Might As Well Jump (Nia, Kia!)

[4horseshowgirl4]

L'ven made his way very cautiously into the dining hall. He was almost tiptoeing. The Weyrling did not want to be seen, to be called over to anyone's table. He was still as touchy as a sunburned wher, thinking that everyone was going to tease him for being the 'Rider of the Bronze that had tried to Chase (an Orange, no less) six months early. He didn't want to be made the butt of any jokes. Finally, deciding that everyone in the dining hall wasn't paying any attention to him (he wasn't even wearing his knots, which were rarely absent from their proud perch on his shoulder), he slunk over to the serving area and grabbed a pair of meatrolls and a helping of some sort of assortment of root vegetables. L'ven slipped out of the line as quickly as he could, not lingering more than a moment to draw attention to himself. He was being quite ridiculous, actually.

He scanned the dining hall to look for a friendly face, but L'ven was not the most outgoing of people, and he honestly didn't have many people he could call his friend. There was Lynx, but she was more than a friend... or would be, hopefully! Then there was Avalle. She was a friend. And, um... yeah. He hadn't even had a roommate during his early Weyrlinghood, so there was no relationship stemming from that. Honestly, right now, he didn't feel like trying to strike up a conversation with a perfect stranger. Maybe if he could find one of the quieter Weyrlings from his class? Or even the class below him? Or he could just go sit in a corner table by himself like a creepy loner. That could work.

But, then, by some miracle, he saw Avalle walk in. "Avalle!" he half-shouted, raising his voice enough for her to hear him across the room. Oh, was he glad to see her. "Would you mind joining me?" he asked, stepping towards her. "There's an empty table over there," he said, gesturing, hoping that he wasn't being too demanding of her attention or anything. After all, she was mere sevendays away from being the Jr. Weyrwoman, and she probably had way better company than a lonely Bronzerider. But, oh well. He wasn't just going to let her walk by and hope that she saw him.

[/font]

[Nia]

It was one of those busy nights. Avalle had been slacking off on her studies and with it being so close to graduation she'd had to pull several all nighters and miss dinner more than a few times. Luckily for her, Callistath knew the importance of eating, and had called down to the kitchens to order some food brought up for the girl. So at least Avalle had eaten, but there was just so much to do, she hadn't left her weyr in quite a few days. Mine, go out to the dining hall to get some food today,

[/i] Callistath all but demanded of Hers. Avalle sighed and rolled up what she'd been memorizing, leaning back in her chair. Fine, fine. But it's your fault if I fall behind, she said, though she'd meant it as a joke, it came out a bit more serious than that.

Yulari hopped up from where she'd been curled up in the corner of Avalle's desk and curled around Her's neck, back in her familiar old place. She merely smoothed her clothes down rather than getting new ones, and climbed up on to Callistath's neck. The Gold took off smoothly and let Avalle off near in the dining hall, then flew back up to their weyr. She wasn't hungry today, and with Avalle's mind stress-free for the moment, she could take a quick beauty nap. She was a Queen, and she had to keep up her dignified beauty, didn't she?

Avalle was starving, and before she knew it, she'd grabbed a bowl of soup and a few meatrolls, not being much of a vegetable person. At least she was saved the awkwardness of searching for someone she knew, as L'ven quickly called for her. She was almost as glad to see him as he was to see her. Avalle was glad to be able to sit with someone her own age instead of stuffy higher-ups and people trying to "get on her good side". L'ven was her friend and she liked talking to him. "Sure, I'll join you," she said cheerfully, walking over and sitting down at the table.

She began to eat, though her eyes flashed mischeviously. "Sooo... how was that Orange flight?" she said with a small laugh, though it wasn't mean, she was just playfully poking fun at him. "Valleth sure is a go-getter. But don't worry.... you can tell him Callistath understands," she continued, laughing again. She'd been meaning to bring this up for a while, and really, Avalle just thought it was funny. It'd probably be a different story if she liked L'ven in a romantic sense, but she didn't, so she could poke fun at him.[/blockquote][/size]

[kia]

O`ris had been laying down on top of a rock, his eyes watching as the sky was streaked with different colors. Twilight was a very interesting time for him. He just laid back and watched the sky become different variations of orange, pink, yellow, purple, dark blue, and maybe an occasional red. He shifted slightly and felt Lira on his chest as she gave him a reminding chirp that she was there. He wanted to share a night like this Avalle. He had already made up his mind to do this with her at least once. They would leave the dragons in their weyrs, the pets behind, just him and her, alone, together watching this night sky, enjoying each other`s company, and maybe more. A slight tinge of pink crawled up his cheek from the thought. He had not even kissed her yet! Oh, but how he had thought about it so much. But he had been waiting till they graduate to try. Would she rebuke him for it? He hoped she would not. After almost two years of liking each other, telling each other they liked one another, and surviving through the fact that he was a low rank Rider and Impressed to a female at that, he believed that she would not rebuke him. He felt his heart and pulse quicken with the thought.

