M'ko is half burried beneath a sleeping fur, spikes of fiery red hair poking out from underneath the pillow resting atop his head. A deep groan comes from his direction as he rolls onto his side. Slowly, he begins to wake up, absently rubbing at his temples.

Talya is curled up in a little ball, on her side of the bed. Even now she looks all lonely. Awww.

M'ko rises, slowly, propping himself up on one elbow. He mutter-groans again, still rubbing at the sides of his head. "That's /really/ the last time I drink three 'skins of wine before bed..." Err.. He blinks those green eyes, suddenly, as he realizes... This isn't /his/ bed.

Talya almost jumps a meter off the bed, "Who are you?" she wonders plaintively.

M'ko blinks more, rapidly, even, at that. He quickly rolls onto his other side to peer at whoever that is, olive-green eyes growing wide. "Wh-wh-...What happened?"

Talya blinkblinks at him. "You're still here." That, it appears, surprises her.

M'ko just blinks more, repeating, "What happened?!?"

Talya sighs. She just points out at the bowl. And gets up, trying to get a fur to cover her, all nervous. "The dragons."

M'ko blinks... again and again. "The...dragons... You mean to tell me that Esh actually managed to catch a female?" He blinks, before wondering, "Or, maybe he lost, and you and I ended up together, though.. /You/ are a greenrider, so maybe he caught your lifemate, but..but.. That's impossible! He never wins!" Babblebabblebabble...

Talya looks at him like maybe he lost half of his brains in the flight. "You could ask him?"

M'ko sighs, heavily, at the proud assurance from Eshoth. "I can't believe it..." He blinks, suddenly, at that Greenrider.. "I remember you." He notes, softly. "Tanya? No.. Talya, right?" He was only able to tell the difference thanks to Eshoth...

Talya pulls the furs around her. "Talya," she says.

M'ko just blinks again, before sitting up and leaning against the head of that bed, making sure to, err... keep himself covered. "At least it wasn't your first flight..." Who'd have thought, /Moe/ making small-talk to pass the time.

Talya looks like she has no idea how to deal with this. "Er... second," she says.

M'ko nods, slowly. He sighs, finally, resting his face in his hands. "I haven't much clue what to do, either... I've been in my share of flights, but... Never ended up like this, before." Siiigh.

Talya ers. "The last time, he left before I woke up."

M'ko blinks in surprise, at that. He peers up, unable to help the faintly amused grin as he notes, "...Not very gentlemanly of him..."

Talya sighs. "That's what the Weyrleader said. But you're still here." She, apparently, finds nothing amusing in it.

M'ko blinks again, still... surprised. "If you're.. unhappy about that, I'll leave you be, but... I'd like a moment to let my wits return to me.." He sighs, heavily, at that.

Talya blinks. "I just don't..." she bursts into tears. "I don't know how to deal with it. I thought he went because there was something wrong with me." Awwwwww.

M'ko blinks more... and more. He peers curiously, at her, and, for once, Moe doens't seem like the gruff old bear he normally is. He sighs again, draping a comforting arm about her shoulders. "There isn't anything wrong with you..." He assures, gently.

Talya smiles a little tremulously at him. "You think so?" big tear-filled eyes gaze at him.

M'ko, for a change, blinks. "Err..." He shifts uncomfortably, moving to reclaim his arm. "I know so." He manages a slight, though hesitant smile.

Talya doesn't stop him taking his arm back, curling up miserably. "You don't hate me now, do you?"

M'ko blinks, more. "Why in Faranth's name would I hate you?"

Talya shrugs. "I don't know. You might."

M'ko sighs, heavily. "I don't hate you Tan..Talya." He /will/ get it right one of these days, honest. "The situation is uncomfortable, but... It's nothing that would ever make me hate you."

Talya ohs. "You don't think so? Um..." she looks unhappy. "Do you want me to go now?"

M'ko shakes his head, slowly. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to..." Maybe it's just Eshoth talking, but, "...I don't /want/ you to leave..."

