mid-day meal thoughts [tagged/open]

[tovaana]

Candidates Muze & Vavithan;

Vav had somehow balanced two drinks and his meal plate in his two hands, settling everything carefully before he sat down across from his sister for the mid-day meal.

“So, is it everything you hoped?” Vavithan asked, sliding the extra drink over to his sister with a half grin. Her big brown eyes lifted, so lit up with enthusiasm that he didn’t need to hear her response to know what it would be.

“Oh yes, and more.” She paused, looking to the ceiling as if she’d find something of interest there. “I mean, I do miss the sea, but it’s not too hard to access here. I love learning about dragons – far more interesting than fish.” She finished the phrase with a sort of grimace, as Vav could imagine she was thinking of gutting fish or the boring lectures their father would go on about at meal times.

“I agree, far better.” He paused, watching her attention wander to her food as she began to eat with a thoughtful demeanor. “A 32nd of a mark for your thoughts?” Her eyes moved up mid chew and quickly swallowed.

“I could use a few more marks you know.” She said with a playful grin and wiggled in her seat; obviously she was still thinking about dragons. “I was thinking about what color I might impress to. Did you see that female brown rider? I never thought I could impress anything but a green – I mean, being a dragon rider itself was a dream, but it was always a green…” She paused, her words were spilling faster than she could keep up with her rambling phrases. “So, I was thinking about the dragon color system. I don't see why one should be consider better than another.” She ended with finality, as if remembering at the last moment what Vavithan had asked her.

“What about you? You could impress a bronze!” Vav widened his eyes at the idea.

“Me? Nooo, that’s far too much potential leadership and…” he paused, trying to find the right word. “…drama.” Yes, the higher ranked, the more potential for drama. He gave his own grimace. “Probably a blue or brown. If at all.”

“Browns can end up in leadership as well you know...and you will impress.” Muze hummed before taking another innocent bite of food. Vav glared at her, trying not to think of the headache of leadership while at the same time admiring her confidence. He had been headed in the direction of leadership in the hold (if only over a fishing boat), but he had been hoping being a dragon rider he could end up further under the radar. Being a candidate had certainly done that so far, especially since there was no guarantee that he would actually impress. If he didn’t… perhaps he could stay here in Mavros, especially if his sister impressed… he could continue the fishing and boat life while his sister learned to be a dragon rider.

“There could be a gold egg in the next clutches!” he taunted and she glared back at him, there was something in her gaze that didn’t even want to tempt that fate. She stuffed more food into her mouth, an excuse not to respond to his taunt.

Zen & open to any who want to join [=

[Zen]

A'zael

The need to socialize drew A'zael from his weyr and to the dining caverns for his mid-day meal, for once setting work aside for a while rather than take his meal in his office so he could keep on with it while he ate. Of course, even taking his meal in the dining cavern set him up to see to further duties as Weyrleader, as the occasional rider would approach him about something in the more relaxed atmosphere if they perhaps weren't as comfortable with a more formal meeting, but he never minded. It was a good sign, in his opinion. He hoped he was approachable. He had no desire to be some distant, intimidating authority figure.

So lunch in the dining caverns at least once a sevenday gave him the opportunity to open himself up to those who might want to have a quick word, and also to spend some casual time with the people of the Weyr, perhaps get to know someone new. He was getting far better at balancing his life out between work and his own needs. About time too.

As he piled a plate with food, the general buzz of the busy cavern, full of friendly chatter and laughter, camaraderie, helped to energize him just as well as a good meal. The isolation and silence of his office was draining, like a self imposed exile, or an imprisonment. Fortunately there were drills and oiling Fath to break up the day even when nothing else did. And of course his dinners with Azora, which had indeed become a regular thing for them.

Grabbing himself a hot mug of fresh klah, he made his way toward the tables, eyeing a few open spots and wondering just which to take. A snippet of conversation as he was passing gave him pause.

“What about you? You could impress a bronze!”
“Me? Nooo, that’s far too much potential leadership and… drama.”

He stifled a laugh, glancing over at the two. Clearly candidates.

“Probably a blue or brown. If at all.”
“Browns can end up in leadership as well you know...and you will impress.”
“There could be a gold egg in the next clutches!”

Great Faranth, he hoped not. Five golds was more than enough to try to cover the clutches of. Benden had agreed to allow Searching without repercussion until the twins' clutches had hatched, but he had no idea if they'd be able to reach any sort of agreement after that. And now there was Riyobith, too young now and for many months yet, but....

