Skan woke to a pale grey darkness. Pre-dawn was coming in through the open shutters, along with a breeze that smelled of early bread, phlox, and the cold high winds that flew just beyond the borders of Heaven's Bow. He woke, but he didn't move, didn't stretch his wings or legs, didn't rise and rouse his feathers. In the crook of one wing, nestled up warm against his side, like the memory of nestlings, Viktor was sleeping.
His head bobbed with every breath, and Skan could feel his mind turning lazily over itself, the night's dreams wending their ways through him like affectionate cats. It would be a shame to disturb him, whatever the hour, and now...
...Well, it was no crime to sleep in, once in a while. And true, it was pleasant to lie this way, warm along one side, with the cool freshness of the morning against his nares, and to watch the world outside slowly wake to the day. Lights flickered on far below, and the sky grew brighter by increments, and airships began their first forays, trundling with their beetle-like sway out into the air, or back again. He could hear, with his ears pricked up, the sound of a cheerful exchange, somewhere out on the streets above, the words indistinct, but the laughter evident.
It was going to be good day. And best of all, he was beginning it with a friend.
Viktor's dreams are short and aimless, but none of them are nightmares. He never seems to have bad dreams when he sleeps next to Skan, as though his subconscious can tell that he's safe. A dream where Jayce asks him a nonsensical question, and upon receiving an answer, hugs him for no reason. A dream of being an octopus again, cradled by Xander's hands. A dream of flying with Skan to the tippy-top of the Hexgate and looking off of it, Skan expressing his pride in Viktor's work on it.
Eventually, he becomes aware of his surroundings in intermittent hazy spurts. There is nothing like waking up surrounded by a big, feathered, warm body. Especially one that is there to care for and protect him. In the blissful space between awake and asleep, there is only comfort where there might otherwise be cold and emptiness and pain.
Not that he's without pain or stiffness this morning, especially curled up and leaning on Skan the way he is, but it's very secondary to the comfort. It sure beats waking up with your face smushed against a desk, surrounded by whatever you fell asleep working on.
He breathes in deeply to try to rouse himself, squinting his eyes open, and automatically his hand moves to pet the black feathers on Skan's side.
Skan feels that motion, muted though it is, and turns his head to glance back— yes, there he was, blinking back at him like a hatchling in the down, and only slowly coming to awareness. The gryphon heaves a sigh, deep and content, and his side moves Viktor along with it.
"Good morning," He mutters, as if hoping that a low register will be enough to keep from piercing the peace, "Seems we both drifted off without meaning to, last night."
Not the first time, of course. It won't be the last.
As Skan sighs, Viktor's eyes close again, briefly, savouring the comfort of this moment. He would probably fall asleep again, if Skan hadn't spoken up.
"Good morning," he murmurs. "Yes, my apologies..." Really, he had plenty of chances to get back to his own room last night, and he kept opting not to, until it was inevitable that he would fall asleep here. So, 'without meaning to' isn't exactly correct, but he won't point that out. And he'll still apologize, because he doesn't want to affect Skan's sleep negatively, or impose in his space.
He opens his eyes again, now committing to the waking world. He pets Skan's feathers with more intention. "How did you sleep?"
"Very well, thank you," He says, giving both his back legs a long, satisfying stretch before relaxing back down again, "Had something nice and warm tucked in under my wing all night long. And yourself?"
Viktor always moved stiffly, of course, that pained half-hobble that kept his cane close at hand. But Skan watches him a moment, contemplatively, to see if anything is any more amiss than usual.
"Sleeping half-sitting like that, isn't uncomfortable for you?"
"Yes, I dreamt I was an egg being sat on by a hen."
Viktor starts the slow process of stretching and moving, as well- he's quite stiff indeed, though he always is upon waking up. The warmth helps, but the position doesn't. His arms move easily, but his back and hips are definitely a bit "stuck" in their current position.
"Trust that I have slept in worse positions many times," he says, thinking of sleeping on his desk at the lab, or curled up oddly on a couch there. Or, slumped against Jayce. "Though it could stand to be improved." With how bad his back can be, he should lay flat and straight, but where is the fun in that?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
A gift!
His head bobbed with every breath, and Skan could feel his mind turning lazily over itself, the night's dreams wending their ways through him like affectionate cats. It would be a shame to disturb him, whatever the hour, and now...
...Well, it was no crime to sleep in, once in a while. And true, it was pleasant to lie this way, warm along one side, with the cool freshness of the morning against his nares, and to watch the world outside slowly wake to the day. Lights flickered on far below, and the sky grew brighter by increments, and airships began their first forays, trundling with their beetle-like sway out into the air, or back again. He could hear, with his ears pricked up, the sound of a cheerful exchange, somewhere out on the streets above, the words indistinct, but the laughter evident.
It was going to be good day. And best of all, he was beginning it with a friend.
a wonderful gift!
Eventually, he becomes aware of his surroundings in intermittent hazy spurts. There is nothing like waking up surrounded by a big, feathered, warm body. Especially one that is there to care for and protect him. In the blissful space between awake and asleep, there is only comfort where there might otherwise be cold and emptiness and pain.
Not that he's without pain or stiffness this morning, especially curled up and leaning on Skan the way he is, but it's very secondary to the comfort. It sure beats waking up with your face smushed against a desk, surrounded by whatever you fell asleep working on.
He breathes in deeply to try to rouse himself, squinting his eyes open, and automatically his hand moves to pet the black feathers on Skan's side.
no subject
"Good morning," He mutters, as if hoping that a low register will be enough to keep from piercing the peace, "Seems we both drifted off without meaning to, last night."
Not the first time, of course. It won't be the last.
no subject
"Good morning," he murmurs. "Yes, my apologies..." Really, he had plenty of chances to get back to his own room last night, and he kept opting not to, until it was inevitable that he would fall asleep here. So, 'without meaning to' isn't exactly correct, but he won't point that out. And he'll still apologize, because he doesn't want to affect Skan's sleep negatively, or impose in his space.
He opens his eyes again, now committing to the waking world. He pets Skan's feathers with more intention. "How did you sleep?"
no subject
Viktor always moved stiffly, of course, that pained half-hobble that kept his cane close at hand. But Skan watches him a moment, contemplatively, to see if anything is any more amiss than usual.
"Sleeping half-sitting like that, isn't uncomfortable for you?"
no subject
"Yes, I dreamt I was an egg being sat on by a hen."
Viktor starts the slow process of stretching and moving, as well- he's quite stiff indeed, though he always is upon waking up. The warmth helps, but the position doesn't. His arms move easily, but his back and hips are definitely a bit "stuck" in their current position.
"Trust that I have slept in worse positions many times," he says, thinking of sleeping on his desk at the lab, or curled up oddly on a couch there. Or, slumped against Jayce. "Though it could stand to be improved." With how bad his back can be, he should lay flat and straight, but where is the fun in that?