Sea Side Weyr

Alenth had taken very well to this new Weyr, A'tan decided, as the dragon was happily slumbering in his spacious cavern, after they both appreciated the rolling, peaceful waves of the ocean. But A'tan was not completely sold. At least there were a bit less people than his old Weyr.. still enough, but it would be more comfortable to get acquainted with the mountain than it would have been with a more crowded Weyr. In fact, he was able to breathe in the Lower Caverns. It was incredible!

Sipping the mug of klah he had been provided upon entering the Lower Caverns, A'tan made his way to the far end of the large cavern, bringing a chair over to sit there quietly. A'tan would watch for a little bit, observe, and maybe when he recognized a Weyrleader or other important Rider he'd greet them.. it would be a very good idea to know his higher-ups early on. He may not spend a large portion of his time with them, but a relationship was essential nonetheless.. even if this klah was making him ready to get up and explore again.

When N'rav entered any part of the Weyr... well, it was hard not to notice.

N'rav was smiling. Not just a I'm-trying-to-be-happy smile or a I'm-trying-to-chill smile, but that smile you get when you hear amazing news and are just filled with a sudden, warm happiness. N'rav was possibly the only person with this look so permanent; Sea Side was in a lot of trouble, but the rider knew that without a positive attitude, all hope was lost. It also made him seem understanding; like a favourite older brother to the younger weyrbrats and candidates or a gentle younger brother to the older riders. (Though, it was still easy to tell that he knew what he was doing when it came to dragons.)

Oh, and there was also the fact that he was the only male on Pern who would be caught dead wearing Weyrwoman chords.

"Senior goldrider" chords, he called 'em. Weyrleader chords if he could. Just because his indicated a gold dragon didn't mean he was any less important than the other Weyrleader, after all. In fact, that made him almost more important in some ways--he was the stable one, the half that would run the Weyr no matter who precious Rishanath flew. Though, it had been rumoured before that N'rav was only so confident about it to mask his shame. Then again, looking at a guy who could smile like that and seem to take everything in stride, it seemed doubtful.

"Hmm..." the blond man thought aloud, brushing his bangs out of his right eye; the left remained covered. "To eat... Needs to be small, so I can rush to Rishie if she needs me." N'rav had been almost obsessive when it came to his gold. She was watching over her eggs now... shards, how thankful N'rav was for that! When she had those eggs inside of her, N'rav might as well have been a girl. Pregnant dragon + male who can share emotions = weird.

N'rav looked around the Lower Caverns. Ah, open space... not hiding... it was such a relief. Again he realized this was his Weyr. A place he was responsible for. A place we was allowed to be responsible for...

And now he'd forgotten what he was going to eat. Great job, Mr. big-shot Weyrleader.

For now, N'rav scanned the room, wondering what to do with his life while he was away from the eggs and his life mate. A couple riders were around...

His eyes settled on A'tan. Wait. He hadn't actually gotten to meet that one yet.

Well, N'rav was always one for on-the-spot. Kind smile in place, N'rav walked over, being sure not to startle the man. After all, he had to make a good impression on all of his new men and women (haha, impression!).

"Hello," N'rav said brightly when he reached the other rider. "You're one of the new recruits, right? 'Never got a chance to properly introduce myself." N'rav held out a hand. "I'm N'rav, rider of gold Rishanath. Forgive me for not remembering everyone's names?"

A'tan did not notice the sudden lift of happy-rainbow-flowers aura enter the cavern, nor did he notice the light tap of boot-covered feet pad in his direction. He was currently scowling at his cup of klah, thinking to himself that he needed a hair cut once again. The bangs were starting to brush his top row of eyelashes, and who knows how long it would take before the infernal strands cloaked his eyesight completely! Not that he had any qualms with those who chose the fad of longer hair, but there was no way he had the time to wait for it to lengthen until it could be safely tucked back, out of his way. There was no telling what vital area of your vision a single strand could blur, and with between, and firestone, and exploration, and tight wing formations, that risk could not be taken!

