Dragon-size Bed [B'jin]

Valerian was finally reaching a breaking point. Considering it was Valerian that was pretty impressive. In the Candidates Barracks he had had a quiet roommate and the noise out in the halls hadn’t been too bad but here in the Weyrlings Barracks, it seemed like everything was amplified. The last few nights had humans and dragons running up and down the halls, arguing with each other, or whining about the classes and lack of sleep. They’d have more sleep if the sharding wherries learned to shut up. Valerian scowled at his door from where he was on his bed as someone run after a dragonet. It was time for a change!

Collecting himself from the bed, Valerian changed into a loose pair of pants and a baggy shirt he kept around for chores as neither item was something he would wear on a regular basis. He didn’t feel like lacing up boots and slipped on a pair of sandals he had acquired in the hotter months. He eyed the bedding, wondering if he should bring anything or not for his little outing. A glance to Veeth, sitting primly in the centre of the room with his head cocked to the side as he watched his rider, showed Valerian that he’d either have to tie an item to the little blue’s back or carry everything himself. How would his target react to losing his blanket and pillow? Probably poorly and that made him want to do it all the more. Still, he grabbed one of the blankets and draped it over his shoulders like a cloak, leaving the pillow behind as he headed for the door.

“Let’s go, Veeth.” Valerian opened the door and waited for his hesitating dragon to step through. Where are we going? It’s late and you should be resting. The concern his blue had for his well-being was always touching and the Harper chanced a small smile at the dragonet while they were in the hall heading for the main door. “Out, so that I can get that sleep. You’ll like the idea, don’t worry.” Of course even as he said that he could feel Veeth rummaging about for the answer and felt his shrill of excitement. He probably should worry about how much Veeth liked the sassy green but he was too tired to give it much thought right then.

The walk to B’jin’s was uneventful, if not a bit long given the late hour and his exhaustion. Valerian could understand why the riders were such a lazy lot with flying around from hut to hut or main building. The private living quarters were a bit out of the way, at least they were with the few he had chosen to befriend thanks to their desire to live more on the outside of the weyr. At least he knew his way thanks to having been to visit B’jin twice before. He had tagged along with Talian once when the Master Healer wanted to check on his father figure’s stitching and Valerian felt obligated to check on how the pair was doing in general. The second time was the day after Veeth hatched and the little dragonet needed proper oiling and didn’t like the plain oil that was provided. So Valerian did the only logical thing he could think of and that was run down to the greenrider’s home and ask him for some of the lavender blend he had created. Just his luck that Veeth loved the scent and wanted that to be used all of the time. At least it had been easy enough to make some up after that.

When they finally reached B’jin’s door, Valerian gave a sharp knock, not caring that there was a chance he would wake the hut’s owner or that B’jin would have someone in bed beside him. He didn’t greet Larrikith right away as he’d be seeing her soon enough. You’re a bit odd, you know. Valerian glanced down at his dragon and shrugged, “so?” It never bothered him before if he came off as odd and it wouldn’t start now when the dragon he adored said it. I like it. You’re odd because you think outside of the box and are creative. His lilting voice, especially when praising the Harper, often made Valerian smile just the tiniest of ways and now was no exception.

It was one of those increasingly rare nights where B'jin had not only his bed, but his hut, to himself. His children were the more obnoxious guests. Like all children were wont to believe, daddy's bed was far more comfortable than theirs, less prone to giving nightmares, and much more fun to steal the blanket in. If he wasn't being kicked in the shins or punched in the face by a dreaming child, B'jin was liable to wake up without furs, or possibly on the floor. He had long since found it easier to simply pretend to sleep until one or both (he wasn't sure which was worse; only having one child over, or having them both) fell asleep and then sneaking out to steal their bed.

The other guest, of course, being R'nd who was far less likely to steal his furs, but just as likely to be the cause of a sleepless night. In a whole lot of other ways than the children, of course, and far more enjoyable. There were also the nights he didn't come home at all. In the end, between all the variables, B'jin had discovered that being home, being alone, and sleeping were both rare and utterly amazing. Naturally, therefore, there was a knock on his door that contained enough force to wake the sleeping man and have him blinking owlishly at what he could see of the wall from where his face was mostly buried in his pillow.

Answer it, Larrikith said dully from where she herself was curled up in her little room, tail tip flicked over her nose and wing extended to cover herself in a manner reminiscent of a blanket. B'jin grumbled to himself, barely coherent enough to actually think whole thoughts. He knew it wasn't R'nd; he'd managed to convince the other man to stop knocking and Larrikith had promised to warn the bluerider well in advance if the children were home (though both dragon and rider were waiting for the perfect time to lie about that. Pranks were far too much fun and that was far too innocent and deeply amusing to pass up.). That meant it had to be someone else, and B'jin could not think of anyone he either wanted to see, or who would want to see him. Then, of course, there was the chance it was D'ren. Which, B'jin decided as he poked at his dragon (who blatantly ignored him in favour of going back to sleep) would be just his luck as several minutes had passed and he still wasn't there to greet whomever it was.

Maybe if he went back to sleep, too, they would go away? Don't you dare. I hate you. B'jin sulked, literally falling out of bed and some how managing to get his feet under him to stand up fluidly. He was wearing a pair of baggy pants, slung low around lean hips as he dragged his feet through the hut to the front door fingers combing back through his hair (which looked enough like a birds nest that he could hear several of R'nd's teasing comments in the back of his mind) and swept it out of his face. Brown eyes lazy with sleep, B'jin jerked the door open and stared blankly at Valerian.

Silence stretched out as B'jin took in the blanket, the dragonet, and the exhausted look on the young man's face. Amusement flashed across B'jin's face before he stepped back, inviting Valerian in with a casual flick of one hand and a tired smile. "Don't miss that," B'jin murmured, flicking the door shut behind Valerian and pointed in the direction of the kitchen. "Klah is on the top shelf, where Indamor can't reach it without making noise." It was only as B'jin wiped his hand over his face again, forcing himself to wake up a bit more, that he realised how many great opportunities he missed in teasing the young man about bringing bedfurs to his home. Well, he would make the most of it at a later date. There would undoubtedly arise a moment in which informing a large and public group would suitably embarrass the young man. He could wait until then and perhaps Valerian would not expect it, if he said no such thing now. Larrikith's amusement was thick as she turned her head to gaze towards the large glass door that separated her little room from B'jin's, her eyes twice lidded and half closed on the third were swirling in a particularly lazy manner, indicating her own sleepiness.

"You can sleep on one of the kid's bunks." He stated, not really considering that Valerian might have anywhere else in mind to sleep. He was well aware of the fact that the young man had no angle on himself, dragonet or no dragonet and while teasing him was a delightful past time, B'jin himself had no desire to sleep with the younger Harper either - literally or figuratively.

Valerian would admit it to no one but he was glad B’jin wore some clothing as he answered the door. Nudity hadn’t been a risk he thought of until after he banged on the door but by then it was too late to turn around and disappear since Larrikith would have known of his presence and ratted him out. They were friends but she was still borderline evil and took great delight in his suffering. So with a mental sigh of relief Valerian took up the invitation to come inside with Veeth darting in behind him as he had no intentions of waiting outside all night. Dragon and rider both stood surprisingly patiently while B’jin mentioned where the klah was kept with Valerian making a mental note so he could swipe a mug in the morning but wrinkled his nose at the bed suggestion he had been given.

