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+---- Thread: Suffering [S'kef] (/showthread.php?tid=448)
Suffering [S'kef] - E'si - 18.Apr.12
No, I want a meat roll, not a plain roll. You better not be just bringing me out one.
'I can't sharding carry more than two without looking like a sharding idiot, Charath.' It was both a blessing and a curse that Charath was now too big to fit into the Kitchens. At one point she had made an effort of terrorizing the staff nearly every day. Some had become endeared by her efforts, others still shot him glares whenever he walked back into the Kitchens to grab a snack. Charath considered it a job well done, and Erisi considered it a pain in his ass. Even now a kitchenfolk was eying him suspiciously, as if Charath was going to be following on his heels into the Kitchen. She wasn't physically with him, but her presence never really left. That was disturbing, and partly why he was surviving without intimate action for so long. He didn't want to have sex with her prying mind prodding into his.
Oh look, there's Ayyonth. He looks freshly bathed, I should fix that...
But that did not mean he wanted to lose being good terms with potential partners in the future. His gaze head whipped over his shoulder, blue eyes staring intently into the air as if Charath could see him. It didn't really matter, because she could feel his irritation. 'Fine, for Faranth's sake Charath stay put. I'll be out when I finish grabbing myself something to eat. I'll grab you as many meat rolls as it takes to fill your stomach.' He was planning on three, since that was still a larger amount than he had mentioned to her.
Three earns you a wonderful conversation with Valerian as to why his dragon is pink. I am going to go meet with Grith. We're going to be best friends.
He ran a hand over his face, blue eyes staring forlornly down at the plate of fruit he had sectioned off for himself. He was doomed. His dragonet was a menace, and he was scared for when she got bigger, and her actions looked less cute to others and more downright annoying (which they were, in his esteemed opinion). Erisi couldn't tolerate her on most days, but maybe that was because he was bonded to her. Then again... Charath had not made many friends among her clutchmates, and the only human she genuinely liked was Valerian. He didn't consider her tolerance of Talian to be 'liking' him. She just knew that Erisi valued Talian enough that she had to play nice with him.
Fingers plucked a bit of fruit off of his plate, deciding to spend as much time as he could in here to avoid spending time out there with her right now. Erisi was dressed in his usual, and to compensate for the slightly chilled weather (they were still South, so it was fairly warm regardless) he was wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt. They needed some more decent tailors in this Weyr, because he was due for a wardrobe overhaul. His boots were slightly dirty, but instead of trying to cover it by having his pants over his boots, his pants were still tucked into them. He looked nicer that way, and he was a vain creature. The sash hanging at his hips was green (to match Charath, since they were nearly always together), the edges frayed just a little bit as an old fashion statement that was now a little too old for his tastes.
He had marks to waste, he could afford to get some new clothes, at the very least.
You should worry less about how you look, and more about feeding me.
'I'll get right on that.'
Liar.
Re: Suffering [S'kef] - S'kef - 18.Apr.12
It had been a rough winter for S'kef. His illness had progressed, receded, flared up again, disappeared, reappeared...all in the span of a couple months. The healers still had no idea what was wrong with him, but they did have an ever-increasing list of symptoms. Tyrrisath had suffered in silence, constantly worrying for his bonded's well being and rarely peeling himself away from the exterior wall of his bonded's infirmary room.
Today, S'kef could feel Tyrrisath's warming presence as he navigated the kitchens, his muscles stiff and joints swollen after weeks of being feverishly bedridden. His illness was on the downswing right now, and since the healers had determined it wasn't contagious, he'd been allowed to wander out of his room a bit. They'd even encouraged it, though he hadn't been allowed to start sleeping in his hut again. It was too far away from everything else. He could walk a shirt distance, but he couldn't walk that far...and he most certainly couldn't fly.
Tyrrisath silently encouraged S'kef as he made each step, sometimes managing several in a row without pausing and grabbing for the wall or a chair to help him along. So maybe he shouldn't have been up and walking. He knew the entire Weyr reckoned him on his deathbed. For a while, he'd thought as much himself.
