Nothing Good Happens After Midnight (1/3)
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Duskdog, Sia
Date Posted: 21st May 2024
Characters: Varethos, Zaphare
Description: Varethos and Zaphare make plans for a wild night
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 10 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: T’lonas, Yanley, M’thos (by title, not by name)
Varethos hadn't been doing much that evening. He'd sunk into a cozy chair in the common area with a book, content to curl up and do very little of anything until it was time to go to bed. It was mostly quiet here now, with many candidates still out at the Dining Hall or off to visit friends and family throughout Dragonsfall. It was nice to have a quiet moment to himself; he didn't get that very often.
He did manage to get a solid way through his book when he caught a bit of movement out of the corner of his eye. He smiled and did a little wave with the hand that was holding his book. "Hey Zaphare." He said. "You're back early."
“_Ugh,_” Zaphare huffed, flopping down in the nearest chair. “Too early. Nothing’s happening out there. Nothing _good_ anyway. I tried to drum up a little fun, at least, but nobody I knew was around except the goody-two-shoes crew.” She sat up, leaning over the arm of the chair and nearly into his personal space to get a look at the book he was reading. “Please tell me that’s something interesting, and not like… ‘A History of Dirt’ or something dumb like that.”
"Unfortunately, I'm the leader of the goody-two-shoes crew." Varethos said with a chuckle. He would have leaned towards her if it wasn't for the confines of his own chair, but he didn't flinch or move away. Personal space wasn't a luxury he had with his busy and boisterous family. He held it up so she could get an okayish look. "It's that new one about Moreta's Ride." He said. "It's good. I know the ending is going to wreck me, but I'm enjoying the journey."
“Huh. I don’t do a lot of reading, really, but I _do_ like that story. A dragonrider being heroic outside of Threadfall is a nice change of pace, even if the romance parts are _so_ unbelievable.” Zaphare stayed resting across the arms of the chairs, propping her chin on her hand and looking at him. “Why run with the goody-two-shoes when you could… you know… _not_?”
"What! It's not unbelievable! It's the best kind of love triangle. Where all three corners connect. I hardly see it in any books." He set the book down in his lap to regard Zaphare. "My Dad is the new Weyrlingmaster Second. I can't do anything bad even if I wanted to. He'd find out, and then it's not just my dad ribbing me about it, it has to be the _Weyrlingmaster_ doing it."
“Pfft, romance isn’t _real_,” Zaphare dismissed with a wave of her hand. “And your Dad wasn’t always the Weyrlingmaster Second, right? Were you lame before that, too, or is being _good_ new to you?”
"Rude. Romance is so real." Varethos protested. "It says so in this book." He tapped the cover again for emphasis. "I've always been lame, ask any of my brothers. Or my sister. That's why I'm the leader; I have seniority. Lame means a good night's sleep and less chores in the morning."
Zaphare considered him from beneath her lashes. Shards, he was good-looking. And not a total bore, even if he readily agreed with being lame. “A good night’s sleep is overrated. My mother always says nothing good happens after midnight. And she’s right, but that’s the _point_! I’ll bet you could think of a thing or two that might be worth missing sleep for, hmm?”
Varethos laughed- that's exactly what his Mom said, too- though the final suggestion caught him a little off guard. "I could, but a lot of those things are made harder by living in a _barracks_. Unless you've got a secret hangout somewhere that both T'lonas and Yanley don't know about?"
“I know an unoccupied weyr,” she replied with a smirk. The time she’d devoted to exploring had been well-spent, indeed. “Nothing in there but basic furniture, but the bed is made, and there’s wood stacked by the fireplace. Could be really cozy.”
Oh. He hadn't been expecting that answer, and it took an extra few seconds to process it. He straightened up in his seat a little. Blinked. Finally he got there. "Uh." Not quite yet. "Yeah, _cozy_. Hey, I might happen to know about an unlocked storeroom with wine in it.."
“Oh! The Wingleader of the Good-Two-Shoes Crew has some naughty in him, after all!” She laughed, her grin positively _wicked_, and then leaned in close, lowering her voice. “Let’s get sloshed and cozy.”
Varethos smiled a little at the comment, though a pinkish blush rose to his cheeks. He set the book aside and rose, reaching for Zaphare's hand to pull her with him. "Come with me, I'll show you."
Last updated on the May 24th 2024