Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
Posts: 2,439
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Post by Avu on Nov 24, 2008 17:24:35 GMT -5
You know I love you, T'kalmine. But if you are friends with /Its/, I will not - /I won't let you/. T'kal blinked, gaping at the brown dragon who was watching him, his eyes tight and controlled, nostrils flared, a low hiss emerging from his throat. Its. That would mean Kindrith's; "It" was the blue's...nickname...granted to him by an irate Leweleth, who seemed fully intent on keeping that nickname, despite T'kal's insistent urging to change it. The invariable response was that It is not worthy of a name. And while T'kal didn't like the fact that there had been something close to aerial battle between brown and blue, that still didn't cancel out the fact that he had a friendship of sorts with E'yan.
"I - I - Leth?" The Brownrider protested, his fingers stilling. T'kal had been adding up his marks, figuring how much, roughly, he'd have left if he purchased a kitten from the next Gather. He'd been thinking about it already, and the fact that both Tanith and Leweleth had encouraged such a gesture (though why Tanith's opinion mattered to him still bewildered T'kal slightly) had only heightened the desire for one of the felines. "What?!" You heard me. Its does not deserve a friend like you. T'kal couldn't repress the splutter. "Leth! That's - that's - that's completely ridiculous!" You would be /friends/ with someone who tried to /attack/ me? "I'm not - friends - with - with Kindrith," T'kal answered lamely. Apparently, Leweleth credited that too weak for an answer, replying with a mere snort. "Can I - can I go talk to him? Maybe - something - can...change?"
The brown contemplated his Rider briefly, clearly displeased. If you must, I suppose you may. His head dropped, his eyes suddenly cool greens and blues. I can carry you there, if you'd like. "You just want to aggravate him, don't you?" Him? Certainly not. I want to aggravate /it/. "No. Thanks." Leweleth snorted dryly. Your call. If you ask me, I think you should rub it in about how you'll be getting a kitten and trying to Impress a little cousin and how you Flew Tanith's /twice/ and - "Leth!" It's all /true/. "Still. Still. No, Leth, just - no. I'm trying to make it work, not collapse."
Another dry snort. Your call, I suppose. "Love you, Leth." The Brownrider rubbed his eyes wearily, dropping his pencil and trotting from his Weyr. Thank Faranth that a happy coincidence had Kindrith and Leweleth on the opposite sides of the Rider's Weyrs, or there would be definitely a clash. T'kal skirted the doors of the other Weyrs, one hand dropping lightly on the railing of the staircase as he hopped down and presented himself in front of E'yan's Weyr, half-praying the Bluerider wouldn't be there as he ran his fingers through his long, bloodred hair, golden eyes guilty as he raised a hand, rapping on the door lightly. "E'yan?" he called through the door, his voice level. "It's T'kal. I - um, we need to talk."
He sounded like he was bringing news of a death. And he felt like he was, too.
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Post by dragon on Nov 24, 2008 17:40:03 GMT -5
E'yan glanced up at his door when it was tapped on. That was a decidedly odd occurrence ... no one had ever visited the bluerider in his weyr before. Having already been standing, E'yan made his way around a chair that was out in the middle of the floor, toward the door. His gait was slightly odd, as he had one boot on, and the other was on the chair. He had been in the middle of putting the items on..
E'yan paused slightly at the sound of T'kal's voice. T'kal? Now, this really was something special. The shy lad was starting to get better. But the sound of his voice was ... decidedly worrying. Had something happened to him? Slightly concerned for the younger rider, E'yan pulled the door open, and looked out at T'kal.
"Hello." He said, before stepping back by way of inviting the lad in. He resisted asking if T'kal was alright ... it was rather obvious that something was upsetting him. And he suspected that he was going to find out really shortly like what it was without having to ask. Which was good. "What's on your mind?" He said, deciding that was an okay thing to say, since T'kal had outright said they needed to talk.
Out on the ledge, Kindrith shifted how he was laying, to peek inside to see who it was that was visiting. He was busy soaking up every scrap of sun that hit the ledge - though it wasn't much at the moment - and was unwilling to move too far. Yet his curiosity got the better of him anyway.
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Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
Posts: 2,439
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Post by Avu on Nov 24, 2008 17:56:46 GMT -5
In the few moments that passed between T'kal knocking, and E'yan answering, the Brownrider's nerves had gotten steadily worse. Shards, shards, and shards! Why did this petty thing - not petty, really, but still - have to rise up? Argh. So irritating. (Not Leweleth - he loved Leweleth. This whole fardling situation was what was bothering the Brownrider.) Like I said. /Its/ is making you nervous. Not E'yan, either - /everything/. What did you /do/ that made Kindr - And the door was opened, and T'kal managed a feeble smile at E'yan, following the Bluerider into his Weyr uncomfortably, his eyes flickering to Kindrith as he wondered vaguely if the blue would rip off his head at his simply arriving at the Weyr.
