[SE] the apple of my eye

-Zavien-

"I'm glad you were able to get away for a bit." Zavien grinned at his friend who'd been working way too much recently. After running into Alys in New Haven, he'd made it a point to seek out the courier. Clasping Tal on the shoulder, he led them into the center of Queen's Gambit. "I've missed our cooking sessions." It had become somewhat of a random bonding experience between them, and they always brought a smile to his face. 

This time around, the Dragoon had procured some apples covered in butter, cinnamon, and sugar. The wrapped goodies were packed full of seasonal flavors just waiting to be roasted over a flame. And luckily, the Eye of Fire was close enough to be the perfect spot to enjoy their snack. 

The orange flame rose before them, the heat a welcome presence as the first snows of Deepfrost began to fall. Sol bounced forward with excited chirps, catching snowflakes in his mouth and spreading his wings to watch them run down the golden membranes. Zavien couldn't help but smile at everything.

Life is getting up one more time
than you've been knocked down.

"Me too," Tal agreed ruefully as he'd followed Zavien into the hedge maze. In winter the roses were dormant and the labyrinth seemed more sluggish, with fewer tricks to be played on those who crossed its boundaries. With Boreal and Sol to provide aerial directions through the skeletal, leafless branches of the overarching bowers it was much easier to find their way to the center where the Eye burned ceaselessly, night and day.

The courier still shuddered a little when he saw it, remembering the last time he'd been there. There had been death and blood that day, and he had almost died, too. All in pursuit of an artifact that had ultimately been lost...

He shook off the old, painful memories with an effort and turned to Zavien with a forced smile that became a little more natural as the Dragoon unpacked his goodies. "Leafchange really got away from me." The admission was more than a little apologetic, and Tal set his own Bag of Holding down and began to draw out his own contributions. A large jug of cider, pressed only a few weeks earlier from the last apples of Leafchange emerged first, followed by a couple satchets of spices and a big copper pot, along with an apple and an orange.

Boreal watched Sol with a maternal indulgence, rumbling encouragement to the young dragonet's excited 'hunt' for snowflakes as she stretched out on the cold ground, perfectly content in the milder cold of King's End's snows. Tal glanced over at the two dragons and grinned, then went back to pouring the cider into the pot over the satchets. "So, you an' Lena...?" he coaxed slyly, looking over to his friend as he set the cider to mulling at the edge of the flames.

-Zavien-

"That's okay. Leafchange seemed a little more chaotic than usual. The strange gourds didn't help either." It'd felt like the season had flown by. One minute a leaf was falling, and the next, the trees were bare. But he was grateful for the change, enjoying the festive atmosphere that was starting to spread over Caido, bringing him back together with friends. Sol agreed wholeheartedly, spinning in around to show Boreal how the snowflakes twisted with the movement. Meanwhile, his tail dragged, making a circle around him in the snow.

Zavien placed the wrapped apples into the fire, using a stick to settle them amongst the flames. A bright and proud smile spread across his face, accompanied by a tinge of blush at the attention heat. "Yeah... Me and Lena. It's pretty new, but things are going well." He was still struggling to believe it himself. And yet, he was happier than he'd ever been, and he had no doubts that it would only get better. Maybe one day, he'd be as strong as Tal and his partner. Then it was his turn to raise the eyebrow, grinning. "I finally got to meet Alys. She's really great."

Life is getting up one more time
than you've been knocked down.

"Better'n all those restless spirits last year!" Tal grimaced, but the oddly wistful expression was momentary as he caught sight of Sol playing in the snow. He couldn't stay pensive for long with a little dragon being so adorable nearby! Boreal clearly agreed, her tail snaking through the snow in a wag that was like a serpentine snow angel, sweeping two piles of fresh white powder off to either side. She let out a soft, warm whuff of admiration for the pretty way Sol made the snowflakes dance around his golden scales.

With the apples set to baking, Tal finished spicing the cider and pushed it a little closer to the flames so it could start heating for a good mulling. "Well, y'made a pretty great team at the murder mystery. Y'look like you're off to a great start!" He grinned at Zavien and would have started peppering him with questions, but the Dragoon's tactics were impeccable. Mention of Alys completely derailed the courier, whose grin turned suspiciously soft at the edges as he downright beamed with pride in his partner. "She is, isn't she? I still dunno how I got so lucky." He ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck to hide the pink tinge of pleasure in his ears. "Has she done a readin' for you yet? With th'cards?"

-Zavien-

"Very true. I heard those were a menace." He hadn't experienced any run-ins himself, but he'd heard some traumatic stories that made him more than grateful. Now, if any stray spirits tried to get at him, Sol would be quite the formidable opponent. At least that's what Zavien thought before he saw his companion flop down in the snow, dizzy from his many circles. His tongue lolled out while his wings splayed out across the snow, still lazily flapping to shift the falling snowflakes. 