The look the younger girl was giving the young man clearly said all that needed saying about her own thoughts on Impressing gold and he didn't quite stop the laugh this time. It was a decent distraction from the less than pleasant thoughts trying to overtake him. He cleared his throat and moved a bit closer, “Hope you'll forgive me for eavesdropping.” He gestured with mug in hand at the open space beside them, “Would you mind if I joined you? I'll find another seat, if you prefer,” he added hurriedly, not wanting to make them feel like they had to let him if they'd rather just enjoy each others' company.

tovaana

[tovaana]

Candidates Muze & Vavithan;

A gold? Her on a gold? A girl on a gold was very different than a boy on a bronze. A bronze only became leader if the bronze caught the gold – a gold would eventually become the Weyrwoman in due time. Or perhaps not, her mind played with a couple of ways that a junior gold could hypothetically skip their time as leader, but none of the scenarios were very pretty… or did they even make sense? As much as she was learning, there was still much that was lost on her – including the living style of those in the Weyr.

Muze glowered at her brother at the mention of gold amid her disapproving thoughts and shoveled another scoop of food into her mouth. A laugh came from nearby and she startled at the sound, especially since she was still thinking in deep contemplation of which color of dragon she would impress to and if it mattered at all. There had been the bustle of noises around her, but the nearby laugh had picked her out of her thoughts. Consequently her utensil clattered dully on the table and she nimbly grabbed at it with a tight fist and twisted to see who was speaking. She had turned too far, because she had not needed to turn much at all, since the newcomer had seen the expression on Muze’s face. She slowly turned back to her plate, putting her utensil down – feeling silly about her knee-jerk reaction.

Vavithan had simply turned toward the sound of the man laughing, far less surprised by the voice. At first glance he only saw a young man, the kind that probably had ladies swooning, but what would he know? He glanced at his sister, as if her reaction of the man would tell him – but then did a double take when he realized who the young man was. The Weyrleader – A’zael. He blinked, stunned for a moment, but not because he was starstruck, but because up close the leader seemed so… young? His stomach fluttered with firelizard wings, remembering not long ago when Muze had taunted him with the idea of him being leader.

He cleared his throat and smiled at the man. “We’ve no secrets, huh Muze?” Their conversation hadn’t meant to be secret, so it didn’t bother Vav in the least bit. Though, a shadow of a concern came to him as he wondered how long the leader had been listening. How much had he heard? What had he said? Something about not wanting to be a bronze, and here he was – welcoming a bronze rider (the leader nonetheless) to sit next to them.

“And we don’t mind.” Vav turned to his sister who was staring at the leader with her large brown eyes wide with momentary shock. Obviously she hadn’t been prepared for the Weyrleader to join in their conversation. She swallowed the bite she had half chewed and took a sip of her drink to follow the food down…Then she kept glancing at the Weyrleader. Vavithan felt a tad nervous, the nerves an older brother gets when he worries about what odd thing his sister could possibly blurt out.

Before Muze could say anything, since Vavithan could tell she was formulating something to say, he decided to introduce himself and his sister. “I’m Vavithan, this is my sister Muze. I'm not sure how much of our conversation you heard, but if you heard enough, you could probably tell that we're here at Mavros as candidates.” 

Zen

[Zen]

A'zael

“We’ve no secrets, huh Muze?”

“Oh good. I would question the open discussion of supposed secrets in the middle of the dining cavern,” A’zael laughed lightly, taking a seat beside Vavithan as the younger man granted permission for him to join them. He seemed a bit more composed than his sister, as he introduced them both while she continued to stare at him. He bit back the flirty comment that attempted to escape his mouth, for two reasons. Flirting with a man’s sister in front of him generally didn’t tend to end very well, and he really didn’t need to get in more trouble with candidates or chase either of these two off when Mavros needed them for the twins’ upcoming clutches.

“I did manage to gather as much,” he agreed as Vavithan suggested he might have guessed that the two of them were candidates, tossing an amused look at him, “Smart man, about keeping away from bronzes. Nothing but trouble, our lot.” He grinned, his tone vaguely teasing, though he wasn’t at all kidding, “Though I wanted blue as a candidate, so good luck with that.” And he meant that too. He wouldn’t wish the stress of leadership on anyone that didn’t want it.

