[G] [P] [EVENT] 740.12.10 | Sleepless Nights

Secret Santa Event: Insomnia @ 3am

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Sleep is much better than what you are doing at this moment, Mizeath told her equally sleepy and grumpy. Only heathens and young people are up this terrible hour. Ameris couldn't stop the smile that grew on her lips as she eased herself out from beneath M'ris and out of the bed with a quiet thump against the furs covering the floor of their weyr. She couldn't sleep and was resigned to the fact that this sleep loss was worse than any lost sleep she'd gotten when either of her children were infants. This loss of sleep seemed far more important, more consuming and Ameris had no doubt that what was to come relied more than it should on her.

I do not understand why you worry so.

Mizeath was tired and Ameris was anxious, unable to sleep for the thoughts rolling through her mind. Benden. They were to open Benden and she was responsible for getting Casa ready to care for Ista. She was excited and annoyed. Relieved to be away from the foolishness that seemed to crowd Ista every day and irritated that all her work - their work - at Ista was going to be used to help another succeed. She shouldn't feel so annoyed by it. It was, after all, a sign of how well she and M'ris had done with Ista that they had come to the pair to reopen one of the most well-known weyrs on the planet.

Now she just had to make sure they didn't screw it up. Feet padded towards the hatching sands, the caverns empty for the most part and quiet. She could think in there. Be alone and not worry about waking M'ris with her pacing and worrying. She settled nicely, feet tucked beneath her on the usual seat a goldrider took while visiting their brooding gold. She could be found there, by any who dared to be awake at that moment. She might mind the company and she might not. Everything was taken on chance when it came to Ameris.


Je'ler

Every time Je'ler closed his eyes he kept seeing his father's face. He wasn't sure why, it wasn't as if the man's death had been a surprise or that recent; he'd gotten over his father's death years ago back when he was still making wine in the Hall. The dreams weren't even that interesting, just his father frowning at him for some reason. Probably the mead. Definitely the mead. Isperinath's voice softly crooned in his mind, Is this because I said it was missing something? She was half teasing, half concerned that he was somehow upset by her verdict of his latest batch of melomel mead.

'No. Well yes... but no.' Je'ler's response only confused the green dragon and he sighed as he rubbed his hands over his face and tried to collect his sleepy thoughts into something more coherent. 'I'm having strange dreams and can't sleep. They aren't even nightmares, they're just irritating and don't make sense. And it probably is because you're right, the last batch is missing something but I don't know what and it's driving me insane.'

Perhaps you should... sleep on it? The greenrider groaned as Isperinath's melodic chuckle sounded in his head to back up the terrible joke. 'That was awful, Isper. How about you try and get some sleep for the both of us while I take a walk and try to think about how to make this mead better.' The dragon gave a small hum of agreement in response as she settled down to let her rider wander as he pleased. Je'ler grabbed a wine skin to fill with the vexing brew, pulled on a light jacket and stepped out.

He took a sip from the wine skin as he wandered, mulling over the flavor and his thoughts. A bit of spice? No. Another fruit? But which one? More honey? It wasn't that it was bad, just not as good as he'd expected it to be and with that distinct hint of mediocrity that was begging for the addition of something. He just needed to figure out what that something was. The chill in the night air was enough to drive him to the warmth of the hatching sands and he caught sight of Ameris, a grin appearing on his face. "Oh, didn't expect to find anyone out here. Think you could help me with a taste test since you're awake? It needs something but I'm stumped." He held up the wine skin as he offered.

She started slightly when she heard the voice call out, her attention had been turned inward and the steps largely unheard when Je'ler entered the hatching sands. She grimaced, hating being caught out but really what was she expecting? She'd come to the sands in the middle of the night, someone else was bound to be around at the same time. She should have thought of that when she'd come down. Idiot woman, she chastised herself even as a smile broke across her face. "Je'ler!" she called to the greenrider with a small wave, "Couldn't sleep either?" Her smile smirked as he held up the wineskin.

"Might as well," she said and reached for it, "Maybe it'll help me sleep." I was mistaken. My own rider is a heathen. She chuckled at Mizeath's tone. The gold was mostly proper and insisted her rider be so as well, but there were times when Ameris just needed to relax and forget about the proper thing. It was probably why she couldn't sleep. Not enough relaxation happening on her part. She tossed the skin back and swallowed a mouthful of wine. The effect on her was almost immediate and she knew then that she needed to drink more often. It had been a while or a single drink of wine wouldn't have put a heat in her tummy.