If she loves you like you love her, she will be honored to have you as a weyrmate. She would not push you away, he heard Rhyolith`s gentle voice touch his mind.

He smiled. The Cyan had decided to stay in her weyr with night coming. She would soon go to bed for the night and he would join her later. I know, Rholith. I love her. But she is her own person, too. I cannot ask her to love me back, only she can decide if she wants to love me back, he replied.

Have you eaten tonight yet?

He blinked. No. Why?

You should go eat. You know how I hate it when you skip meals. We can talk more about this after you finish, okay, O`risMine?

He let out a low chuckle. Okay, Rhy. He got up and moved off from his spot, gently moving Lira off his chest and around his neck. The Green chirped happily, rubbing her head against his cheek, as if agreeing with Rhyolith that he needed to eat. He shook his head, but with amusement. Both Lira and Rhyolith seemed to tag team up on him to get him to do things. But they always had a point. If they did not remind him of somethings half the time, he would probably spend the entire day thinking of Avalle, thinking of life, and plans he had thought of in the future.

He arrived at the dining hall in no time. He entered and saw Avalle. He was about to say something when someone else called her name. He looked over and felt the color drain from his face. L`ven had called her over. He was not jealous, just slightly concerned. He knew L`ven liked Lynx, but it was the fact that he rode a Bronze that made him concerned. His Bronze would be competing for Callistath when she Rose. If Valleth Chasing after that Orange so early meant anything, then Valleth would Chase hard. And if Avalle did not like him or want to be his weyrmate... He did not want to think of that. Avalle liked him. She had told him.

He slowly made his way over to them. He forced a smile on his face. He was not going to show his concern in front of Avalle. And his concern could be nothing. He had never formally met L`ven, and L`ven could turn out to be a nice person. Avalle seemed to enjoy his company. He would try to be friends with L`ven if it was possible. "Hello, Avalle. Hello, L`ven. Do you mind if I join you?" he asked them politely.

[4horseshowgirl4]

Avalle seemed happy to join him, a fact for which he was quite glad. He shouldn't have been surprised, though. She was his friend, along with... okay, so maybe she was his only friend. And she still seemed to like him even after Nikianeth's Flight, which was good. She didn't have a reason to be upset, though, not like Lynx. Lynx was right to be mad at him. He was mad at himself for her sake. But, anyways, he was ranting internally and the words weren't even making sense in his head. Surely he could try to enjoy a nice dinner with a friend without making it awkward, right?

He had just set his plate on the wooden table with a pleasant clink and settled onto the bench when Avalle teased him about Nikianeth's Flight. He made a face and stood up, before grabbing his plate and walking off a few steps, making like he was going to leave for that comment. However, it was only a second or two before he turned around, valiantly trying to smile. "Too soon!" he protested, ripping off of a bite of meatroll and popping it into his mouth so he had an excuse not to talk for a moment. He chewed and swallowed before responding to the second part of what she'd said. "Well, good, that makes one," he said, rather more sullenly than he'd intended. He was glad that Callistath harbored no bad feelings about the whole thing, though. He already risked losing Lynx over it, and he didn't want his growing hopes of Jr. Weyrleadership to fall victim to Nikianeth's Flight, either!

It wasn't long before someone else arrived, though. It was O'ris, the Cyanrider from their class. L'ven knew that he felt much the same way about Avalle that he did about Lynx, except the lucky man didn't have to split his love interest's attention with someone else. "'Course!" L'ven said enthusiastically, standing up and offering a hand. "I'm L'ven, I don't think we've properly met yet." If Avalle liked O'ris, then that meant he was probably a good person; L'ven trusted Avalle's judgment. Maybe O'ris could be friend number seven? Two,

[/color] Valleth corrected lazily from up in their weyr, unable to resist teasing His. L'ven had been asking for it![/right][/font]