No? Apparently not. Well. That was fine too. E'yan's question drew a slight sigh from the boy. "It's Leweleth," he stated quietly. "It's - " He paused, shrugged helplessly. "Tanith's Flight." His face didn't warm at the thought, as one might have suspected; he was quite beyond embarrassments about trivial things like whom Flew whom; it was just too complicated to worry about and anyways, it wasn't like he'd been the one actually after Tanith - or Hers. (In fact, if he'd had to have chosen someone to Fly, they, in all probability, would not have been /pregnant/.) "He's...really upset. About..." His head tilted in Kindrith's direction, one brow rising slightly in an unasked question: What, for Faranth's sake, had prompted the blue to attack Leweleth?
I got my revenge, the brown stated smugly. So you did. And you got yours. I didn't.../want/ or /need/ revenge. We got it anyways. No denying that Leweleth was opposed to forgiving Kindrith at all. He seemed to be delighted by the fact that the blue had failed where he had won - it nearly made T'kal want to throw something at the brown. "And..." The Brownrider hesitated, fumbling for words. "I don't know, I was just wondering if - if there was anything - ?" The phrase anything we can do never made it out of his mouth, T'kal merely shrugging again, helplessly. "Leth's really upset," he reiterated quietly. Can't you come talk to Kindrith or - something? No. Fine. Don't come down. Just /talk/ to him, for Faranth's sake.
T'kal could imagine the brown's nostrils flaring, an angry hiss emerging from the brown's mouth. Mine wants me to talk to you. So I am, he grumbled unwillingly at Kindrith. Why'd you attack me? And how long does a 'talk' have to be to qualify as a 'talk'? Yes, he was definitely irritated. And, apparently, he was not going to make this easy for Kindrith. At all. Leweleth felt neither particularly generous nor sympathetic, and was just itching for a reason to soundly berate Kindrith. As if attacking someone in a bout of Flightlust wasn't /enough/. But no, he'd wait till the blue snarled at him for something and /then/ he could just throw /everything/ at him in a verbal avalanche. Yes. That would be very satisfying indeed.
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Post by dragon on Nov 29, 2008 13:17:17 GMT -5
E'yan stood there and listened in silence as T'kal said what he was there for. After a moment, he heaved a weary-sounding sigh and made his way back to where his bed was. Sitting down on the edge of it, he lifted the boot off the chair. He then kicked the chair with his booted foot, sending the chair skidding a mere foot toward T'kal, in an invitation to sit. He turned his boot over and thunked its sole a few times, to knock anything that might be in it out before he put it on, as he tried to coordinate his thoughts. E'yan had known that something like this was going to come up eventually. Especially after Kindrith had sharding nearly taking Leweleth's head off. He looked up at the lad, and gestured at the seat.
"It wasn't anything Lew did, T'kal. That much I can assure you. All Lew did was be there, and be brown at the same time. Kindrith … has a certain deep-seated hatred for browns in flights. And he doesn't really like them outside the flights, either." E'yan started. He didn't know if the lad would understand … and hoped that the dragon-rivalry that had started wouldn't ruin budding rider friendships. T'kal really needed friends.
Disinterested in the talking, Kindrith turned his head to look back out at the weyr in general, resting his chin on his forefoot lazily. What sun he was catching felt good, and it was making him a little on the drowsy side.
"I don't know if there is anything we can do about it, actually. I have been trying for turns to do something about it, to no avail." E'yan said. "But then … I never had a friend that rode a brown, either, to work with. If we can get Leweleth on the bandwagon, we might be able to dull that hostile reaction?" E'yan asked, as he tugged his boot onto his socked foot and rested the foot back on the floor again. Kindrith listened passively as Leweleth spoke. The twit-headed wherry-pile wanted to talk? Well, first he'd have to be smart enough to be able to talk. Dodging most of the probing, Kindrith eventually replied to the brown. As long as Lew stayed away, Kin could sort of be peacable. But if the brown came over, there was no telling whether the older blue would gnaw the brown's head off or not. Stealing his green like that … again. In Kindrith's mind, all browns were the one and the same. You'll have to ask yours how long a talk is. He blandly stated, with almost no tone.
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Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
Posts: 2,439
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Post by Avu on Nov 29, 2008 13:45:45 GMT -5
((T'kal protests to the comment about him needing friends. Mostly because it's true and he knows it.))
Uncomfortable. Very, very uncomfortable. T'kal's gaze faltered, falling from E'yan and settling on the floor as the Brownrider waited, watching in silence as E'yan sat down, and offered him the chair. Slowly, T'kal bit his lip and sank into the chair, running his hands through his hair with a slightly wry, anguished grin at the Bluerider. This couldn't be fun for either of them, and he didn't want to make it any more uncomfortable than it already had to be. Still, he fretted slightly, tapping one heel thoughtlessly on the chair leg as he watched E'yan, still biting his lip uncertainly, though he let the silence drag on while the Bluerider thought.
