Complicated Fondness [Kaya]

[Shoki]

“Are you ready to go?” F’mil rubbed Delgeth’s neck, the dragon snorting.

[smear:c82009]I am fine, we can go now.[/smear:ffffff] Delgeth was on his guard. The irritable dragon could always be tense, and he tended to move around a lot, but this was different. F’mil knew that right now, he was blocking out Telgar. The emotions around him affected him a lot, and neither of them wanted to know what a weyr that was actually in a war was like. Delgeth had a tendency to go with emotions as it was, and there was a quiet worry over what might happen if the two toned dragon was ever in a proper fight with his guard down. The hatching was different. For now, they were being careful. But Delgeth was confident It wasn’t merely a king’s confidence, but the fact that F’mil was very excited to see what RMW was like. Aweirgan, not usually around when F’mil was on the job, was coming along, interested in enjoying the excitement with everyone.

So, soon enough they went up through the air and blinked to the south.

What struck F’mil first was the smell of sea. He rather missed that. It brought up… other feelings but for the time being he was too busy looking at all of the southern dragons to let him get swept up in anything besides his own enthusiasm. He babbled to Delgeth, describing the dragons he saw while the Crimson-White rumbled quietly and put them down into the weyrbowl. Aweirgan landed on F’mil’s shoulder as the rider slipped off his dragon, still conversing mentally with Delgeth. The red dragonkin were used to F’mil being passionate, and they loved it. They didn’t always like the same things though. Aweirgan because it was hard for him to understand the rider’s thoughts, and Delgeth because his pride prevented a lot of sharing what he thought. But they loved their gangly bonded.

[smear:c82009]There is time to observe more later, you should do your errand before you forget.[/smear:ffffff]

Right! Thanks Delgeth. I shouldn’t want to forget. F’mil rubbed the dragon’s head, the tiny king giving a subdued croon to his rider as it happened. Delgeth soaked up the affection he was given on a daily basis. But he rarely wanted it to look like that was what was happening.

Complicated dragon, but F’mil loved him dearly.

[Kaya]

"Careful there. Your eyes will fall out of their sockets if you keep that up. Seen it happen," Lithena quipped at the new arriving CrimsonRider. "Shame, really. Beautiful people like yourself, tragically blinded."

She had been lounging around, this Lithena, this very day. Keeping herself away from tasks in plain sight had been the strategy for the day, hanging around the farther edge of the Weyr Bowl, walking around the side of the lake. Taking meals in the crowd. Good way to avoid being spotted. She had actually been lucky enough to have just finished swapping yarns with another Rider, stories and materials. Youngest sister had lost her favorite hat, that she had made. So of course little Rina needed a new one. Though her youngest sister had this little habit of continuing to get taller. Where did that girl find the will and personality to be so tall?

But then an interesting Crimson had appeared in the sky, pointed out by one Hrith. There were only so many Crimsons around, and this one didn't look like any of the others. The white on him make that very obvious. So of course Lithena went to greet this so important and lofty Rider. And if he was here on serious business, all the better to embarrass him now. It'd make it easier for Rilora later. Fool proof plan.

[Shoki]

F’mil looked up when spoken to, and smiled brightly.

“Oh?” He opened his mouth but Delgeth interrupted.

[smear:c82009]F’mil, business.[/smear:ffffff] F’mil took a smooth breath, his mind shifting slightly. Delgeth was a wonderful dragon, reminding him to shift his brain from what he loved, the weird and different, so putting his best foot forward. Which meant acting like a Felgera. Or at least enough of one. Aweirgan seemed to sense this shift, and sat even more straight as F’mil went about greeting the other rider.

“I shall defer to your wisdom on the matter but I have only so much time at your weyr and would not wish to miss a moment of it.” Delgeth watched, tail twitching, eyes displaying yellow and green mixed. F’mil didn’t much like doing this, but it did come second nature to him. However, even now his rider was in high spirits, so that was good. F’mil’s eyes went to the knots of Lithena and he extended his hand to her. “I am F’mil, and this is my dragon Delgeth.”

[Kaya]

She noticed the moment he went stiff. Her bemused expression tugged down on one side into a frown. Her eyes rolled up and over. Sigh. Not this one. Or not yet, Hrith.

Oh? Too bad. His dragon seemed rather handsome. Hrith tuned back in to the scene at Lithena's comment.