“Ah, forgive me. It’s so awkward trying to decide if I should introduce myself properly at times…. I’m A’zael,” he never knew if people would already know or not, but these two were candidates and likely fairly new to Mavros… who knew if they knew his face or not. And at the same time it seemed presumptuous, arrogant even, to assume they might. Annoying that even introductions had been made more complicated than they needed to be due to his position.

He took a bite of his food, considering the two of them. The girl had yet to speak since he joined them and he hoped he wasn’t making her uncomfortable. Hm. Part of him wanted to ask her if she had a preference for what color she would Impress - other than not gold, apparently - but perhaps he’d wait and make sure she even wanted to talk first. “So, where do you both come from? How’s candidacy treating you?”

tovaana

[tovaana]

Candidates Muze & Vavithan;

Muze was not shy, she’d been taught that being quiet was safe – and in the presence of the Weyrleader, she wasn’t sure how to act. She made to lifting her head, quieting her nerves and watched Vav as he introduced them. Then her brown eyes turned quietly on the leader – who later would confirm her suspicion about actually being the leader. His tone was light and teasing, the complete opposite of those in higher position she had witnessed. At home, leaders were mostly about business – only in the hall did they loosen up, and only by a little. When he mentioned that he had wanted a blue, she could see it. While she didn’t know much about the different colors, she knew a bit about the general personality differences. She wondered idly about his Bronze, wondering how he was like and why he had chosen A’zael.

Vavithan nodded in understanding as A’zael explained his reasoning for his delayed introduction. It would be strange, to have everyone know who you were.

“We’re from the Eastern Hold, fisher and boat craft.” He could feel his sister’s eyes on him. He turned to her momentarily before meeting A’zael’s gaze once more. “We’re enjoying it. It’s… different.” The way of living was different, the way he wasn’t working with his hands every day all day was different, the food was different – but different didn’t mean bad. Before he could say so, it was like Muze was reading his mind.

“I’m all for different.” Muze piped up, she had no more interest in her food at the moment. Here was an opportunity to learn from the one in charge. She was sure that while Muze and Vav had no secrets, this man had to have many – not that she expected any to come out in the dining hall, but he also would know and have much experience, despite the youth in his features. “I love it, I wouldn’t want anything different than this different. And I really don’t care who I impress to, I’m just grateful for the opportunity.” She wanted to set those things straight, she didn’t want the Weyrleader to think her or her brother ungrateful, depending on how much he had heard before sitting with them.

“It’s true, I’d even take a bronze.” Vavithan said with a grin, though his insides squirmed against this thought. “Not, I hear, that we have much choice on the matter, it sounds like.”

Vavithan turned at the sound of his sister’s voice. “How long have you been a Bronze rider? What’s his name again? Did you have a trade before becoming a candidate?” Muze looked less nervous and more curious. It bothered Vavithan how naïve she still seemed, but was sure that would change over time. Vavithan cleared his throat at the quick flow of questions, giving Muze a side glance, but he couldn’t ignore that he was curious about the same things.

[Zen]

A'zael

“Eastern, huh?” A’zael considered the man’s answer about where they were from. Seacrafters. He laughed lightly, more to himself, “Well, you’re probably used to a steady diet of fish then.” He cleared his throat a bit, “I imagine you’ve been part of keeping us all fed, what with all the fish we get from Eastern’s tithes…. So, thanks, I suppose, for the part you’ve played in making sure we don’t starve.” An amused but genuine smile settled on his lips. In his time as Weyrleader he had come to appreciate all the little parts everyone played in ensuring the success of the Weyr. It took more than dragonriders, more even than all the weyrfolk that supported them. There had been a time he hadn’t thought much of the Holds, grudgingly agreeing that the Weyr clearly needed their tithes and thinking nothing more about it all. It wasn’t until becoming Weyrleader that he realized just how much they depended on the Holds to provide for them. They could only survive Threadfall together.

He raised a brow, distracted from those thoughts as Vavithan answered his second question. Different, hm? Before he could make any response to that, Muze spoke up to add her own opinion. She didn’t have a color preference for Impression? Besides not gold, of course, though he knew from experience that the color of your dragon’s hide mattered very little after they’d chosen you… at least the vast majority of the time. Talaria came to mind, but he pushed any further thoughts of the sour greenrider away. He chuckled as Vavithan added his input once more, “No. The dragon decides, as always. You’ll hear that a lot, should you Impress.”

