Midnight Snacks~

[jack]

Ah, the Kitchen. A little pink head poked through the cracked door, blinking excitedly whirling eyes as the flit looked to and fro, checking to see that the coast was clear. A pleased chirp was the affirmative and the flit suddenly grew taller as the door opened and her perch stood, grinning as she slunk into the room.

As a Candidate, she pretty much had the right for a midnight snack...but old habits died hard, and Durian wasn't about to let her stealth slip away due to lack of use. Humming to herself she skipped through the darkened kitchen, keen eyes picking up the light of the few glows that were still lit. The store room was just ahead, and within it were her prizes.

A grin spread onto her lips and she picked up the pace, Reggae cheering her on with images of hunger and full bellies at the same time. Into the storeroom she slunk, returning with a bit of dried meat and a loaf of bread--it would probably be ground into crumbs to bread some meats or something--before slinking out and into the dining room.

Pleased with her stash she took a place on top of one of the tables and offered a bit of meat to Reggae before biting into the bread, chewing thoughtfully. Food you had to work to get--if only a bit--always tasted better than stuff that was just handed to you on a plate. She smiled and began to hum, a gentle tune that Reggae picked up as well, her higher voice melding easily with the quiet whispers. Times were good, that they were.

[wirevix]

Alalbar had not come down here so late out of any true desire to be sneaky. But Shobie had taken on a habit of involuntarily introducing him to new people around the Weyr, and he didn't really want to seem so outgoing as his firelizard made him out to be. So he'd just skipped the usual meal time and waited until very late, so that he was pretty sure no one else would be around for Shobie to go up to and bother.

Unfortunately, the quiet solitude of his late meal was interrupted by someone else. Someone else who had a firelizard. A Pink one. And unfortunately, Shobie loved pink. If he did have enough of a brain in his silly head to have a favorite color, pink was probably it.

Not that he wouldn't have gone over and said hello to the new firelizard he didn't recognize anyway. But he was much more enthusiastic about it now and flicked away before Alalbar could even try to stop him.

He fluttered over and landed right on Durian's selected table, landing on the far edge and hopping over to peer up at the girl, peeping brightly at the singing pair, eyes whirling rapidly in his glee. Alalbar, over in his corner, sighed and rubbed a hand over his face and tried to pretend he wasn't there.

[jack]

Durian blinked. A firelizard? She tilted her head curiously, staring down at the purple beauty with a half-grin, "Why hello." She chirped as Reggae glided down to meet Shobie, chattering away just as eagerly. The little Pink's tail flicked as she rustled her wings, inspecting the newcomer with intense curiosity.

"Where's your partner, hm little purple?" Durian asked, lifting her head and letting her eyes wander over the area, only to pause as she noticed someone sitting a good ways from her. Smiling she lifted a hand in greeting, but didn't say anything.

Clearly the girl--or was that a boy..?--didn't want to talk, and Durian could understand that...she supposed. Although, it was a bit sad. Reggae was obviously quite enamored with the newcomer, her little head bobbing with enthusiasm as she inspected him intently. Every new thing was a thing to be intensely scrutinized, and then complimented no matter how pretty or ugly it may be.

[wirevix]

Shobie squeaked and nattered right back with Reggae, overjoyed to meet a new and friendly firelizard. He was content to chatter for a bit, and then he bobbed his head a few times and jumped into the air, sweeping about and flying back to Alalbar, landing on his head, then jumping up and flying back to Reggae, very clearly trying to get Alalbar to come over and say hello.

Knowing that his firelizard wouldn't give up until he gave in, Alalbar sighed and stood up, walking closer until Shobie was satisfied and simply landed on his shoulder, cheeping softly.

"Hi," he said finally, since Shobie would just start up a fuss again if he didn't say anything. "I'm Alalbar." He really wished his Purple firelizard wouldn't be such a spazz...

In the meanwhile, Shobie went back to chattering at Reggae happily.

[jack]

Energetic thing that she was, Reggae spared a glance at her bonded before sailing after Shobie, taking a moment to circle Alalbar and inspect him before sailing back to Durian, chattering even more enthusiastically than before.

And here he came. Durian watched without speaking until he spoke, and then a cheerful smile spread onto her own lips. It was hard not to be in good spirits with her firelizard so happy and the taste of meat and bread in her mouth, "Hello. I'm Durian."

She lifted a hand, Reggae landing on the side to nip at a finger before curiously gliding to Alalbar, landing on the top of his head to perform a more thorough investigation, chirping her findings to both Durian--who got lots of images of hair and eyes--and to Shobie.

"The personal-space invader is Reggae." She grinned, "I'm sorry, she's a bit nosy--she's like that everytime she meets someone new."

