Ten Ton Shoes [Ssssss'rei]

[Lotty]

Mi'rah didn't normally bother people over little things. He especially didn't wish to bother S'rei of all people with trivial matters, especially when did didn't have the luxury that so many of the Selenitas people did; experience with the man as the informal Weyrleader. No, the Bendenite had a distinct impression and memory of the man as someone...a little more daunting to say the least. Though, most people did manage to scare the crap out of someone as socially retarded as he was. He was better though he thought! He didn't have a plethora of friends or anything, but he had been at the Weyr for only....

A turn.

Perhaps he was still a little slow on the interacting with people portion of life, but at least as of lately he could in fact answer a question without having to look at the sky first. After all, a comment about the weather could be taken at face value here, and that took an enormous strain off of the bronzerider. No worries about analyzing for some kind of double entendre or looking for the hidden insult that was carefully shrouded between the lines. It was the simples comforts of these little facts that convinced the man that he should probably go ahead and consult one of the few men in the Weyr he somewhat knew about his slight...moral issue?

I'm not toting you up there. Climbing is good for you. Feel the burn as you ascend those stairs...and when you reach the top, it will be that much more rewarding... His dragon was absolutely no help, and while he wasn't reliant on that rickety wooden cane of his, it would have come in very handy for all of these steps. Chronic pain or no, he was not the most surefooted man to have ever lived. The walk was a strain on someone who was already as busy and beat as he felt he had been lately, and he might as well have been wearing ten ton shoes. If it helps I can see Salenth is up there, I am sure His isn't far away... Well thanks for that Kier, I know I am old, but I still have some eyesight thank you. He at least wasn't going to miss the Weyrleader's dragon sitting on his throne that is.

[Requiem]

Your broken second approaches me, Mine. S'rei glanced sidelong at Salenth. The bronze well-knew he was fully aware of the other bronzerider's approach - the moment Salenth was, in fact, and solely because Salenth was. The bronze had been taking lessons from the rest of S'rei's family...going out of his way to interrupt the man. S'rei paid him no heed from his perch in a lower window as he worked through the obligatory paperwork. Paperwork. Useless thing that everyone submitted to. No one actually ever bothered to use it, yet the records must be maintained. Yada yada. He supposed that the Ka'rys's of the world must be entertained, else how else would they duck you (and everyone else) constantly?

Finishing up with his current bit of boredom, the Weyrleader slid from the window, walking down the slope of Salenth's tail. The bronze only half-heartedly attempted to throw off S'rei's stride; wasn't as if they caught each other off-guard anymore. Except once on the beach which was rather curious. The tall man came to stand near the top of the steps, watching Mi'rah's slow progress. No cane. Hm. That was good, anyway, though he imagined it made the trek doubly troublesome for his second, injured as he was. Permanent injury? He believed that's what they'd said - or, rather, that it would carry permanent repercussions. Poor bloke. Didn't have S'rei's luck, apparently.

He reached out a hand once Mi'rah neared the top, drawing the man up the last few steps. A small smile touched his lips. "You're my freedom from the paperwork, so please tell me whatever brought you up all those steps will take a long time to resolve. Preferably all day." S'rei knew Mi'rah wasn't likely to seek him out over trifles. Certainly not when so many stairs were involved. He stepped back, arms crossing lightly over his chest as he stood. "Or make something up that will. Such a crush in hope right now might cause me to have Salenth take it out on you," he added, laughing. "That's one thing I never, ever missed. Paperwork."

[Lotty]

There were times to be proud and self reliant, and then there were other times that taking someone's hand was the only sensible thing to do. Such was the case for the bronzerider, for he was hardly hesitant to accept the extra pull from the Weyrleader. After all, without it he very well have fallen backwards right down those stairs, and not asking for help every once in a while doesn't make you brave. This was a fact that Mi'rah held very close to his heart...he would have been dead one hundred times over by now if he hadn't; too often saved by the grace of a good friend.

