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 Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 5:22 pm
The past few months had passed by so quickly, it had left Fadrin in a daze. His beautiful green Conroith had more than doubled her size in the intervening time and it seemed like when he wasn't in class or doing chores, he was oiling her hide. Itching was a constant problem for the growing dragon but her wings were beginning to show strength and she'd flap them regularly, eager to fly. Tonight he eagerly awaited Kyler's company at one end of the bowl, cleaned up nicely with a steaming pot of klah and a few sweet rolls he'd bartered for in the kitchens. The other youth inspired him, made him laugh and left him wondering... Tonight, Fadrin wanted to return the favor. The spot he'd selected afforded a pleasant view of the sky and the Red Star that gleamed menacingly above. He thought it a fitting place to offer his gift... Albeit he was quite nervous. A little ways away Conroith frolicked, shoving her nose into the grass to whuff whatever had her interest. Hopping bugs, it seemed, that tickled when they crawled across her snout. [colour=green] She looked up from her place in the grass, wings flared as she wiggled her rear playfully.
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Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 6:38 pm
Sirinth nuzzled at K'err's side. She had lengthened almost as much as she'd grown taller, keeping a lean shape. K'err couldn't say as much for himself - the increased chores and training had made him a bit stronger. Of course, this wasn't going to lessen any confusion among others as to his gender - everyone here had to pull their own weight after all. "He can wait," K'err said as he made sure his clothes were just so. "He's certainly made me wait enough." Sirinth whimpered. she said, "Doesn't make it any less frustrating," he replied. He sighed as he brushed and parted his hair, letting it fall over his shoulders as he did when being in full uniform wasn't required. "I might as well," K'err said. "Who knows! Maybe he'll surprise me." Sirinth asked. "I'll give up eventually," K'err said. "I don't know," K'err said. "I'll break. Probably soon. And then I'll give up." He took his lute and set it against his back as usual. He'd had less time to play it since Sirinth came along, but it would be a good distraction down in the bowl. He could finally set to writing those new songs. Sirinth said. "Eh, not for too much longer," K'err said, heading for the mouth of their chambers. "C'mon, let's go." It was a beautiful night, too. His frustration clenched in his chest, preventing him from appreciating the cooler night air, the bright and numerous stars, the peace of the otherwise tumultuous wherhold. Sirinth urged, nipping at the leg of his pants. I don't want to, K'err thought to her. The subsequent inner whining didn't need words for Sirinth to understand, and she send back a nice dose of skepticism. she added. K'err did take that deep breath, then another. One wasn't enough. Fadrin was always glad to see him. And Sirinth was right - his dragon, his paragon of humility, would not break her automatic deference without good reason. His frustration shriveled a bit, and he sent her thanks. She chirped. K'err smiled. As they neared halfway across, Sirinth raised her head and gave a blare. she sent the rest of the way.
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Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 7:03 pm
The familiar call garnered Conroith's immediate attention and she rose up on her hind legs, wings out to balance as she peered across the distance, bugling back in good humor. The young green did so enjoy her clutchmate's company. When they drew close enough, Conroith galloped over to greet the other.Hail Sirinth, K'err! The evening is pleasantly crisp!>
Alerted to the other's approach, F'in rose with an eager, happy expression upon his face but it quickly shifted to concerned. There was something in the way the other walked that made him wonder if something was wrong. He fidgeted nervously, shifting his weight from side to side, trying to decide if he should just leave and allow his nerves to claim him or stand fast.
The presence of his dragon interrupted his though as she made it plain that she would not brook his running away. This was a time for togetherness, for them, for happiness.... for sharing. She mentally nudged him, prodding him to show his work.
Swallowing, he stepped forward sheepishly. The lanternlight played nicely with the colours of his garb as he waved, smiling nervously. A scroll box, a little shorter then a forearm, was tucked against his side. It was plain and simple but stained nicely.
F'in gaze flicked to it then back to K'err. "I... er, hullo. I'm glad you could make it..." He couldn't help the smile that played over his lips as he took in how handsome K'err looked. "Ahm... I... uh." He wasn't very good at this sort of thing and while he'd had a big reveal planned, holing the gift in the crook of his arm wasn't exactly stealthy or even dramatic.