The explanation made him fidget even more, biting his lip harder still until - Stop. You're hurting yourself. T'kal instinctively raised one hand to his lip, almost absently checking for blood. None; he dropped his hand to the hem of his tunic nervously. "I..." What could he say? Leweleth had a long memory; he tended towards remembering things that the average dragon might forget - which meant it would be a long, bitter mental battle before he could convince Leth to like Kindrith at all. And while the brown was usually quite intelligent, being physically attacked was simply - too much. No self-respecting dragon would take a random attack lying down, and - well, it simply wasn't a surprise to T'kal that Leweleth refused to put up with the blue.
On the other side, if he could convince Leweleth, as long as Kindrith didn't blatantly attack him again, it...might actually work. Kalmine, T'kalmine, he will not be friends with me. He already got /that/ point across quite effectively. The brown's tones were no longer wrathful - instead, they were quiet, merely stating the truth as he saw it. I choose not to put either of us at risk. The Brownrider shook his head slowly, absently, raising his golden eyes to meet E'yan's. "I - Leth - um, well. He doesn't really...Leweleth can be kind of stubborn...and he's definitely angry." If he apologizes to /me/, I will forgive him as long as it's not a mockery. But /I/ have done /nothing/ wrong. He, T'kal noted vaguely. Not It? Not worth it. "He says," T'kal pressed on warily, "That if Kindrith apologizes sincerely, he'll forgive. But - he won't...apologize or - really, anything."
The other's lack of emotion irked Leweleth. On his Weyrledge, so far away from Kindrith, the brown hissed audibly, bristling until T'kal calmed him mentally. He is /insufferable/, the brown responded indignantly. Try. Please try, Leth. He has not apologized and he is /insulting/ you. But he's not. I can hear what he's saying through you, Leth. That wasn't an insult. I will not. He will apologize, and /then/, and only then, will I deign to speak to him. He's ridiculous. /He/ attacked /me/. Fair enough... T'kal allowed grudgingly, and Leweleth dropped his wings, sprawling pointedly on the stone ledge and spreading his wings to gather the sun, dropping his head against the smooth, worn stone, not bothering to respond to Kindrith.
It wasn't his problem that Kindrith couldn't drop his pride and apologize like he should.
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Post by dragon on Nov 29, 2008 15:11:06 GMT -5
This obviously was not going well. E'yan gave it some thought, and then decided that maybe if the rest of the story was told, it might help. "When we were still at Fort, Kindrith was very similar to this … but not this bad. He chased everything that rose to the point of being rather … obnoxious about it. But he never won. The one time he was chosen, he was knocked out of the air by a brown, who stole the green. Kindrith almost died in that crash. Between the blow and the theft … Kindrith has never forgotten. And he considers all browns to be the same individual. I don't know why, but the hatred spilled over to all browns, not just that one. Most of the time I can control his aggression, but not always … sometimes he gets out of hand before I can catch him again." E'yan explained. "It doesn't help that even in all the years since, he has never won a flight, and repeatedly looses them to browns." He hoped that the explanation would help T'kal understand what was going on a bit better … that it most definitely was not Leweleth's fault, and why it was such a hard thing to shake loose.
E'yan nodded slightly, in understanding. "I can see why Lew would be angry. Any dragon worth his salt would be. Flights really aren't the time for fights, if there ever were a time for fights, and Kindrith can't seem to understand that. In fact, he's more liable to lose it and attack during a flight … probably because the emotions are already running high and hot."
Apologies. Really… that was going to go over well. E'yan couldn't see a way through that mess. "I don't know if I can get him to apologize for anything, much less sincerely. Kindrith doesn't want to be friends with a brown, I can't see a way to make him do that." E'yan sighed slowly, and rested his forehead on a hand, elbow propped on knee as he tried to think. "I don't know what would change Kindrith's opinion of browns."
Kindrith did not really notice that Leweleth did not reply to his comment… and really would have been the happier for it had he noticed. He didn't want to talk to the brown … and having the last word was an added bonus. Browns were such stinking piles of worthless wherrydung … not even intelligent enough to say something. He most certainly did not know that an apology was expected of him … and wouldn't have if he had known. As far as he saw it, it was the browns in the weyr that were committing the crimes, not him. Theft! Attack during flight! They were underhanded beasts that ought to be thread scored to between. What greens saw in them, he could not guess. It almost made him not want anything to do with greens. But the only other lovelies out there were Gold … and while he wasn't stoned on flightlust, Kindrith was well aware he was as liable to catch a Gold as a runnerbeast was liable to flame thread.