“Yeah… no.” Valerian knew he should probably be more grateful to the man that had so easily opened his hut to him but the offer that was given didn’t mesh with anything the blue weyrling had in mind. “A kid’s bunk likely won’t be that comfortable to a grown man.” It was a simple enough point that Valerian assumed even B’jin’s sleepy mind could comprehend it though the way the younger Harper headed for the bedroom immediately after saying that no doubt gave off the wrong idea. Valerian had no intention of sleeping in the large bed with or without the greenrider in it but the room did possess something else he had his sights on. There was only one misstep taken as he wondered if the man really was alone but Valerian decided he was willing to risk it and prepared himself for the potential of seeing someone else sleeping, covered or not.

Thankful the bed was empty when he stepped into the room, Valerian nearly dove for it, scooping up a pillow and poking at it. It seemed like an acceptable consistency, not too fluffy but not so flat it wasn’t worth even using. With a nod he turned toward the glass door where Larrikith was watching him. Yep, that should do perfectly, but just in case, he grabbed a second pillow from the bed as well.

It was less a face of modesty that saw B'jin half clothed as he answered the door - the greenrider's grasp of that was particularly questionable - but rather a laziness that had left him in pants and a lack of desire to slip out of them when he decided bed was definitely called for. Reaching over his left shoulder with the same hand, B'jin rubbed irritably at an itch, fingers playing over the subtle scarring left from his lashing before he dropped the limb back to his side. The older Harper shrugged slightly at Valerian's comment about the bunks; they weren't that comfortable, granted, but there were far worse places to sleep and when confronted with the choice of the child's bed or the child in his own, the bunks were the definite winner. He expected the same could be said of the Weyrling barracks and oh Faranth no!

"You're not sleeping with me!" B'jin squeaked indignantly as the Weyrling and his dragon marched themselves toward his bedroom and he followed behind them with a slightly horrified expression. Wide brown eyes narrowing into a frown as he folded his arms across his chest, B'jin leaned against the door frame. His eyes returned to being quite wide in his sleepy face when Valerian practically dove on his bed at any rate and B'jin's jaw clamped. While it wouldn't take much effort on Valerian's end to command control of B'jin's bed and have the greenrider sleeping in the children's bed he had offered moments before, the Harper had no intention of letting that be known... Wait a second!

"Hey!" B'jin yelped, standing up straight from where he'd been leaning against the door frame, though he made no move toward, or to take the pillows from, the younger man. "Those are mine! Use theirs!" His voice was a whine, even as he unfolded his arms to point at the two kids beds and their pillows. Huffing a sigh, B'jin pouted unhappily and slumped back against the door frame.

"You know," he said, still sulking, "those aren't used by just me." His eyes opened widely, innocence shining on his face as he stared at Valerian, still pouting, as the young man turned to march toward the green dragon and grabbed a second pillow! Did he have no shame? "Though my use is the more accepted method." Shrugging to himself as an eyebrow vanished under his birds nest of hair, B'jin turned toward the children's bunks. He didn't need to see Valerian's response, as he linked minds with Larrikith, intent on gathering the two pillows that headed the beds of his brats.

Hello Veeth, Larrikith greeted quietly, her voice thick with the amusement she was sharing with her rider over his antics as she spoke, though her swirling gaze was locked on Valerian. She didn't speak to him, and hadn't done so since the night of the Hatching, but she felt no overwhelming urge to do so. Little Veeth was perfectly capable of passing on her words, and Valerian's mind was sullied now by the little creature. What're you two up to? She had some idea, granted, but she enjoyed the little one's voice, even if she was beginning to doubt her ability to remove his over whelming grasp of manners.

It was proof of how tired Valerian was that he hadn’t thought about other uses the bed and therefore pillows would have seen. He eyed the greenrider suspiciously, almost daring him with the glare to continue speaking or to laugh and deny it. He remained unmoving, pleased he didn’t freak out and toss the pillows aside or at B’jin’s head, until the older man turned away to the smaller beds. Only then did Valerian relent and set the pillows back on the bed, at the foot of it just to be an annoying brat before making it sound like it was all his idea and he was doing it as a favour to B’jin. “I’d hate for your boy toy to think you have another because he smelled someone else on your pillows.”

He wasn’t going to wait for the practically sleep-walking man to fetch the replacement pillows, however, and quickly moved to the kids’ beds. The pillow that was snagged was given the same inspection that B’jin’s had received and while it wasn’t nearly as nice, it would do. The bed he had in mind was rather soft anyway so it wasn’t likely he’d need the softest of materials ever created to make his idea work. “This one will do,” he stated in a bland voice, not bothering to fetch the second one. He had really only gone after two before because there was a chance a second would be needed but mostly because they were B’jin’s and it would irritate the man.

Veeth sat politely just inside the room watching the two humans, his amusement swirling brightly in his eyes.  Valerian was always fun but when he was with B’jin everything was always that much more entertaining! When Larrikith greeted him, however, his attention was sufficiently stolen and he trotted over to where the green was, sitting on the opposite side of the glass to her. Hello, Larrikith! Sorry to bother you both so late but Valerian was having a horrible time sleeping in his bed so he thought to come see you to help solve that problem.

"How very thoughtful of you," B'jin drawled, stopping in his move towards the brats' beds in order to watch Valerian collect the pillows. He folded his arms across his chest again and leaned back on his heels. "Though I'm sure R'nd would make an allowance for it being you." He used the man's name pointedly, eyebrows arching upward as B'jin's expression altered into a playful leer and he eyed Valerian appreciatively from head to foot and back again, smirking when his gaze returned to the young man's green eyes. B'jin got far too much pleasure out of riling the young man up, and his laughter as the blue weyrling picked up one of the children's pillows was light, shaking his head to himself.

"One of the kids drools," he offered cheerfully. "But I think it's the other one." Chuckling again, B'jin sauntered back to his own bed, picking the pillows up from the foot without comment. Fluffing them happily B'jin climbed back into bed and sprawled with smug contentment, watching Valerian in the soft glow provided by the two visible moons, the light filtering in through his bedroom window. Apparently the third was taking the night off.

Oh B'jin, Larrikith crooned in amusement, standing up lazily to nose the glass door across with a practised touch so she could breathe warm breath onto Veeth's little face as the little dragon sat down on the other side. Me? Larrikith crooned, highly amused as she shuffled backward to curl back up in her previously occupied spot, gaze shifting to Valerian then B'jin and back to Veeth.

My bed is hardly comfortable to human standards, though you are welcome to join me if you wish. Her invitation was for the young blue, for she hadn't yet realised Valerian's intention to join her himself. The little green apparently as capable as her rider for not seeing things that were right before her. B'jin, for his part, snorted in amusement at his dragons comments and tugged his furs up over his shoulders, peering over the lumps and bumps of his bed at the other three occupants of his hut, and wondering just when he and his home had become so damned popular.

