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+--- Thread: [G] [O] 740.08.04 | A Brighter Day (/showthread.php?tid=4497)
740.08.04 | A Brighter Day - B'kit - 04.Aug.19
The last few days had been a blur, throwing himself into chores and exercise and routine to try to block out his nerves. Beckitt was less rattled than he had been after the Touching thanks to working out emotions with Misha and Kordi, but he still didn’t like thinking about what the dragonets had dredged up. He had checked in with Mylo and the others, but a definite tension had settled over the class.
Any day now those eggs would hatch, and he needed to keep his head. With a clutch and gold this temperamental the best thing they could all do was to keep calm; no mean feat. So he worked himself to the bone to drown out the doubts and fears. Even though it was nominally a rest day, he had risen early and gone for a run. The fresh air helped rid him of the ghosts for a while, and the exercise got rid of his excess energy.
He finally slowed to a walk, cooling down-if it could be called that in Ista’s heat-and slowly catching his breath. He walked by the runner pens, stretching against the fencing and stroking the noses and necks of a few more curious beasts. The few stabled here were sweet and even tempered; they had to be, living around dragons, and he always enjoyed greeting them and sneaking them treats. He didn’t even notice anyone else around until Nutmeg, his brown firelizard, perked up from his perch on the fence and trilled a greeting to the newcomer.
RE: 740.08.04 | A Brighter Day - R'dal - 07.Aug.19
He hadn’t planned on staying the night but Casa seemed to need a friend long past proper visiting hours and one that wouldn’t try to get her out of her clothes as they cuddled. R’dal didn’t view her any differently now that she had discovered how much fun sex was and he didn’t care how often she had it or with how many people. What he did care about was how tired and stressed she looked so when they both started yawning, instead of excusing himself and heading home or over to F’drel’s to crash since he was pretty tired, he grinned and challenged her to a race to her bed where they snuggled and chatted a bit longer before falling asleep.
He didn’t know why he was up so early but blamed it on Casa—or more specifically, Thallyath being cranky and demanding her rider get up. He knew he could have stayed curled up in bed a bit longer but figured a morning walk before breakfast would be nice, especially since Edath was still happily asleep beside Halomirth—he wasn’t foolish enough to stay even on Thallyath’s ledge after dropping R’dal off. Blues seemed to be public enemy number one at the moment and it didn’t help anyone to provoke the gold further.
Eventually he found himself wandering toward the runners, still finding them utterly fascinating. As he approached, he saw someone else was already there but didn’t see who it was until a brown firelizard squawked a greeting. “Nutmeg!” R’dal called out, waving to the firelizard, not finding it at all odd to greet the creature first or at all. They were intelligent little fellas, even if they weren’t on par with dragons, and deserved respect as well.
“Heya, Kitt!” R’dal greeted the human companion a moment later when he was closer. He leaned on the fence, arms draped along the top plank so he could rest his chin on them as he watched the runners do their own thing at their own pace. “I still find them weird but pretty, you know? Like, why do they exist when there are dragons but I guess dragons wouldn’t want to tend to fields like some of the runners do. But they’re so cool as well! Though, I think I’d be afraid to ride one. I know, I’m weird! I ride a dragon that flies but I’m worried about a little thing on the ground.” R’dal giggled with his declaration that he was weird, not actually caring if people thought that about him but knew in this case it was an accurate description.
RE: 740.08.04 | A Brighter Day - B'kit - 08.Aug.19
Nutmeg flew over to greet the blue rider, chittering happily and perching on his shoulder. Kitt turned and saw who it was, grinning as he came over. “R’dal! Hey! What in the world are you doing here?”
He turned his attention back to the runners, smiling. “I guess they kinda are. But I bet some dragons wouldn’t mind tending fields; not all of them are stuffy bronzes.” He said with a laugh. “But I can’t say I blame you; I don’t really like riding them much either. But I can’t stop enjoying watching them. And their noses are so soft. Aren’t they, girl?” Kitt stroked the muzzle of one who came close searching for treats.
Nutmeg had been attempting to burrow into R’dal’s shirt and made squeaky sounds of displeasure every time he was thwarted. Finally he gave up and swooped over the herd of runners, then off for a sunning on the ledge since the humans were being silly.
Beckitt turned and leaned his back against the fence with a sigh. “Will you be coming back for the hatching?” Everything always had a way of coming back around to that topic these days. Might as well bring it up himself.
RE: 740.08.04 | A Brighter Day - R'dal - 09.Aug.19
R’dal gave his big boxy grin as he watched Nutmeg flitter off and then reached out and stroked the soft nose in question as well. So soft! So cool! But he didn’t need to ride one since he had a fat dragon to lug him around everywhere. And to remind you to pay attention. He asked you a couple of questions, Edath ignored the jibe about being fat since when compared to a runner he was indeed fat. He then reminded R’dal of the questions that had the bluerider smiling some more as he climbed up the fence to sit on the top.
“Oh I’m always around Ista. Too many of you guys live here, including Weyrleader Dad,” R’dal chuckled at his nickname he used for M’ris when he didn’t have to be all formal and boring. “But if you mean the pens specifically, I got kicked out of Casa’s bed because she had to go see Thallyath and I thought about crawling into F’drel’s bed but he’s cranky if you wake him too early and he doesn’t have klah and standby so I decided to go for a walk since I didn’t think anyone was up yet but here you are!” It all made perfect sense in his head.