Talya ohs. She smiles a little. "You don't?"

M'ko smiles slightly, too. "No, I suppose not.. It's nice to have company, for once..."

Talya smiles over a little and says "Thank you for being so gentle."

M'ko smiles back, light dimples showing. He blushes, suddenly, though, "Err.." He flushes more, embarrassedly.

Talya looks at her hands. "I've never done this before. Well, not when it was a flight and the rider was there the next day. Um... maybe we could have breakfast?" she's trying hard here.

M'ko blinks at that, still blushing, though he looks fairly clueless... "Breakfast? Why?"

Talya ohs. "Never mind."

M'ko blinks more. "No, I was..." He sighs heavily, now, looking away. "You don't have to be kind to me, Talya," He's catching on! "...Or spend time with me. Most people don't bother."

Talya swallows. "Me either."

M'ko sighs, heavily. "That's unfortunate... And inconceivable, too.." He smiles, gently, noting with embarrasment, "You're certainly kind and good-looking enough...."

Talya flushes bright red, All over.

M'ko blushes, too, glancing down at his laps. "Or, perhaps that's just Eshoth talking." /Lame/ cover-up.

Talya falls for lame though. "I guess," miserably. Mope.

M'ko sighs, pointing out, "Nothing's keeping you here, Talya... You can leave, if you'd like.. Or... I will." Shoulders rise and fall in a slow shrug.

Talya frowns. "You want to leave?"

M'ko shakes his head vigorously... Then realizes his mistake and gives a quick, indifferent shrug. "I don't care."

Talya ohs, "Would you mind turning around?" shyly.

M'ko blinks green eyes in surprise, at that, but wordlessly complies, turning his back to her.

Talya hastily dresses, failing to see tht she's left some of her underwear over M'ko's side of the bed. "Well I'm er... sorry," she says.

M'ko stifles a chuckle before wondering, "What are you sorry for?" After a moment, "Can I turn back around, now?"

Talya ers. "Yes... er for you know, the flight. I didn't mean for you to feel bad." Not that she had any control over anything really.

M'ko turns back around, now, green eyes finding hers. "That was no fault of yours, and... I don't feel bad at all.." he blushes furiously, though he notes with some amusement, "...Awfully well, in fact."

Talya glares at her shoes. "Really?"

M'ko continues to blush. "Really." He affirms. After a moment he says, "Now, if /you/ could please turn around?"

Talya ohs, and turns around obligingly.

M'ko slides off the bed, reaching for his trousers. After pulling them on and closing them, he calls, "You can turn back around, now...." And he resumes looking for the rest of his clothing.

Talya turns back around, and fishes his shirt from under the matress. "Here."

M'ko smiles greatfully, taking that shirt and pulling it on. "Thanks." He wanders in her direction, then, taking her hand gently in hers. "Thank /you/ for being gentle with me..."

Talya turns a lovely shade of pink. "I was?" news to her.

M'ko chuckles, gently. "Now... I mean, afterwards, anyway."

Talya ohs. "Well you're very kind," shyly.

M'ko blushes, releasing her hand. "...Not especially." He admits.

Talya murmurs "/I/ think so. That was your first flight, really? You were very good at it."

M'ko's blush darkens. "The first flight I'd won, but not the first time I ever..." He trails off, glancing away, sheepishly. "It's kind of you to say so, anyway."

Talya murmurs. "I wish you'd win all my flights."

M'ko blinks in surprise, at that, peering curiously at her. "R..Really? ....Why?"

Talya wells, looking a little uncomfortable "Because you were kind to me. And you didn't leave a bruise."

M'ko's eyebrows raise. ".../Bruise/?!"

Talya blinks. "Doesn't that happen all the time?" how should she know?

M'ko frowns, darkly, now. "/What/ bruise?"

Talya ers. "The one on my arm. From last time."

M'ko's frown turns into a scowl. "How did you get it?"

