Who

D'wane, R'zel, A'ndi, Rocketh, Verokanth, Taliveth

What

Ocelot Wing's leadership attempts another bonding event. This time, it's a surprise breakfast! Not suspicious at all.

When

It is early morning of the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month of the eleventh turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Beach

OOC Date 19 Aug 2017 07:00

 

d-wane_default.jpg r-zel_default.jpg a-ndi_default.jpg
rocketh_default.jpg verokanth_default.jpg taliveth_default.jpg

It was just an elaborate ruse for him to get more bacon under the guise of building team morale.


beach.jpg

Beach

An eerie mirror, the glass-quiet Sea of Azov: the clear waters stretch along the dark-pebbled shores, and along this narrow beach. Here the faintest lap of waves belies the calm beyond; here the rocks have been ground down into finest, softest sand - those observant would mark upon the similarity between it and the sands of the hatching grounds. The soft sand soaks up summer sunlight as a sponge; painfully hot during the warmer months, it is only truly pleasant at wintertime. Rocks rise to east and west, lichen-limned and green against the abyssal darkness of stone.


Ocelot's schedule this seven included one day with drills starting suspiciously early. Like, man, what were they even doing all gathered in the bowl before the sun was up? D'wane and R'zel and K'vvan had their reasons, surely, but those reasons weren't announced. Just be there. We're drilling. Also at some point, Rocketh and Nadeeth were trying to make some sneaky sneaky inquiries via the dragons as to their riders' favorite breakfast foods. This two things were definitely connected and also the reason why D'wane calls a halt to the drills an hour earlier than usual and signals everybody to be landing on the beach for post-drill review. But the beach is not abandoned at this ungodly hour! Not too far from where the igneous bronze settles down there is a small crew of kitchen workers with some baskets that smell delicious! And there are blankets. And someone's got some big pitchers of klah set out as well. It looks like a buffet line is in the process of being set up. Blankets are spread out on the sand as well.

It's entirely possible that Taliveth passed along A'ndi's favorite breakfast food. It's also entirely possible that Taliveth gave a long list of his OWN favorite breakfast foods. The brown could discuss the topic of breakfast all day long. So when the pair land on the beach with Tali's usual graceless *thud*, the bulky dragon's red, serious-drill-time eyes immediately click back to green. You can practically hear the switch. His big ol maw hangs open in surprise and his feets begin to paw happily at the sand. A supernova explodes into the mindspace of those in charge, « ARE WE HAVING A BIG TOGETHER-BREAKFAST?! » Meanwhile, A'ndi slides cautiously from his dragon, grimacing with suspicion at the scene. "…. the fuck."

Whatever R'zel's favourite breakfast is - French toast, actually, or whatever you call it instead when you've never heard of France - he's not going to get it until Verokanth's getting to soak in the water. As soon as they've landed and his feet are on the sand, he starts removing straps, working quickly so that there's soon a neat pile of hide on a dry spot near the water's edge. Verokanth tells Taliveth, « Yes! They can eat and we can swim or sun, and we are all together! »

And it's entirely possible that Rocketh regrets drawing the short straw or whatever it is dragons do to see who gets to do a task that ended up with him hearing Taliveth give a complete run down of ever breakfast food ever. So uh… chances that the bronze actually remembered A'ndi's favorite might be pretty slim. But they have tons of food! D'wane is also stripping of the straps from Rocketh and sending the bronze into the water. « And if you're hungry, you can catch a fish. Or get a herdbeast and bring it here? » The wingsecond's jacket is totally getting added to the pile of things that should not get wet. Along with his shirt. "So uhhh… yeah. We got breakfast!" He really didn't think this plan through more than that. Should there be a speech or something? Cause, there's not. Just a hand waving gesture as if shooing the riders towards the food.