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Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
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Post by Avu on Nov 29, 2008 16:01:55 GMT -5
T'kal knew he was biased, realized he would always be biased in Leweleth's favour. After all, Leweleth was His and he Leweleth's - but he was not unreasonable, either. Had Leweleth done something to deserve it - had he lashed out or taunted - he might understand. The Brownrider rubbed the side of his jaw wearily, blinking and wishing he could just go to sleep and have it done with. Almost plaintively, Leweleth commented, Must you have him too? You have me. I love you. I'll always love you. I'll never leave you. /He/ will. Am I not enough? T'kal winced mentally, the shock unsettling him as he wet his lips. I - Leth, you /are/ enough. I just - I - friends, Leth. I need - friends. Allies. You have friends. Tanith's and Hokth's and Dasmonth's. Please. The brown subsided, though T'kal felt a twinge of guilt. They didn't need such a strain on their bond. Not now. Not so soon after.
The explanation made the Brownrider's golden eyes widen fractionally, a sober frown starting at the corner of his lip. Are you listening in? A mental sniff was the response. He has a reason, Leth. Hard luck. No greens like him. That's hardly /my/ fault. Stifling the perverse desire to snicker - clearly, Leweleth's emotions were effecting him negatively - T'kal shrugged, slowly speaking, choosing his words deliberately. "It's a pity that that happened, but...surely that was a long time ago. That was a different Weyr. This...is Selenitas. That's...past, isn't it? Dragons - they remember, but they live in present. Wouldn't it be better to simply - start over? New Weyr, new memories." He paused, biting his lip, shrugging. "I mean, I understand...but, I mean. From my highly biased point of view, Leth can be a great friend. If you give him a chance to be."
He sighed, shrugging again. "Unfortunately, I don't think that option's viable in the face of these circumstances." With another exhalation, T'kal raised one hand to his temples, rubbing them wearily. "If he won a Flight...?" the Brownrider suggested tentatively, though that had little to do with what they could organize. Green's choice, really. "Tanith's Flight was Leweleth's first time Chasing, and - well, I guess going without for such a long time would have some effect on frustration...?" Anyway, that was for humans. He couldn't really see as to how dragons would react. Leweleth was serene, as was he, after all. It was - hard to imagine being Bonded to a lust-driven creature that had no way of - siphoning off - the lust unless he won the favour of a green. "Leth's not angry anymore," he added quietly. "Not - as angry, anyways."
And he wasn't. So in tune to T'kal was the brown that he could hear exactly what T'kal did and vice versa; he was merely quiet now, thoughtfully turning over the story, coolly. You know, it takes courage to say sorry. I am aware of that fact. The brown's voice was unemotional. Be brave for me, Leth. What am I apologizing for? Oh. For - for being rude, I guess. For accidentally antagonizing him during Tanith's Flight. That is not something I will apologize for. Just try. Talk to him. Be nice. There was no verbal response, merely a snort, and then Leweleth's wings flipped open from the dark, hard sleek sides, the brown launching himself off of the stone ledge and veering around to E'yan's and Kindrith's Weyr, landing carefully on a neighboring ledge, currently unoccupied. How small these ledges were!
For a second, he merely regarded Kindrith, his eyes whirling slowly in thoughtful, relatively blank shades. Then he spoke, his voice cool and impersonal. Hear me through, Kindrith. That he even spoke the blue's name was a sign that he was trying. I know you don't like me. Neither do I like you. That's not a secret, nor an insult; I'm merely stating a fact. Another pause, his tailtip twitching against his dark haunch. Nevertheless, for reasons I do not pretend to know, Mine wishes to stay friends with Yours, which means you're going to have to put up with me, and I you, at some point or another. Mine is still recovering from...previous troubles and I am not going to add on to the stress he is already struggling to cope with. I do not ask for your apologies, nor your friendship. In my opinion, that's overly fair in your favour.
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Post by dragon on Nov 29, 2008 21:51:11 GMT -5
E'yan sat in silence once again, merely observing T'kal. He felt as if there should be something he could do for the lad. It was a little disturbing to see just how often T'kal abused his lips … either by licking, chewing, biting, or scrubbing. It was almost as if T'kal was unconsciously regretting something he'd said, and not even realizing it. E'yan found it rather amazing that the lad had any lips left, the way he treated them. They should have been chapped, raw, and bloody just from the sheer amount of licking. E'yan wondered absently if he should mention that nervous habit to T'kal, or if it would cure itself in time. In any event – it was also quite plain that T'kal was doing a lot of thinking … and probably a lot of talking to Leweleth, too.
E'yan only nodded slightly at T'kal's words regarding Kindrith's problems. "I know. And I've tried explaining it to him. But just like you say Lew is, Kindrith is a tad on the stubborn side. It was indeed quite a few turns ago. And believe me … he is better than he used to be about it." He scratched his own jawline for a moment, before looking over at the weyrledge where the blue reclined. "He'll get over it eventually. But I'd much rather sooner than later, if you know what I mean." He looked over at T'kal again, briefly. "I think Lew would be a good friend, too. When not irked." He added the last statement with a crooked grin.
