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 Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 9:57 am
"It's always nice to be good at things," L'thor said with a smirk as Rust clambered into his lap alongside River. "Now me, I was always top of the class for back-chat and 'inappropriate' witticisms. Tch, some people just can't stand being shown up. I think I probably spent as much time on punishment detail as I did off it." It had been fun though, even when he was cleaning latrines along with cadidates or watching the other weyrlings fly while he was grounded for bad behavior. The older she had got the better Raith had become at keeping him from mouthing off at superiors, which was a good thing he supposed. Still, it had been fun, still was on the rare occasions his lifemate let him get away with being a very bad boy.
"Always mortified D'los," he went on with a slight smile as he recalled how his former weyrmate would put his head in his hands, brilliant red with embarrassment. "I did tend to tease him awfully, but teasing was all I could get away with! No flirting, I ask you, how is anyone supposed to stand that and not at least tease? Still, I don't think he minded too much once he was done being the colour of a redfruit. We'd laugh about it all together, when I got back from doing my extra chores anyway." Ah, he did miss D'los. It almost wasn't even in a sad way anymore though, it was... nostalgia, pleasant nostalgia. "he was a good man," L'thor concluded with a smile and a nod, "I think you would have liked him, he was always a dreamer too."
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:51 am
"When I was in early lessons at the hold, I always had a hard time staying focused on the lessons. I learned a lot but I always wanted to think more on what was said then I got to thinking more about it beyond what was said and started imagining what the world would be like in different times and places." he smiled thoughtfully as he reminisced. "It always made life a little easier to know that there was adventure out there if one could just get beyond that first step."
He reached down and picked up little Mine after feeling him squirming at his toes and placed him on his chest to warm him up more. "I can see that in you. I bet you were as brash as they come. It's good Raith is so mellow in comparison." He felt the little flit stretch out and soon tiny wings were flat on his chest as if sucking all the heat they could get. "He's so cute...L'thor."
Turning his head, he watched L'thor as he spoke of D'los. It was easy to see how much happiness D'los had given L'thor during the time they had been together. D'los must have been quite a guy because Veyes could see a sparkle in the man's eyes as he spoke of his weyrmate. Veyes could only imagine how much more there had been to the relationship. A place within L'thor's heart he might never find himself and only briefly touch upon as an outsider he probably would always be. "I'm sure he didn't mind too much at all. I bet he and I would have gotten along famously. He sounds like he would have enjoyed this outing too."
Veyes never poked with questions when D'los was mentioned, he knew better than to delve to far into that world. The man would reveal what he wished and that was the best he could do. He knew that it was the only way to help someone get over lose by letting the memories unfold. But today, he could tell that time had been healing those wounds and the smile upon L'thor's face was sweeter than bitter. How Veyes wondered what the man would have been like if D'los was still here. " A dreamer like me." he murmered under his breath sometimes wishing L'thor thought more of him than just a student and maybe just a slight bit envious of the space that D'los occupied in the man's heart.
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 11:02 am
"Mmmm," L'thor lounged back in the sand, grabbing more crab for himself as he did so. "He dreamed of stories to tell the world, of things that we both knew wouldn't ever happen but were fun to think about all the same. Hopeless romantic that he was, I think he spent a good deal of his time dreaming up what sweet thing to do for me next. Sunsets, and sunrises. He loved them. The number of times we sat watching them, him in his dreamworld and me thinking... well about how it was pretty, but just a sunset to be honest. I was still glad to be there with him though... Ha!" The rider laughed and sat up abruptly, grinning sheepishly at Veyes. "Listen to me go on! Haha. Well, suffice to say he was a sweetheart." Poor Veyes was probably either feeling very bored or very awkward by now. And he called D'los the silly romantic, here he was still rambling about the man after all this time... but it was nice to tell somebody who hadn't known him all about the green rider. He wasn't a person who should be forgotten.
"Anyway," L'thor chuckled and sipped again at his wine, wondering vaguely if having started drinking on an empty stomach was what had loosened his tongue so, "moving on from that. I'm sure you'll find weyrling lessons more engaging, easier to focus on in any case even if you know it all. Nothing like the welfare of your dragon for keeping your mind on track!... Though as I said, some smart-arse always insists on listening and quipping at the same time."