It would be nice to prove them all wrong, though. The brownrider set his jaw in stubborn determination as he made his way into the back rooms of the kitchen, intent on getting some tea. His joints would feel better if he took his medicine, but that sharding healer girl hadn't brought him any tea all day. He'd get it himself!
When he entered the back room, he found himself faced with one of the new weyrlings. He paused, taking a moment to recognize the boy. Ah yes, Erisi...a troublemarker.
At the moment, the now-former Weyrsecond didn't care. He leaned against a barrel and nodded to the shelf opposite of Erisi. "Hey, boy. Mind handing me those tealeaves right there?"
Re: Suffering [S'kef] - E'si - 18.Apr.12
Erisi needed to find a basket, or something that could carry enough meat rolls that also prevented him from looking like a fool. He could always say they were having a picnic, and he needed as much food as he could carry. It would be a viable excuse too, if there was anything else in the basket but meat rolls. Why did his dragonet have to be so difficult? Charath rarely seemed to care when her bonded was made to suffer, and the only time she did care was when he was potentially embarrassing them. The green dragonet had this annoying habit of wanting him to look good, but not caring in the least if she stirred up some trouble. What point was there in him behaving if she wouldn't do the same? That was mine. Her dark voice resounded in his head as he took a bite out of a meat roll himself. He liked them well enough, but clearly did not have such a fascination with them as Charath had. He could attribute it to her being so young that everything had to taste unique and interesting.
'I'm having one, for Faranth's sake. I came here to begin with for myself.' He grumbled at her, which those words alone were probably why she did not offer any assistance when someone else decided to talk to him. Her bonded could handle it well enough on his own, though she did watch on with interest through Erisi's eyes.
He heard his name, turning to look over at S'kef. While first he had been curious, now he was flat out irritated. S'kef. He was sure the Weyr had felt at peace with the man bedridden from some sort of plague. The Weyrling almost wondered if he was contagious, but then again if he had been, it was doubtful he'd be allowed to roam the Weyr unless... He eyed S'kef with hard blue eyes, and then decided that the man clearly did not have the strength to slip out of his bed unnoticed by the Healers. Rejection nearly formed at the tip of his tongue, because like shells he was going to do anything this man wanted. He had witnessed the pleasure S'kef had taken in beating B'jin, and thus wanted nothing to do with the previous Weyrsecond. Erisi certainly did not want to end himself in B'jin's position.
Just do it. I don't want you getting into another fight. But maybe a punch to your other cheek will make your face mask.
'The bruising is long gone - I'd look horrendous.'
Then get him some tealeaves and bring me my meat rolls. Okay, so she would look out for Erisi every once in a while. She knew her bonded's ability to get into trouble was high, and not the kind of trouble that was fun.
'With how he looks, I could probably take him...' But even as he said that he was reaching for the tealeaves, already agreeing that this was a better option than having a whip taken to his back. Still, he didn't even want to have to get near enough to S'kef to hand them to the man. "Here," he spoke in a way that was completely dismissive, as if he was better than S'kef. Erisi probably thought that way, too. He certainly wasn't as depraved as the other man to take pleasure in beating the crap out of someone. Erisi passed off the tealeaves, and expected the man to take off.
When S'kef didn't do so immediately, he frowned. "Shouldn't you be in bed? You look about ready to fall over."
Phrasing! You're being abrasive without even trying. How many turns have you practiced this?
'I am not being--'
You are.
Re: Suffering [S'kef] - S'kef - 20.Apr.12
S'kef reached out and accepted the tea leaves with a curt nod. he'd noticed Erisi's dismissive mannerisms, but he wasn't quite offended by them. Erisi was a weyrling, and bonded to (rumors said) a tart of a green at that. Let him get the sauciness out of his system now. He'd have to learn his place sooner or later.
The thought brought a flickering smile to the ailing brownrider's face. "I'm not so fragile," he remarked, leaning against the counter with one arm and holding the leaves with the other. They were high quality; he could smell them without even lifting them to his nose. He didn't admit it in his surface thoughts, but he couldn't wait to feel their soothing effect on his distressed body.