He puffed out his cheeks, blushing as he thrust the box forward, holding it gingerly. When opened, the box was lined with simple fabric dyed green, a scrap perhaps but reworked to suit the container. Sitting on top of a little pillow was a single scroll, tied in a loose curl by a green ribbon and anchored by a simple wax seal. At a glance there was writing on the scroll. "This is for you." He rather hoped K'err would like his poem... he wasn't the best with fancy words or beautiful songs but he'd written from the heart, a poem from which to confess his attraction. The script was neat and cursive, a blob of ink here and there revealing a novice's hand had written it. Even the rough sketch of a dragon in the corner, a border for the poem, was no master's work but it was multicoloured and F'in was certainly proud of it. He rather hoped his fumbling at art wouldn't irritate K'err too much.
Belatedly he realized asking after the other's health might be the better course of action to open with and bit his lip momentarily, "I mean, are you okay? I can do this later. You seem tense...."
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Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 8:16 pm
Sirinth bowed as Conroith approached."Good evening, Conroith!" K'err said, bowing as well before patting the other green's head and continuing along. "Hi, F'in!" Kylerr said pleasantly, flashing his usual smile. It had a hint of facade about it, but the box thrust before him took him aback and wiped both the smile and it underlying sour mood. "Oh," he said. "What's..." He took the offered scroll box and opened the lid. The handmade-ness of the scroll, whatever would be found on it, profoundly affected him. There it was, this humble paper, presented with such care and nestled on the same pillow as might cushion more official or important works. Something about the contrast between the two touch K'err. "No, no, I'm fine," he said to F'in, smiling much more warmly. "How about you? Everything feeling alright?" Three months in and the scars were mostly sealed, but you never really know how quickly such things will go. "Now is fine. What did you have in mind? Should I unroll it?" He had offered K'err the scroll after all. What was F'in on about? K'err was confused now. "Are you okay, Fadrin? You're acting strange..."
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Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 8:27 pm
Conroith padded over to sit by her rider's side, neck arched so that she could look K'err in the eye, a merry twinkly in her multifaceted gaze.
F'in was having trouble keeping himself from squirming as K'err opened the box and then did nothing else. Nervously he scratched at the scarring around the periphery of his eye socket, edging a finger under the eye patch and bit his lip. Only the gentle pressure of his dragon at his side kept him from running.
"I'm okay..." What did he have in mind? A whole evening! That's what! He mentally flailed around, butterflies turning his insides to a fluttering mass of nerves. "Yes! Ah... yes. I'm fine. I-I'm just nervous." He offered an apologetic smile, made a motion with his hand and shuffled his feet, "Please... just, uh, open it? Please? I know it's nothing fancy but... but I couldn't think of anything else that would suit you. I'm sorry it's so bad...."
A hip check from his dragon made his trail off before he could apologize further and he silent, chewing the side of his mouth. It was hard to miss the hopeful anxiety in his eyes "Please?" He murmured.
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Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 8:54 pm
'That would suit' him? What did that mean? "Uh... alright!" Kylerr said. He took the scroll out and tucked the box under his arm. He untied the ribbon and held one end of the scroll, letting it unfurl... Upside-down. K'err grinned wide and turned it around. Sirinth raised up and peered over K'err's arm. He followed the scrollwork around all the way around the border first, the simplicity yet accuracy of the dragons drawn there making his smile stretch even bigger. "Did you draw this?" he asked. "They're wonderful!" And then he went to the words. Some of the rhymes were forced, and the meter of the lines was way off. The penmanship was at least legible. But the effort was there, and as Sirinth approved of the sounds all dragons made as music, there was plenty of art here as well. Plainly spoken, earnest. K'err's lip started to quiver as he finished it, both elated and having guilt flood him. He had been selfish, and now that he had received this confession, he could only think about how he didn't deserve it. "I... I, uh..." he thought back. Giving more of a voice to his concerns didn't help his composure much.
He beamed and re-rolled the scroll, placing it back in the box and stepping forward. He raised up on his toes and wrapped his free arm around F'in and enjoyed the crook of his waist, the firmness of his back, F'in's shoulder under his chin. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you so much, for all of it. The scroll is lovely, the box is gorgeous. And in case you couldn't tell, I like you, too. A lot." He pulled away and snuck a peck on F'in's cheek on the way back.