Valerian knew B’jin was just playing mind games with him now but even so, the annoyingly cheerful and surprisingly cunning Harper was still getting to him. Finally tired both in general and of the back-and-forth they were doing, Valerian walked back to B’jin’s bed and dropped the kid’s pillow on the smug face, barely resisting the urge to apply pressure. He didn’t need a pillow, Larrikith had more than enough fat rolls to work with or he’d just use the blanket he adjusted on his shoulders. “Pretty sure you’re confusing R’nd with your kids. What exactly is your age difference?” He actually didn’t care and if B’jin asked the right question, Valerian would admit to being happy the searchrider had found someone he enjoyed spending time with no matter the age. But while exhausted and cranky, he wasn’t above pointing out little details that some would consider hitting below the belt.

Veeth was rather impressed with the way Larrikith so delicately opened the door between them and gave a small trill of approval. She was very clever and gentle! A marvellous green, indeed. Charath needed to take lessons. Thank you, Larrikith! Veeth’s soft voice was filled with his sincerity and delivered in a cheerful sing-song manner as he pranced through the little opening, stopping to nuzzle his much smaller head against her cheek in thanks. Hearing his bonded’s voice, the little blue turned back to peer inside the bedroom and saw the pillow on B’jin’s face. He really had to make sure Valerian took more time out to visit the pair. So much fun was always had.

“Good night, B’jin,” despite his somewhat rude comments about B’jin’s lover, Valerian still properly and politely dismissed the man in favour of sleep and a moment later he was standing in Larrikith’s little room. Was this such a smart idea after all? So far it wasn’t any quieter and now he wasn’t sure if using a dragon for a bed would be comfortable. There was also the chance of Larrikith rolling over on him while he slept since she seemed to think death attempts on him were funny. After a yawn, it was decided it was worth the risk.

“Hi, Larrikith. I kinda thought it’d be quieter here than back in the barracks and well, you’re soft, and I like you so I figured you’d make for a good bed,” he was close to babbling in his sleep-deprivation but at least it was just to Larrikith so it wasn’t too bad. It didn’t matter if B’jin could hear him since it wasn’t aimed at him. “Veeth, pick where you want to sleep.” At the suggestion it was time to finally get their needed beauty sleep, Veeth eyed the green dragon before making a beeline for her tail and scampering his way up it until he was settled on her back. I think here should be fine if it’s okay with Larrikith. Valerian had to work to suppress the grin his blue always managed to bring about.

B'jin watched Valerian approach him with an eyebrow that arched up his forehead and an expression that turned coy with a wicked smirk. "Joining me after al-!" B'jin spluttered as the pillow landed on his face, before laughing in delight, a sound echoed by his dragons mellow chirp, and he battered the pillow off his face, and then tossed it with practised aim across the room and onto the bed it had originated from. Brown eyes turned to look at the younger Harper with surprise at his comment, before B'jin laughed again. "Older than you," he teased, "and far more fun!" Sticking his tongue out at Valerian in an amazing display of childishness, B'jin wriggled back into bed, still chuckling under his breath in amusement.

You're welcome, Larrikith replied, bemused by the little dragon's desire to be sickeningly polite all the time, and she nudged his cheek with her own nose as he passed her. Her eyes were swirling with amusement as B'jin's sleep deprived hilarity bled into her own mind, and she rumbled soft laughter as Veeth sat primly near her.

"Goodnight Val," B'jin laughed, the lack of sleep hyping his amusement up more than he probably would generally have let the young man spike it. Settling himself comfortably with a last snort of laughter, B'jin almost succeeded in quieting himself before he heard Valerian's words to his dragon, and he burst into a giggle fit of laughter, burying his face in his pillow to smother them. He hoped he remembered what the young man had said when he woke, so he could tease him, but at that point B'jin wasn't sure he'd remember much of anything as his giggles were interrupted by a jaw creaking yawn, and he managed to settle himself.

Please tell him he's quite welcome, Larrikith laughed, investing in the young dragons good manners more because it amused her than because she felt any pressing need to use them. Her laughter, too, became a vocal thing as she rumbled in amusement at Valerian's command to his young dragon, and the deep rumble became a squeaking chirp as Veeth scampered up her spine. His little feet tickling, the grown dragon's head turned around, eyes bright and fast with deep amusement, as she watched him settle down on her back, curling up comfortably.

That will be fine, once more her voice was thick and bemused, deep and feminine compared to Veeth's lilting singsong voice. She still found the sound of it fascinating and particularly enjoyable. She couldn't wait until the little one was old enough to babble about interesting things, though she was pretty sure she could listen to him babble for hours about boring things, simply because his voice was so enjoyable. A remarkable feat, for a dragon that wasn't really interested in listening to anyone for the most part. Stretching her head forward, she nosed Valerian in the chest and gave a soft croon, inviting him to make himself comfortable though she was blatantly amused at the prospect of the young man using her as a bed. Once he was settled comfortably, Larrikith curled up pleasantly, and breathed out a heavy sigh, body relaxing as she allowed sleep to take control.

---

B'jin wasn't much of a morning person, and as a result, actually getting up in the morning was not that high on his to do list. Thankfully, mornings seemed to be a generally avoided portion of the day by most dragonriders, probably a result of two turns of Get Up And Go during Weyrlinghood. Despite that, B'jin found himself awake shortly after sun up, a fact he was not particularly impressed by as he failed to go back to sleep. Well, shard it. It looked like he was in line for a long day. Grumbling under his breath B'jin kicked his furs from himself and rolled out of bed, finding his feet easily and slinking into the kitchen. As he walked, foggy half-memories from the night before fought for space in his sleepy mind, and B'jin pushed them away irritably as he lit the cooking fire and rustled around to set up a pot of klah. While not addicted to the drink like some - cough, Talian, cough! - B'jin did enjoy the waking quality it provided in the morning. Plus, it was nice to hold a warm mug.

With that set up and done, B'jin slunk back to his room, stopping to pull on a shirt and some socks before moving toward the door that separated himself from Larrikith. Sliding it open, B'jin was about to speak to his dragon when he noticed the additional occupants, and a particularly girly, if soft, squeal of surprise cut past his lips before he could stop it, more than a little shocked to see the weyrlings sprawled on his green. Snapping his mouth shut, eyes wide, B'jin stared at them in wide eyed surprise. Apparently that was what he was trying to remember when he was mixing up the drink. Maybe he should have put more on to heat?

Go back to bed, Larrikith groaned, unfurling a wing to cover her face, and the better part of her body. Early, she groaned.

"Funny. I seem to recall your favourite time to fly is about an hour ago."

Do I look proddy?

"You sound it."

Go back to bed before I eat you.

"The boys have classes and stuff. They need to get up."

Go away, B'jin. I'm trying to sleep!

B'jin huffed a sigh.

There was a man babbling seemingly to himself and he must have been blind not to notice he was standing in someone's bedroom with that person asleep in bed. Valerian grumbled, not in the mood to try talking and telling the idiot to go away and turned over, blanket still pulled tight up to his neck, only to have his face smash into something warm and soft. That was odd. Normally if Veeth snuck into bed with him he stayed further down the bed to avoid a nose smashing into a blue hide. With green eyes fluttering open and blinking multiple times before they could focus, Valerian found himself staring not at blue but green. It took only a few seconds more before his mind cleared as much as his vision to remember his brilliant idea of using Larrikith as a bed. Apparently it worked since he had been sleeping until that voice, presumably belonging to B'jin, woke him.