« Naaaaah, A'ndi's gonna make me a plate! Then I'll swim and then I'll sun! » Taliveth has his whole morning worked out now. His satellites beepboop in anticipation. But he has to wait a moment while A'ndi gets those straps off. "Hold on, don't wiggle so much-" He mutters to his terribly excited brown. Once the straps have been neatly laid aside, an arched brow is turned on D'wane. "Okay. Why?" A'ndi is still very suspicious. Is this a test? Is this a secret search and rescue drill? Will someone start choking or drowning or will there be an avalanche on the food? The brownrider's eyes stay rather forcibly focused on his wingsecond's face. Just going to ignore all those muscles.

R'zel believes in leading by example. As soon as Verokanth's strap-free and on his way into the water, his rider is heading towards that food table. His path brings him alongside A'ndi and D'wane. "It's breakfast! Does breakfast need a reason?" In case the answer's yes, he continues, "Or if it does, the fact that drill makes me hungry seems a perfectly good one. Anyway, it's breakfast-time." He lifts his nose. "Is that bacon I can smell?" Verokanth muses, « Though, a wherry would be very nice… »

"Because…. breakfast?" D'wane just stares at the suspicious brownrider. And does more shooing towards the food. There's a line forming. If he wants to get Tali some waffles, he better hurry. But then R'zel's here, with more words and he nods in agreement. "There'd better be bacon." That was D'wane's ONE request. BACON! Loads of it. It does look like there was a basket just solely devoted to bacon, so there's plenty for everyone. « I'm gonna catch a fish. A big one… » Rocketh starts his way out towards the deeper ocean. Dragon on a mission. A nice juicy redfin seems like it'll hit the spot this morning.

"Okay…" People, especially In Charge People, doing nice things purely out of kindness is always going to be suspicious to A'ndi. But he can't really argue with R'zel's logical points and D'wane is shooing him, so he makes his way towards the growing line. If this were any other buffet he'd probably be a lot less polite in regards to jockying for buffet position, but these are his co-workers so. He behaves. A'ndi even vaguely attempts to make conversation, commenting, "Bacon is nice." Which is an understatement. Two plates are taken, but there's a pause at the sight of what appears to be a tray full of… milk toast? Taliveth blunks his junk-trunk-butt down into the sand, wriggling in to get extra comfy. « Can you bring me a fish too? Verokanth, share your wherry?! SHARING IS CARING! » He'll eat everything if you give him a chance.

« I want to swim. If I catch a fish, I shall eat that instead. Wherry might happen later. » That's called keeping your options open. Verokanth wades out until he can wade no further, then paddles on in the same direction, displacing a nice little wave in his wake. One needs deep water for big enough fish. R'zel heads for the buffet line too. "Plenty of bacon," he confirms. It looks as if his own breakfast preferences reached the right place, too. As he reaches the head of the queue, he takes a plate and locates the French Toast, which he crowns with a layer of bacon rashers. "My mother says fresh air's good for the appetite. That's my excuse, anyway, and I'm sticking to it!" Something fried and vegetable joins the protein on his plate.

So, this may not have been out of the kindness of D'wane's heart, but there is no diabolical plan to this. It was just an elaborate ruse for him to get more bacon under the guise of building team morale. But SHHH! That's a secret! The good thing about dragons being telepathic means Rocketh can carry on this conversation even as he's swimming out to sea. « If I bring you back a fish, what will you be sharing? » Nobody's eating for free at this dragon potluck! Well, it's kinda free since no marks will be exchanged. But someone's gotta kill the food and haul it in. Since D'wane's run out of people to shoo towards the food, he's going to start making up his own plate. Mostly it's bacon. But there is some pancakes in there. And eggs over easy. And toast with a berry jam. And some sausages. And some fruit as well. Not a vegetable to be seen on this plate. "It is. Don't trust someone who says they don't like bacon." And klah, klah is also obtained.

