25.Mar.13, 07:58 AM
Talian was pleased when Val seemed to recover from the unpleasant incident, but it hurt to be dismissed. The healer frowned lightly as Val excused himself, careful to keep his mild disappointment masked. "That's fine," he said, resisting the urge to take a dramatic step away to emphasize just how okay it was; Khaduceth subtly discouraged him from that brilliant maneuver.
Tal didn't understand Valerian's bond with his classmate, but he respected it. Talian didn't have any classmates to bond with back during his own schooling. He advanced in the ranks too quickly and held his classes too irregularly to bond with any of them, except Fiora of course, and he surpassed her quickly as well. She'd never been a particularly skilled healer.
His fellow weyrlings didn't hold much appeal to him either, though some of them were trying awfully hard to be his friend. He supposed that was his fault more than theirs, and he admired how even moderately-social Valerian was able to see the value in his classmates. Tal understood that some of them had been friends for a long time, and while he didn't really get why this evening was so special for Val, he could respect it. Maybe that was the biggest difference between the Talian that arrived at Katila and the Talian who stood there now; just because he didn't understand something no longer drove him to flee from it.
Suddenly, all of Talian's little fears over being sent away vanished. He felt Val's hands wrap around his, and immediately his face heated up. Then, Val stepped closer and Talian could feel his soft lips against his skin. The healer heated up even more, a silly but not quite outlandish grin crossing his face. Before the chance was lost, he zipped in to return the gesture, lightly brushing his cheeks over Val's cheek and stepping away. "...Thank you, Val. I hope to see you again in a little while," he said, flushing sweetly as he smiled and crept away, trying to give Val his space. As Talian made his way to one of the tables, he felt like he was walking on air. Maybe this would be a good party after all...
As Val retreated, Khaduceth watched thoughtfully. As the harper's form retreated into the crowd, the brown dragon decided to do something that he'd never done before in his short life. He quietly reached out to touch the harper's mind, his rich voice appearing as a whisper.I want you to know something, Valerian the brown dragon said with placid certainty. You have made him very happy, both tonight and many times before. Then, having said what he had on his mind, the dragon's presence retreated to mingle peaceably with his happy rider. He wished Talian had more happy nights like this. Forunatly, they were becoming more common...even if something the company of another human was what made the difference.
Tal didn't understand Valerian's bond with his classmate, but he respected it. Talian didn't have any classmates to bond with back during his own schooling. He advanced in the ranks too quickly and held his classes too irregularly to bond with any of them, except Fiora of course, and he surpassed her quickly as well. She'd never been a particularly skilled healer.
His fellow weyrlings didn't hold much appeal to him either, though some of them were trying awfully hard to be his friend. He supposed that was his fault more than theirs, and he admired how even moderately-social Valerian was able to see the value in his classmates. Tal understood that some of them had been friends for a long time, and while he didn't really get why this evening was so special for Val, he could respect it. Maybe that was the biggest difference between the Talian that arrived at Katila and the Talian who stood there now; just because he didn't understand something no longer drove him to flee from it.
Suddenly, all of Talian's little fears over being sent away vanished. He felt Val's hands wrap around his, and immediately his face heated up. Then, Val stepped closer and Talian could feel his soft lips against his skin. The healer heated up even more, a silly but not quite outlandish grin crossing his face. Before the chance was lost, he zipped in to return the gesture, lightly brushing his cheeks over Val's cheek and stepping away. "...Thank you, Val. I hope to see you again in a little while," he said, flushing sweetly as he smiled and crept away, trying to give Val his space. As Talian made his way to one of the tables, he felt like he was walking on air. Maybe this would be a good party after all...
As Val retreated, Khaduceth watched thoughtfully. As the harper's form retreated into the crowd, the brown dragon decided to do something that he'd never done before in his short life. He quietly reached out to touch the harper's mind, his rich voice appearing as a whisper.