All Sorrows Are Less with Bread [Kia]

[Kila]

Sol slunk into the dining hall, cast her eyes tiredly about the tables, and then settled down at one that was mostly empty. Despite the still rather cheerful weather outside, Sol felt far from her usual sunny self. The only eating binge she had ever gone on was to make a point, but she knew of people who did it because they were depressed. Were all the people in the dining hall absently eating their meals depressed? Or even just confused like her? She decided it didn’t matter much and trudged off towards the kitchens.

Reaching the food that was set out, she froze with a curious look of horror that did not seem befitting of the situation on her face. Before her were plates and plates of pastries and baked goods- a special treat from the cooks. Sol shuddered involuntarily. Her mother was a Baker, and she herself had nearly been forced into a life of apprenticeship for the craft, so baked goods were rarely something she longed to eat. Giving the sweet treats a wide berth, she grabbed a plate and loaded it up with other things- anything but those. Balancing it on one hand, she filled a mug with klah and wove her way back to her place.

Sitting back down, she stared at the food before her absently. She wasn’t really hungry and had no desire to eat, but here she was, and there was the food in front of her. Singling out one meat roll, she began to pick it apart, peeling off layer upon layer of flaky crust. Her eyes were on the food, but her mind was elsewhere.

Back in the battlefield.

Trying to figure things out.

[kia]

After Durene in the Weyrbwl, Lio had told Mikidith to take them back to their weyr. He had lied to the girl. He had nothing important to do. He felt guilty about it, but he just wanted to return to his weyr and continue to mope around. He looked up at the sky, his mind going in different places. But there were two faces that kept haunting his vision: P`nay and R`ish. He had fallen for the two men, but there was no chance in Pern he could even come close to them anymore. It broke his heart. He would have cried, but he refused to. He fell on his bed and closed his eyes. It would be a fitful sleep again. Nothing seemed to help...

After laying down for a good while, he stood up and walked over to his Brown. Mikdith was laying on his dragon couch, the riding straps on the dragon. Lio took a little time to get them off, apologizing for leaving them on when he got back. When he was finished, climbed on Mikidith`s back and asked the Brown to take him down to the Dining Hall. As the Brown flew, Lio was not holding onto Mikdith to prevent himself from falling, he did because Mikdith was his last bit of sanity that was left in him.

Once he got down to the dining hall, he looked at all the food spread out for them. The cooks must have been celebrating the winning of the fight. The fight... It had been bad, but only a few Riders had died... the rest had been hurt... Lio was not unemotional. But with his current state, he had not been able to handle the devistation that had come with the fight. The whole world was warring around him, and the world was warring within him. The food looked bland and would turn to dust at the smallest touch.

He grabbed a plate and grabbed the few things that he still believe would be true to him. Meatrolls, klah, a bit of wherry meat. The wine looked good... he wanted to get drunk again. At least with the buzz, he could find temporary peace. He grabbed a cup of wine as well. Klah first, then wine he planned. He walked back into the hall and looked around. There was one or two people there, happy, chattering away. And then there was that one girl just staring at her food.

"You all right?" Lio asked, sliding into the seat across from her. His green eyes looked at her carefully, noting that something was causing her some mental pain. Like him. They both were in pain. Misery loves company. But his expression said it all. He was in pain himself, but his face also said that he concerned and curious about her own. But, it would be up to her whether she wanted to tell him or not.