Settling and stepping away from the mouth of the steps was what he did first and foremost, and it was only after he was sure his legs weren't going to involuntarily collapse from underneath him that he was able to respond to S'rei with a smile. He was quite amused by the idea of being a savior from paperwork. Personally he didn't have much issue with fiddling with hides. It was rather therapeutic if you were to ask him, but for the sake of the spirit of camaraderie, he would just go with it, "Oh yeah? Well... paperwork is just one of those... painful bureaucratic necessary evils. I suppose."

Whatever Mi'rah had on his mind was at least probably more interesting than whatever S'rei was dealing with, though he would never be as presumptuous as to say so himself. The rider was incredibly modest in all aspects, so it was no surprise that he was so willing to be dismissive of his problem, at least in words, if he really didn't think it was a big deal like S'rei said, he wouldn't have walked up all of those steps, "Well I think you are in luck then. I'm not so sure that there is a resolution per say... Its a little more personal in nature maybe? It will probably seem silly to you, it - it is a little bit to me too and I wouldn't bother you about it..." but he didn't really have anyone else to talk to.

"Anyway..." he didn't totally want to waste the man's time despite already being reassured that anything was better than paperwork, "I had the great fortune of uhmmm speaking with the weyrhealer...and he told me..." well accused would be the better term, but Mi'rah was always so politically correct about things, "Well he told me something that was....q-quite," now if only knew the perfect way to spin things this time, "interesting...alarming maybe? I'm not sure." He was beginning to show how insecure he felt about the subject with a stalled laugh and an uneasy sort of sway. He realized later...after considering his words how his vagueness about news from a healer of all people could throw the other bronzerider off and amended his comments, "I'm not dying or sick or anything...or if I am then R'wign didn't tell me."

[Requiem]

"I have yet to discover its purpose, aside from making us look busy and serving as fodder for a fire on a cold night," S'rei returned blithely, seating himself on a rather large rock and gesturing for Mi'rah to join him. The Weyrleader wouldn't have minded continuing to stand, no, but it might be better if his wingsecond didn't push himself too much on the injured leg. Even knowing that the other bronzerider didn't have a particularly large ego...it was just more tactful to sit down and wordlessly ask the other man to join him than to tell him to sit down or mention the injury. Old habits that had never quite gone away. S'rei was a far more political creature than most suspected, though likely Mi'rah had a pretty good idea. (One of the reasons he liked having him as a wingsecond. There were few enough people who knew S'rei - even if only in passing - pre-Selenitas.)

Personal in nature? He leaned back on a palm, regarding Mi'rah almost curiously. Despite always making it a point to say that his wing not only could, but should approach him with any and all problems, including personal ones (if only so he had an idea of why they might be acting strange or not performing as well as normal) it still didn't happen very often. Not that he blamed them; he didn't bring his personal issues to anyone, either.

The Weyrhealer? Alarming? A brow rose, and yes, there was definite concern behind the gray eyes, even if he didn't verbalize it while Mi'rah attempted to get out what he was trying to say. So it was good that the other man put those concerns to rest in the next breath. Didn't do much to clear up what Mi'rah was getting at, but at least the bronzerider wouldn't be dropping dead on him randomly. "R'wign told you what, exactly?" he questioned, a touch of amusement threading through the words. It seemed that Mi'rah had already managed to throw himself off-track.

"Unless it's too personal?" S'rei frowned mildly. "The kid's not exactly the most reliable person to listen to, outside of healing-related topics. He's an excellent healer. The position suits him. But he's been a disciplinary problem since early on in his candidacy, and it really hasn't gotten any better. Started a fight with a harper at the Gather in Southern, even." That the Weyrleader had to break up. Even though he understood how emotional a situation like the one R'wign had found himself in could be, dragonriders represented Selenitas outside of the Weyr. He should have brought the issue to someone who could take care of it. Water under the bridge, now...S'rei trusted Ka'rys to take care of his pet brownrider.