Zavien chuckled, shifting his attention back to the conversation. He was flattered to hear Tal's words, his smile widening until it nearly hurt. "Thanks." The expression was reflected by the courier when Alys was mentioned. Understanding resonated through him and he instinctually built his friend up at the blessed sentiments. "Because you're a good guy who deserves a great partner." Clapping him on the shoulder, he winked before shifting the apples amongst the flames again to keep them from overcooking on one side (a futile effort). The Dragoon nodded his head as he said, "She has! It was really interesting. I don't know how much I'll rely on it, but I enjoyed the experience." It ended on the 'doom and gloom' side, but he was too much of an optimist to linger on it too long.

Life is getting up one more time
than you've been knocked down.

"Yeah... menaces," Tal muttered, trying to ignore the pang of loss and memory that went through him. He shook it off resolutely, focusing on the task at hand as he set the cider to mulling and turned his attention to the antics of their companions. Sol may have needed a break from all his spinning, but Boreal just wriggled her way forward through the snow to give him a gentle snorfle of encouragement before raising her head to catch some of the dancing snowflakes on her tongue.

Looking back at his friend, Tal could swear that he'd never seen Zavien smile so big and it clearly delighted him. The Dragoon definitely looked just as happy to see the courier's soppy face when Alys was brought up. It was a good thing he was already looking away, because the additional compliment flustered the courier so much that he gave a quiet harrumph of embarrassed pleasure, taking the clap and devolving into incoherent muttering until he could clear his throat. He regained a semblance of normalcy as he managed to steer the conversation to Alys's profession and the reading she'd apparently done for the Dragoon.

"Yeah, it took me a while t'get used to it," he admitted, stirring the cider idly. "I'm not usually one for futures an' fates an' shit. But in all these years she's never steered me wrong or given bad advice with th'cards, so..." He shrugged, his soft grin still lingering.

"But tell me about Lena! How'd you guys start datin'?" He leaned forward, pale eyes sparkling with reflected firelight as he settled in to hear all the juicy details.

-Zavien-

Unaware of any deeper emotional interactions with the spirits, Zavien was more focused on the pure-hearted playfulness between their companions. Sol took the encouragement as a new burst of energy, rising on stubby, wobbly legs to reach his snout back up to the sky. He let out a small yip, opening his mouth to catch more snowflakes on his tongue. The little dragon turned to show Boreal, not realizing that they'd already long melted, but proud nonetheless. 

Zavien didn't comment on Tal's discomfort, grinning pleasantly as he turned back to tending the food. He tilted his head as the apples turned. "Well, I trust your judgement, so I'll be sure to take her readings seriously." Which meant he needed to be careful about getting too wrapped up in the Void and Family issues, but that was something to mull over at a later time. 

Blushing further as his distraction came to an end, the Dragoon ran a hand through his golden hair again. "Well... I've had a crush on her for a while, but Koa encouraged me to act on it." Their discussion had been mostly his friend hyping him up, but it'd done enough to convince Zavien to try. He knew he'd regret it if he didn't. Not that things went exactly as planned. "In a way, she asked me out before I got the chance." He chuckled, a little embarrassed that he'd toed the line until she'd finally pulled the trigger. Shrugging his shoulders, his grin didn't faulter. "So we went to dinner, and now we're dating." As much as he was an open book, he didn't know if Lena would appreciate him revealing too much (not that there was much more to tell), so he left it a little simpler, just happy that they'd finally come together.

Life is getting up one more time
than you've been knocked down.

Boreal couldn't see the snowflakes on his tongue, but she could sense the snowflakes in his heart and she gave a rumbling croon to let him know how impressed she was! Her own snowflakes were turning to water before they even hit her own tongue as the residual heat of her fire breath melted the delicate crystal structures when they got close. Still, she clearly enjoyed the exercise and was pleased as punch to be sharing it with the bold young fledgling.

For his part, Tal managed a less-sappy grin at Zavien for his friend's support. He fussed with the cider while the Dragoon tended the apples, stirring the concoction slowly as the heat started to rise from it as a fragrant steam. He was more than ready to let the other man answer questions for a bit, and at the mention of Koa he chuckled. "He's th'best damn wingman a guy could ask for," he agreed. "He's helped me out afore, too!" Now if only he could figure out a way to return the favor... But first he wanted to hear about Zavien's date!

Pale eyes gleamed brightly as the details were conveniently skimmed over, and Tal's grin turned a little wicked. "So, wait, was that dinner y'went to th'one in Halo? With th'murder mystery game?" Had they been dating before or after the last time he'd seen them together?

