Sleeping on the Job? (Dy)

[Requiem]

"Mhm." X'rx helped Sadi gather up her laundry, but his mind was miles away. His childhood friend didn't seem to notice. Or maybe she simply didn't care. The girl continued to babble on about one of the candidates the Wastelanders had brought over with them. Apparently there was nothing more exciting than a foreigner roughing it in the wilderness with a bunch of dangerous men. The greenrider didn't quite understand the appeal, but he smiled and nodded anyway. It wasn't any of those wild and dangerous Wastelanders in her bed last night, after all.

Normally X'rx was eager to exchange gossip with Sadi (or any of the other girls he'd grown up with). He was in something of a quiet mood today, though. Eveyth had made a comment regarding the Hatching that left X'rx a little uneasy. He couldn't tell if it was the influence of the other dragons or simply her unfailingly logical mind. Why do they fight over the flightless dragons? What life would they have, growing up blind and without wings or tails? they would either die trying or live with the knowledge that they are a burden to everyone. Better to end it swiftly before they realize. Before the bond is strong enough to destroy the humans. But because the others thought it was mean, they killed, and now healthy dragons are dead or injured. It makes no sense.

Perhaps the most disturbing thing of all was the feeling that Eveyth was right. He could find no logical arguments against her. Only emotional ones.

Maybe he was just a little too eager to escape Sadi. She certainly had that vaguely hurt expression when he abruptly picked up a basket of washing and made his way to the drumheights where the clothes lines were staked. The greenrider made a mental not to apologize to her later; right now his mind was too preoccupied to do a good job of it.

When he arrived at the lines, however, he saw an all-too-familiar blue lounging there. A small figure was leaning up against her. X'rx couldn't help but smile slightly, even if something in his stomach tightened at the sight. They hadn't spoken in so long that the greenrider was almost certain that his young friend was avoiding him. Oh well. He set the laundry down and moved, pressing a finger to his lips when he got withing Chakraith's line of sight.

Crouching by Dy'shi's sleeping form, the greenrider poked him lightly in the arm. "Hey, lazy. What you doing sleeping out here with the suns already high in the sky?" He smiled gently. Shards, the kid had grown up over these past months. He was cute. Fourteen, X'rx. The thought stopped the 'cute' train of thought.

[Ember]

Chakraith had merely been observing the flow of the river and the waterfall when motion caught her eyes and she turned her head to look at it properly. Oh. Well there was one she hadn't seen in quite some time. She couldn't say much for her young rider's avoidance of his friend. The fact that he was sound asleep and couldn't escape was a good thing in her mind. X'rx seemed to think much the same way as her, if his shushing was any indication. The blue moved her tail out of his way to Hers and dipped her head. Dy'shi was all his for a bit.

He hadn't meant to fall asleep, honest. It just happened. Besides, Chakraith would have woken him up sooner or later. Dy'shi would have preferred sooner had he known who would actually end up waking him up later though. The boy never meant to avoid X'rx for as long as he had but once he'd done it for a few weeks it got hard to face the greenrider again and so the avoidance continued. It was perhaps a bit surprising, then, that he didn't panic right away. The reason was that words nor speaker registered in his mind immediately upon being woken up.

"Mnnh?" Dy'shi groaned softly, blinking a few times to wake himself up. "X'r-" He was cut off by a yawn and when it ended he fully realized who it was that had woken him up. Erk! "Oh...ah, morning X'rx." As if that didn't make him sound like a dork. The boy mentally facepalmed while he outwardly tried to smile. "W-what brings you up here?" So not bringing up the fact that it had been a while since they last talked...or even really saw each other properly.

[Requiem]

The greenrider was thankful that Chakraith moved so that he could get to Dy'shi easier. In fact, the action alone made him feel a good deal better. If he'd actually hurt Dy - a worry that had only grown the longer the boy avoided him - the blue surely wouldn't be allowing him to sneak up on Dy'shi unannounced. Chakraith wasn't exciteable, no, but she had to be as protective as any dragon was.

Bubbles chose that moment to pop in from Between and chitter at Dy'shi enthusiastically. Wake up, wake up, sleepyhead! He flashed the younger boy several images of the suns to make his point. It was daytime! Whyfore was he sleeping? "Good morning," X'rx responded quietly. He searched the bluerider's face as Dy attempted that off-kilter smile. He shifted slightly to one side so Dy'shi could get a look at the basket by the clothing lines. "I was helping Sadi with the laundry. She's in one of her constant babble moods this morning. I had to escape." The lines at the edges of his eyes crinkled into another smile.