..and this is why A'tan should not drink klah on an empty stomache. In his head, Alenth mumbled agreement, and then a sleepy protest on how A'tan's distracting hyperactivity was disrupting his sleep. A blink later, the back of his head was occupied by snoring.

A'tan ducked his head, shaking it to dull the mental link. The last thing he needed after a cup of klah was a sonata of dragon-sized snoring. It would probably just give him a nice, dragon-sized headache.

Tap, tap, and all of a sudden he felt his personal bubble pop, and the first thought in his head when he glanced up was 'Oooh, shiny goldstuff.'

The klah made his thoughts whirl as he stared blankly at the cheerful person for an awkward moment before everything clicked. New recruit. N'rav. Goldrider.

Well, that explained the shiny.

He nodded in a hasty, hopefully proper greeting, setting his mug on the floor (he had just dragged over a chair, not a table) and stood, ending up looking down at the Weyr..woman..leader. Thing.

Alenth grumbled a scold through his snores. A'tan ignored him.

"A'tan, rider of Brown Alenth. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Goldrider." When he finished, he had the odd urge to grab N'rav's hand and bow to kiss the back of it, but settled for shaking it instead. It took much less energy.

"I apologize for not having visited you yet. I have been touring the Weyr myself, and hadn't caught sight of you until this point. I am aware that I am currently just a Wingrider, but if needed, I will happily take any position you wish to put me in."

There, he thought. Was that better than last time, Alenth?

He got a grumbled mix of words in response, and the distinct impression of a dragon rolling to the other side, and that Alenth had turned his back on him mentally.

Well, neither of them liked to be woken up from a nap. He could give the Brown that.

N'rav's lips twitched lightly as he attempted not to smile wider, but his laughter was still apparent in the one eye not covered by the wavy blond hair. Heh, apparently he had startled him. Way to go, 'Rav. You're intimidating people! He heard a loud snort in the back of his head and the dragon equivalent of laughter.

You, Nirav? Intimidating? Rishanath's serene tone made N'rav's smile soften, which helped him not to laugh. She knew N'rav better than anyone in this Weyr. She knew there was no need to fear him.

N'rav shook A'tan's hand and shook it heartily with a grip surprisingly strong for a man with his diminutive build, and while he smiled the whole time it looked natural, as if his natural expression was cheerful. D'nal had once admitted that it was refreshing.

N'rav made a passive gesture with a hand. "Nothing to worry about, Brownrider. Touring the Weyr is just as important, really. Have to know your surroundings. And it's just so beautiful out here!" He laughed softly. "And we may need to take you up on that offer, there are so few bronzes and blacks..." he sighed, but seemed more tired than worried. They could do this, he was confident. They had their own Hold to protect, after all, and dragonmen akways rose to the occasion! After all, A'tan had just proven it. Kinda.

"I was just coming back from staying with Rishanath," N'rav said conversationally. "Would you like join me at a table? I'm afraid I've skipped too many meals to stay with the clutch." He laughed, lightly embarrassed.

A'tan nodded courteously, dark brown eyes deep and serious to match the pensive expression on his face.

"I would be eager for a chance to prove my worth as a true Dragonrider at this Weyr, actually."

Was his tone serious enough? Was he being old and grave like his teachers had always wanted him to be? Because he was really trying to play it up. Huh, did acting old make you look old? Maybe the more somber and downbeat he acted, the older he'd look. Hmm, not that the Weyrwom...man was that old-looking. Then again, perhaps he just looked young because he acted young? Had he just stumbled on to a life secret? You are what you act, not always what you appear to be..

Alenth, remember that. Maybe he could tell a Harper and they'd make a song about him.. the great and wise A'tan, Brownrider of Alenth, renowned across Pern..

A blast of dragon-sized snoring knocked him quiet violently out of his daydreaming, and the blank expression on the outside was disturbed with one sharp twitch of the eye.

"T..table. Table- Yes, of course, I'll join you. It would be my honor."