He neglected to mention how the healers were being slow about his treatment. They still had no idea what was wrong with him. Shards, they were even slow bringing him his pain medication! But it was all right. Short of a knife to the throat or poison in his tea, S'kef was determined he would survive his illness, no matter what the healers tried to do.
He eyes Erisi thoughtfully. "I'm actually feeling a little bit better," he said, though the casualness of his tone betrayed his disinterest. He was, instead, sizing Erisi up.
Wasn't this the one N'gelt had punched? A wicked grin crossed S'kef's face as he thought back on that whole...incident. He'd been in charge of approaching N'gelt about it. Of course, a brownrider got some leniency when the man he attacked was just a green.
"Your face looks better."
Re: Suffering [S'kef] - E'si - 20.Apr.12
Erisi was receiving no good vibes from this encounter, and was not so stupid as to be unable to tell that S'kef was judging him. The man was no longer Weyrsecond, but he was probably eager to get back into D'ren's favor. Ratting on Erisi apparently was a quick way to become D'ren's new best friend. The problem was that Erisi wasn't even sure that he wanted to mind his own behavior in front of the previous Weyrsecond. He was sure that he was bound to get into trouble without even trying, so why try and prevent it? Charath could probably fling a couple good reasons at him to keep himself polite and proper with S'kef, but she wasn't here--
I'm coming.
'Wait. No, no, no.' He recognized that wicked tone, though why Charath had decided that S'kef was somebody she could play with was beyond him. Maybe because she was a dragonet it'd be more excusable. 'You were just telling me to behave!' he whined anxiously into her mind. Apparently the idea of causing trouble was a hundred times more threatening when it was Charath who was getting them into trouble. Someone would tell him to mind his dragonet! He should be a better Weyrling! Don't you see how well Valerian and Veeth are doing? You should be able to handle your green just as efficiently!
I will behave. I am coming to make sure you do the same.
There was some time yet before Charath would actually arrive, and Erisi was keen to see S'kef gone before then. He did not need to be nannied by his dragonet, or outshone by her ability to cause mayhem. "You can't even stand up straight," Erisi answered coolly. While he was panicked with his dragonet, that only reflected in his thoughts at the moment. He was far more vicious towards S'kef, since he believed the bastard deserved it. "I'm surprised the Healers are allowing you to move about. Maybe they're hoping you'll walk yourself to death?" Well, it wasn't news that S'kef wasn't the most popular rider in the Weyr. Erisi even believed that he was more liked than S'kef.
'YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.' Erisi suddenly yelled into Charath's mind, since he wouldn't dare yell it at S'kef. The man really had to bring that up? It let Erisi know that S'kef was keen to take digs at him. His irritation was great enough now that he really couldn't keep it off his face. "Thanks," he answered, making it clear that he was anything but thankful for the comment. If anything, it made it clear that he would have been happier without hearing it. "I've got a nice face, I don't think even N'gelt could bring himself to truly ruin it."
'What are the chances of him falling over dead right now?'
Slim, Charath mentally sighed.
Re: Suffering [S'kef] - S'kef - 21.Apr.12
S'kef was oblivious to Charath's devious intentions, though it wouldn't have surprised him if he was somehow privy to them. Greens! Always up to shenanigans. It was all well and good if the rider controlled them, but that was usually too much to ask of the addle-brained whelps and emotional women who Impressed them. Perhaps their position at the bottom of the hierarchy was the reason behind greens' poor choices in riders; they needed to boss someone! If they could never best their fellow dragons, why not take a pliable rider?
There was something delightful about submissive, obedient greenriders though...Perhaps one day Erisi would be such a valuable asset to someone. Not likely anytime soon, though. S'kef suspected Erisi's cool comment had a bit more punch lurking beneath the surface.
"Nah," he said casually, willing as ever to play his own comments off as a joke. That's how he'd gotten away with threatening say...N'gelt's bluerider with a whip at the lashing. "They know better than to expect that." He winked.
"N'gelt was punished for hitting you, just so you know," S'kef pointed out. He'd taken no pleasure in it; as far as he was concerned, the cheeky greenrider deserved it for provoking his betters. Rules were rules, though.