"If he won a flight." E'yan repeated, after T'kal. "That would be a hard thing to manage, I think. Nor do I think it's that important. Not winning any flights didn't bother him in the slightest … until he was attacked during flight. Now it's simply the browns around him that upset him. He doesn't care if another blue wins … it's almost rote. But for some reason, he won't forget browns. I imagine nearly dying after crashing through a stand of trees might have a great deal to do with that, but…" E'yan shrugged. "Anyway. Kindrith has never known having a partner. It's not something he misses, until there's a flight happening. He doesn't miss what he's never known. Do you understand what I mean?" He shook his head briefly. "It's not really a problem. I just wish I could wash this color-hatred out of him." He listened for a moment, and then nodded. It was good that Leweleth was no longer as angry at Kindrith as he had been. Maybe there was hope yet, in curing the blue of his biased nature. Kindrith's head snapped up and around, and his big eyes narrowed warily as he witnessed Leweleth landing on a ledge nearby. What was the infernal brown doing? What a fool. Surely the idiot youngling wasn't coming over for round 2. Kindrith would wipe his puny winged rump all the way across the weyr. Kindrith eased slowly to his feet, wings cocked dangerously as he turned to squarely face the brown that looked down on him. Idiot, inexperienced youngster. Blue Kindrith might be, and smaller than Leweleth, but he was still and older dragon that had quite a bit of practice and experience behind him. And nothing made up for experience. Kindrith was drawn tight as a bow string, ready to attack at the slightest drop of a feather. And then Leweleth started speaking to him … and in fairly cool tones. Kindrith relaxed considerably. The blue didn't want to fight … fighting usually entailed getting hurt. And he wouldn't if he didn't have to. He had expected Leweleth to have sinister reasons for coming over as he had, but Kindrith realized that maybe not all things were as they seemed initially … maybe even when dealing with browns. Kindrith's form was considerably calmer as he sat back down on his haunches, and silently listened to Leweleth speaking his piece. But then he stopped talking … and apparently reached no point at all.
Typical of a brown.
Your point? What is it you want? Kindrith asked, with a mild and even tone despite the irritation he felt. The brown was just annoying him … wasting his time. The closest the brown had gotten to a point was merely stating facts. Kindrith did have to give him that much: the brown knew what the facts were. Which slightly impressed the blue. He hadn't thought Leweleth had that much squishy grey matter between his earknobs. Yes, the riders seemed bound and determined to be friends. Yes, the two dragons clearly did not like each other. Yes, they'd have to put up with one another occasionally. So? No offer was made of any sort, no request made. So what was it that was overly fair in Kindrith's favor? Despite having a fairly decent grasp of the facts, the brown still hadn't a marble to his name. The dragon was nuts.
E'yan looked over at his dragon again, exercising some serious influence on the blue. Be nice, Kindrith. He's extending a flag of truce. Offering peace. Be gracious, and take it. He's apologizing. Accept that, and move on.[/b] the man told his dragon. It wasn't entirely true, E'yan was stretching the truth more than a little. But he thought it the best … that might be what it took to cure the dragon. Make him think that the brown that had slighted, insulted, and nearly killed him was apologizing for past behavior, asking for a clean start. No matter it wasn't this particular brown that did it or not. E'yan hoped that some sort of similar gesture from any brown would do the trick.
Kindrith rebelled against E'yan's control. He trembled slightly, sitting there on the weyrledge looking up at Leweleth. For several long moments, the blue was tense and drawn tight again, as if wrestling with an idea. A completely foreign, totally unexpected concept that he had no contingency plan for. The brown was apologizing? It was about sharding time! E'yan's influence was still reigning strong in the blue for a few more moments, guiding the blue's thoughts through a certain path. And finally, Kindrith's entire posture changed to a more relaxed, easier form. And his eyes changed color to a peaceful blue-green shade, no longer tinged with the orange-red of hatred. Apology accepted. The blue told Leweleth. Simply, with a far lighter tone than the brown – and brown since that fateful flight – had ever heard out of the blue.
E'yan, too, relaxed, and he grinned at T'kal, patting him on the shoulder lightly. "Thank you." He said, hoping that even yet Leweleth wouldn't go into hysterics over having been perceived to have apologized for something. If the brown did … it just might ruin all the progress made. And in those few moments, more progress had been made on the blue than had been made in all the turns prior put together. And E'yan was genuinely grateful. Kindrith no longer viciously hated Leweleth just because he was brown. Wary of the brown he still might be – trust was yet to be earned. But the hatred had been released and allowed to move on.
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Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
Posts: 2,439
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Post by Avu on Nov 29, 2008 23:44:39 GMT -5
Shards if this wasn't the most awkward conversation he'd had since the Flight talk. Well, no. His first talk to Leweleth in well over several months had been awkward. But this - this was very close to it. He was still struggling to keep Leweleth from letting his temper escape again, still trying to keep up a half-decent conversation with E'yan, still repressing the desire to instinctively take his Leweleth's side, facts aside. Why did he need E'yan? He wasn't Leweleth. But he was a friend. That much was definitely certain. And this feeling, this friendship - T'kal liked having it. It was something he'd missed, something he'd been deprived of in that Turn - and he yearned for it. Saraina, Gina, Aliscia, E'yan - he needed them all. They were his support, his mental crutch, even if they didn't realize it. They made him feel - wanted. And - the thought of loosing one - was scary.