X'rx was too polite to bring up the fact that Dy'shi had been avoiding him. Still and all, he wanted to know why. Needed to know why. He didn't want to go back to the occasional Dy'shi sighting, after all. Of course the greenrider knew what the avoidance had to do with he just...didn't know any specifics. The specifics were what he needed to fix. Bother. How did you bring up the topic without bashing him between the eyes with it?

X'rx elected to sit down beside Dy'shi. "You were at the Hatching. Eveyth mentioned Chakraith. Are you okay?" Everyone seemed a little shaken up by it. He elected to put the topic of why Dy was running away from him aside for the moment. Until he could think of a way to ask.

[Ember]

Oh. It was the normal X'rx. To say Dy'shi was relieved was an understatement. Bubbles was met with a bit of a pained smile - the boy didn't deal with pets, particularly draconic pets, well - before turning his attention to X'rx's basket. "Ah, I see." And he did. He wasn't friends with Sadi, per se, but he was acquainted with her. He pitied anyone stuck with her when she just wanted to go on and on about whatever. It was probably terribly distracting during chores, too. Chores...now there was something Dy'shi no longer had to do as much now that he had graduated. He fingered the necklace he'd received from Erilena briefly.

The jewlery brought him some comfort when X'rx sat down. It was the normal X'rx, but could he act normally in return? He was determined to try. His determination was very short lived when his friend asked him if he was okay though. There X'rx was worrying about him and he was worried about trying to act normal or simply escaping? What kind of friend was he? He was usually strong enough not to fully cry but the bluerider's eyes welled up anyways and he launched himself at his friend, trying to hug him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry X'rx," Dy sniffed rather pathetically. "I'm ok-okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm sorry." That was about all he was able to say for the moment as he clutched at his friend. He was apologizing for avoiding X'rx, for not thinking how he felt. Of course, it was kind of hard to tell if he actually was okay considering he was crying and all but... "I'm so glad....so glad you don't hate me." He'd been so afraid that X'rx did hate him for avoiding him.

[Requiem]

The greenrider noticed his young friend's expression upon seeing Bubbles and gently coaxed the male away. He would want to go find that lovely green from before, the one who liked to fly with him, wouldn't he? She was such a vibrant little creature. Bubbles chirped in agreement and vanished in an eyeblink. (X'rx really found Skink terribly annoying. His blue's delight in her wasn't at all welcome, but at least it was a good way to distract him.)

Whatever X'rx might have expected from the bluerider, though, it most definitely was not the sudden lunge toward him or the tears streaming down Dy'shi's face. The greenrider hugged him close, his far leg drawn up to keep from being knocked over by the boy. He stared down at what he could see of the bluerider and smoothed a hand through the younger man's hair. It took him a moment to understand what Dy'shi was saying.

"Of course I don't hate you," he responded softly. "I was upset at myself for not realizing that Chakraith was asking us on her own, worried that I'd done something terribly wrong when you vanished, but I never was mad at you. It's okay." X'rx shifted so he could see Dy'shi's face, brushing the tears from his cheeks lightly. "Would you just tell me why? I didn't...hurt you, did I?"

He knew that he probably should have let the younger man go, that the bluerider would likely be uncomfortable enough with the topic without being held like this, too... Still, it had been so long since he'd seen Dy'shi that he was reluctant to let the boy go. X'rx settled for the middle ground of holding him lightly enough that the other could easily extract himself if that was what he wanted.

[Ember]

Dy'shi was quite relieved when X'rx's pet disappeared. He also felt like he knew why the firelizard had chosen to leave. His friend was what the young rider considered observant and he himself knew that he wasn't really all that hard a read. It only made him all the more glad for his friend's presence. As he clung to his friend, the return hug and hand that came up to run through his hair was incredibly soothing. While the tears didn't quite stop right away the muffled sobbing did.

X'rx's words, too, were a great help. The underlying topic was a little awkward but still...the rest was comforting. My apologies for driving the wedge between you but you needed the experience and Eveyth's was a trustworthy person, Chakraith commented. It wasn't anything she hadn't said before but Dy'shi was finally able to appreciate her judgement, if only a tiny bit. "Wasn't your fault," Dy'shi mumbled.

