possibility that something could happen was far more frightening than it ever had been before; she and Girofleth had always been prepared to face it, and while Girofleth still was, even with Alzarth, she'd always been the stronger of them. It was really no surprise that the one to balk now would be Iafri. "I'd rather we have all the time in the world."

Not that she was advocating for running away, even if Girofleth would have brooked it, but she didn't want to think that she'd ever lose Li'tt. It would be one thing if he moved on to someone else, but to lose him lose him...she couldn't bear the thought.

demon_pachabel

that got kinda sad I AM SORRY

 

[demon_pachabel]

She'd barely had to lean into him for Li'tt to put an arm around her, pulling Iafri closer into his side and leaning his head against the top of her head. The tone of sadness in her voice had been enough of an appeal for his comfort and he gave it freely. He offered no words for that moment, quietly burying a kiss against the top of her head instead. When it came to her past, he'd not pried - the present was what had mattered and everybody was not who they were before a dragon anyways.

"I would too - but before long we'll have more and more days fighting Thread, rather than free to explore," Li'tt hadn't put much thought into the utter mortality that hung above the two of them in particular - he hadn't wanted to. What they had was fresh, new, and small, but he coveted it and didn't want to consider the idea it could be absolutely wrenched from them. Either of them. "Which just means we'll have to eat cheese and look at maps and read mysterious books before we're too busy."

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

Iafri curled easily into Li'tt's hold, wrapping her own arms gently around him. She was quiet for a long moment, simply soaking up the comfort - thoughts and feelings about her past didn't often get their claws in, thanks to Girofleth's influence, but on the rare occasion they snuck through, they could be...difficult. But Li'tt was here, and always patient, and freely gave her what she needed without picking at the scars.

She hated to think about fighting Thread more than they already did, especially having seen him injured more than once already. The more often they had to fight, the greater the likelihood that he would be hurt again, and that it could be worse. Burying her head againat his chest, she squeezed him a little tighter. Perhaps it was a bit selfish to bemoan their possible fates, as this was all part of being a dragonrider, particularly considering that it hadn't bothered her much before, but... Her life was good now, and she didn't want to lose any of it.

"Lots of cheese, and maps, and books," she agreed finally. "And maybe some little cakes, too, just for good measure." Iafri didn't have quite the sweet tooth that some did, but a bit now and then was nice.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Plenty of little cakes. Next time you want to head out I'll go with you to help pick out a few too," Li'tt didn't doubt Iafri's tastes, but the mere idea of the little outing was appealing. Perhaps a little more domestic than Dragonriders usually got to live at that.

Which on the note of cakes - "How about we talk about happier things, like what from this delicious spread you have set out for us we're going to try next?"

Meepfur

 

[Meepfur]

"We'll have to keep an eye out for more Gathers, then," she said, already something close to excited, which was not usually how she felt at the prospect of large gatherings of people. It would probably be some time before one, somewhere, would fall on a shared restday, but...it was still something to look forward to.

Iafri hmm'd at the question, letting more troublesome thoughts fall away - which wasn't too hard, all tucked up against Li'tt. "Maybe a tart? The cookies will keep better if we run out of room."

demon_pachabel