He blinked in surprise as Muze rattled off a few questions at him, apparently over whatever reservations had kept her initially silent. “Ah, let’s see… nearly five turns, I suppose, since Fath found me on the sands.” He gave another light laugh, “I never expected a bronze, but Fath isn’t like any bronze I ever imagined.” He took a drink as he considered the girl’s question about his having any sort of craft experience before Impression, “I’m Weyrbred, and while I did briefly entertain the idea of harperdom, I couldn’t imagine leaving the Weyr or giving up the chance to Impress. I’ve always wanted to fight Thread. There’s nothing I would rather do.” Another laugh, “Well, as a career path, at least.” Only someone completely mad would see fighting Thread as the ultimate pastime, “No song I’ve ever heard has done the horror of Threadfall justice….”

He trailed off and glanced between them, suddenly concerned he might scare them off if he kept up that line of thought. He sighed, shrugged rather nonchalantly. Well, if they couldn’t stomach it then they clearly weren’t cut out to be dragonriders. “There’s nothing romantic about fighting Thread, despite what many a teaching song or ballad might suggest. At best it can be described as controlled chaos. Impression to a dragon is amazing, but it comes with a heavy responsibility. If you’re going to commit to candidacy, you should understand that.” He sighed again, feigning some mix of exasperation and defeat, “And the responsibility is all that much heavier if your dragon’s hide happens to be metallic.” A slight grin tugged at his lips, hopefully dispelling some of the seriousness of the conversation, “So I wish you both the best of luck in avoiding such a fate.”

tovaana

[tovaana]

Vavithan & Muze;

Muze had never thought about where all the fish that they gathered on Eastern went, and she unconsciously looked down at her food for a moment while thinking about the countless fish dinners they had had. It was true, she and her brother were used to eating fish, so they hadn’t thought about the similarities in the meals. It made sense though – Muze had done very little but chores inside the weyr – and once more it was so clear how different weyr life was very different than hold life.

She watched him, speaking with the experience of leading a Weyr…but he seemed so young. Fath, that was the bronze’s name. She tucked away another question if the opportunity presented itself, about how Fath was not what he had imagined a bronze to be like. It took her a moment staring at the weyr leader’s handsome features and lost in her own thoughts – did she realize what he had said.

From the corner of her eye she could see him shift in his seat and she glance across the table at him, then back to A’zael. She had to repeat his words in her mind, “No song I’ve ever heard has done the horror of Threadfall justice….” The horror. That’s what thread was, a horror that needed to be taken care of…and that’s what dragon riders were for, that’s why hold’s paid tithes and harpers sung songs and ballads about the heroics of dragons and their riders. She had gotten caught up in the excitement of impressing, that it really didn’t matter what dragon she rode, the job would be the same. Searing the wiggling thread from the sky with dragon's fire.

She sighed and glanced over to Vavithan who seemed to have been watching her for a few moments. Was he thinking the same thing? Or maybe this was why he decided to come with her, because he’d been aware of the danger she’d be in if she impressed?

Muze hadn’t blanched at the idea, but it did bring her dragon riding desires into a more realistic view at that moment. A’zael started to voice what she had been thinking about how dragon riding could easily be romanticized. He went on, challenging their commitment – wanting to make sure they understood what being a dragon rider entailed. Muze was sure there was plenty she didn’t understand, but she did understand a challenge and hard work that was ahead of her. In that moment her fist unconsciously gripped at her utensil stronger, her lips pursed. She’d be the best dragon rider there ever was, no matter the color.

In that moment she felt like anything she wanted to say, he already knew. “I’ll train hard. I’ll be the best thread fighter in the sky, no matter who my dragon is.” Her voice was not as loud, but had a note of finality to it. Even if she impressed to a...gold. But, weren't there candidates who trained to be gold riders their whole life? Surely she'd be free from that responsibility. Fighting thread was enough to think about. 

“I’ll take that luck.” Vavithan voiced, eager to dispel any weight of thread in the conversation. He didn’t like how determined his sister had gotten and it was exactly why he had agreed on coming in the first place. His mind briefly went back to that moment when they left without asking their father’s consent. He still needed to write a letter, he had kept putting it off…

“Tell us about Fath.” Vavithan suggested, taking a bite out of his meal, as if remembering why they were in the hall. "If you don't mind, I mean." Muze still hadn’t touched her food, but watching her brother and weyr leader warily, her mind thinking about how she could become the best. She hadn’t been at the weyr long and their lessons were not very intense. Perhaps she could find books and teach herself some on dragons and thread.

