Life in the Present (Open to Weyrlings)

[Taxx]

L'rey of bronze Codrath
The day after their return, and though the celebrations had carried on long into the night, L'rey had turned in early. He'd found an empty weyr for Codrath to settle into, had talked a few blankets from a weyrfolk, and curled up between the bronze's forepaws for the rest of the night. Not until the sun's light found its way into the weyr did he wake again, but he was quick to rouse once he remembered that they were once more back in the present time. Though he'd wanted to send word to his Tillek family immediately, he'd realized that by the time they'd got settled that it might be too late for a firelizard to find its way. But now!

A wash and a change of clothes later, L'rey searched until he spotted some of his fellow weyrlings eating breakfast in the Dining Hall; he stuck an arm up to wave at them. He knew the brownrider had at least one firelizard, though he was sure he had two or three in total. "No'va! Hey, I got a favor to ask if you don't mind!" He waited until he was closer before asking, because there was no reason to yell his question from ten feet away, and he gave No'va and Joia a nod of greeting before settling across from them. "So I have family in Tillek, and I wanted to send them a message about what's happened. But I don't have a firelizard, so I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I borrowed yours? If you don't need them for anything. I can ask someone else if they're busy."

He glanced back and waved again as he recognized Vitra- and remembered the commotion that had surrounded her the night before- and scooted over a bit to make room if she wanted to sit.


Vitra of blue Tucseth
Vitra was absolutely determined to not let her father's unexpected appearance affect her. He was gone, his hold on her broken, and she only had the future to look forward to. She'd spent the night in her new weyr, when she'd returned from eating and drinking until her stomach hurt. She'd barely made it up the stairs to where Tucseth was deeply asleep, collapsed on the cot, and was out like a light. Now, just a few hours later, she was still not nearly hungry enough to eat anything- she'd wait for the noon meal. But she hadn't wanted to hide away, and she'd left the weyr to head down.

A bit tired still, she flopped into the seat next to L'rey and waved at the three with a half-smile. "Anyone know if we're expected for lessons today?" She opened her eyes wider, blinked, and then spotted K'zar in the line for food. A glance toward the entrance made her grin- Lepsuth hovered there, her gaze fixed on her rider, waiting for his return. Lepsuth was sweet and very attached to K'zar; Vitra wondered how she'd taken to being in this much more crowded version of the Weyr. Not well, if she knew the green, which probably was why she was trying to stick as close to K'zar as possible. Maybe she'd calm down once she forgot that there was a difference between the weyrs of different times.

[Zen]

No'va

No’va had absolutely gorged himself at dinner the night before. There had been very little in the way of variety when it came to meals back in time, and spices and seasoning had been all but nonexistent after the first couple months worth of supplies ran out. It was great to taste things with actual flavor again, even when it came to Mavros’s generally lacking supplies. It was nothing compared to what he’d endured on this time traveling mission. And they had thought meals at Mavros were lacking before. Now it seemed great.

So he was also excited for a proper breakfast the next morning. Sleeping arrangements for them had been… a bit thrown together and a bit of wherever you can find for the night. But D’rew had said they would be given proper weyr assignments today, at some point. Well that was for later. Right now, he wanted to enjoy his breakfast, and quickly made his way to the dining cavern, Dusty draped across his shoulders and ready to be given scraps. All of his other firelizards hunted, or stole, their own food most of the time, but Dusty was far too lazy when his bonded was available to give him food with no work involved at all.

He was set about stuffing his face, and occasionally offering something up to the brown on his shoulders, when someone called out to him. He looked up, mid-chew, to see L’rey heading their way, and waved back in lieu of speaking with a full mouth. When the bronzerider had sat himself across the table, and he was able to swallow his mouthful, he grinned at the inquiry about his firelizards. “Sure, I don’t mind. Timor has turned into a good messenger and I think he’d be willing to work with someone other than me, unlike Midnight.” He felt the older blue touch at his mind curiously, sensing that his bonded was thinking of him. He waved the blue off, because he didn’t need him, and felt the retreat. He glanced at Dusty where the brown’s head hovered, waiting for the next offered scrap, thinking it was a bit sad that out of five flits he could only really offer one of them for a messenger service. He could probably wrangle Midnight into cooperating with L’rey if he had to, but Timor was more friendly.

