Post by Taxx on Dec 2, 2018 22:13:05 GMT -5
“So.” Vitra’s approach was announced by no actual greeting, and she looked like she had too much on her mind to really worry about niceties such as saying ‘hi’ before launching into whatever she was thinking about. Kalzen glanced at her, his gaze lifting from his meal, watching as she dropped onto the bench next to him with her own plate heaped with food. Lepsuth was curled under the bench, her tail wrapped around Kalzen’s legs- as if she were afraid he’d vanish if she didn’t keep some sort of contact at all times. “How’s it feel, to be a rider?”
Kalzen gave a smile, glancing down at the curve of his green’s tail around his feet. “A bit strange,” he admitted, lifting his head again and tapping a finger against his temple. “Having another presence up here constantly. But it’s not so bad and you do get used to it quickly. Where’s Tucseth?” he asked, smoothly changing topics and maintaining an innocent expression as her gaze narrowed at him.
“Sleeping- he stuffed himself and barely managed to stay awake during his bath; i had to practically drag him to his wallow. Now stop trying to distract me: are you planning on changing your name?”
The smile faded to a frown; Kalzen had caught the faintly surprised look from the Weyrlingmaster the day before, and he’d noticed that every other boy had shortened their name- and some of the girls too. He supposed it was the thing to do, but he hadn’t even thought about it until that moment, and it felt odd, considering changing the name he had gone by since his birth.
“Everybody does it,” Vitra continued before taking a bite of her breakfast, an eyebrow raising as Kalzen snorted. “What?”
“Just because everyone else does it, I’m supposed to? Besides, not everyone- you didn’t.”
“Okay then, every boy. I’m a girl, and anyway- how do you shorten Vitra? Trust me, I’ve been over the possibilities, and none of them sound great. And why wouldn’t you?”
Another frown, and his brooding thoughts spilled over to Lepsuth, who stirred, rose to her paws, and lifted her head to gaze at him, green eyes whirling rapidly. He reached to run a hand over her slim head and she crooned happily, her chin dropping to rest on his leg. “I’d just never thought about it, that’s all. I’ve always been Kalzen, shortening it… I’d never thought I would be here. Be a rider.”
“But you are now,” was Vitra’s straightforward response. “So let’s do the proper thing and get you a rider’s name!”
It took some time- Vitra was enthusiastic and seemed unlikely to ever run out of suggestions, but she did manage to wear Kalzen down until he entered the discussion and toned down her excitement, offering some calmer guidance. And when they finally got to one that Kalzen felt was fitting, Vitra gave a bright grin and was all too happy to be the first to call him by the new name- loudly- before turning immediately to spread the word to others sitting close by.
For his part, the weyrling left the dining hall to find D’rew to let him know, taking yet another step that distanced himself from the Bronzer and his father’s influence. “K’zar,” he told D’rew, who nodded and noted the elided name down, making it permanent.
“Good name,” the weyrlingmaster approved, and Lepsuth, as ever glued to her rider’s side, leaned her head against his leg, his pride at the praise given doubled by her agreement.
My K’zar, she whispered, and sent a rush of love. Mine, I love you.
Kalzen gave a smile, glancing down at the curve of his green’s tail around his feet. “A bit strange,” he admitted, lifting his head again and tapping a finger against his temple. “Having another presence up here constantly. But it’s not so bad and you do get used to it quickly. Where’s Tucseth?” he asked, smoothly changing topics and maintaining an innocent expression as her gaze narrowed at him.
“Sleeping- he stuffed himself and barely managed to stay awake during his bath; i had to practically drag him to his wallow. Now stop trying to distract me: are you planning on changing your name?”
The smile faded to a frown; Kalzen had caught the faintly surprised look from the Weyrlingmaster the day before, and he’d noticed that every other boy had shortened their name- and some of the girls too. He supposed it was the thing to do, but he hadn’t even thought about it until that moment, and it felt odd, considering changing the name he had gone by since his birth.
“Everybody does it,” Vitra continued before taking a bite of her breakfast, an eyebrow raising as Kalzen snorted. “What?”
“Just because everyone else does it, I’m supposed to? Besides, not everyone- you didn’t.”
“Okay then, every boy. I’m a girl, and anyway- how do you shorten Vitra? Trust me, I’ve been over the possibilities, and none of them sound great. And why wouldn’t you?”
Another frown, and his brooding thoughts spilled over to Lepsuth, who stirred, rose to her paws, and lifted her head to gaze at him, green eyes whirling rapidly. He reached to run a hand over her slim head and she crooned happily, her chin dropping to rest on his leg. “I’d just never thought about it, that’s all. I’ve always been Kalzen, shortening it… I’d never thought I would be here. Be a rider.”
“But you are now,” was Vitra’s straightforward response. “So let’s do the proper thing and get you a rider’s name!”
It took some time- Vitra was enthusiastic and seemed unlikely to ever run out of suggestions, but she did manage to wear Kalzen down until he entered the discussion and toned down her excitement, offering some calmer guidance. And when they finally got to one that Kalzen felt was fitting, Vitra gave a bright grin and was all too happy to be the first to call him by the new name- loudly- before turning immediately to spread the word to others sitting close by.
For his part, the weyrling left the dining hall to find D’rew to let him know, taking yet another step that distanced himself from the Bronzer and his father’s influence. “K’zar,” he told D’rew, who nodded and noted the elided name down, making it permanent.
“Good name,” the weyrlingmaster approved, and Lepsuth, as ever glued to her rider’s side, leaned her head against his leg, his pride at the praise given doubled by her agreement.
My K’zar, she whispered, and sent a rush of love. Mine, I love you.