[wirevix]

Alalbar just stared blankly at the girl for a few moments. Who had a right to be so cheerful at this time of the night? Other than Shobie. That was just... not right. He didn't want to be cursed with dealing with someone cheerful right now... but if he just turned around and left, Shobie would scold him for an hour and he would never get any sleep.

Still, he wasn't about to accept the offered hand, because he was tired and not particularly interested in being overly civil. Maybe Shobie would get the idea and leave this person alone. Not very likely but it was worth a shot.

And the Pink firelizard was sitting on him... that was just great. Shobie was overjoyed and joined Reggae on Alalbar's head, peeping at her happily.

"The Purple is Shobie," he sighed, rubbing at his face. "And he has no idea what it means to be late at night..."

[jack]

The girl arched a brow and withdrew her hand, frowning subtly. Grumpy fellow, wasn't he? Ah well, couldn't blame him. It was pretty late. But if he didn't want to be up this late, why was he? He could just go to bed. But people would be people, she supposed.

"Shobie?" She smiled, swinging her legs over the table, "Reggae seems to like him quite a bit." She let her gaze wander over the empty hall as she munched on her bread, thinking to herself, "So what brings you to the middle of the dining hall this evening, hm?"

Reggae made a peep of her own, mimicking her new friend with a flit-version of a grin as she promptly bowled him over, tumbling off of Alalbar's head in the process with an amused squeal. Up she went into the air, tumbling onto the table in front of Durian, her cheerful chattering echoing as she looked back to Shobie, bobbing her head playfully.

[wirevix]

He sighed at her frown and rubbed at his face again. He was going to be going and making enemies. Did he really want to do that? Maybe he had better just explain but... oh well...

"I was just trying to avoid the big crowds of people who always hang out here during the day," he mumbled, taking a seat because he was tired of standing around. He propped his chin up on his hand. "I get sick of big groups of people 'cuz Shobie always wants to go and make me say hello to every single one. And half of them call me a girl afterwards."

Well, that was a bit more grumbling than he'd intended to do. He was just tired. He would blame it on that. "Sorry. I shouldn't be muttering on I guess. I'm just tired. Had to do a lot of cleaning and stuff today."

Shobie, in the meanwhile, was very happy to chase Reggae down onto the table, pouncing her playfully, though being mindful that he was a bit bigger than the little Pink. He rolled around and whistled.

[jack]

Durian chuckled and nodded, crossing her legs beneath her as she moved to face the other, watching her firelizard with a smile, "I can understand that sentiment." He mumbled, grinning, "Although I don't agree with it anymore, there was a time I avoided crowds. But now I love them. Probably not for the right reasons though."

She gave an absent shrug and tilted her head, giving the other a quick once-over, "Well...don't think me rude for this," She chirped, giving a half-grin, "But I can see why they would think that. In all honesty, you do look like a girl." She grinned and tilted her head to the side, taking a bite of her meat, "Not that I'm one to talk, most people think I'm a boy." She looked down at her chest with a snicker, "Not that I can blame them. Of course, I don't mind being mistaken for a boy." She laid back on the table with a hum, shifting to swing her legs over the side of the table once more, "Means I don't have to wear a dress."

Reggae gave a squeak as she was pounced on but quickly made use of her smallness, wriggling free and shooting into the air with a tiny, challenging bugle. A race then! Shobie was big and strong, but Reggae was fast!
Of course, the little Pink knew she would probably be slower even than Shobie, but a little race couldn't hurt. Maybe she'd win. Then she'd be the big bad flit!

[wirevix]

Alalbar's eyes narrowed when she said he looked like a girl. Durian assuredly meant nothing by that comment, but that wasn't how he saw it. She had no idea why that would be a touchy subject with him, but he didn't care if she knew or not.

"Do you think I don't know what I look like?" he snapped, standing up. He had lost any appetite he had now anyway. He was tired of everyone trying to remind him of what he had under his clothes. Why didn't they care about anything else?

"Come on Shobie," he muttered to his firelizard. The Purple had just been preparing to chase after Reggae and play a fun game of tag or chase or whichever it turned into, but he paused when Alalbar turned and started to leave the room.

Finally, with a distressed peep, the 'lizard flew after his owner, landing on his shoulder and chirping softly in his ear, trying to convince him to go back. He still wanted to play with Reggae! He didn't understand why Alalbar was mad.

[jack]

"Well what's wrong with looking like a girl?" Durian chirped in reply, seemingly unaffected by his sudden anger, although her eyes had taken on a bit of a more soothing--if stern--gleam. "You just don't know how to use it to your advantage is all." She grinned, tilting her head to the side, "See, I look like a boy, yeah? Means I get to do things girls can't. However, if I want to look like a girl, I get to do what boys don't. Which means I get to do what they all can."