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:48 am
Veyes tilted his head on the rock watching L'thor go on about D'los and took a sip from the skin. D'los sounded like a man that Veyes could have spent hours just chatting with and it was unfortunate that such a beautiful blossom of life had been plucked from the world at such a young age. "Seems like he was quite a guy. Oh I don't mind hearing about him. He must have been a really great guy..." he said with a soft smile as he stroked his tiny flit while the creature slept. "Sounds like you were very much in love with him." This might have been the most Veyes had ever heard of D'los and the world that was L'thor's before Veyes had fortuitously been discovered by L'thor on that faithful day. He would have been happy to have listened to those stories long into the night but L'thor was the one that changed the subject and maybe that was for the better. Because, a small bit of envy welled up in his stomach as he wished he had even half of what D'los had won in L'thor.
So for the moment, it was hard to decided if he preferred the switch in conversation or not. However, he responded quickly to the words with a heartfelt response, "Yes, and I will have more time to focus on my dragon's needs if I'm not constantly trying to keep up with the class. And now that I have Mine, I'm going to really have to manage my time between chores, lessons and taking care of him until he can figure out things on his own. Oh, I'll keep on track if I manage to get a dragon. I've got my priorities in order at least. Yep, and that smart-arse will be in trouble all the time too...but not me...at least not while I'm a weryling!" At least, he had been able to stay under the radar lately and he figured once he had a dragon, he'd be too busy to want to have trouble following him. However, after he was out of weyrling stage...maybe adventure could be sought out. That feeling of freedom once more. He longed for that chance.
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:01 am
"He was," L'thor chuckled, "and I was. Good times we had. Haha, glad to hear you know what's important in life. I have no doubt," he turned to grin out over the ocean, "that if you get a dragon anything like Raith you will be constantly reminded of it too! Anyone would think she thought I would forget how wonderful she is if she didn't tell me once or twice a candlemark." Not true, of course, he knew very well it was obvious to everyone how much he adored her, and she knew it too. Just another silly game they played, twittering vanity to one another. They both were very vain creatures, but at least they both knew it and could make a little fun of themselves over it all.
"Now another kind of dragon you might end up with," he went on with a grin, "on the subject of people I've known for a very long time, there is V'kain." Despite how much Veyes came to his weyr his young friend had never met his roomate more than in passing. L'thor strongly suspected that his friend asked his dragon to check with Raith when Veyes was around and then avoided coming up. Perhaps, L'thor considered with an internal raised eyebrow, his friend was trying to give him room to pull. "Oh, yes," he'd let his mind wander a tad there, "V'kain's Xerrineth. He is always, and I mean always, asking questions or sticking his nose into things. If River were a dragon," River cheeped happily around a moutful of crab, "he would be like Xerrineth, but rather more of a kleptomaniac. Frankly I've no idea how the man manages not to go mad, but then he does have enough patience for ten. Must be why Xerr chose him I suppose."
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 4:32 pm
Veyes felt the little flit wake up and suddenly got pictures of hunger in his head. This still was an awkward feeling to say the least but it was easy enough to sit up and blow on a few bits of crab for the tiny thing. Mine took the pieces and started gnawing on them upon the sands. This gave Veyes a little room to stretch out on the beach as he continued to listen to L'thor's words. Hoping he'd get lucky enough to have any sort of dragon. Was it enough to hope? The turns were going by so quickly it seemed.
"It would be just my luck that my dragon would be just as mindful of things as Raith is." He laughed just a little and thought for a second how much more real his laughter sounded in this moment. L'thor always had a way of making him laugh even on the worst of days. He imagined that this could have been what D'los might have loved about the man. If only he could express to L'thor how he felt but as always, his hesitation was rightly felt. Losing his one good friend and mentor to an expression of love might hurt more than another painful moment in his life. Even though he wished in so many ways that this moment on the beach could be one of those romantic fantasy that filled his dreams at night. 'Dark Lord L'thor' had become much more than the dreaded overlord of flit and man at least in his imaginary world that had much more freedom than the tough reality that swarmed around him.