[Lotty]

Oh sitting. That would be wonderful he thought as his leg twitched in exhaustion, and when S'rei went to sit down, Mi'rah was more than happy and willing to join him...well to a degree. It didn't seem to him to be a very good idea to show exactly how vulnerable he could be, especially to his Weyrleader of all people, and sitting down (and getting up) seemed to showcase his bum leg and subsequent fragility. Nothing like looking like an old man to instill confidence in one's abilities right? He had to hide it, for himself more than anything, hence the disregard of his cane and he took a few slightly labored steps in that direction before sitting down, carefully, quietly.

He was embarrassed enough to have to approach S'rei about this, cue a nervous glance back at the sky before falling back down to his hands. At very least, the other bronzerider did look concerned, he did look like he cared which was a slight reassurance, "No, no. Not too personal, or I wouldn't have come to you.." a slight laugh and a smile. Soft as was typical for him, "Um yes, well R'wign told me, and I didn't really believe him - but he informed me that I am the deadbeat father of a certain goldrider here. Meira," He shifted again, and carried on finding it easier as he went along, "but I knew it made little sense," especially now that he knew a little bit of history about R'wign, "I think...I think it was because he told me that everyone knew. That everyone saw a resemblance and thought sooo poorly of me. Especially Meira, who I've met...our salamandyrs are twins..."

"Of course I probably already felt a little bit guilty..." Because he was, to a degree, probably a deadbeat father. A fact that he had so easily been able to sweep aside at Benden, "So being...well me being me," Mi'rah was sure that S'rei would know exactly what he was talking about in this regard, "I wind up buying Meira's kid all this...stuff. Which ultimately I guess doesn't matter, I wasn't going to spend anything on myself anyway..." He shrugged passively. What happened happened he supposed, but he looked over at the other rider, flicking a longer bang out of face leaving his blue eyes searching for some kind of opinion in S'rei's expression.

"I sound so stupid," he finally admitted weakly. He knew he shouldn't have come, this whole story was not going to earn him any points in anybody's book, just more evidence as to how he was a bumbling fool.

[Requiem]

The Weyrleader either didn't notice Mi'rah's awkwardness or - more likely - elected not to acknowledge it. He'd only known the other bronzerider distantly a decade past, but over the past several turns they'd worked closely together, and his wingsecond was getting better. Gradually. Not enough, certainly, that people wouldn't take advantage (as demonstrated by their Weyrhealer) but S'rei was beginning to think Mi'rah would emerge. After all, you couldn't Impress a dragon like Kierjaarth without a certain amount of inner strength. Everyone survived differently...at Benden. If you couldn't fight your way to the top, you removed yourself as a threat. S'rei had turned political. Mi'rah...seemed to have set aside his pride entirely. It was something S'rei didn't feel he had the right to judge. Everyone survived differently. Everyone sold themselves.

"It's possible, I suppose," S'rei commented after a time. Possible that Mi'rah was Meira's father. "If you are, though, no, it isn't obvious. Seems R'wign saw an opportunity and took it." Personally, he wouldn't have indulged the Weyrhealer, even had it been true beyond a doubt. Do the normal grandfather thing? Sure. But S'rei didn't feel guilty for a natural byproduct of Impressing Salenth. If the mother didn't get ahold of him, that was her own fault; there were few enough women he'd slept with who weren't dragonriders. It wasn't like it was hard to communicate dragon-to-dragon. No, he didn't feel guilty, and a goldrider and the Weyrhealer should have no trouble supporting a child.

S'rei rubbed lightly at his nose. "You know, I met a girl maybe six months ago. Spitting image of her mother. My eyes." Wry smile. Yeah, his eyes were just a bit distinctive. "Weyrling now. Once they get old enough...I don't think it does them much good to know. They've already moved on. And, really, sperm donors aren't fathers. Fathers are the ones who care for them." He glanced at Mi'rah. "Past a certain point, all we're doing is trying to soothe our own guilt and opening wounds already scabbed over. Hm?" Waving that aside, he leaned over his knees. "Talk to Meira about it if you're worried she's upset at you. In all likelihood she's not your daughter, anyway. I should think you'd have noticed, if your salamandyrs are twins, long before now if she had problems with you."