The brownrider ran his hand through his hair again, distractedly, though his gaze swung around to settle on E'yan, startled dismay in his gaze at the bluerider's comment. He was better? If this was better, what was worse? Shards, lucky Leth was unhurt...though, truth be told, if the brown had been hurt, T'kal would probably have been in a horrible temper just about now. "Mm," he allowed slowly, absently feeling for Leweleth's mind again. The brown was his sounding board, though a flicker of irritation let him know that on this subject, if he wanted an unbiased answer, he'd have to use someone else. Slightly hurt, T'kal rubbed his eyes. Tired. He was just tired. Of it all. "I...sorry," he answered lamely. "I'd like to help, and I'm sure Leth would if he - I don't know. He's just displaying his tenacity in all its splendor." A wry smile twitched the corner of the brownrider's mouth as he shrugged mildly.
Right. Right. The blue had never won? Oh, great...now Leth was going to get arrogant. First Chased, first Caught; clearly a sign of Flight prowess! Not. T'kal shrugged again, absently nodding in response to the Bluerider's logic. Yes. It made sense. It was logical. And yet - what else was there to do? Fish out that first arrogant miserable brown and force him to apologize to Kindrith? The chances of that were about as good as the chances of Leweleth turning into a fire lizard. What, then? Unbidden, an image bubbled to life in his mind. Aslath...could Aslath just order him not to murder browns, at least until something better came up? A possibility, he supposed, though not one he'd readily suggest or pursue, given the option.
Leweleth regarded Kindrith silently for a moment, about to go on - blues were less intelligent than browns; it was a fact; he was merely giving Kindrith some time to chew on the facts as the brown saw them - when the blue decided to speak up. His tone matched Leweleth's for the lack of emotion, and the brown managed to keep himself from bursting out in the temper that longed to explode. Resist. Resist. For T'kal. For His. He didn't answer immediately, and responded only when he trusted himself to keep his voice level, impersonal. I am getting there, he started slowly, tucking his tail tightly around his haunches to prevent it from twitching and displaying his irritability.
And - wait, say what now? Apology accepted? What apology? He had not apologized. He did not intend to apologize. Leweleth's eyes narrowed marginally, though the emotionless depths did not change. I didn't apologize, he stated to T'kal, regarding Kindrith thoughtfully. Leth, let it go by, please. He's accepting it, isn't he? T'kal's golden eyes were suddenly tight, tense. Nevertheless. How can he accept what was never offered? Don't question it, Leth. Come on. Just - thank him, for accepting. Just move on. Maybe you can be friends. Please? The last was uttered in a mental whisper, agonized pleading clear in that one syllable - and Leweleth recognized it. His head came around in the direction of the Weyr, brief anxiety coloring his gaze before he swiveled to watch Kindrith again.
With a soft huff, the brown nodded curtly. I thank you. The three words were delivered quickly; Leweleth's hurt pride kept him from drawing out the gratitude to an unnecessary degree. Lavishing extravagent flowery phrases on it would do no good anyways. He doubted it would be taken well, and he had no impulse to do so. Flowery phrases were best left to females and those who spent their time courting them endlessly - namely humans, since they could Fly anytime they wanted to. That's all, I suppose, and unless you've anything you'd like to add, I'll take my leave? Manners kept him from just taking off as soon as he was finished, the brown folding his wings against his sides and waiting for the blue's response. Hmph. Pleasing His could certainly be hard work sometimes...
T'kal let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, a grin flashing across his features as he nodded mutely. "Anytime," he answered wryly. "It feels nice, I guess - get it off my chest." He shrugged slightly. "I guess that's all, then...?"
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Post by dragon on Nov 30, 2008 16:33:28 GMT -5
Kindrith looked up at Leweleth again, silent for a moment. Curiosity tinged his eyes for a moment, as he considered the brown. Was that all? Was it? Was there something else he wanted to eek out of the brown? Hm. This would bear some thinking. Getting a weird bone, Kindrith decided to be a little more civil than normal toward Leweleth. How is Tanith? he asked, with genuine curiosity. It was remarkable that Kindrith even remembered her name in conjunction with Leweleth. He chased so many greens that they were all pretty much the same.
"It is a good feeling." E'yan grinned with relief at T'kal. "No, I don't think this is quite all. I think … I think this moment is cause for a little celebration. You can stay and participate, if you like … I have been waiting for this moment for many turns…" E'yan got to his feet and walked over to the trunk that was against the wall. He pulled the heavy lid up and allowed it to thunk solidly into the stone wall behind it. The contents were neatly arranged, but yet they were layered so deeply that it took E'yan a moment to retrieve the desired item: What he drew out of the trunk looked like a wine flask. Shutting the trunk, E'yan offered the bottle to T'kal. Boldly scripted across the side was the mark that told T'kal that is was Benden White. "Care for a toast?"