"Mm...I don' t know how V'kain wouldn't go crazy. I have a feeling I would." he smiled as he learned more about V'kain and his dragon than he ever saw the man. He wasn't sure why the man never was in the weyr or always leaving when he was arriving. It seemed like he didn't want to know him but always was friendly when they were around each other for the shortest times. It was confusing. "Mmm...considering I don't see much of V'kain, he must be a busy man." He concluded that thought considering he had not ever done anything to V'kain there was really no reason why the man wouldn't like him. So he brushed away the thought and returned back to the ideas of dragons this time with a curiouser question, "What sort of dragon did D'los, your dreamer have? Seems like he and I might have something in common...maybe a little?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:05 pm
L'thor grinned and reached out to stroke Dancer, who seemed to be feeling a bit left out of the conversation. "V'kain is... unnaturally patient," he informed Veyes with a firm nod, "I swear no mortal ought to have so great an ability to tolerate me, Xerrineth, Raith, and everything else he happily shrugs over... He's not busy as such but he can be quite shy at times, and he seems to prefer not to interrupt us... After all we're usually working on lessons when you come up." Maybe that was it, maybe sex was too quick to come to mind for him... Ah, he glanced out over the ocean again, well that could be one reason; Raith was on schedule to rise soon.
"As to D'los," L'thor smiled another warm smile, "a gentle, composed, and compassionate but grounded green. She was a lovely creature, her colour was as soft at her heart. Light gentle green, subtle swirls on her legs. She reminded him of the real world when he'd drifted too far off but loved to share in his imaginings when they didn't have duties to attend to. Poor thing. They shouldn't have died like that. Sharding waste." Sighing to himself, the rider moved on to make a fuss of Dusk even though the blue was half asleep. "I suppose it did me good in a way though," he added with a faint smile, "before I was so... brash, I didn't take duty too seriously. Just before he died I promised him that Raith and I would fight the Thread for all four of us when it came back. Since that I've been as much of a cocky, quipping smart-arse as ever but I keep it out of drills. They're too important to mess around over."
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:42 pm
Veyes nodded slowly in thought maybe that was it but...well it had to be it. L'thor never once made any gesture otherwise even if so many times he wished he would. He guessed that maybe L'thor preferred older men and well maybe he couldn't see Veyes for anything more than his student. "Ha! He's a good man to be able to tolerate all your antics. Wise beyond his years." he said with a chuckle but then more contimplative, "Ah well you should tell him he won't interrupt. I hate feeling like I'm chasing him out of his own weyr for my lessons."
He had no idea that Raith was getting closer to rising but looking at the fire and L'thor's image beside it only made him think that L'thor did look so handsome tonight. If Veyes might have known about Raith's schedule he might have attributed it to the connection between man and rider. However, for now, he just though that the man was utterly attractive in so many ways. It could also have been from the relaxing time they were having here, free from the Weyr and its buzz.
But words snapped him back to the surface to hear the response about D'los' dragon. She sounded so ethereal by description and all Veyes could do was watch the man's eyes as he spoke. "She sounds just like a dream." he finally said as he heard the lapping of the waters in the distance. He could see the changes that L'thor spoke of in the man. He had a feeling that if he met L'thor years ago they might not have been as close as they are. That conversation on first meeting might have taking a wholly different path. It was strange how things worked out filling the gaps in so many ways. Was it destiny he met L'thor when he had?
He moved a little closer to the man as his flit wobbled its way over to the other four wanting to snuggle with the warmer bigger bodies. Mine meeped as he got closer trying to get attention.
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:48 pm
"I'll tell him," L'thor said with a nod and a smile, shuffling closer to his friend in return. It was a good evening to be out with somebody you cared about, talking about things you hadn't talked about in a long time... He didn't want to ruin the happy mood, but despite his earlier thoughts he now felt the urge to tell Veyes why he had acted as he had the day they had met. He wanted to explain himself, not excuse, just explain. Had he ever even said how they'd died? Had he told Veyes what had truly cemented his hate of bronze riders? One thing at a time, one thing at a time... maybe tonight with everything flowing as smoothly as it was he could raise the potentially touchy subject.
"You remember when we first met, right?" he began tentatively. "I mean... how I acted at first."
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:04 pm
Veyes felt a little better now that he knew V'kain would know that he didn't have to leave if it were just for his lessons. He was even more content when L'thor also moved closer; feeling that warmth of the other man close by was comforting even if his own inner desired wish for more. He would accept this as the most he could get and enjoyed it for what it was.