He flicked an amused smile at Mi'rah. "I do hope you don't intend to let R'wign get away with playing on your emotions and lying to you, if that's the case. He'll likely just see that as an invitation to continue."

[Lotty]

In between hiding his face in his hands, picking at his fingers, glancing at the sky, and staring at the ground, Mi'rah made a particularly cartoony face that only he could seem to manage at the words sperm donor. Oh what a way to put it. No matter how relieved he was to hear that he in fact did not resemble Meira (or perhaps it was more fortunate for Meira that she did not resemble him) it did little to take the taste of the term out of his mouth. Donor made it sound like somebody wanted some of his genetics, as if there were women out there on their death beds in need of some bronzerider DNA, and when they got it they praised his name....Thank Faranth I have his seed! I must have that man's babiessss! The idea was completely and totally silly to him.

Not that this made S'rei wrong, if anything the Weyrleader was astoundingly right, but that didn't mean that the slightly younger man wasn't going still try and reason and talk his way through this, surely at some point he had to have some kind of solid reasoning to have convinced him that R'wign was in the right. The man hated to think that he worked totally off of emotions, which honestly was what he had done, "I understand...I imagine I got ahead of myself and panicked... Even if I was just....a sperm donor..." S'rei's words, not his, "Then what if she had nobody to raise her...or any kid didn't have some one to raise them. What if there is some little gawky looking kid in Benden with my cowlick and my stammer getting beaten up everyday and and and it just seems very unfortunate is all. But you're right, its pointless to try and torture myself over it," he stopped himself there. He didn't want to start rambling on and on and sound like a clucking hen.

Then Mi'rah began to consider exactly what he was going to do about that lying Weyrhealer. He would rather not make a big deal out of it, then more people will find out about how easily he was manipulated, but he'd never forgive himself if he just let this go since he did after all let just about everything go in his life. What was that? You broke my abacus? Thats fine, it was my fault really. Slept with my sister? Well ok, I guess she is an adult and that is none of my business. Yeah, he really needed to learn to stop being such a pushover. After a deep gulp of his own nerves the man finally admitted, "I kind of want to punch R'wign in the face...right in the nose. I'm not sure how appropriate that is. It's actually probably a bad idea, but I feel like he slighted me, but he also slighted Meira...he used her. Which of course is wrong."

But would he do anything about this at all? Who knew...he eventually settled on leaning forward and propping his head up in his hand, "That girl...what did you do about it? Just curious," obviously Mi'rah wasn't in the business of being judgmental, and especially not of the person he came to for help.

[Requiem]

S'rei somehow managed to keep himself from laughing at the mental image Mi'rah painted of the random urchin child hobbling around Benden, but he couldn't hide the amusement in his smile and behind his eyes. "Weyrs take care of their own," he responded mildly. Admittedly different at Benden than they did at the other weyrs...or it had been different. Still and again, though, the society tended to raise the children together, and they were shaped by that environment. Maybe not the life Mi'rah might invision for one of his offspring, but S'rei had little doubt that if the other man had spawned, his child - or children - had adapted well enough to Benden.

"Punch him in the nose? Mi'rah, I'd imagine he'd punch you back for that." Which wasn't to say that the man shouldn't stand up for himself, but S'rei was big on the largest yield with the least amount of effort. Conserving resources, for lack of a better description. Also, the less variables other people effected, the better, so getting into a physical altercation wasn't typically the best option. "You're a brilliant man, good at organizing and tactics. But step outside that realm...step into emotions, socializing...you seem to be lost." S'rei flashed a wry smile. "They're no different, Mi'rah. Think of it as a contest. You want to win every encounter you have. Winning doesn't necessarily mean the other person loses. But you want to come away with more than you came with. A friend is one example. Information. Support. Respect. Something. You're not likely to win much of anything skinning your knuckles on R'wign's face. My suggestion? Talk to Meira about it. If she doesn't like his using her, he won't do it again once she's through with him...a father who loves his son will do a lot not to offend the mother."