Zen

[Zen]

A'zael

A thoughtful sort of silence fell and A’zael took a few bites of his food, considering the two of them and again wondering if he might have scared them off. Rachel and Kenessia would have his hide if he went around scaring away their hard won candidates. One would think he might have learned his lesson by now about thinking before he opened his big mouth. He nearly sighed, but managed not to, thinking about the constant need to monitor his words, words that had more impact coming from a Weyrleader than just from some random young bronzerider.

At last Muze spoke, breaking the silence that had stretched out, and A’zael turned a stormy blue gaze back to the girl, her words resolute. He couldn’t help the smile that touched his lips, not derisive or humoring by any means, as he nodded once in acknowledgement of her determination. “I’m glad to hear that. I’m sure you and your dragon will be an asset to the Weyr.” Any candidate that was that adamant would surely Impress, he mused to himself.

Vavithan spoke then and A’zael laughed lightly, more than happy to leave the heavier conversation behind them. He hadn’t meant to come to the dining cavern to start questioning anyone’s convictions. When asked once more about his dragon, he sighed in fond exasperation and grinned over at the two, “You should be careful with questions like that. Most riders will be happy to talk your ears off about their dragons.” He took a drink of klah before he continued, “Fath is… well, he’s a pretty simple beast. Not far off from a giant canine, if I’m being honest. Not a mean bone in his body. He’ll talk to anyone, which isn’t exactly typical of dragons. Obsessed with golds, not that I can blame him, but I’d have hoped he’d turn an eye to greens once in a while….”

Way to think before speaking. He trailed off and took a bite of his food to shut himself up for a moment. He wanted the big oaf to chase greens for the silly creature’s own sake more than for himself. He laughed again, “See what I mean? I could keep going. Aren’t many riders that don’t favor their dragon as a conversation topic, and I know I’m biased but I am quite certain Fath is the best bronze that ever lived.” He grinned again, “Most of Pern seems to expect bronzes to be these stuffy, bossy beasts, or well, that’s how I always thought of them growing up, but Fath isn’t at all like that. Mostly he just wants to make friends, spend time with pretty lady dragons, and enjoy good food, and that seems like a good life plan to me.”

tovaana

[tovaana]

Muze & Vavithan

Muze felt her heart skip, or maybe her stomach did a flop when the man voiced his confidence. Was it his eyes? Stupid men, but there sure were a lot more nice looking ones at the weyr... and less calloused. Or was it simply that he fed her confidence with his own, speaking as if she would indeed impress. She would go to the library that afternoon to start her quest, to know as much as she could, to prove to the weyrleader that his confidence wasn’t misplaced. Muze had worked her whole life trying to prove herself, but this time was different, there was freedom in her quest.

Vavithan wondered if it was the lighting or if her sister had lightly blushed. He blinked at her, but turned to weyrleader as he began to talk about his dragon. Vav wanted to understand that connection between dragon and rider better. The weyrleader was comparing his dragon to an oversized dog, but they had had a dog - multiple of them. The connection between dog and human was strong, but from what he was learning in his lessons, the bond between human and dragon was far more intimate.

Muze was busy trying to imagine a big bronze acting like her dog back at home. Running about, happily rolling around in the sand, play bowing... and sticking she was sure she couldn’t really imagine it. Perhaps he meant more in personality, like how he described the nature of his dragon. That made more sense to her. She didn’t understand his comment about greens and she glanced sideways at her brother who was blinking at the man, but she couldn’t tell if he understood. When the leader took a bite of food, she reluctantly did the same.

Vavithan understood a bit about golds and greens and the chases. It had caught his attention because both greens and golds impressed mostly to girls, and having his sister in mind during a lot of the lessons, had worried about this. He blinked at the leader, but did not take a bite to eat. Why did it matter if his bronze chased greens? If the bronze didn’t catch the Weyrwoman’s gold, he wouldn’t be Weyrleader, perhaps that’s what he meant? But being a man and having hung around a lot of calloused speaking sea men, he couldn’t help but wonder if the Weyrleader had implied something else. Not that he would usually mind, but if his sister impressed a green, oh shells - he didn’t want to think about those things right then. There weren’t even any eggs on the sands to worry about impressing.