"I'm sure 'classes and stuff' aren't that important," Valerian finally found his voice and the energy to use it though he really didn't want to move just yet or even be awake. Too bad he knew he really shouldn't stay any longer especially when his hosts were already awake and sat up, yawning and ruffling a hand through his tangled hair. Veeth seemed to be of the same opinion as he heard his blue rise and his little feet scurrying down the slope of the green dragon. Did you sleep well? He asked a moment later, head butting Valerian's hand until the Harper patted him on the head and nodded at the question.

That was actually a good question and Valerian changed the phrasing for Larrikith, "did you sleep okay with us in here, Larrikith?" He was purposely ignoring B'jin for the moment since the man usually existed just to irritate him and Valerian was far more interested in the green that had baffled him before sleep claimed him. Why had she asked Veeth to pass along a message instead of saying it to him herself? She had never been shy about speaking to him or poking around in his mind before. That had bothered him slightly but it was quickly shrugged off when it was decided everyone was far too tired and he had woken the green pair with his arrival.

Still dressed in the clothes he arrived in, Valerian pulled back the blanket and stumbled to his feet. The blanket was once again draped over his shoulders and it was hugged tight to his body as he hated the early morning chill that seemed intensely cold upon waking. He moved a few steps back with Veeth following him so Larrikith could have the space to move around as she pleased once more.

B'jin gave an amused snort at Valerian's grumpy morning greeting, brown eyes brightening with humour and he shook his head to himself, watching as the younger Harper sat up. "I'm sure," B'jin replied drolly, rolling his eyes to himself. Skipping Weyrling classes was a great way to get yourself into trouble and despite the way the dragonets would be settling into a routine, the greenrider knew they still had a tendency to be up and at 'em in the early hours.

"She says she slept fine, thank you, and she's starting to get irritated with the good manners you two show." B'jin laughed, not even thinking twice as he relayed Larrikith's response to the young man. He was used to her habit of only bespeaking the unbonded and it didn't occur to the rider that the young man might be confused by the change in communications, or even upset about it. Larrikith, refusing to go anywhere near his mind, was just as oblivious to the confusion Valerian was suffering.

Larrikith nuzzled Valerian's shoulder as he stumbled to his feet, attention shifting to make sure Veeth was out from under her before the green dragon climbed to her feet, cautious not to step on the flittering little blue as she stretched as much as she could in the small room, shaking herself and slipping outside, where wings were extended and proper stretching could be obtained. A large yawn cracked the green's jaws, and she shook herself. Shard you, B'jin. You're bathing me today.

"Goody," B'jin muttered to himself, though his tone was amused. Moving out of the doorway and back through his bedroom, B'jin made his way quietly into the kitchen and peered into the pot of klah that was warming slowly, sighing softly when he touched a finger to the side cautiously and found that 'slowly' was a very accurate term. "Do you want some breakfast? I have... Stuff?" One blonde eyebrow arched as an amused smirk twisted the man's lips. Cooking was not his strong suit and while there were edibles in his hut, there were better meals in the Dining Hall.

The relief at Larrikith nuzzling him as he stood, showing that perhaps last night was just everyone being cranky and tired after all and things were fine now was short-lived thanks to B'jin's words. Why was he relaying a message from the green that normally didn't stop talking? Was she trying to talk to him but his mind was shut off because of Veeth? That didn't make sense since all the other dragonets were heard loud and clear and Larrikith would have had someone pass along the message that she couldn't get in. "Why are you doing that?" He couldn't take not knowing what was going on anymore and turned to B'jin since he still seemed inclined and able to talk to him. "Why is Larrikith not speaking to me anymore and asking everyone else to tell me things. What did I do?" He'd better get an answer or the green pair would be hearing manners from his mouth constantly, aiming to irritate them into talking.

Veeth, well aware of Valerian's discomfort and confusion wanted to help but wasn't sure what would work. It was probably best for the humans to discuss things and he should give them time to talk while he sat outside with Larrikith but he couldn't help but approach B'jin anyway. The greenrider was still so fascinating to the tiny blue that sat down at the man's feet, head craned back so he could look up at B'jin. Good morning. Thank you for letting us stay last night. Veeth had picked up on Valerian's plan to be overly-nice so he thought he'd help out, though it came across as completely genuine with his lilting voice and normal thanks to his habits. Do you have any ...stuff for me, as well? He was a growing dragonet and food was being discussed. Of course he had to make sure everyone knew he was hungry.

B'jin smiled slightly as he wiped a hand back through his hair, ruffling the blonde locks and settling them down slightly, brown eyes lighting up in amusement as he lifted an eyebrow at Valerian's question. "You Impressed," B'jin said simply, shrugging slightly and looking surprised. "Larri doesn't speak to riders." He paused. "They have dirty minds, apparently. She prefers the unbonded." The greenrider shrugged again as he stirred the pot, smiling as he felt the first hits of steam rising off the liquid contained within.

"She doesn't speak to any ride- yes yes; Except R'nd." Lifting the warmed Klah from the fireplace, B'jin shifted to the kitchen bench and two mugs he pulled out, filling them carefully. "And I don't know how he managed that. Ayyonth occasionally returns the - Eek!" B'jin squealed in surprise as Veeth's gentle and lyrical voice filled his head, barely managing not to send klah all over the kitchen in the process. Setting the pot down even as he twisted around, the greenrider turned to stare down at the little dragon, eyes wide. "Favour," he finished, voice breathy with surprise. Outside, Larrikith gave a rumble of amusement, her face appearing in the kitchen window, eye bright with her laughter.

Well done Veeth! She crowed, delighted and ignored the filthy look B'jin shot in her direction. Ayyonth was far too gentle when he first bespoke B'jin. That was much more amusing. The other blue had let B'jin prepare himself for the invasion before he'd gone mind hopping, and while that had still been more than a little amusing, the current response was far more to Larrikith's liking. She was still chuckling to herself when B'jin spoke;

"Larrikith?"

Yes love?

"Go jump between."

The little green laughed again, her breath rumbling out and fogging up the window. You'd miss me. And ignore him, Veeth. He doesn't get to hear other dragons very often. He's not very receptive.

"Hmph." B'jin replied, reluctant to voice several nasty comments that would have implied Veeth were a less than savoury creature, in an effort to insult Larrikith. That wasn't something B'jin wanted to do at all, since the little dragon seemed sweet and ... it was talking to him again. Big brown eyes turned to look at the little dragon, the man's face scrunching into a frown as he considered the lilting words the tiny blue had spoken. "Um." B'jin answered, a thoughtful expression taking control of his features as he turned to dig through a cupboard, chewing on his bottom lip. "That is questionable..."

Valerian flinched at B'jin's words and how casually he spoke with a smile as if it wasn't anything new or something to worry about. Of course he didn't have to worry, he would always have Larrikith talking to him. B'jin wasn't the one that had made friends with the little green soon after his arrival at Katila and finding himself both in awe by the magnificent beast and enjoying the playing around they did, including the verbal sparring. Larrikith's spunk and snark was why he put up with her rider's cheerfulness as much as he did though Valerian couldn't deny to himself any longer that he did sort of like the friendship with the older man now as well. Did he even have a friendship with either of them now? He wanted to ask questions or demand more of an explanation to how Veeth sullied his mind but all that ended up coming out was a soft, "oh."

