04.May.13, 01:13 AM
T'lian emerged from the healing hall as he often did, caught somewhere in between relief and boredom. It was simultaneously excellent and very dull to have no work to do. He'd always tended towards being a workaholic, especially here where he had nothing else to really tend to that wasn't just another kind of work. He wasn't even horribly busy, though! Khaduceth was large enough to take care of himself for the most part, lessons only took up a couple days a week and the required training that went with them wasn't much more of a burden. If anything, the time T'lian spent in the healing hall was a time sink.
As he emerged, pulling his headband now around his neck and crackling his knuckles idly, he wondered if maybe he should be training a little more right now. He wasn't the top of his class, and that was a problem...not so much because he wanted to be the best dragonrider, but because he'd never not been. He'd spent his whole academic career at the front of the pack, and now being behind in something was oddly disappointing. It made him feel a little guilty. He was trying damn hard, but just didn't have the knack for it that some of the others did. He stayed extra hours sometimes, trying to get the hang of it. He took flawless care of Khaduceth and his leathers were perfect, but flying...that was another matter.
He wasn't even catastrophically bad at it. It wasn't even funny. It was just..mediocre.
You are NOT a dragonrider Khaduceth reminded him in good humor. You are a healer who also has a dragon. Your special skills require more of your attention. Khaduceth knew exactly what to say to make the young man smile, even if the implied arrogance also made T'lian blush a bit. The notion that he was too good to be a dragonrider was pretty amusing. Who has time for lessons? I have lives to save.
It's cute how you pander to me he teased. He felt a wall of smugness coming from Khaduceth. Both knew that the dragon's comments were rooted in truth; Khaduceth really did feel that way. T'lian hardly felt special while being overcome by a bout of embarrassment at his own boring deficiencies as a dragonrider, but Khaduceth thought he was special. Khaduceth valued all the things in T'lian that he himself was most proud of, and the dragon had grown fond of expressing it in rather obnoxious ways. As far as Khaduceth was concerned, as long as they were passable as dragonriders and they both tried their best, it was fine. Anyone who jeered was just jealous. Most days, it really drew a smile from the young healer.
I love you
T'lian grinned, his mood suddenly much improved. Khaduceth was right...After three hours of extra flying yesterday and a rather ugly broken-arm-repair today, he needed to maybe relax. On one shoulder, Fellis chirped in agreement. In the crook of the opposite arm, the still-young Tansy agreed. She was a lovely little thing, though T'lian still had no idea who brought her to him. He also loved how her name creeped people out.
What better way to recover from your past? Make fun of it, of course!
"I suppose we'll find somewhere nice for you to play in the grass," he said to her as he walked along. He passed close to Nyvian, and was forced to glance briefly at him. Was that the one he thought it was? No, I think that's the other one he said to himself, recalling his past disagreement with Ryvian. He didn't really care, though. The other man had clearly been having a rough day, and T'lian didn't care enough about others opinions anymore to let it bother him like it might have when he was younger.
Of course, now he was staring at someone he didn't know. He gave a polite nod for good measure and seated himself in the grass, gently placing Tansy on the ground so she could pounce on bugs.
As he emerged, pulling his headband now around his neck and crackling his knuckles idly, he wondered if maybe he should be training a little more right now. He wasn't the top of his class, and that was a problem...not so much because he wanted to be the best dragonrider, but because he'd never not been. He'd spent his whole academic career at the front of the pack, and now being behind in something was oddly disappointing. It made him feel a little guilty. He was trying damn hard, but just didn't have the knack for it that some of the others did. He stayed extra hours sometimes, trying to get the hang of it. He took flawless care of Khaduceth and his leathers were perfect, but flying...that was another matter.
He wasn't even catastrophically bad at it. It wasn't even funny. It was just..mediocre.
It's cute how you pander to me he teased. He felt a wall of smugness coming from Khaduceth. Both knew that the dragon's comments were rooted in truth; Khaduceth really did feel that way. T'lian hardly felt special while being overcome by a bout of embarrassment at his own boring deficiencies as a dragonrider, but Khaduceth thought he was special. Khaduceth valued all the things in T'lian that he himself was most proud of, and the dragon had grown fond of expressing it in rather obnoxious ways. As far as Khaduceth was concerned, as long as they were passable as dragonriders and they both tried their best, it was fine. Anyone who jeered was just jealous. Most days, it really drew a smile from the young healer.
I love you
T'lian grinned, his mood suddenly much improved. Khaduceth was right...After three hours of extra flying yesterday and a rather ugly broken-arm-repair today, he needed to maybe relax. On one shoulder, Fellis chirped in agreement. In the crook of the opposite arm, the still-young Tansy agreed. She was a lovely little thing, though T'lian still had no idea who brought her to him. He also loved how her name creeped people out.
What better way to recover from your past? Make fun of it, of course!
"I suppose we'll find somewhere nice for you to play in the grass," he said to her as he walked along. He passed close to Nyvian, and was forced to glance briefly at him. Was that the one he thought it was? No, I think that's the other one he said to himself, recalling his past disagreement with Ryvian. He didn't really care, though. The other man had clearly been having a rough day, and T'lian didn't care enough about others opinions anymore to let it bother him like it might have when he was younger.
Of course, now he was staring at someone he didn't know. He gave a polite nod for good measure and seated himself in the grass, gently placing Tansy on the ground so she could pounce on bugs.