As X'rx drew back a bit so he could see his face Dy'shi averted his eyes. Yeah, he could have guessed they'd go more into detail with that topic. He just wished they didn't have to. Weren't guys supposed to be bad with heart-to-heart things? Hrm. "You didn't...didn't hurt me. I just...it was awkward seeing you after that. Then...it became scary to see you after a-avoiding you. I'm sorry," Dy'shi finished softly, eyes still looking anywhere but at X'rx's face.

Dy'shi wasn't exactly sitting still the entire time either. To his credit he managed not to pull away completely but his shifting and fidgeting spoke well enough. He had long since let go of X'rx to bring his own hands up to wipe at the tears that had finally stopped. With a final sniff he added, "Look at me? Such a mess, and I'm supposed to be a guy..."

[Requiem]

X'rx was tempted to tug Dy'shi closer to him. In the end, though, he simply let his hands fall and return to his lap. The greenrider didn't have any interest in making this more awkward than it already was. There were any number of ways for the bluerider to interpret his actions. X'rx knew he could just be making it worse by giving the boy the space he seemed to desire, but... Eh. What could he really do about any of it? Just try to do his best not to make it weird.

"That makes sense. There really wasn't a need to worry, though." X'rx smiled. "I couldn't really be mad at you even if I had a reason to. And I didn't, so..." A mild shrug of one shoulder. The older of the two glanced behind him at Chakraith. Again, she seemed okay. So the tears couldn't be that big a deal, if they weren't distressing the blue. That was good because they were distressing X'rx, if only by a little.

The man couldn't resist a chuckle. "Oh, I think I can say with relative certainty that you're definitely a guy," X'rx told his friend teasingly. He wrapped his arms around his knee and glanced out over the canyon sprawling out far below. "Anyway, there's nothing wrong with crying every once in awhile. I'm calling them tears of joy." He flashed Dy'shi a confident smile that was decidedly overdone. Clearly looking for laughs. "I have that effect on people, you know. They just see me and burst into tears."

He couldn't keep up the vaunted language, though, and fell to chuckling himself. "So then, Dy. You do realize that you owe me months' worth of conversations? I think you should get started." X'rx nudged the bluerider's leg with a toe. "I'd catch you up on me and Eveyth, but we really aren't all that interesting. Eve's determined to take on the world and prove she's the best. As always."

He didn't know if his attempt to lighten the mood would really do much good, but he had to try. X'rx didn't want Dy'shi to continue avoiding him. It...had bugged him for the longest time.

[Ember]

Dy'shi wasn't sure what to say when X'rx assured him it wasn't possible to be angry at him. He wasn't even sure what exactly that meant. Even the bluerider got angry occasionally. He settled for a faint smile before following X'rx's gaze to Chakraith. She'd caused quite a bit of trouble for no reason, silly thing. She glanced down at the pair of humans and gently caressed Dy'shi's mind with reassurance. All had turned out well in the end.

"X'rx!" Dy complained when his friend teased him. Now that was just not fair...even if it was kind of amusing. Just slightly. He huffed slightly and looked away. "Tears of happiness...sure, let's just go with that. He glanced back in time to see the smile and a snort of laughter escaped him at the words that followed it. "Are you sure all those people were crying tears of joy and not fear? You are incredibly intimidating, after all," he commented in jest.

"Alright," Dy'shi started with a fond smile, "but I can't really say I've been up to much either. I mostly just help out around the weyr or hang out with Erilena or go flying. I'm pretty boring." The boy faltered for a moment as he fingered the blade at his waist. It was mostly there because he felt he should wear it; he didn't actually know how to use it all that well. "I...lost a friend when those guys came. I kind of want to learn how to fight so I don't have to see any more of my friends die...but I don't know how to accomplish that." Despite X'rx's efforts, the conversation was taking a darker turn again...a testament to how much Dy needed to let what was on his mind out.

[Requiem]

"Who? Me? I can't imagine why they'd be afraid of my evil little experiments." He tried for an expression of forbidding half-madman...and managed to look more dizzy than anything else. Not that he could see himself to know how short that one had fallen. X'rx was just glad that Dy'shi was laughing and cheering up a bit now. They'd been far too serious just a moment ago.

"Not on a wing?" It might have been considered interrupting, but X'rx was curious. He hadn't seen anything of Dy'shi. (He also personally didn't understand why he was on a fighting wing, even one headed up by a Selenitas bronzerider with a stutter, but X'rx figured someone knew what they were doing. Maybe.) Was his friend on one of the Threadfall wings? He rather hoped so; it was safest.