B'jin's shriek normally would have caused Valerian to laugh and insult the man but he was too busy brooding over not being up to Larrikith's standards anymore though he couldn't suppress the smile Veeth always managed to give him when the blue gave a soft trumpeting, pleased with himself for all the reactions he had caused and praise he received. It was still odd only hearing B'jin's end of the conversation when months before he likely would have been included as well. With the combination of Veeth's antics easing his mood and annoyance settling in more than simply being upset by the revelation, Valerian finally found his tongue and tossed a comment at B'jin, feeling slightly more himself as he did, "of course she speaks to R'nd. He's your lover and practically attached to you. You guys were even making eyes at each other during Jada's surgery. Guess you have the ability to tame the wild bluerider."

Veeth's excitement over Larrikith's praise was starting to wear off as Valerian's sour mood didn't lift. It seemed to really bother him that a dragon wouldn't speak to him while B'jin seemed uncomfortable because a dragon would speak to him. It was all very confusing! Everyone should talk to each other! Unless it was Charath. Her attitude was too unpleasant. I'll try not to speak to you, if you prefer. He was happy B'jin was talking to him and even trying to find him food but Veeth didn't want to upset anyone, though he did hope the man would say it was okay to talk to him. He'd save it for another opportunity where B'jin wasn't expecting it so he can scare the rider again!

"Veeth, why don't you go say good bye to Larrikith. We'll be leaving soon to get you fed and then we can go attend classes and stuff." Valerian had grabbed one of the mugs of klah, holding it between both hands in attempt to warm up. He felt like a friend had terminated their friendship and it left him as cold as if he just came from between. A smile was given to his blue to encourage him along when Veeth turned to him before a large gulp of the hot drink was taken. Normally he was far more cautious of anything hot as he didn't want to damage his throat but what exactly had been normal about a day waking up against a dragon?

Veeth gave a little head butt and nuzzle to B'jin's leg as a parting gesture before doing as he was told and scampering out of the room. He followed the path he had seen Larrikith taking and soon came up upon the green. He was in a playful mood after all of the excitement and launched himself for the green tail that seemed so inviting, pouncing it with a chirp of triumph as he clung to it. Even as he clung to it, Veeth couldn't help but bring up the question that had been bothering him since Valerian's thoughts turned dark. Larrikith... did I make Valerian dirty? I'm very clean! I even smell like you do. He was ever so glad his bonded remembered the scented oils the green pair used. Veeth enjoyed the scent very much as it was pretty and relaxing.

The greenrider, while far from Pern's most observant person, was not oblivious to Valerian's unhappiness as a result of what he had said. He didn't really understand it, since Valerian had his own dragon now, why the drama about not talking to someone else's? Not being overly talkative (or responsive) to other people's dragons was probably a large player in B'jin's lack of understanding. At any rate, he decided he could offer a little insight; or a suggestion for action, anyway. "If it bothers you that much, talk to her." B'jin shrugged, looking mildly confused, and slightly amused. "I don't really care who she does or doesn't talk to, so her going silent is her issues. I've never looked into it since it's never bothered anyone before." Of course, the last batch of candidates the pair had Searched and had Impress was before the Plague, so B'jin wasn't entirely sure that that applied and his relationship with Candidates had always been fairly reserved (unlike some of his fellow riders!) and Valerian and Talian were both pretty solid firsts in regards to befriending and having regular contact with.

The next comment was something B'jin could honestly say he would expect to hear from the young Harper. Articulate, smart and angled to cut. The greenrider's first response was amusement, for he was pretty sure that was not how Larrikith dictated to whom she would speak and if Valerian really wanted her to speak with him, he'd have to find another way than jumping in B'jin's pants because he really wasn't interested in the young bluerider that much. Then he was frowning with amused indignation, for he most certainly had not been making eyes at R'nd during Jada's surgery and even if he had, it was completely excusable since Larri had flown that morning and it had been a bad flight and B'jin happened to enjoy R'nd's company, thank you very much. The final sentence had B'jin's eyes fluttering rapidly as he blinked several times before his lips pursed into a flat line and hard brown eyes were set on Valerian.

"Larri doesn't work like that, and R'nd will only be attached to my hip as long as it takes him to get bored. Which will happen far too soon if you go and open your big mouth and say something like that where he can hear you." His voice was irritated, but the expression on the man's face belied his worry about when, exactly, that would happen. B'jin enjoyed R'nd's company, both in and out of the bedroom, and had been doing his best not to think about what would happen when his friend got bored with him. It was something he didn't doubt was looming on the horizon; R'nd was reputed to be fickle and B'jin was a lot of things, but he wasn't stupid. Four months was a long haul for the flighty bluerider, and something the green was not about to point out to the man. The last thing he wanted was everyone else doing so.

Veeth's gentle voice pulled B'jin away from his thoughts, and he turned tired eyes on the little dragon, a small smile touching the corner of his lips. "It's okay, Veeth, I don't mind." Picking up his own mug of klah as the little dragon nuzzled his leg and scampered off, B'jin shifted his attention back to Valerian. "Sorry," he murmured softly. B'jin rarely snapped, but the blue weyrling had hit a tender spot and one B'jin wasn't sure how to handle. The subject was taboo for so many reasons he wasn't even sure where to begin the list. If that was what Valerian was thinking, than B'jin shuddered to hear what the rest of the Weyr must be whispering. R'nd has always been far more up to date on what the latest gossip is than you, love. Larrikith put in gently, wondering how much damage control she was going to be stuck doing because of Valerian's comment. B'jin had never been one for gossip, tending to avoid it - both as a subject and as a listener - and had managed to avoid the spotlight for the most part. But there was a time in everyone's life when the glow passed you over, and Katila was far too small. B'jin rolled the mug slightly between his palms, eyes down turned as he mulled over that, apparently forgetting about his guest for the moment.

Larrikith's attention was forcefully obtained by the pouncing blue, and she turned to look at the little creature with deep amusement as he clung to her tail. His words caused her joy to falter and she sat down lightly, tilting her head as she considered how to best answer him. It is difficult to explain, Veeth, she said after a lengthy pause. If you hop off, I will get us some food and I promise I will try to explain. A smile was in her voice as she stood up once more, and waited for the little blue to remove himself from her. Crooning softly, Larrikith vanished between - an action that caused B'jin to scowl as he lifted his head and glared at where she had been located.

"She's going to get me in trouble doing that." B'jin said irritably. He shifted his gaze to look at Valerian, arching an eyebrow. "Betweening from the ground is dangerous," he explained, "you can end up with broken limbs, if you're lucky. Larri and I ended up perfecting the move early in our Weyrlinghood because she was so small. Our first flight together kept getting delayed, continuously. She couldn't get off the ground with me aboard, despite all the exercises we put her wings through, and they put me on a diet and I was told to do all kinds of irritating things to trim down. It was very frustrating and we were so anxious to fly. So, being the outrageously intelligent pair we are, I climbed on and she went between about twenty lengths above our Weyrlingmaster, from right on the ground. I think the only reason we weren't killed by one of our superiors was because she carried it out perfectly. Larrikith's response? 'I told you you weren't too fat.'" B'jin's look was flat, but quickly smothered in humour. "I'm pretty sure I laughed until I cried."