"Lithena, of Black-Green Hrith. Well met and all that," Lithena responded in kind, trailing into a bored tone. These were the most bland kind of introductions. "If lofty Telgaran business is such, let me show you to where you're going. Faster for you, and perhaps my second joke might get a real laugh out of you." Lithena offered. She was disappointed at his rejection of her bantering invitation, but not all Riders would respond as such. Not that most of them didn't have a method or two of loosening up. He didn't look too important to toy with.

[Shoki]

Delgeth observed the other rider and his eyes shifted just a little away from yellow irritation. There was something he was missing, but judging from F’mil’s polite smile quirking up just a bit and his ressigned feelings he knew what was up. Maybe if-
F’mil turned his head toward Delgeth, his smile dropping and his brow furrowed. What passed between them was not a conversation, but a quick burst of feelings. Concern from F’mil, indignation from Delgeth, resigned acceptance, bantered back with smug reassurance. F’mil turned back mere moments later, smile back on his face, diving back into conversation.

“Thank you Lithena. I am afraid I keep my sense of humor in a box, at home where it cannot hurt anyone.” Polite smile again. He followed Lithena, sparing a glance to a kitchen worker hauling a pot somewhere. Ooo, potential people to gossip with.

Delgeth waited until F’mil was back in a pleasant mood. He was curious if this rider was indicative of Rainbow on average. The Crimson-White padded away from the center of the Bowl, finding a nice spot to focus on his own. When he was confident he wouldn’t be distracted he let his defenses flicker, just for a moment. He then sat, his defenses back up and wondered after what he felt. He knew Ista, knew Telgar, Rainbow was far different. There was worry, fear as he had suspected, but there was a direct opposition to Ista, something that Delgeth thought F’mil would like a lot. No wonder his rider wanted to go on this errand so much. Delgeth twitched his tail back and forth, getting the worry from Rainbow out of his mind.

[Kaya]

"Dangerously sharp wit, huh?" Lithena echoed back, leading the way without a second thought. This place was thoroughly her home now, no need to think where her feet were going. Lithena didn't give the pots going out to wash a second thought. It was the right time of day for that. She might missing the opening gossip from the washing workers at this point, but this new Rider intrigued her more. Though he seemed to put more of himself in that box than just his wit. Maybe he was new to these northern-southern tension politics. She supposed she might feel stiff around people who had ripped into your neighbor's throat. Passing moment of world thinking aside, Lithena let it pass by without a second thought. They were almost to Rilora's office.

"Sis!" Lithena chirped at the door, barging right in. Rilora looked up from the letter in her hand. The messenger next to her tightened his jaw and his teeth clicked.

"Apologies, Ehon," Rilora said, passing him the letter to go tame Lithena. "Titles, Rider."

Lithena frowned, then put on her most sarcastic expression. "Grand GoldRider, Weyrwoman Rilora, announcing the arrival of the Telgaran Crimson-White Rider, F'mil of Delgeth."

"Well met," Rilora said to the man near the door. Farcical niceties aside, she turned to shoo Lithena. "Out! I'll talk with you later."

"Just trying to warm them up for you," Lithena protested.

"OUT!"

The even marginally louder sound coming from her quiet voiced sister sent Lithena running. No humor in this place! None at all!

"Please wait there," Rilora gestured to a chair next to the door. She returned to take the paper from Ehon. She skimmed it again before sweeping a pen off the desk. In hurried but neat writing she added something to the bottom before handing it back. "Take this to the lower caverns counsel and have them see what we can spare. Then bring their list back. I need to see to this Telgaran now." With a small bow, Ehon exited.

"Welcome Rider F'mil. Please do us the service of neglecting your memories with my ill behaved sister. What can Rainbow Mists do for you?"

[Shoki]

“I wonder.” Always the master of the non-answer. F’mil had long learned how to do that, but not necessarily for the reason his family had taught him to. It was generally used when answering yes or no would both be bad. Here it was mostly that the answer would sound like modesty if he kept it brief, and if he expanded he would probably have things looking bad for Telgar. Lying would probably work but he wasn’t about to do that. Why was it always that he only felt himself around Delgeth? Well, Jisralna always listened to him, even if she pricked him more often than not. Well, nothing much for it.