"Hmm..." she smacked her lips, "Maybe honey?" She didn't know really, Ameris was never one to make things. Grow things yes, but make things from the fruits of her labors? Never. She definitely never tried her hand at wine. "What do you think it needs?" she asked even as she tipped the wineskin back again. Careful, the gold warned. She moved to hand the skin back to the greenrider, "How've ya been?" She knew he was stolen from the north but Ameris couldn't think of anything else about him. She should know more about the riders in her weyr but she didn't.

"I mean I could sleep. Just couldn't stay asleep." Je'ler smiled as he took a seat next to Ameris. He was glad that she seemed to be in a decent enough mood, or at least a sociable one. It was always nice to have company after all. So long as that company doesn't want to keep coming back? Isperinath's voice chimed into his thoughts to quickly tease. She hadn't quite fallen asleep, and when she realized that Je'ler had encountered a goldrider she'd decided to stay awake and be nosy. 'You know that's not it. That last one was just getting clingy and had expectations. Besides, they've already forgotten about me. And this has nothing to do with that anyway. I thought you were going to sleep.' A soft chuckle was the only reply he received from his dragon.

He took the wine skin back for a long drink of his own. "I thought about adding more honey, I just worry it might get too sweet. Wanted this one to be nice and smooth to enjoy over the course of a meal or while sitting outside and enjoying the day, not just for a quick sip at dessert. I'll probably try adding some more anyway though, maybe just a little bit." Je'ler took another thoughtful sip as he considered the other question. "I've been fine, missing the warm nights, working on experimenting with more mead and wine. You're going to be heading to Benden soon right? You should visit the Vintner Hall sometime, sample the wares."

"I couldn't even do that," she grumbled. She'd used M'ris to try to exhaust herself but even a good bout of sex hadn't done much to take her mind off the "Big Move". Granted it had satisfied her and made her grin like a foolish girl, but it hadn't exhausted her into sleep. "Must be nice to be able to sleep," she grimaced as she continued. And tried to rack her mind about forgotten information about Je'ler. For shame forgetting a rider under your weyr, her gold told her with amusement and Ameris stabbed the bond gently in rebuke before turning back to the greenrider.

He took the wineskin she offered back and she curled her lips in a thoughtful shape. She disliked not knowing something and the making of wine was not something she had any interest in. Drinking it yes. Making it, no. "Hmm," she murmured again, "Maybe not honey then. Can't you put something nutty in there, maybe give it a smokier flavor? I feel like its a taste that would do well with a meaty dinner." She laughed at her suggestions. "Don't take my advice though," she waved for the skin again, "I don't know what I'm talking about. I just drink the stuff." She listened to him as he answered her question, if there was one thing that Ameris was good at it was listening. She could listen to other people for hours without much trouble. "The warm night will be back before you know it," she chuckled and admitted that she missed them as well.

She scowled. "Don't remind me," she huffed, "It's weird, you know, them having enough confidence in me to open a new weyr." Never mind that it wouldn't be her alone opening the weyr. But Ameris always felt like there was so much pressure on her shoulders being weyrwoman. M'ris and the kids helped alleviate some of it but the rest was enough to give her grey hair. "Do you see this?" she tipped her raven capped head and pointed at her scalp, "Greys. I'm getting grey hair from this." She laughed as she sat back up. "I hear the Benden wine is to kill for, maybe I'll bring some back for you as a gift."

Je'ler took another quick sip before passing the wineskin back. "Nutty and smoky... I think that might actually work and balance it all out. I'll give it a try and get you a bottle or wineskin when it's ready. And the people who are going to be drinking it in the end are the ones who matter most really even if they supposedly don't know what they're talking about. Doesn't matter if I like it if no one else does." He gave her a good-natured smile to punctuate the sentiment.

At the presentation of her grey hairs he couldn't help but chuckle, despite knowing it was always potentially dangerous to pick at a person's vanity. At least she was laughing too so it was probably safe enough. "Aw even if you're getting a few grey hairs I'm sure you'll still be just as gorgeous. I actually rather like it, like shooting stars in the night. Though I'm sure your man makes you feel beautiful enough without me throwing my two marks in."

The comment about bringing back some wine for him from Benden made him thoughtful for a moment. "Normally I'd say not to bother, my favorite winemaker isn't there anymore... but why not? Would be interesting to taste how things have changed. You still don't have to though, I end up back there on occasion to try and get supplies even if I haven't had any of their wine since before I got snatched up."