She scooped Reggae up when she tried to dart after Shobie and held her close, rubbing her eyeridges patiently, "So you look like a girl, big deal. You aren't a girl, and the opinion of others won't change that no matter how convinced they are." Of course, Durian had no way of knowing that she wasn't entirely correct, but it wouldn't matter either way.

[wirevix]

"I don't want to do anything girls can do," he replied, a bit disgusted at the very thought. He'd spent so much time trying to make everyone back home associate him as a boy--with limited success--that the idea of doing anything otherwise now was nearly upsetting to consider.

"I'm tired of them all calling me a girl!" he snapped, voice raising a little and sounding even less masculine than usual because of it--he could sort of make his voice sound more boyish when he spoke carefully, but if he tried to yell he couldn't keep it up and it showed. He tried to calm himself down.

"I got called a girl for seventeen turns, I'm really, really tired of it," he tried to say more patiently. He didn't add that it was his own parents that did it because what if she was like them, and decided that because he had the wrong parts, he wasn't allowed to be a boy? That detail had to stay his secret.

[jack]

"Maybe not now, but one day you might surprise yourself." Durian continued to smile, her legs swinging absently, "I'm not saying you'd ever want to do what a girl would want to, believe me, I don't want to do half the stuff girls are supposed to, but you might have a use for your looks one day. Or maybe not. Who can tell?"

Humming to herself she let her fingers wander down Reggae's spine, carefully stroking the Pink's lovely wings as she smiled lovingly down at her little flit, who gave a pleased chirp before looking back towards Shobie. She still wanted to play!

"But I'm not calling you a girl." The teenager replied with a chirp, grinning, "I'm just saying you look a bit like one. Doesn't mean you are one, now does it?" She chuckled and tilted her head a bit to the side, "I've met a lot of boys who don't look like boys. Doesn't mean anything. Shards, one of my best men looked more like a girl than I ever have! He could fool anyone--and all we had to do was plop a wig on his head and get him to eat redfruit and you couldn't tell him and a Holder's daughter apart." She laughed, "He was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen, but believe me, he was no woman."

She chuckled, "Although, I can understand how that would get annoying. But still. Could be worse, couldn't it? You weren't born ugly, you weren't born mean, you weren't born blind or deaf, and you're here with a gorgeous flit! Isn't all of that worth being called a girl once and a while? I'd think so. But hey. I'm not you."

[wirevix]

Alalbar listened to her go on about how she thought an could only sigh and rub his face again. He was tired and there was no way she would ever understand because he couldn't afford to tell anyone the truth. The last thing he needed was for the entire Weyr to start referring to him as a girl.

"Just... just don't bring the girl thing up, okay?" he finally said, tired of all of this mess. He regretted actually going over to say hello. He should have stayed in his corner and waited for Shobie to tire himself out with his flitting back and forth. "I already know it. I don't need to hear it again."

He slumped down into a chair for a few moments, staring at the tabletop glumly. Shobie looked uncertain, cheeping at him. He hated it when his owner got like this, but he never really understood why it happened. What could he do to fix it?

[jack]

"Fine, fine." Chuckling to herself Durian waved off the issue, understanding--although reluctant to relent nonetheless--the other's qualms. "So you're a Candidate, right?" She asked after a moment, quick to change subjects as Reggae glided from her grip, plopping down beside Shobie with an inquisitive chirp.

"I'm guessing dragon, since I don't think I've seen any whers and you looked half-asleep as it is." The teen gave a half-grin and looked over at he other, still swinging her legs, "I like being up at night, but you clearly don't." She tilted her head, "Why not eat in the kitchen, if the crowds are so bad and you are so sleepy at night?"

[wirevix]

He gave a faint sigh of relief when she agreed to drop the girliness issue. Shobie nuzzled his cheek once more, then hopped over to chirp at Reggae happily, chittering and squeaking to her.

"Yeah, I'm a dragon candidate," he replied, nodding a little. "I wasn't really thinking about how tired I'd be. I haven't been here all that long... first couple times I just went during the day but I thought maybe going at night would work. Didn't really."

He shrugged slightly, while Shobie poked Reggae with his nose and flew up into the air, inviting her to play again now that things seemed to be a little more settled with his owner. He was happy to have found a playmate.

[jack]

"Really? I've actually been here for a while." Durian gave a grin, leaning back on her hands, "Pretty soon after this Weyr started, I think--although I take that back. I came here a bit after the first Hatching. But I'unno. Its been chaos from day one since I've been here, although I'll swear to the death it isn't my fault." She gave a wink and Reggae gave a chirp of agreement, swishing her tail eagerly.