And, almost as if Dy'shi had been following his chain of thought exactly, the bluerider got on the topic of fighting. So much for keeping things light and happy. Not that X'rx really minded discussing something that was so obviously important to the younger, but he had hoped it could stay happy for just a little bit. "I'm sorry," he uttered in response to Dy's loss, a momentary shadow crossing his face at the mention of losing people. He didn't think there was a single person who hadn't lost someone.

His next words struck a chord with the greenrider, though. His own reason for becoming a dragonrider and then learning how to fight - so no one would die protecting him again - wasn't much different. "I hunt. Hunted a lot when I was doing drudgework. Ba'sun's helping me improve with a bow. I'm sure he wouldn't mind another...and there's any number of people here who could help. Wastelander. Selenitas, too. If you ask..."

[Ember]

Dy'shi tried very, very hard not to burst out laughing at X'rx's rather pitiful looking expression. He still only managed to reduce his laughter to ill-concealed snickers. He was fairly certain that his friend hadn't intended to make such a face but it was priceless all the same. Perhaps he'd done some "experiments" on himself too, and gotten such a result. The joking idea was kept to himself though.

"Ah. I was placed on one of the Threadfighting wings until recently. I got moved to the Weyrleader's wing. Something about being impressed with Chakraith's flying or some such. I don't really get it," Dy'shi admitted, a frown marring his face. Certainly, there were aerial battles and he was fearless of heights but...surely one had to have some skill with a weapon to be on such a wing? That just made it all the more important that he learn to wield the dagger he'd been given.

Hearing an apology for the death from another actually seemed to make it worse, Dy'shi discovered. At least when he was feeling sad by himself he could brush it off somewhat. The apology just made it sink in more that she really was dead. Ouch. He didn't say anything about when he noticed X'rx's brief expression though. It seemed like he wasn't the only one hurting.

"Hunting?" Dy'shi roughly parroted. There was some merit in that but...to randomly kill animals for the sake of getting better at fighting? It seemed somewhat wrong. "I think I'll find a teacher," he added wryly. Preferably not someone from Wasteland. They were all quite...intimidating. There were a couple nice ones, he supposed, but for the most part they seemed weird and mean.

[Requiem]

"She flies very well." Even if he didn't say it, though, it had to be fairly clear from the turn of his tone that the greenrider wasn't really sure why they'd want his friend on a fighting wing, either. Unless...well, he supposed that mixing native Selenitas with Wastelander might cause the invaders less problems in the future. You know, so long as the people they stole to pad their ranks didn't get everyone killed by being completely useless.

X'rx cast a questioning glance in Dy'shi's direction. It wasn't anything expressly that the younger had said. Just a turn of tone, and the simple fact that the bluerider dismissed X'rx's own teacher, however indirectly. Didn't like Ba'sun, hm? That or it was just that the man was a Wastelander. The greenrider admittedly wasn't too fond of them either, but he knew that whatever happened now Selenitas would never leave the fight after it was joined. Some things simply could not be undone. Like it or not, learning from these Wastelanders might be their only hope of survival down the road.

Nevertheless, the older boy turned his mind to the question of Dy'shi's problem. "Most of the people who could teach you left with Ka'rys. There's M'ta from his wing, T'san and Mi'rah. Those are the only Selenitas riders I know of who could teach. And I'm not sure about Mi'rah." X'rx scratched at his elbow. The bronzerider could fight a little, he knew, but could he teach? Did he even really know enough to? Ka'rys really had stripped Selenitas of most of the people they could rely on. That or they'd died during the attack.

"Maybe I should learn, too. But I don't know if I want to get that close to anyone." A note of uncertainty had entered his voice. X'rx glanced at Dy'shi and smiled a little sheepishly. "I get the feeling I'd just freeze up if anyone tried to kill me up close anyway." No, the bow was probably better for him. That's what he told himself, anyway.

[Ember]

It seemed like X'rx agreed with him that being on a fighting wing was silly. Not much he could do about it. Even Dy'shi had pride; he couldn't go to Ja'kin and simply say he was useless. What his friend was true enough. Chakraith was a good flier and had assured him that she would protect him in the event of battle. It had always been like that with him and the blue. When he'd first Impressed he'd been so afraid he couldn't protect her only to have her immediately turn the tables and start protecting him.

"Oh," Dy expressed in surprise. "That's right. M'ta might work. Although...there are a few problems with that but..." He trailed off with a mumble. He was fairly certain he'd freaked the brownrider out the morning after Chakraith's first flight, though it had been entirely unintentional. That might make T'san or Mi'rah a better choice...except X'rx thought Mi'rah was iffy. "I suppose I'll ask M'ta or T'san sometime to teach me.