I believe Rerindith's did too. Larrikith inserted, speaking the name of their Weyrlingmaster's blue as she reappeared from between with a wherry in her grasp. She dropped to the ground, and crooned invitingly at Veeth, nudging the beast before she ripped its stomach open with a smooth move and nudged it again towards the little blue, inviting him to pick at it first. I'm not chewing it for you, she added, half teasing and half serious. She'd seen how some of the Weyrling's ate, and that was just sad. Larrikith had never been a particularly dainty eater. Of course, Larrikith had also been eating solidly with the hope it would improve her growth rate, rather than just her weight.

He isn't... dirty... in that sense of the word, Veeth. Hrm. She'd never had to explain her aversion before. Most dragons seemed to accept it, and Larrikith knew very few riders she could be bothered to speak to anyway. Valerian was the first she'd taken an active liking to and she hadn't considered that he might be upset by her lack of bespeaking him any more. The thought was still missing, as she failed to connect the dots even as the little blue before her drew them for her. He has you in his head now, she tried, though her words were somewhat hesitant as she tried to articulate her feelings. It doesn't feel right, to take a corner for myself. That wasn't really it, either, but Larrikith wasn't sure how else to explain herself.

“No,” Valerian replied simply, barely managing to keep from glaring at B’jin for suggesting such a thing. He had no desire to beg the dragon for her continued friendship, though he supposed he did still have that, it was just she didn’t want to talk to him directly anymore. He hadn’t changed and there wasn’t a reason for Larrikith’s new prejudice against him. So what if he had his sweet little Veeth linked to his mind now? He knew he was being stubborn and unreasonable but wasn’t he allowed to be upset or hurt just once? He had somehow become a wrangler for his friends, making sure they stayed out of trouble and weren’t upset for whatever reason so he deserved the right to be a bit bratty over something he had grown to look forward to and now couldn’t have.

The mood didn’t last long when B’jin got a bit snippy with him, sending walls up around his pain so it wouldn’t affect his judgement further. Valerian didn’t even make an attempt to suggest that the greenrider’s bad mood was caused from being proddy since he knew it was his words that set B’jin off on a clearly sensitive subject. That would normally be the perfect opening to continue attacking but he did like the older man for all of the complaining and teasing they shared and fell into easy compliance of the order. “I won’t say anything near him. I wasn’t brought to Katila to ruin your happiness and scare off your lover …no matter the age difference.” He couldn’t help the jab at the end. It seemed fair to balance out the nice he was dishing out with another reminder about the age and gave a small, crooked smile before taking another sip of klah.

When Larrikith vanished from sight, Valerian naturally had no idea why and only hoped she wouldn’t reappear on him, squishing him for some new slight against her. When that moment didn’t come immediately, his attention turned back to B’jin and he listened with his usual interest when the man told stories about his past. Valerian couldn’t explain why but he always wanted to hear more, finding the greenrider’s life to be full of amusing and hilarious incidents but good life lessons as well. Perhaps it was simply the mark of an amazing Harper that B’jin could manage to lure anyone into his stories since it certainly wasn’t actual interest in knowing the man for a deeper relationship that had Valerian behaving. “Your first flight and trip between at the same time. I guess technically the flight came second which makes sense since you two are odd and would go about everything backwards.” Even though he was slightly in awe, Valerian didn’t think he’d want to test it out with Veeth when they were older. The mere thought of going between normally was a bit intimidating still though he hadn’t minded it so much when with B’jin and experiencing it on Larrikith. Still, some things were better off left to the more experienced, but he supposed he wouldn’t give up before even asking Veeth one day if he wanted to try.

Veeth watched as Larrikith so easily vanished between from the ground and reappeared rather quickly and with a wherry in hand. That was amazing! He looked forward to the day he could go flying with Valerian and they could wink in and out like that though his bonded’s sudden spike of fear while thinking about it made the little blue worry as well. They would just have to train extra hard to make sure it all went smoothly! He’d also make sure Valerian had an extra pair of socks to help with the cold. Those thoughts were quickly dismissed when Larrikith nudged the wherry and then ripped it open, again nudging it. Veeth understood loud and clear and trotted over a bit closer. It’s okay, Larrikith! Actually, Veeth wasn’t sure if it was or not. Valerian still prepared his food but he wasn’t fresh from his shell anymore and could do this! He’d hate to disappoint the pretty green that had been so kind to him. Cautiously he approached the carcass and guided by instincts while ignoring his dislike of being dirty, Veeth clamped down on a piece of exposed meat and tugged. He tugged a little harder when it didn’t tear away until he found himself tumbling backwards. As shocked as he was, he still chirped his delight, though it was muffled thanks to the mouthful of meat he came away with. He did it!

He thought on Larrikith’s explanation while he worked on chewing his food, realizing he may have taken more than he could handle but didn’t want to let the green know that. There’s enough space for both of us, Veeth finally offered, not sure what the problem was. Valerian wanted the green dragon talking to him and his memories suggested they had had a lot of fun and how could they all continue to be friends and have more fun if someone always had to repeat what Larrikith said? He couldn’t tell her any of this, though, since Valerian was putting up walls around the issue and was determined not to ask Larrikith to keep talking to him. There wasn’t a chance of Veeth betraying Valerian and spilling his inner thoughts to anyone, not even Erisi, Jada, or Krypth.

B'jin shrugged at Valerian's answer, looking not the slight bit put out by the attitude. If he didn't want to talk to Larrikith, than that was his issue. As he'd previously stated, B'jin couldn't care less about to whom his dragon spoke and interacted, with a few very special cases. Being a disrespectful dragon as far as B'jin's wishes were concerned, Larrikith normally didn't care to ignore people B'jin disliked, and would occasionally go out of her way to make life painful by interacting with the dragons. However, his (in her opinion) completely unreasonable fear of S'kef encouraged her to, if not ignore, at least have minimal interaction with Tyrrisath. It was the brown's disrespect to Ronarth that actually sealed her dislike of the brown for the little green was fond of the dopey bronze and his sweet nature; as such, Tyrrisath's picking on him didn't sit well with her. As a result she went out of her way to ignore him, and as far as she could determine from B'jin's memories, had yet to fly the beast.

"Thank-" B'jin began, brown eyes lifting from where he was frowning slightly at the floor to look at Valerian. His thanks was cut off with a dry look as he stared at the young bluerider with an expression born of irritation and exasperated amusement. "He's not that young!" B'jin said indignantly. "He's older than my dragon!" Considering Weyr life, B'jin figured that was a pretty good achievement; of course, it would probably have stood for more if B'jin hadn't Impressed at twenty-one. Larrikith's sudden rumble of amusement spoke volumes and B'jin cast her an irritated look, suddenly inexplicably pleased she wasn't speaking to the younger Harper. Some information just wasn't meant to be shared.