As L'thor broached the question, Veyes glanced up into the man's eyes, "I don't think I'll ever forget that day. In less than 5 minutes you had me so angry, I don't know how we ever got past that point." The thought of that day brought back so many feelings ranging from 'what a JERK!' to 'he saved my brother's life...and mine.' But in the end, looking back at that point held a much sweeter feeling than it had initially been. "You know looking back, if it weren't for Raith, you probably would have let me ride off that day. Glad you didn't but we sure didn't hit it off at first. At the time, I think we were both a bit stubborn. I was really desperate and well...rather green about things even though I thought I was a lot smarter than I really was at the time."
It had always been easier to admit he was wrong with L'thor. Maybe it was because of that day in particular when L'thor saw his most desperate attempt to find a new life that allow him to admit his failing so much easier to him. He wasn't sure but either way over time, L'thor never looked at him nearly as harshly as he did others even when he made foolish mistakes. However, Veyes always learned from his failings...he wanted to improve and tried very hard to even if his dreamer's mind sometimes kept him too high in the clouds for his own good.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:55 am
"Mmm..." L'thor trailed his fingers through the sand, making vague swirling patterns as he pondered how to go on. "Yes, I would have just let you ride on, without a doubt... The reason I was so... well, unpleasant doesn't really cover it but that'll do, the reason I was even flying out there at all was... Well, I wanted to get out of the Weyr for the day." Sighing slightly, L'thor wiped the sand smooth once more and looked back at Veyes. "I feel like I should explain myself... I want to explain myself that is. I know it doesn't seem it but I'm quite a private person. To people I don't really trust I say a lot, but little of substance. I don't like people who could end up my enemy knowing personal things about me but... Well I've trusted you for a long time now, but for some reason I never felt I could tell you about this before. Anyway. Yes. The reason I left the Weyr at first light that day and didn't plan to go back until the same time the next day was because... because it was that day a turn ago that D'los died. I was," the rider gave a soft smile and shrugged, "not in the best frame of mind, but I'm sorry now that I took it out on you."
He felt better now. It had gone unexplained for too long, but he'd fixed it now and he felt good. He was slowly filling up on crab, the warmth of the wine was seeping through his veins, and he was beginning to feel very very alive. In a day or two this feeling would have twisted into frustration and snappiness as he waited for Raith to scream her challenge to the Weyr's males and spring away, but for now he and his lifemate both just felt very... Very real, very bright, vivid, colourful, and beautiful. The evening was perfect, they were as perfect as anyone could possibly be, and they - he rather, L'thor - had at last communicated something he probably should have communicated a long time ago. Life was good.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:19 pm
Veyes watched L'thor's fingers swirl in the sand wondering the depth of the story that was about to be told. The reasons...well he hadn't ever pushed to ask. It wasn't his place to pry or pick at wounds. To be certain he had enough of his own. On that day, outcome had been more important to Veyes in the end and well, now he could only laugh when they talked about their first moments. However, he nodded slowly as L'thor spoke listening to each word and letting L'thor reveal this last piece to a puzzle that had always seemed to have sat unfinished.
He looked up at L'thor when the truth was finally revealed and the mystery solved. His forehead crinkled slight when he realized all sorts of things he had never had any idea about during that time. "I must have sounded really strange to you that day when I said I was following my dreams. I guess I understand now why you had treated me so harshly."
His soft fingers reached up and caressed L'thor's cheek, " I'm still glad we met even if it weren't in the best of ways that first day." He wanted to say more...things well that he felt but he wasn't sure if this were the time or place so he just left it at that not wanting to misinterpret the moment.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:37 pm
At the touch on his cheek he closed his eyes, smiling to himself for a moment before looking back up. "I'm glad we met too, I'm sure the last couple of turns wouldn't have been half as interesting without you... It did seem very silly to me, dashing off like that, and I wasn't in the mood to hear about anyone's hope for the future, especially ones that seemed foolish. Still though..." he took a deep breath of sea air and turned to look at the sinking sun. "Still," he repeated with a smile "here we sit more than two turns later, and hardly a cross word since, eh? I know they haven't been all that easy on you in places, in places they've been sharding awful, but I hope you've been happy on the whole." He thought the young mna had been, but you could never be quite sure about anyone save yourself and your lifemate. It would be nice to hear it said.