“Of course I’ll be at the Hatching! Casa and Nerreh’s dragons are going to be parents and a bunch of you are Standing. What if you Impress and I’m not there to see it? I’d be a pretty horrible friend if I missed that.” R’dal glanced up to scope out the clouds and the colour of the early morning sky. He had no training in reading such things like he heard seacrafters could do but he liked to think he had a decent handle on it. Though, since they were in Ista, the guess that it would be dry and hot was a safe one.
He knew the reason Beckitt brought up the Hatching and R’dal wasn’t sure if he should also just get it over with and bring them to the real issue. The Touching sounded horrible and R’dal didn’t want to think too much on what fears the dragonets would have brought out in him and knew his friends actually had to go through with that. But was it fair to judge everything on that?
Suddenly turning serious, R’dal turned his gaze back to Beckitt, “don’t be afraid of this Hatching, Birdy. Nerves and even some fear is healthy at every Hatching but don’t treat this one any differently just because you all had negative reactions instead of a random one here and there. New dragons are coming! And I know I wouldn’t want to be welcomed by waves of fear and hatred, especially if I don’t deserve it.” The dragonets wouldn’t even remember what had happened in any case. He asked Edath after his first feeding and bathing if he remembered people coming to visit him while he was still in his shell and the blue replied that he didn’t. R’dal believed that they touched upon the dreams of the dragonets and they were viewed as just parts of the dreams to the dragonets that were easily forgotten.
RE: 740.08.04 | A Brighter Day - B'kit - 09.Aug.19
Beckitt laughed as R’dal explained in his own unique rambling way how he’d turned up at the pens. “That’s true enough. Not many of us up at this hour if we don’t have to be, but that can be kinda nice. It’s easier to grab a bath, for one,” he joked. “And it’s not quite as hot, which is nice. Exercising here in the summer can be just as brutal as it was back h- back in Katilia.” He didn’t often feel homesick, since so many of his friends were around, but Katilia had been the only home he’d known for so long.
He smiled as the bluerider confirmed he’d be at the Hatching. “I didn’t really think otherwise, but I didn’t know if you’d have something else keeping you busy.” He sighed as he took in R’dal’s words. “I know. I’ve stood for plenty myself,” he muttered. “But this one seems different. I didn’t just have bad reactions from one, R’dal. It was all of them.” He picked at a loose thread on his shirt absently.
“I don’t think I could ever hate a dragon. But Thallyath was so angry with her eggs. What if… some of them were so angry at us. What if that’s all they remember? Or what if they believe her that they don’t deserve life and just all go between?”
He shook his head to clear away the thought. “I want to be there for them. I hope you’re right, and the others are too. We tried to reassure them, even the angriest, but I just don’t know what’s ahead, Ris…”
RE: 740.08.04 | A Brighter Day - R'dal - 10.Aug.19
R'dal wished he could fix everything for his friends. Everyone was in so much pain for various reasons all associated with the clutch. The best he could do was offer cuddles and tell silly stories to distract them for a while. Or let them vent their frustrations and fears, like what Beckitt seemed to need right then and he stayed quiet until it seemed he had run out of steam.
"Sorry, I know you've Stood a lot and I'm surprised I'm not still Standing, honestly. I didn't think I'd Impress when I did, especially since I was always thinking about how I'd disappoint dad if I didn't Impress or if I didn't get bronze like him and that I just wasn't good enough. Figured I'd scare them all away with my negative attitude and my fears. But one found me! I think your positive attitude will lead them out of the darkness. Think of it this way, it could have been a test. They want you to be strong and to be able to face your fears like they're going to do by breaking free of the shells. I don't think they ever mean to hurt us in the Touchings or when the maulings happen." Except that one brown that killed some girls. That was one scary dragon and R'dal wasn't brave enough to talk to his rider no matter how much Mylorah said he was a good guy.
"No one knows what a Hatching will bring, that's part of the beauty of them. Even if they remember the anger, you Candidates will be the anchors they need to stay with us. Not sure if any of you noticed," if they had, they never said anything to him, which was fine by him. It made it less real if no one said it out loud--so of course he was doing it then but it was worth it to help his point. Maybe. "but Edath's name spells 'death' if you swap a couple of letters around. That freaks me out sometimes but I think he chose me because I'm always happy and that helps tether him here."
Looking up again, R'dal spotted a cloud that was slightly more gray than the others and pointed to it. "I think it'll rain today," it probably wouldn't and he really didn't believe it would either but that had been too much talking about Edath and death and R'dal needed his own distraction.
RE: 740.08.04 | A Brighter Day - B'kit - 10.Aug.19
A startled laugh burst out of Beckitt as R’dal oh-too-seriously pointed out that “edath” rearranged to “death.” I mean, yes, it did, but, “That’s not how that works, crazy.” He laughed again. “My nickname for you would rearrange to ‘sir’ and you’re no lord,” he teased, pushing at R’dal’s shoulder lightly- not hard enough to shove him from his precarious perch though.
He followed the line of sight up to the cloud. “I repeat, you’re crazy. One dark cloud doesn’t mean rain. What the hell are they teaching you in Fort?” He grinned, appreciating the diversions. “Besides, those clouds are too high and wispy. Aren’t you supposed to be a rider or something? Don’t they teach you about cloud types?” he ribbed. Beckitt pulled himself up onto the fence beside R’dal and gave him a “refresher” on the clouds they saw and why rain wasn’t likely for weeks here.
It helped him relax just talking with R’dal and finding other topics. He was right, Beckitt was sure. They just needed to be optimistic. Things would be fine.