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Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
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Post by Avu on Nov 30, 2008 17:30:34 GMT -5
Was this - politeness? An inquiry that was not needed? Leweleth in his turn stared at Kindrith, hardly believing it. Was this the same blue as before? It didn't seem like it, truth be told. It's because you were brave and apologized. To T'kal's amused relief, the brown accepted the statement, not protesting as before that he hadn't apologized. He preferred Kindrith like this, in all honesty. The brown considered the answer briefly before he voiced it, this time his mental 'voice' bearing the emotion he felt, warmer at the mention of the green. She is very well, from what I've seen of her, and I think Mine wants to see Hers again. She's eggheavy, he finished. Not a queen, or a Queenrider, but still eggheavy. (How funny people were.) What had she said about her clutch? Two - two months left? There was no certainty in that time, so he didn't mention it, crooning softly. I'm sure she'll be pleased you asked, if you want me to tell her?
T'kal cocked his head, puzzled, as E'yan stopped him from leaving, moving to a trunk and digging out a - a wine flask. Celebration? Was that wise? I won't let you walk off any Weyrledges, Leweleth assured him with a rumble of something clearly amusement. Won't you. T'kal allowed a slightly triumphant smile to pass over his face as he accepted the wine flask, one brow rising in amusement as he noted the brand upon it. Benden white. The best, and wasn't it sold at Blossom Hold? T'kal unstoppered it, sniffing appreciatively at the scent that curled out lazily, and was about to take a swig when he paused. "And does our host desire us to use cups, or can we be as rude as we like and just take it straight from the bottle?" he queried good-humoredly of E'yan. Whichever was fine with him. T'kal was in an exceptionally good mood.
Apparently the problem was much easier to resolve than he'd dreaded.
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Post by dragon on Nov 30, 2008 22:37:21 GMT -5
Kindrith shifted on his weyrledge for a moment, thinking. Would it really be wise to let a green know that he had asked about her? Sounded like a good way to get his tail chewed off. No, don't tell her I asked. But it is good that she is well. And hers, too. May she lay many big eggs. Kindrith offered, by way of a blessing to Tanith's. Nevermind that humans never layed eggs, and they most certainly didn't have more than one at a time. But Kindrith didn't know that.
"Go ahead, by all means." E'yan laughed, gesturing for T'kal to take a swig as he moved back across the room toward the bed. He sat down there, a merry twinkle in his eye. "But you have to say a toast, first." He warned, laughing again. "Doesn't have to be extravagant though ... we need to get to the drinking part sometime today, after all."
What are you doing? I hope you don't intend to get that boy drunk. Kindrith said, looking into the weyr again. Of course not ... it's just a toast. E'yan replied. Grunting, Kindrith looked out at Leweleth again.
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Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
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Post by Avu on Dec 2, 2008 17:00:36 GMT -5
No? Leweleth paused a moment, mildly confused. Surely it would be a compliment to any green if a male was asking after her? Tanith was reasonable. She'd understand. She'd be pleased, wouldn't she, that not one, but two of her Chasers were interested in her well-being past being glowing and green? In Leweleth's opinion, certainly it'd be a high compliment. Far too many males just pursued females and then dropped them directly after a Flight - enough that Leweleth felt indignant on the behalf of said greens (did golds have that problem? He didn't think so). The brown shifted, with a mild shrug, as he nodded slowly. I won't tell her, but if she asks - you understand I won't lie to her? Unlikely, really, as their conversations consisted very little by way of other dragons, but it was best to get that point across while he had the chance.
The brown nodded again, crooning in soft appreciation at the 'blessing' granted by Kindrith. Nice of him - not a sore looser; Leweleth much appreciated that. I'm sure she'd appreciate that, he answered quietly, and then, with a rumble, this time of amusement, added, Though I assume she isn't supposed to hear that either? It was a given, really, that if Kindrith didn't want Tanith to hear the first, he wouldn't like her to hear the second either. Well, his choice, even if Leweleth didn't think a particularly wise one.
Toast first. Hmm, shouldn't be too hard, T'kal thought, lowering the wine flask as he considered. "Hmm..." To the blue dragon Kindrith and the amazing brown Leweleth for creating a bond, however tenuous at present moment, in the hopes that it may flourish, Leweleth put in, his tones dry and amused. Don't get too drunk. You can't count on me catching you if you take a tumble from the Weyrledge, you know. Not gonna get drunk, Leth. Thanks for your extraordinary faith in me, T'kal answered, amused.