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 6:56 pm
F'in made a happy sound as the other complimented his scroll work... he'd spent the better part of an afternoon, squirrelled away in a musty corner working on that! His pride and joy waned, however, as K'err's lip began to tremble. Had he somehow said something wrong?
Flustered, he leaned against his dragon for support. She cooed at him, rubbing the top of her head against his chest.
Fadrin responded, looking at her sideways.
She bobbed her head proudly. As she shifted away, K'err came forward and F'in nearly jumped as the other hugged him tight. The tension eased as the moment stretch and he found himself smiling, slowly, uncertainly reaching out strong arms to envelop the smaller lad. Kylerr smelled good and his warmth was so very welcome against his breast.
His heart fluttered as k'err settled his head just below his chin and he let it drop, amused at how well they fit. F'in closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, and let his emotions wash over him... it wasn't he'd had to teach himself, to learn to accept these things as normal and good.
"You-" The thanks was cut off as the other kissed him on the cheek and F'in immediately blushed very deeply, unsure of what to do with himself now. His heart fluttered and he felt light-headed. "I-I a-ah... may I?" He stammered, cupping K'err's chin with a few of his fingers, leaning to pause for the permission he sought.
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:17 pm
F'in's return hug was oh, so warm. The light squeezing was a comfort, like he'd been away all this time they've known each other even though this wasn't their first hug. It felt -different-. K'err laughed. "You don't have to hold my chin up, you know," he said playfully. He watched himself run his fingers through F'in's hair, his cheeks starting to hurt. His gaze flicked between F'in's hair, his eye, his body, his whole face, hair again. His hand settled on the fellow green rider's neck, thumb stroking his cheek.
"If you like," he said to F'in, grinning. "If you don't, I will." He arched his neck slightly forward, closing the gap just a little, and waited for the other to make his move, enjoying F'in's light touch. Though another hug would have been nicer, he imagined it might be counter to F'in's aim (and K'err's hopes to boot).
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:25 pm
"O-oh. Sorry..." He let go of the other's chin, having meant no offense, and smiled apologetically, the blush persistent even as he closed the gap to tenderly kiss the other boy on the lips. It was an altogether different experience from their usual close contact and he rather liked it... liked a lot. He deepened the kiss instinctively but it wasn't long before Conroith nipped at his shirt.
Reluctantly, F'in withdrew, a surprisingly smug grin playing across his lips as he straightened and he winked with his good eye... forgetting how odd such a gesture now appeared. He never had to worry about his appearance with K'err, there were no jokes, no comments, just quiet acceptance it was one of the reasons he adored the other.
"Mmm..." He said thoughtfully, lost in the moment for a few heart beats. Eventually, he blinked himself to alertness and he gestured at the bowl's wall a short walk away. "How about we settled in, watch the stars...? Oh!!" His alarm was sudden as he turned and jogged back to his basket, where the klah was now luke warm, "Shells! I'm sorry! The klah's not that hot anymore.... is that still okay?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:43 pm
K'err's eyes drifted shut as he raised up on his toes a bit and tilted his head opposite F'in's. Their lips found each other with no trouble, and K'err's breath escaped out his nose as the warmth of F'in's kiss traveled throughout his entire body. The hand at the former farmhand's neck slid around, holding them close. F'in continued to press forward, and K'err was eager to show F'in in kind how ardent his own feelings were. When F'in finally pulled away, K'err felt his eyes moisten and his grin from before soften somewhat. He stood quietly, soaking in as much of the moment as he could. His hand had slid down F'in's broad shoulder and arm, down to F'in's hand, and he held it, only barely aware that he was doing so. He felt empty when F'in scurried away, and followed him over to the evening picnic. He sat next to him - on the side farther from the basket - and brushed a hand down his back. "It's fine, I couldn't possibly care less about that," he said. he called to his dragon.
She pranced over and curled up beside him, resting her head on his thigh. He scritched her ridges. "You're getting heavy!" he said aloud to her.
she replied.
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:52 pm
F'in leaned against the hand on his back, a thrill coursing through him. "Oh! Okay." He grinned and fished out the cups and the sweet rolls, plopping down on the blanket to pour them each a cup. He crumbled a sprig of dried mint into each and handed one to K'err, "I had to barter chores for these, so hopefully you like them!"