-Zavien-

A single snowflake made it into Sol's nostril, causing him to jerk back in surprise with following puffs of smokey sneezes. He shook out his golden head and looked around to see the snow having melted in his bursts of heat. Shocked, he let out a grumble of alarm, looking to Boreal with confusion and desperation. The little dragon didn't seem to grasp that the fellow fire breather wouldn't be much help in restoring the patch of ice. 

Meanwhile, Zavien felt confident that the apples were probably done, hooking them on his stick to pull them from the flames. Trying not to burn his hands, he chuckled at Tal's own experiences with 'the best wingman in Caido.' "That doesn't surprise me." Koa's popularity with women seemed to extend to those in his proximity just by association. Too bad the poor guy had such bad luck himself. He winced at both the thought and the hot package that brushed against his callused skin. "Maybe we can repay the favor one day. Let me know if you find any nice girls we could introduce him to." Grinning, he gave his friend a wink, hoping they might just have a chance if they worked together. 

At the following question, Zavien raised his eyebrows and set aside the crispy apples to cool. "Hm? Oh, no. That one was maybe our third? Our first was a restaurant in the Hollowed Grounds." His smile was soft as he remembered the night filled with magical lights and comfortable conversation. They still needed to go back and see the Atheneum at some point. But for now, he looked back to Tal, his smile turning sheepish. "I would have told you while we were there, but we were a little distracted with the whole 'murder' plot." And it had been so new that he'd been reluctant to tell people, not quite believing it himself. Now, he seemed to be telling anyone who would listen.

Life is getting up one more time
than you've been knocked down.

Boreal watched Sol's sneezes with concern, wriggling a little closer to gently nudge the smaller dragon with her muzzle. She didn't quite understand the source of his distress, but she knew that he liked snowflakes and after a few moment's of serious draconic thought she pushed herself to her feet so she could use her tail to sweep more snow forward for Sol to play in.

Tal left the apples to Zavien while he tended to the cider, stirring it and leaning over to sniff it appreciatively. It was just about done, too, and he wrapped a cloth around his hand so he could grasp the pot's handle and pull it off the fire. "Yeah, definitely! Just gotta make sure they like him for more'n just his pretty face," he added with a rueful grin. After all, Koa also had a great personality!

He poured the cider into a couple of small mugs that he pulled out, a little chipped and worn but clean and still serviceable. The pot was set by the apples to let the rest of its contents cool enough to be packaged up for travel later. Pale eyes immediately turned back to Zavien with curiosity as he handed one of the mugs to his friend and then curled his hands around his own to warm them. "Hey, no worries. It took Alys an' me ages t'tell anyone else," he admitted, his own smile a little lopsided. "So I get it. There's somethin' about bein' able t'just be t'gether without other people pushin' their expectations o' what your relationship should be on y'both." He blew on his drink to cool it and then took a small sip, hissing a little at the heat on his tongue but looking quite pleased with the flavor. "So, got any ideas for your next date?"

-Zavien-

Released from his fit of sneezes, Sol reassured Boreal of his wellbeing, immensely pleased with her method of cheering him up. He immediately hopped into the mountain of snow with an excited chirp. His body vanished beneath, only evidenced by the shifting of snowflakes from his wagging tail. Convinced that he was completely invisible (and that she'd forgotten the last fifteen seconds), the dragonling popped his head out with a squeaky roar, trying to surprise the older dragon. 

Zavien burst out into laughter at the sound, shaking his head. He couldn't figure out what he'd done to deserve such an amazing life. Even his current conversation brought him joy despite Koa's recent luck with love. They'd find him someone if they had to search all of Caido. "True. They have to like him for his muscles too." The Dragoon chuckled, giving Tal a joking wink. 

He accepted the mug of cider, appreciating the warmth in the snowy chill. It helped that Tal validated his actions, absolving him of any guilt that may still linger about his decision not to say anything. Relaxing into the conversation with a soft smile that seemed glued on whenever Lena was the topic, he said, "I promised to take her to the Atheneum. I thought about making a trip out of it." He hadn't yet decided what kind of trip, but he'd been waiting for the right moment to plan things. Shrugging his shoulders, Zavien pushed the conversation back to Tal as he offered a bundle of cooked apple. "But you and Alys seem pretty serious..." He paused, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Do you ever think about marriage?"

Life is getting up one more time
than you've been knocked down.

The white dragon was clearly pleased with herself as Sol made his approval of the snow known and disappeared within the pile. She rumbled happily, shuffling her foreclaws against the frozen ground as she made herself comfortable--

The tiny terror that popped out of the snowbank had her blinking a moment in bemusement before she realized what he was doing. She promptly whuffed in 'surprise' when she made the connection, however, and rolled dramatically onto her side in surrender to the fierce snow dragon!