"I think I might be affecting him," Raith commented, and L'thor became aware of her lazy attempts to catch passing fish.
"Oh? How's that?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Oh my dear L'thor, has the wine clouded your mind? I thought you had higher tolerance for the poison you insist in drinking," the green chuckled, "or maybe you are too lost in a happy past to see the present. That or I am mistaken, do you often touch your friends' faces like that?"
"...Oh. Humm. I see your point. It could well be, he's around you a lot, maybe he's more in tune with you than most, or maybe he's sensing it though me. I suppose it's only fair to warn him, even if you're wrong."
"Wrong?" Raith scoffed. "When am I ever wrong?"
L'thor snorted and shook his head, sipping at his wine again and caressing Rust's head as he sent a mental plea for attention. "That green is being impossible tonight," he explained. "She always gets even more Raith-ish than usual a few days before she's due to rise." Who would catch her this time, he wondered? Maybe one of the blues who had just come to maturity, she did like a bit of variety in her males did Raith.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:07 pm
All he could do was watch L'thor and smile thinking about those days, "Nope..not many cross words...well none that I didn't deserve. You're right, some days the Weyr can be an awful place. But then, there's you...and I wouldn't exchange my time with you and Raith for anything. So, yes...I'm as happy. I don't think I'd stay if I weren't." His fingers ran down the man's arm as he pondered what to do next
But then he paused and pull his hand back to his lap as L'thor spoke about his dragon future 'flight'. His cheeks burned red from between embarrassment and from a sudden thump in his chest as he realized soon L'thor would be sharing his bed with someone else. Even if he had never even gone that far with L'thor his heart felt a slow ache from things he felt he'd never be able to have for himself. It was the way of the Weyr but still...was there harm in wanting a small place in the man's heart beyond being just a student?
"Oh...I see." he answered back looking down at his hands trying to find the means to respond without looking like a fool. What else could he say? I care about you? I've thought about you for a long time? L'thor probably wasn't interested even though Veyes knew that Raith's future flight wasn't the reason for his feelings. The moment had seemed right - how often did they have times like this...so much like a romantic setting? Even if he did speak...L'thor probably would think it had something to do with his dragon.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:23 pm
"Always an interesting experience," he said with a sigh, "I do hope it's not a bronze that gets her. Hasn't been since the first time, but I always hope for it to be anything but a bronze... Are you alright?" Veyes looked suddenly crestfallen. Oh, he probably shouldn't be rambling on about flights, the moments when you were so close to your dragon you were one and the same. If he were in Veyes' place he would be horribly envious right now... but Veyes was not like him, not to snarling and petty and jealous... Maybe if Raith was affecting him though he was feeling jealous, but not necessarily of him for having Raith.
"Maybe it's not me," the green added cryptically, leaving L'thor with the distinct impression that this was what she had meant to say all along. "Maybe it's something else... It is a beautiful evening, isn't it? You spent evenings like this out with... with... him, the important one."
...Well, yes, he had. The beach was a lovely romantic place to come, and if you had a blanket then you didn't get sand anywhere painful... "Are you suggesting that he wants to sleep with me because it's a nice evening?" That wasn't what she meant, he was sure. What could she mean then?... Well... he supposed she might think that... Well it was possible. Might Veyes just... like him? He knew very well that he was a nice looking man, but he was twenty seven turns and Veyes was eighteen. It had never occurred to him that the teen might think him attractive. He supposed he shouldn't dismiss it though, after all during his candidacy he'd been with riders in their forties, and he had been fifteen or sixteen. Had Raith seen something he hadn't? She could be like that, sitting back and watching while he made witty banter. His more sensible, more laid back half saw a lot of things he didn't.
"It's... a lovely evening," L'thor went on after a moment, "this is probably a silly question, I'm sure I would have found out about it if you had but... well is there anyone you like to bring out to see lovely sunsets like this?" Not the best phrasing ever L'thor, not by a long shot. Where was his snappy way with words when he actually needed it to slide him towards a delicate topic? He blamed the wine, the skin was nearly empty and it had been a big skin.
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