Xanadu Weyr - Guest Weyr
Rustic and simple, this one-roomed cottage sits at the edge of the forest near the feeding grounds. The decor is spartan with a wide, comfortable bed and a couch, table and chairs and small kitchenette. Kept stocked with food and drink, the bed freshened with sheets and coverlets after each use by the weyrstaff, it's nothing more than a place to give riders participating in mating flights a bit of privacy when they need it.
Technically, it is probably morning - if only barely, despite Iczobyth taking to the skies in the fading light of day. The moons have risen over the Weyr, and all is quiet in the darkness. Iczobyth and Tsarziath have no doubt found a comfortable place of their own where they still slumber, given the lack of any commentary from the green, leaving the humans on their own. At least one of the humans, though, is beginning to stir, despite the odd hour, Ricki shifting and tugging the sheet closer as she curls up into a ball, before a hand reaches out absently to brush at whatever body part happens to be in reach, the first contact causing a little sigh as she settles back down.
It shouldn't feel odd, this sensation of stirring to wakefulness next to Ricki. N'kon has been waking up next to her since graduation - and probably since a bit before, if they must be perfectly honest about things. Nevertheless, the bluerider rouses beneath the soft touch of the greenrider's hand, and he rolls towards her, freezing only as a mere inch remains between his body and hers. Reaching out, he skims his hand along her hip, keeping that slight distance between them and frowning slightly as he struggles to remember exactly what happened the previous night. "Good mor - morning? Dawn? Time of day," he finally decides on, his voice gritty with sleep.
An unintelligent murmuring of something that might maybe be 'morning' is the response from the greenrider, who does, finally open an eye to peek at him blearily, her hand resting lightly against his chest as he moves. "S'wrong?" She questions after a moment, words interrupted by a yawn, even as Ricki is stretching and rolling onto her back to stare at… That isn't the normal ceiling. And there is a long moment of quiet as her breath catches, and she holds it, eyes closing again, before finally, a long, slow exhale. "Oh." The simple word holds no disappointment or worry, merely the first moment of understanding.
"I'm trying to decide," Niko finally replies after a long moment, his hand creeping up to cover hers against his chest in spite of himself, "if I'm pleased that things fell out right and Tsari won - or if I'm disappointed that you didn't get the chance to turn the tables on me for once." He turns his head, storm-blue eyes regarding her soberly as he inches a centimeter or two closer, still not quite allowing his body to touch hers. He does, however, curl his fingers about hers, tugging her hand up to press a kiss against her palm. "Not that I don't absolutely appreciate the experience, but…" He trails off, just a hint of anxiety in his voice and gaze.
A tiny little smile slips onto her lips, and she lets her fingers gently curl, wiggling to rest her forehead against his briefly, considering his words, before her hand shifts to fold his fingers through his. "I.. I think she will probably be turning the tables on him, more than you care to think about, in the future." She offers, turning away to clear her throat softly before continuing. "But.. I think I am glad she didn't, this time. I.." A deep breath, and she admits, "I had no idea. You were, uhm. Right. About that time, with Lani." Or Rosalyth, you know, same thing.
"Did I hurt you? Like, in a bad way?" Niko clarifies, clearing his throat as he shifts just that half-inch more to let his hip brush hers. "I know - it's probably best this first time was me and Tsari; better to get this kind of thing out of the way with someone you're comfortable with. I just don't like the idea of - well, hurting you." His thumb rubs lightly against her palm as he keeps his gaze trained on her face. "Silly, I suppose. It was bound to happen eventually, with our dragons the way they are together. Even if," he adds, lips curving in a slow, sly smile, "Tsari won't always be the fastest, or strongest, or cleverest." Somehow, he doesn't seem terribly upset by that fact. It just is.
Hurriedly shaking her head, it is a good thing that she is leaning backwards as she does so to meet and hold his gaze, lest she inadvertently actually hurt him now. "I just.." Biting her lip, she shakes her head a little more subdued this time. "There is intense and there is… well, that." And as he mentions know that Tsari -won't- always win, she laughs softly. "That brown, the one with that woman. I think if he had more time to watch.. Tsari just had an unfair advantage, and.. I am not sure Iczy knew exactly what was happening." Makes 2 of them.
"Yes." Niko understands completely, it seems - then again, he too has experienced that First Flight, even if not quite from her perspective. "I admit, of all of the others who were there, she was the one who worried me the most. The other brownrider seemed - ah - a bit lacksidasical to me, and the others…" He snorts with good-natured contempt. "Iczy's worth all of them put together and more besides. But she flew fast and strong, and on only one beast - Tsari had a time keeping up with her. Then again, all of his cleverness goes out of the window when he's in a flight - he's all instinct and savagery." And, last night may well have proven that Niko may not be much better than his blue.
"I.. I'm still glad it was Tsari. And you." Ricki offers after a moment, before she is shifting to try and scoot up next to him. "They aren't, uh, going to come throw us out in the middle of the night, right?" She asks a little sheepishly, a hint of a blush appearing on her face. "Iczy is.." She starts after a moment, biting her lip. "Iczy is definitely not moving." And then, despite the countless nights together, she is hesitating. "Unless, you?" Tsari catching was suppose to be the easy option!
"Tsari's deep enough asleep that all I get is moonlight and custard," Niko murmurs, lips twitching slightly. "But the Weyr understands - they won't expect us out of here until at least dawn." There's a hint that he might be teasing her in his voice. "The selfish part of me that - cares - is very glad it was me and Tsari," he replies after a moment, leaning closer to press a kiss against her temple. "And as nice as it might be to be practical and admit that it would have been fair enough had he not - well, screw that," he laughs, turning on his side and sliding his arm across her stomach to pull her closer. "I'm going to be selfish for now."
"I'm going to need you to chase them out, if they show up at dawn." Ricki murmurs through a yawn, leaning into the kiss and looking rather content as she snuggles in. "You can be selfish. We'll figure out the penalty for it later." Quiet, even breathing and she just settles in, fingers idly curling around his arm, before it seems she wrinkles her nose. "And it isn't that you don't show, next time."
"While I won't promise to always be here - life happens - Tsari and I will never deliberately avoid your flights, my Ricki," Niko murmurs, his voice already sliding towards drowsiness as he wraps his arms around the greenrider and holds her tight against him. With the covers wrapped - tangled, really - around them and the pre-morning gloom leeching everything of color, it's easy enough to fall back into sleep. He doesn't - not quite - but the struggle to stay awake is evident in his gravelly voice and lax muscles. "I don't like to be selfish - but I'm not ever going to be stupid." Not about that, anyway.
"Never is a very long time.." Ricki whispers, but she seems placated even as she yawns again, giving the covers a tiny tug and wiggling to settle herself back in. "Night, Niko.. You'd better not abandon me here in the morning." She adds on, though its barely whispered as she relaxes.
"Forever is a long time," Niko corrects as he drifts towards sleep once more. "Never just isn't." It makes sense. Maybe. Hush. He's asleep. Poor little boy.