Talya ers. "I don't know," staring at the ground. "It just happened. Here."

M'ko scowls. "...Did he hurt you? ...That bluerider?"

Talya frowns "I don't think he meant to," quietly. "He apologised later."

"But....I thought you said he left..." Moe scowls more and more. "He hurt you, then?" Not happy about that.. Nope.

Talya ers. "After, before I woke up."

M'ko frowns. "Are you all right, though?" Then, panicked, after a moment, "/I/ didn't hurt you, did I?"

Talya nods, and shakes her head at the appropriate spots. "I'm okay, it was very nice," then shyly "I suppose you have someone you share a weyr with who'll be mad if you don't leave soon. Mope.

M'ko sighs with relief, at that. He blushes, suddenly, glancing down at his feet as he admits, "No, not really..."

Talya ohs. "Good," too quickly. "er..." let's see if she can save that. "I'm sorry. You should have. But I guess if you did, all the other girls that liked you would be disappointed."

M'ko blushes, as he admits, sheepishly, "Few girls like me..."

Talya stares at him. "I bet they all like you."

M'ko peers down at his feet, still blushing. "Why do you say that?"

Talya stares at the ground. "/I/ think you're very nice."

M'ko smiles, gently. "That's kind of you to say... I think you're very nice, as well... And, if anyone ever hurts you like that again..." He glances back up, placing a large hand on her shoulder. "Just let me know, and I'll take care of it."

Talya raises her eyes to stare up at him. "What a nice thing to say," she says, somewhat breathlessly. Smitten? Maybe.

M'ko's cheeks pinken somewhat, at that.. Dimples show again, as he gives a soft smile. "Don't forget that, Talya... I'll make sure no one hurts you again." He winks a green eye, at that.

Talya just goes all pinky-red. "I think you're very sweet," she says, with a sigh.

M'ko blushes, too. "If you say so..." He mumbles, sheepishly.

Talya mutters "Would you really stop people hurting me?" she doesn't quite believe it, apparently.

M'ko gives that shoulder a squeeze. "Of course."

Talya ohs. "Why?"

M'ko blushes, glancing down at his feet, and finally letting his arm drop back to his side. "Well.. It's wrong, and..." His blush darkens as he finally admits with a shrug, "....I like you."

Talya blinks. "You what?"

M'ko frowns, faintly at that. "I like you.. Even if it /is/ just Eshoth..."

Talya ohs. "You think it is? Probably." Mope.

M'ko sighs, grinning crookedly as he shakes his head. "No, no.. That's not what I meant... I meant, even /if/ it is.. That doesn't make any difference... I still like you."

Talya ohs, she pinkens even more. "Do you think that's because you just won a flight? Or maybe you met my sister and liked her instead of me. She looks just like me, you know."

M'ko sighs again, heavily. "Well, whether or not you believe me, I do.." After a moment, he wonders, "What do you think of me?"

Talya blinkblinks at him. She has to answer that question? Like, now? "Er... I think," mumblemumble "You're really nice."

M'ko slooowly and nonchalantly scoots closer. Voice deep and soft, he wonders, "..Is that all?" His hand once again returning to her shoulder.

Talya jumps a little. "And you're gentle, and you're sweet to me," she stares at the ground.

M'ko smiles, sweetly, inching closer yet. "That's kind of you to say..." He repeats, again, hand moving to the back of her neck.

Talya's eyes widen, and she doesn't look up. She swallows a bit. "It's...er...true."

M'ko pulls her closer, with that hand, letting his other arm curve about her waist. "If you say so..." He smiles, gently. "I'm not making you nervous, am I?"

Talya shakes her head, which is obviously untrue. "Not at all," she says in a tremulous voice.

M'ko frowns, at that, noting, "If you'd like me to leave you be, I will, but..." Inch-inch... "I /do/ like you."

Talya shakes her head. "You're very nice, I just.." eek, what is he doing? "I just... do you like me that much?"