Ah, yes. The girl. S'rei bounced his leg lightly over his knee, thinking on how to answer that loaded question. "I didn't tell her, for one. She looks exactly like her mother. Almost the same age now, too, as when I...Usually I'm good about Flights, but I was at the Hold and Salenth was at the Weyr." He glanced out toward the river. "I went out into the forest. I'm still not sure why she was there - or how her daughter ended up here and wandering in the wilds. But I doubt she wants to know that story. I told her if she needed anything at all to come to me about it...and have kept on eye on her discreetly. That's about it, though."

[Lotty]

"I suppose thats true enough," Mi'rah responded, overly willing to just concede to the Weyrleader on the subject. He still of course thought that it sucked and that theoretical mini-Mizrah wouldn't stand a chance as a child up there. Especially if said progeny was a girl. Girls always had it the worst...it was unfair, but seemingly the truth. He really, really, didn't want to think about it all too much however. Not when a safe solution was fed to him by the other man; he could rest on the fact that someone or rather someones who were bigger, better, stronger had the welfare of all those brats in mind.

"Well sure he'd punch me back, but I figured I'm pretty good at taking those by now," he swore that he had spent a combined total of one turn of his life with a black eye, but he chuckled as if he was only joking and cocked his head to the side as he listened on. Brilliant? His closed mouth grin curled into something cartoony. He liked being called such, it was his weakness if he ever had one and he was always one to jump through hoops just to hear it. The bronzerider did not voice this though, instead choosing to comment on the latter remark, "Oh if only you knew. I think once I must have been better at this... when I was sixteen or something. I don't know. I don't know what happened, I just..."

"Uhm... I just," didn't want to bore S'rei with some kind of psychoanalytic self diagnosis of his extreme social anxiety issues. He really doubted anyone wanted to hear his life story/excuses. The only right thing to do was to take the man's advice and follow it, treasure it. He did go through the trouble of putting it all in terms he understood. Something about winning and contests clicked, "I'll try my best to remember that. Thank you....and I'll talk to Meira. Real soon. I think it will be um, a very productive conversation," because talking with other people should always come to some sort of constructive end...clearly.

He really felt for S'rei on the subject of that girl...would it be rude to ask what her name was? Probably. It wasn't really his business and if he really, really wanted to know he could probably figure it out. "Thats good though S'rei...keeping an eye on her. That alone is admirable," he guessed. He had no real good reply so he went with that one. Maybe a change of subject? Well not a huge one, but something a little bit cheerier, "Hey! Didn't your weyrmate have a baby not to long ago?" Maybe? At least he recalled hearing that, "How is that going? If you don't mind me asking."

[Requiem]

He took note of how well Mi'rah responded to the acknowledgement of his intelligence and filed that away for future reference. If it made the other bronzerider more tractible - and more confident - he had no problem stating that particular truth a little more often. Faranth knew he lied often enough to get the desired result - or omitted, really, because S'rei was oddly bad at lying, for all that deception came easily for him - that stating something that was true to motivate Mi'rah was hardly a problem. Chuckling a little at Mi'rah's abbreviated statement, a hand brushed subconsciously over his own abdomen. "Most every boy thinks he's invincible at sixteen. Some of us learn the truth more - dramatically - than others." An amused snort. "The trick is making everyone think you're as confident as a teenager...but still knowing when to retreat." He winked.