"Hm. I would try and eat in the kitchen, if I were you. I do, sometimes. But then again, I like being in the kitchen period. I couldn't cook to save my life, I'm sure, but I like to fetch stuff for the cooks sometimes, and that way I get the freshest stuff." She winked, and grinned, "Maybe you can come in with use tomorrow. The cooks don't mind so long as you're not in the way."

Reggae blinked, eyes whirling, as her nose was poked, and then with a trill she was up after him, spinning around him with a loud chatter before pausing in mid-air, a sweet little bugle asking who would chase who. She'd be happy either way!

"They sure do seem to like one another." Durian mused, grinning as she watched her flit, "I've never seen her take to anything that fast before. Usually takes a few hours, or a day or so before she wants to do more than chatter.."

[wirevix]

Alalbar just shrugged slightly when she said she had been there longer. He was sure lots of people had been there longer than he, it wasn't a terribly special feat. He didn't really mind that he hadn't shown up a while back, he hadn't missed any upcoming hatchings and so he wasn't worried about it.

He yawned, then nodded slowly. The kitchen... he just hadn't thought about it, really. He didn't particularly like the idea of hanging out in there, but he supposed he could deal with it. Better than the alternative? Possibly...

"Maybe. It's still really noisy though, and Shobie would probably start pestering the cooks," he noted, frowning up at the firelizard who was flipping about in the air like a lunatic. "He pesters everybody. I'm surprised he hasn't gotten me into real trouble yet..."

Shobie, in the meanwhile, was swooping about Reggae, stretching his neck out to bump her with his snout periodically, squeaking. He wanted her to go! No worry about who was chasing who, even if they just went in a circle it was still fun.

[jack]

"The back storerooms are well lit and quiet, and the balcony is pretty quiet too. So you could hang there, too." She shifted, watching the flits with a wide grin, "Well, he could always play with Reggae. That might keep him entertained. But if he does set to bothering the cooks, they'll probably stuff him full of whatever they're cooking."

She laughed, "They're pretty sturdy folk, those cooks. I'm sure they'd be able to manage. After all, they've handled Reggae wanting to taste everything they put on a plate for months without a problem."

Reggae gave an energetic squeal and darted off, just as pleased to be chased as to chase. But she wasn't going for a circle, oh no! She loved obstacle races, so an obstacle race it would be! Down she swooped, darting underneath and then around the tables with a gleeful, constant chatter, as Durian grinned and watched.

[wirevix]

Alalbar nodded slightly, and managed a faint, tired smile at last. Once again, he supposed, Shobie was proved generally right--it was better to actually talk to people, because then he could at least learn things about how better to avoid people in the future.

"Great, that's just what I need, Shobie to get all fat," he laughed softly. He knew the Purple was too energetic to actually get fat, he would just turn twice as active and burn off all the extra calories same as usual. He shook his head and sighed in faint amusement.

Shobie seemed to agree with the idea of an obstacle race, diving down after Reggae, trilling as he chased after her, bobbing and weaving through the air gracefully. She may be more able to maneuver due to her size, but he was still agile!

[jack]

Durian let out a laugh, shaking her head as she moved to get off of the table, her meal finished, "Nah. I can almost guarantee you that Reggae eats way more than she should, and she's still thin as a twig." She winked, "I'm sure he'd stay just as healthy--the cooks tend to give small amounts that take time to chew."

Around the chairs the pink now flew, weaving between the legs with silent concentration before darting up towards the rafters, chattering away once more. But a soft pull at her mind turned her away from the chandelier she had been aiming for, lazily gliding back to Durian's shoulder with a sad peep.

"Well, I suppose we should be all getting to bed, its quite late." Durian mumbled, noting Alalbar's yawn, "Perhaps we'll see each other tomorrow? I'd love to talk some more if you have time. And I'm sure Reggae would love to play with Shobie some more too."

[wirevix]

He just smiled faintly, sort of a half-smile really, as she confirmed his silent thoughts that Shobie wouldn't really get turned into a roly-poly ball of purple. Which was sort of a disappointment in a way, since he would probably be less crazily active if he were shaped more like a pillow.

Shobie had been chasing after Reggae with such intentness that he almost didn't realize when she was going back to roost on Durian's shoulder and just flew about the Candidate once in a tight circle before returning to Alalbar, landing on his head and peeping back at Reggae.

"Yeah, I guess it's time to get goin'," he replied, nodding a little, heading on out of the room. "I'll probably see you tomorrow or somethin'..." After all, if they were both Candidates, they'd be frequenting the same general areas most likely.