« I'll share my pancakes! And I'll share ME! We can all be Special Friends! Do you guys know what Special Friends are?! » The latest topic that has occupied Taliveth's mind besides food. There will be plenty of pancakes to share; that's the majority of what fills one of A'ndi's plates. Syrup is poured over some layers, while jam goes on others to create a tower of sweetness. The other plate is going to be a mass of eggs and about as much bacon and sausage as he can cram on top without being a total jerk to everyone else who wants meat. … He might be a little bit of a meat-stealing jerk, though. "Fresh air? Sure. Snow's even better though." Nothing makes you hungry like a BLIZZARD.

Now some way out, Verokanth can catch his own fish, thank you very much, and does. « There are yellowtails here! » Crunch. Gulp. « They are very tasty! But not very big. » He dives again. Crunch. Gulp. He asks Taliveth, « Are you going to tell us? If we are ALL Special Friends, how is it special? » R'zel eyes A'ndi. "I can believe it, but I'll settle for fresh air. And exercise, of course." Because they've all had plenty of that. "I never think snow really goes with beaches." He takes his plate over to the klah pot, because getting up that early inevitably means that lots of klah is required. He secures the largest available mug of the stuff.

« I don't think you know what a Special Friend is! » Hibiscus mingles with the ocean air of Rocketh's mind as he's totally not laughing at Taliveth. Besides, he has some more important inquiries. « Can you put a fish on a pancake? » Cause he's already caught one yellowtail, although that one has already been consumed. But there's plenty more fish in the sea. D'wane just laughs at the mention of snow. "Yeah, but then the kitchen workers would get testy. And the bacon'd get cold." And considering the amount of bacon on D'wane's plate, he's not judging A'ndi as a bacon stealing jerk. One plateful is an appropriate serving of bacon, right? Also, time to go claim a spot on a blanket, careful not to topple the bacon/pancake pile on his plate as he sits down. "It doesn't get to the beaches. But if we wanted snow, we could always head to Southern Barrier. Or High Reaches. They should be getting snow again bout this time of year." And less murder.

« BUT I DO! » Taliveth insists with an enthusiastic mental squeal. « Being Special Friends means we'll get to hug ALL THE TIME. And you'll come over to my weyr and we'll snuggle really close! And I'll kiss you both with my TONGUE! » Whether they can see it or not, the brown lulls his tongue out for emphasis. Licklick. « At least that's what Caelisth says. » Except probably not exactly how he put it. « Ummmm I'm pretty sure you can put fish on ANYTHING! On a paaaancake, or on a waaaaffle, or on tooooaaaast, or on- » It's a long list, guys. A'ndi will grab some tea rather than klah and goes to settle on a blanket beside his dragon. Which is conveniently near everyone else! "Didn't we already do that… 'bonding' field trip or whatever to Southern Barrier?" Complete with quote-y fingers. A pause, and he adds, "I feel like we're there all the time now, though. For work." The plates are set down and Taliveth digs right in, starting with pancakes. A'ndi picks up a strip of bacon and nibbles, watching his brown with a quirked half-smile.

"I think I've had enough of Southern Barrier for a while," R'zel laughs. "And its lovely freezing pastures.// But you're right, and I expect we'll be there again." He goes to lodge on the blanket next along from Andi's, dropping carefully to his knees before he sits, in order not to spill food or klah. "And I suspect we're going to be out after those miners again before long." Verokanth speculates, « A small fish would fit on a pancake. But big fish are better. » Typical Verokanth: size is Really Important. « Perhaps a pancake would fit better on a fish? You could wrap it? Or get your rider to wrap it for you. »

Look, is Rocketh going to have to avians and the vtol talk with Taliveth? A'ndi really should have had this talk with him already, but the bronze will give a mental equivalent of an eyeroll as he goes after another fish. And another one. Can he catch two fish in one mouthful? He's certainly going to try. « A Special Friend is like when your rider likes another. Like a glowing green. But humans don't glow. And you're not my type, dude. » Sorry, not sorry. "You're talking about the baths thing? That was over what… nearly four months ago? We gotta do bonding things more than twice a turn…" D'wane actually may have done some counting on one hand. The other hand was busy grabbing some bacon. "Yeah, I've about seen enough of Southern Barrier for a while."

« OOOooOoOoooOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHhhhHhHHH. I GET IT. » Do you, Tali? Do you really? It's possible A'ndi has had this talk with him, but that doesn't mean it gets remembered, or that it doesn't get translated through Taliveth's very special, magical filters. « … Oh oh oh! OH! Guys! GUYS! HEY! Let's put pancakes…. » There's a mental drumroll of space rocks smashing into each other. « … INSIDE of the fish! Isn't that a good idea?!?!?!?!? » He's awfully proud. Speaking of pancakes, he'll leave some in the stack and go to work on those eggies. A'ndi steals his own little pile before Tali's tongue flops onto the scrambled eggs and patpats them, savoring their eggy flavor. "Do we need to do bonding things more often? Aren't drills and risking our lives together enough?" It's a serious question. aka how often do I have to hang out with you guys outside work :/

"I'm inclined to agree that doing real things is better for 'bonding'," R'zel makes air-quotes here, "than socialising. On the other hand, getting to know each other can help us to work together better, and that's kind of hard when you're in the air. Besides, it's fun to get together sometimes. Verokanth would roll his eyes if dragons did that. « I think I'd rather just eat the fish. »

Rocketh will take to the air now that he has two fish in his mouth. Luckily most of the water is off of him by the time he wings his way back towards the riders. One fish is plopped down next to the goofy brown. The other the bronze keeps expectantly, looking at D'wane. There's definitely a stare off going on between wingsecond and dragon but after a minute, with a pained sigh, D'wane does give in and gets a pancake from his stack, and some bacon and wraps it around the fish. With Rock happily consumes. « It's better with bacon. I don't think the pancake was needed. » D'wane just shrugs. "Apparently it helps." Somehow. And besides, BACON! And this is totally work. Drill was cut short an hour early, so this is still drill time.

"What's there to know?" A'ndi asks with a shrug. "Knowing your favorite color or hobby won't help in Threadfall. I'll still save your ass either way." Because he is paid to. … wait do they get paid. Maybe in bacon, which he munches while his dragon pretty much demolishes the rest of the two plates. When the fish is plopped, Taliveth's mindspace EXPLODES all over the place in starry bursts of color. « Thank you SOOOO MUCH! It's… it's beautiful… I love you. » His tongue stretches out to wrap about the fish and the last scraps on his plate, and he just shovels them all into his mouth at the same time. OM NOM NOM NOM~

As long as Tali's tongue stays to the fish and not on Rocketh, Rock's cool with this.

we'd be such great special friends though, Rock D:

Rock is still trying to make special friends with Caeli!

Verokanth is still in the water, but he starts paddling towards the shore now. Apparently five "small" fish, each of which would feed a family of humans, wasn't enough. « I am going to fly along the shore and look for wherries. Does anyone want to come? » Because dragons can do the bonding thing too. R'zel just shrugs. "If it were as simple as that, maybe. Over the last few weeks we've been searching holds, sweeping jungles, rescuing refugees… and what about the Search and Rescue and Guard parts of the Wing." There's a well-timed pause. "Besides, how else do we get an excuse for bacon on the beach?"

Hmmm… Wherries does have Rocketh's attention. And since his fish is consumed, he'll join the other bronze. And surely some of their other wingmates have also finished swimming and are a bit peckish. So dragons are gonna go do some more dragon stuff D'wane just shrugs. "I mean, if you don't want the bacon, someone else would have ate it." But now his klah is empty, so he'll go get a refill. And mosey on to "bond" with other wingmates. Eventually all the food will be consumed (maybe with Taliveth's help) and everybody will be dismissed. But BONDING HAPPENED!

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