Really? Larrikith purred, her eyes suddenly bright with mischief as she looked up from where Veeth was attacking the wherry she had brought him. Which information is that? Her voice was filled with wicked intentions and B'jin's brown eyes narrowed back at her, causing the green dragon to rumble with laughter for a moment. Then the little green stilled the same moment B'jin did, a visible battle happening as B'jin fought to keep memories from the dragon and the green beast fought to find them. His features were drawn into a frown while Larrikith's eyes had stopped swirling with the rainbow of colours. B'jin's "Hah!" of success was accompanied by Larrikith's ruffling of wings as her eyes lit up once more, swirling with mild irritation as she placed a paw on the wherry and appeared to turn her attention back upon the tiny blue.

"I wi- Bitch!" B'jin's voice went up several octaves as he swore at his dragon in surprise and Larrikith let out a succession of chirps, obviously highly pleased with herself as she succeeded in snatching the memory from B'jin and found the information within it delightfully informative. Oh! R'nd will love that! She cackled, utterly delighted. B'jin just groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose looking somewhat pained. An eyebrow arched slightly as he looked sideways at Valerian. "And you want her back in your head?" B'jin seemed somewhat bewildered as he slumped back against the bench and sipped the klah he had made. He wouldn't say anything about it, but he could tell Valerian was upset by the turn of events that had him removed from Larrikith's chatting group. He'd talk to his dragon later, and see if she would yield. The rider wasn't holding out much hope for a change in style any time soon - Larrikith could be incredibly stubborn and he honestly had no idea how R'nd had managed to get her to talk to him. While the little green would occasionally speak loud enough to be heard by just about anyone, he was pretty sure R'nd was one of a very small number of dragonriders that had her speak directly to them, ever. He honestly couldn't recall any off the top of his head.

"We do a lot of things upside-down and back-to-front," B'jin agreed easily, returning back to the topic that had been forgotten during his battle of wills with his dragon. "And I do not recommend most of them." He paused for a moment and turned his attention to look out the window at the two dragons. Larrikith had apparently decided she was asking too much of the Hatchling, and she was tearing off chunks and dropping them to one side. They were certainly bigger than anything Valerian would have cut up for the little one, but they were not so big as to pose a terrible challenge for him to eat. Her amusement was thick as she sat watching the baby blue, occasionally eating a mouthful of the meat herself, despite the fact that she had eaten the day before and wasn't actually due to hunt for at least another two. B'jin shook his head at her, but made no comment.

Hrm. Larrikith said mildly in response to Veeth's invitation, not at all sure the little dragon understood her. Never having had to explain herself before, Larrikith found herself completely unable to do so and that irked her. In the end, she settled on the fact that Veeth was just a baby and so his inability to understand was to be expected. His offer he would likely later regret was also completely expected and as such, the green opted to simply disregard it. Better to keep her voice to herself than to go marching all over people's toes! Besides! She didn't need to speak to Valerian to torture him. He'd Impressed such a pretty little blue..! Inside the hut, B'jin let out a horrified squeak, a sound he quickly drowned by drinking the rest of his klah, refusing to look at Valerian.

Valerian’s sour mood was forgotten as he burst out laughing at B’jin’s reaction to his lover’s age being pointed out again. It was much better than it had been the night before and now that they were both waking up with the magic of klah, the younger Harper couldn’t let it go as easily as he had before and latched onto the reasoning that seemed to bring B’jin comfort. “Everyone is older than my dragon but that doesn’t mean I’m going to invite Indivara to bed.” He wouldn’t do that even if he hadn’t Impressed and if the wild child that seemed to live in trees was closer to his age. Some people simply did nothing for him and had no business being anywhere near him while nude. With a shrug to show he was now over the teasing, Valerian added, “but I’m glad there’s someone who makes you happy, well happier, and can put up with you, etcetera, etcetera.”

He fell silent, content to sip his klah, when it appeared that B’jin wasn’t really listening anyway as he had a mental showdown with Larrikith. Valerian couldn’t even begin to imagine what they were up to this time though the concentration and determination B’jin displayed openly made it clear they weren’t teasing each other but trying to hide or steal some bit of memory. It would have been amusing if he wasn’t still annoyed with the green dragon baby-sitting Veeth. Speaking of his little blue, Veeth seemed rather pleased with himself for eating like a proper grown dragon which had the Harper a tad worried he was rushing into eating directly from a carcass and made sure to keep his attention more closely linked to Veeth. He really wasn’t in the mood to have Larrikith accidentally guide Veeth into choking because he tried to take too much at one time.

B’jin’s insult flung at Larrikith snapped green eyes that were unstaring at the table back to the older rider in surprise. Valerian couldn’t recall hearing such language from the man but it wasn’t like they were together constantly. But it showed whatever B’jin had been trying to keep to himself had been stolen away by the chirping green dragon. Even with his annoyance still lingering on the outskirts of his mind, Valerian couldn’t keep the small smirk of amusement from slipping out and quickly raised the mug again to hide behind. “Having her in my head let me know exactly the torment she was inflicting on you so I could laugh or join in as was appropriate.”

Valerian thought on the way Larrikith liked to fly and when and where she liked to vanish between and back as B’jin suggested they not be used as an example for proper flying techniques. “You’ve been a great teacher when it comes to caring for dragons but I don’t think we’ll be asking for flying lessons any time soon.” While he wasn’t one to always follow rules exactly and more or less did things to the beat of his own drum, Valerian was certain he didn’t want Veeth flying so wildly and hoped the fascination he could feel the blue showing for Larrikith didn’t lead to wanting to do everything like her. He’d have to find other dragons that were a bit tamer to be a balancing influence on his young and impressionable dragonet.

“Anyway, once Veeth is done eating, we’ll be out of your hair… which is getting a bit shaggy, by the way…” Valerian’s teasing of the man’s hair faded away when he gazed suspiciously at B’jin and his squeak that was quickly cut off by the drinking of klah. It seemed the hot beverage was good for a lot of things that morning. It was obvious the reaction came from something Larrikith had said or done and not anything he had said but Valerian was left in the dark with the added bonus of wondering if he would have known what was going on if he hadn’t Impressed or if the green minx was silently harassing B’jin alone. He didn’t ask, however, as something warned him it was for the best that he was left clueless on this one.

Veeth, for his part, was engrossed in his meal and pranced around excitedly when he realized Larrikith was helping him out. He should have been upset that he had disappointed her and needed her assistance after all, but he couldn’t be mad at the pretty green that had already gone out of her way to bring him a meal and hadn’t judged him, aloud anyway, for the tiny bit of a struggle he had been having before she stepped in. Her silence was odd though. Veeth didn’t think there was anything to contemplate about his offer but she was older and more experienced than him so maybe he had overlooked something or Larrikith was distracted with her human. He was rather noisy though very fun. It was easy to see why Valerian liked to be around the pair despite is complaining about B’jin’s mannerisms. Whatever the reason, Veeth stayed silent himself and stopped bouncing around to sit politely by the pile of meat. He nosed a larger chunk towards Larrikith in an offering for her to continue sharing the meal with him before beginning to nibble on a piece of his own.

B'jin let most of Valerian's comment's slide off him, like water of an oiled dragon hide. The young man's commentary about his lover's age received a raised eyebrow, but the temptation to mention that Indivara's mother rode green, (and as such, Valerian was more liable to sleep with the woman than her daughter) would bring too close to home the fact that B'jin rode green. That idea did not need further thinking upon, and B'jin's nose scrunched up slightly as he used his mug to, once more, hide his face and take a hasty gulp of the warm liquid, not unaware of the fact that it was cooling rapidly.