Chuckling, the youth leaned against his partner as Conroith curled around the other way to set her head in F'in's lap. The proximity of the dragons helped keep them warm in the cool evening air. "Sweet roll?" He offered the pastry.
"Have you actually looked at the Red Star before? It's beautiful and scary too..." He gestured up at the sky. The lights were dying down so the stars could be clearly seen as they began to appear one by one. "I was hoping you could tell me tales of Dragonriders... I like your singing." He smiled hopefully.
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 8:18 pm
"Bartered chores?" K'err asked incredulously, and a bit moved. "Fadrin!" He took the cup and took a whiff of it, the smell of minted klah meaning a little more than it had before. He gleefully accepted the subsequent pastry and set it on his other leg. He took a sip of the klah, the cooler temperature at least giving the drink some more flavor. "I have," he replied. "Also scary, but important, too. It's why you came here, after all. Without the Red Star, we'd have never met. So I guess in an odd way, I have to also be thankful for it. Give it a sort of terrible respect." He grinned at F'in's request. "Of course!" He shifted, taking the lute off his back and carefully dodging Sirinth's head; she moved it a bit for him anyway, and he sent her thanks. She nuzzled his leg a bit. He set to strumming for his audience of three, picking out one of the happier, more heroic songs in his repertoire. He gazed up at the stars as he played, comforted by the head on his lap and the boy at his side. He realized, as he went on, that this was what he always did. He had always played for F'in because there was nothing else for them to do. Nothing else he could do, before tonight. He couldn't hold F'in's hand if he was playing. He couldn't kiss F'in while he was singing. he told himself, Sirinth huffed her agreement.
He finished the first song and shifted the lute a bit to take another drink. He set the cup down and placed his hand on F'in's. "Thank you, truly," he said. "You really didn't have to go to this much trouble." He squeezed F'in's fingers. "Just this is enough. It's all I really wanted. You shouldn't be pushing yourself yet anyway."
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 8:36 pm
"I... I hadn't thought of it that way." He confessed, looking up at the sky with the moon hanging low and the stars glittering around it, "I'd only thought on how all of Pern now depends on a few good people to defend them... that I - we - are those defenders." He bit his lip, feeling a little guilty at not connecting their romance to the Red Star.
As the song began, F'in relaxed fully and settled into listening to the Harper... his Harper. The thought filled him with glee as he followed along, humming the parts he knew. His voice was untrained but not unpleasant.
"Huh? No, it's okay." F'in smiled, leaning in to press his forehead against the other's, "I wanted this to be special. I'm not artistic or poetic like you but I think I can do decently elsewise." He squeezed K'err's hand in kind, "I like this too, I'm not pushing... at least I don't think I am. Is it too much?" He looked around, suddenly unsure of his preparations. It wasn't that fancy but he'd thought it cozy.... Sure, it was no bronzerider's den or a master's studio... He bit his lip.
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 8:50 pm
"Oh, shards no! It's wonderful," K'err said. He leaned over and kissed F'in's cheek again. "It means a lot to me that you went so far. I just... think you can relax a bit. The effort is much appreciated, but you don't have to worry about impressing anymore. You got me. And I've been impressed by you since you joined me on that rock right after you got here." He finished softly, and leaned his head on F'in's shoulder. "I couldn't possibly be happier than being here, with you, with your lukewarm klah, your box and scroll and art and poetry, with these stars, and our dragons. It's a beautiful night tonight."
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 9:09 pm
"Okay... but, I like being fancy every once in a while. Is that alright?" He asked, completely new to the whole courting phenomenon. He laughed at the lukewarm klah comment and impulsively kissed the top of K'err's head. "It is, isn't it?" He regarded the other rider warmly as he wrapped an arm around K'err, the other hand moving to smooth fingers over Conroith's head, contentment sitting warm and fuzzy in his chest.
"Has Sirinth been stretching her wings yet? Conroith's just about ready to fly, I swear... The Weyrlingmaster made us promise not to try until the lessons begin." He seemed sad that he'd had to make that promise - he was too good a person to break it, "I'm really looking forward to flying. Imagine the freedom! The first place I'm going to go when we can Between and Fly is home, I want them to see Conroith. I'd like them to meet you too... but I'm not sure how they'd react." He paused a moment, gathering his thoughts, "The Wherhold is very different from a Hold."
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