remember when... [tagged: No'va/Zen & Vitra/Taxx]

[tovaana]

Treyvin;

He bent down and picked up the first washed up pebble he spotted and threw it at the ocean. It fell pitifully short and it made his emotions surge with frustration and emotion. He glanced around and found a larger rock and in a few long strides he was there and picking up the ocean smoothed rock. His arm wound up and threw the rock at the ocean – but it still felt like he’d done nothing… like the ocean was swallowing his emotions like it had the rock that disappeared with hardly a splash. His eyes raked the beach desperately for his next victim and he stormed over to a pocketed dark rock. It was small enough to hold in one hand, but when he threw it with a grunt, it landed half a dozen feet away embedded in the sand, clearly mocking him.

He looked at the rock that had half sunk in the wet sand, a wave rolling around it and pulling at the sand around it. He sat down, staring at it, and then up at the ocean horizon. He wanted to yell, scream – but he knew there were others nearby by the way emotions were kicking in the door to his mind. His own emotions had made his barriers weak and he wasn’t even trying. ‘Come back. Or just don’t.’ He wanted to scream this, as if it could carry across the expanse of the ocean and find his father. He was so confused – everything was just… not simple. With all the emotions always pulling and pushing him, and with dragon candidacy, and now there was his father – and brother? Well, half brother… and cousins… He swallowed back a wave of emotion that pricked behind his eyes. At the same time a wave announced the incoming tide by swirling around him, sending goosebumps up his arms and a chill that cooled the fever of emotions that was rising. It was getting colder and it made him miss the southern continent. Maybe he’d go visit his mother, he had half siblings there too – ones he hadn’t really cared about at all… he’d been thinking about them a lot more since finding out that L’rey was his brother.

With a sigh he flopped backward and laid in the cold sand and wake of the ocean, looking up into the gray sky. Would a simple life ever be a reality? Was it for anyone? At least the cool sand and salty ocean felt numbing enough to slow his thoughts and income of feelings. His hands played with the cold wet sand, very aware of just how dirty he was going to be after this... he needed to get up and moving, just go rinse off and get ready for the candidate lesson that day. instead he just laid there, staring at the sky, a slow headache starting to form at the back of his head where it nested in the cold sand. 

Zen Taxx

[Taxx]

No sooner had Vitra settled herself than Tucseth was reaching out to the brown, a sly glance toward the bigger male's weyr as he gathered himself to spring into empty air. Race you, Alduntulath, he challenged, and he burst from his weyr with a surprisingly high-pitched squeak of exuberance, tipping on a wing toward the beach: a race before a bit of relaxed splashing in the water of the ocean- what was better?

Not everything needs to be a competition, was the dry observation from the girl on his back, and Tucseth bugled in mock affront at the very idea.

My own, my rider, everything is more exciting as a competition, and I am in it to win it. He could practically feel Vitra's eye roll, she did it so hard, but it was dismissed in the next second and he focused on his primary goal, to make it to the beach before Alduntulath did. He didn't want to turn his head back to see if Aldy was even chasing him, simply charged onward, angling into a steep dive as he approached the sandy stretch of shore, utterly determined to be the first to land.
tovaana Zen

[Zen]

No'va :: Brown Alduntulath

He and Vitra had planned to meet up on the beach and No’va couldn’t help thinking about teaching her how to fish back in time, or how he and Treyvin had taught her to swim. He liked how eager she was to try new things, but then from how she told it, she hadn’t really been allowed to do much of anything before coming to the Weyr, so he supposed he’d be eager too. But she could have just as easily gone the other way? Been too afraid, thought she shouldn’t because she was a girl, or something stupid like that.

As he mounted Aldy, the brown turned his head in the general direction of Tucseth as the blue issued his challenge. Alduntulath huffed, Tucseth wants to race. But he is a blue. It is natural he is faster than me. No’va laughed, Well it doesn’t matter if you don’t win. Just humor him. It’s just for fun anyway. It is not fun to lose, the brown grumbled, pushing into the air after he knew his rider was ready, and No’va patted his neck in sympathy. Alduntulath was hardly as competitive as Tucseth, but he did at least like to have a fighting chance in competitions. Not that Aldy would remember, but Tucseth also rarely gave a proper start to a race, just issuing them out of the blue like this and shooting off with little warning. That certainly didn’t help things.

Alduntulath gave chase to the blue, though his heart wasn’t exactly in it, and the blue would reach the beach before them. Slowing his descent, he landed not far from Tucseth and No’va could feel his mild annoyance, but the brown did well enough to keep it to himself, I hope you are this enthusiastic come Threadfall, Tucseth. You will certainly be a boon to your Wing if so. No’va grinning as he slid from the brown’s back, You can at least make the biggest splashes. Alduntulath considered that, then issued his own challenge to the blue, You may have won the race, but I can make a far larger splash than you. With his rider off his back, he lifted into the air again and winged out over the bay before plunging into the water with quite an impressive splash. That reminded No’va of being back in time too. That’s what their dragons had been doing when he and Treyvin were teaching Vitra to swim, weren’t they?