He blinked the dazed tone away and reached down abruptly to grab his klah, inwardly wondering why he was having so much trouble keeping a straight train of thought today.

After he grabbed his mug, he turned back to N'rav.

"Ah.. after you, Goldrider."

...how old was this guy again? He didn't look old, but he acted... stiff. Like he was trying to be cookie-cutter soldier boy.

Maybe that was because he was. Oh. N'rav felt his smile tug at the sides of his lips, but didn't let himself laugh. The kid thought he was supposed to look like a big bad dragonrider, and no matter how many times N'rav saw someone act like that, it always managed to amuse him.

"Yes, we're all eager to prove ourselves, aren't we? It's what Sea Side needs to prosper, anyway!" He laughed softly, noticing that his voice still held the pride of a Weyrleader talking about his Weyr, even if it was a little fail right now. "Can I ask you something, A'tan? How old are you?"

The eye-twitch didn't go unnoticed, but really, what was N'rav supposed to say? 'What's with your face'? It was probably a dragon thing--who knew what odd expressions N'rav made on a daily basis when talking to Rishanath!

Ridiculous ones, Rishanath commented lazily. N'rav caught himself before he scowled.

N'rav smiled politely and waited for A'tan to grab his klah before nodding. Mm... klah sounded like a good idea. Once they'd talked for a bit, maybe he'd get some for himself...

"All right," he responded simply, turning and walking towards the nearest table. His step held confidence--he was already ready to set an example for the others, to remind them that they were dragonmen whether the rest of the continent supported them or not. He turned once he reached his claimed table, then turned to look at A'tan, offering him a chair. It was just polite not to sit before everyone got to the table, of course.

(Haha, he can't think straight around N'rav. xD)

Already it seemed that N'rav was the kind of person who was always smiling. He'd met a few people like that in his life; children, of course, the good ones that love their family and friends and find nothing better than to run and play. Old women, maybe, the elderly know-it-alls who are always amused, because whenever they see anyone blundering, they must think, 'That? Oh, I've been there and done that. They'll laugh about it someday.'. And.. well.. actually, A'tan thought, those were the two kinds of people that were always smiling. A'tan corrected his thoughts; it wasn't always real smiles, with teeth and all, but it was in the eyes. Ever since N'rav had walked over, his eyes- or, well, eye, seeing as he could only see one- had been smiling.

Hm. That would mean that N'rav was either very young, or very old. A'tan mulled over this briefly before he heard N'rav's question.

"How old am I? Twenty turns. Why, is it showing?"

He grinned, almost sheepishly, then let the grin smooth over into more of a genuine smile. When the Goldrider turned to walk towards a larger table, A'tan waited back a tick to watch him.

He had to admit to himself that of all the men he'd seen in his life, N'rav was the most likely kind of guy to end up with a Gold dragon. Just based on physical appearance. He was slender, and a little short compared to A'tan; his skin was a smooth creamy color, and his eyes and overall tone was just light. Between the gold of his cords, his hair, and almost of his eyes, he just.. radiated light.

Regular men don't radiate anything, A'tan assured himself. Except, perhaps, smell. And anger, if they're angry. So it was okay if a man was a Goldrider, if that man was like N'rav. Because N'rav wasn't really like a man at all. He was more like... a very flat-chested woman. With a deep voice.

A'tan's smile grew a little softer. There was nothing nicer than being at peace with yourself, and your beliefs. His quick steps to follow N'rav before the gap was too obvious were smoother than his previous movements, and when N'rav offered him a chair, he politely nodded his thanks.

"Well then," he started conversationally, setting his klah down before he settled himself in the chair. "Now that you know mine, can I ask what your age is?"

He leaned an elbow on the table, and then his cheek laid on his palm, body relaxed and turned towards the Weyrleader. This was the ultimate question. If he denied giving out his age, then he was most definitely a deep-voiced, flat-chested female and the world was in balance. If he was very young, or very old, then harmony could still be kept, based on the smiling-eyes principle (though now he had to wonder if his left eye was a frowny eye, or a lazy eye, since he still hadn't seen even a glimpse of it through the hair). But if he stated his age, and it wasn't quite old and it wasn't quite young, then.. well, that would mean N'rav was quite the supernatural being.