”It does sound nice. He sounds like a gentle giant.” Vavithan mused about the bronze’s desires, hoping that he’d get the chance to meet with this kind beast. It all sounded nice, until you added thread to the mix, but he decided not to damper the mood with that thought. ”Do you have any advice for us?” It seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. ”For us, as candidates, I mean.”

Muze on the other hand wondered idly if the weyrleader wanted to talk like a leader while on break. ”What do you do in your free time? When you’re not fighting thread, or... well... being the weyrleader.” She interjected her question soon after Vavithan’s, not less interested in the answer - since she wanted to become the best, and who better to learn from than the weyrleader himself?

[Zen]

A'zael

“Gentle giant is pretty accurate,” A’zael mused, fondness in his tone for the beast in question, “You should see him with the weyrlings. He loves playing with young dragons. Well, if - when,” he amended with a quick, playful wink at Muze, “you Impress, I’m sure you’ll see for yourselves.” It didn’t hurt their chances that the twins would be rising next. They would have two clutches of dragons who might find them on the sands. He took another drink of his klah and did his best not to let unpleasant thoughts about finding enough candidates for those two clutches creep in.

Vavithan asked if he had any advice and he thoughtfully considered his mug for a few moments. Before he could answer, Muze interjected her own questions. He couldn’t help but laugh at the way she had worded it. When he wasn’t being the Weyrleader? Shells, when was that supposed to be? He’d had to learn to monitor himself so much in the last several turns because he couldn’t just stop being the Weyrleader, his words and actions affected people far beyond himself. What a hard learned lesson that was, and one he still forgot at times until it came back around to bite him somehow. But he knew what Muze meant and wasn’t about to go off on a tirade about how really he never stopped being the Weyrleader, except in the privacy of his own weyr, sometimes.

He cleared his throat. First things first. “Well, as for advice… I don’t imagine I’ve much to offer that you won’t learn in your lessons. Pay attention on the sands so you don’t get in a dragonet’s way to their lifemate. Some can get a bit violent when you get between them, but as long as you’re paying attention and not assuming the dragon is yours, you should be fine.” He scratched at his chin, thinking on it a bit more, “If you don’t Impress the first time, or the second, or the third, it’s probably going to feel completely awful, I’m not gonna lie. But a dragon’s love is worth a thousand let downs in between, so if it’s something you really want, don’t give up.” He glanced over at the two of them and a grin tugged at his lips, “And don’t think S’bol is insane when he takes you to talk to eggs.”

He chuckled, took another drink of his klah, “Egg touchings are something else. They just barely scratch the surface of just how it feels to be bonded to a dragon. Some of the dragons in those eggs can knock you right on your ass through sheer strength of mind, so brace yourself for that.” Bringing up egg touchings was probably rather confusing for those new to a weyr, new to candidacy. He was sure S’bol would explain it all much better than he could, but he thought it worth mentioning. “I can’t say there’s much else I can say on the subject, but patience is rather important as a candidate, if you’re serious about being a rider. Your dragon will find you, and they’re more than worth the wait, however long it may be. I stood for six turns before Fath found me. Of course you could always get lucky and Impress your first time, and it doesn’t always take nearly that long even if you don’t.”

His gaze shifted to Muze and he leaned leisurely on an elbow, chin in his hand, as he turned to her more casual question about himself. “Playing gitar takes up most of my free time these days,” he said with an easy smile, “Perhaps I’ll play for you sometime.” He gestured toward the fireplaces around the room with his other hand, “Sometimes I come here to play a little for anyone who happens to be eating at the time, or I’ll head to the commons to play. I think it’s good for people to see me being… normal.” He laughed lightly and lifted his head from his hand, “Rank tends to create distance between people and I don’t want that. I enjoy spending time with others, and making people happy, so if my clumsy plucking can do that, well… it’s a win-win.” He glanced between them both, vaguely curious and tone mildly amused, “So, do either of you have a favorite song? Maybe I’ll play them for you, if you happen across me during my next public performance.” He paused to chuckle again, "Or perhaps I'll play the song I wrote about candidacy for you. I'm sure you'll soon be able to relate."

tovaana

[tovaana]

Muze & Vavithan;

Muze felt her cheeks heat up when he winked at her; it was as if she had no control over her body and it was irritating her. She avoided everyone’s gaze, grateful that the Weyrleader seemed to be pondering their questions for a moment, it gave her time to recompose. She still didn’t look directly at the man, afraid he’d do something that would cause her cheeks to flair up again. It wasn’t like men hadn’t been teasing and flirting at home, but perhaps it was because he was someone in authority – the attention like A’zael was giving to them would feel more unusual at home… It was just another thing to add to the growing list of peculiarities of weyr life.