Baby. If there was any doubt as to whether or not the child was wanted, it would be dispelled by the sudden brightening to the man's face. (Admittedly, he'd originally said he wanted no more children, and only gave in after Aliscia seemed to be taking it bad. Notably, she hadn't tried to wheedle or manipulate him, but she was very subdued and S'rei wasn't unobservant. Women were sentimental creatures, after all...liked to feel like their children were planned and not some freak accident. He'd given in, and now he was glad he did. Doubly glad because the pregnancy hadn't hurt Aliscia, but it had been rough enough that she was done with kids. Two-for-one.) "Shoal. I delivered him myself during August...though I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to and Aliscia just took advantage of the fact that I had no clue about childbirth and ordered me around as a result. But it went well."

Very well, in fact. Their little boy was as healthy as they came, a happy child, though yes, he did fuss quite a bit. Not as much as Reiscia or Shei had (S'rei was beginning to think girls were naturally more of a handful at that age) but still enough to run his mother ragged with the twins to worry about as well. S'rei stole him often outside of drills. As well as Reiscia. Silas would stay with S'rei now without fussing, but he still seemed more comfortable with his mother, and the bronzerider didn't like to upset his eldest son. "He's got his mother's eyes. I'd say pretty much everything else though comes from my side of the family...he'll likely look a lot like his grandfather - or perhaps eldest uncle - once he gets a bit older." Which meant, oddly enough, that he'd probably resemble Laurie more than S'rei. S'rei was something of the oddball when it came to features in his family. He hadn't really taken after either of his parents.

A flash of a smile was directed toward Mi'rah. "I don't suppose you've ever thought of finding yourself a weyrmate?" Strangely enough, despite being quite the womanizer even at the age of twelve when he'd Impressed (yeah, he'd started way too early in being a scoundrel) S'rei seemed to have gravitated toward preferring to have a weyrmate after getting into his twenties. Almost always had one, in fact. Perhaps because it prevented a lot of entanglements...S'rei could quite easily work his way through some of the older women here, if not the younger ones. He knew it. Didn't need to prove that to himself. He almost always got what he was after, and Aliscia was just one more example, really. The twins were much easier to keep with him with her in his weyr and not fighting him constantly over when he could and couldn't see them.

[Lotty]

Ahhh, he saw the expression on his Weyrleader's face and instantly he knew that he had picked the right subject after all. A smooth transition came of it too, so that was a plus and made it all that much easier to nod along and follow the conversation. Sure, he was mostly clueless on raising children and having weyrmates, but that only made him that much more interested in what S'rei had to say. He delivered a baby by himself? The idea flabbergasted the other bronzerider and his skin might have just paled a bit, draining the touches of color on his face. He couldn't imagine being in the same situation...well, actually he could imagine being in the same situation, just it not ending as well. Mi'rah was much more likely to run around in circles, try and find a book on the subject, kidnap a healer, get beaten mercilessly by an in labor woman, or faint. He had never fainted before - not technically, loss of blood didn't count to him - but he figured if anything that would cause it.

So yeah, he was pretty much impressed by S'rei, even if he was just ordered around by Aliscia the whole time. That little factoid could go ignored in favor of being a tad bit awed, "Oh wow, well congratulations on that...two months late, " he laughed a little bit, probably at the sound of his own "golly-gee" voice, "You know, I'm starting to wonder if there is anything that you can't do..." and if there was then he wasn't quite sure he wanted to know it. He found it a little more fun to pretend that the other bronzerider was some kind of super-man...he wasn't about to resort to hero worship - he already collected enough of those when he was younger - but it still was an entertaining thought, "So I take it if he comes out resembling your side he'll be a giant too?"

Because come on, every one had made a comment about how tall the man was at least once in their lives.

Oh. Weyrmates. Something he was rather torn on himself, but to answer the question exactly, "Well, I've thought about it yes..." he trailed off trying to figure out how to follow that comment up, "I've never had one before, I've had...like girlfriends, but its not like I'm against....What I'm trying to say is that I think step one to all of this is finding an interested party..." he smiled at S'rei briefly and joked, or at least tried to joke with a goofy, nasally laugh that could only be described a nerdy, "If you hear any rumors about girls who like me let me know. I'm not picky assuming they aren't swamp creatures."