Tal tried not to laugh. He really did. He bit his lip so hard he was afraid he was going to bite right through it, but in the end it wasn't enough. A snicker escaped first, and once he started he couldn't stop the full-bellied laugh that followed, forcing him to wipe a tear from his eyes. "At least y'can sleep soundly at night with a proper guard-dragon like that!" His laughter finally trailed off - spiking briefly at Zav's teasing of poor Koa - leaving his hands steady enough to pour the drinks.

Talk of dates was at least a little more serious, and the courier nodded encouragingly at the idea. "Hey, I should take notes. I bet Alys would like t'go see a library, too!" Maybe not the Atheneum - she was from the Grounds, after all, and was probably tired of the place - but the Greatwood had one, and so did Stormbreak...

Okay, maybe the one in the Greatwood, now that the Void had been knocked out of it--

Zavien was damn lucky that Tal had just finished swallowing a sip of cider or the Dragoon would have ended up with cider sprayed all over him! As it was the courier sputtered and coughed, thumping his chest to clear it before he could speak. "Wh-- marriage? I, uh... we haven't... it hasn't really... I mean, we haven't been t'gether that--" The pink that flamed up the back of his neck and ears threatened his whole face as he groped for a way to respond. He finally settled on: "Y'know what, we should prob'ly get goin' soon." It was weak and he knew it, even as he gestured to the apples as if they were a lifeline and he was drowning in the Maria Mundi. "Think we can split one afore y'pack 'em up?"

Because nothing said oh fuck oh shit oh fuck does he know something I don't??? like seguing the conversation smoothly into food!

-Zavien-

Blasting a puff of victory smoke, Sol spread his wings wide to let out an 'intimidating' roar. And then it was his turn to check on Boreal, somewhat concerned that his terrifying display had caused her serious harm. Jumping out of the pile, he offered his golden snout and a soft snort of question. 

The Dragoon could barely stop laughing long enough to say, "Absolutely, you should hear him snore." Between the two of them, they would scare away even the fiercest of foes. No one dared bother their house with the rumbling depths of their sleeping symphony. 

Taking a sip of his own cider to calm the laughter, he gave his friend an excited smile. "Maybe we could make it a double date some time!" He and Lena didn't really have any 'couple' friends, and it might be nice to spend time with people in a similar situation. It might also be nice to have someone to turn to with any questions. Like... marriage?

Tal's reaction was better than anything Zavien was expecting to hear. He hadn't had many opportunities to tease friends about their love lives, and he immediately understood why his friends enjoyed pestering him. It absolutely made his grin widen with delight for the obvious affection that fueled such a volatile reaction; however, he also knew the feeling of flushing skin and tumbling thoughts. Both to keep his friend from choking and show his empathy, Zavien clasped Tal firmly on the back, his laugh pushing through like the warmth of the fire. "Oh, come on. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just curious if it'd ever crossed your mind." After all, it was the next 'logical' step in a relationship, even if some never decided to take that leap. 

To prove his words, the Dragoon let the topic go, refusing to comment on the red cheeks or attempts at diversion. "I wouldn't have brought them without planning to eat a few." With a playful grin, he reached out to offer one of the wrapped apples that had finally cooled down enough for consumption. Maybe it would be enough to smooth over the nerves.

Life is getting up one more time
than you've been knocked down.

Boreal was doing her best rendition of a 'swoon' (a challenge when a dragon was as burly as she was) but clearly she was an expert actress - at least, if Sol's reaction was anything to go by. The little dragon's concerned snort drew a reassuring rumble from the pale companion as she took care in rolling back onto her belly and flipping her wings to resettle them. She rested her chin on the ground as she gave the younger dragon a playful croon, tail sweeping through the snow behind her in a contented, snaky wag.

The two men were still laughing as cider was poured and dates were discussed, and Tal blinked in surprise before giving a vigorous nod at the mention of a double date. "Yeah! I'll run it past Alys, but I don't see why not," he agreed, surprised at how easy the agreement came to him. Before he'd met Alys it would have been a stressful proposition, but now... well, it didn't seem nearly so scary. No, the uncertainty and the spike of adrenaline that made him stumble over his own tongue came from Zavien's next question - one that Tal had very clearly not been thinking about, but he sure was now!

Thankfully the other man didn't press his advantage, and Tal let the warm weight of his friend's hand on his back and the reassurance in his voice soothe the courier's ruffled feathers. He was still jittery, but he flashed Zavien a grateful glance when the Dragoon was willing to be distracted by hot baked apples and he accepted one as the peace offering it was. "Are you an' Lena goin' t'th'Festival t'gether?" he mumbled out around the crisp, flaky pastry and sweet, juicy apple, trying not to miss a crumb of the warmly comforting treat.