10.Dec.12, 01:30 PM
A'liran drew back as D'hys approached, back flattening against the chair and lip curling into a defensive sneer. He trusted D'hys much more than Z'ia, but D'hys was still a bluerider. It was natural for them to use and abuse what they found before them.
"Because," A'liran said, expression hardening as his muscles tightened. His words were slow and deliberate. "...Think about it. This happens to at least one of us every day." 'One of us'. Greenriders. "...It's not always bad. It can be awfully good. But it can be really, really bad too, D'hys."
He cleared his scratchy throat and looked away, blacked eyes seeming dimmer than usual. "...And that's not counting when it happens outside of flight. It's wrong, you know...This looks bad, but everyone will just cringe a little and say 'ah, well, it's a flight! Shit happens!', and it does. But do you know how many times this has happened to me outside of a flight, D'hys? Is that all right?" It was a rhetorical question.
The greenrider exhaled slowly, almost nervous, but unwilling to abandon his thoughts. "...They're my brothers, you know. And I find them like this all the time. I'm always the one who sticks up for them and tries to protect them, or comforts them."
Suddenly, he scowled. "What the hell are they gonna think if they see me like this? If they see me crawling to a healer for help? If I own up to this happening, they're all gonna come to me and try to...try to return the favor. But I don't have it. I'm the one who looks after them, shard it!"
He knew they would comfort him if he asked. That's what communities were for. They were his brothers. But he just couldn't do it.
Besides, D'hys was right on another note. A'liran liked danger. He just didn't like it when it went this far, as so often he seemed to tempt it to. As if in response to that unspoken suspicion, A'liran leaned close and whispered one final comment. "I can't be a bad example."
"Because," A'liran said, expression hardening as his muscles tightened. His words were slow and deliberate. "...Think about it. This happens to at least one of us every day." 'One of us'. Greenriders. "...It's not always bad. It can be awfully good. But it can be really, really bad too, D'hys."
He cleared his scratchy throat and looked away, blacked eyes seeming dimmer than usual. "...And that's not counting when it happens outside of flight. It's wrong, you know...This looks bad, but everyone will just cringe a little and say 'ah, well, it's a flight! Shit happens!', and it does. But do you know how many times this has happened to me outside of a flight, D'hys? Is that all right?" It was a rhetorical question.
The greenrider exhaled slowly, almost nervous, but unwilling to abandon his thoughts. "...They're my brothers, you know. And I find them like this all the time. I'm always the one who sticks up for them and tries to protect them, or comforts them."
Suddenly, he scowled. "What the hell are they gonna think if they see me like this? If they see me crawling to a healer for help? If I own up to this happening, they're all gonna come to me and try to...try to return the favor. But I don't have it. I'm the one who looks after them, shard it!"
He knew they would comfort him if he asked. That's what communities were for. They were his brothers. But he just couldn't do it.
Besides, D'hys was right on another note. A'liran liked danger. He just didn't like it when it went this far, as so often he seemed to tempt it to. As if in response to that unspoken suspicion, A'liran leaned close and whispered one final comment. "I can't be a bad example."