He followed Lithena who seemed to know the way even without looking. Soon enough they were at the Sr Weyrwoman’s office and… Well. What happened next was a flurry of activity. Though he kept up his face of formality, he kinda liked this. He returned Rilora’s ‘well met’, before watching as Lithena was shooed from the room. Oh dear. Well he would have to thank her later then for guiding him. When offered a chair he gave a nod and seated himself, sitting straight until Rilora was finished with her business. Aweirgan sat up quietly as well, the little Azure-Crimson doing his best to merely be a part of F’mil’s apparel, though his tail twitched very quietly. F’mil turned his eyes to the firelizard and sent him feelings of affection. Nothing else to do but wait until the Weyrwoman was done. Soon enough She spoke to him, having dismissed the person speaking with her before. F’mil rose and spoke smoothly.

“I assure you I shall have no unpleasant memories of my trip to your Weyr. I have come on behalf our Weyrleader, Z’der of Bronze Bucephaluth, who requests a meeting with you and your weyrleader. He asks to meet with you at Rainbow Mists at your earliest convenience.” F’mil was rather aware of the reasoning behind all of this, but was not one to extrapolate. After all he hadn’t been told to say it, so he wasn’t going to run his mouth. He couldn’t let his mind wander though (sadly) because if the answer was anything other then yes and a date to return to Z’der, he had to put his best foot forward for navigating what came his way. At least he didn’t have to remember half a dozen names for this kind of thing, comparatively this would be a cake walk. Probably.

[Kaya]

"Thank you for your gracious memory, then," Rilora started her reply with a slow and even voice. She needed time to think on the request with little time to do so. "Allow me to look at the schedule, then." Rilora walked off the few feet to the hanging on the wall. She picked up the corner of the cloth over it and took it down to the side to read the month's schedule. She had remembered the generalities well, but it was more time to think. What could Telgar want? And what of Anaela? They hadn't patched things since Rilora's black eye. It didn't look to change either. Would she be coming too? She replaced the cover on the calendar and returned to speak at an easy distance from F'mil. She felt the prickly eyes of that day's watchman on them, it made her feet shift from side to side and she had to consciously not look back at him.

"I may have an opening soon. Who shall be in attendance so I know what room to reserve and what to set out?" The indirectness had bothered her some months ago, but she had since found it was not unlike the ways of her childhood community. One polite question or the next might get her the rest of the information she wanted to know.

[Shoki]

“Of course.” F’mil waited while the weyrwoman consulted her calendar. He let his mind wander over to Delgeth a bit. The Crimson-White was still on the edge of the Bowl, not going out of the way to make friends. Usual Delgeth, but the looks he was getting from passerbys was different from usual. Not one of looking down at the tiny king, but more curiosity at who this was. Delgeth’s response was merely to look as above it all as usual. F’mil sent the red and white dragon some encouragement, but he didn’t know if Delgeth would go out and meet anyone. Which was sad, because he wanted Delgeth to have friends.

Soon enough F’mil had a prompt for conversation, and he smiled.

“It will be Z’der, of course, his personal scribe and I believe wingleader N’vol of Bronze Edoth. Assuming schedules comply of course, but no more than that.” Of course that was part of the reason F’mil had come. He was a messenger that both looked good and wouldn’t be too missed if Aneala found out that he was sorta going behind her back at the bidding of Z’der. Politics. Of course if anything was discovered it would certainly not be famed that way, and everything was on the up and up. F’mil didn’t like being indirect, but he could use it, same as anybody. He still thought it would be better to just go around say, ‘hey I want to know something’ without people calling you a traitor to a weyr who wasn’t even really feuding with the weyr you were talking to.

Awerigan gave his master some faint sympathy through their bond. F’mil appreciated that.

[Kaya]

"Three table settings then," Rilora remarked at his conclusion. No Anaela then. Or at least they weren't admitting her attendance at this rate. The thought of her indignant face at being left without a chair left Rilora hiding a slight uptick of her lip behind a hand and a small feigned cough. "Do you have an official document on which I should reply, or shall I supply my own? We should still have a few of those forms, though we may be out..." Rilora trailed off, glancing over at her desk, but turned her eyes quickly back to F'mil. She wanted to see his expression. Paper official, or conveniently not?

You ought hail the Queen. Whole Weyr is abuzz about you. Archith sent to Delgeth. She was looking down at the Bowl from her ledge of the Queen's weyr. She didn't mean to stir up the guests any more, but she had her own curiosities.