It seemed like it had been a long time since he’d seen Treyvin, but not for much longer, apparently. Aldy swam back to shore and was pulling himself from the water when he paused and leaned his head down over the boy laying there in the tide, likely dripping water all over him, though as he was already wet it's not like it would matter much. No’va frowned as he saw and headed closer, “Aldy, don’t do that! He doesn’t- oh!” What a weird coincidence. No’va’s grin returned as he recognized the boy, “Treyvin!” He glanced back at Vitra before moving closer to their suddenly reappeared friend, coming to look down at him just as Aldy had done moments before, “Why are you laying in the surf like that? Isn’t it cold?”

tovaana Taxx

[tovaana]

Treyvin;

He really wasn’t interested in trying to block out any foreign feelings or even try to understand them. There were some distant ones that always seemed to be on the peripheral of his mind, but it was obvious that there were some louder ones that were closer. They were happier than his, in fact, somewhat… familiar and not so foreign. The taste and shape of the feelings… well, if he’d been more aware, he probably would have been able to guess who was on their way.

There was a splash nearby and a memory tugged from the past and teased him just out of grasp. He supposed he should get up, but he was still working up the energy in which to do so. It was while he was finally talking himself up to do so when the ocean got louder as the brown dragon came wading through the waves and was suddenly above him. He squinted at the silhouette that slowly regained color as his eyes adjusted to the brown’s head shadowed from the overcast sky. His heart seemed to quicken its pace at the proximity to a dragon - he had to remind himself that this dragon was nothing like Codrath. Only half of the face regained color and he recognized the unique brown just as Nova called out the brown's name.

Treyvin felt a certain jump within him, it was enough to get him to move his upper body into a propped position, a smile smile at the feeling of ocean water dripping on him. “Hey Aldy.” He said in a quiet voice, peering up at the duo colored dragon, hearing and feeling the presence of one… maybe two people approaching, but he was plenty distracted to care much.

“I don’t what?” Ask Treyvin with an amused voice when No’va cut himself off. He twisted to turn and he couldn’t help but flash a momentary smile at the sound of his own name by a familiar voice - if not a little deeper. His smile faded at the question and he sighed. Why indeed. He glanced back up at the dragon. He felt rather silly now that he had to defend his sanity. “It’s not… that cold…” He reasoned unreasonably. He glanced back at the brown rider, feeling at a loss of what to say. Boy, for a moment he could almost think they were back in time – and there was Vitra there too, he just realized glancing over at the girl with a hitch in his chest. He missed friends… they had been able to be friends after they had impressed and he hadn’t, but once they got back to real time… well, excuses could tossed in abundance, but Treyvin knew he had dug a hole to hide from them and candidacy. Especially after learning about his father and new part of his family, he hadn’t thought much about his dragon rider friends.

“Hey guys.” He pushed himself to a sitting position finally, turning slightly toward them. He swallowed. “How’s it been?” Being back or as dragon riders was probably implied, but he had mostly meant in general.

Taxx Zen

[Taxx]

Vitra : Blue Tucseth

Glee was all too obvious in the blue’s voice as he all but crashed into the sand on the beach, head twisting to see Alduntulath land a few seconds after, and his tail whipped about in his delight. I won. An unnecessary jab, but one he simply couldn’t help but point out, despite the smack it earned him from his rider.

“Be nice!” she scolded aloud for everyone’s sake, and then sighed as Tucseth snorted, repeating the boast for all of them to hear once more. He was impossible if he lost and he was impossible if he won. One extreme or the other, there simply was no middle ground where her blue was concerned.

Aldy’s challenge was met with a flash of scorn and he hurled himself skyward once more. I’ll be the best at fighting in a Wing! he assured, because how could he not be? I’m best at this too, he added, flying out over the water before simply letting himself plunge downward, only his wings tucked close to try to minimize straining them too much and crashing through the surf with the very biggest splash he could manage.

Vitra rolled her eyes and followed No’va over to where Aldy was standing over Treyvin, waving as she recognized the Candidate sitting there. “Hi, Treyvin!” she greeted, dropping to her knees beside the boy and giving a nod to answer his question but adding words for a more expansive answer. “It’s going pretty well. What about you?”

She could sense Tucseth approaching without even looking, the blue coming up behind her; she didn’t turn until she felt a nudge at her shoulder. Was mine bigger? It was, wasn’t it? I’m better at that than Alduntulath, aren’t I?