He called for the mottled blue, reaching out as he might for Aldy now, and shortly Timor appeared above their heads, circling with a cheep to announce his arrival. He tilted his wings and landed in the middle of the table, looking up at No’va expectantly. He reached out to scratch at the little blue’s eyeridges and Dusty made an indignant noise. “Hush,” he told the brown, who grumbled in return. “This is Timor,” he introduced, “I’m pretty sure he can deliver your letter for you. He’s been pretty reliable for me, even though he's only done stuff around Mavros before.”

Suddenly Vitra plopped down beside L’rey, the conversation shifting, and No’va took another bite of his food, chewing thoughtfully, “I know D’rew said we’re getting our real weyrs today. I thiiiinnnkk… he maybe said something about letting us move in today? So no lessons!” At least he was pretty sure that’s what D’rew had said. After all, most of his own belongings were still in the candidate barracks. There hadn’t been much reason to take everything back in time with him. There were bound to be others who had left things there as well. He chuckled, “How’re everyone’s dragons doing? Aldy says it’s too loud ‘cause all the dragons are always talking all the time.”

Taxx

[Hiko]

Sleep had not come easy for C’rys the night of their return. She’d never quite gotten to a state of mental fatigue, and the sleeping arrangements had boded ill for her physical comfort. With the addition of so many new voices rattling around in her mind, shutting them off for the evening had proven more difficult than expected. Eventually, she’d found some rest curled in Vorscuth’s paws and tail, but the green had woken her early in order to stretch her wings.

Had there been this many people when she’d left? It was too difficult to recall on so little rest. She yawned in line, waiting for her bowl of hot oats. A small, nagging voice in the back of her mind said to be more aware, to be more vigilant, to do anything other than just sit, eat, and consider stealing someone’s better bedding accommodations for a post-breakfast nap.

“It is too loud,” C’rys remarked, sitting down with her peers. She stabbed at her oats with a spoon, half-heartedly stirring at the bowl with another yawn. “And if we don’t get our own weyrs today, I’m making a tent on the beach.”
She took a bite, but didn’t taste it. “How’d the rest of you sleep? It’s strange, isn’t it? I’d almost forgotten how not empty the Weyr was.”

[tovaana]

Treyvin;

He paused at the entrance of the dining hall, a couple of people brushing past his sudden stop, glancing back at him; their confusion and slight frustration rolled off of them in that moment. He just stared, biting the inside of his bottom lip as they turned away and continued on, their flowing emotions changing and fading like the colors in a dragon’s whirling eyes. The most interesting feelings were the kind that lingered, how one moment (like him stopping), could affect a mood for minutes, if not hours later.

There was a wall of emotions within the caverns and it had stopped him in his tracks. It wasn’t nearly as bad as hatching or large events like the moment of timer’s return… but he had gotten used to a quieter and calmer set of emotions back in time. It had been blissful, and he hadn’t even known it. With a resentful sigh he moved into the cavern, focusing on the food and taking one step at a time. He thought maybe he’d rather eat elsewhere in the weyr, when he recognized the flavor of emotions that he had spent eighteen months with. His clear eyes cast around the room until he found a group of weyrlings – nearly full riders… these were friends he had spent his candidacy with, but had not gone forth as a rider with.

He stood frozen for a moment, undecided. He didn’t have any friends outside of the group yet, since most of the candidates had impressed back in time. Treyvin felt his own emotions stir, fighting against the emotions around him – frustration that he wasn’t a dragon rider, that a year and half of his life had literally disappeared in the space of a day, and that he’d probably have to start all over making friends with new candidates. But not today. With a jaw set he followed a few paces behind C’rys and her tired feelings.

A corner of Treyvin’s lips pulled at a half smile at her comment. At least he could relate to that. It was too loud, not in the same sense as the web of dragon voices, but similar enough. He couldn’t, however, relate to getting his own weyr, as he was back sharing a room with candidates. Candidates that all dreamt too loudly too. “Maybe we should camp out on the beach for a night anyways. Sounds good to me. It’s too…” he couldn’t say it was loud like the dragons, but it was for his senses. “…crowded.” He finished, filling an empty seat on the same side C’rys took a seat on.