[Shoki]

F’mil got the feeling he was being stared at. He remained upbeat. It was hard to tell if that was his own musing thought or a result of Delgeth in the Bowl. That was the trouble with being so interwoven with his dragon. Fortunately he was often able to be ridiculously positive. However when Rilora spoke again he wanted to merely ask for the response verbally and get this portion of things over with. There was an Abyss out there he wanted to see!

“I would be happy to supply that, pardon me for a moment.” He reached into his bag, which had a rolled up paper Rilora could use. He presented it to her, keeping up his schooled appearance of polite pleasantness. It was formal enough, of course this paper would go directly to Z’der.

Delgeth looked up. He’d attracted all sorts of attention now. He strengthened his guard just a bit more, as Queens could be most pleasant at the best of times but when they were not, it was a thousand times worse for him. He wouldn’t dream of not responding though.

[smear:c82009]My apologies. I am Delgeth, I will not be bothering your weyr for long. I did not mean to ignore you but I don’t wish to shout to all my arrival. I won’t be making people talk for long.[/smear:ffffff] At least they better not. If he had half a dozen dragons asking why this overgrown had some red on him he would be ticked. As it was he sounded a little gruff. He looked back up to the Queen. Why did Queens have to be so pretty and so dangerous? He chased them every time, obviously, but it certainly didn’t mean he would ever win. Still, judging from the start of the conversation she wouldn’t have mood swings, but he had personally met Gold that could flip faster than he could put his guard up.

[smear:c82009]Your Weyr is very nice.[/smear:ffffff] From his mind voice it sounded as though he was trying to say it casually but he felt that rather strongly considering how short a listen he had allowed himself.

[Kaya]

Rilora took the paper and walked it over to the desk. Sitting not quite centered in the chair, she filled in the date and signed it. She moved to copy the information onto the calendar and then rolled the paper back up.

"That should take care of it, Rider F'mil," Rilora said with a smile containing a little more casual warmness. "Is there anything else I can do for you and Telgar?"

Good to meet you, then, Delgeth. A measure of humility serves a King well. I do make it a point to know who flies my skies. He was right not to announce himself. Archith felt the next breath rush in. She was rather pleased with herself. The slight roughness to the visitor hadn't hit a nerve yet, so she accepted it.

Thank you. So my Weyr is. Please enjoy it while you are here. We haven't a dragon that looks like you, though we have so many colors. That's why you're today's news, after all. She mentioned.

[Shoki]

F’mil waited, patient as he could be. Lots of little things to do when you were in charge. Aides helped, but they could only do so much. He understood. Soon enough she finished with all the little bits and F’mil accepted the paper he was to deliver back.

“Thank you Weyrwoman. I shall not intrude on you any longer, by your leave.” F’mil performed a most excellent bow, one that almost caught Aweirgan off guard, but the two toned firelizard adjusted so that he could remain sitting neatly on F’mil’s shoulder without more than minor pinching of the rider’s shoulder.

Delgeth a nod of his head in response to the Gold’s statement about knowing who flew her skies. It was her right. He let his pride of being a King (no matter what his clutchmates may have thought!) disrupt his wariness a touch. He was a Crimson, not just a ball of anger, but many other things as well. His temper could get to him more than most. Speaking of, she made a comment to the effect of him not being a coloration seen at Rainbow Mists. Delgeth huffed. Of course not. Even where the colors of the rainbow were on the hides of their dragons, he was unique.

[smear:c82009]Of course I am. Every Weyr I have been to speaks the same.[/smear:ffffff] Was his voiced colored in pride? Resignation? Annoyance? Perhaps all. [smear:c82009]Well if I entertain the gossips then all is normal.[/smear:ffffff] This time Delgeth sounded distinctly amused, and elsewhere F’mil tried not to chuckle. One gossip in particular found Delgeth endlessly amusing.

[Kaya]

Normalcy is a thing we could use more of. Archith remarked, thinking for a moment on the conflicts. Though this idea of how things were was largely inherited. The world had not been so stable since she had arrived in it.

Rilora returned a nod at the conclusion of his bow. "Fly well." With his exit she relaxed. Back to other work then, unfortunately but hopefully boring. She had mixed feelings on the subject. Are you enjoying your talk?

Yes. Are you going to go grill your sister?

Nah. She'll think I'm going to. That'll be enough.

Hm. Sure?

If she starts to suspect she's getting out of it, I may need to take other action.

There you go.