Re: Suffering [S'kef] - E'si - 25.Apr.12
"Can't blame them for dreaming, hm?" Erisi's patience was wearing thin now. He was a Harper, and one of the more intelligent men in Pern, and there was no way he had to take any crap from a dragonrider just because they Impressed by luck to a dragon with a different colored hide. If S'kef had been on a green, Erisi doubted he would have been so vile. There'd be no one for him to be vile at when he was at the bottom of the pecking order. Of course, Erisi didn't rope himself in with the dragonrider's caste system. He was above and beyond it. Charath and himself were better individuals. They wouldn't be bound into place for dragonriders with male dragons to vent their sexual frustrations on. Erisi was sharding sure of that.
"Ah, good. I'm glad this Weyr sometimes displays some sharding sense." It wasn't really comforting that N'gelt had been punished for decking him, mostly because he imagined S'kef would have taken pity on the other Brownrider, and also because he was sure it'd make N'gelt more pissed at him. Great. That was always what he wanted, someone to have a lasting grudge on him that had the manpower to do something about it!
We could always strike first--
'No'.
And I am here. The green dragonet had just butted the door open with her head. Peeking in through the door first, she craned her neck up to observe S'kef. Like her bonded, she didn't take to anyone all that well, and took to people Erisi also disliked worse. On the rare occasion, she may like someone that Erisi hated just to mess with him, but she had found no such individual deserving of her affection. The only human she genuinely liked was Valerian, and it would seem like he'd be the only one for a long while.
Charath very obviously could get around S'kef without causing conflict, but why choose the path of least resistance to get to her bonded? Charath certainly liked a challenge. Instead of going around S'kef, she wiggled herself between the small space his body made with the barrel as he leaned against it. What a weak man, anyways, to have to lean against something! Her wing knocked against shelving, undoubtedly rustling some items to dangerous points. Her other wing could not avoid smacking S'kef, though it looked like she was trying to keep it pinned to her side. Whoops.
Where are my rolls? she crooned innocently at Erisi as she finally came to her bonded's side.
Re: Suffering [S'kef] - S'kef - 03.May.12
Well now, how cheeky.
If S'kef knew what was going through Erisi's mind - that he was a cut above others and deserved to be treated better than the average greenrider - the ailing man would have laughed. In S'kef's limited, pragmatic way of viewing the world, people like Erisi were just setting themselves up for the most fantastic failures.
And while he wasn't entertaining the thought right then, S'kef did know that Tyrrisath had a fondness for virgin greens. Charath would need to watch out when she got older.
Of course, none of this was important to the current conversation. S'kef just smiled, looking oddly calm and content in spite of his weakened state, and nodded his head with false politeness. "Of course," he commented lightly. He shifted his weight to the other leg. "Granted, there is some question as to whether or not you provoked him. N'gelt has a history of scraps, but he's never assaulted a weyrling before. You, however, have assaulted a dragonrider...N'gelt's Weyrmate, in fact. I'shan? Are you familiar with him?"
Pretty boy. Too bad he wasn't a green. S'kef would have liked a go at him, but he respected N'gelt too much to drift into that territory.
He waited smugly for an answer, but he was interrupted as Charath barged through. Her outstretched wing caught S'kef in his vulnerable legs, causing him to stagger and very nearly fall to the floor. He hissed a curse and clutched at the barrel, which wobbled dangerously as the brownrider tried to get his feet underneath himself again. His stomach heaved at the unwanted motion and he felt sweat springing up on his brow, just like that!
Vomit crept into his throat, but he swallowed it.
"My goodness," the brownrider hissed, quickly suppressing his outrage at the little green's audacity. He smiled hatefully at Erisi and nodded his head in subtle acknowledgement, going over possible responses and reminding himself not to lash out at the boy. As usual, Tyrrisath was there. The brown's silent presence reminded S'kef of his condition and how embarrassing it would be to get trashed by a disrespectful weyrling.
"You'd better learn to control your dragon," S'kef said with a carefully manufactured laugh. "I'd hate to have to report her unruly behavior to the Weyrling Master."
His expression darkened quite suddenly, the gleam in his eyes challenging Erisi to talk him out of it.