"Just warning - Leth suggested this one," the Brownrider commented, and echoed the brown's comments, his tenor tones dropping impressively. "To blue Kindrith and brown Leweleth, for forging a bond, however tenuous it may, at present moment, be; to the hope that it may flourish into friendship; to the mutual acceptance of each other; and to our friendship. Oh," he added, as Leweleth inserted something else, "And to Aliscia's unborn baby." The brown crooned outside as the Brownrider mock-bowed, quirking one brow to test E'yan's reaction, and raised the flask to his lips, taking a drink, and offering it to E'yan as he swallowed, experimentally swishing the liquor around in his mouth. Mm - good, but then, T'kal was no professional.
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Post by dragon on Dec 2, 2008 22:13:38 GMT -5
Kindrith heaved a slow sigh. Young dragons were so clueless. No, don't tell her anything. If you tell her, she's liable to come chew on me for not minding my own business. I rather like all my peices to stay attached where they are. He remarked. No, it was just best that Tanith thought he had forgotten her ... just like all the others likely had. She hadn't wanted him, after all, instead prefering the likes of Leweleth. So obviously she didn't want his attention. It was just the way things were.
If she asked? Yes, you can tell her then. Kindrith conceeded. But it was highly unlikely that Tanith would ask ... what in the world would provoke her into asking Leweleth about Kindrith? Nothing. Nothing at all. Which made him safe, anyway. Tanith shouldn't come bother him about chewing his tail off ... or his left wing for that matter.
E'yan grinned at T'kal when he said the toast, and accepted the bottle with a low chuckle. "Don't you know the difference between a toast and a speech?" He jibed, playfully. "No, really. That was great." He lifted the bottle slightly. "To friends." He seconded, before taking his own hit off the bottle.
Kindrith turned his head to look into the weyr again, at the sound of T'kal's toast. Interesting toast! And Leweleth had suggested it? The blue looked up at Leweleth again, with a different look to him. Maybe getting along with the brown would be easier than he thought?
Swallowing, E'yan gestured as if buttering his own hand while he cleared his throat for speaking, the bottle gripped in the buttering hand. "After all, it's that hot, crunchy stuff that you have to scrape all that black carbonization off of before you can eat it." he said, with a crooked grin, eyes twinkling merrily as he looked at the young lad.
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Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
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Post by Avu on Dec 3, 2008 17:52:02 GMT -5
Still no? Well, he'd given him the chance, and if Leweleth had learned anything by watching the Greenflights, it was that greens were very finicky - they usually didn't choose a preferred mate at Selenitas, did they, and stick with them, Weyrmated or no? Who knew, maybe Kindrith would Fly her next time - the thought was accompanied with a slight pang of almost possessive jealousy, but then, it was, was it not, understandable? Tanith was the first he'd ever Flown. The brown rumbled in quiet assent, shrugging as he spread his wings absently to gather the sun, pressing the fragile brown membrane against the stone Weyrledge - the stone was easily warmed by Rukbat, after all, and Leweleth loved the warmth on both sides of his wings. It was a mark of definite trust that he spread his wings so negligently near Kindrith - exposing the most easily snapped limb his sturdy body had to offer.
Your choice, he agreed with another slight shrug, absently rubbing his cheek against the rough stone to soothe an itch. He nodded, eyes flashing in approval, at the blue's agreement to his own statement. No, he wouldn't lie to Tanith, even if it threatened his new, strained friendship - even the use of that word was questionable - with Kindrith. Deftly changing the subject, he added, What wing do you and Yours fly on? Mine and I haven't seen you training before. Not that they usually watched the wings train, but they'd usually seen glimpses here and there when they weren't flying in wings. It wasn't intentional, but - it just happened, sometimes, and normally Leweleth didn't linger, so perhaps he'd seen and forgotten Kindrith or something, but - as far as he could recall, he hadn't seen the blue, and that, naturally, made him rather curious.
The response to the deliberate tease was a grin, slightly wry, as the Brownrider tipped his head towards Leweleth. "No credit for me, bad or good," he countered with a slight laugh. "It's all Leweleth." You changed it! Leweleth accused good-humoredly, eliciting another chuckle from his Rider. "Any complaints, go right to him - as long as you're not drunk enough to fall off a Weyrledge without realizing it." Not that a single gulp of wine would be enough to make even the most novice drinker (as demonstrated by T'kal) drunk, but - the clear twinkle in the young brownrider's golden eyes made sure that E'yan could tell he was merely joking. And yes, he was incredibly cheerful at present moment. All was good. Leweleth was no longer grumping at Kindrith, and from what he gathered from the brown, neither was he being grumped at by Kindrith.
A questioning, rather blank look was the reply for E'yan's statement, T'kal cocking his head in confusion. Yes, he'd been gone a long time and just about everything unimportant and more social-related, along, apparently, with this - it had simply departed out of his mind, and showed no sign of coming back without a struggle. The brownrider paused, and shook his head, smiling wryly. "You overestimate what I remember," he stated quietly, mildly amused by his own incompetence. "If you expect me to be able to understand, you're going to have to reeducate me." And yes, if he had once known what E'yan was referring to, it had gone, leaving his mind completely blank. Way to go, T'kal.
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