The greenrider didn't reply to Valerian's pointed opinion about having Larrikith in his head; if he really wanted her to talk to him again, he'd have to work that out for himself. B'jin wasn't going to indicate he'd help (he was pretty sure his help would not be appreciated at any rate) so it was between the green and the boy. Whatever happened was up to them. With them both being stubborn, however, B'jin didn't see it ending very well, very soon. If at all. Another nose scrunch was hidden behind the mug of klah, before the greenrider's gaze shifted to look at the young bluerider, a pout forming on his lips even as one hand lifted to run fingers back through his hair.

"..." His open mouth was shut when no words were forth coming, unwilling to share that it was R'nd's preference for the longer style that had kept it from being trimmed, and instead he just shrugged lazily, tugging absently on one lock over his eye to frown at it. "I've been busy," which was true enough. Every time he made to whine about his hair, something came up. B'jin hadn't quite put two and two together, yet, being more annoyed at himself for being absent minded about something than he was at the miraculous availability of tasks that require his attention at inopportune moments.

"You should probably hurry up a little," B'jin said idly, peering out the window and past the two feeding dragons (the green definitely not in need of any of the food she was stealing from the blue) to look at the sun, and the progress it was making across the sky. It was still early, too early really, to be up when one didn't have to... "I think I'll go back to bed." B'jin said cheerfully, smiling sweetly at Valerian with a coy flutter of his lashes.

Valerian had given up on his klah, setting the mug aside and out of his way. Like B’jin, he had fallen into silence, instead simply watching the older man believe he was doing a good job at hiding his reactions to anything that was said; though there was again no way to know if the reactions were all caused by his words or something the snooty little green added in. The attempt to hide behind the mug, which Valerian had also done during some of their conversation, would have been cute on someone else, but with B’jin it just added to the awkward scenarios Larrikith had assisted in bringing to the forefront of his mind the day they met. Of course B’jin’s cheerful words announcing he’d be going back to bed soon certainly did nothing to help the thoughts in returning to their banishment and Valerian suddenly got to his feet, a small glare in his eyes as he knew he was being played and getting kicked out.

“Like I said, we’d go when Veeth was done eating. I believe he’s close,” the blue dragonet still had his moments of wanting to gorge himself at feeding times but for the most part he was rather behaved and knew when was an appropriate limit or when he would be told that was enough. The fact that he had an older dragon eating with him would likely encourage him to eat properly and show his restraint so Valerian figured it had been long enough to fill the little belly sufficiently.

The blanket was once again adjusted around his shoulders as he headed for the door. He paused when he reached the barrier; thoughtful for a moment before deciding even he could manage a word of gratitude for the housing. He had, after all, disturbed the greenrider’s slumber and then proceeded to harass him about his lover’s young age. It really was only fair. “Thanks for the offer to use your kids’ bed and letting us stay. Don’t worry, though, it was a one-time thing,” it actually hadn’t meant to be. Valerian had a decent enough sleep, so far, though he wondered if he’d be sore the further he went into the day, and Veeth seemed to have liked it and the company but that was all before finding out he didn’t rank as worthy enough to be spoken to anymore.

“And thanks for looking after my dragon,” that line of gratitude was spoken a tad softer and while it seemed like it was said to B’jin, it was for Larrikith as well. Valerian suspected the dragon to be listening in, or at least hoped she was, since he couldn’t quite bring himself to speak directly to her just yet knowing he wouldn’t get a response in return. As soon as he said the words, Valerian was slipping out the door and calling for Veeth to come along as they had classes to get ready for.

Coming, Valerian! Veeth called back, quickly working on another small piece of meat. Once he swallowed, he stood up and looked back over his shoulder in the direction his bonded waited, though Valerian wasn’t quite in sight. Everyone was acting so strange all of a sudden! He’d have to work on fixing that, but there wasn’t time that morning. They had to get to class to keep Valerian out of trouble and Veeth wanted to tell his friends about the adventure he had had with sleeping on top of a large dragon and eating right from a fresh wherry.

First, he had to thank Larrikith. Thank you for your help with our sleeping problem and finding me food, Larrikith! I had a lot of fun with you. Veeth chirped his excitement, eyes whirling bright blue to show how happy he was to spend time with the older dragon. He circled around the carcass and gave one of Larrikith’s forelegs a headbutt and nuzzling, trying to be mindful of his nose since he wasn’t sure how filthy he ended up getting. He tried to be careful while eating but it sometimes couldn’t be helped, especially with his first attempt to get a bite.

With his affectionate good-bye given, given started to trot off after his departing bonded, calling out loudly for both Larrikith and B’jin to hear him, See you again soon!

"I wasn't trying to get rid of you," B'jin murmured, looking somewhere between irritated and amused as Valerian glared at him. B'jin had no idea what he'd done to be at the receiving end of Valerian's attitude, but decided to attribute it to the early hour, and the fact that the young man had slept with his dragon (something which B'jin didn't find comfortable himself, despite her lardy build). He refused to even consider the fact that Valerian had put two and two together in regards to their dragon colours, and his own dragon's quirky desire to be a torturous bitch. He didn't need to ask to know the younger Harper would be just as off put by such a situation as himself. Of course, B'jin couldn't help whom Larrikith chose; Valerian could at least prevent his dragon from chasing. Well, hopefully. Eyeing the two dragons out the window, B'jin silently decided they were both doomed. Well, it was a good thing he'd mastered the ability to flee a room.

An eyebrow arched up as B'jin eyed Valerian dubiously, wondering exactly what he had done to earn so much attitude ('cause he'd obviously done something) and pursed his lips at the younger Harper's blunt words. It was too early. Definitely too early. Running his hand over his face and back through his (as Valerian had been so kind to point out) messy hair, B'jin shrugged absently. "You're welcome, Val." B'jin murmured tiredly as the blue weyrling slipped out the door and left. Well. He'd figure it out later. After more sleep! Shaking his head again, bewildered, exasperated and somewhat amused, B'jin returned to bed, burying himself in the furs and pillows and swiftly going back to sleep.

Larrikith looked up mildly as Valerian appeared from within the hut, eyes swirling a soft sea-green as he called to Veeth for their classes. She was pretty sure she didn't miss going to class, or wing assignments, either, for that matter. Katilan life was so lazy. She loved it. So much time to spend curled up in the sun, or eating, or swimming. It really was the best of the best!

You're welcome, Larrikith laughed, amused once more by the excess of good manners practically oozing from the little blue dragon. As much as they were exasperating, she hoped he kept them when grown; he'd be so much fun to tease! Larrikith dropped her head to nudge at Veeth's side as he moved to trot off after Valerian, chirping a good natured goodbye to the pair of them. Do! She really did like the baby blue. And he'd left her the better part of a wherry.

All. For. Her.

Larrikith hummed happily to herself as she dined on what was left of the wherry, cleaned herself up, and then managed to arrange herself on the roof of B'jin's hut, wings extended as she soaked up the sunshine. Lazy Katilan Life. There really wasn't anything better!