In that case, A'tan thought to himself, then he would have to watch this N'rav. Who knew what other life fundamentals the not-man could break?

( Pfft, noone can think straight around N'rav. xD Then again, after typing this, I'm really doubting A'tan's ability to ever think straight. Maybe I'll say he has a really low caffeine tolerance, so he has an excuse.. xD )

N'rav made a small "tsk" noise before replying to the younger man's sentiment. "Actually, I was about to say you act like an Oldtimer," he joked lightly, chuckling just as lightly at the end to soften the jest. "Really, you needn't be so rigid right now. We aren't running drills, we're simply eating a meal."

Was it too presumptuous of him to ask the boy to calm down? Maybe he was always like that. N'rav had to swallow his own laugh when he imagined A'tan, completely straight-faced and attentive, brushing his teeth in a wherhide nightcap. Wooow, would that be a sight! Then again, that did sound like something he could've expected out of D'nal at one point in the bronzerider and his... involvement.

Settling himself in the chair across from A'tan so as best to maintain eye contact, N'rav blinked at the question. Oh. That was fair. But, suddenly N'rav felt embarrassed as he mulled over the answer. He had been thinking of A'tan as quite young at twenty turns, but in reality, it was no more a child's number than N'rav's. "Promise I won't lose your respect?" he teased lightly before leaning forward slightly, almost as if trying to hide his age as a secret between the two of them. "Twenty-four," he finally muttered, shrugging lightly. "I know it's young for a Weyrleader, but then, D'nal is quite old enough, and I am old enough to handle a clutching queen, so a Weyr shouldn't be too hard." The last was added as a jest, and really, N'rav didn't seem too terribly worried about A'tan knowing his age. Really, why should he be? It wasn't like he had anything to hide. He was just as good as the other goldriders.

(True... xD You know, it also could be N'rav. Some people you just have to act goofy around for some reason...)

Oh. Well then. This particular leader didn't want his underlings to be all stoic and official? ...Sweet, he picked the right Weyr to start his life at.

Alenth, he shouted to his dragon, who had just been starting to fall asleep. Are you listening? I can just be my normal self here! You won't have to fly to the edge of Pern anymore!

Alenth grumbled before his reply. It doesn't seem like that makes any difference to me.. already it's obvious I won't get any more rest than usual.

His chuckle wasn't mental, and when his eyes focused to look at N'rav, he relaxed. Of course, his whole face lit in surprise when N'rav told him his age.

"Four-!" Alenth rumbled, and he checked himself, lowering his voice. His own brown eyes darted around the cavern, as if this was some great secret that noone could know.

"Four more turns? Just four older? Really?"

Now his face was utter disbelief. A'tan wasn't particularly tactful or good at hiding his opinions; it was probably a bad thing that N'rav told him to loosen up.

"Just four.."

The shock settling, he leaned back in his seat, cradling one hand around the warm klah. Thoughts raced in his head, but one train stood out against the others. His eyes lifted up to N'rav again, expression now contemplative, a direct contrast to his disbelief.

"Well.. if you're just four turns older, then that means in four turns, I could be a Weyrleader too!"

His free hand came up to his mouth, eyes narrowing out at nothing in particular.

"Except I don't ride a bronze.. or a gold.. Hmm.."

He scratched his chin. "Well.. maybe..." Alenth, would you mind if I happened to find a yellowish-pigment from the Weavers-

The sharp flinch was enough to show Alenth's response. He ducked his head sheepishly, now back to the real world.

"Err.. nevermind. Bad idea. Shards, I'm too lazy to do all the things you probably have to do anyways." A'tan laughed.

( Yeahhh.. and N'rav's too adorable not to act goofy around. -huggles- )