She listened politely while playing with her food, trying to engrain each phrase in her brain and repeating them so that they’d stick. She was about to wonder if she could wait so long to impress – and all of the complications that came with not impressing, when he brought up egg touchings. Her eyes, forgetting her resolve to not look at the man, flicked up in curiosity. Talking to the eggs? Like when dragons chose to talk others, but while in their eggs? Her mind was in a whirl with the information, but he had also sparked her curiosity, more eager to hit the library as soon as they were done with dinner. Then he went back to patience and that it may take multiple clutches for the dragon to choose a candidate… Her foot tapped quietly and rapidly at the stone under them. She didn’t want to be patient. Her mouth fell open slightly when he said he had waited six turns. Six.

Her mouth was still slightly open when he turned his leisurely thoughts toward her. Muze’s mouth snapped shut and she clenched her teeth, willing her cheeks and feelings to obey her will. This was absolutely silly. Luckily he started to talk, his words distracting her enough to relax.

Vavithan was eating as he listened, glancing every so often at his sister who was acting slightly off. He shrugged it off, also trying to soak in all that was offered them. He liked the Weyrleader and the way he didn’t want there to be that distance between rankings – as it happened so well in hold life, or at least at the hold they grew up in. He grinned, “That’d be cool. We’d love to hear you next time you play.” He said, glancing at Muze who seemed a little… nervous? He hoped she hadn't minded that he had spoken for her. Usually he wouldn't think twice about it, but also didn't want to overcrowd her in this new life of theirs.

She clasped her hands tight in her lap. She knew the ‘you’ he was referring to was plural when he offered to play for them, but she was getting the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach again. Frustration welled up inside her and she was grateful that her brother responded, because she hadn’t wanted to. Yet, as he asked what their favorite song was – she couldn’t help but blurt hers out. “The Fire Lizard Song!” Well, it was out, there was no going back, and it seemed to loosen her tongue. “The candidate song sounds cool too.”

Vavithan nodded, not wanting to add to growing list of songs – but also unsure of what song was his favorite. There were songs about the sea, his hold sang a lot of them – though the harper always tried to mix it up a little, the people in the hold seemed to enjoy and respond better to the ones that related to them.

“I guess it would be taboo to ask if you enjoyed being Weyrleader…” Vavithan said with a slight question in his tone but also not wanting to pressure the man. With a small smile he asked instead, “but… did you get training before you became Weyrleader?”

Zen

[Zen]

A'zael

Throughout his answers, Muze seemed to… withdraw a bit, and with an eye practiced at reading women’s reactions to him, A’zael couldn’t help the self satisfaction he found in it. He certainly hadn’t missed the slight addition of color to her face. But a quick glance at Vavithan followed, because he had no want to upset the man. He wasn’t trying to flirt with her, it was just too natural for him to stop completely, it seemed. But it didn’t appear that Vavithan had noticed, either that or he didn’t mind, but A’zael didn’t particularly want to press his luck. Instead the younger man seemed to like the idea of hearing him play sometime.

And Muze found her voice again when he asked what their favorite songs were. He tilted his head thoughtfully, “The firelizard song, hm? I’ll have to practice it then.” It was a calmer song, pretty, but he’d been mostly playing and practicing livelier songs thus far. He’d have to get Master Clintock to play it for him a few times so could get a better idea of how to play it by ear, it had been a while since he’d even heard it. Inwardly, he sighed at the idea of going to Clintock, but perhaps if he got the man playing it would keep him from droning on incessantly about the merits of different woods used for various instruments or some other such nonsense he had no interest in listening to.