[Requiem]

S'rei laughed, shaking his head, lips twisting into a wry smile. "Well, I can't Between without a dragon or walk on air, though I hear I fall like a pro," he stated lightly. "Nor can I wave my arms and stop a war, so don't be expecting any miracles now." A light sock to Mi'rah's shoulder followed, a decidedly friendly gesture. The words might've been stated laughingly, but he did mean them. Human was human, and he didn't need people expecting him to fix everything with a twitch of a finger or something, especially not one of his wingleaders. Especially not Mi'rah. The man was, without a doubt, smarter than S'rei was, and that was something he was sure he'd need to use in the future.

S'rei blinked, then grinned broadly. "Actually, of my family, the next tallest was my eldest brother and he wasn't taller than 5'9" if he was an inch. My father was about...Ka'rys's height. Maybe a touch shorter, but a good deal broader. And my mother...smallest thing you'd likely see. I'm actually not sure where all the height comes from. Probably some ancestor generations back that everyone's forgotten about." S'rei himself was proportioned so average that you had to get up close - or see him in a crowd - to realize how much bigger he was than most people.

He couldn't help himself. Swamp creatures?! S'rei doubled over, finally catching his breath almost a minute later and wiping the tears from his eyes. "You might want to aim a little higher than right above muck monsters, Mi'rah," he stated, still chuckling. "While your eyes are combing the ground, you'll miss someone right at eye level. But I'll keep an ear out. That's something I'm always good for." Thinking after a moment, the bronzerider tapped a finger lightly against his jaw. "Dorava's a good sort. Have you met her? Might be worth a chat, see if you've anything in common." He lifted a brow and glanced at Mi'rah sidelong.

[Lotty]

It was good to laugh, and the light punch to his shoulder was more than welcome as it reminded him of good old times with good old friends despite how unglamourous or awful those days were; sitting in muddy shelters in the forests waiting for their next assignment actually sucked, it was just amazing how the brain only seemed to highlight the good parts when they would all joke and chat...before Benden was so stuck up their own ass with being drugged up storm troopers. But that was that and no matter what, S'rei was not a replacement for any of those long lost comrades. He wasn't lesser, he wasn't inferior, he just was a different person at a different stage of his life...a stage where Mi'rah realized he can't afford to cling too closely to anyone.

Still, not to be dragged down and bummed out by what was reality, the bronzerider smiled right back, "Stop itttt....you're ruining the mythos I've built up around you. You are supposed to be born to a family of giants. With super powers. I hadn't even gotten my chance to come up with all the science behind it and you are tearing it down for me..." He chuckled and paused to tap his fingers together, though admittedly this was much more out of contemplation than his usual nervous ticks, "and here you are, nothing but a mere mortal..." he jokingly tsked at the Weyrleader.

And then S'rei was laughing. A lot. Was he going to be ok? "Oh now S'rei. It wasn't that funny. I was kinda telling the truth! No swamp creatures for me. I'm not asking for a perfect ten, but I think I am good looking enough to get at least a six." Mi'rah would hate to think he was so desperate as to sink that low. He thought he had at least a few good traits with which to attract women with and at least with him he was more than willing to make any girl feel like she was the most important, beautiful, being on the planet every day of the week, "Oh Dorava? I've seen her at drills and such, but I haven't really talked to her yet..." he began to consider the possibility, "S-She isn't involved with someone is she? I don't want any black eyes from scorned lovers," though certainly he could just find out for himself. After all S'rei told him to talk to her, not sweep her off of her feet with flowers and candy.

[Requiem]

S'rei smiled mildly. Giants with superpowers would be nice. "There's always C'oar and R'ven, if you're looking to start a race of giants. Can't really help you on the matter of superpowers, though," the Weyrleader commented amiably, agreeable enough about perpetuating the joke. Salenth cracked open one eye. Selenitas dragons are usually pretty large. If we were to mix dragons and humans you bonebags might be strong enough to resist falling over at the first gust of wind, the bronze commented teasingly. Wrinkling his nose at the dragon, the man responded, "As always, your comments are both appreciated and decidedly useless, Sal." You're quite welcome.