Dy'shi was troubled by the tone of voice X'rx had next. Humm. That wouldn't do. He'd dragged the topic out so he supposed it was his job to finish it up. "I'm sure you'd manage," he commented pleasantly, stretching out his spine before standing up. "But didn't you have some laundry? We should get that done then maybe we can go do something. Fancy a visit to the creche? The kids always did love to see you." Anything would be better than sitting around moping.

[Requiem]

X'rx glanced at Dy'shi questioningly, but never verbalized the question. Issues with M'ta? The greenrider didn't know the man. He found himself curious as to what these issues might be. Nevertheless, it really wasn't something important enough to press the issue on. The bluerider definitely wanted to learn and he'd find someone to teach him without X'rx's help. Unless he wanted it, of course. Didn't seem to, though.

The greenrider smiled pleasantly, even though he didn't have nearly as much faith as Dy'shi seemed to. "Just to hang up. It's not too much...you don't have to get up." X'rx was on his feet again and going back to the lines set up for clothes to dry. He fished a few pins out of the bucket and began clipping things up. Not everyone suffered their clothes to be washed by drudges, but enough did for there to be plenty of laundry to do daily.

"The creche...we could try. Last time I went Jaiya had me banned." X'rx couldn't recall the reason. Probably something to do with staging a mini coup against the crecheworkers, complete with pillow missiles and lobbing of pudding. Hey, she had said she needed them entertained. "If she's still holding grudges, is there anything else that you'd like to do?"

Rather than waiting, though, the greenrider began to list off a few things. "It's good weather for a swim, even if the water's a bit chill right now, and Eveyth would love a chance to spread her wings. Aerial sparring, even. Silly thing loves to play competitive games." X'rx lifted a brow, waiting for the bluerider's response to the suggestions.

[Ember]

Dy'shi frowned mildly when X'rx dismissed his offer of help. No, that wasn't quite right. There wasn't enough to warrant his help. No need to be bothered by it. Forcing himself not to be upset never really worked though. It was good his friend was too busy putting up the laundry to notice and by the time X'rx did direct his gaze at him the frown was gone.

The bluerider stayed standing, leaning against Chakraith. He chuckled at X'rx's admission. "Did she ban you for performing your eeeeevil experiments?" He joked, though it did concern him. X'rx, of all people, had no reason to be banned from the creche. Poor kids...they adored him. He was about to think about what else they could do but his friend beat him to the punch.

He tilted his head at the suggestions. The idea of an aerial battle seemed fun but he didn't think Chakraith would be terribly interested in something like that. She might do it for Eveyth's sake - she enjoyed the company of her siblings - but she'd prefer Dy'shi to be occupied elsewhere. "It is a bit chilly but a swim would be nice. Besides, we'll get used to it pretty quick." It wasn't like he hated swimming either.

[Requiem]

X'rx flashed a smile at his friend. "Something like that. More like I was an evil rebel leader and she didn't appreciate the aftermath." Although...things between him and his sister had been much more strained since the Wastelanders came through and turned everything on its head. Especially when she found out he was on one of the two main fighting wings. The greenrider felt as if his sister had written him off as one of them. It hurt just a bit. But this was Jaiya. She'd always been quick to judge.

And his smile broadened a bit. Swimming. Excellent. It had been awhile since X'rx had stretched his muscles properly in something like a good swim or run. He wasn't nearly as health conscious as some of his counterparts who seemed to spend every spare moment of their off time improving strength and stamina, but his life was an active one and he found himself getting antsy after awhile if he wasn't doing things physical enough.

"Just don't forget to bring warm clothes to change into. Lest you get sick from the river to your weyr," X'rx commented with a wink. He finished pinning the last of the clothes up and brushed his hands off on his pants. "There. Let's get going before she catches me again. I can only take one bout of gossiping my ears off a day." The greenrider picked up the basket and caught Dy'shi's hand, hurrying him along toward their weyrs.

(No, he wasn't at all kidding about escaping the girl. X'rx usually didn't mind the whole emotional attachment thing girls did when you slept with them, but some were just hard to be around for the obligatory reassurance period. Too much drivel.) Fortunately, X'rx had Dy'shi, a far better companion. He was quick to get some warm clothes and a towel, putting them in the basket he'd had the wet clothes in, then urged Dy'shi on to his own room.