Vavithan’s next question sent a wan smile flickering over A’zael’s lips. Back to Weyrleader questions. He couldn’t blame him for asking, seeing as it was certainly a possibility for Vavithan’s own future, whether he wanted it or not. The dragons decide. If the young man Impressed a bronze, or even brown, the answer to that question would matter a good deal. “Ah, heh, well… some,” he admitted at last, which was not entirely promising, but was the truth, “Bronze and brown weyrlings attend leadership lessons so they at least have… some knowledge of what it means to be a Wingleader or Weyrleader before graduation. Most would get to be at least a Wingsecond, if not a Wingleader, before they got the chance at Weyrleader, so they would have more leadership experience under their belt…. Unfortunately for me, at the time, Mavros had a rather scant few bronzes when Zalmaranth rose… so I never got the chance to work my way up.”

He’d never understand how Fath, the youngest bronze at Mavros, just barely old enough to chase, had managed to win that Flight. But then it had been Zalmaranth’s first rise as well, so perhaps the gold’s own inexperience had played to Fath’s advantage. It didn’t matter anymore, it just was. The second catch was harder to account for. “But,” he continued, so as not to leave Vavithan completely hopeless that should the same happen to him, it would be a sink or swim situation, “Mavros had a Council at the time that stayed in place to help, being that Karredy and I were both so young, barely graduated riders. And B’rax, my Weyrsecond, is older and far more experienced than I am. He has always been available to me and I definitely could not have done this without his guidance.”

Maybe he shouldn’t have admitted that? Too late now. “I was never very good at asking for help,” he was focused on Vavithan as he spoke, seriously for once, “But with the entire Weyr, and the entire Western Continent depending on my decisions, I learned quickly to rely on others when I was in over my head; that a good leader has to put aside his pride for the sake of the people he protects, and that leaning on those with more experience than you is wisdom, not weakness.” He recalled telling the Spring Storms bronze and brown weyrlings something similar in their very first leadership lesson with him. He offered another soft smile, “I panicked at first, I didn’t want it, but I think… its helped make me a better man. And in the end, I hope the Weyr recognizes that I’m doing the best I can and that every decision I make on our behalf is what I believe to be the best thing for us all, and for those we protect. I can’t make everyone happy with every decision, but if I can keep everyone alive, that’s enough.” Maybe he had gotten a bit too heavy again. He laughed lightly as if to ease any tension his answer might have caused, “Hope that wasn’t too long winded for you. Nothing is ever simple where Weyrleadership is concerned.”

tovaana

[tovaana]

Muze & Vavithan;

Muze hadn’t meant to cause the leader more trouble – having to practice the song that she wanted to hear… but she also wanted to hear it sung properly, it’d been a while, and she identified with it. She thought of Coyli and wished she were there. Coyli sent her an image of her room, beckoning her to come join her there, since where Muze was was too crowded for her taste. Muze glanced at her brother, slightly irritated that he had changed subject again, especially since this subject had nothing to do with her. She wanted to know when he would performing, she didn’t want to rush him, but she also didn’t want to miss it.

She idly listened, going back to eating, waiting for a lull in the conversation so she could ask about the songs. However, it didn’t seem like the discussion was leaning toward music again – not that it stopped her before…

Vavithan on the other hand was very interested in the information the Weyrleader was providing. It was nice to know that if he did happen to impress to a bronze… or even brown… that he would probably get experience if a gold just happened to choose his dragon… but even the chances of that were not likely. Still, it brought him some ease. Still… this young man’s bronze had been chosen when he was young, before he had any sort of training. The leader then confided that he had had help – and to Vavithan he didn’t see weakness is seeking help, it didn’t occur to him that perhaps it had been too much. The more A’zeal spoke, the more he saw him as a person – rather than just a leader.

“That’s a lot of responsibility.” He said with a little sigh, feeling sympathy for the young man. He imagined that having such responsibility shoved on someone so young would force growth of sorts. Vavithan glanced at his sister. She was stubborn enough that perhaps if there was a gold egg, a gold would choose her… but the chances of that were even more slim than a bronze choosing him. One of the few things he had learned so far was that there were plenty golds in the Weyr at the moment, which meant there was less chance for a gold to lay another gold…How nature knew such things were above him, but it was better for his sister that way. His sister didn’t seem to be paying attention, but he knew she was listening.

His eyes drifted back to the Weyrleader. “And no… it wasn’t too long winded. Thank you for all you do for the Weyr.” He said, “it’s a lot to take in… but it helps, so thanks for your time.”

Muze looked up, recognizing a break in conversation, alert to any lull that may occur. Her brown eyes glanced at both of the men, her food now empty from the time she had gotten from eating while listening.

Zen