Hiding the lingering amused smile behind steepled hands, S'rei nodded. "Most definitely. Possibly a seven with a little work." Tempted to ask Mi'rah for examples of what a six might be, he refrained in favor of considering the other bronzerider's question. "Well, she was still living alone when she was pregnant...before she lost the child to the plague, anyway. And I know she still has her own weyr and no live-ins. Chances are there's not a serious boyfriend? Wouldn't hurt to ask if you find you enjoy her company, though; even if she does have someone, I'm sured she'd find it flattering to be asked." S'rei thought that Mi'rah probably would be fairly appealing, actually. Rare to find a nice bronzerider who wasn't ego-driven. He'd treat a woman well, at any rate.

"How is your wing coming along then, Mi'rah? I don't have my usual array of spies to keep me informed." No, just his weyrmate and T'san and Mi'rah himself. No one to speak of. Nevertheless, hearing about what was going on with Ephemerae from a wingmember was different than hearing about it from the leader of the wing. Significantly so. "I've broken mine up a bit, try to get people to develop stronger bonds with their wingmates and give them someone to listen to if I can't give orders or see everything going on. We'll see how it works." A simple wingsecond worked well enough for Threadfall, but S'rei liked the idea of a wing that could manage multiple objectives. The squad idea was still running mostly on an experimental basis.

[Lotty]

Mi'rah scrunched his nose in obvious humor. It always seemed to be funnier when other people's dragons had something goofy to say. He was smiling in understanding when S'rei responded knowing all too well what it was like to get those kinds of useless comments, and his lips split even wider as the Weyrleader mentioned that he could maybe even achieve a "seven". For a moment a boyish look of oh really!? washed over his face before he silently chastised himself for being so socially naive even in his age. Of course it was a bit of a joke and should be treated as nothing more, "A little bit of work? Are you saying a need a make over?" He ruffled his own hair a bit, "Maybe some highlights? If we turn me into a blonde I heard that could help reduce the appearance of grays..." nevermind that a blonde Mi'rah would be the worst look ever.

Ah well the joking sort of ended as the conversation drifted over into the subject of Dorava again. It did reassure him to know that he wouldn't be trying to get his hopes up with someone who was totally unavailable - that would be a little bit silly now wouldn't it - but just from listening it seemed like there was still plenty of baggage. Plagues and miscarriages, oh that seemed all too much like things he simply didn't know how to deal with. Worse even was the fact that now he'd be very consciously dancing around the subject of catching colds or children and in this avoidance he'd be even more likely to mess up. Not that this automatically ruled out the greenrider - he had his own issues as was well known by now - it was just one more thing to be cautious about.

"Oh my wing!" He willing went right along with the subject change, "I think it is going quite well if I say so myself...I think half the wing may hate me though..." and even though he was laughing about it, there was the chance it was true. He did manage to take everyone's least favorite aspects of weyrlinghood and make them worse. When someone argued that a task was impossible he was bound to create a drill that would prove them wrong, "lots of complaints about bruised wingtips and maybe a few bruised egos at that. I suppose I'm doing something right. I'm hoping everyone knows how to swim, there is some cliff diving to be done," whether the wing knew it or not.

"Oh I like that idea...I had thought about splitting my wing up into pairs...two browns, two blues, etc. I don't think we're there yet though," and his plan of being a virtual Noah and having two of every color in his wing got a little botched up. After all, there weren't even enough bronzeriders in the weyr for himself to have his own partner, so the idea had to be put on the back burner, "You really must tell me if your divisions work out though. It seems fairly efficient, from a fighting stand point," Threadfall he wasn't always so sure about, but S'rei was the expert on leading those types of wings and the man would always defer to him on the subject.