Yes, yes, it was a nice splash. An absent-minded pat at his nose to go with her praise- no matter how off-hand- and Tucseth hummed a deep note, pleased and completely overlooking the fact that it might not have been true, he would still take it. Dropping to his belly, the blue craned his head around Vitra and eyed the new boy. Who are you?
Zen tovaana

[Zen]

No’va :: Brown Alduntulath

Alduntulath was briefly confused as the boy addressed him, but as his rider had called out a name, the brown searched No’va’s memories, which the boy sensed and offered up willingly of the time they’d spent with Treyvin before they’d returned to the present. Realizing that this was a friend, albeit one he had not seen in a while, the brown returned the greeting, if a little belated, Hello, Treyvin. It has been a while, has it not? He didn’t exactly know when the last time they’d seen each other was, but if he had forgotten then surely it was some time ago?

No’va laughed as Treyvin prompted him to finish his thought, “Ah, I guess I was gonna say something like he doesn’t need you leering over him. Imagine it’s a bit shocking to look up into a sudden dragon face.” He grinned, then tilted his head a bit as Treyvin tried to insist that it wasn’t all that cold in the water. He laughed again, “Well you must have been in it too long and gotten numb then, ‘cause it sure is.” When Vitra joined them, he expanded on her answer, “Oh, yeah, it’s been great being back. Threadfall practice is pretty fun, especially now we’re getting hit less often. And firestone refueling during Falls? Talk about a rush.” A rather terrifying rush, to be honest, but he wasn’t about to admit that in front of Vitra.

But she’d also turned the question back on Treyvin and he was curious too, “What have you been up to? It’s been a while since we, since I’ve seen you, anyway.” He supposed he couldn’t speak for Vitra, it wasn’t like they spent every moment together, but he figured she’d have mentioned if she’d seen the other boy recently seeing that they were all friends, “Have you been busy with candidate stuff? We should hang out more, the three of us. Like we used to.” He supposed that might be kinda hard between Treyvin’s candidate lessons and chores and their weyrling training, trying to find free time that they shared, but if nothing else they could at least eat lunch together sometimes or something?

Aldy rumbled agreement, Indeed. It has been too long if I’ve forgotten. I do not want to forget friends. The brown sounded mildly ashamed by the fact and No’va stepped closer to his dragon to run his hands over his muzzle in comfort, “It’s not your fault you forget.”

tovaana Taxx

[tovaana]

Treyvin;

A ghost of a frown passed over his face when the blue posed his painful question. It wasn't that Treyvin thought the blue was asking a deep question of who Treyvin was, he didn’t think that deeply as a young boy himself, he had enough problems in his mind than the idea of who he was. It was the fact that the blue didn’t know who he was. Treyvin knew that dragons were notorious for short memories, but it still didn’t dampen the blow – perhaps because it really had been so long sense he had seen his friends. Did it mean they were no longer friends?

His eyes switched back to the brown, who seemed to understand the reason for the lapse in memory. His frown passed and flicked in a small sad smile. “Indeed.” He said, clearing his voice of any emotion. No’va’s humor cleared the last bit of sadness and he chuckled and made a weak shrug. The old him probably would have been more startled with a dragon looming over him, but he’d spent so much time around them that it had been just as thrilling as it was frightening.

Treyvin glanced at Vitra, smiling as she plopped down to join them, and back to No’va as he expanded on how they were doing. He was glad the boy talked on, it gave him a few moments to think about Vitra’s question. It also gave him a moment to feel their nostalgia join his – there didn’t seem to be any bitterness that touched him, which was also good. The colors and textures of their feelings were familiar and comfortable, a medicine far better than any numbing that he had been attempting with the cold ocean.

It was also fun to think about what being a Weyrling would be like, feeling No’va’s feelings as he thought about his own Weyrlinghood. He could almost believe he was also a Weyrling, that he had also impressed and was in their class. The spell broke as the boy turned the conversation back at him and Treyvin shrugged at the question, as if it weren’t a big deal, because it wasn’t. His clear eyes flicked to the looming brown and tightened his jaw and he had to swallow back emotion. “It’s my fault, I should have come to see you guys. Maybe I can watch a Threadfall practice or something, it sounds cool.” It wasn't like he had had anything important or time consuming to do like caring for a dragon. 

He sighed. “Yeah, been busy with candidate stuff.” He lied, well – it was a half lie. It was also a very lame excuse, but he really didn't have the guts to tell them his deepest fears, his secrets. They seemed like they cared, but what difference did it make if they knew he’d given up on being a candidate for a while? “I’ve been working down at the docks as my chores.” That made up for the lie, right? Not lie, just omission. Besides, they didn’t need to hear his troubles at the moment, not when they were getting reacquainted. “My life is far less interesting than yours’.” He said with a half smile and looking down at the sand between his legs.

“Have you guys had family and friends act funny when they realize you guys suddenly have full grown dragons?” A smile touched his lips, his chin lifting to cast a look at both of them with the question.

Taxx Zen